Calling All Georgetown 2011 Applicants (Updated)

Hey living close to DC and having close friends who got off the WL, are students/graduates etc. I hope i can offer some insights that may be helpful.

Some people dont do anything and get off, while other send monthly updates and dont get off. I think the gtown waitlist is a pure yield manipulation tactic. Here are some important numbers:
Applications (admitted and denied) to the newest class: 1,630
Applicants who were accepted to the most recent class: 42 %
Admitted applicants who enrolled in the newest class: 37 %
Applicants wait-listed during the last admissions cycle: 451
Wait-listed applicants admitted for the semester to which they applied: 94

More than 25% of applicants are WL'ed....much higher than any other school in the country.
~28% of the incoming class comes in off the waitlist, another high.

Two WL'ed friends of mine were called by gtown and asked "if we admit you, will you come?" the one who said absolutely received his offer a couple days later. The one who said maybe stayed on the WL for quite a bit longer.

Gtown knows its a back up school for many people and hedges its yield (37%....only one school has a lower yield in the top 25...its Olin! @ 34%) with the waitlist. I wonder what it would be if they didn't put such a high number on the WL...maybe 15%? They cant have that.

Either way the main goal with gtown isnt to show them you've gotten better IF you are already good enough, its to show that you truly would go there if admitted. Some say this can be effectively done by just staying on the WL. Hence there are some kids who dont do anything and get admitted.

All that said, I think the proper strategy for any school that accepts WL updates like gtown is to tell them they are your number one choice and send them meaningful updates on your profile. Have you been promoted? Are you leading a larger team? Managing a larger budget? Did you join toastmasters?
stuff like that helps but you should lead with Gtown is your first choice and you will go if given the honor.

A new reco letter is good if its NEW and doesnt rehash what they already know. If you had a low GPA perhaps now is the time to tap a recent professor on the shoulder (considering your other letters were professional.)

On another note, one should only do this if Gtown is your first choice and you would actually go. If you're just hangin out to see what happens but prob wont go - just remove yourself to be fair to others. And you're not getting any serious money off the WL.

And on another note gtown sucks in tech placements on the west coast. It sucks in general on the west coast. The alumni base outside of the b school is not very receptive to mba students past a chat and wont really be in position to help you as much as a larger/older network like other b schools. At the end of the day gtown has its strengths...federal consulting/mid tier finance in the DC area. If that was ones goal its prob the best fit. gtown also has a very strong global brand, so for US citizens looking to make a move overseas it may be good fit. Take a hard look at look at the placements both location and industry/function....tech is almost non existent.

Gtown has a very bright future for a young school...the MBA program started in 1981, and I think it will be in the top 15 one day. As someone pointed out there are some top placements in IB and even MC coming out of gtown in recent years.