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Posts by Jonathan Pfeffer

About
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as Contributing Writer at MetroMBA and Contributing Editor at Clear Admit, he was also a co-founder of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
Published: June 13, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: How Gaining Leadership Experience at Fuqua Transformed Me
Commencement ceremonies currently abound for the MBA Classes of 2019, and many new graduates are reflecting back on their transformational two-year student experience.  While many MBA dreamers may just be starting their applications while first-years tackle their internships, we wanted to showcase the positive perspective after the two-year journey of a full-time MBA program. Janette Hwang, a second-year MBA student at Duke Fuqua, took to the Fuqua blog to share how she took on leadership responsibilities she never imagined during business school—and how the journey transformed her. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua blog. Read more
Published: June 6, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: FAQ about MIT Sloan
In a weekly LinkedIn blog, current MIT Sloan MBA student Melinda Salaman fielded some of the most frequently asked questions she’s received about her MBA experience from prospective students. These questions range from why Salaman decided to go to business school in the first place to her experience with Sloan’s curricular and extracurricular offerings.  The goal was to offer an “insider scoop” to address concerns that many prospective students share and would benefit from hearing more about in more detail. We've compiled the first few entries for this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, and look forward to another post in the near future with her additional insights. "Why B-School?"​ and Other FAQs about my MBA program (Part 1) The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, MIT Sloan’s LinkedIn page. Read more
Published: May 30, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Interning with Dow Chemical at the intersection of sustainability and business
The summer internship is a significant piece of the business school journey.  From searching for a fitting role to landing the position and then doing the actual work, the internship offers valuable real-world business experience from beginning to end, and prepares business school students for post-MBA professional life. Matt Pundmann, a second-year Johnson MBA student and Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Fellow, took to the Johnson Cornell blog to discuss his summer internship, from finding one to fit his seemingly atypical interests to lessons learned throughout the experience.  Read on for his rundown of his summer internship with Dow Chemical’s Plastics & Specialty Packaging business with a focus on sustainability. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Johnson Cornell Blog. Read more
Published: May 23, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Sloan and Sports
The MIT Sloan School of Management has long been a bastion for the intersection of sports, business, and data analytics.  Their Sports Analytics Conference, which was just held for the thirteenth year in a row, is a forum for industry professionals and students to learn about the global sports industry. The two-day event includes a research paper competition, numerous competitive advantage panels, startup trade show competitions, workshops and more. Current Sloan MBA candidate and former Deloitte management consultant (and college baseball player), Jason Rehhaut, took to the Sloan blog to discuss his experience as part of the Organizing Committee for the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the MIT Sloan blog. Read more
Published: May 16, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: MacEachern Symposium Brings Unique Perspective to Healthcare at Kellogg
The beauty of the MBA is its versatility. Despite the public association of the degree with the realms of finance and consulting, there is a pressing need for MBA graduates in virtually every industry. Take the healthcare sector, for instance. From big pharma to government policy to startups and everywhere in between, the business of healthcare is teeming with opportunities for MBAs. Current Kellogg students Scott Belsky and Lauren Hunter offered their take on the recent MacEachern Symposium, which explored trending topics in healthcare as well as predictions for where the industry is headed. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Inside Kellogg Blog. Read more
Published: May 9, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: My First-Year Tuck Project with Authentica, India
One of the major perks of an MBA is the opportunity to practice in an international business environment. On site, MBAs develop new strategies to adapt to distinct cultural norms and do business under very different sociopolitical circumstances than the ones to which they are accustomed. While most MBA programs offer optional study abroad components, Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business stands out for its “travel requirement” that students must fulfill in order to graduate. First-year Tuck MBA student and New Zealand native Marianne Poh took to the Tuck Blog to discuss her collaboration with an Indian experiential learning program provider. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Tuck Blog. Read more
Published: May 2, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Cracking the Code at Wharton
In recent years, technology has risen to become one of the top career choices for MBA grads and with it, so has the desire for more tech skills and an understanding of some of the related building blocks.  The tricky part is that the majority of MBA students arrive on campus with limited coding experience. At the Wharton School, students sought to address this issue head-on with a new club: The Coding Club. Current MBA students Kahini Shah WG19 and Anthony Farias-Eisner WG20 put together an op-ed for Wharton Magazine about the new MBA club developed to “bring tech novices and experts together to build software and their skill sets.” The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, Wharton Magazine. Read more
Published: April 25, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: The Hardest Thing of the MBA So Far: Learning to Unlearn to Understand the Impact Investing Space
No doubt spurred by the growing conversation about climate change and corporate social responsibility (or lack thereof), one industry that has many in the MBA community buzzing is impact investing. Current Oxford Saïd MBA student Alma C. Gutierrez Toledano recently took to the Saïd blog to discuss how she has explored impact investing so she can produce positive impact while doing business.  Read on to learn more about impact investing and the plethora of related opportunities at Saïd—and how interest in impact investing spans the b-school network with related competitions. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Saïd Business School Blog. Read more
Published: April 18, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Starting up at Booth
The MBA is a framework to explore what matters most to you. Much of the value of business school is in helping students define and refine their professional goals, and then equip them with the tools to excel in their desired field. As you might imagine, the sheer number of opportunities associated with elite programs like Chicago Booth can be overwhelming. Many first-year MBA students find themselves paralyzed by the options at their fingertips.  In light of this challenge, Booth’s Nakul Gupta took to the Booth Experience Blog to unpack how to navigate the plethora of choices at your disposal when you first arrive at business school.  The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Booth Experience Blog. Read more
Published: April 11, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Cornell Johnson Park Perspectives, From Internship to Mentorship
There has been much digital ink spilled on these pages about the value of MBA networks, post-graduation. However, one of the most crucial aspects of the business school experience has to do with peer networks that emerge during MBA programs. Peer mentorship relationships between first- and second-year students can make the first year of business school slightly less of a shock to the system for new MBA candidates. They can also help first-years lay the groundwork to get the most out of their business school experience. Second-year MBA student and Park Leadership Fellow Bryan Tannenbaum, who prior to business school served as Citi Community Capital’s Assistant VP, took to the Cornell / Johnson blog to discuss his experiences as both a mentor and mentee. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Cornell Johnson Business Feed. Read more
Published: April 4, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Interview Prep at UCLA Anderson
One crucial part of any MBA curriculum is to teach students how to put their best foot forward in the job market, whether that means helping them write better resumes or shine in the interview process. In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, we bring you a firsthand perspective of career prep taking place at b-school.  Current UCLA Anderson MBA student Ben Nichols took to the school's MBA Insider's Blog to offer his experience preparing for job interviews. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the UCLA Anderson MBA Insider's Blog. Read more
Published: March 28, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: 4 Lessons from My Microsoft Internship
Internships are where MBAs-to-be can apply the theoretical skills they’ve cultivated in the classroom, and also places where connections and careers are made. Make an impression at your dream company as an MBA and who knows? You might find yourself being invited to working closely with the C-Suite after graduation. Second-year Tiffany Ellis took to the Duke / Fuqua blog to share four crucial lessons she learned from her recent internship at Microsoft. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua Blog. Read more
Published: March 21, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: WBA Presidents Reflect on Gender Equity and Alliance at Kellogg
At many elite MBA programs, like Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, the conversation around gender has seeped into how the curriculum is being designed so MBA graduates from across the entire gender spectrum are better equipped to do business.  Student organizations play a pronounced role, rallying to support female-identified MBAs and give them a louder voice on campus.  In light of this, Ginny Lee and Noelle Bloomfield recently took to the Kellogg Blog to unpack their experiences with gender equity, allyship, and more as part of the Women’s Business Association. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Kellogg Blog. Read more
Published: March 14, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: What is it like to be a woman in one of today’s top global business schools?
In light of International Women's Day last week and the ongoing Women's History Month, this edition of Fridays from the Frontline features two Forté Foundation scholars from Cambridge / Judge. Forté Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to empowering women in business, offers a Fellows Program, which provides fellowships to “women pursuing a full-time, part-time or executive MBA education at our sponsor business schools.” According to Forté, sponsor schools have given more than $142 million to more than 6,300 Forté Fellows to date. Read on to hear from members of the Judge MBA Class of 2018, Natalia Dziergwa and Rebecca Kilbane, about why women would do well to consider Cambridge Judge. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, Cambridge Judge Insight. Read more
Published: March 7, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Tuck’s OnSite Global Consulting Takes a Closer Look at China’s Running Culture
As we enter the third decade of the Asian Century, Stateside MBA programs are taking strides to find ways to embed themselves and their students in Asian markets. One clear method to gain a foothold in any market—or at the very least get a lay of the land—is through cultural immersion. Second-year Tuck student Maria Milleville, who will join the Danaher Corporation’s General Management Development Program after graduation, documented her experience with Chinese running culture as part of her OnSite assignment. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Tuck 360 Blog. Read more
Published: February 28, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Helping Vets Make the Transition to Business
Business school has become an increasingly popular bastion for military veterans looking to pivot to a less death-defying career path. Veterans make natural MBAs—they are known for devising and executing detailed plans, alternately leading and following orders, and working collaboratively. More and more ex-military have begun to pursue MBAs and business schools are working to make the transition as smooth as possible. Current UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA student and U.S. Navy vet Michael Burris took to the school blog to discuss how Kenan-Flagler helps veterans transition from tours of duty to careers in consulting, finance, real estate, entrepreneurship, and beyond. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the UNC Kenan-Flagler Blog. Read more
Published: February 21, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: 25 Random Things About My Section at Duke / Fuqua
As many b-schoolers we’ve profiled in our Real Humans series will attest, the essay is often the most nerve-wracking part of the entire admissions process; not only is your individuality on full display, but it’s poked, prodded, and vetted for how well it might fit into your desired school’s community vision. Duke Fuqua’s “25 Random Things” admissions prompt takes a fun approach to the traditional essay, offering prospective students an opportunity to share just about anything and everything they see fit with the admissions team. Current Duke Fuqua MBA student John MacDonald took to the Daytime MBA Student Blog to compile the “25 Random Things” about all the students in his section. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog. Read more
Published: February 19, 2019
Real Humans of Indiana Kelley’s MBA Class of 2020
Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business has an exceptional MBA program consistently ranked in the top 25 of MBA programs by Forbes and US News & World Report. Kelley’s innovative curriculum emphasizes the school’s four core values: collaboration, professionalism, leadership, and excellence. The first experience that Kelley MBA students have is via Me, Inc., an intensive program in which students do some major self-reflection. The goal of the program is to help students develop a clear idea of what they want to do over the next two years. After completing this pre-MBA program, the Kelley MBA program Read more
Published: February 17, 2019
Podcast Episode 29: Wharton Team-Based Discussions (TBD)
In this episode, your hosts Alex Brown and Graham Richmond break down Wharton’s group interview – the ‘Team Based Discussion’ (TBD) – and offer a wealth of tips and background to help applicants ace their Wharton admissions interview. Ranging from the history and purpose of the TBD to the specifics of this year’s TBD prompt, Alex and Graham – who both formerly worked in admissions at Wharton – deliver the most in-depth podcast that ever been produced on this topic. They also provide sage advice on how to deal with different personality types in your TBD and explain the pros Read more
Published: February 14, 2019
Fridays From The Frontline: Park Perspectives: 3 Tips for Maintaining Long-distance Relationships during Business School
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, this week's Fridays from the Frontline highlights advice on relationships during b-school.  While candy hearts and teddy bears are sweet signs of love, it takes more than tokens to maintain a long-distance relationship—particularly with the added stress and time consumption of a full-time MBA.  Fear not, lovers!  Cornell Johnson MBA Taylor Fox ’19 took to the Johnson Experience Blog to offer some tips for prospective b-schoolers on how to make long-distance partnerships work. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Johnson Experience Blog. Read more
Published: February 13, 2019
Real Humans of Carnegie Mellon Tepper’s MBA Class of 2020
Pittsburgh is a city of confluence, intersected by three rivers—the Ohio, Alleghany, and Monongahela. As the city’s hills rise away from these three mighty bodies of water, the various streams of Pittsburgh life merge—the artistic culture of Pittsburgh with its industrial past and its technological future. One of the places that best exemplifies the mixture that is Pittsburgh is Carnegie Mellon University. Sitting along the coast of the Monongahela, Carnegie Mellon is well known as one of the best technical schools in the U.S., producing generations of engineers and computer scientists. It also has one of the top drama schools, Read more
Published: February 10, 2019
Real Humans of Emory Goizueta’s MBA Class of 2020
Long the hub of the South, Atlanta has been rapidly gaining national prominence due to the rise of its homegrown rap scene and its booming media economy, anchored by firms such as Turner and Tyler Perry Studios. Long before Atlanta became a music and media hub, Atlanta was—and remains—a major international business hub. Currently, the city is home to massive companies such as Coca-Cola, Delta, UPS, and the Home Depot. Given the companies headquartered in the city, it is a no-brainer that Atlanta is a stellar place for MBA students to learn their craft. Emory University’s Goizueta Read more
Published: February 7, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: UCLA Anderson Student Perspectives
There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that the first year of any MBA program is overwhelming. Even for the brave souls who can hit the ground running no matter how new or strange the situation, there is the simple transition from a full-time work schedule into a full-time student role—likely for the first time in many moons—to contend with. Prospective b-schoolers sweating as they imagine their return to student life would do well to take a few notes from UCLA Anderson’s Jessica Cheng before kicking off their first year. Cheng recently took to the school blog to break down a typical day in the life of a first-year MBA student. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the "UCLA Anderson Blog." Read more
Published: February 5, 2019
Real Humans of SMU Cox’s MBA Class of 2020
In the minds of many, Dallas is embodied by three cultural artifacts: the Cowboys, the JFK assassination, and the 80s soap opera. But on the ground, Dallas is a bustling city of business in the heart of the Lone Star State. Jobs are booming, and the future is looking bright. Southern Methodist University has consistently generated many of those future business leaders through the MBA program at its Cox School of Business. SMU Cox is one of the smaller schools profiled in this series, as its incoming class is only 109 students. Read more
Published: January 29, 2019
Real Humans of the HEC Paris MBA Class of 2020
According to Times Higher Education, HEC Paris has produced the most CEOs of Fortune Global 500 companies. This is appealing to students who both want to lead major businesses, as well as those who want to create their own legacies. Entrepreneurship is also at the forefront, as the school estimates about a quarter of graduates each year launch their own businesses.  Moreover, there are hundreds of entrepreneurial projects created during the school year. HEC Paris limits each entering cohort to 250 students, which means that competition is intense. Only 16 percent of those who applied to Read more

MBA Livewire

December 19, 2024 10:03pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via portal December 19, 2024
EA: 165
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: Brazil
December 19, 2024 7:32pm ET
Interview Invite to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email December 19, 2024
GMAT: 645
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Application Location: Texas
Note:

Invited for virtual interview. Applied as part of round 1 Consortium. Had sort of written it off as a rejection after hearing nothing from them since submitting on Oct 15th
December 19, 2024 6:11pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via email December 19, 2024
GPA: 3.8
GRE: 329
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Marketing
Application Location: Italy
Note:

Interviewed 11/24 and got the email today. Reapplicant after being waitlisted last year. Yay!
December 19, 2024 3:42pm ET
Accepted to Yale SOM
Round: Round 1
Received via phone on December 04, 2024
GPA: 3.83
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: CA
December 19, 2024 3:25pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 2
Received via email December 19, 2024
GPA: 3.8
GRE: 319
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Marketing
Note:

Received application status update email with link to updated portal
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