The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

By Darren C. Joe

What's The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast about?

Get an inside look at how top business schools assess MBA applicants. Interviews with MBA Admissions Directors and students from the world's top-ranked MBA programs. Strategies and tips on how to craft a successful MBA application and best present yourself. Straight talk on how to get accepted to the world's top MBA programs. Get a free, expert profile review at https://touchmba.com

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The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast episodes:

04.16.2024
#221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)
Inspired by Kevin Kelly's Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier, Darren shares 10 bits of wisdom that could materially improve your chances of getting into business school and building a successful career. Topics Introduction (0:00)...
03.11.2024
#220 GLOBIS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Tomoya Nakamura - "Find Your Kokorozashi"
Sometimes, it's hard to differentiate MBA programs. That is not the case with GLOBIS University, Japan's number 1 MBA, which prizes entrepreneurial skills, societal impact, and helping its students find their kokorozashi (personal mission). Professor Tomoya Nakamura, President of...
02.20.2024
#219 From Military to MBA, Consultant & More with Beau Gresham, NYU Stern MBA '20 - "Find Your Champions"
Beau Gresham, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Mastercard and NYU Stern MBA '20, shares his journey as an applicant, student, and alumni of NYU Stern. How did Beau transition from the military to consulting through the MBA? How was the...
01.29.2024
#218 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 2): Drawing a Roadmap for Admissions, Prioritizing Conversations, Prematurely Applying, Being Strategic Yet Flexible
Darren shares more hard-earned application lessons from four listeners (now graduated MBAs): drawing a roadmap for the admissions team, prioritizing conversations when picking schools, "prematurely applying" and being strategic yet flexible Want to share your hard-earned application lessons? Contact us...
01.20.2024
#217 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 1): Working for Unknown Companies, Determining Best-Fit Schools, Dealing with Dings
Touch MBA's goal has always been to offer you evergreen content that will help you shortlist and get into best-fit MBA programs. We invite listeners to share lessons from their MBA application journeys not just on the podcast, but in...
12.21.2023
#216 The GMAT Focus Episode (GRE, too)
How are top business schools using the GMAT Focus exam, which will replace the GMAT in January 2024? What do you need to score and on which sections? Do schools prefer the GMAT, GMAT Focus, or GRE? Darren asks Admissions...
10.17.2023
#215 Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dr. Adrian Buss
Professor Adrian Buss, Associate Professor of Finance and Academic Director of MBA Programs at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discusses what makes the Frankfurt School’s MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction...
10.12.2023
#214 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Prof. Wan Wongsunwai
Professor Wan Wongsunwai, Associate Dean of MBA Programmes and Director of MBA Programmes at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, discusses what makes the CUHK MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics ...
10.04.2023
#213 Duke University Fuqua MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Shari Hubert
Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, discusses what makes the Duke Fuqua MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights – What Makes the Duke...
08.28.2023
#212 Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Jonathan Clarke
"We pride ourselves in being at the center of business and technology... We've asked employers, 'How would you describe our students?' and most often the words we get back are 'humble, hardworking and good problem solvers.' I think that's fantastic...
07.10.2023
#211 Vanderbilt MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sue Oldham
Sue Oldham, Associate Dean at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, discusses what makes the Vanderbilt MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the Vanderbilt MBA Unique?...
06.28.2023
#210 Georgetown MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Shelly Heinrich
Shelly Heinrich, Associate Dean, MBA Admissions and Director of Marketing at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, discusses what makes the Georgetown MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights...
06.19.2023
#209 How Wharton Reviews MBA Applicants & More with Thomas Caleel, Former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton
Thomas Caleel, former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton, takes us behind the scenes of how an Admissions Director builds a class and what he or she looks for from applicants. What are the key qualities and characteristics that admissions committees...
05.31.2023
#208 Undercover MBA Subrankings
You’ve heard about US News & World Report and Financial Times Global MBA Rankings, but did you know Financial Times also ranks business schools’ alumni network and career effectiveness? Or that QS ranks business schools worldwide according to specialization? After...
05.23.2023
#207 NUS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Wedad Sunny
Wedad Sunny, Deputy Director and Head of Marketing and Admissions of MBA Programmes at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, discusses what makes the NUS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. NUS is consistently ranked...
04.24.2023
#206 Strategies for Optimal MBA Student Loans with Nikhil Agarwal from Juno
Nikhil Agarwal, Co-Founder of Juno, shares optimal strategies to minimize your MBA student loans in 2023. Nikhil shares everything you you need to know about the following variables to secure the best financing package for your situation: Loan terms Repayment...
03.20.2023
#205 ESMT Berlin MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Rebecca Loades
Rebecca Loades, Director of MBA Programs at European School of Management and Technology (ESMT Berlin), discusses what makes the ESMT Berlin MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. ESMT was founded in 2002 by 25...
03.13.2023
#204 IESE MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Paula Amorim
Paula Amorim, MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School, discusses what makes the IESE MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics: Introduction (0:00) IESE MBA Program Highlights - What Makes IESE Unique? (5:10) IESE MBA...
03.02.2023
#203 What Are Your Game-Changing Differentiators? with Paul Bodine from Admitify
Paul Bodine, one of the world's most experienced admissions consultants and president of Admitify, shares how he helps clients with seemingly par-for-the-course profiles discover their game-changing assets. How does Paul help his clients dig deep to unearth their most remarkable...
02.16.2023
#202 Inside the National University of Singapore (NUS) MBA with Tilla Caveng, NUS MBA '24
Tilla Caveng, a full-time MBA student at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, shares her top application tips and lessons learned from her first 6 months at NUS. Questions Introducing Tilla (0:00) Tilla's Pre-MBA Career & MBA Application...
02.05.2023
#201 Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Jochem Kroezen and Maria Tsachli
Jochem Kroezen, Academic Director of Rotterdam School of Management's (RSM) Full-time MBA Program, and Maria Tsachli, Recruitment & Admissions Manager, Americas, discuss what makes the RSM MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Introduction (0:00) | Program...
01.23.2023
#200 The 3S’s of Scintillating Storytelling
“A well-crafted story helps create a magical sort of clarity. It can illuminate an experience your audience could not have fathomed a few minutes before, or draw them so close that they imagine they can feel your...
12.14.2022
#199 10 Application Lessons from 10 Years of Touch MBA
We're nearing 200 episodes of Touch MBA. Feeling nostalgic, Darren reflects on 10 lessons for applicants from 10 years of Touch MBA! 10 Lessons from 10 Years of Touch MBA Introduction (0:00) Know Your Must Haves (2:00) Work on...
11.21.2022
#198 Inside the London Business School MBA & Honing Your Story with Chris Tran, LBS '22
Chris Tran, London Business School (LBS) MBA '22, shares lessons learned from applying to and attending LBS, as well as how he landed his first post-MBA consulting gig in London. Questions Introducing Chris (0:00) Chris' Pre-MBA Career & MBA...
09.30.2022
#197 Pivoting Geographies & Breaking into EdTech with Tony Ngo, Harvard Business School 08
Tony Ngo, Harvard Business School '08, shares how he used the MBA to pivot to Vietnam, first in finance, and then as an edtech entrepreneur with Everest Education. Questions Introducing Tony (0:00) Tony's Pre-MBA Career & MBA Application Journey...
07.07.2022
#196 How I Got Into Berkeley Haas MBA (and HBS, Wharton, UCLA too!) & Breaking into Product Management with Bridget Pujals
Bridget Pujals shares lessons learned from her MBA application journey, culminating in admits to Harvard, Wharton ($70K scholarship), UCLA Anderson ($100K scholarship), and Berkeley Haas ($175K scholarship). She will attend UC Berkeley Haas this Fall. While her results are spectacular,...
06.27.2022
#195 Business School Selection Simplified - How to Shortlist MBA Programs You're Excited About and Competitive At
“The most frustrating part I have found is the vast amount of information about schools, applications, and chances that is out there. It’s been hard to sift through all the noise and really figure out what schools are good for...
04.22.2022
#194 Building a Professional MBA Network with Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA '22
Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA '22, shares how building relationships helped her reach her MBA goals - including breaking into the real estate industry. After listening to this episode, you'll have a detailed and instructive case study of what's required to...
04.11.2022
#193 Hiring Trends & Salaries for Business School Graduates via the Corporate Recruiters Survey
What are corporate recruiters looking for from business graduate students? And how do median MBA salaries compare to those of specialized business masters programs? Darren shares 3 interesting findings from GMAC’s Corporate Recruiters Survey. This way, you can think more...
03.28.2022
#192 MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful Advice on How to Get the Most out of your MBA with Adam Putterman, Kellogg MMM '19
How can you make the most of your MBA experience? After reflecting on their own MBA experiences and those of hundreds of successful grads, Adam Putterman, Northwestern MMM '19, and Bob Manfreda, Stanford GSB '19, wrote MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful...
03.03.2022
#191 Inside Harvard Business School - An Introvert's Experience with Graciela Brewer, HBS MBA '22
Back by popular demand, Graciela Brewer returns to reflect on her Harvard Business School experience. We discuss what she found easier and more difficult than expected, how she has made the most of her HBS MBA, and her thoughts on...
02.08.2022
#190 3 Timeless Application Strategies from MBA Admissions Strategy (2005) by Avi Gordon
Darren shares three foundational application strategies from Avi Gordon's MBA Admissions Strategy: From Profile Building to Essay Writing (2005) that have stood the test of time. It's always advantageous to master the fundamentals of any art form - including constructing...
01.10.2022
#189 Breaking into Healthcare (as an MBA) with Veeral Desai, HBS '07
What do MBA applicants need to know about breaking into the healthcare industry? Darren invites Veeral Desai, Harvard Business School MBA ’07, to share his experience moving from Bain & Company's Healthcare Practice to senior executive roles at Vantage Oncology...
12.02.2021
#188 Steve Dalton's The Job Closer - Giving Job Seekers Straightforward Frameworks that Work Fast and Work Well
Steve Dalton, a senior career consultant and program director at Duke University's Fuqua School, shares time-saving techniques for choosing a career and acing common interview questions from his new book, The Job Closer. Having worked in MBA career services for...
11.15.2021
#187 Imperial MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Amy Duckworth
Amy Duckworth, Director of Admissions at Imperial College Business School, shares what makes the Imperial MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (2:00) | Admissions (13:00) | Financing & Scholarships (26:10) | Careers (29:10) What is unique...
11.02.2021
#186 WHU MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sabine Noe
Sabine Noe, Director of Recruitment & Admissions for WHU's MBA Programs, shares what makes the WHU MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (1:50) | Admissions (14:45) | Financing & Scholarships (27:00) | Careers (32:00) About Our...
10.20.2021
#185 Cambridge MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Emily Brierley
Emily Brierley, Head of Cambridge MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Cambridge Judge Business School, discusses what makes the Cambridge MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (17:30) | Financing & Scholarships (28:30) |...
10.09.2021
#184 Toronto Rotman MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Imran Kanga - "Choose Your Own Adventure"
Imran Kanga, Director of Recruitment & Admissions for Rotman School of Management's Full-time MBA at the University of Toronto, discusses what makes the Rotman MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (19:00) |...
09.30.2021
#183 SDA Bocconi MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Francesca Roveda
Francesca Roveda, a member of the recruiting and admissions team for SDA Bocconi’s MBA program, discusses what makes the SDA Bocconi MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (5:30) | Admissions (28:26) | Financing & Scholarships...
09.21.2021
#182 Inside the NUS MBA with Student Council President Safira Djati, NUS MBA '22
Safira Djati shares her journey from private equity analyst in Indonesia to the NUS MBA, where she is President of the NUS MBA Student Council. How has Covid affected the program and what has most surprised her about the NUS...
08.18.2021
#181 Taking the Road Less Traveled with Tony DeGennaro, CUHK MBA '17
Most applicants get an MBA to step out of their comfort zones. But, what about pursuing your MBA and subsequent five-year marketing career in Hong Kong as an American? Tony DeGennaro, who majored in Political Science and Philosophy at Rutgers,...
08.02.2021
#180 The Fully Funded MBA with Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA '22
Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA '22, has an amazing story to tell about applying to 18 business schools over two years, and getting full-scholarship awards at 8 of them. How was he able to do this? And what has he...
07.23.2021
#179 From Artist to MBA with Justin Taines, RSM MBA ’21
Justin Taines, RSM MBA ’21, shares his journey from developing kids and family entertainment shows in Los Angeles to the RSM MBA, based in the Netherlands. Why did Justin pursue an MBA (instead of an EMBA) despite having over 10...
06.26.2021
#178 The McKinsey & Insead Experience with Milan Mecklenburg, Insead MBA '18D
Milan Mecklenberg, Insead MBA '18D, shares his journey from studying theoretical physics at Cambridge to McKinsey Berlin to Insead and then back to McKinsey, this time in Vietnam. What has he learned from the journey? Questions Milan's background (2:20)...
03.27.2021
#177 How I Got into the Wharton MBA / MA Lauder Joint Degree Program with Hunter Dong
Hunter Dong shares his best application tips for getting into the Wharton MBA / MA Lauder Joint Degree in International Studies program. How did Hunter pull together his diverse work experience working for the Hinrich Foundation in the Philippines, his...
02.26.2021
#176 Use the 5 Senses to Make Your MBA Application Stick
After helping four MBA applicants with their resume and essays, Darren realized he was repeating similar advice. In this episode, Darren shares how you can use the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - to make your...
11.30.2020
#175 AGSM MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dr. Michele Roberts
Dr. Michele Roberts, MBA Academic Director of the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW), discusses what makes the AGSM MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights...
11.19.2020
#174 Mannheim MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Kai Stenzel & Sofia Syed Nasir
Chief Market Officer Kai Stenzel and Admissions Manager Sofia Syed Nasir discuss what makes the Mannheim MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (3:50) | Admissions (25:15) | Financing & Working in Germany (35:40)...
11.09.2020
#173 Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London Program & Admissions Interview with Alex Jones
MBA Recruitment Manager Alex Jones discusses what makes the Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (4:10) | Admissions (19:30) | Financing & Scholarships (33:40) | Careers (37:30)...
10.29.2020
#172 Melbourne MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Anastasia Georgiou
Anastasia Georgiou, Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School, discusses what makes the Melbourne MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (4:38) | Admissions (19:00) | Scholarships (31:20) | Careers (34:00) About Our Guest Anastasia Georgiou is Director of Admissions...

What's The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast episodes:

#221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)

#220 GLOBIS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Tomoya Nakamura - "Find Your Kokorozashi"

#219 From Military to MBA, Consultant & More with Beau Gresham, NYU Stern MBA '20 - "Find Your Champions"

#218 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 2): Drawing a Roadmap for Admissions, Prioritizing Conversations, Prematurely Applying, Being Strategic Yet Flexible

#217 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 1): Working for Unknown Companies, Determining Best-Fit Schools, Dealing with Dings

#216 The GMAT Focus Episode (GRE, too)

#215 Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dr. Adrian Buss

#214 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Prof. Wan Wongsunwai

#213 Duke University Fuqua MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Shari Hubert

#212 Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Jonathan Clarke

#211 Vanderbilt MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sue Oldham

#210 Georgetown MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Shelly Heinrich

#209 How Wharton Reviews MBA Applicants & More with Thomas Caleel, Former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton

#208 Undercover MBA Subrankings

#207 NUS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Wedad Sunny

#206 Strategies for Optimal MBA Student Loans with Nikhil Agarwal from Juno

#205 ESMT Berlin MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Rebecca Loades

#204 IESE MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Paula Amorim

#203 What Are Your Game-Changing Differentiators? with Paul Bodine from Admitify

#202 Inside the National University of Singapore (NUS) MBA with Tilla Caveng, NUS MBA '24

#201 Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Jochem Kroezen and Maria Tsachli

#200 The 3S’s of Scintillating Storytelling

#199 10 Application Lessons from 10 Years of Touch MBA

#198 Inside the London Business School MBA & Honing Your Story with Chris Tran, LBS '22

#197 Pivoting Geographies & Breaking into EdTech with Tony Ngo, Harvard Business School 08

#196 How I Got Into Berkeley Haas MBA (and HBS, Wharton, UCLA too!) & Breaking into Product Management with Bridget Pujals

#195 Business School Selection Simplified - How to Shortlist MBA Programs You're Excited About and Competitive At

#194 Building a Professional MBA Network with Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA '22

#193 Hiring Trends & Salaries for Business School Graduates via the Corporate Recruiters Survey

#192 MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful Advice on How to Get the Most out of your MBA with Adam Putterman, Kellogg MMM '19

#191 Inside Harvard Business School - An Introvert's Experience with Graciela Brewer, HBS MBA '22

#190 3 Timeless Application Strategies from MBA Admissions Strategy (2005) by Avi Gordon

#189 Breaking into Healthcare (as an MBA) with Veeral Desai, HBS '07

#188 Steve Dalton's The Job Closer - Giving Job Seekers Straightforward Frameworks that Work Fast and Work Well

#187 Imperial MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Amy Duckworth

#186 WHU MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sabine Noe

#185 Cambridge MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Emily Brierley

#184 Toronto Rotman MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Imran Kanga - "Choose Your Own Adventure"

#183 SDA Bocconi MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Francesca Roveda

#182 Inside the NUS MBA with Student Council President Safira Djati, NUS MBA '22

#181 Taking the Road Less Traveled with Tony DeGennaro, CUHK MBA '17

#180 The Fully Funded MBA with Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA '22

#179 From Artist to MBA with Justin Taines, RSM MBA ’21

#178 The McKinsey & Insead Experience with Milan Mecklenburg, Insead MBA '18D

#177 How I Got into the Wharton MBA / MA Lauder Joint Degree Program with Hunter Dong

#176 Use the 5 Senses to Make Your MBA Application Stick

#175 AGSM MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dr. Michele Roberts

#174 Mannheim MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Kai Stenzel & Sofia Syed Nasir

#173 Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London Program & Admissions Interview with Alex Jones

#172 Melbourne MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Anastasia Georgiou