Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

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MBA Wire Taps 360—735 GMAT, from Brazil. Australian MBB. Weatherhead vs Marshall wait list Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the MBA application deadlines and decision releases for this season. For this upcoming week, we will see decision releases from Harvard and UPenn / Wharton for their deferred admissions programs; we are also still seeing some activity around wait lists at a few MBA programs.

Graham highlighted the upcoming summer application series that Clear Admit hosts, which begins on Wednesday, July 10, and will include the majority of the top MBA programs. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/summeressays

Graham then mentioned two recently published Clear Admit stories. The first story focuses on the new GMAT test, and how to compare scores with the old GMAT test. The key is to look at the percentile scores. The second story highlights NYU / Stern’s move to change the title of one of its MBA program offerings from Fashion to Luxury and Retail.

Graham then noted the publication of a new podcast episode which was a recording from one of the panel discussions during the in-person Chicago MBA admissions event that Clear Admit hosted. This discussion centered on strategy consulting recruiting and is a conversation with Noble Stafford at Bain and Company.

Graham finally highlighted the publication of three Adcom Q&As, from Michigan / Ross, ASU / Carey and Michigan State / Broad.

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 Brazil. They have a super GMAT score of 735 and their overall profile looks very strong. We think they would benefit by providing more clarity around their post MBA goals.

This week’s second MBA candidate is a second year analyst at one of the MBB firms. They are based in Australia, and also have a very good GMAT score of 740 (old test format). We think there is a lot of potential upside, but it would be good to know a little more about their activities outside of work.

The final MBA candidate for this week applied this season, and has quite a few options, including Case Western Reserve / Weatherhead with a nice scholarship. They are also still on the waitlist at USC / Marshall, and we discuss whether it makes sense to pursue Marshall further.

This episode was recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana 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!

Episode 359: Your Post-MBA Consulting Career – Expert Advice from Bain & Co.’s Recruiting VP Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

Whether you're curious about pre-MBA preparation or what makes Bain a unique workplace, this episode is packed with actionable advice and insider knowledge for aspiring consultants. We dive deep into the world of strategy consulting with Noble Stafford, Vice President of Recruiting for Bain & Company's Chicago office.

MBA Wire Taps 358—Reapplicant, entrepreneur. Military, retaking GMAT. Navy to Renewable Energy Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we kicked things off with our usual rundown of the latest admissions news. We are still seeing some activity around wait lists at few MBA programs. We then discussed the delayed roll-out of the Harvard MBA admissions essay for this upcoming season. It looks like HBS is planning to change their more traditional essay prompt, and there appears to be much anticipation about this change. All will be unveiled later this month...

Graham highlighted the upcoming summer application essay series that Clear Admit hosts, which begins on Wednesday, July 10, and will include the majority of the top MBA programs. Signups have recently opened and are here: https://www.bit.ly/summeressays

Graham then noted the publication of a new podcast episode which is a recording of one of the panel discussions during the in-person Chicago MBA admissions event that Clear Admit hosted. This discussion centered on answering several key questions about the MBA degree; who is it for, when should one pursue it, why, what's the ROI, etc. The show features admissions directors from Cornell / Johnson, Harvard, NYU / Stern and Michigan / Ross, with Graham moderating.

Graham then highlighted a recently published Clear Admit admissions tip, which focuses the importance of the campus environment; this led to a discussion about the Penn campus in Philadelphia.

Graham then noted the publication of Clear Admit’s first Adcom Q&A for this new season, from Ohio State/Fisher.

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 India, and is reapplying next season, after gaining admissions this season for USC / Marshall and CMU / Tepper. They have a strong blend of tech and entrepreneurial experience, as well as decent additional activities. They have a very good GMAT, but their GPA is the weak spot.

This week’s second MBA candidate is a military candidate with a 700 GMAT score and a 3.15 GPA. They are not being overly ambitious with their target programs. They plan to retake the GMAT this summer, as well as take some additional coursework to bolster their profile.

The final MBA candidate for this week is also from the military, this time on the nuclear engineering side for the Navy. They have a strong GMAT of 740, and while their GPA is a little modest, they played Division 1 Baseball as an undergraduate.

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!

Episode 357: Roundtable Insights from Cornell, Harvard, Michigan & NYU Admissions Directors Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

Recorded live at the Clear Admit MBA Fair, admissions directors from top business schools share their insights on key questions prospective MBA students often need answering in this special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. The episode features Eddie Asbie from Cornell Johnson, Dana Fernandez from Harvard Business School, Matthew Ganderson from Michigan Ross, and Lindsay Lloyd from NYU Stern.

MBA Wire Taps 356—INSEAD or bust. Liberal Arts to Product Management. Doctor to Solar Energy Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by running down all of the latest b-school admissions news. We are still seeing quite a lot of activity around waitlists at a number of MBA programs.

Graham then highlighted a recently published Clear Admit admissions tip, which focuses on how to build your ideal list of target MBA programs.

Graham then noted three Real Humans Alumni pieces; an MBA alum from Chicago / Booth who now works at BCG, an alum from Goizueta / Emory who now works at Bank of America and an alum from UC Irvine / Merage who now works at Amazon. Finally, Graham highlighted a Friday’s from the Frontlines article from a student who is taking part in 'Stern Solutions', an experiential learning program from NYU / Stern.

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 only targeting INSEAD. They have a very strong GMAT of 705, a decent GPA and nearly 10 years of experience in the Fintech space. They are currently working in South Korea.

This week’s second MBA candidate also has a GMAT of 705, and is a product manager coming from a liberal arts background. They are from the Midwest of the United States.

The final MBA candidate for this week is from Nigeria and has trained to be a medical doctor. After one year of being a physician, they switched to lead a Solar company. They also have a high test score, a 333 for the GRE.

MBA Wire Taps 355—10 years of experience. Online or Executive MBA. Back to India. Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

This week's MBA Admissions podcast began with our usual rundown of the latest MBA application news for this season. This week, a few top MBA programs are releasing final decisions for Rounds 3 and 4, including London Business School, CMU / Tepper and Texas / McCombs; there is also still some waitlist activity being reported on LiveWire.

Graham highlighted two recently published Clear Admit admissions tips; the first looked at the impact of volunteer activities in an MBA application, the second focused on choosing between MBA programs.

Graham then noted two Real Humans Alumni pieces; an MBA alum from IESE who is now an entrepreneur, and an alum from Northwestern / Kellogg who now works at BCG. Graham also discussed a report from the Kellogg Climate conference, as well as a feature on a Dartmouth / Tuck MBA creating a startup while in business school. We then discussed a Real Humans piece from UCLA / Anderson, which features six MBA students from the program.

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 India and now works in Canada. They have 10 years of work experience, which places them at the high end of the spectrum for traditional full-time MBA programs. Should they target one-year MBA programs? How high should they aim?

This week’s second MBA candidate has developed a VC-backed startup over the last several years. They also have a STEM PhD. They are looking at online/hybrid or executive MBA programs, so they can continue with their startup, while studying for their MBA.

The final MBA candidate for this week is originally from India, but studied in the United States for their undergraduate degree, and then went into banking in the U.S. They then moved back to India for a Fintech startup. This is a rather unorthodox move for an MBA admissions candidate. They also have very good numbers.

MBA Wire Taps 354—Low GPA, LATAM. Low GPA, strong GMAT. London Business School vs Fuqua. May 27, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began with a quick report from Graham on how Clear Admit's first ever in-person event for applicants went in Chicago; spoiler alert: it was a great success! Alex then followed with an update on the latest MBA application decision releases for this season: this week, a few top MBA programs are releasing final decisions for Rounds 3 and 4, including Cornell / Johnson and Georgetown / McDonough; Harvard and UPenn / Wharton are releasing interview invites for their deferred admissions rounds.

Graham highlighted the final spring online webinar that Clear Admit is hosting this Wednesday at 12 pm ET, which will feature CMU / Tepper, Columbia, UPenn / Wharton, INSEAD and London Business School. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/caspringwebinars

Graham then mentioned a recently published Clear Admit admissions tip, regarding background checks on admitted candidates, before moving on to discuss three 'Real Humans Alumni' pieces, an MBA alum from Duke / Fuqua who works at Pfizer, an MBA from Columbia who works in AI for Amazon, and an MBA alum from Chicago / Booth who works at Xbox.

We then discussed the MBA Class of 2023 career report from UCLA / Anderson. This report is quite late in the cycle, but highlights the many strengths of the Anderson MBA program, especially if you are interested in being on the West Coast after business school. Finally, we discussed a U.S. Department of Energy competition won by MBA students from Duke / Fuqua. The winning concept related to how to manage power generation when the renewable inputs are variable.

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

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate appears to have a very strong professional career, and is from Latin America. While their GMAT is decent (710), their GPA is the weak point. We discussed strategies to mitigate the lighter GPA.

This week’s second MBA candidate also has a modest GPA of 3.0. They have a super GMAT (695 on the new version of the test) and appear to have done well in their marketing career, despite navigating a layoff.

The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Duke / Fuqua and London Business School. These are two quite different options, and we discussed those differences. They want to be in the United States in the longer term, post MBA.

MBA Wire Taps 353—Income equality issues. Big tech or consulting. Columbia vs Stern. May 20, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the latest MBA application deadlines and interview releases as the 2023-24 admissions season draws to a close. This week, a few top MBA programs are releasing final decisions for Round 3, including Stanford and Chicago / Booth.

Graham highlighted the Spring Online Webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting. The second event in the series is on Wednesday, and includes Dartmouth / Tuck, Yale SOM, UVA / Darden, and UNC / Kenan / Flagler. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/caspringwebinars

Graham then highlighted a recently published Clear Admit article that highlights the benefits of posting an entry to MBA ApplyWire. This is Clear Admit’s tool that allows candidates to share their profile and list of target MBA programs, and then get feedback from the Clear Admit MBA community. Some of these profiles are then discussed on this Wire Taps podcast.

Graham then noted one Real Humans Alumni piece, an MBA alum from Cornell / Johnson who works at Amazon. Finally, we discussed a Friday’s From the Frontline piece which focused on a Duke / Fuqua MBA student who discussed his long pathway to the realization that an MBA was a good next step.

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

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate has a strong passion for focusing on income inequality issues, and how an MBA can help them develop their skills to further impact this issue. They also have decent numbers, and may well be a strong MBA candidate.

This week’s second MBA candidate is from India, and appears to have an impressive professional background, evolving from accountancy to product management in tech, with a focus on social impact. They should target the first rounds.

The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between NYU / Stern, to which they have already paid a deposit, and Columbia, where they have only recently been admitted. In the long run, they want to be on the west coast.

This episode was recorded in Chicago, Illinois 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 352—Stanford or bust? First round targets. Anderson vs Marshall. May 13, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began with a discussion of our BIG event in Chicago on Wednesday May 15th; please join us if you can, by signing up here: https://www.bit.ly/cachicagofair We then turned to a discussion of the week ahead; several programs are releasing final decisions for Round 3, including UPenn / Wharton, USC / Marshall, MIT / Sloan, Yale SOM, Oxford / Said, UCLA / Anderson and Washington / Foster.

Graham then highlighted the Spring Online Webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting. The second event in the series is on Wednesday, May 22th. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/caspringwebinars

Graham then mentioned a recently published admissions tip that focuses on pre-MBA additional coursework; this might be useful for candidates who have very little quantitative studies in their undergraduate studies, or for candidates who need to address below par grades.

Graham then noted four Real Humans Alumni pieces, alums from: Berkeley / Haas who works at Pepsi, IMD who works at Amazon, Notre Dame / Mendoza who works at Microsoft, and Stanford who works at Myc0Works.

For the candidate profile review portion of the show this week, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is targeting Stanford. They have a very interesting background in EdTech, they also have their own YouTube channel with a significant number of followers, as a content creator. We worry that only targeting Stanford can be risky, but they do appear to have an attractive profile.

This week’s second MBA candidate is from India, and also has French citizenship. They have strong numbers, and appear to have done well in their career, to date. They want to target the top programs, and we encourage them to include those programs in the first round.

The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between UCLA / Anderson and USC / Marshall, with substantial scholarships. They are seeking buy-side finance roles, and wonder if one of these options will be good enough, or should they reapply to higher-tier programs next season.

MBA Wire Taps 351—720 GMAT, Executive MBA. 326 GRE, is it enough? Marshall vs Tepper May 06, 2024

Show notes

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began with our usual discussion around application deadlines, interview releases, and decisions for this season. This week, Round 3 and 4 continue with several application notifications; several programs are also releasing final decisions for Round 3, including Northwestern / Kellogg, Emory / Goizueta, CMU / Tepper, Duke / Fuqua and INSEAD.

Graham highlighted the Spring Online Webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting. The first event is on Wednesday, May 8th, and includes Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough and Texas / McCombs. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/caspringwebinars Graham then noted the May 15th event we are hosting in Chicago, which will be Clear Admit’s first in-person MBA candidate event. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/cachicagofair

Graham then mentioned an admissions tip that focuses on the reapplication process. While this is targeted to candidates who were not able to secure a seat at a top MBA program this season, we also discussed candidates who are debating whether to reapply next season, or go to business school this season.

Graham then noted three Real Humans Alumni pieces, alums from: UCLA who works at Google, Harvard who works at Amazon and UC / Irvine who works at PepsiCo.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry.

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is targeting leading executive MBA programs, rather than full-time MBA programs. They have 15 years of experience, most of which has been in digital marketing. They currently work at Nestle. They have a 720 GMAT score and a 3.02 GPA.

This week’s second MBA candidate has a 326 GRE and a 3.43 GPA; they work at IBM in technical sales. They plan to return to IBM after the MBA, and then move on to work in their family business.

The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between USC / Marshall and CMU / Tepper. While both MBA programs are in the same tier, they will offer different experiences. We think the candidate needs to really think hard about their post MBA goals, in order to help drive their final decision.

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