This episode of the Clear Admit podcast kicks off with a discussion about the flurry of activity on MBA LiveWire, which includes a good volume of interview invites (UPenn / Wharton added to the numbers this week), as well as a few waitlist admits. Alex and Graham then had a decent discussion regarding the Financial Times’s 2023 MBA Global rankings. Three basic themes were discussed: Columbia’s first #1 place, Wharton’s absence, and your hosts' overall dislike of ordinal rankings (and the additional issues of trying to merge global programs into a single ranking). Graham highlighted two pieces from the Clear Admit site - a Valentine’s Day piece that focused on the issues of applying to business school as a couple, and an interview tip that highlights the five most common questions in an MBA admissions interview. We then discussed London Business School’s Class of 2022 employment report. They have a lower starting salary than their peer programs in the U.S., and it appears that more graduates are finding work in the U.K. rather than the wider Europe, which is likely a Brexit effect. That all said, LBS does very well with recruiters at leading companies like McKinsey, Bain and BCG. Finally, Graham highlighted an event we are hosting this Wednesday with current students at top programs including Berkeley / Haas, Chicago / Booth and SMU / Cox.  Sign up here: https://bit.ly/rhstudentslive

This episode features three candidate reviews, taken from three ApplyWire entries:

The first candidate has a really interesting background in media and entertainment. They have a strong GPA from "HYP" (Harvard, Yale or Princeton) and are seeking an MBA to transition to consulting (in the short term). They are targeting next season, and Alex and Graham think if they really do well on the GMAT and show decent quant skills overall, they should be aiming high. Alex and Graham also point out that Wharton is notably absent from their target list of programs. This week's second candidate graduated from Penn State with a 3.21. They have a GRE of 322, so both numbers fall a little below the median for the target programs they’ve selected. They have completed the CFA, and appear to have strong work experience, so Alex and Graham are hoping for some interview invites. Because they might want to target Denver post MBA, we discussed the importance of identifying programs that have a decent network in Denver. This week's final candidate is an M&A lawyer in India. They are targeting next season, and are looking at top European-based MBA programs. They seek to transition to VC/PE, which may be a tough pivot, especially if looking at one year programs. Alex and Graham stress the importance of acing the GMAT, showing strong quantitative scores, and applying in the first rounds. This candidate should be aiming high.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us!