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Published: July 3, 2023
MBA Admissions Tip: Addressing Unemployment or Gaps in Employment
Given the emphasis that schools place on a candidate’s work experience, it is important to be proactive in addressing unemployment or gaps in employment. When applying to business school, many candidates worry about how the adcom might perceive gaps in employment. Read our ‘MBA Admissions Tip: Addressing Unemployment Gaps in Employment’ to learn strategies for effectively managing unemployment and employment gaps during your MBA application process. Gaps in Employment It’s not unheard of for an MBA candidate to have a gap in employment, and this will not necessarily make a negative impact on someone’s candidacy. Gaps might be due to Read more
Published: June 19, 2023
Real Humans of J&J: Peter Zhang, Toronto Rotman PharmD/MBA ’22, Marketing Associate
In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Marketing Associate Peter Zhang reflects on his time at Toronto Rotman, where he earned an MBA as well as a Doctor of Pharmacy. Read on for how the dynamic school and community supported his current work at Johnson & Johnson. Peter Zhang, Toronto Rotman PharmD/MBA ’22, Marketing Associate at Johnson & Johnson Age: 27 Hometown: Thornhill Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Toronto, Immunology & Human Biology Graduate Business School, Graduation Year and Concentration (if applicable): Rotman School of Management, 2022, Combined Read more
Published: June 13, 2023
Admissions Tip: Considering the Campus
There are many factors that go into deciding whether to apply to a specific school, one of which is the physical place where you’ll be spending 1-2 years. Whether speaking with current students or touring the campus for yourself, it’s helpful to approach these information-gathering experiences with as clear a sense of what matters to you as possible. Factors to consider about a business school’s campus: 1. Facilities Are state-of-the-art classrooms and impressive new architecture a priority for you? Would you prefer a school that is headquartered in a single building to one spread over a larger campus? What about Read more
Published: June 4, 2023
HBS MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
The interviewer (a senior adcom member who was also an HBS grad) was so nice and welcoming – really made me feel at ease throughout the process, and it felt really fun! 30 mins went by really quickly, and it did not feel like a rapid-fire Q&A at all. Was surprised at how many questions there are about my prior employer! Here is the list of questions: Why did you pick your undergrad college? How was the exchange program (when you were a high school student) structured? How did you pick your prior employer and move to a different city? Read more
Published: June 4, 2023
Duke Fuqua MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
The interviewer was a second-year US student at Fuqua, who was energetic, engaging and seemed interested in my background and work experience. The interview lasted about 50 mins, with the last 20 mins for me to ask him some questions about his experience at Fuqua. The interview felt different compared to other alumni interviews I experienced, as the interviewer gave his thoughts/comments after each question. It felt casual like a conversation with a friend, which helped to put me at ease. Here is the list of questions: How is this week going so far for you? How did you transition Read more
Published: June 4, 2023
Michigan Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Zoom
The interviewer was a recent alum from an emerging market in my region, who was engaging and seemed interested in my background in tech and startups. (He is in a different industry.) The interview lasted about an hour, with the last 15 mins for me to ask him some questions about his experience at Ross. Some unexpected questions that I had to navigate, and some of my answers were too long, but fingers crossed! Here is the list of questions: Tell me more about yourself. Why Business School/MBA? Would you want to work in the US or go back to Read more
Published: June 4, 2023
Berkeley Haas MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Zoom
The interviewer (a Haas alum from the emerging market) was nice and straightforward, asking exactly 5 questions as she laid out the structure before the interview (not counting follow-ups). She seemed nice and curious; it was a laid-back interview. Was surprised that there was no “Walk me through your resume” question. The interview lasted about 50 mins, with the last 20 mins for me to ask her some questions about her experience at Haas. Here is the list of questions: Why MBA now? Why Haas? How will you contribute to DEI at Haas? Tell me about a time when you Read more
Published: June 4, 2023
Northwestern Kellogg MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Zoom
The interviewer (a Kellogg 2Y alum from my home country) was nice and straightforward, asking questions related to points on my resume and then the typical Why MBA now/why Kellogg (which was closer to the end of the interview, surprisingly). She seemed genuinely curious about my career transitions, my work and community service, and my values as a collaborative team player. The interview lasted about an hour, with the last 10-15 mins for me to ask her some questions about her exp at Kellogg. Here is the list of questions: Walk me through your resume. Is your current community service Read more
Published: June 4, 2023
MIT Sloan MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Zoom
Casual, but straightforward, interview, which put me at ease as I had some issues with the webcam at the beginning of the interview. My interviewer was a senior adcom member who was professional and courteous rather than chatty. The interview is less than 30 mins, so not sure how she feels, but I did the best that I could. Here are the questions: Any updates to your application that you would like us to know about? Tell me about your data visualization. Follow up on data visualization. Tell me about how you joined your current startup (is it pandemic impacted, Read more
Published: May 30, 2023
MBA Admissions Consulting: How to Choose an Advisor
An experienced MBA admissions consulting partner can: Markedly increase an applicant’s chances of MBA program acceptance and scholarship because admissions consulting firms know the applicant competition and have best practices extrapolated from volumes of past client results Give an applicant the clarity and focus around their values and career aspirations to optimize success in recruiting job offers as an MBA student How Can Prospective MBA Applicants Select the Right Advisor? Many applicants to top business school programs hire an MBA admissions consultant for their applications. Applying to business school requires a substantial amount of time and effort, and many candidates Read more
Published: May 17, 2023
Stanford MBA Students Host 3rd Annual Event to Demystify MBA Experience for Black Undergrads
Contributed by the DBLB leadership team. Stanford GSB students who are committed to increasing diversity in the MBA applicant pool and equity in the application process for business schools globally are leading the third annual Dream Big Lead Boldly workshop (DBLB). The DBLB initiative helps demystify the MBA experience for students and young professionals who identify as Black. This free, one-day virtual workshop will take place on Sunday, May 21. The workshop will feature keynote speaker Simone Hill Okafor and will cover the following themes: Designing your life/career Industry breakout conversations Deciding if an MBA is right for you Paying Read more
Published: May 8, 2023
USC Marshall MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Zoom
They asked if they could record me for the panel to view it later. 1. Ice breaker question. 2. Asked about my current position and future career goals. 3. Asked what I would bring different to the program. 4. Asked how I would handle a situation where my group didn’t agree on something on a project or didn’t get along. 5. Asked if I gravitate toward being a leader if everyone in my group had the same personality or if I would take a back seat. 6. Asked about my time management. 7. Asked Read more
Published: May 8, 2023
USC Marshall MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Adcom / Skype
Nicholas Britz interviewed me and it went very well. Very conversational. I think he always use the same questions and I was asked exactly the same question as other folks. 45 minutes, easy. How did you learn about USC Marshall? Walk me through your resume. Why Marshall? What motivates you? What inspires you? What is success to you? Long-term goals in 10 years? How would you set a goal? A piece of critical feedback that you have received during your professional journey. Questions for him. Overall is very friendly interview, he also told me the next steps at the end Read more
Published: May 3, 2023
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 27, 2023
Upcoming Virtual Event Series: MBA Application Overview
You’ve got your grades and (maybe) your test scores. You’ve put in the time and effort at work, and have accomplishments and skills to show for it. You’re also active and involved in your community. 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 four events – on consecutive Wednesdays in May – May 3rd, May 10th, May 17th & May 24th, all @ 12pm ET – each with representatives from up to five Read more
Published: April 26, 2023
Admissions Tip: Can I Negotiate A Scholarship for Business School?
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 leads to an age-old question: At their dream program, Read more
Published: April 12, 2023
Rice Business MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Video Assessment
I received the Kira video assessment, which consists of four questions to be completed within 8 minutes. 1. Name and ID (3mins) 2. What’s your plan at Rice? How do you find the balance? (1.5mins) 3. What tactics do you use to try and understand the cultures or perspectives of others? (1.5mins) 4. There are lots of different courses, electives & activities in this MBA program. How are you going to prioritize your life & responsibilities? What is most important to you as you go through this program? (1.5mins) Read more
Published: April 2, 2023
MIT Sloan MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
Interviewer was really friendly, definitely wasn’t a grilling session. They’ll have read your application beforehand so they’ll know your background and video – which was a great icebreaker. 1) Introduce yourself and why you want an MBA. 2) What excites you at work? 3) A challenge faced at work? 4) Tell me about a time you mentored someone. 5) Anything else we haven’t covered? Read more
Published: March 30, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Narottam Kishore of BITSoM
Sponsored Content We return to our Admissions Director Q&A with Narottam Kishore, the Head of Admissions & Outreach and Student Affairs at BITS School of Management, Mumbai (BITSoM). BITSoM is a new business school under the aegis of BITS Pilani, identified as Institution of Eminence by the Government of India. Narottam has been at BITSoM for the past two years, leading admissions and outreach initiatives for the full-time MBA program. In his role as the head of the Student Affairs, he is responsible for overseeing student clubs, managing student activities, and promoting student learning and development outside Read more
Published: March 30, 2023
Webinar: Carnegie Mellon Tepper – Join the Intelligent Future – April 2023 – Video Recap
Check out this video recap of our recent Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA Webinar!  Join the Intelligent Future! Tepper MBA combines advanced analytics with personalized leadership coaching to give you a formidable advantage in a competitive market. Douglas Alford, Director of Admissions, Tepper MBA students and Masters Career Center professionals discuss why the science of management and art of leadership matter in your MBA and how those skills will prepare you for a future fueled by data, powered by technology, and unleashed by human intelligence. This event was on April 18, 2023 at 12pm Eastern time.  Please check out Read more
Published: March 30, 2023
Spring 2023 Survey – We Need Your Input!
At this point in the 2022-2023 admissions season, many of our community members are weighing their options for business school next fall semester. Meanwhile, others have made their school choice and are looking forward to matriculating in the coming months. Of course, another admissions season is just around the corner for those just beginning to think about graduate management education! We are interested in hearing from individuals who are considering an MBA in the future, as well as those who have committed to enrolling this fall. Clear Admit is conducting an online survey focused on the ways you Read more
Published: March 28, 2023
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
Interview ran for just over 30 minutes. The actual interview went for ~27 minutes, with about 5 minutes for my questions at the end. We started chatting generally about time zones (I’m international) before beginning the interview. Questions asked: 1. Tell me about your data visualization. 2. Any updates to your application? 3. Question about one of my stories from cover letter + follow up question. 4. Tell me about a time you had to convince people as a leader. 5. Tell me about a difficult person you had to work with. 6. Why Read more
Published: March 21, 2023
MIT Sloan MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
The interview was kept very strict to 30 minutes, which was unlike every other interview I did. The interviewer had thoroughly read my entire application. Overall, my interviewer was polite it was a pleasant experience. There was some small talk in the beginning, but then we got right to it. *Expect follow-up questions for your answer!* 1. Any updates to your application? 2. Tell me about your Data visualization. 3. What is something you’re working on/doing right now? 4. Proudest accomplishment in the last year? 5. A goal I set in the last year and how Read more
Published: March 19, 2023
CBS MBA Interview Questions & Report: Early Decision / Alumnus / Zoom
It was a standard interview, and lasted about 45 mins. Was asked on why MBA, Why Columbia and goals (both short-term and long-term). He asked to elaborate a bit more on my long-term goals to understand the context, and few follow-ups on that. The tone was very conversational, and felt like the interviewer was really trying to understand my goals. One thing that threw me off a bit was my plan B if my plan A goals don’t workout. No behavioral questions were asked. At the end, he asked if I wanted to add anything, and I mentioned how I Read more
Published: March 13, 2023
Dartmouth Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
I applied by December 1st (guaranteed interview) and interviewed on December 6th with a second-year student via Zoom: Interviewer: Intro, Agenda, Little about themself Questions (obviously from a template, but follow-up questions led to more of a conversational back-and-forth) – Walk me through your resume / tell me about yourself. – Why MBA? – Why Tuck? – [you mentioned XYZ, what are your short/long term goals in that field?] – Proudest accomplishment? – Tell me about a time you did something outside your comfort zone. – Tell me about a time you had a conflict Read more

MBA Livewire

November 16, 2024 2:22am ET
Accepted to HEC Paris
Round: Round 3
Received via email on November 14, 2024
GMAT: 700
Program Type: One Year Program
Target Career: Finance
November 16, 2024 1:16am ET
Waitlisted at Columbia
Round: Round 1
Received via email on November 14, 2024
GRE: 331
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Note:

Waitlisted without interview
November 16, 2024 1:07am ET
Interview Invite to Other
Round: Round 1
Received via email
GPA: 2.7
GRE: 303
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Marketing
Application Location: India
November 15, 2024 4:36pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via phone November 15, 2024
GPA: 3.5
GMAT: 760
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: United States
November 15, 2024 3:55pm ET
Interview Invite to UVA / Darden
Round: Round 1
Received via email on October 27, 2024
GPA: 3.01
GRE: 319
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Other
Application Location: New York City
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