Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

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MBA Wire Taps 380—South African, tech. Academic to MBA. Ghanian, 312 GRE Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire; we have several MBA admissions deadlines upcoming this week; Duke / Fuqua, UVA / Darden and Notre Dame / Mendoza have their Early Action round deadlines. Harvard, UPenn / Wharton and London Business School have their Round 1 application deadlines.

The next Clear Admit event series is now only one week away and runs for three weeks, on September 11th, 18th and 25th. Our first event includes INSEAD, London Business School, UPenn / Wharton, Emory / Goizueta and Michigan / Ross. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/insidemba

Graham highlighted two recently published stories on Clear Admit. The first looks a which of the top MBA programs offer a STEM designation. It is clear this has been an interesting trend that began with Rochester / Simon and has recently included Harvard. The second story focuses on some of the recent Olympic athletes who are completing their MBAs. We are great admirers of the talent, dedication and perseverance it takes to compete at the very top of any endeavor.

Graham then noted two admissions tips that were recently published by Clear Admit. The first tip focuses on the importance of understanding the background of the admissions readers. The second tip discusses the need to do deep research on each of the MBA programs that a candidate is targeting.

Graham then mentioned six recently published Adcom Q&As, from HEC Paris, Imperial College, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Washington / Olin, Northwestern / Kellogg, and UCLA / Anderson.

We then highlighted a new MBA admissions series that focuses on “famous” MBA alumni, which we think highlights the real value of the MBA from top tier MBA programs. This series will focus on MBA alumni in a variety of sectors including technology, health care and retail, finance and philanthropy, and automotive and energy.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is from South Africa and appears to have had a very strong career to date in finance roles in the tech sector. Their GMAT is a 730 and they are targeting the M7 MBA programs.

This week’s second MBA candidate works in academia as a researcher in the health care domain. They want to transition out of academia, their long-term goal is to work for an organization like the Gates Foundation. They have a GRE score of 330.

The final MBA candidate for this week is from Ghana. They have a GRE score of 312, but plan to retake the test. They do have a strong GPA and decent work experience, but their post MBA goals could be strengthened.

This episode was recorded in Pescoluse, Italy, and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

MBA Wire Taps 379—Argentina to Spain. GMAT waiver. Military to renewables Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast Graham began by discussing our September MBA admissions event series; several top MBA programs are scheduled to participate. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/insidemba

We than had a thoughtful conversation about the value of a top MBA, weighed against the risk of the investment in pursuing the degree.

The pros of pursuing an MBA, in a world where things are changing in quite extraordinary ways due to AI, geopolitical challenges, climate change, and other large shifts, are substantial. Learning from the best faculty, learning with similarly motivated peers, and seeking to understand the challenges that lie ahead, is a critical advantage of a top MBA program.

Combine this with the network of candidates in the MBA program, and alumni who have come before, and these networks can really help foster valuable connections - whether for long-term friendships or career opportunities.

Finally, the career resources that these MBA programs have available to help candidates pursue their post MBA goals, are very substantial and form a critical aspect of the overall MBA experience.

So, the cost of the MBA, and its opportunity cost associated with leaving a career, is substantial. But the payback can be very rewarding, especially when viewed from a longer term perspective.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is from Argentina and is seeking an MBA from Spain’s top MBA programs. This is not unusual for candidates from Argentina. They have a super GPA, their GMAT is a decent 710. They appear to have had a strong career to date and were also a track and field national champion.

This week’s second MBA candidate already has some deferred admissions options from when they were an undergraduate student. They have now worked for several years in what appears to be very decent experiences. They are planning to apply to more MBA programs, but we are concerned about their reluctance to take the GMAT or GRE.

This week’s final MBA candidate is a military candidate, who is looking to pivot into renewable energy, post MBA. They had a mechanical engineering undergraduate degree, with a 3.1. Their GMAT score is 645, but they also have an EA of 161.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

MBA Wire Taps 378—Tech PM to MBA. Climate finance to MBA. Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

We then did something very different - we had a deep conversation about our backgrounds, and work history together, which has extended beyond 20 years. We wanted to highlight our MBA admissions experience, so listeners can get a better sense for who is providing the weekly commentary on MBA admissions.

We covered our time together at UPenn / Wharton, where we launched several applicant-facing web initiatives that were industry firsts at the time. These included Wharton’s student2student applicant discussion forum, a student blogging initiative, as well as an online interview scheduler. We then discussed the formation of Clear Admit, and its evolution, as it pivoted from being a leading applicant consulting firm to what it is today - an online community where candidates can get unfiltered and free guidance so they can present their best applications.

It has been a long journey together, but a very enjoyable journey. We hope that comes across during our Wire Taps weekly podcast show!

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate has a super GMAT score of 750 but has a more modest undergraduate GPA of 2.99. They also have a graduate degree, and both degrees are in engineering. Their work experience appears to be very decent, in tech product management. Their post MBA goals are to pursue consulting in the short term, and then return to the tech industry.

This week’s second MBA candidate also has a super GMAT score (760), but also has a poor undergraduate record. They were compromised by their mental health. They completed an MBA directly after their undergraduate degree, to help compensate. They work in climate finance, and ultimately want to return to this field after a stint in consulting.

Live Admissions Q&A: Alex Lawrence of UCLA Anderson Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid Alex Lawrence brings 20 years of experience at UCLA Anderson to this special edition of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. Hear his takes on admissions at UCLA, career goal trends, campus highlights and more.

MBA Wire Taps 376—Published environmental scientist. STEM major, AI experience. Social impact consultant. Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire; we are now moving into the new season as MBA programs begin their pre-term activities.

The next Clear Admit event series begins in September and will run for three works, on September 11th, 18th and 25th. Five top MBA programs will participate in each event, signups are here: https://bit.ly/insidemba

Graham highlighted one admissions tip, whether to apply in Round 1 or Round 2, and two additional Clear Admit stories that were published last week. The first looked at our team’s favorite MBA admissions essays, and also highlighted each team member’s choice for a new admissions essay. The second article was a little fun; we explored some of Taylor Swift’s lyrics and how they might be applied to MBA admissions.

Graham then discussed three recently published Adcom Q&As, from Manchester / Alliance, Georgia / Terry and ESCP in Paris.

Graham then highlighted two recently published podcasts that were recorded during GMACs annual conference. These podcasts feature admissions officers from Washington / Foster and MIT / Sloan, answering three questions related to MBA admissions: candidates’ use of AI in the admissions process, the use of video in the admissions process, and aspirational trends that they a seeing from their candidates.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is an environmental scientist from India. She has 11 years of work experience, winning awards and publishing her work. We really like the experience, but her numbers are a little on the weaker side.

This week’s second MBA candidate has very good numbers with a 740 GMAT, a 3.7 undergraduate degree and a graduate degree, both in STEM. They have worked in IT consulting and an AI startup. They are also active outside of work. All around, a very decent profile.

The final MBA candidate for this week has worked for 5 years in non-profit, social impact and the tech sectors. Their work experience appears to be impressive, and their goals should be impactful. They have a decent GMAT of 720, which is still below the median for the very top programs. Their undergraduate degree GPA is also a little below the median.

Live Admissions Q&A: Dawna Levenson of MIT Sloan Aug 09, 2024

Show notes

Applying to MIT Sloan for your MBA? Tune into this special Live Admissions Q&A with Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Levenson. She talks about AI in admissions, what's happening at the institutional level, and how to handle the video component of the MIT Sloan application - and more.

Live Admissions Q&A: Brent Nagamine of Washington Foster Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

Representing the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, Director of Admissions Brent Nagamine joins the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast live from the GMAC Conference. Brent talks about AI in admissions, what the Foster adcom looks for in the video component of the application, career trends and more with host Graham Richmond.

MBA Wire Taps 373—Doctor to MBA. Reporter to MBA. Military marathoner. Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire; a few MBA programs are still reducing their wait lists as pre-terms approach; we then discussed the value and importance of pre-term to help set up candidates for their MBA experience.

Clear Admit’s summer essay workshops have now come to a very successful conclusion; the next series of events will begin in September. Graham highlighted Harvard’s recent announcement that their MBA program is now STEM certified. This allows international students more scope for remaining in the United States in the short term, post MBA. Harvard is following a significant trend for leading MBA programs which started with Rochester / Simon.

Graham noted that Berkeley / Haas has a new dean; one of Haas’s previous deans has now moved up in the administration at Berkeley (Rich Lyons, as Chancellor of UC Berkeley), which we assume is a good thing for the business school, generally.

Graham then highlighted two admissions tips. The first focuses on the value of campus visits, the second is essentially a useful list of all the early round deadlines for the top MBA programs. This useful resource also includes links to each program’s respective essay topic analysis, and much more.

Graham then discussed three recently published Adcom Q&As, from Chicago / Booth, Boston College / Carroll, and CEIBS.

Graham then highlighted two recently published podcasts he recorded during GMAC's annual conference. These interviews feature admissions officers from Yale SOM and Cornell / Johnson, answering three questions related to MBA admissions: candidates’ use of AI in the admissions process, the use of video in the admissions process, and aspirational trends that they a seeing from their candidates.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate was a medical doctor and then moved on to McKinsey. We really like that profile. They are targeting the trilogy of Harvard, Stanford and Wharton, which is quite ambitious, but they can always expand their selection in the second round, if necessary.

This week’s second MBA candidate is from the Midwest and has a rather unorthodox pathway to pursuing the MBA, starting out their career as a reporter, then working at a startup, and now in banking. They do have a strong profile; the one weakness may be their quantitative abilities.

The final MBA candidate for this week is a military candidate who has also worked in the private sector for a couple of years after leaving the service. If we can assume a strong military experience, we think there’s a lot to like, and targeting top 16 programs makes sense. They are also a marathoner.

Live Admissions Q&A: Laurel Grodman of Yale SoM Aug 02, 2024

Show notes

If you're planning to apply to the Yale School of Management for your MBA, tune into this special edition of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast for what to expect from the application process and more. Wire Taps host Graham Richmond sat down with Laurel Grodman, Assistant Dean for Admissions, to dig into some key topics, including the guidance and support regarding using AI in the application process, what to expect from the video component of the Yale MBA application, which is the next step once applicants click "submit," and industry trends among MBA candidates.

Live Admissions Q&A: Eddie Asbie of Cornell Johnson Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

Executive Director of Admissions and Scholarship at the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management, Eddie Asbie, sat down with Clear Admit Co-Founder Graham Richmond at the GMAC Conference this summer for a chat about MBA admissions. Eddie covers a lot of ground about the Cornell Johnson MBA in this short interview! The Cornell Johnson MBA application features a "fill in the blank" career goals prompt, which Eddie digs into in the special Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast episode below. Eddie also talks about trends in the applicant pool, particularly regarding careers, as well as how artificial intelligence can play a part in the application process. He also touches on what they're looking for in their Impact Essay and what can come up in the admissions interview. And, if you're interested in investment banking, hear why you should add Cornell Johnson to your target b-school list. It's another must-listen Live Admissions Q&A!

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