Admissions Director Q&A
Clear Admit’s exclusive interviews with admissions directors at the world’s leading MBA programs.
Admissions Director Q&A: Dawna Levenson of MIT Sloan
In the latest interview for our Admissions Director Q&A series, the Assistant Dean of Admissions at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Dawna Levenson, returns to delve into all things MBA admissions. As the leader of the admissions team, Dawna oversees all recruiting, evaluation, conversion, and marketing activities in support of the MBA, Sloan Fellows MBA, Master of Finance (MFin), Master of Business Analytics (MBAn), MBA Early Admission, and Master of Science in Management Studies (MSMS) programs. Prior to this role, Dawna was the Director of Admissions for five years and the Associate Director for MFin
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Admissions Director Q&A: Maria Pineda of the UMD Smith School of Business
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we get an update on MBA admissions at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Senior Director of Admissions Maria Pineda has been with UMD Smith for over 15 years. Maria manages the recruiting efforts for Full-Time MBA and Specialty Master’s Programs. She joins us again this year to share her insights into the admissions process, what to expect during the interview, what makes a great essay, and more. Maria Pineda, Senior Director of Admissions at The University of Maryland Clear Admit: What is the one
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Admissions Director Q&A: Paula Amorim of IESE
In the latest installment of our Admissions Director Q&A, we take a deep dive into MBA admissions with Paula Amorim, the Director of Admissions of the Full-Time MBA at IESE Business School. Paula joined the Admissions team after completing her MBA at IESE in 2016 and was previously responsible for the Latin American market, based in the Sao Paulo campus. She is an Industrial engineer from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in her hometown, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Prior to the MBA, she dedicated her career to management consulting in local firms
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Admissions Director Q&A: Debbie Macedonia & Jessica Lunce of SMU Cox
Get deeper insights into MBA admissions at the SMU Cox School of Business in this Admissions Director Q&A with two leaders from their full-time MBA admissions team, Debbie Macedonia and Jessica Lunce. Debbie is the Assistant Dean of Full-Time MBA and MS Admissions at SMU Cox. She started her career working in financial reporting with Cambridge Associates and quickly found parallel professional interests in recruiting, mentoring, and training. In her career in higher education, Debbie has held various roles across marketing, student services, and admissions with the College of Charleston, Carnegie Mellon
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Admissions Director Q&A: Rebekah Lewin of the University of Rochester, Simon Business School
Let’s dig into MBA admissions at the University of Rochester, Simon Business School with Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions and Programs Rebekah Lewin in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Rebekah has over 20 years of undergraduate and graduate admissions and program management experience. In her current role, she oversees strategy related to recruitment, admissions, financial aid, career management, and student experience aspects for full-time, part-time, and online MBA and MS programs. Rebekah is involved in board and advisory roles, including as a Board Trustee for the Consortium
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Admissions Director Q&A: Shari Hubert of Duke Fuqua
Go behind the scenes of MBA admissions at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business with Associate Dean of Admissions Shari Hubert in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Hubert oversees recruitment and admissions for the school’s portfolio of ten business degree programs. Prior to Fuqua, she was in charge of admissions for the Full-time and Evening MBA programs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Hubert has extensive experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, and entered higher education after working for the Peace Corps as director of recruitment within
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Admissions Director Q&A: Donna Swinford of Chicago Booth
Get an inside look at admissions at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with Donna Swinford, Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions for MBA Programs, in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Donna has been at Booth since 1997 and joined the Office of Admissions in 2005. She’s seen the admissions process at Booth from pretty much every angle over the course of her tenure, having served in several roles, including head of Operations and Evaluation, before transitioning to her current position as Associate Dean
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Admissions Director Q&A: Rebecca Mallen-Churchill of ASU Carey
Let’s dig into Admissions Director Q&A ASU Carey with Rebecca Mallen-Churchill, Director of Graduate Student Recruitment, in our latest Admissions Director Q&A. Mallen-Churchill graduated from ASU in 2005; while earning her degree in theatre and Italian, she also discovered her love for higher education while working for the Graduate Admissions office. After gaining work experience in the hospitality industry and traveling the world, Rebecca returned to Arizona and joined W. P. Carey in 2013. In her time working with the graduate program’s office, Rebecca has recruited students from every corner of the globe. She
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Admissions Director Q&A: Lindsay Loyd of NYU Stern
Take a deep dive into MBA admissions at the NYU Stern School of Business with Lindsay Loyd, Executive Director of MBA Admissions, in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Lindsay leads the recruiting and admissions efforts for Stern’s Full-time MBA Programs, including the two-year Full-time MBA, and focused one-year MBAs: the Andre Koo Technology & Entrepreneurship MBA and Fashion & Luxury MBA. She joined NYU Stern in January 2023 after a 20-year career in financial services. Lindsay is a seasoned business leader with extensive experience in acquisition, engagement,
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Admissions Director Q&A: Charlotte Russell-Green of Cambridge Judge
Go behind the scenes of MBA admissions at Cambridge Judge Business School with Head of MBA Recruitment and Admissions Charlotte Russell-Green in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. After training in Drama and Theatre at Goldsmiths in London, Charlotte transitioned into marketing after graduation and has now worked in the MBA market for over 10 years. She started her MBA career at QS, managing the marketing for the World MBA Tour events in North America, and has worked in admissions and recruitment for the Cambridge MBA for 8 years, admitting
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Admissions Director Q&A: Imran Kanga of Toronto Rotman
Get a closer look into MBA admissions at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management with Director of Recruitment and Admissions Imran Kanga in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Imran’s motivation to join Rotman stemmed its culture of community and collaboration inherent in the students, faculty and staff there. Rotman’s focus on students’ academic and career success as well as being a catalyst for positive change is what drew Imran to Rotman. With almost a decade of experience in higher education,
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Admissions Director Q&A: Hollie Hinton of The Ohio State Fisher
Get an insider’s view of MBA admissions at The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business with Senior Director of Admissions Hollie Hinton in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Hollie is a versatile professional who, prior to becoming Senior Director of Admissions, forged multimillion-dollar partnerships between The Ohio State and various industries in the Office of Corporate Relations. In addition to her experience leading a multistate marketing team at DLZ Corporation, she spearheaded the Ohio Governor’s Office for Women’s Initiatives, advocating for policies benefiting Ohio’s 6 million
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Admissions Director Q&A: Nathan Eisenberg of Michigan Ross
Dig into MBA admissions at the University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business with Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Nathan Eisenberg, M.S., in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Nathan was raised in the Ann Arbor area of Michigan and earned his undergraduate degree at Eastern Michigan University and graduate degree at Northwestern University. Prior to Michigan Ross, he spent 11 years in admissions at other universities in New York and Illinois ranging from undergraduate admissions, continuing education, and specialized Master’s degrees. He loves the Michigan Ross
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Admissions Director Q&A: Coni Zingarelli of Rice Business
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we hear from Coni Zingarelli, the executive director of recruiting, admissions and student financial services at Rice Business. Previously, she served in roles with Temple Fox and UCI Merage. She is passionate about helping students find the right graduate program to further their personal and professional aspirations. Coni spent the first 12 years of her career in the hospitality industry working in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. She earned her MBA from UCI Merage and her B.A. from the Pennsylvania State University. Now that Coni has spent
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Published: March 30, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Narottam Kishore of BITSoM
Sponsored Content We return to our Admissions Director Q&A with Narottam Kishore, the Head of Admissions & Outreach and Student Affairs at BITS School of Management, Mumbai (BITSoM). BITSoM is a new business school under the aegis of BITS Pilani, identified as Institution of Eminence by the Government of India. Narottam has been at BITSoM for the past two years, leading admissions and outreach initiatives for the full-time MBA program. In his role as the head of the Student Affairs, he is responsible for overseeing student clubs, managing student activities, and promoting student learning and development outside
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Published: March 29, 2023
Admissions Director Q&A: Liz Hutchinson of IE Business School
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Liz Hutchinson, the Head of Admissions, Graduate Programs at IE University in Madrid. In this role, Liz oversees the enrollment for over 30 master’s degrees within IE Business School, IE School of Architecture and Design, IE Law School, IE School of Science and Technology, and IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs. Liz has over 10 years of experience in university admissions both in the United States and abroad with leadership positions at Harvard Business School and Berklee College of Music. In this podcast interview with Graham
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Published: December 21, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Benoit Banchereau of HEC Paris
We are delighted to have Benoit Banchereau return for another Admissions Director Q&A on behalf of HEC Paris. Benoit has been leading the marketing and the recruitment for the full-time MBA, EMBA and Trium EMBA programs of HEC Paris for the last seven years. He started his career as a journalist in France and in the UK before joining the strategy consulting firm AT Kearney, where he oversaw marketing and communications for the French market for a decade. He then joined Freshfields, the UK law firm, in France as Director of business development for
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Published: October 25, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Melissa Rapp of Emory Goizueta
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A, Melissa Rapp, Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions for Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, digs into MBA admissions, how to approach the application essays and much more. Melissa leads the teams responsible for the recruitment, evaluation, and matriculation of students across the portfolio of Graduate Business programs including MBA programs, MS in Business Analytics program, and Master of Analytical Finance program. A longtime higher education professional with over 18 years of experience, Melissa has worked at both small and large institutions helping to form and implement successful admissions
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Published: October 18, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Shari Hubert of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
In this Admissions Director Q&A, get the inside scoop on MBA admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions, is responsible for overseeing recruitment and admissions for the school’s portfolio of ten business degree programs. Prior to Fuqua, she was in charge of admissions for the Full-time and Evening MBA programs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Hubert has extensive experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, and entered higher education after working for the Peace Corps as director of recruitment within the Office
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Published: October 13, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Teresa Peiro-Camaro of INSEAD
We continue our Admissions Director Q&A series with Teresa Peiro-Camaro, the Associate Director, Global Admissions at INSEAD. Based in Fontainebleau, France, she leads the Admissions Office team, which oversees the admissions process for Degree Programmes and is responsible for the class composition for Executive Degrees and MBA. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring that each INSEAD cohort brings together people, cultures, and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. Teresa and her team accompany candidates along the entire application journey, helping them to explore their driving motivation and to fulfill
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Published: October 11, 2022
Admission Director Q&A: J.R. McGrath of Carnegie Mellon Tepper
The new Executive Director of Masters Admissions at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business joins us for this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A. J.R. has been at Tepper for the past 19 months as Director of Masters Recruiting and just accepted the role of Executive Director at the beginning of October. He has previously served in leadership roles at SMU Cox, TCU and Syracuse. In addition to his professional responsibilities, JR and his wife have a young daughter that keeps them busy. J.R. also enjoys running, golf and anything to do with
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Published: September 27, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Paula Amorim of IESE
We continue to deliver behind-the-scenes insights into MBA admissions in our Admissions Director Q&A with Paula Amorim, the Director of Admissions of the Full Time MBA at IESE Business School. She joined the Admissions team after completing her MBA at IESE in 2016 and was previously responsible for the Latin American market, based in the Sao Paulo campus. She is an Industrial engineer from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in her hometown, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Prior to the MBA, she dedicated her career to management consulting in local firms in Brazil. Find out
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Published: September 20, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Taya Sapp of Michigan Ross
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, Taya Sapp, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Michigan Ross, shares insights into admissions and more at the MBA program. Taya earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and then, seeking to return to her alma mater and Ann Arbor, joined the Ross full-time MBA program in 2011. Prior to Michigan Ross, she spent eight years in undergraduate admissions at another university in Michigan. She loves the Michigan Ross community, working with students, and helping prospective students decide if Ross is right for them.
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Published: September 15, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Mikale Elliott of WashU Olin
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we land in St. Louis, Missouri, to learn about Washington University’s Olin Business School. Mikale Elliott, Graduate Programs Recruiter at WashU, spent her undergraduate career at the University of Missouri–Columbia studying business communication and gaining experience recruiting underrepresented minorities. After graduating, she took a non-traditional pathway working as a flight attendant for a few years. Eventually, she returned to higher education to work on an HIV prevention research project. Through all of these pivots, the thing that brought her back to admissions was her passion
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Published: September 13, 2022
Admissions Director Q&A: Cara Sonnier of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business
This edition of our Admissions Director Q&A takes us to Athens, Georgia, to learn all about the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business MBA program from Cara Sonnier, the Director of Admissions. Cara began working for Georgia Terry in the alumni relations and development office managing events for the college. Working with the Full-Time MBA program on prospective student and alumni events was where she developed an interest in working for the program. Cara then joined the Georgia MBA office in January 2012 as an admissions counselor where she managed all front-line communications
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