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Published: May 12, 2024
The Week Ahead: Round 3 MBA Admissions Decisions, May 13-17, 2024
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 3 Decisions Round 3 decisions are beginning to roll out. Monday, May 13, UPenn / Wharton is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Wednesday, May 15, USC / Marshall is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 16, MIT / Sloan and Yale SOM are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Friday, May 17, Cornell / Johnson has its initial notification deadline for Round 3. Oxford / Saïd is scheduled to Read more
Published: May 9, 2024
Fridays from the Frontline: Why Pursuing an MBA Surprised Even Me
If you want to take the next step in your career, but aren’t sure how to, Ryan Van Slyke’s path to the Duke Fuqua MBA might help guide your decision-making process. In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, Van Slyke recalls his nontraditional career history and the experiences that factored into his choice of an MBA. Why Pursuing an MBA Surprised Even Me By Ryan Van Slyke, Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA Class of 2024 Reactions to my decision to attend business school were not what I expected. Upon telling friends Read more
Published: May 9, 2024
Calling All MBA Hopefuls: Post Your Profile to ApplyWire
Get ready for the 2024-2025 admissions season by verifying your b-school plans in MBA ApplyWire. This social tool was designed to help applicants develop their MBA application strategy by drawing on the collective wisdom and input of the active Clear Admit applicant community. ApplyWire allows applicants to share the schools they are considering applying to along with some details about their credentials and goals. The community can then chime in with feedback on how the applicant might refine his or her list of target schools. For example, you may receive constructive commentary Read more
Published: May 8, 2024
Real Humans of Amazon: Seda Sürenkök, Cornell Johnson MBA ’21, Senior Product Manager
In this Real Humans: Alumni, we meet Seda Sürenkök, who pursued an MBA at Cornell Johnson to achieve her vision of working in tech. The career opportunities, cultural fit, and campus experience Sürenkök was looking for were all there, along with an immersion-based program that provided the technical skills and enhanced leadership and communication abilities she required. Read on to learn how Sürenkök found her way to the tech-focused career at Amazon she wanted through Cornell Johnson.  Seda Sürenkök, Cornell Johnson MBA ’21, Senior Product Manager at Amazon Age: 36 Read more
Published: May 7, 2024
CBS MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
Interview had the standard fit of questions about my background – education, work experience, any extra-curriculars. The adcom member was very kind and drove the conversation in a professional yet light manner. Questions like: why MBA? why CBS? why now? etc. were asked. Be ready for those types of questions. They also asked about other MBA apps outstanding, probably because I was a Round 2 Further Evaluation candidate being assessed with the rest of Round 3. Read more
Published: May 7, 2024
Boston College Carroll MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-Campus
It was very chill. Asked about my experience in my job and how those skills will translate to a future career, and general behavioral questions. Read more
Published: May 7, 2024
MBA Admissions Tip: Consider Pre-MBA Courses Before Applying
As you prepare for the MBA admissions process, you might want to consider whether you should undertake additional undergraduate-level course work before you apply. Who Should Take Additional Pre-MBA Coursework? There are two reasons that it might benefit a candidate to complete additional coursework as part of their MBA application strategy. If your undergraduate transcript is devoid of quantitative coursework, the admissions committee might be concerned about the lack of data points as they assess whether you’re prepared for an MBA curriculum. Taking additional college-level coursework to demonstrate proficiency in this area can alleviate this concern. Of course, if your Read more
Published: May 6, 2024
Real Humans of PepsiCo: Maria Deloso, Berkeley Haas, MBA ’23, Associate Marketing Manager
When Maria Deloso wanted to build upon her career in food marketing, she knew she needed to learn more about general management, strategic thinking, and consensus-building. In this Real Humans: Alumni, Deloso describes how her experience in sustainable food led her to the MBA program at Berkeley Haas. Haas provided the skillset necessary for Deloso to find success in defining innovation strategies at PepsiCo and incorporating company initiatives into her projects.  Maria Deloso, Berkeley Haas, MBA ’23, Associate Marketing Manager at PepsiCo Age: 30 Hometown:  Read more
Published: May 5, 2024
The Week Ahead: Late Round Decisions & Deadlines, May 6-10, 2024
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Rounds 3 and 4 Underway. Round 3 decisions are beginning to roll out. Monday, May 6, CMU / Tepper has its Round 4 application deadline. Tuesday, May 7, Cambridge / Judge has its Round 5 application deadline. Wednesday, May 8, Northwestern / Kellogg, Emory / Goizueta and CMU / Tepper are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 9, Texas / McCombs has its Round 4 application deadline. Friday, May 10, Duke / Fuqua Read more
Published: May 5, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 351—720 GMAT, Executive MBA. 326 GRE, is it enough? Marshall vs Tepper
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began with our usual discussion around application deadlines, interview releases, and decisions for this season. This week, Round 3 and 4 continue with several application notifications; several programs are also releasing final decisions for Round 3, including Northwestern / Kellogg, Emory / Goizueta, CMU / Tepper, Duke / Fuqua and INSEAD. Graham highlighted the Spring Online Webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting. The first event is on Wednesday, May 8th, and includes Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough and Read more
Published: May 2, 2024
Real Humans of Amazon: Anna Barskaya, IMD MBA ’19, Senior Customer Solutions Manager
When Anna Barskaya needed to sharpen her business acumen to take the next step in her career, the IMD MBA program had the right offerings to propel her to Amazon. In this Real Humans: Alumni, Barskaya digs into why IMD was the right next step for her as well as some lessons from her journey to and through business school. Read on to learn how IMD also prepared her for working in a global industry at the intersection of both tech and finance. Anna Barskaya, IMD MBA ’19, Senior Customer Solutions Manager at Amazon Read more
Published: May 2, 2024
Real Humans of Microsoft: Claudia Santa Cruz, Notre Dame Mendoza MBA ’21, Senior Sales Specialist
If you’re looking to advance to the next stage in your career, pivot to a new industry, embrace new experiences, engage with new people, and refine your leadership style, how do you make it happen? For Claudia Santa Cruz, it was through an MBA program. Santa Cruz was drawn to Notre Dame Mendoza by its close-knit community and the school’s priorities of ethical leadership and social impact, which resonated with her values. In this installment of our Real Humans: Alumni series, we learn how Mendoza provided Santa Cruz the skillset she needed to transition to Read more
Published: May 1, 2024
Real Humans of MycoWorks: Nina Sabharwal, Stanford GSB MBA ’23, Strategic Advisor to the CEO
In this installment of our Real Humans: Alumni series, Nina Sabharwal tells us how her need for reflection on and realignment of her career path led her to an MBA at Stanford GSB. Sabharwal credits the GSB’s curriculum and programs for making her venture outside her comfort zone and giving her the freedom to focus on internal motivators. GSB’s impressive network afforded the opportunity to make more effective outreach to organizations and individuals and build relationships. Read on to learn more about her transformational journey through the Stanford MBA program and her post-MBA career Read more
Published: April 30, 2024
MBA Admissions Tip: Reapplying to Business School
Thinking about reapplying to business school? It hurts to get a “no” from all the MBA programs you applied to, but it happens to a lot of applicants – especially those who apply to the very best business schools in the world. The good news is that it’s quite common for unsuccessful applicants to apply a second time. While it’s important to take some time to deal with the disappointment, it’s never too early to begin thinking about the next admissions season. And the goods news is that there are a number of concrete steps you can take to improve Read more
Published: April 29, 2024
Real Humans of Google: Patricio Parodi, UCLA Anderson MBA ’22, Strategic Finance Analyst
The combination of cultural fit and career support drew Patricio Parodi to UCLA Anderson for his MBA, preparing him for success at Google. In this edition of our Real Humans: Alumni series, Parodi shares how Anderson offered the right tech, finance, and entrepreneurship curriculum as well as what made Google a great place to land post-MBA.  Patricio Parodi, UCLA Anderson MBA ’22, Strategic Finance Analyst, Technical Infrastructure – Machine Learning at Google Age: 32 Hometown: Santiago de Chile Undergraduate Institution and Major: Universidad Catolica Read more
Published: April 28, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 350—332 GRE, India Engineer. Overcoming 2.4 GPA. Johnson vs Darden
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the latest application deadlines and decision releases for this season. This week Round 3 and 4 continue with several application deadlines; some programs are also releasing final decisions for Round 3, including UVA / Darden, Georgetown / McDonough, Dartmouth / Tuck, Berkeley / Haas, Texas / McCombs and Michigan / Ross. Graham highlighted the May 15th event we are hosting in Chicago, which will be Clear Admit’s first in-person MBA candidate event. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/cachicagofair Graham also noted the Application Overview Read more
Published: April 28, 2024
The Week Ahead: Late Round MBA Deadlines & Decisions, April 29-May 3, 2024
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Rounds 3 and 4 Underway. Round 3 decisions are beginning to role out. Monday, April 29, UNC / Kenan-Flagler has its Round 4 application deadline. Tuesday, April 30, Georgetown / McDonough has its Round 4 application deadline. Wednesday, May 1, UVA / Darden and Georgetown / McDonough are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 2, Dartmouth / Tuck, Berkeley / Haas and Texas / McCombs are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Read more
Published: April 25, 2024
Upcoming Virtual Event Series: MBA Application Overview
Calling all future MBA Applicants! You have the raw materials. So how do you put them together into a compelling MBA application?  Join us for our MBA Application Overview Event Series to get answers to just that question! We’re hosting three events – on Wednesdays in May – May 8th, May 22nd, & May 29th, all @ 12pm ET – each with representatives from up to five top MBA Programs. The full series currently includes 15 Top MBA Programs. We’ll start with a 60-minute roundtable panel. MBA admissions professionals will share some insight into their programs and Read more
Published: April 25, 2024
Real Humans of Amazon: Tyler Simpson Tyson, HBS MBA ’20, Senior Product Manager
From HBS to Facebook to Amazon, Tyler Simpson Tyson recounts her professional journey in this edition of Real Humans: Alumni. Simpson Tyson explains how she was drawn to Harvard Business School by its case study method, which requires more participation than traditional lectures and challenges students with real-world scenarios. Read her story below to find out how HBS prepared her to work at Facebook and then Amazon. Tyler Simpson Tyson, HBS MBA ’20, Senior Product Manager (Technical) at Amazon Live Age: 32 Hometown: Atlanta, GA Undergraduate Read more
Published: April 24, 2024
Real Humans of PepsiCo: Beeta Shahnazari, UCI Merage MBA ’22, Associate Finance Manager
In this installment of Real Humans: Alumni, PepsiCo Associate Finance Manager, Beeta Shahnazari, shares her journey to the leading CPG firm with the help of an MBA from the University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. The small class sizes and personal attention she found at UCI Merage allowed Shahnazari to step out of her comfort zone and learn more effective leadership and teamwork skills. Read on to see how her experience at UCI Merage prepared her for success at PepsiCo. Beeta Shahnazari, UCI Merage MBA ’22, Associate Finance Manager at PepsiCo Age: Read more
Published: April 23, 2024
MBA Admissions Tip: Can I Negotiate A Scholarship for Business School?
Can I negotiate a scholarship for my MBA program? When decisions are released, excitement among the applicant pool can be palpable. After months of hard work and significant introspection, many candidates are rewarded with offers from their dream programs. Some of those offers come with scholarships; money that helps defray the significant financial burden of taking two years away from work, while also paying considerable tuition costs and living expenses. If Only My Top-Choice Had Come Through with a Scholarship… Of course, many candidates might receive scholarship at one or two programs, but not at their ideal program. This Read more
Published: April 22, 2024
Real Humans of Google: Danny Concha, Northwestern Kellogg MBA ’23, Strategy & Operations Program Manager
In this installment of Real Humans: Alumni, we meet Danny Concha, who earned an MBA Northwestern Kellogg and became a strategy and operations program manager at Google. Choosing Kellogg due to its job placement history, location in the Chicago area, and inclusive, fun culture, Concha found that the school’s leadership courses and resources have served him well in the next phase of his career. Exploring the big ideas of leadership strengths and weaknesses in the safe setting of business school gave him the confidence to excel at a complex, global company like Google. Read Read more
Published: April 21, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 349—330 GRE, Paralegal. 319 GRE, Venture Capital. Tuck vs Duke vs Ross
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we kick things off with our usual discussion of the latest MBA application deadlines and interview releases. This week, Round 3 continues with several application deadlines, including deferred admissions deadlines for Harvard (2+2) and UPenn / Wharton. Graham then highlighted the May 15th event we are hosting in Chicago, which will be Clear Admit’s first in-person MBA candidate event (with 20 leading business schools!); signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/cachicagofair Graham also noted the Spring Online Webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting over the course of May, Read more
Published: April 21, 2024
The Week Ahead: Round 3 & Deferred Admissions, April 22-26, 2024
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 3 and Deferred Admissions We are now completed the decision release period for Round 2 candidates, and have moved on to Round 3. Monday, April 22, UNC / Kenan-Flagler is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Wednesday, April 24, UPenn / Wharton & Northwestern Kellogg have their deferred admissions round deadlines. Thursday, April 25, Berkeley Haas and HBS have their deferred admissions application round deadlines. London Business School is scheduled to release its Round Read more
Published: April 18, 2024
Real Humans of Accenture: Jamie Ciocon, Duke Fuqua MBA ’21, Senior Strategy Consultant
Values & culture drove the core choices for Jamie Ciocon, from the Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA program to Accenture for strategy consulting. In this installment of Real Humans: Alumni, Ciocon shares how she was able to hone new skills, confidently try new things, and succeed in her new consulting career with support from the MBA program and community. Jamie Ciocon, Duke Fuqua MBA ’21, Senior Strategy Consultant at Accenture Age: 32 Pronouns: she/her Hometown: Edison, New Jersey  Undergraduate Institution and Major: Boston College, Carroll School 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 2:43pm ET
Interview Invite to NYU Stern
Round: Round 2
Received via email on November 24, 2024
GPA: 3.8
GRE: 324
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: United States
November 26, 2024 2:22pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via portal November 26, 2024
GPA: 9.48
GMAT: 705
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: India
Note:

Interview 11/12
November 26, 2024 2:21pm ET
Interview Invite to Duke / Fuqua
Round: Round 1
Received via email on November 13, 2024
GMAT: 735
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: India
Note:

Interviewed on 11/22.
November 26, 2024 2:19pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 26, 2024
GMAT: 735
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: India
Note:

Interviewed on 11/7.
November 26, 2024 2:18pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 26, 2024
GPA: 3.6
GMAT: 675
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
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