When I was an admissions director attending MBA fairs and visiting companies to recruit candidates for our program, I often got questions about how a candidate can stand out in the business school applicant pool. Whether they were in consulting, banking, the military, or IT engineering, most of the applicants who approached me were worried…
MBA ADMISSIONS
Thoughts on MBA Rankings
Well, here we go again! It is rankings time, and there is a relative newcomer to the rankings gurus: LinkedIn recently published its second MBA ranking. Out of curiosity, I looked at this new one, along with those produced by the Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report, and Bloomberg. Last year, Bloomberg caused some…
Preparing for Your MBA Interview
Application submitted – check. Wait, wait, and wait some more, and then… Yay, they’ve invited me to interview! They like me! But wait, how do I prepare for an MBA interview? Is it the same as a job interview? Will they have read my entire application? Who will interview me? If they know my GMAT…
The GMAT, GRE, and Your MBA Admissions Profile
Tackling the GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment (EA) is probably the least “fun” part of the MBA application process. If you’re hoping to gain admission to a top MBA program, however, the admissions exam is an essential component that you’ll want to dedicate sufficient time, energy, and focus to. Many candidates wait too late and…
How to Get Into Yale SOM 2025 [Episode 598]
Show Summary In this episode, Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Yale School of Management, shares an overview of the Yale School of Management. The program offers a distinctive two-year, full-time MBA program emphasizing an interdisciplinary, integrated curriculum to prepare students for leadership in business and society. Bruce discusses how aspiring applicants can prepare…
Seven Tips for Your Lauder Institute Interview
When I was director of admissions marketing and financial aid at the Lauder Institute, I would often be asked by anxious applicants how best to prepare for the Lauder interview. If you apply to Lauder’s joint degree program with the Wharton MBA or the Penn Law JD program, you will need to do two admissions…
Get Into NYU Stern’s MSBAi aka Masters of Business Analytics and AI [Episode 597]
Show Summary The NYU Stern Masters of Business Analytics and AI (MSBAI) program is a one-year specialized degree program that trains students to make data-driven decisions. Dr. Anindya Ghose, Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of Technology and Marketing at New York University’s Leonard Stern School of Business and Director of the Masters of Business Analytics and…
Nine Tips for Team Interviews
During my time as director of admissions marketing and financial aid at the Lauder Institute’s MA program with Wharton’s MBA, I was lucky enough to get to interview applicants for both programs, including running Wharton’s Team Based Discussion. Wharton is somewhat unique with respect to the team-based interview format, but working as part of a…
When the MBA Optional Essay Is No Longer Optional
You’ve already written the required essays that your target business schools have asked for. Do you really need to write the optional essay, too? If you’re a strong applicant who has no weaknesses, low stats, or application inconsistencies to explain, then you might be able to skip the optional essay. But the optional essay is…
Ask Away at Your Admissions Interview!
Have you been invited to interview at the graduate school of your choice? Great news! This means the program is seriously interested in you, and you are one important step closer to acceptance. To make the most of this opportunity, preparation is essential. Your goal is not only to demonstrate your enthusiasm for and knowledge…
Mastering MIT Sloan MBA Admissions: Insights and Tips [Episode 596]
Show Summary Dawna Levenson, Assistant Dean of MIT Sloan School of Management, provides a thorough examination into the MIT Sloan School of Management’s full-time MBA program, which is mission-driven, focused on identifying and solving the world’s biggest and most complex problems. The program offers flexibility with a one-semester core and three semesters of electives, allowing…
The Write Stuff: How to Create Successful MBA Applications [Episode 594]
Show Summary In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Linda Abraham shares a strategic framework for a successful MBA application, with tips that can benefit applicants to any program. She discusses how to choose the right schools to apply to, demonstrate your knowledge of the programs you are applying to, effectively present yourself throughout…