Vanderbilt / Owen MBA News

Get the latest MBA news from Vanderbilt / Owen.

Published: January 28, 2024

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Virtual

The interview was very conversational and consisted of 20 minutes of questions and 10 minutes for me to ask questions. The interviewer only had my resume. The following was asked: 1. Tell me about your journey. 2. Why an MBA now? 3. Where would you like to see yourself improve? 4. What will you contribute to the Vanderbilt community? 5. Tell me about a time you felt accomplished or challenged. 6. How would your peers describe you? 7. What other schools are you applying to? 8. What do you like to do Read more

Published: January 28, 2024

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Virtual

The interview was relatively relaxed, the interviewer introduced himself and was comfortable. These were the questions : 1. Introduce yourself/Tell me about yourself. 2. Short/long-term goals. 3. Why MBA? 4. Why Owen? 5. What can you bring to the community? 6. What other programs are you applying to? 7. Tell me what you have learned from your experiences interacting with individuals different from yourself. 8. A failure and how’d you recover from it? 9. Things that are peculiar about you. 10. Questions for me? Overall the interview we originally stated Read more

Published: January 21, 2024

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Online

The interview with Owen was very comfortable. It was conducted online through Owen’s system, with a second-year student leading the session. He started by introducing himself, which set a relaxed tone. The questions were standard, without any curveballs, and the interview lasted about 30 minutes. Introduce yourself. Why MBA? Why Owen? What areas do you think need improvement? What can you contribute to the community? Tell me about the time you showed leadership. Any questions? Read more

Published: December 4, 2023

Real Humans of Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Business MBA Class of 2025

We head to Nashville in this edition of our Real Humans: MBA Students series to meet some new members of the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Business MBA Class of 2025. Vanderbilt Owen welcomed 160 new students in the fall of 2023. A third of the new candidates are women and 29 percent are international, which includes foreign nationals, dual citizens and U.S. permanent residents. Nine percent of U.S. students identify as a U.S. minority. During their undergraduate years, Owen MBAs earned a median 3.5 GPA. Their average GMAT score landed at 687 and Read more

Published: October 25, 2023

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Virtual

Resume based, really conversational and warm with no curveballs! One thing to note is that the Vanderbilt video platform doesn’t have an option to blur your background. 1) Tell me about yourself 2) Why MBA/Why now? 3) Short term/long term goals 4) Why Vanderbilt? 5) Area of development 6) Questions for me? Read more

Published: October 25, 2023

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

The student who did my interview did not have access to my application, only had my resume and viewed it before our interview. Altogether it was very laid back and more of a conversation with a second year student, not very formal. Questions were: 1. Introduce yourself and summarize your experience 2. What makes you interested in an MBA 3. Short/long term goals post graduation 4. What other programs are you applying to 5. What will you bring to the Owen community and what do you want from the Owen community 6. Tell me Read more

Published: September 4, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Bailey McChesney of Vanderbilt Owen

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, Bailey McChesney, Director of MBA Admissions at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, sheds light on the MBA admissions process and more. With over a decade of recruiting and admissions experience, Bailey focuses on the admissions side of the Vanderbilt MBA Recruiting and Admissions Team, managing the application evaluation process and incoming student onboarding. She also co-leads the MBA Recruiting & Admissions Fellows. Bailey began with Vanderbilt Business in March 2011 and has served in several roles on the Recruiting & Admissions Team, managing Read more

Published: August 24, 2023

Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms

Welcome to Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site. In this edition, we round up the essays, recommendation questions and deadlines from the week of August 21st, 2023. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: Carnegie Mellon / Tepper UCI Merage Vanderbilt / Owen WashU / Olin Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have Read more

Published: July 20, 2023

Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms

Welcome to Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site. In this edition, we round up the essays, recommendation questions and deadlines from the week of July 17th, 2023. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: INSEAD Minnesota / Carlson U. Chicago / Booth Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: Cambridge Judge Read more

Published: February 5, 2023

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Virtual

The interview is blind – they only have access to your resume. As far as the questions go, there weren’t any curveballs; I got ones regarding obstacles I’ve overcome, short/long-term goals, how I work in diverse settings, why Owen, why MBA, strengths/weaknesses, etc. There was about 10 minutes at the end to ask the interviewer some questions of my own. Overall, it wasn’t a tough interview, but I would have liked if it were a bit more conversational. Read more

Published: January 26, 2023

Interview Report Round-Up: Emory Goizueta, UVA Darden, Vanderbilt Owen

In another Interview Report Roundup, we take a closer looks at MBA admissions interview reports that Emory Goizueta, UVA Darden and Vanderbilt Owen applicants have recently shared to the Clear Admit Interview Archive. A Round 2 applicant to Goizueta had a pleasant interview experience: An MBA hopeful for UVA Darden spoke with a second-year student for about an hour for their interview: Meanwhile, over at Vanderbilt Owen, a Round 2 applicant faced the following questions: We’d love to hear how your Read more

Published: January 23, 2023

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Virtual

It was a pretty chill interview: 1. Walk me through your resume. 2. Why an MBA now? 3. What are your short-term goals? 4. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. 5. What is a common misconception about you? 6. What value will you bring to Vanderbilt and what value will Vanderbilt add to you? 7. What would you like to be involved in on campus? Read more

Published: January 4, 2023

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Cost of MBA Programs in the U.S.

In this edition of Real Numbers of MBA Admissions, see the total cost of a full-time MBA per year at U.S. schools. Tuition comprises most of the cost of each program. Other factors, including room and board, program fees, books and supplies, health insurance, transportation and other expenses, have been added to provide the total cost of an MBA in the U.S. by year. Most business schools provide a breakdown of the expenses, which are posted under the financial aid or admissions section of their websites. Schools also typically take the total cost of attendance into account Read more

Published: December 4, 2022

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype

It was brief, fairly informal and conversational It was a resume-based / blind interview Questions – 1) Walk me through your resume. 2) Long-term / short-term goals. 3) Why an MBA? 4) Why Vanderbilt? 5) What’s the one thing thing that people assume about you in the first glance, but is actually a misconception? 6) What’s your greatest achievement? 7) Explain a time you worked with diverse audiences. Read more

Published: November 27, 2022

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

My interview was with a second-year student. We started with a short introduction and then discussing some technical issues we were both having. The interviewer went over the format of the interview, went over their background, and then proceeded to ask the questions below (not in exact order). 1) Walk me through your resume. 2) Why MBA and why now? 3) Post-MBA goal? 4) What schools did you apply to? Why Owen? 5) What skills do you want to develop? 6) What value will you bring to the class? 7) How would your superiors/peers Read more

Published: October 19, 2022

Real Humans of Vanderbilt Owen’s MBA Class of 2024

This edition of our Real Humans: MBA Students series takes us to Nashville to meet some new members of the Vanderbilt Owen MBA Class of 2024. Vanderbilt Owen welcomed 147 new students in the fall of 2022. Twenty-nine percent are women and 31 percent are international, which includes foreign nationals, dual citizens and U.S. permanent residents. A fifth of the new class identify as a U.S. minority. During their undergraduate years, Owen MBAs earned an average 3.43 GPA. Their average GMAT score landed at 690 and the median at 700. The middle 80 percent Read more

Published: August 31, 2022

Admissions Director Q&A: Bailey McChesney of Vanderbilt Owen

We continue with our Admissions Director Q&A series with Bailey McChesney, the Director of MBA Admissions at Vanderbilt Owen. As part of her role, Bailey manages the application evaluation process, incoming student onboarding experience and MBA Recruiting & Admissions Fellows. Bailey began with Vanderbilt Business in March 2011 in an admissions operations role in which she facilitated many of the operational procedures for the department and planned a national MBA recruiting tour. Prior to her current role, she enjoyed traveling and recruiting students to join the Vanderbilt MBA program and serving as the Owen Orientation Chair. Read Read more

Published: August 23, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of U.S. Minorities at Top U.S. Business Schools

The percentage of U.S. minorities at top U.S. business schools can provide a sense of the diversity you will find in your MBA program. U.S. minorities is defined as enrolled students at business school who are US citizens or permanent residents who self identify as African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Asian Pacific, or Asian Indian. See the percentage of minorities as reported by top business schools in the chart below. U.S. School % U.S. Minorities Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business 44% Columbia Business School 40% Cornell University SC Johnson Graduate School of Management 43%** Dartmouth Read more

Published: July 28, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of Female MBA Students

Over the past decade, the percentage of female MBA students has been on the rise across leading business schools. USC Marshall was the first leading business school to achieve gender parity while others have achieved or continue to strive for that benchmark. The Forté Foundation has also consistently reported that women are either gaining or holding their ground on b-school campuses. Look at the chart below to see the percentage of female MBA students at leading business schools around the globe. Business School % Women Arizona State University Read more

Published: July 12, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Class Size of Top U.S. MBA Programs

Business schools come in all shapes and sizes and the class size of top MBA programs can be a factor in considering fit. From networking to a tight-knit culture to campus opportunities, class size can reveal much about an MBA program. No matter which program you choose, the top MBA programs strive to ensure relationship building during full-time b-school life. Some larger programs, such as Harvard Business School and CBS, mainly break the student body down into cohorts/sections/clusters of dozens of students. Other U.S. business schools, like Wharton, also have Learning Teams, groups of 5-6 students who Read more

Published: June 20, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GMAT Scores at Top U.S. MBA Programs

See where your GMAT score lands among the top U.S. MBA programs, as we report the average GMAT scores in the chart below. If you have yet to take the GMAT, you can also get a sense of what score you need to target. Business school admissions use the GMAT score as a sign of applicants’ academic abilities and a high score can help you stand out in admissions. Also, average GMAT scores play a role in schools’ rankings. Review the average GMAT scores for your b-schools in the U.S. below. U.S. School Avg. GMAT Arizona State Read more

Published: March 1, 2022

Top MBA Career Placement Outcomes: Trends by U.S. Region

In this edition of our Top MBA Program Career Placement Outcomes series, we take a closer look at trends regarding which U.S. regions dominated post-MBA employment for Class of 2021 MBA graduates. You can also review our first piece, which broke down schools by region and their regional placement. For our analysis, we used the statistics in the official employment reports from 27 full-time MBA programs* based in the United States. In particular, we focused on MBA graduates of these 27 MBA programs who are seeking employment, received Read more

Published: February 27, 2022

Top MBA Program Career Placement Outcomes: U.S. Region

In this edition of our Top MBA Program Career Placement Outcomes series, we review the data to see to what extent Class of 2021 graduates from leading full-time U.S. MBA programs accepted jobs in their school’s same region. For this analysis, we reviewed the employment reports from 27 full-time MBA programs* based in the U.S. This analysis is focused on graduates of full-time U.S.-based MBA programs who were seeking employment, received an offer, and accepted an offer within three months of graduation. Next, we looked at what region these MBA graduates Read more

Published: January 12, 2022

Real Humans of MBA Students: Vanderbilt Owen MBA Class of 2023

This edition of Real Humans: MBA Students takes us to Nashville to meet some new members of the Class of 2023 at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. 182 students comprise the Vanderbilt Owen MBA Class of 2023. Thirty-seven percent are women and a quarter are international, which includes dual citizens and permanent residents. The class represents 27 different countries. Twenty-three percent of U.S. students identify as minorities. During their undergraduate years, Vanderbilt Owen MBAs averaged a 3.33 GPA and represent 117 different undergraduate institutions. Classmates range in age from 23 to 40 Read more

Published: November 18, 2021

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Class of 2023 Profile

The Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management has released its MBA Class of 2023 class profile. This year, the class of 182 students comes from a diverse group of countries and top undergraduate institutions. This MBA cohort will be present for the August 2022 opening of the new $55 million renovated and expanded Owen Graduate School of Management building. Here are some key elements of the profile: Vanderbilt Owen MBA Class Profile: Undergraduate Background Average Undergraduate GPA 3.33 Percent majoring in arts, humanities, social sciences 20.8% Percent majoring in science, technology, engineering, Read more

Vanderbilt / Owen

Class Size: 175

Women: 29%

Mean GMAT: 703

Median GPA: 3.4

Livewire Decisionwire Interview Reports Essay Topic Analysis MBA Admissions Deadlines View Full Profile

MBA Applywire

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.

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

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).

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?

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 21, 2024 4:51am ET

Waitlisted at NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on November 19, 2024

GPA: 3.54

GRE: 331

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Nicaragua

Note:

Waitlisted without interview. How can I flip this in my favour?

November 21, 2024 3:13am ET

Accepted to Washington U. / Olin

Round: Round 1

Received via email November 20, 2024

GPA: 3.81

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

Application Location: Los Angeles

Note:

100K scholarship!

November 20, 2024 11:49pm ET

Interview Invite to Berkeley / Haas

Round: Round 1

Received via email November 20, 2024

GMAT: 645

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Note:

Consortium

November 20, 2024 9:20pm ET

Interview Invite to Dartmouth / Tuck

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on September 04, 2024

GPA: 3.74

GRE: 311

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Tampa, FL

Note:

Applied early enough to guarantee interview.

November 20, 2024 9:19pm ET

Interview Invite to U. Washington / Foster

Round: Round 1

Received via email on October 31, 2024

GPA: 3.74

GRE: 313

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Tampa, FL

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