M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2025 The M7 business schools represent seven distinct, vivid cultures – each with its own history, values, characteristics, opportunities, and challenges. Of course, there are many commonalities among the M7 schools, as well: all are highly competitive, offer robust academic resources, are supported by committed and…
MBA ADMISSIONS
Should You Apply to MBA Programs in Round 1 or Round 2?
You might wonder whether there’s a difference in acceptance rates between Round 1 and Round 2. The short answer is no. Here’s why Round 1 and Round 2 acceptance rates are usually very similar. One of my responsibilities as a former admissions dean and director was to estimate how many admissions offers I could make,…
Benefits and Challenges for MBA Applicants from Family Businesses
You work for the family business and are applying to MBA programs. Will this background be a net plus for you, or a minus? How can you make the most of this experience? Whether you work for your family’s tiny start-up with headquarters in your home’s basement, at one of the local grocery stores your…
Five Tips for Demonstrating Professional Growth in a Flat Organization
If you work in a flat organization, showcasing your career advancement in your MBA application can feel like an uphill battle. Unlike peers in traditional hierarchical companies, you might not have the benefit of clear promotions or expanded job titles that reflect how your responsibilities and impact have grown. Instead, you might hold the same…
Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays
When crafting application essays – whether for graduate school, business school, or any other competitive program – applicants often focus on highlighting their accomplishments. And it’s easy to understand why. Most candidates are eager to share their significant achievements, such as leading a groundbreaking project, making a meaningful impact through research, or spearheading a successful…
Admissions Advice for MBA Management Consulting Applicants
Are you a practicing management consultant applying to business school? If so, you have several advantages over the general applicant. Mainly, your success as a consultant reveals that your work ethic, analytical abilities, and teamwork skills are probably better than most people’s. As a result, MBA programs will likely give you the benefit of the…
The Importance of Researching Your MBA Goals and Being Authentic
Too many times, as an admissions officer, I read applications from candidates who shared career goals that didn’t quite make sense. Whether there was no connection between their target position and what they had been doing or no explanation of how they would successfully pivot to their desired role, I was left wondering how much…
Ensuring You Stand Out as an Overrepresented MBA Applicant
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…
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…
The Top Eight MBA Programs for Consulting
The good news for anyone looking to pivot into consulting post-MBA is that the major consulting companies – such as McKinsey & Company, Bain, and BCG – recruit from all the top MBA programs. As a former campus recruiter for McKinsey, I can attest that the firm has recruiters who are aligned with leading business…
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