What would you do if you and your partner weren't both accepted to all of the same MBA programs?  And what if one of those non-overlap programs was Harvard Business School?  Fasten your seat belts, as Alex and Graham put on their 'relationship counselor' hats this week...with potentially disastrous consequences.

And that's just one of the conundrums covered in this episode of Wire Taps.

Beyond love and b-school, this week's episode assesses the plans that one applicant has laid out for deferred enrollment, while also looking at the results of an accepted candidate who returns from a previous podcast feature to check on school choice between Northwestern Kellogg, NYU Stern or Yale SOM. As always, Graham and Alex weigh in on the latest happenings in the MBA admissions universe, including the outcome of the March Madness MBA employer competition, where Google was crowned champion. Please remember to tell a friend about this podcast, and to rate and review it wherever you listen. This episode was recording in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced in West Philadelphia, USA by Dennis Crowley.

In this episode, Graham catches up with Cassandra Pittman, a Columbia MBA graduate and former admissions officer at INSEAD and London Business School. Cassandra is also the host and executive producer of the Power Done Differently podcast, which features conversations with powerful, passionate women from around the world. Over the course of the interview, Cassandra shares her incredibly rich perspectives on MBA admissions, empowering women in business, entrepreneurial grit, and more.

As the dust settles on R2 decisions, Graham and Alex report in from the frontlines, sharing a couple of really challenging dilemmas faced by accepted students. The first dilemma involves a candidate with offers from Wharton (w/$50K) and Haas (w/$160K) and goals in PE/real estate. The second features an applicant with offers at Haas (w/$50K) and UCLA (w/$160K) and goals in tech. Beyond these tough decisions, Alex and Graham explore the profiles of two early bird applicants coming from non-traditional backgrounds (homebuilding, and fashion/acting) and outline the challenges typically faced by less traditional candidates. Our hosts also break down the recently published US News & World Report MBA ranking and speculate on the Clear Admit March Madness Final Four matchups (McKinsey vs. Google, Bain vs BCG).

This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France and produced in West Philadelphia. Please remember to tell a friend to tune in, and to rate and review the show.

Drained from a crazy week of R2 admissions decisions at Wharton, Kellogg, UCLA, Berkeley, Yale, UT Austin, and more - not to mention a first appearance on the Clubhouse app - Graham nearly forgets to show up to record WireTaps! The resulting episode is a bit like the podcast equivalent of an HBS 'cold call'. Thankfully, our hosts still manage to tackle some big issues including the influence of geography on GMAT/GRE testing, the curious case of an American solely targeting European b-schools, and the dilemma one candidate has of choosing between offers from USC or NYU for post-MBA goals in the music industry. Alex and Graham also weigh in on the Elite Eight from Clear Admit's post-MBA employer bracket challenge - wondering who will emerge as Google takes on Amazon, McKinsey take on Facebook, and more!

This episode was recorded in Paris, France & Cornwall, England, and produced in West Philadelphia.

Reporting from the eye of the R2 results storm, Alex and Graham share exciting news of Clear Admit's presence on Clubhouse, unveil a March Madness bracket challenge (that pits post-MBA employers against each other), and carefully dissect a set of candidate profiles. Admissions tips abound, as always, including how to approach late round apps with low numbers, whether or not an Austrian in the automotive sector is aiming high enough, and where an admitted student to Carnegie Mellon and UNC should go given a goal of working in tech post-MBA. To join Clear Admit on Clubhouse, visit bit.ly/mbaclubhouse To play the March Madness bracket challenge, head to bit.ly/mba-employers

As the floodgates begin to open on R2 admissions decisions, Graham and Alex touch on some key admissions tips around navigating the waitlist (should a CBS waitlist-er retake the GRE?), the importance of logical, feasible career plans (does a Canadian applicant need to focus her goals to be more consistent with her experience to date?), and the inherent challenges in choosing a program when juggling geographic and career preferences (should an admitted student pick UNC or Kelley for strategy consulting in Chicago?). Our hosts also unveil an upcoming Clubhouse event, news of a live chat with Tuck, and, in honor of St. Patrick's day, look at some incredibly lucky R1 applicants with acceptances to 'the MBA trilogy'. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, United Kingdom, and produced in West Philadelphia, PA by Dennis Crowley.

As Graham battles a case of near-laryngitis, Alex decides to put him on the spot about his 'other life'. Meanwhile, Graham marvels at the coincidental CPG-Canada-Tech connections across this week's WireTaps candidates. As always, the duo work in some key MBA admissions lessons, such as how first generation Asian-Americans (and Asian-Canadians) are viewed in the applicant pool, whether or not there is grade inflation in Canada, and how a candidate who loves London (and London Business School) should weigh offers from Booth, MIT, Yale, and LBS...given the target of McKinsey/Bain/BCG (short-term) and a tech job (long-term). Big thanks to Dennis Crowley for his expert production. Please remember to rate and review this podcast, and to tell your friends to tune in!

Graham and Alex celebrate some early signs of spring while tackling two applicant profiles and one admitted student's dilemma. Also, Alex puts Graham on the spot with a surprise listener email...and our hosts gear up for a big Clear Admit event for deferred enrollment applicants. As always, a number of key admissions strategy questions are covered, including: 'When and why should you contact the admissions office with updates about your candidacy', 'Are there instances where a specialized business master's is a better fit than an MBA?', 'Are European candidates truly coveted at top US MBA programs?', and 'How might one admitted student decide between Chicago Booth with $0 vs. Ross ($80K) or UCLA $100k)?' Thanks for tuning in, and please remember to rate and review this podcast so that others can learn more about it!

As a special treat, Graham and Alex welcome Reddit r/MBA moderator Highlyasian, who joins in on the WireTaps fun, dishing out MBA admissions advice alongside our dynamic duo. How will they weigh in on an early bird, ORM candidate with a 700 GMAT? What will they recommend to a candidate with offers (and varying scholarship $) from Booth, Tuck, MIT, and Wharton? Finally, Graham and Alex also quiz HighlyAsian about his experience as a first year MBA student at Cornell Johnson, how MBA recruiting is going, and what it's like to be a moderator on a major forum. Huge thanks to the highly talented Dennis Crowley for his production work on this episode and for helping to ensure that three was not a crowd!

As bitter cold temperatures grip much of the US and Europe, Alex and Graham hunker down to discuss R2 interview invites, a listener email asking about mid-application GRE/GMAT retakes, one college senior's deferred admission MBA options, and 'early bird' advice for a Ghanaian-British applicant with a potential GPA issue. Our hosts also delve into a tough decision facing a candidate with offers from MIT Sloan ($80K in scholarship) and Chicago Booth ($130K). Enjoy, and please remember to rate and review this podcast!