Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Wire Taps 230—Enlisted military candidate with a subpar GPA. Military officer with a modest GRE score. Haas ($$) versus Wharton ($) and HBS for tech entrepreneurship. Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

This week's episode of the podcast offers further details of Alex and Graham's recent trip to London, followed by discussion of all the latest MBA admissions news. In particular, Alex noted this week's application deadline for HBS’s 2+2 program. Graham also highlighted the recent 'Real Humans: Alumni' pieces, including a Columbia graduate working at Google, a NYU / Stern graduate who landed at Apple, a Chicago / Booth graduate working at Microsoft, and an HBS alum also at Microsoft. Graham then noted Clear Admit’s upcoming events schedule, with a series of Application Overview workshops slated for every Wednesday in May. First up, on May 4th, we have Berkeley / Haas, INSEAD, Yale SOM and Michigan / Ross. Signups are here: https://tinyurl.com/clearadmitevents Alex also encouraged listeners to add their entry to https://www.clearadmit.com/decisionwire if they’ve completed their application journey. As usual, this week's episode also featured three candidates - two from ApplyWire entries and a one DecisionWire entry. First up Alex selected an enlisted military candidate who has a modest GPA (3.1), but a very decent GMAT score (730). The question is, would a better GMAT score (780) make any difference? Graham and Alex recommend they might try this, while also taking HBS CORe or MBA Math. With that said, the candidate's enlisted experience sounds very decent, and perhaps strong enough to help them stand out. This week's second candidate is another military applicant; an officer with an outstanding GPA and special ops experience. The weakness in this instance is the GRE (318). Likely they will still have access to some of the target programs they’ve listed, but Alex and Graham think they need to retake the GRE and aim higher. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex selects a candidate who is looking to do tech entrepreneurship and is weighing Haas (with significant scholarship) versus Wharton (less money) and Harvard. They want to be on the west coast, post-MBA. All three are very viable. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced by Dennis Crowley from the coolest basement studio in all of West Philadelphia. Thanks for listening and please spread the word about the show!

Wire Taps 229—Airline pilot seeking MBA. Top ORM candidate, needs to apply early. Darden versus Kenan Flagler ($), McCombs ($) and Simon ($). Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

This week, Graham and Alex tackle a variety of topics, from their meetup in London for a 'top-secret' project, to all the latest in MBA admissions news. Graham called attention to Clear Admit’s incentive program for top contributors on the platform and a survey we now have in the field and would really love you to complete; you can access it here: https://bit.ly/casurvey2022 (Amazon gift cards are available for some survey respondents). Graham also highlighted Real Humans Alumni pieces, including a Stanford graduate who works for Apple, a Northwestern / Kellogg graduate at Apollo Investment Corp. and a UPenn / Wharton graduate now at Bank of America. For the WireTaps portion of the show, we tackled two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry. First up, Alex selects a non-traditional candidate who appears to have done some very interesting things, and should be targeting top programs. Their challenge will be to show fit, as well as explain some of their experiences and goals. The second candidate on this episode is at the opposite end of the spectrum; they are from the “ORM” pool, an over-represented candidate. That said, they are equally impressive and will simply need to target the first rounds to maximize their opportunities. Finally, from DecisionWire, this week's final candidate is deciding between Darden (no money), Kenan Flagler, McCombs and Simon (all with financial awards). They are looking at consulting and tech. Their decision appears to boil down to their appetite for taking on debt, as well as their geographic preference, post MBA. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in his West Philadelphia studios. Thanks for listening, and please remember to rate and review wherever you listen!

Wire Taps 228—Should we question a 730 GMAT?! Is 2 years of work experience enough? Anderson versus McCombs and Rice, for clean energy finance. Apr 11, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions podcast, Alex and Graham talk about getting together in London to work on a “top secret” project... (which actually means that if the project fails, no one will be the wiser!). Speaking of London, Graham highlighted the career report from London Business School; there are some very interesting differences in this career report, as compared with top U.S.-based programs. Graham also points listeners to the latest Real Humans alumni pieces; the first features a Michigan / Ross graduate who navigated from a pre-MBA career in retail merchandising to a post-MBA job investment banking at Morgan Stanley, and the second of which used a Cornell / Johnson, MBA to get into investment banking at JP Morgan. And finally, in the new category, Graham discussed a survey we now have in the field and would really love you to complete; you can access it here: https://bit.ly/casurvey2022 (Amazon gift cards are available for some survey respondents - with one lucky winner getting a $400 Amazon or Apple card). For the WireTaps portion this week, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry. First up, Graham introduces a candidate targeting deferred admissions programs. The candidate appears to have a strong academic record, internships and is engaged on campus. All good ingredients for these types of programs. The 730 GMAT is a very good score, overall. But there’s a potential blemish; the quant score is below average. This may be a minor “red flag” issue. This week's second candidate shows a lot of potential and strong numbers (3.85 and 750) - but with two years of experience, Alex and Graham ponder whether next season the right time to apply to maximize their opportunities. Finally, from DecisionWire, we have a candidate who is weighing Rice / Jones, Texas McCombs, and UCLA / Anderson. They want to do investment banking/PE in the energy/clean energy sectors. There’s some great advice on the DecisionWire platform to help make that decision. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced and engineered by Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, PA. Thanks for listening!

Wire Taps 227— History major, Marine, seeking pivot to investment banking. Health care candidate, targeting 750 on the GMAT. Kellogg versus Yale, is it a no-brainer? Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

This week's episode of WireTaps kicks off with a discussion of the 2023 US News & World Report rankings for US-based MBA programs. For those of you who missed the results, Chicago / Booth shares the top spot with UPenn / Wharton, with Stanford and Kellogg tied for third, and Harvard and MIT Sloan tied for fifth. While advocating for more of a tiered ranking, Alex makes the case that rankings like US News do themselves harm when they place Harvard and Stanford outside the top two. After that discussion, Graham highlighted Real Humans Alumni pieces from a CMU / Tepper grad working at Bank of America, a Duke / Fuqua graduate working at BCG, and USC / Marshall graduate employed by Disney Resorts; each pivoting their careers. Graham also mentioned a new line of business; we have merchandise for sale! All for a bit of fun. Graham also discussed a podcast he hosted with NYU / Stern’s Lisa Rios. As to the WireTaps portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry: First up, Graham introduces a candidate who was a history major and then served in the marines. They have a passion for finance, and now want to transition out of the military into investment banking. Boosting the quant portion of the GRE and taking MBA Math appear to be a logical step to improve the requisite quant profile for that type of pivot. This week's second candidate appears to have had a strong career, so far, in the health care domain, and Alex and Graham suggest they need to double down on that, in terms of their post MBA goals. They are targeting a 750 GMAT, and with a score like that, should aim high with regards to school selection. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chooses a candidate (and long-time friend of the show!) who had decided to matriculate at Northwestern / Kellogg, but now has an offer from the waitlist from Yale SOM. In the end it sounds like Kellogg might be the right decision... This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was expertly produced and engineered by Dennis Crowley in the land of Tastykakes, WaWas, and other amazing jawns. Please rate and review this podcast wherever you listen; it's the best way you can show your support for the show!

Episode 226: Admissions Director Q&A with Lisa Rios of NYU Stern Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

Learn the ins and outs of MBA admissions at the NYU Stern School of Business with the Assistant Dean, MBA Admissions, Lisa Rios. Lisa joins host Graham Richmond to discuss what's new and exciting at the leading b-school, what applicants can expect in the admissions process, how the interview works and more.

Wire Taps 225—Great candidate, but is the GMAT high enough? Deferred admissions candidate, heading to Big Tech. Darden versus Ross, with waitlists to navigate Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

In this week's edition of WireTaps, Alex and Graham discuss the wave of recent MBA admissions decisions from the likes of UPenn / Wharton and Northwestern / Kellogg, as well as the upcoming releases from Harvard and Stanford. As usual, there has been lots of activity on Live Wire. Graham then highlights several Real Humans Alumni pieces, which included MBA alums who have made the move from Cambridge / Judge to Citibank, from HBS to Google and from Emory to Deloitte. Graham highlighted each of the tips these alums provided for incoming MBA students. Your hosts then discuss the latest piece in Clear Admit’s Top Career Placement Outcomes series, which is focused on Tech placement. Graham also noted the recent podcast, focused on the use of Case Studies for MBA learning. As to this week's candidates, Alex chose two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry: First up, is a candidate who worked during his undergraduate, while maintaining a 3.6 GPA at a state school. This candidate also went on to serve a religious mission in France, and has subsequently enjoyed a really strong marketing career. Alex and Graham really like the overall profile, but can't help but wonder if a slightly stronger GMAT result would allow the candidate to really focus on the very best programs. This week's second candidate is an undergraduate student, looking at deferred enrolment programs. His numbers are outstanding, internship experience looks very good, and he appears to have solid leadership on campus. With a Product Manager role in hand at “Big Tech”, post undergrad, Alex and Graham really like his chances at top programs. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chose a candidate who is weighing Ross versus Darden with a post-MBA focus on the east coast/DC-area, in consulting. The added wrinkle is that this candidate is also on the waitlist at several programs in a tier above, so Alex and Graham discuss why that might be so, and what to do about it (they have terrific numbers). This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by the incredible Dennis Crowley. Please spread the word about the show to anyone you know who might enjoy! Thanks for listening.

Episode 224: Case Study Method Primer Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

Whether you know it or not, you NEED to know about the case study method. What's the case study method? In short, it's a means of instruction you'll surely encounter in your business school studies. But, there's more! And James Quinn of CaseStudy Co. is here to dig into the important details to help you get ready for your MBA studies in this special podcast episode.

Wire Taps 223— Promising candidate needs solid GMAT score. Failed a class, is it fatal? “Dream School” Wharton versus Anderson with money Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Alex and Graham discuss the upcoming Round 2 decision releases of Northwestern / Kellogg, Chicago / Booth and UPenn / Wharton among others, making the observation that with each successive week, bigger programs are releasing their decisions. Graham highlights two new Real Humans MBA Alumni pieces - one about an Insead graduate working at Bain and another about a Booth graduate who joined Disney. Graham also underlines the latest installments in the Top MBA Career Placement Outcomes series, focused on Strategy Consulting and Entrepreneurship and the Career Placement report for Texas / McCombs, which illustrates a concentration of offers in the South West, led by tech firms. For the candidates features this week, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry: First up, your hosts discuss a female candidate who graduated from a leading Canadian business undergraduate program. The GPA is not outstanding, but given that there is less grade inflation in Canada, it should be OK. The work experience looks promising, and now she needs to go after a respectable GMAT score (700s) to then target top MBA programs. Getting more involved in women’s issues (at work or outside of work) will also help, something she did during her undergraduate studies. The second featured candidate has taken the GMAT four times, and worries they’ve maxed out at 690. Still a respectable score, it will be below the median for top programs. They also noted failing a calculus class, before retaking and getting an A (this will need addressing in the optional essay). They have decent work experience and interesting volunteer experiences to share, but it will also be important to narrow the goal focus. Finally, from DecisionWire, we review a candidate who is weighing their “dream school”, Wharton, versus a very generous offer from UCLA / Anderson. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, home of Rocky, cheesesteaks, and Sun Ra. Thanks for listening and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you may listen.

Episode 222: Women’s Path to Leadership and the Power of the MBA Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

Women hold just six percent of CEO roles at F500 companies (that's 31 women vs. 469 men); of those 31 women, nearly half have MBAs. In 2005, zero business schools reported more than 40% female enrollment, but that number jumped to 19 business schools in 2019. Clearly, there is still much work to be done in this domain. In this special edition of the Clear Admit Podcast, "Women's Path to Leadership & the Power of the MBA," SMU Cox's Jill Melton and Annie Cadigan Dunlap discuss the current state of affairs when it comes to women in the C-Suite and women in leadership more broadly, as well as how an MBA, and the Cox program in particular, can help place more women leadership roles. This episode was recorded in Dallas, Texas and Paris, France. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in leafy West Philadelphia. Please remember to share the Clear Admit MBA Admissions podcast with at least one other person!

Wire Taps 221—Military candidate with weaker numbers, entrepreneur with top GMAT, Columbia versus Sloan for Asset Management Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

Alex and Graham kick this week's episode off with a discussion of the pending releases of admissions decisions for several programs in this upcoming week (Emory, UNC, Duke, Michigan, UVA, IESE), as well as last week's release of CMU / Tepper decisions. Graham speculated that there will be significant movement off the Round 1 waitlists, forthcoming, due to the slump in application volume. We also discussed the release of additional articles in our new content series: Top MBA Career Placement Outcomes. We focused on the finance sector piece, which is very revealing in terms of the very top MBA programs providing the greater “buy-side” opportunities. Graham also mentioned the Real Humans piece on Stanford, as well as Alumni pieces focusing on NYU / Stern and McKinsey and Duke / Fuqua and Microsoft, respectively. Graham also highlighted two additional podcasts he recorded, focused on online MBAs and on Women in Business and the impact of the MBA (stay tuned!). For our candidates this week, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry. First up, is a candidate who has outstanding military experience and extracurricular activities, however, the numbers are on the weaker side, and the goals need refining. Steps need to be taken, but Alex and Graham still feel this candidate should be targeting top programs. This week's second candidate has great numbers, or at least an outsized GMAT, and appears to have good entrepreneurial/family business experience. Alex and Graham discuss the application strategy issues they pose (e.g. the fact that recommendation letters from a parent don't fly), and consider whether switching firms is a smart next step. Finally, from DecisionWire, Graham introduces a candidate who is weighing the options between MIT / Sloan and Columbia, for an Asset Management role. While our finance industry piece, cited above, may favor Columbia, the candidate loves the fit with Sloan, and that’s their choice. This episode was produced in snowy/sleety West Philadelphia by the tireless Dennis Crowley. It was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. Please remember to tell at least one person you know to tune in!

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