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Published: December 15, 2019
Episode 71: Wire Taps—Renewable Energy Sector, Accounting to Investment Banking, and Undecided
While many may be hustling to meet the Round 2 deadlines, Round 1 decisions have also been weighing on MBA candidates.  Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are back in this episode of Wire Taps to help no matter which stage of the admissions process you’re in.  Each week, they highlight profiles from MBA ApplyWire and offer strategies these b-school hopefuls should use.  This week, the two review an entry from an applicant in renewable energy. They also advise a candidate Read more
Published: December 12, 2019
Columbia Business School Interview Questions & Report: Early Decision / Alum / Off-campus, LA (Alum’s Office)
Blind interview – interviewer requested resume a few days in advance. Recent alum, Class of 2018. Very warm and friendly, felt like I had really lucked out. Asked typical behavioral questions one would expect, tone was very conversational and she seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say and my goals. Questions: – Walk me through your resume. – Why CBS / Why NYC? – What resources will you take advantage of at CBS / how will you give back? – Tell me about your proudest work accomplishment. – Who is a leader you Read more
Published: December 12, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Duke Fuqua Latin American Student Association Provides Valuable Support
The Latin American Student Association (LASA) is one of the most popular student clubs at Duke Fuqua, with 100+ members representing nearly 20 countries.  By helping North American students build careers in Latin America and supporting Latin American students as they pursue careers in the U.S. and Europe, LASA is well-positioned to help preserve professional and cultural bridges with economies that continue to grow. Current student Ariadne Sabatoski took to the Duke Fuqua blog to discuss the critical role that the Latin American Student Association (LASA) plays in admissions, recruiting, external relations, Read more
Published: December 11, 2019
Chicago Booth MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Off-Campus
It took place in a neighboring country as there wasn’t any interviewer in my city. I got to the cafe we agreed to meet 15 minutes before and picked the table I wanted. He brought a blank piece of paper on which he took actually quite detailed notes throughout the interview. A short chat about my travel was followed by the following questions. It lasted for about 45 minutes. 1. Could you introduce yourself? 2. Tell me about your work experience (here I handed him my resume and briefly walked him through) 3. You are successful Read more
Published: December 11, 2019
Yale SOM MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype
The interview was blind and went for ~32 minutes. I am an international student and was matched with another international student, which was a bit of surprise to me. She briefly explained about the nature of the interview and we jumped right in. It seemed that she was advised to ask a list of questions and to complete the interview within 30 minutes. 1. Walk me through your resume within 30 seconds – I had 6+ years experience, so it was definately over time. 2. Why MBA – I mentioed my career goals first. 3. Why Yale Read more
Published: December 11, 2019
HEC Paris Dethrones LBS at Top of Financial Times Ranking of European Business Schools
What is the best business school in Europe? The Financial Times just released its 2019 rankings and determined that HEC Paris claims the spot this year.  London Business School has long been at the top, but slipped one spot to second place.  Beyond assessing business schools overall, Financial Times also ranked full-time MBA programs.  This year, INSEAD took the title of best full-time MBA, but landed fifth overall in business schools.  LBS again occupied second place in this section of the rankings. At Read more
Published: December 11, 2019
Real Humans of USC Marshall’s MBA Class of 2021
We head to sunny California for our latest profiles in Real Humans: MBA Students. The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business boasts both the oldest entrepreneurship program in the U.S. and the first immersive international MBA experience of its kind. They were also the first top-tier MBA program to reach gender parity. Moreover, the USC Trojan brand is a powerful professional asset to both its current students and alumni, making USC Marshall a stand-out choice for MBA education. The 214 members of Read more
Published: December 10, 2019
MBA News You Need: New Wharton Sports Analytics Initiative, Yale SOM Round 2 Deadline Advice, and More from Kellogg, Tuck, and Anderson
Each week we collect MBA news from around the world to give you a quick overview of the latest trending topics from leading business schools. In your MBA News You Need digest for the week of December 9th, Wharton announces a new Sports Analytics and Business Initiative, Yale SOM offers advice for the Round 2 deadline, Northwestern Kellogg talks career advice, Dartmouth Tuck discusses how to fill out the employment history section of the MBA application, and UCLA Anderson unpacks how to choose an MBA program. Read more
Published: December 10, 2019
Forget Competition: Women Help Other Women at HEC Paris
Women’s MBA enrollment has reached its highest level ever, reaching 36 percent in Europe and Canada, according to the Forté Foundation. Over the last five years, there’s been a definitive increase in female students at top business schools around the world, and Forté CEO Elissa Sangster believes that “at this pace, we’re confident we’ll reach our goal of 40 percent women’s enrollment by 2020.” More women MBAs means more economic mobility for women around the world. Recent research reveals that female MBA graduates increase their salary by 63 percent or more. It Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
Real Humans of Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Class of 2021
In our latest edition of Real Humans: MBA Students, we get to know students pursuing their business management studies at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.  This leading school attracts students who wish to immerse themselves in the highly connected and influential environment of Washington, DC, as well as a culture of ethical and principled leadership. 271 candidates chose to enroll in the Class of 2021 at McDonough.  Twenty-nine percent of the new students are international, and the same percentage are women.  Meanwhile, U.S. minorities represent 37 percent of the class.  During Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
London Business School Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Local City
Applied Round 1 Met at a cafe for lunch. Helped to make the conversation very casual because we talked while we waiting in line to order. Questions spanned the following topics: Post-MBA goals and how my experience to-date is relevant Why LBS? Why London vs US? h How/what am I doing now to achieve my post-MBA goals International experience Overall the interview was much more casual than expected, she was just genuinely trying to get to know me. Preparing for an upcoming London Business School interview? Click here to get the Clear Admit London Business School Interview Guide. Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
Stanford GSB Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Off-Campus
The interview was conducted by an alum in his office building. I walked into the building and entered the elevator to go up to my interviewer’s floor as instructed in our emails to each other. As I was going up, I noticed a man looking at me curiously. When I turned to him, he introduced himself to me and said that I must be the person he’s interviewing. He’s the CEO, so I must have been the odd person he did not recognize in his elevator! We chatted a little bit and then walked over to the in-company coffee bar, Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
Kellogg / Northwestern MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Off-campus
This was a R1 interview, and it took place at a hotel near the Alum’s office. He was extremely friendly. Questions: 1) Walk me through your resume 2) Why MBA? 3) Why Kellogg? 4) Goals 5) How will you differentiate yourself at Kellogg? 6) A few specific questions about a previous job I held 7) Tell me about a time when you led a team. 8) How will you contribute at Kellogg? 9) Which other schools have you applied to? For the Why Kellogg question, I happened to mention about how Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
Wharton MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum & Adcom / Off-campus
This was a team-based discussion in Mumbai, at the McKinsey office. Each team had 6 members, and were invited to have a live discussion which was viewed by an AdCom member. The structure of the interview was: 1. Quick intro on yourself 2. Team-based discussion, 30mins 3. 1×1 interview for 5 mins each The TBD was essentially people throwing in their thoughts, collaborating, and displaying team-work in real time. The adcom is looking for people who can take a stand, yet convince others to join in. You want to be noticed. The TBD is tricky because you Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
Columbia Business School Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Off-Campus
I have often heard that alum interviews can be tricky, and boy this one was. My interviewer was from the metals and mining industry, and had very little context on the industries I had spent time on (Consulting and PE). As a result, he got lost trying to understand my industries rather than understanding my experiences. He asked me questions like – 1. Why is the PE industry on the decline? Why do you guys charge high fees? Is it not morally wrong? 2. Tell me about your biggest professional mistake. 3. After I answered Q2 above, Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
Columbia Business School Interview Questions & Report: Early Decision / Alum / Off-Campus
My alum was a much older and experienced one, looking at his profile I was quote intimidated going into the interview. He suggested we meet on a Sunday morning at 8AM at a local coffee shop. I was dressed quite formally and he showed up in jeans and a suit jacket. My interview was definitely not as casual as many of the other reports I had read. My interviewer had printed out a copy of my resume, along with the CBS recommended questions and was taking notes as I spoke the whole time. Nonetheless, he made me feel comfortable talking Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
MIT Sloan MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Off-Campus
The interview was at a hotel, and was a very relaxed atmosphere. It was an application-based interview where the interviewer had done a lot of research into my profile, and prodded a lot on my future goals. Questions were on the lines of – 1. Tell me about a time you worked on a team. What went right/ wrong 2. What are your long term goals? Why Sloan? 3. Why not start up right now? Why do the MBA? 4. Describe your most memorable professional experience till date 5. She asked me to describe my Read more
Published: December 9, 2019
UVA / Darden MBA Interview Questions & Report: Early Action / Second-Year Student / On Campus
This was my first interview I had for an MBA, so I was understandably nervous. The interview was laid back, and my interviewer was quite friendly, which eased the tension. They explained to me at the beginning of the interview that it was one of many data points in the application process and proceeded to give me the structure of the interview: 1. Roughly 20-30 minutes for me to tell my story, why I’m interested in Darden, and what I want to do with an MBA. 2. Roughly 5-10 minutes for him to ask me follow up questions. Read more
Published: December 8, 2019
Stanford GSB Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Off-Campus
It was a very laid-back interview, held in the office of the alumnus. Both my wife and I interviewed back-to-back. He asked me (with some follow-ups): – Walk me through your resume – How would you make a decision as to which school to attend? – Tell me about a time you found a problem and solved it – Tell me about a time you convinced other people to do something – Tell me about a time you led a team – How did you change someone because of your mentorship? – Tell Read more
Published: December 8, 2019
Columbia Business School Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Off-Campus
My interview was with an alumnus from the batch of 1972. The alumnus was now retired after a very illustrious career where he led business divisions for large conglomerates. I didn’t expect I’ll get a chance to interview with someone as senior, and so when the interview got scheduled I didn’t know what to expect. I reached out to people I knew in CBS and luckily I was able to get in touch with people who had interviewed with him last year. They instantly put me at ease, their experience had been very pleasant, where the interview genuinely wanted to Read more
Published: December 8, 2019
Cornell Johnson MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Skype
I interviewed with Eddie, who was very friendly and definitely put me at ease right off the bat. He asked how I was doing etc etc before getting into the actual interview. Questions he asked me: – Take me through your resumé, specifically your post-undergraduate work history – I currently work with a family member, so he asked if there were specific professional challenges working with family – Long and short-term goals – Why Johnson? (I spoke about both faculty and extracurricular stuff I’m excited about and that aligns with my goals) – What is Read more
Published: December 8, 2019
Cornell Johnson MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
The interview was short and very friendly. The student prefaced it with the fact that he had some notes from my application and would ask based on those questions, but that really it should be a two way conversation. Questions included in approximately this order- 1. What have you thought of Johnson so far? (Since I was there in person) 2. Why an MBA? 3. Why now? 4. Why Johnson? 5. Tell me about a time you had a failure in a team? 6. Will you continue your entrepreneurial pursuit while in school (most interesting Read more
Published: December 8, 2019
USC Marshall Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / On-Campus
List of interview questions: Tell me about yourself. What is something I wouldn’t know about you from just reading your application? Why USC? Why LA? What do you hope to gain from the program? What do you hope to gain academically? What would you contribute to the student body? Why an MBA? Why now? What questions do you have? What else? Anything else? What more? What else are you curious about? What else can I help you uncover about the program? Did you receive your admissions decision? Yes. What did you think of the interview? Very casual. Read more
Published: December 8, 2019
Episode 70: Wire Taps—Engineering to Consulting, Choosing Among Schools, Real Estate to Private Equity
As we near Round 2 deadlines and applicants are also weighing Round 1 decisions, we have a new podcast episode of Wire Taps. Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are back to offer applicants advice on how to approach MBA admissions.  Each week, they highlight profiles from MBA ApplyWire and offer strategies these b-school hopefuls should use.  This week, the duo reviews an entry from an engineer targeting consulting post-MBA. They also advise a candidate weighing which program to attend and Read more
Published: December 5, 2019
Harvard Business School MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / On-Campus
Interview was quite structured. AdCom hosts interview days, where you’re encouraged to join coffee chats with current students, sit-in on a class, or join networking lunch. When it’s time to interview, interview is held in interview rooms (similar to on-campus recruiting suites if you had that for undergrad). Some of the questions asked: 1. What did you do this morning? 2. Tell me about your country 3. Explain the difference of your consulting firm versus industry, which do you prefer 4. Differences between the US and Other country for consulting 5. What is my motivation Read more

MBA Applywire

4
November 29, 2024 6:18am ET
Applying: Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU Stern, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton
Pre-MBA Career: Investment Analyst Endowment
Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking, Asset Management, inc. HF Companies: JP Morgan , Morgan Stanley , Blackrock , Goldman Sachs
GMAT: 760
GPA: 3.44
Years of Work Experience: 3.5
Location: Chicago
Post MBA Location: Chicago/NYC
Notes:

I currently do direct startup investments and M&A for a healthcare system, and lead coverage of equities in their endowment $15B AUM. I want to peruse an MBA to do a PE secondaries or emerging market research. I have a CFA level 2 so I feel like the former is more doable than the latter.
1
November 28, 2024 10:49pm ET
Applying: Arizona State / W.P. Carey
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Accountant
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Booz Allen Hamilton , Ernst & Young
GRE: 311
GPA: 3.22
Years of Work Experience: 2.5
Location: Ghana
Post MBA Location: Accountant/Public
6
November 28, 2024 8:12am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Consulting
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology
GMAT: 645
GPA: 84%
Years of Work Experience: 3
Location: Brazil
5
November 27, 2024 5:44pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, MIT Sloan, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton
Pre-MBA Career: Corporate Communication Specialist
Post-MBA Target Industry: Other
GPA: 3.9
Years of Work Experience: 6
Location: Indonesia
4
November 27, 2024 12:00pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, London Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Eingeneer
Post-MBA Target Industry: Other
GMAT: 675
GPA: 3,5
Years of Work Experience: 4.8
Location: Chile
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MBA LiveWire

November 29, 2024 1:53pm ET
Accepted to London Business School
Round: Round 1
Received via email on November 25, 2024
GPA: 3.8
GRE: 333
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: New York
November 29, 2024 9:05am ET
Accepted to Cornell / Johnson
Round: Round 1
Received via phone on November 25, 2024
GPA: 3.52
GMAT: 635
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Northeast
Note:

Received a call on Nov. 26. Prior background is work in communications/marketing.
November 29, 2024 5:15am ET
Accepted to UVA / Darden
Round: Early Decision
Received via phone on October 15, 2024
GPA: 67%
GMAT: 705
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: India
November 29, 2024 2:45am ET
Accepted to Cornell / Johnson
Round: Round 1
Received via email on November 26, 2024
GMAT: 740
Program Type: One Year Program
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: India
November 28, 2024 4:55pm ET
Applied to Emory / Goizueta
Round: Round 2
Received via email
GPA: 3.19
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: Nigeria
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