Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 200: Wire Taps—Should I Still Apply This Year? Do I Have Enough Work Experience? I Need Help with My Quant Score! Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

We are excited to mark another milestone with our 200th podcast episode! Alex and Graham are here to celebrate the occasion in style with another installment of Wire Taps, in which they dish out some fun facts and figures about the history of the Clear Admit podcast as well as the usual slate of MBA admissions advice to current applicants. In terms of those candidates, our hosts review an Indian applicant who now resides in Canada, and is seeking an MBA to start a consulting career. Some of the challenges he faces include making good sense of his career path to date, which features an undergraduate degree in dentistry, a graduate degree in human resources, and several different work experiences. Compounding his challenges, he will likely need to retake his GRE, which currently sits at 310. Next, our hosts discuss a candidate who graduated more recently from undergrad, but appears to have a very strong foundation in terms of impact at work, over three years. This, combined with an outstanding 339 GRE, would appear to open doors at top programs. Finally, Alex and Graham discuss a candidate from Nigeria, and frankly, wonder if he shouldn’t seek out some more higher profile programs, to complement the four he is already targeting. This episode was recorded near the set of the latest Game of Thrones spin-off, and not far from the fabulous adventures of Amélie Poulain. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in the city that both John Coltrane and Sun Ra called home at varying points in their careers. Thanks for rating and reviewing this podcast wherever you listen!

Episode 199: Wire Taps—Underrepresented in Eastern Europe, How to Pitch a Pivot, First-Gen GPA Blues Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

This week Graham and Alex make some must-see TV recommendations, before diving into discussion about MBA interviews, Real Humans b-school student stories, and Clear Admit's fall applicant survey. Speaking of the survey, you can take it here, and win one of twenty-five $25 Amazon gift cards we are giving away: https://bit.ly/cafall2021survey . As to the Wire Taps candidates this week, Graham and Alex deliver some critical advice on the power of geography and how it can help candidates stand out - albeit with some limitations. They also review a candidate with somewhat limited work experience who's goals could be perceived as a bit of a stretch for admissions readers. And finally, our hosts look at a first-generation-to-college applicant who is facing a GPA hurdle, but may have enough elsewhere in her profile to be competitive for top-16 programs. This episode was recorded in the City of Light and the Land of King Arthur. It was produced in the City of Brotherly Love by Dennis Crowley. Thanks for telling all of your friends and family about the podcast, and for rating and reviewing wherever you may listen!

Episode 198: Real Humans of the Wharton Lauder MBA/MA Class Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

In this special feature podcast episode, hear from a couple of current Wharton Lauder MBA/MA students at the University of Pennsylvania. Wendy Yu and Juliana Escobar, join Graham for an in-depth discussion about the dual degree program at the Wharton School. Learn how Wendy and Juliana came to Wharton and the Lauder Institute. You'll also get insights into their day to day experience in the programs, and some valuable advice on the admissions process! For further background on the program discussed, check out: https://lauder.wharton.upenn.edu/ This episode was recorded in Philadelphia, PA and Paris, France. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in West Philadelphia. Please remember to tell at least one person about the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast, and to rate and review the show wherever you may listen!

Episode 197: Wire Taps—Do I Need Awards?, Should I Aim Higher in R2?, Can a 760 GMAT Address a 2.9 GPA? Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

In the midst of R1 interview craziness, Alex and Graham take a pause to break down the Class of 2023 profiles at MIT Sloan and CMU Tepper, and then turn their attention to the recently published NYU Stern employment report. Our hosts also highlight an important survey about the MBA application process that Clear Admit has just launched, which we encourage all podcast listeners to take ASAP: https://bit.ly/cafall2021survey Before diving into the WireTaps candidates, Graham also tells Alex about a deferred enrollment event he's leading on Wednesday, November 10th at 12 pm ET with admissions reps from Yale SOM, Wharton, Columbia, Chicago Booth, CMU Tepper, UVA Darden, and Berkeley Haas (sign up here: https://bit.ly/cadeferredenrollment ). In terms of admissions lessons, this episode sheds light on the mystery of the 'Honors & Awards' section in the MBA application forms, the importance of going after the very best programs, and to what extent a 760 GMAT can counter a sub-3.0 GPA. 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!

Episode 196: Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD) Tips Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

Clear Admit brings you a special edition of the podcast focused exclusively on the Wharton School's MBA admissions interview. The Wharton interview, which is actually more commonly known as the "Wharton Team-Based Discussion," is unlike almost any other admissions interview. In this episode, Alex and Graham set out to share everything you need to know to be successful in your Wharton TBD.

Episode 195: Wire Taps—A Better GMAT Score, 1 or 2 Year MBA for a Career Change?, Ho-Hum Goals Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

After some off-topic banter on Halloween, All Saints Day, and the likes of Elton John & Duran Duran topping the music charts in the UK, Alex and Graham dig into the recently published Class of 2023 profiles at Chicago Booth and Stanford GSB, highlighting some fascinating stats. Our hosts then celebrate 'Real Humans' pieces on Emory and INSEAD, as well as a couple of terrific podcast reviews, before reminding listeners of an upcoming Deferred Enrollment event with Chicago Booth, Berkeley Haas, Wharton, Columbia, and CMU Tepper (register here: https://bit.ly/cadeferredenrollment) . As to the Wire Taps portion of the show, Alex and Graham dig into three more MBA candidates; one applicant is targeting a wide array of programs, but has to contend with a GMAT score that feels out of sync with the rest of their profile, and lack of extracurricular activities. Next up, candidate with 10 years of experience inquired about which MBA program format to pursue (1 year vs. 2) given her goal to shift careers. And finally, an early bird applicant from the energy industry wants to know their chances at some top schools in light of goals in SE Asia. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, PA. Thanks for tuning in and for spreading the word about the show!

Episode 194: Admissions Director Q&A—Eric Askins of Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Tune in for an in-depth conversation with Eric Askins, Executive Director of Admissions at Berkeley Haas, about admissions and much more in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series.

Episode 193: Wire Taps—Army to Exercise Science CPG, Bootstrapper Recently Unemployed, BizDev Whiz with a Weakness Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode, Graham gets into 'Halloween mode' while highlighting an article about the most nightmarish mistakes applicants can make. He then asks Alex if Halloween is celebrated in England...and is surprised by the response. As always, WireTaps features three highly instructive candidate profile reviews, including an early bird military candidate who is looking to an MBA to break into the exercise science/sports products domain, an older (32 year-old) bootstrapper applicant who has achieved many 'firsts' but is currently facing COVID-induced unemployment, and a female biz-dev whiz who looks to tick many - if not all - of the boxes, save a blemish in one critical area of her candidacy. Graham and Alex also preview a forthcoming event for deferred enrollment candidates with Chicago Booth, Wharton, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, and Berkeley Haas (November 10th)! Stay tuned for details... This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and 'Springsteen Country' New Jersey. It was produced by Dennis Murphy in the City of Brotherly Love. Thanks for listening, and for reading these descriptions we craft each week! Now tell 10 people to join us on the WireTaps podcast journey!

Episode 192: Wire Taps—A GMAT Retake, the Importance of Being ‘Seasoned’, Life After an HBS Ding Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

Alex and Graham take a peek at the recently published Class of 2023 student profiles for Wharton and Berkeley (while revisiting a continuing debate about how schools use GMAT and GRE scores). For the WireTaps portion of the show, our hosts tackle three candidates and three key admissions lessons: the importance of taking standardized tests more than once if you fall short the first time around, the true value of work experience in MBA admissions (and why it can be a bad move to apply too early), and finally, the true meaning of a rejection (without interview) from HBS. This episode was recorded in Hell's Kitchen, NY and Cornwall, England. It was produced by talented multi-instrumentalist Dennis Crowley in 'always sunny' Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

Episode 191: Wire Taps—Pharma to VC, COVID Adversity, 690 GMAT or 322 GRE? Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Graham and Alex are back with a jam-packed episode from the thick of R1 application activity. This week's episode kicks off with a breakdown of last week's Harvard interview invitations - and why getting rejected may not spell the end of one's quest for a top MBA. Our hosts then turn their attention to the return of Clear Admit's Real Humans (featuring Michigan Ross) and to the recently published Class of 2023 Profile for UVA Darden. Of course, it wouldn't be WireTaps without a few candidate profile reviews, so this week Alex and Graham explore the potential challenges facing an impressive pharma candidate targeting VC for a post-MBA job, an SEO/digital marketer's entrepreneurial struggles during COVID, and an important debate over the merits of a 690 GMAT vs. a 322 GRE score. As usual, this week's episode was recorded near the beach in Cornwall, England, and in the shadow of the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, Paris. It was painstakingly produced by Dennis Crowley in 'always sunny' Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review the show, and to convince at least 10 other people to become regular listeners!

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