Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 210: Wire Taps—Strong female candidate worried about a 710 GMAT. Pivot from tech to investment banking, with a 770 GMAT. Wharton ($10K) vs. Sloan ($100K), for MBB Consulting. Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Graham and Alex kick things off with some talk about the timing of interview invitations for impatient R2 applicants. Graham also highlights the final 'Real Humans: MBA Students' piece for the season (USC Marshall) and mentions a cool DEI initiative (courses and concentration) coming out of Emory. As to the WireTaps candidates featured this week, first up, Alex selects a female candidate whose experience spans Big 4 and tech consulting. Her strong GPA and work are positives, but there is some concern for her 710 GMAT (and weaker quantitative score). She’s targeting next season, and Alex suggested she look at MBA Math / HBS CORe to further mitigate any issues with the GMAT (which is certainly within range of top programs). Your hosts also suggest she goes “top heavy” in Round 1. Next, Graham and Alex look at a candidate who is hoping to engineer a fairly big career switch from tech to investment banking. A superb 770 GMAT is going to help, and the candidate already has an interview lined up with UVA / Darden, but what other factors should be considered? Alex raises some important questions about school selection on this one. Finally, from DecisionWire, your hosts look at a candidate who is weighing options between MIT / Sloan with a generous $100K scholarship, and UPenn / Wharton with a much smaller $10K scholarship. Both programs are very viable for the short term, MBB, goals. The long run plan may well be key, here. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and chilly New York, NY. It was produced in West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

Episode 209: Wire Taps— Dartmouth grad with 11 years of work experience in Japan. Syrian American chemical engineer looking to transition to consulting. West African candidate weighing offers from Booth, Johnson, Yale and Stern, for Investment Banking. Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

This Martin Luther King Day edition of the podcast takes a moment to recognize the unparalleled contributions of Dr. King before moving into the latest news from the MBA admissions front. With R2 deadlines mostly in the rearview, Graham is impatient about interview invites and Alex offers him some advice in this regard. Your hosts then break down the latest Employment Report from Kellogg and mention the recent publication of Real Humans pieces for UT Austin, Vanderbilt Owen, and Boston Carroll. Also of note, two upcoming 'deferred enrollment' events hosted by Clear Admit and featuring admissions representatives from Berkeley, Chicago Booth, Columbia, CMU Tepper, UVA Darden, Wharton, Yale SOM, and MIT Sloan - sign up here! https://bit.ly/demba22 As to this week's featured candidates, Alex and Graham kick things off with a close look at a Dartmouth grad who has worked for 11 years in Japan. He’s launched several entrepreneurial ventures, most recently setting up a language school. A super GMAT and fascinating experience helps, but he will really need to show fit and that he plans to fully engage during his MBA experience. Next, Alex selects a Syrian American chemical engineer who has worked in the petrochemical industry and wants to move to consulting and sustainability. She also has a passion for advocacy work and is currently in the midst of a 'gap year' to pursue that passion (while applying to b-school). Finally, from DecisionWire, Graham and Alex break down the dilemma for a candidate who is weighing offers from Chicago / Booth, Cornell / Johnson, Yale SOM and NYU / Stern - with varying scholarship amounts. The admitted student is from West Africa and is seeking to enter Investment Banking. Your hosts also give credit to the contributions from the community on DecisionWire for this entry. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was mixed, produced, re-mixed, and version-ed, by the incredible Dennis Crowley in sunny Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to tell at least 100 friends about it. Thanks for listening!

Episode 208: Wire Taps—Female Indian candidate with a lower GRE score. Tech candidate with super numbers. Darden with dollars versus Kellogg. Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

With the new year and R2 in full effect, this week's episode of WireTaps is action-packed and filled with a variety of content ranging from the R2 deadlines blitz, to employment reports out of Fuqua and Columbia, and into non-MBA areas such as Tesla's stock valuation, and the current debate over Aaron Rodgers and Novak Djokovic! As to the candidates profiled this week, first up, Alex and Graham look at a candidate with great numbers (760 / 3.74) who appears to have some strong tech experience in consulting and then the VC space. Your hosts discussed the specifics of the role in VC, noting that it isn’t “front facing” and the implications of that. Nevertheless, it's clear that this is a 'wicked smart' candidate with a good focus on tech. Next, Alex and Graham look at a female Indian candidate who appears to have very solid work experience, a strong undergraduate record, but a relatively weak GRE score of 323 (given her target schools). Alex wondered whether it would be worthwhile to plan to reschedule the test, even if it was for after the deadline. Finally, from DecisionWire, this week features a look at a candidate who is weighing up offers from Dartmouth / Tuck, Northwestern / Kellogg and UVA / Darden. The Darden offer comes with a generous scholarship, and also appears to be more appealing from a 'fit' standpoint with the candidate...leading to a bit of a dilemma! This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen (including Spotify!), and to tell at least one person about the show!

Episode 207: Wire Taps—Female engineer with lower GMAT quant score. Operations candidate targeting the COO role at Patagonia. Stern with $$$$ vs. Booth full-fare, for Investment Banking in New York? Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Happy 2022 to all! Graham and Alex are back to ring in the New Year, despite some unexpected hurdles... Our dynamic duo talk R2-craziness as business schools line up about 20 admissions deadlines in 5 days! Graham also shares a truly heartwarming e-mail from a listener in Chile and some big news about Spotify podcast ratings (thanks John!). As to the candidates profiled this week: first up, Alex and Graham look at a female engineer who is targeting next season. With a 700 GMAT, and a lower quant score, the test seems to be a clear area of improvement. Your hosts also discussed the quality of her work experience (engineering sales) and her potential opportunity to target M7 programs. Next, Graham introduces another candidate who is targeting next season; her “North Star goal” is to someday be the COO at Patagonia. Alex and Graham like her operations experience and sustainability goals, and discussed her 'extra curriculars' and her GPA as both of those areas are going to require some attention and/or remedial work. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex selected a candidate who is debating whether Stern with a very generous scholarship ($170K) is a better option than Booth without scholarship money. The candidate's short term goal is investment banking in New York City with a long term plan to potentially return to California. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen (yes, even on Spotify!), and to have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!

Episode 206: Wire Taps—Outstanding military candidate with modest GRE. Government worker turned serial novelist. US-based candidate weighing options with non US-based programs. Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

Grab a glass of eggnog and cozy up to this holiday edition of WireTaps! Alex and Graham tackle holiday deliberations on R1 results and task-lists for R2, while also taking time to closely examine the latest employment reports from Harvard Business School and the Tuck School of Business. Then, our hosts move into the WireTaps portion of the show with two ApplyWire candidates targeting R2 and one DecisionWire candidate making a tough call... First up in the batch is a military candidate who appears to have a very impressive set of experiences. While their GPA is decent, Alex and Graham wonder if the GRE (323) is going to be their weakest link, and whether it might make things a bit of an uphill battle at the very best programs. Our hosts also make some last minute recommendations regarding target programs. Next up, a candidate from China who has completed their masters degree, secured an outstanding GMAT score (770), worked several years in government, and transitioned to a serial novelist. Alex and Graham marvel at the list of highly compelling ingredients, but worry about this applicants ability to 'make the recipe'. Finally, from DecisionWire, our hosts look at a US-based candidate who largely targeted non-US MBA programs, and is now determining which is their best option for work in luxury goods in Europe in the short term and a return to the US in the longer-term. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by the always cheery Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to wear a mask under the mistletoe!

Episode 205: Wire Taps—URM college dropout with low test scores; can he make the cut? Accomplished woman with great numbers despite being expelled from ugrad. Will adcoms take a risk? DW: Stern full fare vs. McDonough with dollars; Should money matter? Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

For this week's WireTaps, Alex and Graham look at a URM candidate who appears to have overcome significant life challenges to get to where they are today. At issue (beyond dropping out of ugrad) are some well below average statistics; no doubt, adcom will be rooting for this type of candidate...but is that enough? Next, our hosts have another candidate who faced challenges during their undergrad, and ultimately skipped undergrad to jump straight into a graduate degree, and some super interesting work experience. Their GMAT is also very strong; making this an interesting case for schools to consider. Finally, Alex and Graham unveil the first DecisionWire entry discussion for the 2021-22 season. It’s a straight-up debate: Georgetown / McDonough with money versus Stern at full fare. They are seeking a career as a product manager at FAANG companies (top tech firms, for those less familiar with the acronym). Where should they go? This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by the uniquely talented Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to take it easy with the eggnog at the holiday party!

Episode 204: Wire Taps—Energy Guy Worried About ROI. Columbia ED Candidate Targeting Round 2. Latam Candidate Might Rethink Target Programs. Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

Alex and Graham are back amidst the whirlwind of R1 decisions from Harvard, Stanford, Tuck, Kellogg, Emory, Darden, Michigan, Georgetown, and more! Our hosts preview MIT and Wharton R1 decisions (coming later this week) and remind listeners to drop by Clubhouse this Thursday at 12 pm ET for some R1 results chatter. As to our featured candidates this week, first up is a Chemical Engineer targeting admissions for next season. This 'early bird' has plenty of time to fine tune their application, which might include improving their GMAT from 710 to the 740s (their prediction). They also have a very strong undergrad record, and their work experience also appears impressive, suggesting they have opportunities at M7 programs. Alex and Graham address their ROI concerns and myth-bust the notion “under targeting” to gain scholarship money. WireTaps candidate #2 is a Taiwanese candidate who already has an offer at Columbia, from their ED round. Should they be targeting programs in Round 2? Alex and Graham explore the options, pros, cons, risks, and ethics.... Finally, our hosts review a Latin American candidate who probably could improve her school target list; there is a big gap between her top targets (Harvard and Stanford) and remaining choices (Top 16 programs.) This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by the amazing Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to tip your servers!

Episode 203: Admissions Director Q&A with Bruce DelMonico of the Yale School of Management Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

In another installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Yale School of Management, joins us to discuss admissions and more about the MBA program.

Episode 202: Wire Taps—Global Citizen in the Food Delivery Biz. Japanese-based candidate in Private Equity. ORM with super GPA, is Round 2 going to hurt? Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

As decisions for Round 1 candidates begin to roll out, Alex and Graham discuss the activity seen on MBA LiveWire last week (Booth, LBS and Yale SOM). They also cover this upcoming week, with Harvard and Stanford decisions leading the way. Graham also notes the new adcom Q&A with David Simpson, from London Business School and takes a moment to thank site users for submitting interview reports, a clear signal that interview season for Round 1 is (pretty much) over. Our hosts them move on to tackle the profiles of three ApplyWire entries. First up, we have a global citizen, who has made a very interesting career pivot into the food delivery business (think: UberEats, et al). Are their lack of current ECs an issue for the very top programs? Next, we have a Japanese-based candidate who looks to have done very well at work. Do they risk being too unidimensional, or can they also highlight other aspects of their candidacy? Finally, we have a US-based candidate from an over-represented population. Outstanding GPA, promotions at work, and decent GMAT might hint at top 16 programs, but is applying in Round 2 going to hurt them? A new GMAT might add a lot... This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in glorious West Philadelphia. Thanks for listening and please remember to rate, review, and share this podcast! Best wishes to everyone waiting on admissions outcomes this week!

Episode 201: Wire Taps—Deferred candidate with Cannabis Biz! Should they aim higher? Is the GRE score the outlier? Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Graham and Alex are back with some belated Thanksgiving wishes, tips for R1 nerves, and a breakdown of the highly impressive Michigan/Ross employment report and Vanderbilt and Georgetown class profiles. As usual, our hosts also provide key advice to a set of real candidates. First up, a deferred enrollment applicant in their junior year appears to be doing everything right in terms of academic performance, campus leadership and entrepreneurship. They’ve still got to ace the test, but is their Cannabis business opportunity a 'high' risk venture? Next, our hosts discuss a candidate who has gone six for six in terms of interview invites in Round 1; should they be targeting higher profile programs in Round 2? Finally, Alex and Graham discuss a candidate who appears to have outstanding work experience and is seeking a one-year MBA. But, is one-year the best option, and should she consider retaking the GRE? This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in glorious West Philadelphia. Thanks for remembering to rate and review the show wherever you may listen!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected