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Published: July 25, 2024
Live Admissions Q&A: Shari Hubert of Duke Fuqua
If you’re applying to Duke Fuqua for your MBA, this is a must-listen special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. Shari Hubert, the Associate Dean of Admissions, reviews the history of their “25 Random Things” essay and offers insider advice on what the admissions team is looking for in response to the creative prompt. Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions, Duke Fuqua Hubert oversees recruitment and admissions for Duke University’s portfolio of ten business degree programs. Prior to Fuqua, she was in charge of admissions for the Full-time and Read more
Published: July 25, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Justin Aier of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management
We are back in Boston again for this Admissions Director Q&A as we sit down with Justin Aier, Assistant Dean of Graduate Recruitment & Enrollment at the Boston College Carroll School of Management Justin has been a part of the Boston College Carroll School Graduate Admissions team for over six years, and has taken on roles from marketing and communications to recruitment and enrollment management. His favorite aspect of the admissions process is working directly with applicants to explore how the BC MBA can help them achieve their academic and professional goals. Read on for Justin’s Read more
Published: July 25, 2024
Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms
We are back with another Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site, as we prepare for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: Vanderbilt Owen Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: HEC Paris Imperial College London Business School The Ohio State Fisher USC Marshall Vanderbilt Owen WashU Olin You can also bookmark our  Read more
Published: July 24, 2024
Professor Jennifer Chatman Appointed Interim Dean of Berkeley Haas
Professor Jennifer Chatman, Interim Dean at Berkeley Haas UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Ben Hermalin announced that Professor Jennifer Chatman, renowned for her pioneering research in organizational culture, has been appointed interim dean of Berkeley Haas. Chatman’s appointment will take effect on August 1, 2024, following Dean Ann Harrison’s decision to step down at the end of July after a successful five-year term. Harrison will continue as a half-time faculty member at Haas, focusing on teaching and research. Harrison expressed strong support for Chatman’s new role, highlighting her Read more
Published: July 24, 2024
The HBS MBA Earns STEM Designation
Harvard Business School (HBS) announced that their MBA now qualifies as a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree. Due to this designation, starting with the Class of 2025, international students on an F-1 visa now qualify for a 24-month extension, allowing up to three years of eligibility to work in the U.S. after graduating. If You Build It… “What the world’s businesses need from their leaders evolves,” said Matt Weinzierl, Joseph and Jacqueline Elbling Professor of Business Administration and senior associate dean and chair of the MBA Program, in the Read more
Published: July 24, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Donna Swinford of Chicago Booth
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome back Donna Swinford, Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions for MBA Programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Donna is a longtime Chicago resident and has been at Booth since 1997. She joined the Office of Admissions in 2005 and has seen the admissions process at Booth from pretty much every angle over the course of her tenure by serving in several roles, including head of Operations and Evaluation before transitioning to her current position as Associate Dean for Student Recruitment Read more
Published: July 23, 2024
Live Admissions Q&A: Emily Brierley of Cambridge Judge
Tune into another special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast, recorded live at the 2024 GMAC conference, to learn more about Cambridge University’s Judge Business School. Emily Brierley, Head of Cambridge MBA Recruitment and Admissions Emily Brierley, a Head of Cambridge MBA Recruitment and Admissions, joins us to talk about different aspects of admissions. Emily first worked at Cambridge Judge in 2016 in library support and then international student recruitment. In 2018, she joined the MBA Recruitment & Admissions team. Starting as a coordinator in operations and then candidate management, Emily moved Read more
Published: July 22, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Charlotte Russell-Green of Cambridge Judge
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we return to the UK’s Cambridge Judge Business School to check in with Head of MBA Recruitment and Admissions Charlotte Russell-Green. After training in Drama and Theatre at Goldsmiths in London, Charlotte transitioned into marketing after graduation and has now worked in the MBA market for over 10 years. She started her MBA career at QS, managing the marketing for the World MBA Tour events in North America, and has worked in marketing, recruitment, and admissions at Cambridge ever since. Her passions at work include building and Read more
Published: July 21, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 367—M7 realistic? 760 GMAT, from India MiM before MBA?
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire, where last season is essentially closing out, with MBA programs reducing their wait lists as the beginning of orientation approaches. Graham highlighted the summer essay insights series that Clear Admit is hosting, which continues this Wednesday, July 24, with CMU / Tepper, Chicago / Booth, Georgetown / McDonough, Cornell / Johnson and Vanderbilt / Owen. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/summeressays Graham noted a recently published article on MBA programs and their use of AI, clearly a fast Read more
Published: July 18, 2024
HEC Paris Wants Women to ‘Dream Big’ with Laidlaw Scholarship
Sponsored Content HEC Paris recognizes the financial barriers that deter many talented women from considering an MBA. With the support of the Laidlaw Foundation, the Laidlaw Scholars Program at HEC Paris aims to change that by offering dedicated financial aid and support to women from diverse backgrounds. The collaboration ensures 100 percent tuition coverage, encouraging women who previously thought an MBA was unattainable to dream big, apply to the program, and join the HEC Paris community. Beyond the financial support, the scholarship program has three main goals: 1. Empowerment: Enable outstanding women to pursue a high-level MBA education regardless Read more
Published: July 18, 2024
Ready, Set, Write!
The essay requirements of MBA applications are well documented as extremely time consuming and utterly crucial. With high effort and high stakes, it’s no wonder that many candidates spend swathes of time and effort attempting to simplify the application process, hunting for explanatory resources and poring over clarifying analysis. With some of the essay questions for the 2024-2025 season released and since analyzed, perhaps your mind has already been eased and preparation is already underway. Perhaps you feel as if you have a firm grip on what schools are likely to ask you, Read more
Published: July 18, 2024
Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms
We are back with another Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site, as we prepare for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: Georgetown McDonough Indiana Kelley Johns Hopkins Carey MIT Sloan Stanford GSB Washington Foster Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: Georgetown McDonough Johns Hopkins Carey Read more
Published: July 18, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Claire Fitzgibbon of Notre Dame Mendoza
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we meet Claire Fitzgibbon, Senior Director of Graduate Enrollment at the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, for a deep dive into MBA admissions there. Claire is responsible for the strategy and oversight of all aspects of the graduate admission process. She began her career at Notre Dame in 2023 after many years leading undergraduate admission teams. Claire graduated from Mendoza while also a member of the Notre Dame Drumline. She also holds an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University. Read on Read more
Published: July 17, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Blair Mannix of The Wharton School
In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we’re back with Blair Mannix, the Director of Admissions of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Blair has over 17 years of experience in selective admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. She was made Director of MBA Admissions in 2018. In the fall of 2022, Blair took over leadership of the Wharton MBA for Executives Admissions Office and was named Executive Director of Graduate Admissions. Blair has a deep passion for the business of admissions. She has a masters degree from the University Read more
Published: July 17, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Mohammad Salhia of Toronto Rotman
We visit Canada in this Admissions Director Q&A to meet Mohammad Salhia, the Managing Director, Recruitment, Admissions and Business Development at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management. Prior to joining Rotman, Mohammad spent his career working in healthcare, predominantly focusing on education strategy and operations in the health professions. He was previously a Director of Continuing Education. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education, both from the University of Toronto. Mohammad is currently a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Read more
Published: July 16, 2024
MBA Admissions Tip: Applying to Business School as a Younger Applicant
It has become increasingly common for younger individuals to apply to MBA programs. Whereas the average age and years of work experience at the leading business schools has traditionally hovered at around 28 and five respectively, many programs are now carefully considering the more youthful end of the applicant pool. Of course, the fact that admissions officers are taking a closer look at younger applicants does not mean that getting accepted to a top program is easy for this group. In fact, it may be difficult for younger applicants to present themselves as fully prepared to Read more
Published: July 16, 2024
Live Admissions Q&A: Amy Mitson of Dartmouth Tuck
Tune into this special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast, recorded live at the 2024 GMAC conference, to learn more about the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Amy Mitson, Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing, Dartmouth Tuck Our guest, Amy Mitson, has been at Tuck since 2000 and currently serves as Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing. She also previously held the role of Sr. Associate Director of the MBA Program Office. Her combined student services and admissions experiences have helped her get acquainted with operations at Tuck, its history, Read more
Published: July 15, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Shari Hubert of Duke Fuqua
The Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University Fuqua School of Business Shari Hubert is excited – about the entrepreneurial offerings at Fuqua facilitating some real growth in their MBA students, about getting to know Fuqua applicants, and how deftly the Career Management Center supports the students’ diverse career interests, among other things. There is plenty more to be excited about at Fuqua, and Hubert is here to share her insights in this Admissions Director Q&A. Hubert’s role is overseeing recruitment and admissions for the school’s portfolio of ten business degree programs. Prior to Read more
Published: July 14, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 365—Cyber warfare to Finance. Special Operations, 333 GRE. Tajikistan, to Moscow and Berlin.
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire.  With most top MBA programs finalizing their incoming classes, we are seeing more MBA programs reducing the size of their wait lists ahead of the beginning of their programs. We then discussed Clear Admit’s MBA admissions book, authored by Alex, which is freely available on the Clear Admit site: https://www.clearadmit.com/products/admissions-books/ This book will provide MBA candidates a comprehensive understanding of the MBA admissions process, and enable candidates to really determine the best way to present their candidacy. Read more
Published: July 11, 2024
Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms
We are serving up another Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site, as we prepare for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: Chicago Booth Emory Goizueta Georgia Terry Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: Duke / Fuqua Georgia Terry You can also bookmark our  Read more
Published: July 11, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Lindsay Loyd of NYU Stern
In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back Lindsay Loyd, Executive Director of MBA Admissions at the NYU Stern School of Business. Lindsay leads the recruiting and admissions efforts for Stern’s Full-time MBA Programs, including the two-year Full-time MBA, and focused one-year MBAs: the Andre Koo Technology & Entrepreneurship MBA and Luxury & Retail MBA. She joined NYU Stern in 2023 after a 20-year career in financial services, serving in roles of progressive responsibility in analytics, marketing, and strategy at Capital One and American Express. She holds a Bachelor Read more
Published: July 10, 2024
How Top Business Schools Are Going AI
“We are once again answering society’s call,” said Nancy Rothbard, Deputy Dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in an announcement last month, “to address the needs of tomorrow.” The “need” of which she speaks is the ever present question of AI; the “tomorrow,” a futuristic concept turned fast-approaching reality; and the “answer,” the school’s new collaboration with OpenAI. The collaboration is the latest in a steady stream of business schools going AI. The move is no surprise – the statistics Read more
Published: July 10, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Becky Gallagher, University of Bath School of Management
We head to the UK, just outside of London, for our Admissions Director Q&A with Becky Gallagher, Head of MBA Admissions and Recruitment at the University of Bath School of Management. Becky has worked within the University for over 20 years, spending time in the Students’ Union where she oversaw student development and leadership programs. She has worked in the role of Head of MBA Recruitment and Admissions since January 2021 and has built an impressive network of connections globally. Becky loves nothing more than Read more
Published: July 9, 2024
GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation Analysis for MBA Applicants and Recommenders
Applying to business school entails a great deal of work for prospective students – and almost as much effort for the people writing their letters of recommendation. An effective MBA recommendation provides rich information about the candidate’s strengths, key accomplishments, and leadership abilities. It’s also important that a recommendation fully address every question that is asked by the admissions committee. So, when an applicant is targeting six schools that ask different questions across their recommendation forms, this can translate to a great deal of time and effort for already-busy recommenders. To alleviate some of this pressure, Read more
Published: July 8, 2024
Admissions Director Q&A: Tricia Baione of Columbia Business School
Meet Tricia Baione, Assistant Dean of Admissions for Columbia Business School (CBS), in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series.  Tricia was appointed in September 2023 as the Assistant Dean of Admissions to provide strategic leadership, vision, and coordination of a centralized recruitment program and admissions office for all CBS’s degree programs. She joined the School’s Career Management Center (CMC) in 2011 where she was previously the Executive Director of Career Education and Advising. She earned her MBA in 2009 from CBS, with a concentration in marketing Read more

MBA Applywire

7
November 26, 2024 6:16am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Dartmouth / Tuck, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, UCLA Anderson
Pre-MBA Career: Software Engineer
Post-MBA Target Industry: Other
GRE: 331
GPA: 3.2
Years of Work Experience: 4.5
Location: United States
Notes:

I am aiming to pivot from Software Engineering to Product Management. My undergrad degree was in Computer Science from an Ivy League school where I was a D1 varsity athlete. EC's outside of that are pretty slim, although I am involved with charities and volunteer organizations sporadically. Have organized and led a small handful of hobby groups among friends and colleagues as well. Work experience includes solid brand recognition, and my previous 2.5 YoE are in the music/entertainment industry.
2
November 26, 2024 5:48am ET
Applying: Columbia, NYU Stern
Pre-MBA Career: product Manager in Entertainment
Post-MBA Target Industry: Undecided
GPA: 3.57
Years of Work Experience: 3
Location: New York
Notes:

I am a woman of color and a Product Manager at a major streaming service with three years of experience thus far. I hold a degree in Cinematography from a CUNY school and began my career as an NBCUniversal Page. Since then, I’ve worked for prominent media companies like NBCU, Peacock, A+E Networks, and Paramount+. While I didn’t initially plan on pursuing an MBA, my career trajectory has naturally led me in that direction due to my rapid career growth. I’m preparing for the GMAT (focus edition) with a target score of 655 or higher.

As a non-traditional candidate, are there any potential red flags in my profile? Additionally, are there other MBA programs I should consider? Thank you!
9
November 26, 2024 12:03am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM
Pre-MBA Career: Government Affairs at technology startup
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , Amazon , Apple , Facebook , Google , LinkedIn , Microsoft , Tesla , Uber
GMAT: 770
GPA: 3.4
Years of Work Experience: 3
6
November 25, 2024 11:01am ET
Applying: Arizona State / W.P. Carey, Georgetown / McDonough, Indiana / Kelley, U. Washington / Foster, UCLA Anderson, USC / Marshall
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Military: Acquisition Program Manager
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology Companies: Accenture , Bain , Deloitte , McKinsey , Amazon , Apple , Facebook , Google , IBM , Lenova , LinkedIn , Microsoft , Oracle
GRE: 317
GPA: 2.43
Years of Work Experience: 9
Location: Los Angeles
Post MBA Location: West Coast
Notes:

Undergrad was at a Service Academy. Also earned a Masters of Science with a GPA of 4.0, Project Management Professional certification holder, and volunteered for two years at service to schools helping veterans get into an undergraduate program.
2
November 25, 2024 7:58am ET
Applying: Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB
Pre-MBA Career: Equity Research at Goldman Sachs, and long only Asset Management (healthcare sector)
Post-MBA Target Industry: Asset Management, inc. HF Companies: Fidelity
GMAT: 735
GPA: 3.6
Years of Work Experience: 5
Location: San Francisco CA
Post MBA Location: San Francisco CA
Notes:

I took a gap year in college and switched majors taking longer to graduate so I’m 30, would matriculate at 32 and graduate at 34. Seems like I’m an outlier and worried I’m too old.
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MBA LiveWire

November 26, 2024 1:19pm ET
Accepted to Indian School of Business
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 26, 2024
GPA: 8.23
GMAT: 705
Program Type: One Year Program
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: India
November 26, 2024 1:16pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 26, 2024
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Note:

Received email with portal update. Interviewed 10/22.
November 26, 2024 1:07pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 26, 2024
GPA: 3.69
EA: 157
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Marketing
Note:

applied 9/15 and interviewed 11/5
November 26, 2024 1:07pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via portal November 26, 2024
GMAT: 731
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Technology
Application Location: India
November 26, 2024 12:52pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via portal November 26, 2024
GMAT: 755
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Note:

Interview on Nov 5th, got an email with portal update. No scholarship
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Live
Wire