Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 220: Taking a Serious Look at the Online MBA Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

In this special episode of the Clear Admit podcast, learn everything you need to know about Online MBA offerings. Special guest, Dr. Carolyn Goerner of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University-Bloomington, joins Graham Richmond to dig into how Online MBAs stand out, how employers view Online MBAs, what applicants should consider when looking for an Online MBA and much more.

Wire Taps 219—West African candidate and 700 GMAT, Test waiver for Round 3, Johnson Park Fellowship versus Columbia Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of WireTaps, Graham and Alex discussed this week's forthcoming release of admissions decisions for CMU / Tepper and INSEAD. Your hosts also highlighted our new content series: Top MBA Career Placement Outcomes. Two pieces published last week revealed interesting insights regarding regional placement within the U.S. and more pieces on the horizon will unpack all kinds of placement nuggets. Graham and Alex then shifted gears to talk about two Real Humans Alumni pieces which focused on making the move from Northwestern / Kellogg to Google and from and Georgetown / McDonough to BCG. Graham also mentioned the recently published career report for USC / Marshall, where 84% of the Class of 2021 graduates remained out west (and a sizable number pursue Media and Entertainment and Interactive Gaming). For the featured WireTaps candidates this week, Alex chose two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry. First up, is a candidate from West Africa who is based in the United States, working in manufacturing. They are targeting the M7, next season, and are concerned about their GMAT, which sits at the 700 mark after three attempts. Alex and Graham do think one more go at the test could pay dividends, and that the addition of some more strategic long term goals will help this candidacy as well. Considering 1-2 programs outside of the M7 group would also be a wise move. This week's second candidate is from India, seeking to apply in Round 3 with a test waiver. Alex and Graham think this will be a big longshot, given they are from an over-represented applicant pool and very late to the game. Round 1 next season, with a strong test score, will increase their opportunities. But can they wait? Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chooses a candidate who is weighing options between Columbia (no money) and Cornell / Johnson with the full tuition Park Fellowship, seeking MBB placement post MBA. Another tough call, but a lot of fun to debate! This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was lovingly produced in West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley.

Wire Taps 218—Corporate finance to CFO, Civil engineer to mobility, Anderson versus Ross and Stern. Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

In this edition of WireTaps, Alex and Graham discuss the release of MIT Sloan interview invites (more or less accurately predicting their arrival - despite recording the episode prior to the release!). Your hosts also talked a little more about the UPenn Wharton team-based interview and recommended a previous episode of the podcast for those prepping. Graham noted the release of the Real Humans MBA Alumni series, featuring grads from Chicago / Booth and HBS, working at Bain and Amazon, respectively; there was also discussion about the release of the Real Humans of Wharton (apparently a series that has no end!). The big b-school news of last week was the announcement of Stanford GSB joining the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management; which Alex and Graham believe is a terrific step forward for the Consortium’s mission. Finally, Graham looked at the career placement report from CMU / Tepper, highlighting their strengths across many disciplines, including technology, computational finance and health care / biotech. For the WireTaps portion of the show, Alex chose two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry. First up, is a candidate who has a career spanning Big 4 audit and corporate finance in the media and entertainment industry. Graham and Alex like the M&E experience, and think that might be a differentiator. Solid GMAT of 730 (for top programs) but a slightly lower GPA may raise small concerns. With goals that focus on being on the West Coast, there was some discussion about a reevaluation of their school selection. The second featured candidate this week has solid numbers (720/3.45 engr), and is a civil engineer in the government sector. They also has some decent leadership at work. As a “first gen” candidate Alex and Graham discuss those advantages, and there is also a nice focus on the future of mobility. Your hosts suggest perhaps adding 1-2 more MBA programs from the top 16 tier. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chose a candidate who is deciding between UCLA / Anderson with money, vs. Michigan / Ross or NYU Stern. They want to be in New York, post MBA, doing brand management. There’s a case for all three options. This episode of the podcast was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in West Philadelphia, USA. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you may listen.

Wire Taps 217—Budding Product Manager, Investment Banker and Entrepreneur, Haas versus Darden, for now. Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode of WireTaps, Graham and Alex discuss the recent release of the Financial Times MBA rankings, and the challenges the FT faces in being the only leading MBA ranking that combines programs from around the world into a single list; Wharton took the top spot this year. Graham highlighted a yearly favorite, a piece on Northwestern / Kellogg’s assessment of the Superbowl ads. Graham also mentioned the career reports from Chicago / Booth and UVA / Darden, both programs showing nice geographic and industry diversity. Graham also noted another recent podcast he did with the admissions folks at Dartmouth / Tuck as a part of the continuing adcom Q&A series. UPenn / Wharton released their interview invites last week, a sign that candidates are clearly in the depths of Round 2 interview season at this point. Your hosts then tackled two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry: First up, Graham and Alex discuss a candidate with an unusual personal background, who is debating whether to apply next season or the following. She appears to have advanced fairly rapidly in her professional career, and also has decent numbers overall. Her target is product management, and she is contemplating switching to that role pre-MBA. Because this would be her fourth role in 3 years, we provide a note of caution... Our second candidate has a decent academic profile and extra-curricular involvement (music and sports). They work in investment banking and also run a “side hustle” venture. They’ve applied in Round 2, and are still waiting for some interview invites. Overall, the numbers are a little pedestrian for the very top programs, but there are lots of other things to like. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex selects a candidate who’s essentially debating a very generous offer from UVA / Darden versus an almost-as-generous offer from Berkeley / Haas. They are a budding entrepreneur who wants to be in the South/Mid Atlantic region, post MBA. They’ve also just received an interview invite from Stanford, which may further complicate their decision making process... This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was engineered, produced, and mixed by Dennis Crowley in West Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen!

Episode 216: Admissions Director Q&A with Amy Mitson & Pat Harrison of the Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Feb 16, 2022

Show notes

Get the inside scoop on MBA admissions at Dartmouth Tuck, as Co-Executive Directors of Admissions & Financial Aid, Amy Mitson and Pat Harrison, share everything you need to know about the leading business school in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A.

Wire Taps 215—Chemical Engineer, Duke Wait List, Haas with money versus Stanford Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

In this Valentine's Day edition of the podcast, Alex and Graham offer some tips as to how you can warm-up to your MBA interviewer. Your hosts also break down the latest career placement report (Berkeley Haas) and talk a bit about application volume and the prospect of R3 applications this season. As to the WireTaps candidates, first up, Alex picks a Chemical Engineer with great numbers. The candidate is planning to apply in two seasons, but Graham and Alex suggest they should strongly consider targeting next season and add more M7 programs. Their main challenge is to show leadership, via work and outside of work. Our second candidate this week has already applied and is on the wait list at Duke / Fuqua. They are also preparing for an upcoming interview at Vanderbilt / Owen and still awaiting news from NYU / Stern and Columbia. Alex and Graham think the Fuqua waitlist is something they should really pursue (as it may be their best chance given the radio silence from CBS and Stern), and that they should consider retaking the GMAT; it’s currently a 690. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chose a candidate who is considering offers from Haas with a significant scholarship, and from Stanford with no funding. As an aspiring entrepreneur, they need to weigh the benefits of the cost savings at Haas versus the quality of the network and resources at Stanford. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in Philly by Dennis Crowley and the spirits of b-school past, present, and future. Please remember to rate and review this show, wherever you may listen!

Episode 214: A Crash Course in MBA Program Types–Which Format Is Right for You? Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

MBA offerings come in all shapes and sizes—from full-time to part-time, at a candidate’s personal pace, over the course of a year or two or more. It sounds simple, but the landscape is admittedly quite complex. In this podcast episode, host Graham Richmond and special guest Chris Healey demystify the types of MBA programs out there to help you figure out what works best for your educational and career needs. In this podcast episode, Graham and Chris go through: The basics of full-time vs. part-time MBAs, The differences between MBA programs for young professionals, working professionals, and executives, How MBA programs are delivered – online, in-person, hybrid, The pacing of different MBA programs, Misconceptions around how to pursue your MBA, and more! This episode was recorded in Manchester, UK and Paris, France. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, former capital city of the United States of America. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen!

Episode 213: Wire Taps—Strong profile from an over-represented population, should they wait? Engineer with great numbers, on the waitlist, and waiting for Round 2 offers. Haas versus Darden with more money, a tough call. Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of your friendly MBA-neighborhood podcast! The big conversation from last week’s MBA admissions activity centered around the interview invite releases of Harvard and Michigan / Ross (note: Alex and Graham somehow neglected to mention the release of Duke / Fuqua’s Round 2 invites, also heavily reported on MBA LiveWire). Alex put Graham on the spot about his own experience interviewing at HBS, and after diving into that topic a bit Graham called listeners attention to Real Humans piece on UVA / Darden, and the employment report for Cornell / Johnson. It was no surprise that a whopping 36% of students head into Finance from Johnson. Graham and Alex also discussed SMU / Cox’s merging of MBA Admissions and Career Services, and how that might, or might not, work at a larger program. Graham excitedly shared a lovely email - and audio clip - from a faithful listener. As always, this week's episode features three real candidate reviews, including two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: First up, Alex picked out a candidate from India who applied in Round 2, and is not being overly ambitious with their school selection. Your hosts like the overall profile, but wonder whether waiting to the following season, with apps in the first rounds, might allow them to target some higher profile programs. This week's second candidate also hails from India, but has completed an MS in the United States. With a solid engineering background and good numbers, there is a lot to like about the overall profile. Alas, this candidate is on the waitlist from Round 1 at a couple of programs, and has targeted a few top 16 programs in Round 2. Fingers crossed! Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chose a candidate who has several offers, and is weighing UVA / Darden with a full ride against Berkeley / Haas with a $90k award. Looking at the personal preferences of the candidate, Darden may have the edge, here. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in also-snowy West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

Episode 212: An Admissions & Career Services Merger at SMU Cox Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

This special podcast episode covers the importance of career goals in both the MBA admissions and post-MBA career placement domains. In particular, with the help of two special guests, we dive into an innovative approach being taken at one leading business school, where the MBA admissions and career services teams are truly working in tandem. Host Graham Richmond welcomes Lisa Tran and Jason Rife from the SMU Cox School of Business to explore the symbiotic relationship that propels MBA graduates’ success. This episode was recorded in Philadelphia and Dallas. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in West Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review the podcast wherever you listen!

Episode 211: Wire Taps – Potentially very strong candidate, needs to shape their story. A candidate with interesting work experience….but is low GPA a killer? Darden ($0) vs. Johnson ($80K) for consulting (or maybe IB)? Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

Alex and Graham are back with a jam-packed episode including Harvard Business School interview-timing news, breakdowns of the MIT Sloan and Yale SOM employment reports, and even some Wordle tips! Graham also reminds listeners of Clear Admit's upcoming events for deferred enrollment applicants (the first of which is this Wednesday, February 2nd and includes Berkeley Haas, CMU Tepper, Chicago Booth, and Columbia Business School). Sign up here: https://bit.ly/demba22 As to the WireTaps portion of the show, first up Alex and Graham look at an 'early bird' candidate for next season who is really trying to figure out whether the MBA is the right next step. She has an interesting background as a refugee who is now working in clinical research. If she aces the GMAT, and really develops a concrete post-MBA plan, top programs should be very interested in her profile. Next, Alex chooses a profile that has two parts to it: on the one hand there is really interesting and impressive looking work experience across parts of Africa - showing very good levels of impact. On the other hand, a sub-3.0 GPA is cause for serious concern. Finally, from DecisionWire, our hosts look at a candidate who is weighing options between UVA / Darden (without a scholarship) and Cornell / Johnson (with $80K). They are seeking a consulting career, but may also look into investment banking. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and snowy New York, NY. It was produced in also-snowy West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

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