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Posts by Christina Griffith

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Christina Griffith is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. She specializes in covering education, science, and criminal justice, and has extensive experience in research and interviews, magazine content, and web content writing.
Published: August 22, 2023
Emory Goizueta Launches Master in Management Program
Emory University’s Goizueta Business School has unveiled a new educational opportunity designed for graduates with non-business backgrounds: the Master in Management program. Designed to elevate the value of their undergraduate degrees by equipping them with essential business knowledge and skills, this program stands as a stepping stone for those seeking to broaden their career horizons. Students complete a dynamic curriculum in just ten months, setting the stage for accelerated professional growth through a fast track for students to gain a valuable business education and expand their career options. With 12 of Read more
Published: August 21, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: David Simpson of LBS
In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, David Simpson, the Recruitment and Admissions Director for the MBA and Masters in Finance (MiF) programs at London Business School, joins us to talk about admissions. David has been with the School for over 25 years, starting in admissions, moving through various roles in marketing and business development, before returning to admissions. His undergraduate degree is in business, majoring in international marketing. In his time at London Business School, he has enjoyed travelling the world to Read more
Published: August 17, 2023
Admission Director Q&A: J.R. McGrath of Carnegie Mellon Tepper
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome back J.R. McGrath, Executive Director of Masters Admissions at the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. J.R. has been at Tepper for the past 2.5 years and accepted the role of Executive Director in October 2022. He has previously served in leadership roles at SMU Cox, TCU, and Syracuse. In addition to his professional responsibilities, JR and his wife have a young daughter that keeps them busy. J.R. also enjoys running, golf, and anything to do with Pittsburgh sports teams. Read on for his take on MBA Read more
Published: August 16, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Liam Kilby of Saïd Business School at Oxford University
For this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Liam Kilby, Associate Director of MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Liam attended the University of Sheffield, studying for a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics. He started working in finance after leaving University and joined Barclays Global Wealth in the UK before deciding on a career pivot and a move into education several years later. He spent time working at Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press, before a relocation back to Oxford and Read more
Published: August 14, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Eddie Asbie and Vishal Gaur of Cornell Johnson
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome two members of the Cornell University Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management leadership: Eddie Asbie, Executive Director of Admissions & Scholarship for the Two-Year MBA program, and Vishal Gaur, the newly appointed Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean and Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management. Asbie has spent the past 18 years of his professional career in higher education, primarily within admissions, and has called Ithaca and the Johnson School his home for the last 11 years. He graduated from Read more
Published: August 10, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Mikale Elliott of WashU Olin
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back Mikale Elliott, Associate Director of Recruiting at Washington University’s Olin Business School.  Mikale spent her undergraduate career at the University of Missouri–Columbia studying business communication and gaining experience recruiting underrepresented minorities. After graduating, she took a non-traditional pathway working as a flight attendant for a few years. Eventually, she returned to higher education to work on an HIV prevention research project. Through all these pivots, the thing that brought her back to admissions was her passion for others from diverse backgrounds Read more
Published: August 9, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Stephanie Kluth of ESMT Berlin
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we meet Stephanie Kluth, the Director of Admissions at ESMT Berlin. Stephanie has been working for ESMT since its founding in 2002 and has been heading the Admissions office since 2005. Prior to joining ESMT Berlin, Kluth worked at the Aspen Institute Berlin and the Jewish Museum Berlin. Berlin has been her home for many more years, so she knows the city inside and out. She knows every full-time MBA alumnus/a who has studied at ESMT, and she and her rescue Read more
Published: August 8, 2023
Wharton MBA Class Profile: Diversity & Gender Parity for the Class of 2025
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania presents its profile of the MBA Class of 2025, a cohort that embodies diversity and achievement. The 874 enrolled students were selected from a pool of 6,194 applicants, a slight drop in application volume from 6,319 last year.  Academic and Professional Achievement The Wharton MBA Class of 2025 brings with it an average of five years of professional experience. A wide range of careers are represented. Twenty-seven percent hailed from consulting, the most popular industry. Private equity and venture capital Read more
Published: August 7, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Blair Mannix of The Wharton School
We welcome Blair Mannix, the Director of Admissions of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, to this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Blair has over 16 years of experience in selective admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. She was made Director of MBA Admissions in 2018. In 2020, Blair was instrumental in delivering the Class of 2022 through pandemic lockdowns. She created a homegrown virtual platform, called Wharton HQ, to communicate with admitted students. Wharton HQ was home of virtual tours, webinars, FAQs, and a direct line to Read more
Published: August 3, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Melissa Rapp of Emory Goizueta
For this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome back Melissa Rapp, Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions for the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Melissa leads the teams responsible for the recruitment, evaluation, and matriculation of students across the portfolio of graduate business programs including a One-Year MBA, Two-Year MBA, Evening MBA, Executive MBA, Master of Science in Business Analytics, and Master of Analytical Finance, Master in Management, and the Master in Business for Veterans. A longtime higher education professional with more than 18 years of experience, Melissa Read more
Published: August 2, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Chris Healy of Manchester AMBS
In this edition of our ongoing Admissions Director Q&A series, we have Chris Healy, the Head of MBA Marketing & Recruitment at Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) at the University of Manchester, returning to bring us his insights into the culture at AMBS, what to expect during the MBA program, and more about their admissions. Chris has 15 years of experience in graduate management education and a passion for GME that has only grown over time. He’s implemented and developed marketing and recruitment strategies both domestically and internationally, to meet the academic and commercial Read more
Published: August 1, 2023
New Master in Business for Veterans Program at Emory Goizueta Business School
Goizueta Business School at Emory University has launched an innovative new program designed for active-duty military, veterans, National Guard, and Reserve personnel. The Master in Business for Veterans is an 11-month degree program focused on improving and accelerating the transition from military service to a successful civilian business career.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States is home to approximately 18.4 million veterans as of 2022. Despite historically low unemployment rates, many veterans still view employment as a top challenge during their transition Read more
Published: July 31, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Jana Kierstead of Harvard Business School
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Jana Kierstead, Executive Director, MBA and Doctoral Programs at Harvard Business School. Jana brings over 25 years of experience to this role, with more than 20 years dedicated to leadership in business education. In her role as the Executive Director, Jana leads a team of over 120 full-time professionals who manage the student experience from admissions and financial aid, to student life and career services. In 2013, Jana was selected to lead the School’s online learning initiative, Harvard Business School Online (formerly Read more
Published: July 27, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Dawna Levenson of MIT Sloan
In the latest interview for our Admissions Director Q&A series, the Assistant Dean of Admissions at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Dawna Levenson, returns to delve into all things MBA admissions. As the leader of the admissions team, Dawna oversees all recruiting, evaluation, conversion, and marketing activities in support of the MBA, Sloan Fellows MBA, Master of Finance (MFin), Master of Business Analytics (MBAn), MBA Early Admission, and Master of Science in Management Studies (MSMS)  programs. Prior to this role, Dawna was the Director of Admissions for five years and the Associate Director for MFin Read more
Published: July 26, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Maria Pineda of the UMD Smith School of Business
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we get an update on MBA admissions at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Senior Director of Admissions Maria Pineda has been with UMD Smith for over 15 years. Maria manages the recruiting efforts for Full-Time MBA and Specialty Master’s Programs. She joins us again this year to share her insights into the admissions process, what to expect during the interview, what makes a great essay, and more. Maria Pineda, Senior Director of Admissions at The University of Maryland Clear Admit: What is the one Read more
Published: July 25, 2023
Real Humans of Citi: Elizabeth Jimenez, Dartmouth Tuck MBA’19, Senior Vice President, Strategic Risk
In this installment of our Real Humans: Alumni series, we meet Elizabeth Jimenez, who is a first-generation high-school, college, and master’s graduate in her family. Her decision to attend Dartmouth Tuck‘s MBA program was fueled by her desire for a more challenging and meritorious career path and the positive experience she had visiting with Tuck students. Read on to find out how Tuck gave Jimenez the tools necessary for her new career in strategy and risk. Elizabeth Jimenez, Dartmouth Tuck MBA’19, Senior Vice President, Strategic Risk at Citi Age: 33 Hometown: Read more
Published: July 25, 2023
Introducing the Chicago Booth Master in Management Degree
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business has announced the launch of its new Master in Management Degree, designed for recent college graduates who studied humanities, arts, social sciences, biological sciences, or physical sciences. The new program invites candidates with limited work experience to study business and management at one of the most prestigious business schools in the U.S.  “We are excited to debut Chicago Booth’s one-year Master in Management, the school’s first new degree program in 88 years,” said Madhav Rajan, Booth Read more
Published: July 24, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Paula Amorim of IESE
In the latest installment of our Admissions Director Q&A, we take a deep dive into MBA admissions with Paula Amorim, the Director of Admissions of the Full-Time MBA at IESE Business School. Paula joined the Admissions team after completing her MBA at IESE in 2016 and was previously responsible for the Latin American market, based in the Sao Paulo campus. She is an Industrial engineer from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in her hometown, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Prior to the MBA, she dedicated her career to management consulting in local firms Read more
Published: July 19, 2023
The Cost of the MBA Application Process
When thinking about the cost of getting an MBA, what immediately comes to mind is tuition, moving to a new city, books, supplies, and possibly some new attire. But often overlooked are the numerous fees and associated costs of the MBA application process. Individually, the numbers appear small, but as you complete your application(s), your choices each have a cost, and those can add up. MBA application costs can vary depending on the school you’re applying to, application requirements, and whether you’re a domestic or international applicant. Although fee waiver opportunities are growing, most business schools charge an application fee Read more
Published: July 19, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Debbie Macedonia & Jessica Lunce of SMU Cox
Get deeper insights into MBA admissions at the SMU Cox School of Business in this Admissions Director Q&A with two leaders from their full-time MBA admissions team, Debbie Macedonia and Jessica Lunce. Debbie is the Assistant Dean of Full-Time MBA and MS Admissions at SMU Cox. She started her career working in financial reporting with Cambridge Associates and quickly found parallel professional interests in recruiting, mentoring, and training. In her career in higher education, Debbie has held various roles across marketing, student services, and admissions with the College of Charleston, Carnegie Mellon Read more
Published: July 18, 2023
HBS Online Launches CLIMB Program for Leadership and Management Development
Harvard Business School Online, the online platform for Harvard Business School to deliver flexible certificate and credential programs, has launched the Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB) program. The program consists of seven courses, with four long courses lasting between five to nine weeks and three short courses. Two of the long courses are mandatory selections focusing on leadership and strategy, with the specific content varying based on the participant’s leadership experience. Participants then choose two electives, one in finance and one from HBS Online’s Read more
Published: July 17, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Rebekah Lewin of the University of Rochester, Simon Business School
Let’s dig into MBA admissions at the University of Rochester, Simon Business School with Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions and Programs Rebekah Lewin in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Rebekah has over 20 years of undergraduate and graduate admissions and program management experience. In her current role, she oversees strategy related to recruitment, admissions, financial aid, career management, and student experience aspects for full-time, part-time, and online MBA and MS programs. Rebekah is involved in board and advisory roles, including as a Board Trustee for the Consortium Read more
Published: July 12, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Shari Hubert of Duke Fuqua
Go behind the scenes of MBA admissions at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business with Associate Dean of Admissions Shari Hubert in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Hubert oversees recruitment and admissions for the school’s portfolio of ten business degree programs. Prior to Fuqua, she was in charge of admissions for the Full-time and Evening MBA programs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Hubert has extensive experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, and entered higher education after working for the Peace Corps as director of recruitment within Read more
Published: July 10, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Donna Swinford of Chicago Booth
Get an inside look at admissions at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with Donna Swinford, Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions for MBA Programs, in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Donna has been at Booth since 1997 and joined the Office of Admissions in 2005. She’s seen the admissions process at Booth from pretty much every angle over the course of her tenure, having served in several roles, including head of Operations and Evaluation, before transitioning to her current position as Associate Dean Read more
Published: July 5, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Rebecca Mallen-Churchill of ASU Carey
Let’s dig into Admissions Director Q&A ASU Carey with Rebecca Mallen-Churchill, Director of Graduate Student Recruitment, in our latest Admissions Director Q&A. Mallen-Churchill graduated from ASU in 2005; while earning her degree in theatre and Italian, she also discovered her love for higher education while working for the Graduate Admissions office. After gaining work experience in the hospitality industry and traveling the world, Rebecca returned to Arizona and joined W. P. Carey in 2013. In her time working with the graduate program’s office, Rebecca has recruited students from every corner of the globe. She Read more

MBA Livewire

December 21, 2024 8:37am ET
Accepted to Duke / Fuqua
Round: Round 1
Received via phone on December 11, 2024
GMAT: 675
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
December 21, 2024 2:38am ET
Waitlisted at Duke / Fuqua
Round: Round 1
Received via phone on December 10, 2024
GPA: 3.27
GMAT: 760
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: CA
December 20, 2024 11:16pm ET
Accepted to Babson / Olin
Round: Round 1
Received via email on December 17, 2024
GPA: 3.9
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: South Asia
December 20, 2024 7:50pm ET
Accepted to Columbia
Round: Round 1
Received via portal on December 10, 2024
GMAT: 750
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Application Location: India
Note:

$100k scholarship
December 20, 2024 3:21pm ET
Accepted to Yale SOM
Round: Round 1
Received via email December 20, 2024
GPA: 4.0
GMAT: 750
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Note:

100% scholarship
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