Often, when we work with MBA applicants who are from traditional technology backgrounds, they begin the process already feeling that the odds are stacked against them. Their first question is usually “How can I stand out in such a crowded field to earn a place in a top MBA program?” This post is here to…
Rejected by HBS – Now What?
February 1st was either an exciting day or a tearful one for Harvard Business School (HBS) Round 2 (R2) applicants: the school’s MBA Admissions Board notified candidates whether they were invited to interview or had merited “early release.” Euphemistic though it sounds, early release should really be viewed by R2 applicants as the blessing that it…
Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive List and Overview of STEM-OPT Eligible B-Schools
U.S. STEM MBA Programs: An Overview STEM certification programs have proven application bonanzas for top business schools. STEM certification may have begun pre-pandemic as a way to alleviate uncertainty in the visa process, but the programs have proven to be a robust inducement for MBA applicants, particularly from foreign countries. According to Poets & Quants,…
Berkeley Haas MFE (Master of Financial Engineering) Application Tips
UC Berkeley Haas is perhaps best known for its highly selective MBA program, but this business school also offers a one-year Master of Financial Engineering degree for those applicants interested in computational finance focused on business and economics. Haas’s MFE shares the MBA program’s high selectivity – the MFE program received 749 applications while only…
ESADE MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022-2023]
The ESADE (pronounced eh-SAH-day) MBA program in Barcelona, Spain, is a great option for applicants looking for a program that requires fewer than 2 years out of the job market but also provides an internship and even an international exchange option. ESADE offers a 12-month MBA, a 15-month option that includes an internship or exchange…
IMD MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022-2023]
If you are looking for a one-year, full-time MBA program, then IMD may be the perfect fit for you. The typical age of IMD MBA students is 25-32 with 7 years of work experience, but IMD recently announced that it wants more younger applicants too. The program begins in January every year and runs through…
Cambridge Judge MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022 – 2023]
The Cambridge Judge MBA program is a one-year program with a small class of around 200 students from approximately 40 countries. The Judge MBA is a very experiential program, with three required team projects and another optional one, engaging students with external companies or organizations. Judge is seeking applicants with proven academic abilities, ambition, the ability to…
Cornell Johnson College of Business MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022 – 2023]
If you are looking for a small MBA class in an idyllic location with warm and genuine classmates, then Cornell Johnson may be your program. While Johnson places the largest portion of its class in the financial industry after graduation (36% of the class of 2021), 27% entered the consulting industry, 17% joined the technology…
University of Washington Foster School of Business MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022 – 2023]
Are you seeking an MBA program with a strong record of job placement in the technology industry? Then the University of Washington Foster School of Business may make an excellent choice for you. A full 45% of the class of 2021 joined the technology industry after graduation. Next in magnitude is the consulting industry with…
London Business School MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022 – 2023]
If you are looking for a globally focused MBA program in a city bursting with culture, finance, and industry, then LBS is certainly a program to consider. Strong applications to London Business School demonstrate applicants’ global interest (even without global experience per se), curiosity to learn with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and a…
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Application Essay Tips
Paul Soros was often overshadowed by his younger brother, financial wizard George Soros, but he was a successful businessman and multi-millionaire in his own right. In contrast to George Soros’s success in the financial industry, Paul Soros made his mark on the world by innovating in the shipping industry, filing patents, and winning several engineering…
Kellogg Eliminates Applicant Indecision Delays: Applicants Can Now Apply to Multiple Programs
This year I worked with several applicants to Northwestern Kellogg who all faced a similar conundrum: which amazing Kellogg program should they apply to?! Kellogg offers a range of Master’s level business education: its traditional 2-year MBA program, a 1-year MBA program for professionals with a management or business undergraduate degree, the MMM joint degree…
IE International MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines
If you’re seeking an international education in an innovative new facility in the middle of a European city’s financial district, then you should consider applying to the International MBA program at Madrid’s IE Business School. Scheduled to open in September 2021, the new IE Tower skyscraper will host 64 classrooms – all with natural light…
Purdue MBA Now STEM-Designated: Great News for Int’l Students
Purdue Krannert’s Employment Report for the class of 2018 included an interesting statistic: while 80.6% of the graduating class had found employment (presumably within 3 months of graduating), there was a jarring dichotomy in that number. When broken down into those graduates with permanent U.S. work authorization vs. those without (read: international students), there is…
Michigan Ross Announces Its New STEM MBA Track
When The Wall Street Journal reported the fifth straight year of declining MBA applications from international applicants in October 2019, many wondered (once again!) whether this was the end of the line for the U.S. MBA programs. Well, the phoenix has risen from the ashes as the top American MBA programs have found a way…
New York University’s Stern MBA is Now STEM OPT Eligible
NYU’s Stern School of Business full-time MBA program is now a STEM-OPT-certified program, making graduates eligible for up to 36 months of STEM OPT work experience in the U.S. after graduation while remaining on their F1 student visas. New York University’s Stern MBA is Now STEM OPT Eligible. Two pages of NYU Stern’s 2019-2020 Employment…
HKUST MBA Application Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020]
Applicants seeking an MBA with high placement rates throughout Asia may find HKUST the perfect fit for their needs. HKUST offers two options for its MBA: a 16-month option that offers hopeful career switchers the opportunity to hold an internship in their target industry and even an experience in an exchange program abroad, and a…
What to Include in Your Admissions Resume
I suggest that applicants begin assembling materials for their applications as early as possible in advance of admissions deadlines. One of the first items you should start working on is your resume, a document that all professionals should always have updated and at the ready. 6 tips for creating a rockin’ resume Here are some…
Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship Application Essay Tips
Indian students considering applying to the Stanford MBA program should check out the Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship. The scholarship covers approximately 80% of the Stanford MBA tuition and fees for up to five Indian students to attend Stanford GSB. The top 50 finalists for the Fellowship will even receive a break on applying – submitting Stanford’s…
Indian School of Business MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
For MBA aspirants who want to build or advance their careers in India, the Indian School of Business PGP program offers excellent preparation. International job offers saw a slight uptick in the class of 2018, a total of 30 offers were made for roles outside of India compared with 2017’s 12. While 2018’s industry distribution…