The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

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)

Sara Vanos, Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, discusses what makes the HEC Paris MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

• Introduction to HEC Paris MBA and Sara Vanos (0:00)
• Program Highlights - What Makes the HEC Paris MBA Unique? (3:20)
• HEC Paris MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (29:15)
• Career Opportunities after HEC Paris - What to Know & How to Prepare (52:50)

About Our Guest

Sara Vanos is Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, where she has been for over 10 years. Previously, Sara worked in the careers office for the University of Toronto Rotman. Sara got her EMBA from HEC Paris and her undergraduate degree from Ryerson University.

• HEC Paris Full-time MBA
• HEC Paris MBA GMAT/GRE Requirements
• Touch MBA's Writeup & Highlights of HEC Paris MBA

• 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)

Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA?

Bridget Pujals, University of California Berkeley Haas MBA '24 and Co-Founder of Saelo, shares her experience being an active founder during her Full-time MBA. What resources did she find most helpful? What should active and aspiring entrepreneurs consider before and during their MBA? And finally, what differentiates the MBA as a launchpad for founders?

Bridget shares specific steps she (and other entrepreneurs at Berkeley) took to de-risk their startups and increase their odds of success. After listening to this conversation, you'll get a much clearer picture of whether an MBA makes sense for your entrepreneurial goals.

• Introduction (0:00)
• How Bridget's entrepreneurial plans evolved during her MBA (4:00)
• Lean launchpad at Berkeley Haas (7:50)
• Co-founder dating (9:45)
• What entrepreneurial resources Bridget found most useful at Haas (14:30)
• Professors as an influential resource for MBA founders (18:40)
• How other active & aspiring entrepreneurs approached the MBA (25:00)
• Tips for active & aspiring founders to make the most of their MBA investment (30:15)
• Importance of student culture for MBA entrepreneurs (33:30)
• Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA? (39:00)

Bridget Pujals graduated from University of California's Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Full-time MBA program in 2024, where she focused on building her startup. She is Co-Founder and CEO of Saelo in San Francisco, which offers high-tech, clinical skin treatments.

Before getting her MBA, Bridget worked for Meta as a Senior Product Manager (Messenger) and Product Lead (Privacy for Instagram Direct), and before that, Postmates in business development and product management roles. Bridget graduated from University of California Irvine with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry.

• Follow Bridget Pujals on LinkedIn
• #196 How I Got Into UC Berkeley Haas MBA (and HBS, Wharton, UCLA too!) & Breaking into Product Management with Bridget Pujals
• Saelo
• University of California Berkeley Haas MBA
• Berkeley MBA Resources for Entrepreneurs
• Berkeley's Lean Launchpad Accelerator
• Y Combinator's Co-Founder Matching Platform
• Search Funds & Entrepreneurial Acquisitions by Jan Simon
• Growth Marketing with Bill Pierce

• 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)

Steven DeKrey, Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School, has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, Asian Institute of Management and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program.

Darren asks Professor DeKrey about the value of top MBA programs in Asia, how applicants can stand out in the admissions process, who should apply to Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) programs, and whether leadership can be taught. Listen carefully to materially improve your chances of finding a great business school and getting in!

• Introduction (0:00)
• What makes top MBA programs in Asia and Hong Kong different? (4:06)
• The quality of top Asian MBA programs vs. top US programs (10:30)
• How important are local language skills for MBA graduates outside the US? (14:10)
• What questions applicants should ask when researching MBA programs? (18:35)
• MBA rankings and other signals of quality (24:30)
• Who should apply to Full-time MBAs, Part-time MBAs and Executive MBAs (EMBA) (28:30)
• Understanding EMBA Admissions (34:50)
• Can leadership be taught? The importance of learning agility (38:45)
• How can MBAs demonstrate leadership skills to employers? (46:40)

Steven DeKrey is Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School. He has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, Asian Institute of Management, and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program. He served on the EQUIS accreditation board and AACSB's Asia-Pacific board, and today, teaches graduate students and executive training programs in leadership, corporate governance and board member development.

Steven has written over 15 cases for the Thompson Case Center, 9 of which have been published by Harvard Business School Publishing. Before starting his career in business education, Steven worked as a School & Sports Psychologist in Iowa. He got his PhD in School & Sports Psychology from the University of Iowa and his MBA from Northwestern Kellogg.

• Follow Professor Steven DeKrey on LinkedIn
• HKUST MBA
• Kellogg-HKUST EMBA
• Tiger, Peacock, Owl, Koala - Which Kind of Leader Are You?

• 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)

Melody Jones, Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting, has been helping applicants get into top 10 MBA programs for over a decade. How does Vantage Point help applicants triple their chances compared to other applicants? Melody shares key learnings, examples and questions you can use right away to craft a compelling application.

• Introduction (0:00)
• Melody's MBA Story, Career & Co-Founding of Vantage Point (2:45)
• Vantage Point's Philosophy for Serving Applicants (11:00)
• Vantage Point's 3x Success Factors (13:00)
• Factor 1: Who Are You? (17:00)
• Factors 2 & 3: What Do You Want? Why? (23:00)
• Rejected Application Analyses for Columbia, MIT, Harvard, Stanford (34:00)
• What if you have the same career goals as everyone else? (41:00)
• Melody's Last Two Tips for Applicants (43:00)

Melody Jones is Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting. Previously, Melody worked as a Marketing Manager for L'Oreal in New York City and prior to her MBA, Melody worked in finance at Wachovia and Wells Fargo.

Melody got her MBA from the Columbia Business School and her Bachelors in Marketing & International Business from the University of Virginia.

• Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting
• #221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)

• Get free school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com
• Learn effective strategies to secure admission to top-ranked MBA programs with Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. Gain insights from successful resumes, essays, and case studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands on consulting fees while optimizing every aspect of your application: https://go.touchmba.com/edge 
• Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants): https://touchmba.com/favorite-mba-application-tools/ 

What should you do if you have 10+ years of working experience but are looking for an MBA-type experience to build your skills and network?

Richard Campbell, Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, joins the show to discuss his experience with three mid-career MBA alternatives: Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development (HBS PLD), London Business School's Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (LBS Sloan Masters), and 500 Global's Accelerator program.

Listen on to learn more about the learning experience, alumni networks and benefits of attending each of these programs!

• Introduction (0:00)
• Richard's career arc before business school (4:40)
• Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development (8:40)
• The London Business School Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (22:45)
• 10 Adventures and the 500 Global Accelerator Program (48:00)
• Richard' advice for entrepreneurs considering mid-career MBA alternatives (59:00)

Richard Campbell is Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, which helps people book personalized, active vacations worldwide. Before 10Adventures, Richard worked as COO of Vista Projects, an industrial engineering firm that helps clients navigate the digital transformation of their operations.

Richard got his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary; after ten years growing Vista Projects, he took Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development and then completed London Business School's Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy. In 2023, he joined 500 Global's Accelerator program in Calgary, where he currently resides. Richard also hosts the 10Adventures Podcast and serves on the Board of Directors for The Alpine Club of Canada.

• Richard Campbell on LinkedIn
• 10Adventures
• Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development
• The LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy
• 500 Global
• Richard's Review of HBS LDP program
• Richard's Review of the LBS Sloan Masters program
• Richard's Review of 500 Global's Alberta Accelerator
• John Kotter's 8-Step Change Model from Leading Change
• Verne Harnish's Scaling Up Platform
• How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christenson
• Dan Cable
• Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It by April Dunford
• Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
• The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
• Entrepreneur's Organization (EO)
• Young Presidents' Organization (YPO)

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

Learn proven strategies to get into top-ranked MBA programs and optimize every part of your application through Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. See resumes, essays and case-studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands of dollars on consulting fees: https://go.touchmba.com/edge