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Published: March 31, 2021
Kellogg School Offers Rejected Applicants Kinder, Gentler Rejection
Evanston, IL – It’s no small secret that applying to leading MBA programs is a stressful process. While some programs take a ‘rip the band-aid off’ approach by delivering admissions decisions en masse, others slowly trickle out interview invitations or calls of congratulations, as applicants painfully sit by and wait. Looking to ease the stress and lessen the sting of rejection, the Kellogg School of Management has taken a rather unorthodox approach to delivering admissions decisions. First, the school has promised a participation trophy for each applicant, to Read more
Published: March 31, 2021
ETS to Rebrand the GRE Test for Business School Applicants; Introduces ‘GreMAT’
Lawrenceville, NJ – Citing an increasing need to serve the growing population of MBA applicants, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) announced a business school-specific rebranding of their Graduate Record Examination (GRE), currently in use for virtually all disciplines of graduate education. ETS Director of Testing Products, Elaine Bennis, offered the following remarks: “While the market for business school has been experiencing significant growth, we were finding that some MBA applicants are reluctant to take the GRE, and we knew the branding needed a bit of a rethink. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce The Graduate Record Examination Management Aptitude Read more
Published: March 31, 2021
The “Association for Student Services, Employment & Success” Targets Clear Admit’s LiveWire
Washington, D.C. – Citing a multi-year study, a leading body of employers and career counselors has filed suit against Clear Admit, arguing that the firm’s LiveWire tool saps productivity amongst recent college graduates working in the professional world. The organization’s director, Martin McFly, stated: “Look, we get it. Young people love all kinds of newfangled social networks and tools, but this MBA LiveWire nonsense goes too far. Many of our members, from McKinsey to Microsoft, have reported that their staff members applying to business school are simply glued to clearadmit.com during work hours.”  Clear Admit’s co-founder, Graham Richmond, offered a Read more
Published: March 31, 2021
UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business to Offer Innovative New MBA Concentration
Berkeley, CA – One of the nation’s leading business schools, famous for its emphasis on innovation, social impact, and strategy, is innovating again. The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley has introduced a new concentration focusing on the cannabis sector. Courses within the concentration will cover the historical, cultural, economic, political, legal, chemical, medicinal, and spiritual dimensions of cannabis as well as the cultivation of marijuana and hemp and the commercial development of the cannabis industry. Haas Professors Robert Weir and Gerald Garcia, who jointly head up the new concentration, issued the following statement: “It’s time that the management Read more
Published: March 31, 2021
MBA Student Interview by Juno: Varun From MIT Sloan
The MBA Series is brought to you by Juno, a collective bargaining group for student loans. In this series, we’ll interview MBA students about their paths and decision-making process. The following interview was conducted with Varun from MIT Sloan.  Getting into MIT Varun was accepted into his one-year MBA program at MIT Sloan in late 2019, just months before COVID-19 shut down campuses around the world. While he was given the option of deferring acceptance, he was already mentally prepared to begin the program Read more
Published: March 30, 2021
Yale SOM Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
The interview was with a second-year student via Zoom. The interview atmosphere was fairly relaxed and conversational. The interviewer stated that he read my resume prior to the interview and had a set list of questions he had to ask. List of interview questions: 1. Please give me a 60 second introduction about yourself. 2. Tell me how you can contribute to diversity at SOM. 3. How else can you contribute to Yale? 4. Is there anything else you would like me to know? 5. What questions do you have for me? The interview itself Read more
Published: March 25, 2021
Stanford GSB Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alum / Skype
1. Tell me about yourself. 2. What are you most proud of? (Some specific follow ups here) 3. Tell me a time you received an insight and how it changed the way you and the team progressed. 4. What is a time you had to convince someone in a group? (Digging in with follow-up questions around the events) 5. When have you failed? 6. When did you change the culture of a team? 7. Tell me about a time you have persuaded someone to give you resources (beyond the norm). 8. Why MBA? Read more
Published: March 22, 2021
Stanford GSB Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Zoom
It was a blind interview with an alumnus – they only had access to my resume. The interview was centered around my own experiences (including challenges and failures) and reflections, instead of my accomplishments. Interviewer was very sharp, frequently challenged my views and fact-checked my statements; he had rich industry experiences. Questions: Introduce yourself. Why GSB? What is your long-term goal in life? Why? What is your personal motivation for doing this? Tell me an experience about going beyond your current role. What was the biggest challenge? Which approaches did you try? How did you influence Read more
Published: March 21, 2021
MBA Student Interview by Juno: Sebastian Carreno from MIT Sloan
The MBA Series is brought to you by Juno, a collective bargaining group for student loans. In this series, we’ll interview MBA students about their paths and decision-making process. The following interview was conducted with Sebastian Carreno from MIT Sloan.  Choosing MIT Sloan After gaining some on-the-job experience in his hometown of Caracas, Venezuela, Sebastian Carreno came to the United States to get his MBA. Completing a degree in a different country comes with its own challenges, but adding the stress and uncertainty of COVID-19 added a whole new layer of Read more
Published: March 20, 2021
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / AdCom / Zoom
Interview Questions (that I can remember) in roughly the order I received them: Any updates to your application? Tell me more about your data visualization and why it’s important to you. Tell me about how your organization has done in the past 12 months. Follow-up: How did you motivate your team (in this situation)? What was your greatest accomplishment in the past 12 months? Tell me about a time when you challenged or pushed back against someone. Follow-up: How did you convince that organization (in this situation)? Tell me about a time Read more
Published: March 20, 2021
Cornell Johnson Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Skype
You leave your Skype on and wait until they call you at the appointed time. Questions that were asked: Tell me about yourself. Why MBA now? Why Cornell Johnson? What’s your back-up recruitment strategy? Name a time you showed leadership. Read more
Published: March 19, 2021
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
My interview was with an adcom, and the interview lasted exactly 30-minutes. We spent around five minutes talking about my data visualization. We then moved to four behavioral questions. 1) Why an MBA? Why Sloan? 2) What do you currently do at your company? 3) How has your background helped you solve client problems? 4) Tell me about a time you motivated someone to go beyond their believed capacity. Adcom then allowed me to ask questions and the adcom then asked me if there was anything else the admissions committee should know about me. Overall, my interview Read more
Published: March 18, 2021
Fridays from the Frontline: Give Yourself Grace – My 5 Tips for Surviving Virtual Classes
In this week’s Fridays from the Frontline, we hear from Emory Goizueta MBA student, Racquel Waite, about virtual classes during b-school. Give Yourself Grace: My 5 Tips for Surviving Virtual Classes By Racquel Waite, Emory Goizueta MBA ’21 I think we can all agree that this is not how we planned or thought our business school journey would go. Many of us came to school to expand our network, and though we may have accomplished that, it is unfortunate that we weren’t able to do it in the same way that previous classes Read more
Published: March 14, 2021
Cornell Johnson Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Skype
The interview was very friendly and conversational. Fairly conventional and nothing particularly surprising, though it was highly tailored to my resume and background. There was definitely a strong focus on why Cornell specifically and it seemed like the interviewer was trying to assess my interest in the school. I definitely got the sense that Johnson has a strong and tight-knit culture from how the interviewer interacted with me and talked about his experience. Questions: 1. Walk me through your resume. 2. Why are you getting an MBA? 3. Why Cornell Johnson? 4. Have you spoken with Read more
Published: March 14, 2021
Episode 152: Wire Taps—UNC Kenan-Flagler or Indiana Kelley for Consulting?
We have another episode of WireTaps for you!  As the floodgates begin to open on R2 admissions decisions, Graham and Alex touch on some key admissions tips around navigating the waitlist (should a CBS waitlist-er retake the GRE?), the importance of logical, feasible career plans (does a Canadian applicant need to focus her goals to be more consistent with her experience to date?), and the inherent challenges in choosing a program when juggling geographic and career preferences (should an admitted student pick UNC or Kelley for strategy consulting in Chicago?). Our hosts also unveil an upcoming Clubhouse event, news of Read more
Published: March 13, 2021
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
Interview questions: 1. Anything else new that’s happened in your personal or professional life since your application? 2. Why did you leave your previous job? Isn’t that a pretty solid job? 3. What attracted you to where you are now? Was it a good decision? 4. Tell me about time you led a team to accomplish a goal. 5. Why MBA? 6. Why Sloan? 7. Tell me about a time you had to push back (not the same as in your application / essay). 8. Where does Sloan rank in the programs Read more
Published: March 11, 2021
MBA Student Interview by Juno: Abby from Michigan Ross
The MBA Student Interviews Series is brought to you by Juno, a collective bargaining group for student loans. In this series, we’ll interview MBA students about their paths and decision-making process.  About Abby After growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Abby found herself interning at the Senate and House of Representatives for a period of time while in college. While this was a dream come true, it also left her wondering what was next. Fortunately, she attended a State Department information session and discovered the Critical Language Scholarship Program and in no time, Read more
Published: March 11, 2021
Fridays from the Frontline: Cementing Friendships During COVID Self-isolation
In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, INSEAD MBA ’21J, Cecily Liu, sheds light on building and maintaining connections during a pandemic. Cementing Friendships During COVID Self-isolation By Cecily Liu, INSEAD MBA ’21J Self-isolation paints a scary picture during COVID times. For many, the thought of attending MBA classes via Zoom while being confined to a tiny room is a significant compromise to the campus experience, and potentially a nightmare. But having being thrown unexpectedly into this situation for two weeks, my perspective transformed. The care, support and friendships I experienced during this Read more
Published: March 10, 2021
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
The interview – application + two pre-interview essays-based – felt like a genuine free-flowing conversation rather than interviewing with a person who needs to go through a specific set of questions before the interview ends (the feeling one has when interviewing with students and alumni). It lasted for about 40 minutes and was extremely enjoyable. The interviewer seemed to have enjoyed it as well and was very amicable (contrary to what I’ve read online, the interview was far from being “too serious,” and the adcom tried to make me feel comfortable). Given the interview is application-based and personal, I think Read more
Published: March 10, 2021
Johnson Cornell Tech MBA Alumni Startups Tackle COVID-19 Challenges
Whether in the hospital or at home, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced challenges that can only be resolved with innovation and determination. In this special feature, four Johnson Cornell Tech MBA alumni discuss how the companies they have launched introduce solutions to obstacles during the pandemic. Enroute Facilitates Patient Care Enroute Co-founders, Mike Kosnik, CEO, and Samson Schirmer, CPO Johnson Cornell Tech MBA alumni Mike Kosnik and Samson Schirmer created Enroute. As medical professionals around the world face the uncharted waters of a global health crisis, Enroute has found a way to make Read more
Published: March 8, 2021
LBS Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Virtual Interview
Had a fairly conversational interview with an alum that consisted of the standard questions (Tell me about yourself, why MBA, why LBS) as well as some questions about my resume and behavioral questions. My interviewer had already read through my application so there wasn’t a ton of probing questions on my motivations for b-school since it was already in the app. One unexpected question was what other schools I was applying to- makes sense since LBS is very concerned about yield, so this is important to have a good answer prepared about why you would prefer LBS vs. other schools. Read more
Published: March 8, 2021
UNC Kenan-Flagler Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Third Party / Video Interview
This was a very conversational interview! I had a great time talking to the interviewer about my background. The list of questions are the following: 1. Why MBA? Why now? Why Kenan-Flagler? 2. What are your short-term goals and long-term goals? 3. What are some activities / organizations you would like to be a part of? 4. Tell me about a time you worked with a team / leadership skills. Overall, the interview went well. I was given the last 10 minutes to ask questions about the program / school. Yesterday, I received an acceptance letter Read more
Published: March 7, 2021
Yale SOM Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
Interviewed with a second-year student working in an unrelated field to me. Very relaxed, resume-based interview. No surprises, they follow a script. Biggest professional achievement? ST/LT goals Why MBA? Why Yale? How will you contribute to diversity at Yale? Tell me about your quote? A time when you listened to someone and they changed your mind (using active listening). Overall advice is to keep your story straight and practice a lot. The 30 mins time constraint is strict. Have 2-3 max questions at them for the end. Good luck to whoever is reading this! Read more
Published: March 5, 2021
UNC Kenan-Flagler Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Skype
I was interviewed my an adcom member via Skype. The adcom member read my application completely including the essays. Below are the questions she asked: 1. Tell me about you experience in XXX Bank, your career progression and why you want to do an MBA? 2. What’s your career goal? 3. Why an MBA from US and why Kenan-Flagler? 4. What is the most challenging thing you have done at work, which you are proud of? Read more
Published: March 4, 2021
UNC Kenan-Flagler Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Skype
The interview was with an adcom and it was application based. She informed me at the start that she did have access to my entire application. It was a fairly standard interview, asking about my past experience. She asked why Kenan-Flagler specifically. She also asked about the diversity component in the application and how my current job works with diverse backgrounds. Not much surprised me throughout, there were no curveball questions. Read more

MBA Livewire

November 18, 2024 5:40pm ET
Rejected at MIT Sloan
Round: Round 1
Received via email on October 27, 2024
GPA: 3.93
GMAT: 720
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
November 18, 2024 4:47pm ET
Interview Invite to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 18, 2024
GPA: 4.44/5.0
GRE: 332
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Technology
Application Location: Nigeria
November 18, 2024 4:47pm ET
Interview Invite to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 18, 2024
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Note:

Applied Consortium R1
November 18, 2024 4:42pm ET
Interview Invite to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 18, 2024
GPA: 3.91
GRE: 318
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Texas
Note:

Got the invite today from round 1, don’t lose hope!
November 18, 2024 4:38pm ET
Interview Invite to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 18, 2024
EA: 165
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: Brazil
Note:

Applied with EA (165 score); Submitted on September 4
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