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Published: February 16, 2017
Fridays from the Frontline: MIT Sloan’s Israel Lab
Israel is in the news this week following President Donald Trump’s first official meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took place on Wednesday. Our Fridays from the Frontline also centers on Israel, but without touching on the incredibly fraught subject of a one- versus two-state solution for the conflict-ridden region. Instead, we focus on a series of fascinating blog posts written by MIT Sloan School of Management students who spent their winter break taking part in MIT Sloan’s Israel Lab. Now in its second year, Israel Lab takes Sloan students on a journey to one Read more
Published: February 16, 2017
Georgetown McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / First-year Student
The following Georgetown McDonough interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! The interview was very casual and conversational. As others have said, the interviewer did not anything other than my resume which I provided. Questions/topics we covered: Walk me through your résumé Experience working on a global team. He prefaced this question by talking about Georgetown’s global focus. Asked about a time I had to persuade a group He asked about any alumni or students I have spoken with What are the main factors driving my selection of MBA programs Concluded with Read more
Published: February 16, 2017
When Will Those MIT Sloan R2 Interview Invites Roll Out?
In a post to her Admissions Blog yesterday, MIT Sloan School of Management Director of MBA and Master of Finance Admissions Dawna Levenson provided lots of valuable information for MIT Sloan applicants anxiously awaiting Round 2 interview invitations. Dawna Levenson, MIT Sloan director of MBA and Master of finance admissions As at many leading business schools, an interview is a required step toward admission at MIT Sloan. “The goal of the interview is to personally get to know you better and to hear more about your professional stories and background,” Levenson writes. MIT Sloan R2 interview Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
Major Companies Call Out Trump On Immigration Ban
Days after the Ninth Circuit Court of the United States halted President Donald Trump’s temporary ban of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, the aftereffects are still echoing. The executive order, the legality of which could still be decided by the Supreme Court, created a wave of protests across the United States. Alongside several universities, many of the more prominent voices in the dissent came from the country’s largest major companies, including Apple and Google. Shortly after the order was initially announced Apple CEO Tim Cook said, ”Apple would not exist without immigration, Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
Harvard Business School Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Off-campus Hub
The following Harvard Business School / HBS interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! I interviewed with 2 members of the adcom – one who had reviewed my whole application and knew it inside out and one who had read only my résumé. They were both very nice and the interview felt pretty relaxed and conversational. They had a lot of questions, mainly about my résumé and application – they really dug in deeply on my background. Here are some of the questions: My current job: 1. Explain what your job Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
SMU Cox’s Maguire Energy Institute Honors Top Energy Leaders
Texas consumes more energy than any other U.S. state, both per capita and as a whole. In addition, several major oil companies have TX headquarters, including BP, ConocoPhilips and Exxon-Mobil. Because Texas is a global energy leader, many of the business schools in the state maintain connections to the industry through clubs, MBA concentrations, faculty and course work. Each year at the SMU Cox School of Business, the Maguire Energy Institute honors one of the top leaders in the energy industry with the L. Frank Pitts Energy Leadership Award. The award—created in 2010—recognizes an individual who exemplifies a spirit of ethical leadership within the energy industry. This year, the award committee chose Trevor Rees-Jones, the founder and CEO of Chief Oil & Gas LLC. Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
Columbia MBA Interview Questions & Report: Rolling Decisions / Alumnus / Off-Campus
The following Columbia MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Rolling Decision applicant. Good luck to them! Received an interview invitation approximately 1 month after my application was submitted. Interview was with an alumnus who had attended just over 10 years ago, and took place at their office in my city. The interview reports that have been submitted prior to this one were extremely helpful – my interview followed the same gist as all of the other ones you will read here: Walk me through your résumé and tell me why you want an MBA. Why Columbia, Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
UPenn / Wharton Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Off-Campus Hub
The following UPenn / Wharton interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! The Wharton TBD was a very pleasant experience. I highly recommend arriving 15-20 minutes before your interview, as the time spent in the waiting room chatting and getting to know the other applicants in the same TBD group was useful, so you can get a handle of the various personalities early on. We were then invited into the TBD room, where we sat in a circle in alphabetical order (last name). The interviewer recapped the prompt, then turned on a big Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
NYU Stern Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / On-campus
The following NYU Stern interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 MBA applicant who was admitted. Congratulations to them! I was interviewed by a member of the admissions who also happened to be a part-time MBA student at Stern. It was pretty straightforward and relatively casual. No curve balls. Questions included: Tell me about your self What are your ST/LT goals? Why MBA and why Stern? What have you done so far to prepare for your goals? What will you be doing at Stern to further prepare/achieve your goals? What will you contribute to the Stern Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
Georgetown / McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Skype
The following Georgetown McDonough interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! The interview lasted for about 23 minutes, post which I was allowed to ask questions. Overall it was a 30 min interview. The interviewer did not have anything except my CV. Questions asked: 1.) Tell me about your current work. 2.) Tell me about a leadership experience. 3.) How do you update yourself with world affairs? What news are you following ardently right now? 4.) Tell me about a team experience when you faced a conflict Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
USC Marshall Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / On-Campus
The following USC Marshall MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 3 applicant. Good luck to them! Overall the interview was very relaxed. I was able to interview on-campus with a member of the Adcom. The interviewer told me he had reviewed my application and had my résumé with him for the duration of the interview. He asked the following questions: 1. Walk me through your résumé. 2. How did you choose your undergraduate school? 3. Why an MBA? Why Marshall? 4. Why now? 5. How will you contribute to the Marshall community? Read more
Published: February 15, 2017
Are LBS MBA Grads Falling Out of Love With Finance?
London Business School (LBS) MBA graduates are seeing higher salaries and increased hiring rates, but their love of the finance industry seems to be waning. According to the 2016 London Business School employment report, MBA grads are heading into the financial sector at the lowest rate in five years. Now, to be fair, one in every four LBS grads (25 percent) stills takes a job in finance, but that’s well behind the 35 percent of graduates who enter consulting. The technology industry hired the third-most LBS 2016 graduates at 21 percent—matching the the previous Read more
Published: February 14, 2017
MBA Admissions Mashup: Harvard’s IFCs & Interning at Amex
Every Wednesday, we share a roundup of the latest news from MBA admissions blogs at the top business schools. This week we take a look at an internship experience at American Express, opportunities to practice newly learned skills in the field and three reasons why applying to business school is like writing a movie script.  At Harvard Business School(HBS), students get the opportunity to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into practice out in the real world. In a recent blog post, HBS lists four things you need to know about these Immersive Field Read more
Published: February 14, 2017
MBA DecisionWire Spotlight: Wharton, Columbia, or Booth for Investment Management
MBA DecisionWire is a tool for applicants, students and alumni to share more information with their peers—specifically about where they decide to attend business school based on where they applied and were accepted. In our new series, MBA DecisionWire Spotlight, we’ll be taking a closer look at selected posts. This week, we kick off with one candidate’s decision between Chicago / Booth, Columbia Business School and The Wharton School. Read more
Published: February 14, 2017
Georgetown / McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / On-Campus
The following Georgetown MBA interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! The interview was very conversational. We step by step walked through my résumé. The questions were as follows: Why you choose your school and about your college experience. What I do in my currently role and how I made the transition into my current role. Why an MBA? Why McDonough? There were other questions dispersed throughout the conversation that were specific to responses that I gave, but this was the general flow. After your interview, be sure to add your first-hand Read more
Published: February 13, 2017
Michigan / Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-year student / On-Campus
The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! The individual interview was ~ 40 minutes, relaxed and conversational. Questions included the following: Tell me about yourself? Why do you want to get an MBA? What are your career goals? Describe a time when you led an organization Describe a time when you worked with a diverse team towards a common goal Describe a time when your team could not have succeeded without you Describe a time when you exceeded expectations Pretty standard behavioral stuff. There was also a Read more
Published: February 13, 2017
NYU Stern Dean Announces Plans to Resign, Citing National and Global Economic Trends
Members of the NYU Stern School of Business community today learned that Dean Peter Blair Henry will step down from his position at the end of this calendar year, having decided that the current state of the world calls for him to contribute in other ways. NYU Stern Dean Peter Blair Henry “I did not make this decision lightly, but given the current trends affecting the national and global economy, I feel compelled to re-engage now with policy and recommit, full-time, to scholarship and my lifelong interest in the linked fortunes of advanced and developing economies,” he wrote in a letter to the Stern community. “At a time when advanced-nation rhetoric and a seeming unwillingness to commit to the reforms needed for growth are at odds with global population trends and an increased need for investment in the developing world, I believe now is the time for me to make further contributions as an economist, advisor and Stern professor,” he continued. Read more
Published: February 13, 2017
Georgetown / McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / First-year Student / On-Campus
The following Georgetown MBA interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! The interview was conversational. It started on time and lasted for 35 minutes. The interviewer started from reading my résumé. Questions included: Tell me about the background and why MBA. Why now? Leadership story. Have been to the campus? What schools have you applied to? Do you want to stay in DC? 6 questions for her( 10 minutes) During the interview, the interviewer took a lot of notes. She would also responded to my answers by stating that she had had Read more
Published: February 13, 2017
Oxford Saïd Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Adcom / On-Campus
The following Oxford Saïd interview questions & report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 3 applicant who was admitted. Congratulations to them! I was interviewed by the Director of Admissions and she was very polite and friendly which put me at ease immediately. Questions asked: Why do you want to complete an MBA at this time in your life? Why pursue an MBA at Saïd in particular? What do you want to do post MBA, and how have you prepared for this career transition? Please describe the biggest challenge you’ve faced at work. Read more
Published: February 13, 2017
Admissions Director Q&A: OSU Fisher’s Alison Merzel
Last week we shared the lighter side of Alison Merzel in our Real Humans of MBA Admissions series. This week, we’ve asked her some more serious questions about the admissions process at the Ohio State University (OSU) Fisher College of Business. Merzel is senior director of graduate recruiting, admissions and financial aid at Fisher, a role she’s held for the past year and a half. But she’s been at Fisher for much longer than that—starting as a student herself. Soon after graduating with her master’s degree in labor and human resources from Fisher, she joined the admissions team Read more
Published: February 12, 2017
Michigan / Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-Campus
The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! I did an off-campus interview with a 2016 Ross alum in SF. We met in a Starbucks on a Sunday morning, the vibe was very casual and friendly. I wore slacks and a sweater and he was in khakis and a button down. He had my résumé that he had gotten from the interview scheduler and I brought one with me. 1. Walk me through your résumé. Connect the dots for me 2. Why an MBA? Read more
Published: February 12, 2017
Ross R2 Applicants: Don’t Miss These Updates from Admissions Director Soojin Kwon
The snow storm that’s pummeling the Northeastern United States gave Michigan a pass, according to Ross School of Business Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon. That means interviewees flying to Ann Arbor this past weekend found lots of sunshine and clear roads, provided they weren’t stranded in their departure cities by cancelled flights. Ross Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon Those who did make it, Kwon wrote on her Admissions Blog, got to stay through the weekend if they wanted, attending the Alfred E Edwards Conference, hosted by the Ross Black Business Students Association. Long-time Essence Magazine Chief Editor Susan L. Taylor delivered the keynote address. Read more
Published: February 11, 2017
CMU Tepper Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Skype
The following CMU Tepper interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! The interview was pretty straightforward and quick. The interviewer was friendly and willing to be very helpful. Some questions: 1. Walk me through your education and professional experiences. 2. What are you looking forward to after your MBA? What are your career goals? 3. 35 Nationalities are represented at Tepper. Can you tell me about a time when you encountered a different culture at work – not necessarily people from a different nationality and how did you Read more
Published: February 9, 2017
Anxiety Persists for International MBA Students Despite Appellate Court’s Rebuke of Immigration Ban
Last night, a three-member panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit refused the Trump administration’s call to reinstate a ban barring the entry of all refugees and visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries into the United States. Although the case could still advance to the Supreme Court, yesterday’s ruling means that, for now, the executive order signed by President Donald Trump two weeks ago remains unenforceable. That’s good news for international students from the affected countries, some of whom were detained at airports attempting to return to campus from overseas travel, others of whom were forced to cancel plans to leave the United States for fear they might not be allowed back in. Read more
Published: February 9, 2017
Fridays from the Frontline: From Herat to Haas, An Afghan Student’s Journey
Today’s Friday from the Frontline is a bit of a departure from our usual practice of sharing first-person accounts—but the story of Sal Parsa on the Berkeley Haas blog so captivated us that we wanted to make sure the Clear Admit audience didn’t miss it. Below, learn how Parsa went from sewing clothes in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to serving as president of the Haas Data Science Club while also working to get a career guidance platform startup off the ground. It’s inspiring, to say the least. Our thanks to Haas and Parsa for allowing us to share the story here. Read more

MBA Applywire

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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 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
November 28, 2024 1:14pm ET
Interview Invite to Berkeley / Haas
Round: Round 1
Received via email on October 27, 2024
GPA: 84%
GMAT: 645
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Technology
Application Location: Brazil
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