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Published: July 19, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Taylor Martini of the UCI Merage School of Business
Located between Los Angeles and San Diego, the University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business puts MBA students in the center of Southern California’s Tech Coast. In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we hear from Taylor Martini, who serves as the Executive Director of UCI Merage's full-time MBA program. He oversees operations, including financial and strategic management, academic programming and supervision of the admissions and student services teams. Taylor joined the Merage School in June 2015, soon after graduating from the UCI Paul Merage School of Business Full-Time MBA Program.  Read more
Published: October 16, 2019
Admissions Director Q&A: UCI Merage’s Taylor Martini
For this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we hear from Taylor Martini, who serves as the Executive Director of UCI Merage School of Business’s Full-Time MBA Program. He oversees total operations of the Full-Time MBA Program, including financial and strategic management, academic programming and supervision of the admissions and student services teams. Before moving into his current role, Martini supported the recruitment and admissions function of the program office for four years. Martini joined the Merage School in June 2015, soon after graduating from the UCI Paul Merage School of Business Full-Time MBA Program. During his time in the program, Martini secured multiple HR-focused internships which included a human resources rotational program at Tilly’s and Learning and Organizational Development role at PacSun. Prior to his MBA studies, Martini spent three years working in the mortgage banking industry. Martini was born and raised in Southern California and completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Chapman University. Clear Admit had the chance to sit down with Martini and learn more about UCI Merage’s Full-Time MBA curriculum update that emphasizes leadership for a digitally driven world. Read more
Published: July 22, 2019
MBA ApplyWire Spotlight: A Career in Non-profit
As MBA hopefuls prepare for the 2019-2020 Round 1 and early admissions deadlines, many are posting to Clear Admit’s ApplyWire, a forum for feedback on your final choice of schools and approach to admissions.  This week, we shine the spotlight on a candidate with a non-profit background (and potential future) applying to Berkeley / Haas, Michigan / Ross, Penn State / Smeal, UCI Merage, UCLA Anderson, UT Austin / McCombs, and Vanderbilt / Owen.  Read on for his profile information and more from our admissions experts. Clear Admit’s resident expert, Alex Brown, kicked off the conversation about coursework, goals, school choice and more: Read more
Published: September 10, 2017
A Vision of Leadership for a Digitally Driven World: UCI Merage’s Vijay Gurbaxani
Sponsored Content Our lives are becoming more and more digitally mediated. We see it in quotidian routines like using Lyft to commute and in technological sea changes like self-driving cars and other artificial intelligence breakthroughs. How do we adapt ourselves and the businesses we create to keep pace with such rapid change? Vijay Gurbaxani, UCI Paul Merage School of Business professor and director of its Center for Digital Transformation (CDT), is on a mission to answer these questions. He’s spearheading a number of curricular and cultural changes at the Merage School designed to shape the next generation Read more
Published: December 27, 2016
Trump Appoints Controversial UC Irvine Professor Peter Navarro
Peter Navarro, a professor of economics at UC Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business and one of the nation’s harshest critics of China, has just earned a seat on President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet. As a professor with the business school for more than 20 years, Navarro penned nine books, most of which unmistakably mark China as a threat to the United States and the world at large. Several of his published works include The Coming China Wars, Death by China: Confronting the Dragon—A Global Call to Action and Crouching Tiger: What China's Militarism Means for the World. Read more
Published: September 28, 2016
UC Irvine’s Merage School Shoots Up 19 Spots in Latest Forbes Report
Forbes researchers ranked UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business  42nd in the country as part of its biennial ranking of MBA programs based their return on investment (ROI). Merage catapulted 19 spots above its 2013 ranking and came in 20th among public institutions. To compile its rankings, Forbes surveyed the alumni of full-time MBA programs who graduated in 2010. To determine ROI, Forbes assessed total alumni compensation, including salary, bonuses and exercised stock options for their first five years out of school as compared to the cost of tuition, required fees and foregone compensation for the two years spent in business school. Read more
Published: March 14, 2016
Professors Address Cuban American Relations at Merage School
Newly forming Cuban American business relations were aided by a collaboration between UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business (Merage School) faculty and Cuban professionals during a recent two-day program held on February 15-16, 2016. The workshop addressed issues of negotiation, encompassing differences in economic thinking between the countries, in addition to communication styles which are embedded within each culture. Professor William Hernández Requejo from the Merage School said, “In everyday talk, Cubans interrupt one another frequently. Americans, not so much. Interruptions are off-putting to Americans and limit the information that can be gathered by Cuban negotiators in face-to-face Read more
Published: January 29, 2016
UCI Merage School of Business Alumna Offers Pledge for Growing Campus
The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine (UCI Merage School of Business) recently announced a $1.5 million dollar pledge from Kristen S. Monson, an alumna of the college. Monson’s gift will go toward naming the Grand Terrace in the Merage School’s new building. Dean Eric Spangenberg said, “Kristen’s significant investment is exciting for all of us in the Merage School… Her gift represents the single largest philanthropic commitment to date toward our new building; it is particularly noteworthy to come from a member of the strong alumni network established by the Read more
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Class Size: 40
Women: 35%
Mean GMAT: 675
Mean GPA: 3.44
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MBA Applywire

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November 20, 2024 9:42pm ET
Applying: Babson / Olin, , Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Emory / Goizueta, Rice / Jones, Rochester / Simon, SMU Cox, UCI Merage, Washington U. / Olin
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Technology - Entrepreneurship
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Entrepreneurship
GRE: 333
GPA: 2.56
Years of Work Experience: 5
Location: Lagos
Notes:

I just got rejected for WashU Olin and I have an interview invitation with Questrom. GPA continues to bother me but I addressed it in my supporting essays.
11
November 19, 2024 12:51pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, INSEAD, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Tech in government
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Entrepreneurship Companies: Bain , McKinsey
GRE: 319
GPA: 2.9
Years of Work Experience: 7
Notes:

I got cancer when I was undergrad that's why my undergrad GPA is low. After MBA I want to work in consulting then make a social impact in Africa through entrepreneurship
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November 19, 2024 12:06pm ET
Applying: Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, U. Washington / Foster, UNC Kenan-Flagler, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden
Pre-MBA Career: Wealth Management and Military
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Asset Management, inc. HF, Other Companies: Bain , BCG , Deloitte , McKinsey , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Asset Management , State Street , Vanguard
GPA: 3.80
Years of Work Experience: 7
Location: San Diego
Post MBA Location: Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Charlotte
Notes:

UG Degree: BBA Financial Markets at an Accredited Institution.

Civilian Work History: 3 years as Wealth Advisor under an RIA in Minneapolis and Denver. Total AUM of ~$350-400M, served as a salaried advisor in a primary and secondary capacity. Holistic services to include investment management, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, tax planning, etc.

Military History: 4 years as a supply/logistics officer heading efforts for air/ground mobility, defense contracting, supply and procurement, and fiscal budget management while located at various bases within CONUS and multiple forward deployed locations.

Professional Certifications: Obtained Certified Financial Planner designation (2022) and Series 65 (2019).
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November 18, 2024 12:50am ET
Applying: Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, NYU Stern, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Consulting
Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking Companies: Bank of America , Barclays , Citibank , Credit Suisse , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Chase
GRE: 323
GPA: 3.32
Years of Work Experience: 7
Notes:

Education:
- Combined Major in Economics and Statistics
- CFA Charterholder (passed all three levels on the first attempt)

Professional Experience:
- Manager at a Big 4 firm Specializing in capital projects and infrastructure, with a role similar to investment banking
- Seven years of experience, mainly in financial services in Ghana

Extracurricular Activities:
- Pro bono capital-raising services for SMEs
- Aspiring to run a full advisory firm for SMEs in the future
- CFA exam coaching and tutorial classes for candidates
- Founder of a travel and tour club offering affordable trips to explore beautiful and historic scenes in Ghana

Will being 32 years old affect the attractiveness of my candidacy?
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November 17, 2024 9:24am ET
Applying: Columbia, , Georgetown / McDonough, Harvard Business School, INSEAD, NYU Stern, Oxford / Saïd, Stanford GSB, UCLA Anderson, Yale SOM
Pre-MBA Career: Higher Education
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Media, Undecided Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , JP Morgan , Morgan Stanley , JP Morgan Chase , Apple , Google , Microsoft , Andressen Horowitz , Charles River , Sequoia Capital , Blackstone , KKR , 21st Century Fox , Comcast , Walt Disney
GPA: 3.97
Years of Work Experience: 5
Location: Denver, Colorado
Post MBA Location: New York City
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MBA LiveWire

November 24, 2024 5:48am ET
Interview Invite to Stanford GSB
Round: Round 1
Received via email on September 22, 2024
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Healthcare
Application Location: London, UK
Note:

Date of interview: 9/30/2024

Question: I am now in the post-interview pre-decision stage. I received a promotion from work (MBB strategy consulting) two days ago and am considering writing a few paragraphs and uploading the doc to the 'New Information' section of the portal (and maybe also an email to AdComs?).
Has anyone done this before? How should I structure the document? What is advised to be included?
FYI: My responsibilities do not change much, just a more standalone, senior strategy consultant.
I would appreciate any advice, thank you so much!
November 23, 2024 7:37am ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via portal on November 21, 2024
GPA: 6.42
GMAT: 760
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Technology
Application Location: India
November 23, 2024 12:41am ET
Accepted to SMU Cox
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 22, 2024
GPA: 3.6
GRE: 331
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Marketing
Application Location: Delta, Nigeria
November 22, 2024 11:09pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via portal November 22, 2024
GPA: 3.65
Program Type: One Year Program
Target Career: Technology
Application Location: NY
Note:

Submitted on 9/1, interview invite on 10/8, interviewed on 10/30. No phone call but portal updated on 11/22 around 1pm est. No scholarship..
November 22, 2024 8:42pm ET
Accepted to SMU Cox
Round: Round 1
Received via phone November 22, 2024
GPA: 3.9
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Mississippi
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