In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. Last week was the final week of decision releases for Round 1, for the top MBA programs. This now corresponds with an uptick in activity of MBA Decision Wire, as many candidates begin to weigh their MBA options.

Graham noted two admissions tips recently published on Clear Admit. The first focuses on GMAC’s Common Letter of Recommendation, which has been adopted by many of the top MBA programs. The second admissions tip explores the recent phenomenon of some MBA programs offering test waivers.

Graham highlighted an Adcom Q&A featuring Yale SOM's Bruce DelMonico. This led to a discussion on the value of the institutional brand for Yale’s MBA program. Graham then noted a Real Humans piece spotlighting students from Dartmouth / Tuck. We then discussed the recently published employment reports from Tuck and MIT / Sloan.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate has superb numbers, including a 339 GRE score. They work at Accenture and want to target the Ed Tech space, post MBA.

This week’s second MBA applicant also has very strong numbers, and works in the video gaming industry. They want to move to product management in the gaming industry, post MBA.

This week’s final MBA candidate has offers from Tuck, Darden and Goizueta, while applying with a test waiver. They may take the test and develop a Round 2 strategy.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. Last week, admissions decisions rolled out for several top MBA programs including Harvard, Stanford, UPenn / Wharton, MIT / Sloan and Northwestern / Kellogg. This upcoming week, USC / Marshall, Rice / Jones, Texas / McCombs, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Vanderbilt / Owen and Washington / Foster are scheduled to release their Round 1 decisions.

The next livestream AMA with Graham and Alex is scheduled for this Tuesday, December 16th; here’s the link to Clear Admit’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive. Last week Clear Admit livestreamed its first Decision Day Watch Party. We scheduled this for December 10, when several top MBA programs were scheduled to release their Round 1 decisions. Several admissions officers joined us for the event, and it was a huge success.

Graham highlighted a recently published Financial Times 2025 ranking of European business schools that ranks institutions across multiple programs (MBA, MiM, EMBA, and Executive Education), rather than individual programs, which we thought was a strange approach.

Graham noted several admissions-related pieces of content recently published on Clear Admit. The first focuses on how to choose between MBA programs, once you have your offers. The second focuses on the dreaded wait list, and what steps can be taken. The third article looks at how candidates who didn’t get positive results can reflect. The final admissions-related piece focuses on MBA essay construction, which led to a conversation about how best to use Clear Admit’s AI Chat Bot.

Graham highlighted two Real Humans pieces spotlighting students from Chicago / Booth and Emory / Goizueta. We then discussed the recently published employment reports from Stanford and NYU / Stern.

Finally, Graham profiled a podcast that focuses on The Forté Foundation.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries.

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is from Brazil but now resides in Chicago. They are looking at the Booth part-time MBA program. A potential concern is their 313 GRE score.

This week’s second MBA applicant is working in research, looking at the impact of tech on young people. They reside in New York City and are only looking at Columbia and Stern.

This week’s final MBA candidate has a strong professional background, transitioning from investment banking to private equity. They have a 3.8 GPA and a 325 GRE score.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. Last week, admissions decisions rolled out for several top MBA programs including Yale SOM, CMU / Tepper, Chicago / Booth and Michigan / Ross. This upcoming week, MIT / Sloan, Harvard, Stanford, UPenn / Wharton, Northwestern / Kellogg, UVA / Darden, Georgetown / McDonough, Johns Hopkins / Carey, Berkeley / Haas, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, UCLA / Anderson, Notre Dame / Mendoza and Arizona / Carey are scheduled to release their Round 1 decisions.

Graham highlighted a webinar event focused on MBA career paths, scheduled for Thursday. Signups are here: https://www.clearadmit.com/events The next livestream AMA is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16th; here’s the link to Clear Admit’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive.

Graham noted several admissions-related pieces of content recently published on Clear Admit. The first focuses on December admissions events being hosted by top MBA programs. The second looks at how best to manage the congested schedule of Round 2 MBA application deadlines that arrive in January. The third piece looks at some of the issues related to applying to b-school as a younger candidate. The final article dives into whether deferred MBA admissions is a good pathway for undergraduate students.

Graham highlighted a Real Humans piece spotlighting students from Berkeley / Haas, and then we discussed the recently published Harvard Business School employment report for the Class of 2025. This led to a discussion on search funds.

Finally, Graham profiled a soon-to-be published podcast that focuses on leadership, from a conversation with Texas / McCombs.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate has a 685 GMAT score. They applied to programs in the first round and subsequently have started a new experience in Africa. We discuss their options for this season versus next season.

This week’s second MBA applicant is a military candidate with a master’s in computer science. They applied in Round 1 with an EA score of 160. They may decide to apply to Sloan in Round 2, depending on results.

This week’s final MBA candidate has a 333 GRE score and has had several startup experiences. They are targeting Harvard, Stanford and Wharton.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. This upcoming week, Emory / Goizueta, CMU / Tepper, Boston College / Carroll, Chicago / Booth, Yale SOM, Michigan / Ross, SMU / Cox and Georgia / Terry are scheduled to release their Round 1 decisions.

Graham highlighted the upcoming Masters in Management (MiM) webinar series, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Signups for these events are here, https://www.clearadmit.com/events The next livestream AMA is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16th; here’s the link to Clear Admit’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive.

Graham noted recently published articles on career placements in the Tech and Finance industries as well as a Fridays from the Frontline piece on the Eurout LGBTQ+ conference at London Business School. He then covered two admissions tips recently published by Clear Admit. The first focuses on the increasing importance of video essays in the MBA admissions process. The second admissions tip focuses on how best to do school research via communities of students, alumni and faculty.

Graham highlighted three Real Humans pieces spotlighting students from IMD, IESE and Cambridge / Judge, and then we discussed the recently published Class of 2027 admissions profile from Harvard Business School.

Finally, Graham profiled a recently published podcast that focuses on UNC / Kenan Flagler’s Deans Fellows program.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate has a 695 GMAT score but is planning a retake. They only have two years of experience but are determined to begin their MBA program this season.

This week’s second MBA applicant has a whopping 755 GMAT score but only a 3.0 GPA. They are targeting next season for their MBA, as they only have 2.5 years of experience, to date.

This week’s final MBA candidate is choosing between the one-year MBA programs at Northwestern / Kellogg, CMU / Tepper and Emory / Goizueta. They want to do consulting post MBA, and their partner has an offer at Tepper.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season, a few interview invites continue to roll out. This upcoming week, IESE and London Business School are scheduled to release their Round 1 decisions.

Graham highlighted the upcoming Masters in Management (MiM) webinar series, scheduled for December 2 and 3. Signups for these events are here, https://www.clearadmit.com/events The next livestream AMA is scheduled for this Tuesday, November 25; here’s the link to Clear Admit’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive.

Graham noted a recently published article on AI instruction in top MBA programs. This is clearly an important and evolving area. Graham also highlighted a Fridays from the Frontline article featuring two ex-military students at NYU / Stern, and an article focused on consulting placements at top MBA programs. He then covered two admissions tips recently published by Clear Admit. The first focuses on creating the MBA resume, and the second focuses on how to select recommendation writers for business school applications.

Graham highlighted two Real Humans pieces spotlighting students from Northwestern / Kellogg and Vanderbilt / Owen, and then we discussed the recently published Class of 2027 profile from Columbia Business School.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate has a strong overall profile in the environmentally sustainable space. They have a 332 GRE and a 3.44 GPA. We discussed whether the GPA would be a liability.

This week’s second MBA applicant has a 740 GMAT but a 3.15 GPA. They applied to 15 programs in Round 1 and have received several interview invites.

This week’s final MBA candidate is from Portugal and has a strong GPA. They worry that their 645 GMAT might limit some of their opportunities.

This episode was recorded in Madrid, Spain and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season, with interview invites continuing to roll out. This upcoming week, Toronto / Rotman has its Round 2 application deadline, and Georgia Tech / Scheller is scheduled to release its Round 1 decisions.

Graham highlighted the upcoming Masters in Management (MiM) webinar series. Signups for these events are here, https://www.clearadmit.com/events The next livestream AMA with us is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25; here’s the link to Clear Admit’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive.

Graham noted a recently published article on MBA industry veteran, Dawna Clarke, who is moving to a new role at Darden. Graham also highlighted an article that showcases support for veterans applying to top MBA programs. He then covered three admissions tips recently published by Clear Admit. The first focuses on applying to MiM programs, based on interviews with some of their admissions officers. The second admissions tip focuses on the importance of post-MBA goals. The final admissions tip discusses how to address employment gaps when applying to business school.

Graham highlighted a Real Humans piece spotlighting MBA students from Washington / Foster, and then we discussed the recently published class of 2027 profiles from Northwestern / Kellogg and Dartmouth / Tuck.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is in the Marine Corps. They have a 3.2 GPA and a 326 GRE score. We are encouraging them to retake the GRE, to help compensate for the lower GPA.

This week’s second MBA applicant is from Egypt and working in London in the energy sector. They have a super GPA, but their GRE score of 320 is a little low. They may also retake the test.

This week’s final MBA candidate is working in human resources and is looking at the MBA to pivot to the non-profit / social impact sector. They already have 10 years of experience.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Alex Brown is a former admissions officer from the Wharton school and current Clear Admit community manager and podcaster. He also teaches digital marketing for some top business schools, including Columbia Business School and London Business School. Graham Richmond is the co-founder of Clear Admit and former admissions officer at Wharton, where he received his MBA. He leads marketing, technology, and research initiatives for Clear Admit.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season, with interview invites continuing to roll out. This upcoming week, Duke / Fuqua is scheduled to release interview invites, and Columbia is scheduled to have released all its Round 1 interview invites. Ohio / Fisher is scheduled to release its Early Action round decisions, Michigan State / Broad is scheduled to release its Round 1 decisions and Oxford / Said is scheduled to release its Stage 2 decisions.

Graham highlighted the upcoming deferred enrollment webinar, scheduled for Wednesday, and the upcoming Masters in Management (MiM) webinar series. Signups for all these events are here, https://www.clearadmit.com/events The next livestream AMA is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25; here’s the link to Clear Admit’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive.

Graham noted three admissions tips recently published by Clear Admit. The first focuses on the steps to take after the MBA admissions interview is completed. The next tip focuses on the importance of the business school campus environment, and the final tip addresses the role of volunteer experience in the MBA admissions process. Graham also noted a recently published article that identifies eight key benefits of earning a Masters in Management (MiM).

Graham highlighted three Real Humans pieces that spotlight students from London Business School, Indiana / Kelley and CMU / Tepper. We then addressed three recently published Class of 2027 admissions profiles, from Stanford, MIT / Sloan and Chicago / Booth.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is from Australia and is seeking a test waiver. We are encouraging them to consider taking the test, to then target the very top MBA programs.

This week’s second MBA applicant is from India and is targeting several top MBA programs in the U.K. They want to be in London, post MBA. They are currently retaking the GRE.

This week’s final MBA candidate works in Real Estate, for a family business. They have a 330 GRE.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!