Frequently Asked Questions

Full-time MBA FAQ

Applications and Transcripts

An application is considered completed when we have received

  • a completed application form
  • a current résumé
  • an official test score (and English language test score, if applicable)
  • all written and video essays
  • all transcripts
  • two recommendations

Yes, we will accept scanned unofficial transcripts for evaluative purposes. Please upload all transcripts to the application portal. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit official transcripts with your enrollment deposit.

Yes, regardless of whether your credits from other institutions were accepted by the institution where you received your degree, we must receive a transcript from each post-secondary institution attended.

Detailed instructions for checking the status of your application will be sent with confirmation that your application was received.

Yes, you may submit your application whenever you are ready. It will be reviewed in the first round following the date you submit. For example: If you submit after the Round 2 deadline, your application would be reviewed in Round 3.

Our application fee is $175. You may use the same application to apply to any of our programs. 

You will need to email us directly. Please forward a copy of your receipt with the date you submitted payment and the card holder's name. If you did not receive a receipt following online payment, please contact your credit card company and verify the charge. If the charge is not verified, please resubmit payment.

Recommendations

Yes. Your request to your recommenders can be sent prior to submitting your application. Once you log into your application, fill out the recommender section and then select "notify" for each recommender. Your recommender will be notified of your request via email. Please tell them to expect the email and to check their spam box if they do not see it within a day. Their recommendation can then be submitted at any time before the deadline. 

We prefer recommenders use our recommendation form, but they may submit a letter that addresses our questions as long as they also include the evaluation grid, which can be downloaded from the hardcopy form. They may scan their letter and email it to us

We also accept the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation. 

Please first ask your recommenders to look in their spam folder within their inbox. If the request is not there or they cannot locate the link, you should contact us via email.

Test Scores

Two-Year MBA

  • GMAT: C3Q-71-17
  • GRE: 3984
  • TOEFL: 3984

One-Year MBA

  • GMAT: C3Q-71-68
  • GRE: 3984
  • TOEFL: 3984

Please note the upcoming test date on your application and use the optional essay to let us know your plan to retake a test. If this test date is past the decision release date for the round in which you applied, your application may be moved to the next round. 

No, the committee does not have a test preference. Applicants to Goizueta's full-time MBA programs are required to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT or GMAT Focus) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Valid MCAT or LSAT scores will also be accepted. Please note some employers require GMAT scores in the recruiting process.

Generally, it takes 3 weeks for us to receive your scores electronically. In order for us to receive your scores you must have listed Emory University Goizueta Business School as a recipient. If you did not list Emory (you can check this by looking at your copy of your scores) please contact GMAC or ETS directly and add Emory Goizueta Business School to your list of authorized recipients.

Your test score is only one of the components we consider when making an admission decision. There is no minimum requirement, however, in our Full-Time MBA, recently accepted applicants have scored between 590 to 770. If your scores are outside this range and you feel your application is otherwise strong, we encourage you to apply.

If you feel your score does not accurately reflect your capabilities then you should consider retaking the test. We consider the highest total score.

If you have taken both the GMAT and the GRE, you should submit all scores. We will take into consideration your highest score.

We do not average scores. We consider only the highest total score. Multiple test takings do not negatively impact how an application is reviewed.

Goizueta Business School expects all students to possess strong communication skills in English.

You are not required to submit an English Language Test Score if your undergraduate degree is from an institution in which English is the language of instruction AND you work in a country where commerce is generally conducted in English (for example: India, Pakistan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda). No TOEFL waiver is required, please do not request one.

For all other applicants whose native language is not English, we require the TOEFL exam (recommended score of 100 IBT or higher), the IELTS (recommended score of 7.0 or higher), or Duolingo (recommended score of 120-125). We require official scores be sent directly from the testing agency and to be received by our office by the deadline of the round in which you are applying (estimated delivery time is 20 days from test date or date requested). Your application will remain incomplete until the scores are received; unofficial test-taker copies are not accepted.

English Language Test waiver may be requested if a candidate has:

  • Spent at least 3 years in the U.S. studying toward completion of an undergraduate degree, OR
  • Completed a graduate degree in the U.S. followed by at least 1 year of work in the U.S.

Requests for a waiver should be submitted in writing via email after you have submitted your MBA application. Please provide explanation in the body of your email to show how you meet the above requirements.

Goizueta Business School provides applicants the opportunity to request a waiver from the standardized test requirement for applications to the Full-Time MBA programs. The test waiver is for candidates who can show evidence they are prepared for graduate-level business coursework based on their academic background and work experience.

A conferred bachelor's degree and full-time, professional work experience, post undergraduate studies, are required to submit the Test Waiver Application.

We encourage applicants to be thoughtful about requesting a waiver. A standardized test score can help candidates present their best application.

To apply for a test waiver, complete the Test Waiver Application and submit all supporting documents. Decisions are released within approximately 10-14 business days. .

Recommended Waiver Request Deadlines

Application Round      Test Waiver Deadline   Application Deadline
Round 1 September 15, 2023 October 4, 2023
Round 2  December 15, 2023 January 8, 2024
Round 3 February 15, 2024 One-Year: March 6, 2024
Two-Year: March 20, 2024

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Interviews

All students who are admitted to our program have been interviewed. We can sometimes offer in-person interviews for those who are local or attending an event on campus, but most often interviews are conducted over Zoom.

After each round deadline, interviews are scheduled by invitation once the committee has reviewed an applicant's completed application. Applicants must submit all required application materials in order to be considered.

Generally, a member of the Admissions Committee conducts the interviews.

You should plan to spend 30 minutes with your interviewer. If your interview is in person, please leave sufficient time to arrive at the interview location at least 20 minutes prior to your interview.

Please have a copy of your most recent résumé available. If your current position or responsibilities have changed since you submitted your application, please take a moment to email us the latest version of your résumé.

Decisions

All applications are reviewed during the round in which the application is determined to be complete (submitted and all required materials received). Decisions are released online on the notification date corresponding to each round.

Candidates who are waitlisted in one round will be moved to the next round and the application will be reassessed. You may check your status online on the next decision notification date. If your waitlist status did not change, it means that you have remained on the waitlist and your file will be reassessed in the next round.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Yes, loans are available and students may borrow up to the budgeted cost of attendance minus any scholarship. Loans include the Federal Stafford Loan, Graduate Plus Loan, Private Loans, and the International Student Loan. The International Student Loan does NOT require a U.S. co-signer.

All scholarships are merit-based and are determined based on the strength of the application. The Admissions Committee looks at academics, work experience, and demonstrated leadership in undergraduate and post graduate extracurricular activities.

No, our scholarships are all merit-based. All students may apply for financial aid loans to borrow funds up to the budgeted cost of attendance minus any scholarship received.

There is no application for scholarships. All admitted candidates are automatically considered for merit-based scholarship. We announce merit scholarship awards when we communicate our admission decisions.

No, our scholarship notification coincides with the admission decision. Our program is highly competitive and not everyone is awarded scholarship. If your admission decision does not mention scholarship it means that you were not awarded a scholarship.

General Questions

Goizueta welcomes applicants with undergraduate degrees from all majors. We look for students with diverse educational backgrounds and work experiences.

We will consider international applicants who hold this type of bachelor's degree. 

We encourage applicants to have at least two years of post-undergraduate, full-time work experience prior to the start of your MBA. Most of our students have between 3 and 7 years of work experience. Substantive work experience means you will be able to contribute more to classroom discussions and will have more focus with regard to personal and professional goals.

No, we do not accept transfer credits.

If you have earned a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree in the United States, you are not eligible to enroll in a Goizueta Business School MBA. Exceptions to this policy will be considered on a rare case-by-case basis if the degree is considered not comparable to the academic and experiential content of Goizueta Business School's MBA.

If you are re-applying within two years of your original application, you are required to submit:

  • Online application
  • An updated résumé
  • Re-applicant essays
  • New or updated recommendation
  • $175 re-application fee

It is not necessary for re-applicants who have completed an interview within the last year to interview again, but we strongly encourage you to do so. If more than two years have passed since your last application, you must complete all parts of the admission application.

RE-APPLICANT ESSAYS

Applicants who have applied to Goizueta Business School in the past are required to answer the following questions:

  1. What will professional success look like immediately after your MBA experience? Please describe where you would like this degree program to take you professionally. Include information such as desired job title, responsibilities, company, impact, and/or industry. Explain how your professional experiences and personal strengths align with your post-MBA goals. (200 word limit)
  2. Explain how you have improved your candidacy for Goizueta Business School's MBA program since your last application. (200 word limit)

Academics and Program Logistics

Yes, Goizueta's MBA degree does have STEM designation. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allows graduates of STEM programs on F-1 visas, who work for an E-Verify employer, the opportunity to work full-time in the US. In addition to the normal Optional Practical Training (OPT) period of 12 months for international students, a STEM degree makes possible a 24-month extension of post-completion OPT, offering total potential eligibility of up to 36 months.

The One-Year MBA begins in early May and the Two-Year MBA begins in late July. Domestic students should plan to arrive in the area at least one week prior to the start dates. International students should plan to arrive in the area at least two weeks prior to the start dates. 

Our program is very intense in the initial semesters. One-Year MBA students should not make any travel or employment plans for the summer they begin classes. Two-Year MBA students are not able to work or travel during their first semester. Subsequent semesters do allow for more flexibility to accommodate flexible part-time work and travel.

Yes. We provide the option to waive out of core courses. We recommend that students with functional or academic expertise who wish to waive out of a core course take the waiver exam associated with their functional area. Waiver requests should be directed to the Program Office after admission.

Students who successfully waive out of core courses may take elective courses in their place.

Emory offers graduate professional housing in venues on the edges of campus targeted to student's needs and desires. Emory provides shuttles to these units. In addition, the Emory area offers a wide variety of attractive and affordable housing options including apartment complexes and rental homes. Admitted students receive more information on housing following admission to the program.

Our partner's club is quite active. All partners and family are encouraged to participate at events throughout the program.

Due to the short time frame of the One-Year MBA, students are not able to participate in a study abroad program. However, there is still an opportunity to travel abroad to explore the business and cultural environment of another country through Global Experiential Modules. 

Two-Year MBA students have the opportunity to study abroad during their time at Goizueta. We have a relationship with International Management, an organization with over 35 member schools that arranges exchange opportunities in countries such as Austria, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the Netherlands. Goizueta also hosts international exchange students annually.