Advice to Incoming McCourt Students: ‘Explore your Interests’

Rachel Grich recently graduated salutatorian of the full-time MBA Class of 2020 and with a dual MPP/MBA degree. She works as the Strategic Initiatives and Finance Coordinator at Kingsman Academy Public Charter School in DC, a middle and high school focusing on serving students who are at-risk of dropping out.

Outside of work, Grich is currently spending her time trying new online exercise classes and taking on some home improvement projects with her fiancé. She stays connected with a group of McCourt friends through a book club.

Learn how she navigated her time at McCourt and her advice for incoming students:

As an MBA/MPP dual degree student, you were also involved in several student groups, the McCourt Policy Innovation Lab, worked at McCourt’s FutureEd, and interned off-campus. Describe your typical day as a McCourt student? How did you balance everything?

My days typically started very early. I am a morning person, so I would often read for class while drinking my morning coffee. Sometimes I would work out in the morning if I had later classes that day. For most of my three years at Georgetown, I lived in Glover Park and could walk to campus, which was a nice way to break up my mornings. After arriving to campus, I would spend my day in classes, working on assignments, attending student group meetings, and doing remote work for my internship. I would usually go into the office for any internships I had on Fridays, since there were no classes. I think what kept me sane and organized was a good planner.

My mindset when I started graduate school was that my three years at Georgetown were an opportunity to learn as much as possible and explore things that interested me. To do this, I got involved in a variety of activities and kept myself busy. I had an idea of what I might want to do when I graduated but knew it was these activities that would help me better figure it out. The benefit of this was no two days were alike. There were days where I pushed the limits with my time, but looking back, I cannot think of a single activity I would have wanted to give up.

What is one of your favorite McCourt memories?

This is a hard one. I have many fond McCourt memories. I think the McCourt holiday party might be my favorite. Both years I went, I had so much fun hanging out with friends, eating some great food, and chatting with professors outside the classroom.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

First, there is no one way to do graduate school. I think it is about building a balanced experience that works for you. McCourt has a lot to offer and it may seem overwhelming at first, especially with Quant and Econ your first semester. Grades are important, but not the most important thing. Make sure you take time for yourself to explore your interests. This may mean going to listen to speakers on campus, joining a student group, or taking an internship in a new field.

Second, get to know your McCourt classmates. Odds are they are pretty great people who care about a lot of the same things you do.

And third, get out of the Georgetown ‘bubble’ and explore DC. DC is an amazing city and offers so many opportunities to learn about policy.