MBA Admissions 'March Madness' continues as this episode kicks off with Alex and Graham discussing the R2 decisions activity on MBA LiveWire: UPenn / Wharton, Berkeley / Haas and several other leading MBA programs released Round 2 decisions last week. This upcoming week will include Northwestern / Kellogg, Harvard and Stanford. Graham highlighted a new “by the numbers” article focusing on GMAT scores at top programs. Stanford leads the way with a median score of 737! Alex and Graham then discussed UVA / Darden’s career report. The school reports a very high median starting salary of $175,000. This positions them them very well against M7 programs, and the figure is likely influenced by the large portion of the graduating class going into consulting, at 43.5%. Graham highlighted two Real Humans Alumni stories, a CMU / Tepper alum at Microsoft and a Michigan / Ross alum at Google.

For the candidates reviewed this week, Alex selected one ApplyWire entry and two DecisionWire entries:

The first candidate is from Brazil and appears to have very solid work experience and strong community service activities. They graduated top of their class, too. They are applying in the final round, which may harm them a little.  Alex and Graham are also a little concerned about their GMAT at 710, but ultimately think this type of candidate should be at a top program. This week's second candidate is deciding between a free-ride at UNC / Kenan Flagler or Darden with no scholarship. This is a classic dilemma, when weighing offers between programs in two different tiers, where money helps redress the balance. They want to move into consulting. The final candidate featured in this episode is debating between Kellogg, NYU / Stern (with a large scholarship) and USC Marshall. They are seeking a career in Media and Entertainment. At first glance, Stern looks like the winner here...

This episode was recorded in Philadelphia, USA and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the magnificent Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us! Please remember to tip your servers, and to rate and review your podcasts...