In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing Round 2 activity on LiveWire; this upcoming week we have two more application deadlines, Imperial College and Boston College / Carroll. Last week, we saw more interview invitations rolling out for UVA / Darden, Dartmouth / Tuck, Yale SOM, Northwestern / Kellogg and CMU / Tepper.

We then discussed the roll out of Clear Admit’s latest innovation, our “Ask Clear Admit” AI chat bot. We are excited to get customer feedback and hope this new tool will become a “best in class” for chatbots that are specifically trained on MBA admissions-related content. You can find the chatbot here: https://ai.clearadmit.com

Graham noted two upcoming webinar series. The first is for Deferred Admissions candidates, with signups here: https://bit.ly/de0225 The first webinar in this series, on February 5, features Berkeley / Haas, UPenn / Wharton and Stanford. The second webinar series is for Masters in Management candidates, with signups here: https://bit.ly/mim0225

Graham highlighted two admissions tips. The first admissions tip focuses on the role of letters of support, and how they are different to letters of recommendation. The second admissions tip focuses on group interviews like the Wharton team-based discussion exercise.

Graham also noted two Real Humans stories from Manchester / Alliance and Emory / Goizueta’s MIM 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 is based in India and working at one of the MBB firms. They have super numbers (335 GRE, 3.94 GPA) and are planning ahead for a future admissions season.

This week’s second MBA candidate also has a very strong profile (331 GRE, 3.7 GPA), and works for an MBB firm in the United States. Their passion appears to be in the urban mobility space.

The final MBA candidate is deciding between Columbia, Stern, Yale SOM and a few other top MBA programs. They also have very good scholarship offers. They are seeking a career in social impact, in New York City.

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 next round of 2024-25 MBA admissions activity; this upcoming week we have more application deadlines, including MIT / Sloan, Texas / McCombs, Florida / Warrington, BYU / Marriott, UC Irvine / Merage, and Toronto / Rotman. INSEAD and NYU / Stern have Round 3 application deadlines, and Maryland / Smith has a Round 4 application deadline.

Graham noted two upcoming webinar series. The first is  for Deferred Admissions candidates, with signups here: https://bit.ly/de0225 The second webinar series is for Masters in Management candidates, with signups here: https://bit.ly/mim0225 Graham also noted three Real Humans stories from ASU / Carey, Minnesota / Carlson and Georgetown / McDonough’s MIM program.

Graham highlighted three admissions tips; two of these tips are focused on those who are preparing for MBA admissions interviews, and the third focuses on finalizing MBA admissions essays.

Graham then presented the career placement reports from Duke / Fuqua and Georgetown / McDonough. There is now further evidence, and some acknowledgment, of the tougher recruiting environment that MBA graduates are experiencing this season.

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 is from India and is targeting Round 1 for next season. They appear to have a very decent overall profile but have one potential issue with their undergraduate transcript.

This week’s second MBA candidate also has a very decent profile, overall, with a 695 GMAT score and a strong GPA. They have been working in consulting for four years.

The final MBA candidate is deciding between Columbia, Stern, and Duke / Fuqua. They are targeting investment banking and would like to remain in New York City.

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 new season of MBA admissions; this upcoming week we have many Round 2 application deadlines, including Harvard, Dartmouth / Tuck, UCLA / Anderson, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough, CMU / Tepper, Rice / Jones, Chicago / Booth, Yale SOM, UVA / Darden, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Washington / Foster, Notre Dame / Mendoza, SMU / Cox, Stanford, Northwestern / Kellogg, Johns Hopkins / Carey, Vanderbilt / Owen, Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Cornell / Johnson, USC / Marshall, IESE, Georgia / Terry and Georgia Tech / Scheller.

Graham highlighted two admissions tips for those finalizing their admissions essays; these essay tips focus on word limits and the optional essay. Graham then discussed a Real Humans post focused on holiday celebrations.

Graham then presented the Class of 2024 career placement reports from Columbia, Northwestern / Kellogg and UPenn / Wharton. This finalizes our reviews of the M7 career reports, and we are seeing the outcomes of a tougher placement market for these top programs.

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 is only applying to two programs, Duke / Fuqua and UVA / Darden. They did apply last season to some different programs, and we worry that they may be challenged by applying in Round 2 this season.

This week’s second MBA candidate was a NCAA Div 1 athlete with an outstanding GPA. They now work in their family business, focused on sports. While their GMAT is not outstanding, we wonder if they should target a few programs from a higher tier.

The final MBA candidate is deciding between Washington / Foster, with $66k scholarship and Vanderbilt / Owen with $100k scholarship. They want to pursue a career in consulting or technology.

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 next chapter of the 2024-25 MBA admissions cycle, which begins on January 3rd with Round 2 deadlines for UPenn / Wharton and London Business School.

Graham highlighted an admissions tip which focuses on the GMAC standard letter of recommendation which has been adopted by many leading MBA programs. This format simplifies the admissions process for recommenders by standardizing the questions to which they need to respond.

Graham then discussed a new Real Humans that features students from Toronto / Rotman.

Graham also presented the career placement reports from Stanford and Michigan / Ross.  We are continuing to see a trend that shows that a higher percentage of MBA graduates are moving on to financial services careers; Ross experienced a significant decline in consulting placement. Stanford is also reporting consulting placements are down for their Class of 2025 interns from last summer, which may be an early signal for next year’s career placement report.

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 is planning to apply for next season. They are a cloud engineer with a computer science major and psychology minor. They also have interesting activities outside of work. Their GRE is 324, and we think it might make sense to try to improve that score.

This week’s second MBA candidate is only targeting two programs, Berkeley / Haas and Stanford, which we think is very risky. Their GRE score is 318, which will present significant challenges for these two programs.

The final MBA candidate is deciding between UPenn / Wharton, Chicago / Booth and Yale SOM. They also have scholarship offers at each program to factor into their final decision.

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 wishing everyone a happy holiday season!

Graham highlighted three admissions tips that have been published on the Clear Admit site this week. These include tips about how to highlight the reasons for a target program, without comparing them to other programs, how to explain any employment gaps, and whether to consider test waivers.

Graham then discussed a recently published Adcom Q&A which features the Assistant Dean from Yale SOM. We then discussed a Real Humans story, focused on MBA students at INSEAD.

Graham then presented the career placement reports from Harvard and MIT / Sloan.  We are starting to see a trend that shows that a higher percentage of MBA graduates are moving on to financial services careers, than we have seen in recent years. This is likely more to do with the retraction of opportunities in consulting and tech, rather than student desire.

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 non-traditional profile; she is a registered nurse. But she does also have some health care related business experience. Her overall profile is quite interesting, and we think she should have good opportunities.

This week’s second MBA candidate is from India, so we would have preferred they had targeted Round 1. They have an interesting career profile in tech and entrepreneurship, as well as strong numbers.

The final MBA candidate is deciding between IESE, Ross and Yale SOM. They are also on the Duke / Fuqua waitlist. They have plenty of interesting options; we think Yale SOM may be the winner.

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 activity of MBA LiveWire; the last couple of weeks has seen significant activity as the majority of the top MBA programs have released their round 1 decisions. For this upcoming week Texas / McCombs is one of the few remaining top programs that is scheduled to release its Round 1 decisions.

Graham highlighted five admissions tips that have been published on the Clear Admit site this week. These include tips about scholarship offers, their impact on final decisions and whether they are negotiable. For Round 2 candidates, the admissions tips focused on resume preparation, career goals and building business school connections.

We then discussed two Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at Texas / McCombs and Dartmouth / Tuck. This then turned into a conversation on how to seek out willing students and alumni with whom to connect.

Graham then presented the Class of 2024 career placement report from Dartmouth / Tuck. Overall, Tuck’s placement statistics remain impressive considering the market conditions. There has been a greater emphasis on placement within the North-East and Mid-Atlantic regions.

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 very interesting personal profile and has degrees from outstanding academic institutions in Europe. They also have a lot of entrepreneurial experience, over several years. We do worry about their quant profile, which is illustrated by their sub-par GRE score.

This week’s second MBA candidate is planning to apply in two years’ time, so is thinking ahead. They will want to retake their GRE, to improve their current 317 score. They have the opportunity to develop a very decent profile over the next couple of years.

The final MBA candidate is deciding between UPenn / Wharton and Chicago / Booth. Booth is offering them additional scholarship, but we wonder if that is enough to influence their final decision.

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 activity on MBA LiveWire; several top MBA programs will be releasing their Round 1 decisions this week, including Harvard, UPenn / Wharton, Northwestern / Kellogg, MIT / Sloan, Dartmouth / Tuck, Berkeley / Haas, UVA / Darden, Duke / Fuqua, UCLA / Anderson, Georgetown / McDonough, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Notre Dame / Mendoza, Vanderbilt / Owen, Rice / Jones, Johns Hopkins / Carey and Arizona / Carey. Washington / Olin is releasing Round 2 decisions and Oxford / Said is releasing Stage 3 decisions.

Graham noted a recently published story on Clear Admit that focuses on four students at Dartmouth / Tuck who are focused on healthcare. Graham then highlighted two admissions tips, the first tip focuses on how to reflect on negative admissions results, and the second explores the role of the video essay in the admissions process.

We then discussed two Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at UC Irvine / Merage and Berkeley / Haas.

Graham then presented the second career placement report of the season, from NYU / Stern. While overall, the placement statistics are in line with last season, one potentially troubling statistic is the lower percentage of students reporting accepting a job, three months from graduation. This is a stat we will be looking at closely for subsequent career reports.

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 really interesting profile, which includes doing NGO work in conflict zones. We believe this is the type of candidate that top MBA programs really aspire to enroll. Their GPA is going to be slightly lower than the median for top MBA programs, but they have completed a masters degree and a calculus course, which helps compensate.

This week’s second MBA candidate is planning a second round strategy, based on the results from their Round 1 programs. They have received a few interview invites and are now considering whether to aim higher, or go with more safety programs.

The final MBA candidate is from Africa, has five years of work experience and a very decent GPA. But their GRE score is very low; we really hope they are able to prepare more and retake the test.

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 activity of MBA LiveWire; upcoming this week several top MBA programs will be releasing their Round 1 decisions including Stanford, Chicago / Booth, Yale SOM, Michigan / Ross, Cornell / Johnson, CMU / Tepper, Emory / Goizueta, Boston College / Carroll and Georgia / Terry. INSEAD is scheduled to release its Round 2 interview invites.

Graham highlighted the upcoming webinar series for Masters in Management programs, which will be held this week on December 3rd and 4th, and include Chicago / Booth, Georgetown / McDonough, Michigan / Ross, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta and Notre Dame / Mendoza. Signups are still available: https://bit.ly/camim24

Graham then shared four admissions tips. The first two tips focus on those who applied in Round 1, helping candidates decide between different offers, and what to do if you are placed on a wait list at your target MBA program. The second two tips focus on those who are applying in Round 2, helping candidates identify target programs, and choosing their recommenders.

We then discussed two Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at UCLA / Anderson and Washington / Foster.

Graham then presented the first career placement report of the Class of 2024 season, from UVA / Darden. Frankly, their placement statistics, which were very similar to last season, look quite impressive given the potential challenges in the hiring market we've been hearing about (with tech layoffs and a slowing of consulting hiring).

Finally, Graham previewed a podcast episode he recently conducted with Erin Nixon, the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Stanford GSB. This will be published this week, so watch this space!

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 significant work experience in the media and entertainment space and has now come to the realization that an MBA may well be a good next step. We think she will have interesting opportunities if her quant profile is strong.

This week’s second MBA candidate is targeting next season and has a GMAT score of 770. They also have very decent tech-focused work experience, and we think they should also have great options next season.

The final MBA candidate is from Ghana and is an older candidate at 32. We discussed some of the challenges that older MBA applicants might face in the admissions process, and how to overcome those challenges.

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 activity of MBA LiveWire; a few MBA programs are still rolling out Round 1 interview invites; several candidates are eager to hear from Northwestern / Kellogg and Stanford. Upcoming this week, London Business School is scheduled to release its Round 1 decisions, and Michigan State / Broad has its Round 2 deadline.

Graham highlighted the upcoming webinar series for Masters in Management programs, which are held on December 3rd and 4th, and includes Chicago / Booth, Georgetown / McDonough, Michigan / Ross, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, Indiana / Kelley, CMU Tepper, and Notre Dame / Mendoza. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/camim24 Graham also noted the Clear Admit survey that’s in the field, and focuses on issues related to building relationships with MBA program participants. The survey is here: https://bit.ly/casurveyfall24

Graham then highlighted two admissions tips. The first tip focuses on background checks that MBA programs undertake for their admissions candidates, and the second tip lists all the Round 2 MBA deadlines; January is a very busy month for those targeting Round 2.

We then discussed three Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at Johns Hopkins / Carey, SMU / Cox and Columbia. Finally, Graham highlighted a podcast episode he recently conducted with the new Admissions leader at Stanford. This should be published very shortly.

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 is an American applicant who wants to apply to leading European MBA programs, to build a career in Europe. They appear to have a strong career in technical sales, but we worry about their overall academic profile.

This week’s second MBA candidate is working in their family business, which led to a discussion on how to source their recommenders. They certainly cannot use family members. They have only recently started preparing for the GMAT, but we like their overall profile.

The final MBA candidate has offers from IESE, IE Business and ESADE. They are considering whether they should attend one of these programs or reapply next season and include a few more programs.

This episode was recorded in Estoril, Portugal 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!