This week's episode of WireTaps kicks off with a discussion on the percentage of international students at the top US MBA programs. There is quite a difference in the numbers at Stanford and Columbia versus Wharton and Harvard; Alex and Graham speculated as to the reasons. Your hosts also noted the upcoming MBA admissions deadlines for Round 1, which begin at the end of August. Graham then highlighted an upcoming webinar (August 17) featuring alumni who appeared in our Real Humans series to discuss their career paths. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/realhumanswebinar Graham also highlighted the upcoming Essay Workshop Series, which includes three events; September 14, September 21 and September 28. And of course, your hosts also chatted about Clear Admit+ https://www.clearadmit.com/clearadmit-plus-members/

As always, this episode features in-depth analysis of three candidate profiles:

First up, Alex selects a female candidate with a super GMAT (750) and more modest GPA. She appears to have done well at work (two promotions) and is very active outside of work, including starting a non-profit. She’s aiming high, as she should; Alex and Graham thought she might also consider Northwestern / Kellogg and possibly MIT / Sloan. This week's second candidate hails from Hungary, which will make them under-represented. Their GMAT is very good (730) but their GPA is (again) a little light. We wonder about the conversion, and what the class rank is. They’ve completed a masters degree, which is good, but they’ll also need to address, in more detail, why the MBA at this stage. The work experience does look good, but Alex and Graham note a lack of information/insight on any additional non-work interests and activities. However, your hosts do think there are some good possibilities for a candidate from a country that is under-represented. The third candidate hails from Brazil with a super GMAT (a bit of a theme for this podcast) and four years of investment banking experience. They have applied to Columbia Early Decision and we think that the credentials they have provided look very positive. They are concerned with some possible negative interaction with a current student, and the implications of that...

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the one and only Dennis Crowley from the 'Streets of Philadelphia'. Please remember to rate and review this podcast, wherever you may be listening, and to tell your friends to tune in as well. Thanks for listening!