Happy belated Christmas to those who celebrate! This week's episode kicks off with a discussion about the flood of upcoming Round 2 application deadlines, which start right after the New Year. Graham then highlighted the Real Humans stories from Manchester / Alliance and Johns Hopkins / Carey. Graham also noted a new holiday series that Clear Admit is publishing where we follow up on prior “Real Humans” with a series of holiday-related questions - a little fun, which led to Graham quizzing Alex on his Christmas traditions. We then discussed the Class of 2022 employment report from Wharton, which was in line with other leading MBA programs in terms of an outstanding median salary of $175,000 and a slight dip in terms of the numbers going into the tech sector. Graham then highlighted the deferred enrolment events that Clear Admit is hosting in February, which include the likes of Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Chicago, MIT, Columbia and more. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/defer23

Given the plethora of R1 decisions received, this week's candidate profiles include two DecisionWire entries for the first time this admissions season.  The episode also features an ApplyWire entry.

First up, Alex selects a DecisionWire entry from a candidate who is deciding between Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, MIT / Sloan, and Yale SOM. They have some scholarship money from Haas, Sloan and Yale, and they want to work in tech on the west coast post-MBA. One interesting element to add to the decision is that they were an undergraduate from Haas, and wonder if that should play into their decision at all.  This week's second DecisionWire candidate is debating between Haas, Columbia (with a joint degree), and Duke /Fuqua (with scholarship). A key element influencing their decision is additional concerns related to cost of living, lifestyle, and their partner and two year old daughter. There’s a case to be made for all three options... This week's final candidate is applying from Stockholm, Sweden, so we think they are in the online gaming or media industries. Alex and Graham do think there is a potential that their background profile and experience will help them standout, but your hosts worry about the combination of a lower GPA and more pedestrian(for top programs) GRE of 320. Perhaps MBA Math is worth exploring.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the always merry Dennis Crowley in frigid West Philadelphia. Please remember to spread the word about this show by rating, reviewing, and really telling anyone who will listen to tune in! Happy holidays to all and to all a good night...(or day).....