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Pre-Matriculation Tips

Published: June 13, 2023
Admissions Tip: Considering the Campus
There are many factors that go into deciding whether to apply to a specific school, one of which is the physical place where you’ll be spending 1-2 years. Whether speaking with current students or touring the campus for yourself, it’s helpful to approach these information-gathering experiences with as clear a sense of what matters to you as possible. Factors to consider about a business school’s campus: 1. Facilities Are state-of-the-art classrooms and impressive new architecture a priority for you? Would you prefer a school that is headquartered in a single building to one spread over a larger campus? What about Read more
Published: May 31, 2023
Admissions Tip: Consider Pre-MBA Courses Before Applying
Pre-MBA courses offer applicants a chance to bolster their academic records, prepare for the rigor of business school and more. As you prepare for the MBA admissions process, you might want to consider whether you should undertake additional undergraduate-level coursework before you apply. Who Should Take Additional Pre-MBA Courses? There are two reasons that it might benefit a candidate to complete additional coursework as part of their MBA application strategy. If your undergraduate transcript is devoid of quantitative coursework, the admissions committee might be concerned about the lack of data points as they assess whether you’re prepared for an MBA Read more
Published: January 11, 2021
MBA Admissions Tips & Advice from HEC Paris MBA Director & Star Applicant
Sponsored Content  Two women very familiar with what it takes to be successful in MBA admissions, particularly at HEC Paris, offer advice on each stage of the admissions process at the leading program. The HEC Paris MBA Director of Marketing, Sara Vanos, and a star MBA applicant, Kendra Bills, share their experiences in this special feature. Sara Vanos (left) & Kendra Bills (right) Sara Vanos joined HEC Paris in 2014, following her roles in MBA recruiting at Toronto Rotman. Sara currently serves as the Director of Marketing, Recruitment and Sales across the MBA programs at Read more
Published: June 8, 2020
Wharton HQ Developed as New Platform for Spring Welcome Weekend
For newly admitted MBA students, spring is a time to get to know their future campus and fellow classmates at Welcome Weekends. During these events, students as well as their spouses or partners convene on campus to begin building relationships and getting a feel for a school’s culture.  The coronavirus pandemic, however, has upended these in-person traditions this season.  In light of these circumstances, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania found a new online platform for their annual Spring Welcome Weekend: Wharton HQ. Wharton HQ is an expansive online hub for new admits to Read more
Published: July 5, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: Preparing for the MBA Experience – 3 Things I Wish I Had Done With My Summer
Fridays from the Frontline For MBA students-to-be, the summer heat can sometimes go hand in hand with some leisure time. While the summer months are certainly useful for students of all stripes to unwind and decompress, this time leading up to the first year of business school also presents a critical opportunity for incoming MBA students to set themselves up for success in and outside the classroom. With that in mind, the Forté Read more
Published: May 9, 2018
Meet Leading Admissions Directors, Clear Admit Editor-in-Chief at May 16th Event in Washington, DC
Admissions directors from seven leading business schools will convene for a second multi-school MBA admissions event on Wednesday, May 16th, in Washington, DC. Moderated by Clear Admit Editor-in-Chief Jeanette Brown, the DC event will feature representatives from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Cornell’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, Duke’s Fuqua School, Michigan’s Ross School, NYU Stern School, UVA’s Darden School, and Yale School of Management (SOM). The first event, which took place in San Francisco on May 10th, filled up completely. Dozens of alumni from participating programs now working in the Bay Area were also on hand to share their first-hand experiences as students with participants.  Read more
Published: April 23, 2018
Your Essential Guide to Pre-MBA Diversity Conferences, Boot Camps, and Forums
Several organizations are focused on helping increase the pipeline of underrepresented demographics—such as women, LGBTQ students, and those from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds—to business school and the larger business world. As part of these efforts, many host pre-MBA conferences, boot camps, and forums providing recruiting and networking opportunities to diverse admitted students headed off to business school in the fall. For eligible participants, these opportunities, designed to provide a head start for students in the MBA recruiting process before they even arrive on campus, are well worth pursuing. Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference The Forté Foundation, a non-profit Read more
Published: March 26, 2018
April Fills Up with MBA Admitted Students’ Weekends
Spring has officially sprung, which means that business schools around the country have geared up to host their admitted student welcome events. In doing so, top schools aim to attract the best and brightest by giving them an early look at what their programs and institutions have to offer. Read more
Published: July 8, 2015
3 Reasons to Do Some Pre-Matriculation MBA Prep This Summer
This post is brought to you by Smartly, which has partnered with top business schools to develop interactive and mobile-friendly courses to cover everything you’ll need to know come fall. Your MBA program--one of the most exciting and intellectually stimulating experiences of your life--is starting in two months, and you’re taking some well-deserved time to relax. You might be traveling to another country, signing a lease for a beautiful new apartment, shopping for furniture at IKEA, and enjoying some quality time with your friends and family. Brushing up on pre-MBA statistics and microeconomics is probably at the bottom of your list, but we know a few reasons why you might want to take a moment here and there to ensure your skills are up to snuff: You can hit the ground running. Imagine stepping into Finance 1 and realizing that, not only have you seen this content, but you also know it like the back of your hand. You’ll definitely ace that test come mid-terms. Moreover, you can spend more time on that challenging Marketing class that you’ve heard is a major pain. Read more
Published: March 18, 2013
Tips for Telling Your Boss You’re Headed to Business School
For those happy applicants who now hold acceptance letters from their target business schools, there still may be important work ahead: namely, breaking the news to your current employer. In a post to the Forté Foundation’s Virtual Campus website, a Forté Fellow at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business shares some tips for telling your boss you're headed to business school. Tricia Felice, Chicago Booth MBA 2014, tells us her best practices for how to approach this task with tact and technique – maintaining valuable relationships that could serve you in the future. Felice left a full-time job in Los Angeles to start her MBA program. She is the recipient of a fellowship through the Forté Foundation, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in MBA programs and business leadership. “Telling my boss about my decision was difficult, but it helped to remain focused on the personal progress I knew I would experience through my MBA,” she wrote. Read more

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 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
November 22, 2024 8:34pm ET
Rejected at SMU Cox
Round: Round 1
Received via portal on November 21, 2024
GPA: 3.89/4
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Asia
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