MBA programs are planning for a return to in-person instruction. Admissions offices are deciding what to keep and what to discard from last year’s COVID adaptations. And everyone is holding their collective breath to see if the pandemic restrictions are mostly in our rear view mirror. What about testing? The situation is very fluid. Several…
Columbia MBA and Booth EMBA Deadlines Extended for the 2021 Application Cycle
Wishing you’d gotten it together to start your desired program this year (after all, who knows what things will look like a year from now)? Feeling a surge of fresh energy to tackle the application process this spring, rather than wait till late summer/fall? Good news: 2 important graduate business programs, Columbia MBA and Booth EMBA have…
Should You Take the GRE or GMAT for Test-Optional MBA Programs?
Among the major disruptions of the coronavirus era was last year’s shuttering of nearly all colleges and universities, as well as in-person admissions testing centers. For MBA hopefuls, online-proctored GRE and GMAT tests experienced technical difficulties, calling into question many of the test results. Additionally, online test results seemed to produce lower scores than in-person…
Encore: Application Trends to Watch in 2021, and a Look Back at 2020 [Episode 411]
Thanks for joining me for the 411th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. I am taking a week off for family time this week. As a result I decided to air an encore of our most popular podcast so far in 2021. It actually is a solo podcast that I did for our 400th episode back…
Enhancements to the GMAT Online Exam
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) recently announced that the GMAT Online, a take-at-home version of the GMAT introduced in April 2020 in response to COVID restrictions on public gatherings, is to become a permanent option for test-takers. At the same time, GMAC added the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) to the GMAT Online and made…
What Post-MBA Life Is Like, During COVID and Beyond [Episode 404]
Applying the lessons of MBA school to the reality of COVID-19 [Show summary] Al Dea, a tech product manager who earned his MBA from UNC, dives deep into what life is like after business school, including how the pandemic has impacted the post-MBA experience. What steps can businesses take to help employees thrive during COVID?…
Application Trends to Watch in 2021, and a Look Back at 2020 [Episode 400]
Can the lessons of 2020 help us forge a better 2021? [Show summary] For Admissions Straight Talk’s 400th episode, Linda Abraham reflects on a turbulent year and identifies the most important trends in higher ed admissions to watch in 2021. Applying to graduate school: A journey of self-improvement [Show notes] We’ve reached Episode 400! I…
How to Answer MBA Application and Interview Questions about COVID-19 and Other Major Events of 2020 [Video]
2020 has been a dark, dismal year, but as it draws to a close there’s light at the end of the tunnel. A vaccine is on the horizon. The election is behind us. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll soon be able to gather, hug, meet, and travel. Maybe we’ll be able to largely return to the…
MBA Life at UC Berkeley Haas, From Its New Executive Director of Admissions [Episode 391]
Learn what’s new at Berkeley Haas, as well as tips for crafting admissions-worthy applications. [Show summary] Eric Askins, the newly appointed Executive Director of Admissions at UC Berkeley Haas, explores the school’s full-time MBA program and its admissions policies, as well as how it’s adapting the MBA experience to COVID-19. Interested in applying to Berkeley…
How to Address COVID-19 and the Events of 2020 in Your Application [Episode 387]
Wondering how to write about the tumultuous events of 2020 in your application essays? [Show summary] Accepted Founder Linda Abraham offers a framework for discussing COVID-19, the events of 2020, and their impact on your life in your undergraduate or graduate program applications. Your application should include information about your experience of and response to…
Recovery Expected in 2021 Hiring of MBA and Business Master’s Graduates
GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) has published the results of their latest annual survey of corporate recruiters. The 2020 survey concentrated on the impact of COVID-19 for business master’s and MBA grads by comparing data from two waves. Survey responses were collected from 712 corporate recruiters in Wave I (February 17–March 17, 2020) and 232…
MIT Sloan Will Not Require GMAT/GRE This Year
MIT’s Sloan School of Business is not requiring applicants to take the GMAT/GRE as part of their application process this year. Sloan is the first M7 business school (the so-called Magnificent Seven highly selective MBA programs) to drop the standardized test requirement. Sloan joins a growing number of top business schools that have made standardized…
Harvard Business School’s Campus Will Open in the Fall
Harvard Business School (HBS) has decided against having a fully online MBA program this fall and will reopen their campus for a hybrid blend of in-person and online classes, according to Poets & Quants. This policy is different from the university’s plan for undergrads, in which only 40% of students will be permitted on campus…
An MBA’s Perspective on Columbia Business School [Episode 373]
What’s it like to be a student at a top business school during COVID-19? [Show summary] Eli Engelman, member of the Columbia Business School Class of 2021, shares his experience applying to and matriculating at Columbia’s MBA program, including how his experience has been shaped by COVID-19. A CBS student reflects on his b-school experience…
Considering Graduate School? First, Figure Out Your Ideal Career Path.
The coronavirus pandemic has created a tough job landscape, but it has also created an opportunity for career “rethinking” as well. Many people are considering pivots and turning towards skill development and learning opportunities like graduate school. But how do you decide what’s next? How do you think about what you want, and also, how…
What MBA Students Can Expect at UCLA Anderson [Episode 371]
Are you dreaming of an MBA from UCLA Anderson? [Show summary] UCLA Anderson’s Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions, Alex Lawrence, explores the opportunities awaiting future MBA students, as well as the changes Anderson is making to campus life this fall to provide its students with a safe, rewarding MBA experience. Learn about Anderson’s unique MBA…
Physical Whiteboards Now Allowed for Online GMAT
The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) has announced that it will allow physical whiteboards for those taking the GMAT at home beginning June 11. The Executive Assessment Online will also offer the option of a physical whiteboard. The decision was made after significant pressure was put on the organization against the unwieldy online whiteboard tool…
MBA Admissions Turn a Corner, Thanks to HBS…
Amidst the angst, chaos, and exhaustion of the last rounds of 2020 MBA admissions disrupted and in many cases extended by the COVID-19 pandemic, a sign of new life, a ray of light… Normalcy never glowed so appealingly: Harvard Business School has announced its 2021 MBA application deadlines. Harvard Business School 2020-2021 application deadlines While…
Online GMAT vs. Online GRE: Pros and Cons
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected businesses and schools throughout the world. Since testing centers closed worldwide; both the GMAT and GRE have switched to online formats for the foreseeable future. GMAT’s whiteboard debacle ETS was first to make the move, releasing their online, at-home exam almost a month before the GMAT. While GRE examinees are…
What Prospective MBAs Should Know About Applying to Michigan Ross [Episode 365]
Applying to business school during a pandemic [Show summary] Soojin Kwon (Managing Director, Full-Time MBA Admissions and Program at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business) and Diana Economy, Director of Full-Time MBA Admissions at Ross, answers pressing applicant questions about applying to Ross. They address how the application process has shifted in light…
