Many top-ranked MBA programs in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia actively encourage applicants to connect with admissions teams before submitting an application. But most applicants don't know this - or are too nervous to reach out.

Should you contact admissions before you're ready? What if you haven't taken the GMAT yet, or your resume isn't polished? And how do you make sure the conversation is actually useful for both sides?

In this episode, Darren invites Admissions Directors from three top-ranked programs - IESE (Spain), CUHK (Hong Kong), and AGSM (Australia) - to guide you on how to approach these early conversations, what to expect, and how to use them to strengthen your application.

If you're considering reaching out to an MBA admissions team before applying, listen to this first.

Topics

• Introduction (0:00)
• What is an MBA Pre-Assessment? with Roanne Law, CUHK MBA (3:15)
• How to Engage Early - Tips & Expectations with Patrik Wallen, IESE MBA (11:15)
• Addressing Common Concerns About Pre-Assessments with Kenneth Cheung, AGSM MBA (18:30)

Show Notes

• CUHK MBA
• IESE MBA
• AGSM MBA
• Get pre-assessed by top MBA programs
• #116 Interacting with MBA Admissions Officers at Events
• #192 MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful Advice on How to Get the Most Out of Your MBA with Adam Putterman, Kellogg MMM ’19

Resources for MBA Applicants

• Get free school selection help at Touch MBA
• Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Sandra Richez has spent two decades overseeing each aspect of the EDHEC Global MBA - from admissions and curriculum to career outcomes and alumni relations. As Program Director, she has a clear view of what distinguishes the program, and she didn't hold back in this conversation.

We cover a range of topics: EDHEC's history, reputation and location in Nice, France, how the program's 10-month format attracts a more experienced and collaborative cohort, and why the MBA consistently ranks among the top 10 worldwide for return on investment. Sandra also walks through EDHEC's scholarship opportunities, career resources, and how the school continues to evolve its curriculum - most recently around AI and sustainability - to stay relevant in a fast-changing business environment.

The admissions section is particularly valuable. Sandra offers specific guidance on resumes, recommendations, interviews and essays that any MBA applicant would benefit from hearing, regardless of which school they are targeting.

Topics

Program Highlights - What Makes the EDHEC MBA Unique?

• Introduction (0:00)
• What Makes the EDHEC MBA Unique? (5:00)
• EDHEC's Student & Learning Culture (17:20)
• EDHEC MBA's Return On Investment (24:10)

EDHEC MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? 

• What EDHEC Looks for from MBA Applicants (32:10)
• GMAT/GRE Scores (36:45)
• Tips on EDHEC MBA's Recommendations, Resumes, Video & In-Person Interviews, Timed Essays (39:00)
• How EDHEC MBA Admissions Views Scholarships & How Applicants Can Win Funding (52:15)

Career Opportunities at EDHEC - What to Know & How to Prepare

• How to Leverage EDHEC's Career Resources to Land Post-MBA Jobs (57:25)
• EDHEC's Industry Placements (1:06:00)
• Advice for MBAs in an Era of AI Disruption (1:08:30)
• Last Career Tips for MBA Applicants (1:13:00)

About Our Guest

Sandra Richez is Program Director of the Global MBA at EDHEC Business School, where she was also previously Head of Global MBA Career Services & Student Affairs. Before coming to EDHEC, Sandra led Executive Education & Training for Accor Hotels, ESSEC, SKEMA, and ISC Paris. Sandra majored in International Relations & French at Tufts University and got her Masters in Hospitality from ESSEC in partnership with Cornell's School of Hotel Administration.

Show Notes

• EDHEC Global MBA
• The Best MBA Programs in France

MBA Application Resources

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get free school selection help at Touch MBA⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)⁠

The HKUST MBA has been one of Asia's top-ranked MBAs for many years - the Financial Times has ranked it top 25 globally 15 times. But, what is it actually like to study there?

Stephen Shih, Associate Dean of MBA Programs at HKUST Business School and a former Partner at Bain & Company, shares what makes the HKUST MBA unique. We cover Hong Kong's strategic importance, the benefits of studying at a renowned science and technology university, HKUST's flexible curriculum, and the differences between the 12 and 16-month program options. Stephen also shares his views on AI's impact on MBA careers, what employers are prioritizing, and what the HKUST admissions team actually looks for beyond GMAT scores.

Program Highlights - What Makes the HKUST MBA Unique?

• Introduction (0:00)
• What Makes the HKUST MBA Unique? (8:25)
• How HKUST is "Future-Proofing" its MBA as AI Reshapes Business (13:20)
• Why Hong Kong for Your MBA (20:00)
• HKUST MBA's 12 and 16-Month Course Structure (22:45)
• HKUST MBA's Student & Learning Culture (25:00)

HKUST MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? 

• What HKUST MBA Looks for from Applicants (27:00)
• Post-MBA Goals (29:00)
• Interviews (31:05)
• GMAT/GRE Scores (32:15)
• Stephen's Final Application Tips (35:50)
• How HKUST MBA Admissions Views Scholarships & How Applicants Can Win Funding (37:35)

Career Opportunities at HKUST - What to Know & How to Prepare

• How to Leverage HKUST's Career Resources to Land Post-MBA Jobs (40:30)
• HKUST Industry Placements & Resources for Entrepreneurs (45:45)
• What Applicants Need to Know about Landing Jobs in Hong Kong, China & Asia-Pacific (51:00)
• Maximizing ROI at the HKUST MBA (52:15)

About Our Guest

Stephen Shih is the Associate Dean of MBA Programs at HKUST Business School. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of Learning & Development at Bain & Company in Shanghai, China. Stephen served as Head of MBA Career Services and Corporate Relations at HKUST from 2010-11 before returning to Bain & Company as a Partner and leading its organization practice in Asia-Pacific. Stephen majored in Economics at Princeton University and got his MBA from UCLA Anderson.

Show Notes

• HKUST MBA
• HKUST MBA Scholarships
• HKUST Entrepreneurship Center
• HKUST MBA SuperConnector Podcast
• HKUST Full-time MBA Highlights by Touch MBA

MBA Application Resources

• ⁠⁠⁠Get free school selection help at Touch MBA⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)⁠

Your MBA application is a "movie preview" of what is to come - a pitch for your candidacy. Imagine an admissions officer reading hundreds of applications. How can you get this gatekeeper to pay attention, remember you, believe you, care about you, and act on your application in a positive way (we must interview her!)?

In this reposted episode, Darren uses the marketing classic Made to Stick as inspiration for how to create a memorable MBA application.

Six elements - Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story (SUCCES) - are the building blocks of sticky ideas. Be sure to incorporate all 6 elements into your MBA application.

Topics

• Introduction (0:00)
• Your MBA Application is Like a Movie Preview (3:25)
• Simple (7:15)
• Unexpected (8:45)
• Concrete (10:40)
• Credible (11:05)
• Emotional (12:30)
• Story (14:35)

Show Notes

• #113 Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t
• #200 The 3S’s of Scintillating Storytelling
• #51 Stalking the Story for Your MBA Essays
• #83 MBA Essays that Work – Candid Thoughts on Essays, Authenticity and Being Yourself
• Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath

Resources for MBA Applicants

• Get free school selection help at Touch MBA
• Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

What does IESE look for in MBA applicants? How do they evaluate your academic aptitude, post-MBA career goals, leadership potential and fit? In this episode, IESE MBA Admissions Director Patrik Wallen shares candid insights into what makes candidates stand out — and what makes IESE’s two-year MBA unique.

Program Highlights - What Makes the IESE MBA Unique?

• Introduction (0:00)
• What Makes the IESE MBA Unique? (3:30)
• IESE's Reputation with Employers (11:30)
• IESE MBA's Two-Year Course Structure (14:27) 
• Living, Studying & Working in Barcelona, Spain (18:37)
• The Importance of Speaking the Local Language: Spanish (25:10)

IESE MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? 

• What IESE MBA Looks for When Building a Class (28:00)
• Patrik's Thoughts on Post-MBA Goals (37:00)
• GMAT/GRE Scores & GPA (41:45)
• Resumes (48:00)
• Written Essays & Video Essays (52:45)
• Letters of Recommendation (55:35)
• Interviews & IESE MBA's Assessment Day (57:45)
• How IESE MBA Admissions Views Scholarships & How Applicants Can Win Funding (1:03:35)

Career Opportunities at IESE - What to Know & How to Prepare

• Has AI Affected Recruiting for Consulting? (1:10:55)
• IESE MBA's Grading System (1:17:30)
• What Applicants Need to Know about Landing Jobs in Spain & Europe (1:20:05)
• Structured Recruiting & Unstructured Recruiting: What Applicants Can Expect from IESE's Career Services (1:27:45)

About Our Guest

Patrik Wallen is the MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School. Previously, he was Director of IESE's Career Development Center. Before joining IESE, Patrik worked as a general manager in hospitality, founded a fish importing business and worked as a software consultant. Patrik got his Masters in Science in Computer Science from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and his MBA from IESE in 2007.

Show Notes

• IESE MBA
• Get feedback on your profile from IESE MBA's Admissions Team before you apply
• IESE MBA Scholarships and Post-Graduation Payment Aid (PPA) for MBAs
• IESE Full-time MBA Highlights by Touch MBA

MBA Application Resources

• ⁠⁠Get free school selection help at Touch MBA⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs⁠⁠
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

How can you stand out from thousands of MBA applicants with impressive CVs?

Darren sits down with Ellin Lolis, Founder and President of Ellin Lolis Consulting and one of the top ranked MBA admissions consultants on Poets & Quants, to learn how she helps MBA applicants craft powerful personal narratives. With a near 99% success rate, Ellen shares the process she uses to transform an applicant's collection of achievements into a cohesive and compelling personal narrative.

Topics

• Introduction (0:00)
• How Ellin Fell into Admissions Consulting (2:37)
• The Importance of Narrative: Why Data and CVs Aren't Memorable (3:37)
• What's Your Career Goal & Career Purpose? (10:20)
• Finding the Golden Thread of Your Personal Narrative (22:20)
• Dealing with "My Story Isn't that Interesting" (40:12)
• How to Differentiate Yourself when You Have a Common Career Goal (39:55)
• The Power of Vulnerability (45:23)
• Darren's Hot Dog Story - How Mundane Moments Can Make for a Memorable Story (47:19)
• How MBA programs are Evolving with AI (50:07) 
• Using AI in Your MBA Applications (52:54) 
• Video Essay Tips (59:28)

About Our Guest

Ellin Lolis is founder and president of Ellin Lolis Consulting, which has helped 98.9% of their clients get accepted to at least one program of their choice. Ellin and her team have spent over a decade helping MBA applicants craft their story and build their careers. Prior to starting her admissions consulting firm, Ellin worked in marketing and communications.

Ellin graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelors in International Cultural Studies, and is a member of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC).

Show Notes

• Ellin Lolis Consulting
• My Admit Coach
• Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin

More Resources

• ⁠Get free school selection help at Touch MBA⁠
• ⁠Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs⁠
• ⁠Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools⁠
• ⁠Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Darren talks with N'doli Jean-Hugues "Cherif," a French and Ivorian candidate who gained admission to both INSEAD and London Business School's MBA programs. Cherif, an older full-time MBA candidate with diverse experience across five roles - including audit, management consulting, investment banking and infrastructure project finance in the public and private sector - shares his five key success factors for MBA admissions.

Topics

• Introduction (0:00)
• Cherif's Background & Pre-MBA Plan & Goals (3:10)
• How Cherif Found Career Mentors & Built Future Opportunities (10:40)
• Cherif's 5 Key Success Factors
• Unwavering Focus (17:20)
• Strategic Peer Review (27:15)
• Work with a Consultant (34:30)
• Self-awareness (43:15)
• Narrative Coherence (52:30)
• How Cherif Assessed his Competitiveness (1:00:00)
• Cherif's Interview Tips for Insead & London Business School (1:07:10)

• Cherif's Final Tips (1:24:00)

About Our Guest

N'doli Jean-Hugues Cherif graduated from Cranfield University with a Masters in Management and Concordia University with a Bachelors in Political Science. He will be attending the Insead MBA program in Fontainebleau, France, focused on a post-MBA career in infrastructure-focused private equity.

After getting his Masters, Cherif worked as an auditor for PwC, management consultant for Square Management, and then in Financial Advisory and Project Finance for the government of Côte d'Ivoire and then as an investment banker for Obara Capital. He then returned to Paris with his family to do Financial Advisory and Project Finance for Egis.

Show Notes

• Follow N'doli Jean-Hugues Cherif on LinkedIn
• How I Got Into Insead & London Business School: 5 Game-Changing Success Factors by N'doli Jean-Hugues Cherif (My Admissions Journey Series)
• Insead MBA
• Infravenir: Young Infrastructure Professionals in France
• The Glocap Guide To Getting A Job In Private Equity: Behind the Scenes Insight Into How PE Funds Hire by Brian Korb
• London L. - MBA Admissions Consultant

More Resources

• Get free school selection help at Touch MBA
• Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs
• Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Darren confronts his own "AI anxiety" with Sabine King, Director of the Career Accelerator at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW). Together, they explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the demand for MBA graduates, the evolving strategies of career services, and how leading business schools are equipping their students to thrive in an AI-world.

• Introduction (0:00)
• AI's impact on demand for MBAs (5:50)
• How AGSM embeds AI into its curriculum & career services (8:30)
• AI tools for resume optimization (11:30)
• The importance of authenticity & one's mindset in using AI (13:30)
• What AI skills do employers expect from MBAs? (17:00)
• Using AI for psychometric testing, initial assessments & interview preparation (26:00)
• Using AI for career exploration (30:00)
• AGSM's AI courses & resources (36:00)
• Ethical use of AI (38:40)

About Our Guest

Sabine King is the Director of the Career Accelerator at 
Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia. Previously, she worked for Education First as a Program Manager and Cox Purtell as a Recruiting Specialist. She graduated with a degree in Business Management from the International School of Management in Germany.

• AGSM MBA
• UNSW AI Institute
• ChatGPT
• Microsoft CoPilot
• Crystal - The Personality Data Platform
• VMoc - Career Acceleration Platform
• Case Coach - Case Interview Prep Platform
• Graduate First - Job Assessments Expert
• Still need help? Get a free profile review, including best-fit MBA programs & ways to strengthen your profile

• Get free school selection help at Touch MBA
• Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs
• Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)
• The Best MBA Programs in Australia 

Darren shares 3 design thinking exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan's Designing Your Life that will help you build a joyful life - and find MBA programs you are excited about.

• Introduction (0:00)
• Make Odyssey Plans - Imagining Life 1, 2 and 3 (3:45)
• Prototype - "Building is Thinking" (8:20)
• Wayfind - Following Energy and Engagement (13:30)

• Designing Your Life - How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
• The Fail-Safe Solopreneur - 6 Essential Practices to Manage Your Well-Being Working for Yourself
• #46 Steve Dalton’s The 2 Hour Job Search: The 80/20 Formula to Target Employers & Secure First Interviews
• #188 Steve Dalton’s The Job Closer – Giving Job Seekers Straightforward Frameworks that Work Fast and Work Well
• #192 MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful Advice on How to Get the Most Out of Your MBA with Adam Putterman, Kellogg MMM ’19
• #194 Building a Professional MBA Network with Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA ’22
• #156 Three Questions to Ask Before You Make a Career Move with Gary Lo

• Get free school selection help at Touch MBA
• Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs
• Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Ann-Marie Stephenson and Colleen McLister, Senior Recruitment Manager and Admissions Manager of MBA Programmes at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discuss the Frankfurt School MBA's admissions criteria, admissions process, scholarships and more. After listening to this episode, you will have a thorough and nuanced understanding of how to submit your strongest application to the Frankfurt School.

• Introducing Ann-Marie Stephenson & Colleen McLister (0:00)
• What about the Frankfurt School MBA Surprises International Students? (4:00)
• How much German do Frankfurt MBA students need to thrive? (8:45)
• Frankfurt School MBA's Admissions Criteria & Process (11:30)
• Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (24:30)
• Advice on Recommendations, Case-Study Essays, Career Goals (35:00)
• Final Tips for Applicants (46:15)

• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management Full-time MBA Programme
• Contact the MBA Team at the Frankfurt School
• #227 Inside the Frankfurt School Full-Time MBA: Admissions & Recruitment Insights with Ann-Marie Stephenson & Colleen McLister
• #215 Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Prof. Adrian Buss

• Get free school selection help at Touch MBA
• Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs
• Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)