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Home » Blog » MBA Podcast » MBA Wire Taps 328—327 GRE, but lower GPA. 655 GMAT, the new test format. Tuck versus Darden and Kellogg.

MBA Wire Taps 328—327 GRE, but lower GPA. 655 GMAT, the new test format. Tuck versus Darden and Kellogg.

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Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast

In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the flurry of decisions we have witnessed from all the top MBA programs as Round 1 decision deadlines have passed. While things will be a little quieter on LiveWire now, as we head closer to the Christmas holiday, DecisionWire is getting very popular, as Round 1 MBA candidates start making decisions as to which MBA program they will enroll or turn to the Clear Admit community for advice.

Graham noted a new Real Humans admissions event, scheduled for January 24. This event will bring together students from a variety of top MBA programs, ready to answer questions from MBA aspirants. Signups for the event are here: https://bit.ly/carealhumans Graham also mentioned the next Clear Admit+ event which is scheduled for January 3rd, one day before Round 2 deadlines for 10 of the leading MBA programs.  Please join us by signing up here: https://www.clearadmit.com/private-webinar-series/

We then discussed the recently published Poets & Quants ‘aggregate’ MBA ranking. Most of our conversation focused on UPenn / Wharton’s position in the ranking at #31, as a result of not being able to participate in the Financial Times ranking.

Graham highlighted three Real Humans pieces from Clear Admit, focused on Washington / Olin, IMD, and Chicago / Booth. We then discussed three MBA employment reports, from MIT / Sloan whose top industry is Consulting, Berkeley / Haas whose top industry is Tech, and UPenn / Wharton whose top industry is Financial Services.

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry:

Three MBA Admissions Candidates Reviewed

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate is from Africa and has really interesting professional experience which may help them stand out. Their GRE score is a very respectable 327, but we worry that their GPA of 3.01 may raise concerns, despite it being a computer science degree.

This week’s second MBA candidate has a GMAT score of 655. Because this is the new GMAT focus edition, we needed to convert this score to a 700-710. They have a strong GPA (3.6) and decent work experience in Canada. They also have a good spread of target MBA programs.

The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Dartmouth / Tuck (with scholarship), UVA /  Darden (no money) and possibly Northwestern / Kellogg. If they are admitted to Kellogg, we see a tough choice between Kellogg and Tuck, and geographical preferences will likely play a part in the final decision.

327 GRE, but lower GPA

MBA candidate from Africa with strong work experience and a decent GRE score. We do worry about their more modest GPA.

655 GMAT, the new test format

MBA aspirant with a 655 GMAT score, which converts to a score of 700 - 710.

Tuck versus Darden and Kellogg

MBA candidate who is weighing up offers from UVA / Darden and Dartmouth / Tuck. And is still waiting to hear from Northwestern / Kellogg.


This episode of Wire Taps is brought to you by Emory Goizueta.

For more than 100 years, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School has been a training ground for principled leaders and a laboratory for powerful insights. Whether you’re looking to accelerate your career or make a career pivot, Emory’s One-Year and Two-Year Full-time MBA programs prepare you for a lifetime of career confidence. Learn more about Emory’s top-20 MBA with top-5 career outcomes offering world-class academics and small-by-design classes delivered in a dynamic, global city. Learn more.


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MBA Wire Taps 328—327 GRE, but lower GPA. 655 GMAT, the new test format. Tuck versus Darden and Kellogg.
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This episode was hosted by Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, and produced by Dennis Crowley. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us!

Alex Brown
Alex is a co host for Clear Admit's Wire Taps podcast. He has spent 30 years in the MBA admissions industry, and authored the book: Becoming a Clear Admit: The Definitive Guide to MBA Admissions Alex also teaches digital marketing through executive education programs for London Business School, Imperial College Business School and Columbia Business School.