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Case Interview Secrets and More with Victor Cheng

May 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Victor_ChengManagement consulting hopefuls, pay heed: Our latest episode of Admissions Straight Talk features the guy who passed 60 out of 61 case interviews and landed 7 consulting job offers. (Yes, I did say 60 out of 61.)

Victor Cheng, is now a strategic adviser and consultant to owners of mid-size business with $1M – $25M in sales and a speaker and expert on business issues. That’s his day job.

When he’s not working at his day job, he advises applicants to McKinsey & Company and other elite strategy consulting firms how to join those firms. And it’s in this capacity that Linda invited him to Admissions Straight Talk. Listen to the full recording to hear Victor’s insider advice and insights.

00:02:01 – Why is a podcast about admissions worrying about post-graduation careers?

00:02:30 – Meet Victor Cheng, Author of Case Interview Secrets, and former McKinsey consultant, resume screener, and interviewer.

00:03:33 – Caseinterview.com beta: Victor’s senior year of college. What a story!

00:06:06 – Linda shares a bit of her own story. ☺

00:07:04 –3 changes in how McKinsey selects candidates.

00:09:56 – If you don’t like case interviews, you probably won’t like consulting. Really.

00:12:55 – The qualities and/or skills that make for a good consultant. (What qualifies you at age 25 to advise a Fortune500 CEO at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars a year!?)

00:16:56 – IQ and EQ. Equal factors?

00:18:47 – Victor’s advice for liberal arts graduates who’d like to break into management consulting. Poets, this discussion is for you.

00:21:32 – The best of the best: Consulting firms are less focused on an applicant’s academic preparation and more concerned about a mindset and “mental horsepower.”

00:23:20 – What is the difference between the skill sets that the top consulting firms are looking for. Or is there a difference?

00:24:22 – How to project confidence without arrogance, and other great advice on self-confidence in a case interview.

00:29:46 – Check out Case Interview Secrets. Learn what to do and why to do it.

Admissions Straight Talk Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes to keep up with the latest in admissions news and trends! You know you want to give us a 5-star rating!

Stitcher fans, we’ve got good news! Admissions Straight Talk is now available on Stitcher! Check it our here. 

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Show Note Links:

• MBA In Sight: Focus on Management Consulting, Accepted’s free guide to b-schools for management consultant wannabes.
• Recent articles related to management consulting
• Case Interview Secrets by Victor Cheng
• Case Interview.com

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk:

• Admissions Straight Talk on iTunes
• Admissions Straight Talk on Stitcher

Coming next: A conversation with the director of the Entrepreneurship Initiative at Georgetown University






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Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions Tagged With: , ,

We’re on Stitcher!

May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Good news, y’all! Linda Abraham’s awesome podcast, Admissions Straight Talk, is now available on Stitcher!

So all you Stitcher people: run, don’t walk, to your nearest iPhone, Androiod, iPad, or PC and join Linda for a bi-weekly discussion of what’s new, thought-provoking, and useful in the world of graduate admissions.

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions Tagged With:

Curious about Management Consulting?

May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Victor Cheng, author of Case Interview SecretsFor my next Admissions Straight Talk podcast, I’m going to interview Victor Cheng.  Victor has many claims to fame, including:

  • Former McKinsey consultant, resume screener, and case interviewer.
  • Passed 60 out of 61 case interviews and landed 7 consulting job offers.
  • Author of Case Interview Secrets, an extremely clear and well-written book on excelling in case interviews.
  • Since 2003, strategic adviser and consultant to owners of mid-size business in service or web- based industries with $1M – $25M in sales.
  • Speaker and expert on business issues turned to by media outlets including TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Inc, Fortune, and others.

I plan to focus this segment of Admissions Straight Talk on preparation for a career in management consulting.  I have a bunch of questions I know I want answers to, but I am also wondering:

What would you like me to ask Victor? What would you ask him if you could?

Please put those suggestions, requests, and questions in comments below. Don’t be shy. I am asking this same question in various social media too.

I’ll take the ones I’m dying to ask along with the best ones you send me, and they will be the building blocks of the next Admissions Straight Talk podcast.

We’ll post the segment here on Thursday May 23. To make sure you don’t miss it or any other segments of Admissions Straight Talk, the podcast for graduate school applicants, please subscribe:

It can’t be easier, just put your questions in a comment below.

Filed Under: Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions Tagged With: ,

Practice MBA’s Ivan Kerbel: Ready for Bschool & Business

April 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Ivan KerbelPractice MBA’s CEO and Founder, Ivan Kerbel, joins us this week for an excellent episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Be sure to listen to the full recording to be in the know about Practice MBA, and get some great advice for MBA applicants, future applicants, and accepted students.

00:00:05 – Worried about your quant skills? Concerned about speaking up in class? Tune in, this is for you!

00:02:19 – Meet Ivan, CEO and Founder of Practice MBA. His list of accomplishments is long. (How about former Director of the Career Development Office at the Yale SOM, and former Sr. Associate Director at Wharton MBA Career Management Office for starters?)

00:03:11 – What is Practice MBA?

00:08:15 – The curriculum of Practice MBA: The 5 backbone courses that will allow you to be effective in b-school.

00:13:49 – The three most important things the Class of 2015 MBAs can do between acceptance and the start of classes. (other than attending Practice MBA, of course).

00:17:44 – Ivan shares the most important to-dos for MBA applicants before they apply from a career management point-of-view.

00:23:38 – What is the difference between Practice MBA and a school orientation?

Admissions Straight Talk Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And a review would be great, too.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Shownote Links:

• Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk Podcast
• MBA Decisions: What Next?
• Practice MBA

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Admissions Straight Talk: Interview with Dr. Drew Appleby

March 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Dr. Drew Appleby

Dr. Drew Appleby

For this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s biweekly podcast, we interviewed Drew Appleby, Professor Emeritus at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, who identified five types of applicant errors. These mistakes decrease candidates’ chances of acceptance to graduate school – even if the applicants have stellar stats.

Check out the full recording to learn more about these “Kisses of Death.”

01:58:00 – Introducing Dr. Drew Appleby in Admissions Straight Talk.

02:40:00 – How Dr. Appleby discovered the Kisses of Death.

05:20:00 – Why letters of recommendations are so important.

07:52:00 – The difference between good grades and motivation.

14:18:00 – How personal is too personal?

15:50:00 – Choosing relevant letters of recommendation.

18: 54:00 – Lack of information about the program to which you are applying AKA when you just go by the rankings.

20:00:00 – Importance of good writing skills.

21: 00:00 – Misfired attempts to impress the adcom.

24:15:00 – Help your professors write the best letters of recommendation.

28:40:00 – How undergrads should determine professional goals.

33:51:00 – Dr. Appleby’s sound bites to live by: 1. Know Thyself 2. To Thine Own Self be True, and 3. Just Do It.

37:49:00 – What should an applicant focus on when drafting a statement of purpose?

41:20:00 – 3 most memorable “words of wisdom” at the psychology orientation panel.

42:36:00 – Learn more about Dr. Drew Appleby.

Admissions Straight Talk Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Shownote Links:

Accepted.com Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

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Filed Under: Admissions, Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions Tagged With: ,

Admissions Straight Talk: Interview with Sheryle Dirks

March 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Sheryle Dirks

Sheryle Dirks

For this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s biweekly podcast, we interviewed Sheryle Dirks, Associate Dean for Career Management at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Check out the full recording to hear our in-depth conversation about Duke University’s Masters in Management Science Program and the career options for business school graduates.

00:16:00 – Introducing Sheryle Dirks, Associate Dean for Career Management at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

02:54:00 – The job market for MBAs now and compared to previous years.

05:00:00 – Companies that recruit exclusively in the fall season or later in spring season.

06:50:00 – Who is hiring in the technology sector.

10: 07:00 – Active/top industries for MBAs.

14:04:00 – Internship search and hiring and importance for career changers.

18:38:00 –Benefit of determining which job path is NOT for you.

23:04:00 – Stats on the Masters in Management Science program.

31:29:00 – Recruitment & hiring for Duke’s MMS graduates.

36:40:00 – Steps applicants can and should take prior to the program’s commencement.

42:15:00 – Recommendations for everyone before the job search.

47:47:00 – Learn more about Duke Fuqua’s MMS program.

Admissions Straight Talk Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Check out these links discussed in the show:

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Filed Under: Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions Tagged With: , ,

Admissions Straight Talk: Interview with Christie St-John and Sandy Kinnett

February 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Christie St-John

Dr. Christie St-John

For this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s biweekly podcast, we interviewed Dr. Christie St-John, Director of Admissions, and Sandy Kinnett, Associate Director of Career Management at Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University. Check out the full recording to hear our fascinating conversation about Vanderbilt Admissions and a specialization in Human and Organizational Performance (HOP).

00:17:00 – Introducing Christie and Sandy to Admissions Straight Talk.

02:11:00 – Which companies are the biggest recruiters at Owen?

08:37:00 – Advice for students who are undecided on career focus.

09:57:00 – What exactly is HOP and why does Owen specialize in it? (Hint: It has to do with jobs.)

15:15:00 – Dispelling Human Resource Management myths.

20:20:00 – Individual Attention is a big plus at Vanderbilt.

22:25:00 – Admissions criteria at Owen.

24:33:00 – Advantages of the mod system at Owen.

29:00:00 – Importance of school visits.

31:13:00 – The truth about the rankings.

37:38:00 – Advice for MBA applicants: Know why you want the degree.

40:28:00 – Learn more about Owen School of Management.

Admissions Straight Talk Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Shownote Links:

Accepted.com Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

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Filed Under: Admissions Straight Talk, MBA Admissions Tagged With: ,

2013 MBA Waitlist Q&A with Linda Abraham Transcript Available

February 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment
MBA Waitlist Chat

Waitlisted?

Have you been waitlisted to your top choice MBA program? Are you looking for tried and true tools that will help you gain acceptance from the waitlist? Check out the transcript from our recent Q&A, 2013 All You Need to Know About MBA Waitlists Q&A with Linda Abraham, CEO of Accepted.com, for advice on all aspects of the MBA waitlist.

During the Q&A, Linda answered the following questions (and others):

  • What is the ideal frequency of emails to the waitlist manager?
  • Is there strategically a good time when to send my letter, i.e. right away versus waiting until round two responses go out?
  • Is it acceptable to say that you have registered for an online class recently? There won’t be a grade to report back, but would this effort make a difference?
  • Most schools say a visit to campus does not affect decisions because they don’t want to penalize people who cannot make it. But, can a campus visit help show interest and passion that may help a waitlist candidate?
  • Is it true that schools do in fact rank the waitlist? If so, when do they typically begin that ranking?
  • Do you suggest we sit tight for schools like HBS who say to send in nothing?

For the complete conversation, including answers to these questions, please check out the 2013 All You Need to Know About MBA Waitlists Q&A transcript or listen to the audio file.

To automatically receive notices about these MBA admissions chats and other MBA admissions events, please subscribe to our MBA events list. To listen to the Q&A recordings on-the-go, please subscribe to the Accepted Admissions Podcast.


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Admissions Straight Talk: Interview with Mark Babbitt

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

YouTernFor this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s biweekly podcast, we interviewed Mark Babbitt, CEO and Founder of YouTern. Check out the full recording to hear our fascinating conversation about student internships.

01:09:00 – Introducing Mark to Admissions Straight Talk.

02:24:00 – YouTern’s background.  How did Mark come to found YouTern?

03:37:00 – The value of internships.  How do they help grads enter the workforce?

07:27:00 – Comparison of different types of internships: summer, part-time, and virtual Internships.

09:17:00 – What makes YouTern different from other job boards? Mentorship!

11:40:00 – Do unpaid internships make sense?

18:16:00 – Internships can help clarify goals and answer the big question, “What to you want to be when you grow up?”

25:03:00 – Differences in the internship process for undergrad and graduate students.

33:55:00 – Learn more about YouTern.

Admissions Straight Talk Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Accepted.com Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

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Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions Tagged With: ,

Admissions Straight Talk: Interview with Daniel Macklin

January 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Daniel MacklinFor this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, we interviewed Daniel Macklin, Co-Founder & VP of Business Development at SoFi. Check out the full recording to hear our fascinating conversation about alumni funded student loans.

00:47:00 – Introducing Daniel, Co-founder and VP of Business Development at SoFi.

02:25:00 – SoFi’s background. How did Daniel come to co-found Sofi?

05:02:00 – SoFi’s plans for future expansion beyond the 78 currently eligible schools including Stanford, Harvard, MIT, NYU, and UC Berkeley.

06:07:00 – More than just financial loans!  Find out about the wonderful networking opportunities available to you through SoFi’s alumni community.

11:15:00 – Find out how SoFi works together with universities’ financial aid offices.

13:58:00 – Do you qualify?

15:25:00 – Daniel’s financial advice for current students and applicants: Do your research and don’t take the first loan that is put into your hands!

18:02:00 – Insights into Daniel’s experience as a Stanford Sloan Fellow.

20:31:00 – Learn more about SoFi.

Admissions Straight Talk Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Accepted.com Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions Tagged With: , , ,
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