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Published: April 18, 2024
Real Humans of Bain & Co.: Sylvia Shi, Rochester Simon MBA ’23, Consultant
Sylvia Shi forged a non-traditional career path through art and gaming, but yearned for something less niche. Consulting appeared to be an ideal option, and Rochester Simon had a close-knit community, recruiting support, and more to help her along this new path. Read Shi’s Real Humans: Alumni story below to learn how Rochester Simon prepared her for consulting and why she chose Bain. Sylvia Shi, Rochester Simon MBA ’23, Consultant at Bain & Company Age: 33 Hometown: Baltimore (and other places around MD), Las Vegas, and now Sam Francisco Undergraduate Institution Read more
Published: April 17, 2024
Real Humans of Tesla: Jen Plantz, Texas McCombs MBA ’23, Supply Chain Program Manager
Buckle up! In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Jen Plantz takes us on a ride from healthcare to clean tech, driving through the MBA program at Texas McCombs to Tesla. Acquiring a new perspective and a new set of skills in the MBA program allowed Plantz to discover her passion for sustainability and clean tech. Read on to discover how Plantz made the transition thanks to connecting with her fellow students and the wider McCombs community. Jen Plantz, Texas McCombs MBA ’23, Supply Chain Program Manager at Tesla Age: 34 Hometown Read more
Published: April 15, 2024
Real Humans of McKinsey: Ryan Murray, Emory Goizueta MBA ’23, Associate
Ryan Murray went from dirty cowboy boots and climbing into gas turbines to wearing khakis, mastering Excel, and consulting at McKinsey & Company as an associate. How did he manage such a drastic career transition? By taking advantage of Emory Goizueta‘s prestigious MBA. In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Murray shares how Emory’s problem-solving program and community experience prepared him for a new career at a world-class consulting firm. Ryan Murray, Emory Goizueta MBA ’23, Associate at McKinsey & Company Age: 32 Hometown: Miami, FL Undergraduate Institution and Read more
Published: April 14, 2024
Stanford GSB Announces New Assistant Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid
Stanford GSB officially appointed Erin Nixon, who earned both her undergraduate degree and MBA from Stanford, to the role of Assistant Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid. Jamie Schein has been holding the position on an interim bases since Kirsten Moss left at the end of 2022. Nixon begins her term on July 1, 2024. Erin Nixon, Assistant Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, Stanford GSB Nixon brings a wealth of experience with her to the role, which she says is “about identifying and connecting with smart, highly Read more
Published: April 14, 2024
The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Interview Invites, April 15-19, 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! Late Round Deadlines & Interview Invitations We are now completed the decision release period for Round 2 candidates, and have moved on to Round 3. Monday, April 15, USC / Marshall has its Round 4 application deadline. Wednesday, April 17, Oxford / Saïd is scheduled to release its Stage 3 interview invites. Thursday, April 18, NYU / Stern has its Round 4 application deadline. Friday, April 19, UPenn / Wharton is scheduled to release its Round Read more
Published: April 14, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 348—326 GRE, is that enough? Taking a break, before MBA. Kellogg, Fuqua or IESE?
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the MBA application deadlines and interview releases for this season. This week Round 3 continues with several application deadlines, and UPenn / Wharton and Duke / Fuqua are scheduled to release interview invite decisions. Graham started with a story of his random meeting with a podcast listener (and current Wharton student), who he met at a car rental agency. Graham then highlighted the May 15th event we are hosting in Chicago, which will be Clear Admit’s first in-person MBA candidate event. Signups are Read more
Published: April 11, 2024
Emory Goizueta MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / AdCom / Zoom
Interview was scheduled for 30 mins, but interviewer got through all questions in 15 mins, and I used 10 mins to ask questions. Interview was laid-back and conversational and overall enjoyable. 1. Walk me through your resume/background. 2. Walk me through your leadership experience. 3. If an MBA was not an option, how would you achieve your post-MBA goals? 4. What are your short-term/long-term goals? 5. Why Goizueta? 6. How will you contribute on campus? 7. What are your hobbies outside of school/work? 8. If you could have dinner with anyone, living or Read more
Published: April 11, 2024
UVA Darden MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Adcom / Zoom
Completely blind interview. Interviewer didn’t have my resume or application. 5-10 min “Tell me about your self.” Follow-up questions on why I chose my undergrad school and majors. Why MBA? Why Darden? Example of working with someone who thinks and works differently. Questions for interviewer? Overall a very relaxed and pleasant experience. Read more
Published: April 11, 2024
‘Big Tech’ Hiring Declined for Class of 2023 MBA Graduates
Tech jobs have been a popular choice for MBA candidates since the early 2000s – gradually becoming one of the top three career paths that many business school graduates pursue (along with consulting and finance). In this analysis, we take a closer look at which leading MBA programs managed to place their graduates into tech industry jobs in 2023 despite the overall decline in tech industry hiring. We also review recent trends in MBA graduate hiring at Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft (aka Big Tech). Technology Industry Job Placement for the MBA Class of Read more
Published: April 11, 2024
ROI of the Georgetown University MS-ESM Program
Sponsored Content The Georgetown University Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management (MS-ESM) is a transformative program that merges scientific expertise with business acumen, empowering individuals to tackle pressing environmental challenges and contribute to a more sustainable future within diverse organizational settings. Developed collaboratively by the Earth Commons Institute, the McDonough School of Business, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the MS-ESM program recognizes the pivotal roles of both scientific understanding and business principles in advancing sustainability goals worldwide. In this article, we hear from two MS-ESM alumni who are now making waves in Read more
Published: April 11, 2024
Real Humans of BCG: Tyler Berghorst, IESE MBA ’22, Consultant
In this installment of our Real Humans: Alumni series, Tyler Berghorst shares his story of risk-taking and reward–changing careers from engineering to business consulting. With its rigorous curriculum and leadership opportunities, IESE provided Tyler the tools necessary to navigate change and achieve his career goals. Read his story below to learn how an IESE MBA helped him find success in consulting at BCG. Tyler Berghorst, IESE MBA ’22, Consultant at BCG Age: 31 Hometown: Holland, Michigan, USA Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), Chemical Engineering and Material Read more
Published: April 10, 2024
Real Humans of Microsoft: Cynthia Vargas Hernandez, Washington Foster MBA ’23, HR Program Manager
In this installment of our Real Humans: Alumni series, we have a story of opportunity and transformation from Cynthia Vargas Hernandez, who shares her journey from Mexico to Microsoft. She arrived in the U.S. fresh from earning her bachelor’s in business in Mexico with bigger goals in mind. She chose the MBA at Washington Foster after finding its values, culture, location, and more to be ideal for achieving her goals, and their financial support and scholarship options sealed the deal. Read her story here to find out how Washington Foster helped her develop her Read more
Published: April 10, 2024
Real Humans of Goldman Sachs: Likita Chilukuri, Chicago Booth MBA ’23, Investment Banking Associate
After studying and/or working in India, Spain and England, Likita Chilukuri chose the MBA program at Chicago Booth to make her transition to working in the U.S. in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. In addition to a strong curriculum, Chilukuri found the well-structured recruiting process at Booth gave her the support she needed. Read on for Chilukuri’s story and advice in this installment of our Real Humans: Alumni series.  Likita Chilukuri, Chicago Booth MBA ’23, Investment Banking Associate at Goldman Sachs Undergraduate Institution and Major: National Institute of Technology, Read more
Published: April 9, 2024
On the Waitlist? Watch This MBA Admissions Academy Episode Now!
If you find yourself on the MBA admissions waitlist, we’re here to help you navigate to a positive outcome. Some top MBA programs admit a number of individuals from the waitlist in Round 3 and even later. That said, we know that cautious optimism does not make the wait for an answer any easier. To help those in this situation make sure that they’re doing all they can, we’re sharing the Admissions Academy episode dedicated to the waitlist. Just click play:  Read more
Published: April 8, 2024
UCI Merage MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Virtual
1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why the school? 3. What other schools are you applying to and what factors will you consider when deciding? 4. Specific feedback/criticism you got at work, how you resolved it and lessons learned. 5. A time you led collaboration/team work. 6. How will you be an authentic member of the community? 7. Do you have other companies you’re considering besides the one mentioned? Read more
Published: April 8, 2024
U.S. News 2024 Best Business Schools: Wharton & Stanford GSB Share Top Spot
The 2024 U.S. News Best Graduate Programs Rankings rolled out and we’re taking a closer look at the Best Business School list. Stanford GSB jumps five spots from last year to join The Wharton School in the top spot. These two replace last year’s #1 school, Chicago Booth, which now ranks third along with Northwestern Kellogg. Clear Admit Co-Founder Graham Richmond notes, “For the second year in a row, the US News ranking methodology favors career outcomes (salaries, rates of employment, recruiter Read more
Published: April 8, 2024
Real Humans of Amazon: Maria Peña-Gomez, Cornell Johnson MBA ’21, Product Manager
The MBA is a vehicle for change, as in the case of Maria Peña-Gomez, Cornell Johnson MBA ’21, who loved being a lawyer and needed a strong management foundation to make the transition to product management at Amazon. In this Real Humans Alumni, Peña-Gomez shares how Cornell Johnson provided the foundational skills in business, real-world experience, and support for her journey. Maria Peña-Gomez, Cornell Johnson MBA ’21, Product Manager at Amazon  Age: 31 Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia Undergraduate Institution and Major: Universidad de Read more
Published: April 7, 2024
The Week Ahead: MBA Admissions Deadlines & Interview Invites, April 8-12, 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 2 finishes as Round 3 is underway. We have now completed the decision release period for Round 2 candidates, and have moved on to Round 3. Monday, April 8, MIT / Sloan has its Round 3 application deadline. IESE is scheduled to release its Round 3 interview invites. Tuesday, April 9, Stanford GSB and Yale SOM have their Round 3 application deadlines. Wednesday, April 10, Cornell / Johnson has its Round 3 application deadline. Friday, Read more
Published: April 7, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 347—319 GRE, reapplying. Targeting Duke / Fuqua. Anderson vs Kenan Flagler
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing all the latest MBA application deadline and decision release news for this season. Last week, MIT / Sloan released its Round 2 final decisions. Cornell / Johnson also released some of their final decisions. This week Round 3 continues with several application deadlines. Graham promoted the MBA applicant survey we now have in the field. We are trying to encourage as high a response rate as we can get. The survey is at https://www.bit.ly/caspringsurvey Graham also noted the May 15th event we Read more
Published: April 4, 2024
Real Humans of Google: Tony Hung, Columbia Business School MBA ’21, Product Manager
Amid the trials and trials and tribulations of learning consulting and tech strategy on-the-job, Tony Hung realized that the best mentors and most successful product managers had MBAs. From his own journey into graduate management education, Hung shares how an MBA from Columbia Business School provided a foundation for his success at Google in this edition of our Real Humans: Alumni series below. Tony Hung, Columbia Business School MBA ’21, Product Manager at Google Age: 31 Hometown: New York City Undergraduate Institution and Major: Columbia University School of Engineering, Read more
Published: April 3, 2024
Real Humans of Johnson & Johnson: Edward Yap, Georgetown McDonough MBA ’23, Marketing Manager
How does one make a triple transition in function, industry, and geography? For Edward Yap, it was through the MBA program at Georgetown McDonough. In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, we learn how Yap found Georgetown’s focus on cura personalis and talented cohort exactly what he needed to develop his understanding of core business disciplines and confidence in a new corporate setting. Read on for more on how McDonough prepared him for a huge career leap and success at Johnson & Johnson. Edward Yap, Georgetown McDonough MBA ’23, Marketing Manager at Johnson & Johnson Read more
Published: April 2, 2024
MBA Admissions Tip: Make the Most of Your Welcome Weekend Experience
In the spring months, many MBA programs host business school welcome weekends for candidates who they’ve admitted during their first two admissions rounds. Over the course of a few days, there will be a series of events on campus for admitted students. These usually include a special greeting from the admissions team and dean, as well as sample classes, activities, meals, and social events. These “sell” weekends are very important for the schools as part of their push to encourage those that they have admitted to enroll. They know that many of their admitted students have options to go elsewhere, Read more
Published: April 1, 2024
Real Humans of Uber: Nishant Nair, LBS MBA ’22, Senior Strategy & Operations Manager
In today’s Real Humans: Alumni, we meet Nishant Nair, a Senior Strategy & Operations Manager at Uber. His father, who pursued multiple masters degrees while working full-time, was an inspiring role model, and Nair decided an MBA was the best way for him to grow professionally. He chose the London Business School partly due to its truly global program, experiential learning model, and location in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Read on to discover how LBS’s MBA program helped Nair appreciate diverse perspectives, meet new people and enjoy new Read more
Published: March 31, 2024
The Week Ahead: MBA Admissions Deadlines & Decisions, April 1-5, 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! Late Round deadlines amid Round 2 notifications. We are now completing the decision release period for Round 2 candidates, and Round 3 application deadlines continue. Monday, April 1, NYU / Stern has its Round 3 initial notification deadline. Tuesday, April 2, UPenn / Wharton has its Round 3 application deadline. Wednesday, April 3, Columbia, Northwestern / Kellogg, and UVA / Darden have their Round 3 application deadlines. Thursday, April 4, Chicago / Booth and Michigan / Read more
Published: March 31, 2024
MBA Wire Taps 346—334 GRE, private equity. Lawyer to consulting. McCombs vs Haas
Weekly Roundup for Clear Admit’s MBA Podcast In this week’s MBA Admissions podcast we began with our usual rundown of MBA application deadlines and decision releases for this season. Last week we saw several top MBA programs release their final Round 2 decisions. This week, MIT / Sloan and Cornell / Johnson are among those releasing decisions. There are also several Round 3 application deadlines. Graham highlighted the new Spring survey that Clear Admit is running, to get a better sense of how MBA candidates select their target programs. Answering this survey really helps Clear Admit better understand 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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