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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: February 2, 2020
Real Humans of McKinsey: Jenna Benefield, Wharton ’18, Associate
The MBA is a vehicle for advancement in–or into–many industries, and consulting is consistently one of the most popular destinations.  And within the consulting industry, McKinsey & Company is considered one of the most prestigious firms in the world. MBA graduates usually enter McKinsey as an associate, working either as a generalist or as a practice consultant. Generalist consultants move fluidly between different industries and functional areas, whereas practice consultants spend at least 50 percent of their time focused on a particular industry or function. So, what does the pathway to McKinsey look like?  How does Read more
Published: January 26, 2020
Harvard Reclaims Top Spot in Financial Times 2020 Global MBA Rankings
The Financial Times released their 2020 Global MBA rankings this week. Harvard Business School reclaimed the #1 position—after a four-year absence from the top spot. Wharton also surpassed last year’s top seed (Stanford GSB) to land in second place. Stanford GSB, which has held the top position for several years, fell to third in the Global MBA rankings. INSEAD maintained its position as the leading international school, landing fourth overall, while CEIBS rounds out the top five. Here are the Top 10 of the Financial Times 2020 Global MBA Read more
Published: January 26, 2020
Episode 77: Wire Taps—MBA Profiles with 680 GMAT, 3.65 GPA; no GMAT/GRE Yet; and Choosing a Business School on DecisionWire
Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, provide applicants and accepted candidates with advice on how to approach the MBA admissions and decision-making process in another podcast episode of Wire Taps. This week, they review profiles from MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire, including a candidate who has earned a 680 GMAT and 3.65 GPA. They also advise an MBA hopeful who has yet to take the GMAT or GRE.  From DecisionWire, they offer perspective to a candidate interested in venture capital, trying to decide where to attend. If you want Read more
Published: January 19, 2020
Episode 76: Wire Taps—MBA Applicants with 670 GMAT, 3.1 GPA; 670 GMAT, 3.78 GPA; and Choosing Between Scholarship Offers from DecisionWire
While there are a few Round 2 deadlines left, some applicants are already considering applying next year while other successful candidates are weighing their options.  Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, cover these admissions issues and more in another podcast episode of Wire Taps. This week, they review profiles from MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire, including an early bird candidate who should retake the GMAT. They also advise an applicant who bootstrapped into private equity, but who may need Read more
Published: January 15, 2020
HBS Announces Timing of Round 2 Interview Invitations
Harvard Business School’s managing director of MBA admissions and financial aid, Chad Losee, posted to the Direct from the Director blog to update Round 2 applicants about next steps—in particular interview invitations. He wrote, “On our end, we are a week into reading your applications and have been enjoying getting to know you better.  Here are the next steps in the process, so you know when you’ll hear from us again: Tuesday, February 4, at 12 p.m. eastern time: all Round 2 applications will either be invited to interview Read more
Published: January 13, 2020
LiveWire Insights: Round 2 at the M7 MBA Programs
MBA applicants who are eagerly awaiting news on interview invitations and admissions decisions – and the exact timing of such things – you’re going to want to keep reading.  Clear Admit is excited to release a second edition of M7 LiveWire Insights.  While the first edition delivers information about Round 1 and Early Decisions, the latest version delves into Round 2 and Rolling Admissions. This report includes proprietary data from our archive of thousands of LiveWire admissions updates. Remember, the M7 MBA programs include: Chicago Booth School of Business, Columbia Read more
Published: January 12, 2020
Episode 75: Wire Taps—MBA Profiles with 740 GMAT, 3.61 GPA, Marketing; 324 GRE, 3.23 GPA, Consulting Post-MBA; and More from DecisionWire
If you need advice on your MBA admissions profile, tune into another podcast episode of Wire Taps.  Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, provide applicants and accepted candidates with tips on how to make the most of MBA admissions. Read more
Published: January 5, 2020
Episode 74: Wire Taps—Making a Career Change, Choosing a Business School While on the Waitlist and More
Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are here with another podcast episode of Wire Taps to provide applicants and accepted candidates with tips on how to make the most of MBA admissions. This week, they dig into posts to MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire to offer strategic advice to business school hopefuls.  Graham and Alex review a request from a candidate looking to break into VC. They also advise an applicant looking for a career in healthcare or education and another accepted, but also waitlisted, candidate trying to decide where to Read more
Published: December 29, 2019
Episode 73: Wire Taps—Product Manager, Seeking Social Impact and Choosing Between Schools
The mountain of Round 2 deadlines is just around the corner, and lucky MBA applicants are also trying to choose a business school based on good news from Round 1.  Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, step up in this episode of Wire Taps to provide applicants and accepted candidates with tips on how to make the most of MBA admissions. They’ve pulled profiles from MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire to offer strategic advice to business school hopefuls.  This week, Graham and Alex review an Read more
Published: December 24, 2019
Admissions Director Q&A: Chad Losee of Harvard Business School
Before you submit your Harvard Business School application, you'll want to read our Admissions Director Q&A with Chad Losee, the Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid.  He walks us through the life of admissions, new and exciting developments at Harvard, the interview process and more. Losee applied to business schools in the Fall of 2010 and feels grateful to have been admitted to HBS. While a student at HBS, Losee developed his interest in higher education leadership as an admissions ambassador, through an internship in a university president’s office, and by completing a one-year fellowship at HBS after graduating in 2013. Losee remembers vividly what it feels like to go through the process of applying to business school. He and his team aim to make applying to HBS as simple, fair, and transparent as possible for all applicants. Read on for some rich details about the MBA program and more. Clear Admit: What’s the single most exciting development, change, or event happening at Harvard in the coming year? Read more
Published: December 22, 2019
Episode 72: Wire Taps—Older Applicant, Low GPA but High GMAT, Choosing Between Two Schools
Most Round 2 deadlines are just around the corner, and applicants are also weighing Round 1 decisions.  Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are back to offer applicants and accepted candidates advice on how to make the most of the MBA admissions process in a new episode of Wire Taps. Each week, they highlight profiles from MBA ApplyWire or MBA DecisionWire and offer strategies these b-school hopefuls should use.  This week, the duo reviews an entry from an older but enthusiastic Read more
Published: December 15, 2019
Episode 71: Wire Taps—Renewable Energy Sector, Accounting to Investment Banking, and Undecided
While many may be hustling to meet the Round 2 deadlines, Round 1 decisions have also been weighing on MBA candidates.  Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are back in this episode of Wire Taps to help no matter which stage of the admissions process you’re in.  Each week, they highlight profiles from MBA ApplyWire and offer strategies these b-school hopefuls should use.  This week, the two review an entry from an applicant in renewable energy. They also advise a candidate Read more
Published: December 8, 2019
Episode 70: Wire Taps—Engineering to Consulting, Choosing Among Schools, Real Estate to Private Equity
As we near Round 2 deadlines and applicants are also weighing Round 1 decisions, we have a new podcast episode of Wire Taps. Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are back to offer applicants advice on how to approach MBA admissions.  Each week, they highlight profiles from MBA ApplyWire and offer strategies these b-school hopefuls should use.  This week, the duo reviews an entry from an engineer targeting consulting post-MBA. They also advise a candidate weighing which program to attend and Read more
Published: December 3, 2019
Episode 69: Digging Deeper into Stanford GSB’s 2019 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
Diversity and inclusion may seem like immeasurable, abstract goals, but Stanford GSB has taken a concrete approach to increasing diversity, ensuring equitable access, and creating a sense of belonging at the school.  To assess their progress and enhance plans for the future, they’ve compiled their first ever Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) report. In this podcast episode, you’ll hear directly from Sarah A. Soule, the Senior Associate Dean in charge of DEI, and Lori Nishiura Mackenzie, the Lead Strategist for DEI, as they walk us through the report.  They will discuss DEI Read more
Published: December 1, 2019
Episode 68: Wire Taps—Entrepreneur with Low GPA, Gaps in Work Experience, Switching to Healthcare/Biotech
We head into the final month of 2019 with a keen new episode of the podcast series, Wire Taps. Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, are back to offer applicants advice on how to approach MBA admissions.  Each week, they pull profiles from MBA ApplyWire and elaborate on strategies these b-school hopefuls should use.  This week, the duo reviews an entry from an entrepreneur with a low GPA. They also advise a new mother eager to get back into a decision-making role and another Read more
Published: November 26, 2019
Episode 25 Replay: 8 Tips You Need to Succeed in Round 2
The wave of Round 2 deadlines may look like it's on the horizon, but, based on what goes into applying to business school, those deadlines are closer than they appear.  Whether you’re just kicking off your MBA applications or have some experience knowledge from Round 1, this podcast episode will help you succeed in Round 2. Read more
Published: November 24, 2019
Episode 67: Wire Taps—First Generation University Graduate, Low GRE, Latin American with Education Background
Tune into another episode of our series, Wire Taps, which features advice for applicants going through the MBA admissions process.  Each week, Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, pull profiles from MBA ApplyWire and elaborate on admissions strategies these candidates should use.  This week, Graham and Alex review an entry from a first-generation Latin American candidate in finance. They also advise a candidate with brand management experience and a low GRE and another Latin American applicant with an education background. If Read more
Published: November 19, 2019
Episode 66: MBA Crisis or Year of the MBA Applicant?
Much digital ink has been spilled regarding the dips in application volume across U.S. business schools. Overall, U.S. business schools received just 135,096 applications this year, which is down 9.1 percent from last year. That’s on top of the 7 percent drop in applications in 2018, marking a steep application decline year-over-year. Clear Admit Co-founder Graham Richmond and resident expert Alex Brown are here to sift through the resulting media coverage and MBA bashing to dig into the larger (and positive!) trends behind the numbers. Despite noted changes, Read more
Published: November 18, 2019
Episode 65: Wire Taps—Consultant from Colombia, Social Impact and Considering Round 2
We have a fresh new episode of our podcast series, Wire Taps, ready for you below.  In the series, our resident admissions experts, Alex Brown and Graham Richmond, tackle MBA admissions challenges as shared by applicants in MBA ApplyWire. This week, Graham and Alex review an entry from a consultant from Colombia. They also advise a candidate with social impact experience and someone who interviewed during Round 1 and should reflect on Round 2 options. If you want a chance to be featured on the podcast, be Read more
Published: November 14, 2019
Admissions Q&A with Wharton Lauder’s Kara Keenan Sweeney
Wharton offers a joint-degree program—the MBA with an MA in International Studies—with Penn’s Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies that puts the MBA experience on a global scale, as the program concentrations focus on a region of the world—or the world itself.  In this podcast episode, you can learn how the program can support your career in international business and immerse you in other cultures. Wharton Lauder Director of Admissions Marketing and Communications, Kara Keenan Sweeney Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond sat down with the Director of Admissions Marketing and Communications at the Read more
Published: November 12, 2019
Top MIT Sloan MBA Interview Tips from Actual Interviewees
As Round 1 interview invitations roll out from MIT / Sloan, we gathered advice from actual interviewees to help the Class of 2022 hopefuls prepare.  Over the years, hundreds of MBA applicants have shared their interview experiences. For today’s post, we’ve culled through this to pull out top tips from those who experienced MIT / Sloan’s Behavioral Event-based Interviews (BEI) first hand. For anyone unfamiliar with the BEI, it’s a style of interview that centers on a description of one or more specific situations or Read more
Published: November 11, 2019
Admissions Director Q&A: Kelly Wilson of Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business
We continue our Admissions Director Q&A series with the newly STEM-designated Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.  Hear all about their MBA admissions, the exciting campus scene, life in Pittsburgh and lots more from Kelly R. Wilson, Executive Director of Masters Admissions, below. Clear Admit: Can you tell us a little about your background? How did you come to your current role? I spent some time in the Washington DC area, working for 9.5 years in the insurance industry. I loved it. I also completed my Read more
Published: November 11, 2019
Episode 64: Wharton Team-Based Discussion Tips 2019-2020
Are you getting ready for the Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD)? We’re excited to bring you a bonus podcast episode to review this year’s prompt and to help you excel in this step of the admissions process. In this episode, Clear Admit’s co-founder, Graham Richmond, and resident admissions expert, Alex Brown, dive deeper into this year’s prompt (ICYMI, you must also listen to their overall key advice about the TBD here). The exercise for the 2019-2020 admissions season focuses on Tangen Hall (pictured), Wharton’s first on-campus space dedicated to student entrepreneurship and innovation activities. The TBD prompt for 2019-2020 is: Read more
Published: November 10, 2019
Episode 63: Wire Taps—Great Numbers, Mixed Results; Low GPA and Citizenship Considerations and More
Alex Brown and Graham Richmond are back for another episode of Wire Taps, in which they offer their expert admissions advice to MBA applicants sharing their stories in MBA ApplyWire. For this edition of Wire Taps, Graham and Alex review an entry from an MBA hopeful with great numbers, but seeing mixed results. They also advise a candidate with questions related to citizenship and an Indian female wondering if she should retake the GMAT. If you want a chance to be featured on the Read more
Published: November 6, 2019
HBS Dean Nitin Nohria to Step Down
After 10 years of service, Dean Nitin Nohria will be stepping down from his post at Harvard Business School in June 2020. Nohria shared the following in a message to the HBS community: 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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