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Posts by Lauren Wakal

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Lauren Wakal has been covering the MBA admissions space for more than a decade, from in-depth business school profiles to weekly breaking news and more.
Published: April 14, 2020
Real Humans of BCG: Reid Velo, NYU Stern ’19, Consultant
Consulting can be a dynamic career, meeting new clients in new places and solving new business problems every week.  Boston Consulting Group (BCG)—one of the Big Three of the top consulting firms known as MBB—has 90 offices in 50 countries, and therefore no shortage of opportunities to pursue a diverse and lively profession.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Reid Velo, NYU Stern MBA ’19 and consultant at BCG, offers his perspective on the industry, the value of an MBA, the power of New York City and more. Reid Velo, Read more
Published: April 14, 2020
The Chicago Booth Experience During COVID-19
One of many hallmarks of the Chicago Booth MBA is flexibility.  While this has mainly referred to the curriculum and course scheduling (e.g. MBA students only have one required course, and can tailor the rest of their studies), it’s been put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As we hear from Nadeem Khan, Chicago Booth MBA ’20, the community has risen to the challenge—and continues to pass with flying colors.  Read on for Khan’s account of professors moving lessons online, how student clubs are coping and more about the leading business Read more
Published: April 13, 2020
Real Humans of Amazon: Roshni Naidu, Wharton ’18, Senior Technical Product Manager
“Alexa, what is the weather today?” “Hey Alexa, play some 80s classics.” “Alexa, how many tech products does Amazon have?” Amazon, the largest online retailer and AI assistant producer, is a part of most people’s daily lives.  Hundreds of millions of people shop on their dot com, while countless others watch TV, request information, surveil their front doors and enjoy many other services with Amazon’s tech products.  Behind the scenes of these tools that yield efficiency and convenience, business leaders are hard at work developing them.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Roshni Read more
Published: April 12, 2020
The Northwestern Kellogg Experience During COVID-19
“Teamwork” and “Kellogg MBA” are practically synonymous.  So it’s hard to imagine what happens when student teammates can no longer convene on Northwestern University’s campus.  But such is the tough reality of social distancing and quarantining efforts amidst the threat of COVID-19.  Of course, business leaders are creative and adaptive, so unsurprisingly Kellogg MBA students have risen to the challenge and maintained their connections.  Three second-year MBA students, Mary Beech, Kris Masoor, Ayyub Bokhari, share below how their Kellogg education Read more
Published: April 12, 2020
Episode 96: Wire Taps— Berkeley Haas, Chicago Booth or Northwestern Kellogg?
In another podcast episode of Wire Taps, Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are back to offer insights into the MBA admissions process. Tune in below to hear their feedback for MBA applicants who shared their stories on MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire. One MBA hopeful featured in the show has a lot of work experience: Another potential applicant may need to address their undergraduate GPA: The admitted MBA candidate featured in the podcast episode Read more
Published: April 12, 2020
Real Humans of Google: Senyo S. Abotsi, Wharton ’19, Product Specialist
Google has seven products with 1 billion users, and countless more products being ushered from ideation to development and delivery.  Their product management teams work on new technologies, platforms, consumer facing products, and/or enterprise systems.  Being in charge of product execution entails leadership, teamwork and superior management skills, among others that can be honed in business school.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, see how Senyo S. Abotsi, Wharton MBA ’19 and product specialist at Google, rose to the challenge of high expectations, developed a passion for business and now thrives Read more
Published: April 9, 2020
The Yale SOM Experience During COVID-19
While the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 has disrupted admissions for this year’s MBA applicants, current students are also facing some shake-ups in their graduate management education.  To see how student life has changed, we have been catching up with MBA candidates across top programs.  To kick off this series, we hear from Grace Liu Happ, a first-year student at the Yale School of Management.  Nearly 350 students comprise Yale SOM’s Class of 2021, and the school has moved all Spring semester classes online.  Read on for Grace’s account Read more
Published: April 9, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: The Oxford MBA So Far
As the COVID-19 pandemic rolls across the globe, MBA students have had to adapt their educational experiences. In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, we hear from an Oxford MBA student about the in-person highlights of her MBA from earlier this academic year, and how she and her classmates have kept their connection going. Oxford MBA Student, Cynthia Hass The Oxford MBA So Far By Cynthia Hass, MBA ’19-’20 With COVID19 in the air, we’ve moved to digital classes. That means our MBA is now completely online and we have Read more
Published: April 7, 2020
Real Humans of Apple: Kristin Glaspie, Wharton ’18, Supply Demand Management
The MBA experience can be a transformative one, opening up doors and ideas one may not have considered pre-business school. For Kristin Glaspie, Wharton MBA ’18, she expected to return to consulting post-MBA. But then, her internship during business school shifted her path to operations at Apple.  Majoring in operations and entrepreneurial management at Wharton supported this new direction, and she’s now a supply chain professional at the leading tech company.  Read on for her story, what stood out about her Wharton experience, and how she recommends approaching the post-MBA job search in this edition of Read more
Published: April 6, 2020
Real Humans of Microsoft: Steven Lipner, Wharton ’18, Account Executive for Commercial Enterprise
Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft began there just about 45 years ago.  In the mid-1980s, it grew to dominate the personal computer operating system space, and has since maintained its stature as a household name.  Through decades of diversification, hundreds of millions of people now use Microsoft’s products.  From development to delivery, their products require a range of talent from a slew of sources—particularly from MBA graduates.  An MBA can provide diverse and versatile skills, allowing you to transition from such industries as finance and real estate, to a role combining consulting, tech and sales.  That’s just the path that Read more
Published: April 6, 2020
Episode 95: Strength in Numbers – A Student Loan Revolution
With admissions decisions rolling out and tuition bills now pending, it’s time to start thinking about financing your MBA.  The co-founders of LeverEdge, the first collective bargaining group for student loans, join us in this podcast episode to discuss how you can secure financing at reduced rates and save on your graduate education. LeverEdge Co-founders, Chris Abkarians (left) and Nikhil Agarwal (right) Co-founders Nikhil Agarwal and Chris Abkarians launched LeverEdge when they, too, were facing daunting tuition bills—both from Harvard Business School. Chris is currently in his Read more
Published: April 5, 2020
Real Humans of Amazon: Serhat Pakyuz, LBS ’17, Senior Program Manager – Air Strategy
The business of e-commerce shows no signs of slowing down, and customers demand that delivery services speed up.  While fleets of trucks support the supply chain and drone delivery experiments carry on, cargo planes zig zag the country to ensure Amazon buyers receive their orders in record time.  Amazon branded a cargo plane for the first time in 2016, and claims to be on track to operate 70 planes out of more than 20 U.S. gateways by next year.  What began as Prime Air now operates under the name Amazon Air, where our featured alumnus in this edition of Read more
Published: April 5, 2020
Episode 94: Wire Taps—Harvard, Stanford GSB or Wharton?
We have a new episode of Wire Taps ready to be heard, so tune in for the latest from Clear Admit’s admissions experts.  As usual, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown discuss MBA admissions strategies for applicants and candidates who have shared their stories on MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire.  In this podcast episode, to start, they advise a generally strong candidate targeting consulting post-MBA: Another applicant, an Indian male seeking a career in investment banking, also sought advice:On Read more
Published: April 2, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: Northwestern Kellogg Students Create a COVID-19 Pledge
It’s a surreal time, when social distancing and self-quarantine have disrupted our lifestyles and relationships.  Full-time MBA students, in particular, expected to finish their school years debating in classrooms, catching up in a favorite club meeting or planning an international trek together.  But, as business leaders need to be, MBA students are flexible and adaptable.  In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, we hear from several Kellogg MBA students a little about how they’re responding, as a community, to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kellogg Students Create a COVID-19 Pledge By Mary Read more
Published: April 1, 2020
Real Humans of Facebook: Jenina Soto, Wharton ’17, GMS Business Planning & Operations Associate
Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook along with a handful of fellow students and roommates while at Harvard College.  Our featured alumna today, Jenina Soto, also spent some time at Harvard (albeit, the Kennedy School of Government) before joining the social media and tech giant.  Before Harvard, Soto earned her MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  Read on for her story about how a dual degree program prepared her for success at Facebook, her main takeaways from her graduate education and more about the recruiting process in this edition of Read more
Published: March 31, 2020
Real Humans of Google: Rakshit Dhalla, Michigan Ross ’19, Strategy and Operations Manager
We’ve heard from MBA graduates in such diverse positions at Google in our Real Humans: Alumni series.  Google.com is the most visited site in the world, but the company also offers hundreds of services. Rakshit Dhalla, Michigan Ross MBA ’19 and strategy operations manager, deals with supporting related offerings for small and medium businesses.  Read on for what stands out about the work culture at Google, which MBA courses helped him the most, and how he landed a job at his dream company. Rakshit Dhalla, Michigan Ross ’19, Strategy and Operations Read more
Published: March 30, 2020
Real Humans of Amazon: Ygal Haenel, INSEAD ’19, Senior Financial Analyst
Amazon identifies 14 leadership principles underlying their operations, problem-solving approaches and team ideations. Some examples include ownership, frugality, learn and be curious, think big, and dive deep.  “Hire and develop the best” is another principle that Ygal Haenel, INSEAD MBA ’19 and senior financial analyst at Amazon, recognized during their recruiting process–as well as after, when he settled into his role and had time to engage with his colleagues.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, see how the INSEAD MBA program prepared Haenel for a fulfilling career at Amazon and provided Read more
Published: March 29, 2020
GMAC to Launch Interim GMAT Online
Amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) has announced that the GMAT will become available for online administration in mid-April.  While the Executive Assessment remains suspended, the GMAT will be online in affected markets, except for mainland China. In a statement, GMAC explained: “We all recognize that this is challenging time with test center closures happening all around the world. And our biggest priority is ensuring we continue to fulfill our mission providing solutions for schools and candidates to discover and evaluate each other. Read more
Published: March 29, 2020
Real Humans of Google: Sam Breslow, NYU Stern ’19, Technical Account Manager for Cloud Professional Services
Cloud computing has revolutionized the way we conduct business and much more.  The days of floppy and Zip disks are long gone—many have probably only seen them in memes, while some of us still remember needing that flimsy piece of plastic to play Oregon Trail in grade school.  The present and future of data storage and computing power now belong in the cloud—remote servers we can access over the Internet.  Ensuring access and related business services requires a mix of technical skills and management acumen—some skills that can only be honed through an MBA program.  In this edition of Read more
Published: March 29, 2020
Episode 93: Wire Taps—Targeting Deferred Admissions Programs
Clear Admit’s admissions experts are back to offer their keen advice to MBA applicants and candidates who have shared their admissions profiles in MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire.  In this podcast episode of Wire Taps, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown review the following MBA hopefuls. To start, someone interested in deferred programs sought advice: A podcast fan had several questions about admissions in general: And an accepted candidate needed help Read more
Published: March 26, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: Chicago Booth in the Time of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many aspects of daily life, and we need to adapt to combat the disease and carry on.  When it comes to business school, that means classes and in-person social gatherings have moved online.  So, what does that look like?  Chicago Booth MBA, Kate Nimmo, took to The Booth Experience blog to share how daily MBA life has changed, highlighting how Booth faculty have risen to the challenge and more. Kate Nimmo, Booth MBA ’20 Booth in the Time of COVID-19 By Kate Nimmo, Read more
Published: March 25, 2020
Real Humans of McKinsey: Allison Howard, Northwestern Kellogg ’19, Associate
While an MBA can enhance your current career path, it can also support a switch to an entirely new one. In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, we hear from Allison Howard, an MBA graduate of Northwestern Kellogg and current associate at McKinsey.  Pre-MBA, she had a fulfilling career in entertainment, but wanted to pivot.  The leading consulting firm, McKinsey, is known for providing flexibility and support to its associates–they can choose assignments and are encouraged to pursue projects that meet their interests and skill-based needs.  Read on for Howard’s story about Read more
Published: March 24, 2020
Real Humans of Apple: Andrew Kwan, NYU Stern ’19, Supply Demand Planner
There are over one billion active Apple products in the world right now.  Extensive supply chain management enables this continued reach.  Being part of the supply chain teams can also require advanced management and analytical skills, like the ones Andrew Kwan honed during the MBA program at NYU Stern.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, hear from Kwan regarding why he pursued an MBA, what prepared him the most for Apple, and what about the work culture there appeals to him the most. Andrew Kwan, NYU Stern MBA ’19, Supply Read more
Published: March 23, 2020
Real Humans of Google: Andrew Dunckelman, HBS ’14, Head of Impact and Insights
Google is not just a dot-com that we visit for any and all information—it’s also a dot-org with philanthropic efforts and goals.  Google CEO Sundar Pichai has set a five-year goal of awarding $1 billion in grants supporting education, equity, and entrepreneurship.  When it comes to directing and measuring Google’s social impact, in comes staff like Andrew Dunckelman, Harvard Business School MBA ’14 and head of impact and insights at Google.  Together with his team, he leads Google.org’s impact measurement, learning, and thought leadership agenda.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Read more
Published: March 22, 2020
Real Humans of Deloitte: Abhinoor Dhull, Wharton ’19, Senior Consultant
William Welch Deloitte opened what would become Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (better known as just Deloitte) in 1845 in a small office in London. Thirty-five years later, the company expanded overseas to New York, eventually landing on Wall Street, then adding branches in Chicago and Buenos Aires. Now, Deloitte operates in over 150 countries.  Our featured alumna also wants to found her own business someday, and knew she needed to develop her consulting chops at Deloitte.  Read on for insights and advice from Abhhinoor Dhull, Wharton MBA ’19 Read more

MBA Livewire

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
December 20, 2024 3:05pm ET
Accepted to Georgetown / McDonough
Round: Round 1
Received via phone on December 09, 2024
GMAT: 710
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Non Profit / Social Impact
Application Location: Argentina
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