The things that scare us – especially in the context of MBA essays – are often the things that make us feel vulnerable, uncertain, or insecure. In short, things that force us to take our armor off and be vulnerable.  Vulnerability in MBA essays also offers you a powerful opportunity to connect with your reader, demonstrate self-awareness and/or EQ, and – most importantly – tell a really memorable and compelling story about yourself.   In this episode we talk about how to choose an essay topic offers these opportunities for candor and vulnerability, including sharing a range of examples and categories of essays that might be a good fit for you. This is a must for anyone interested in writing more boldly and more authentically.

In this episode, Erika talks with Joe Sweeney, the MBA Program Academic Director of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Joe's unique experience as an MBA student, professor and administrator at Mendoza leads to an in-depth discussion of what makes Mendoza stand out, and how the program integrates with its community in South Bend, Indiana, as well as with the wider University of Notre Dame.

In this episode, co-host Chandler Arnold sits down with Jamey Cummings to talk about leadership. Jamey graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering. While in college, he was the captain of the wrestling team and a two-time qualifier for NCAA Division I Championships. Jamey started his career as an Officer in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, where he served for nine years before earning his MBA at Stanford. After graduation, Jamey worked as a consultant with BCG before moving to the field of executive search with firms including Korn Ferry and Heidrick & Struggles. Jamey is currently a Partner at JM Search where he co-leads the Firm's Security Practice and is a member of the IT Executives and Technology Practices. Join us of this wide ranging discussion on leadership, including such topics as: Advice for those from military backgrounds applying to business school Suggestions for describing non-corporate leadership experiences in your MBA application Guidance for those wanting to transition into—or out of—consulting An overview of the world of executive search as a possible post-MBA career choice Suggestions for those interested in entering the world of executive search Insights into what post-MBA leadership skills top firms are looking for today Listening to this podcast is a must for anyone applying to business school from the military or any non-corporate background, spending time with Jamey is a joy.

This episode—a replay of a listener favorite—covers what to do about “question marks,” or possible red flags, in an MBA applicant's candidacy, including: A low GPA A low test score A few low grades within an overall decent GPA A lack of extracurriculars A lack of work experience, and "Too much" work experience (or when an applicant is older than the rest of the candidate pool) Additional issues will be covered in Part 2 on May 17 (upcoming episode #162). Listen to B-Schooled episode #158 here, or on any of the podcast apps listed below.

First of all, we recognize that many applicants do consider MBA rankings as a key input into their school selection process. We consider MBA rankings too. But—and this is important—we belive these should be only one factor in your decision making process.  The first part of this conversation focuses on six questions everyone should ask themselves regarding school selection--including considering traditional full-time MBA programs vs online, part-time, and executive progams, targeting a mix of “stretch” schools and schools you are more confident about, the pros and cons of international and specialized MBA programs, school culture, and variety of other topics.   For the second part of this conversation, we encourage you to put down the rankings sheet (at least for the time being) as we consider 6 additional questions to help you identify schools that are the best fits for you.

Laura, a Michigan Ross MBA alum and former admissions committee member during her second year, joins Erika -- a Ross BBA graduate -- to share advice for and insight into the Ross application and interview process. And they might gush a little over how awesome Ann Arbor, Michigan, is as well.

First off, many applicants do consider MBA rankings as a key input into their school selection process. With good reason. We consider MBA rankings too. But—and this is important—we belive these should be ONE factor in your decision making process. Not the ONLY aspect of your decision making process.  Leading entities ranking MBA programs typically evaluate a range of factors relevant to the MBA experience: from quality of instruction, to student/teacher ratios, to alumni resources, to prestige, to post-graduation employment rates, to starting salaries, and a range of other inputs. But the truth is that some of these criteria are probably more important to YOU than others. For this podcast, we encourage you to put down the rankings sheet (at least for the time being) and consider 12 specific questions to help you identify schools that might be the best fits for YOU. This podcast is the first of a two-part segment.

After working so hard on your MBA materials for months on end, it can be shocking and devastating if you're not accepted anywhere. What should you do now? This episode discusses 5 paths forward for MBA hopefuls who were dinged.

This episode offers a deep dive into an aspect of the MBA application process many forget about: connecting with students, faculty and alums at your target schools. There are SO MANY REASONS this is an important thing to do. Not only does this help give you a direct way to understand which school might be the best fit for you, but there are also indirect benefits –- from behind-the-scenes connections to admissions committees, to professional contacts, to networking opportunities, to new friendships. The list goes on and on.   In this episode we discuss seven ways to connect with students, faculty and alumni. Importantly, this episode has been specially tailored to those of you who might come from a non-traditional background and/or don't think that you have any connections in this category.  Topics covered in this episode include:   Taking advantage of Zoom and other opportunities hosted by the admissions office. Reaching out to co-presidents of professional student clubs you might be interested in. Connecting with students from affinity groups you identify with.   Approaching alumni, especially those you have something in common with.   Considering approaching faculty and staff.  Taking advantage of your networks (even if you don't think you have a network). Exploring national MBA affinity groups.

Alex, a GSB alum who's now on the SBC admissions consulting team, shares advice for Stanford's extensive MBA application, as well as insight into the program's culture and surrounding area in Silicon Valley.