The Leading Independent
Resource for Top-tier MBA
Candidates

Admissions Tips

Browse our weekly admissions tips, or choose the category most relevant to you: researching, planning, applying, deciding.
Published: August 29, 2017
GMAT Tip: Finding Your Motivation
If you ask any runner why they run, you’ll get a different answer.  Some run to lose weight while others run for the community and social aspect, but at the end of the day everyone has something that gets them up and out of the door when the conditions aren’t ideal (sadly everyday can’t be sunny with no humidity and with infinite amounts of free time!)  Running isn’t unique in this regard; the road to achieving GMAT success can be equally challenging especially if you don’t have some end goals fueling you every day. You likely have thought through many Read more
Published: August 27, 2017
MBA Admissions: Tips for International Students
Sponsored Content A large number of MBA students across the globe intend to pursue their degree outside their home country. Are you thinking of studying abroad? The United States, Europe, and Canada are home to many of the world’s top-ranked business schools. Consider these tips if you’re hoping to make one of them your degree destination. Create Your Short List You’ll want to spend some time researching schools in your target country to find the ideal one for you. Some questions to address: What specific kind of program are you looking to attend? Which schools rank highest for Read more
Published: August 22, 2017
Tips for Productive GMAT Prep
Whether you’re a day or a month into your GMAT preparation journey, you know how important it is to have a plan and to be able to manage your time well.  If you start researching the GMAT online, chances are you’ll come across the following two questions pretty frequently: 1) When is the best time to take the GMAT and 2) How long should I prep? You won’t find a short perfect answer to either question here (or a truly-helpful short answer anywhere), but you will find some guidance to help you identify the best time to prepare and some Read more
Published: August 21, 2017
MBA ApplyWire Spotlight: Seeking Advice on “Reach” Business Schools
As MBA applicants craft their calendars for admissions, many conundrums have arisen on ApplyWire, Clear Admit’s latest tool to aid in your admissions process. This week, we're setting the spotlight on a candidate seeking advice on "reach" business schools. We take a closer look at a post from an applicant considering Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UCLA Anderson, and Yale SOM. Read on for more details about the candidate’s background. Initial advice targeted scheduling and the GMAT: Read more
Published: August 20, 2017
Should I Apply in Round 1 or Round 2 to My Top Choice School?
This is the second in a two-part series on MBA application strategy. In case you missed the first, check it out here. In terms of application strategy, one of the biggest questions prospective MBA applicants wrestle with is whether to apply in Round 1 or Round 2 to the school they most want to attend. As you might imagine, based on our years of advising applicants to top-tier business schools, Clear Admit has some thoughts on the matter. Overall, if you are an outstanding candidate and have had adequate time to prepare your candidacy, then you should apply as part of Read more
Published: August 15, 2017
Admissions Director Q&A: Rodrigo Malta of the University of Texas’s McCombs School of Business
Rodrigo Malta, a native of Brazil, moved to the United States for high school and college and ultimately graduated from the McCombs School of Business full-time MBA program in 2007. While a student at McCombs, he was highly involved in admissions activities, and after graduation he remained in Austin, accepting a marketing position with Dell. A little over a year later, when then-Director of MBA Admissions Tina Mabley contacted him about a job opening with her team—as associate director of admissions focused on diversity recruiting—he jumped at the chance to return to campus and work on something he was really passionate about. Later, when Mabley was promoted to assistant dean for the full-time MBA program, Malta applied for and got the admissions director’s position in 2010. Prospective applicants may be happy to learn that Malta understands their position on such a personal level. This empathy might also be why he’s so forthcoming with useful tips and advice. Read on to learn what he has to share—including exciting plans for the new home of the Texas MBA, the many experiential learning opportunities that complement classroom time, and more. Read more
Published: August 8, 2017
GMAT Tip: 5 Things Undergrads Should Do to Prepare for Business School
As summer starts to wind down, many college students are frantically trying to squeeze in a few more weekends at the beach before heading back to the dorms and classrooms. But for anyone thinking about business school or a graduate management degree, there are 5 things you can do before graduation to help you prepare for business school (or any graduate program). 1. Consider enrolling in “free” quant. Take a look at your current transcript and course load. If you’ve managed to make it through your undergraduate experience (intentionally or not!) without setting foot in the math department, you might Read more
Published: August 7, 2017
[GIVEAWAY] Download Becoming a Clear Admit: The Definitive Guide to MBA Admissions Free!
If you’re planning to apply to business school this admissions cycle, look no further. We have the book for you!  To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its release, we’re giving you the must-read admissions book, Becoming a Clear Admit: The Definitive Guide to MBA Admissions, for free! Just use coupon code CLEARFREE2017 at checkout DOWNLOAD IT TODAY Its author, Clear Admit’s own Alex Brown, brings nearly 25 years of experience in the MBA admissions industry as a consultant, admissions officer, and teacher, including seven years as senior associate director of admissions at the Wharton Read more
Published: August 6, 2017
Your Business School Application: Four Things to Do Right Now
Sponsored Content Congratulations on the decision to pursue a professional business degree! Are you wondering where to start? Applying to MBA and specialized master’s programs requires careful planning and preparation. Checking these first tasks off your list can help put you on the path to success. 1. Know your strengths. Make a list of things you do well, outstanding professional accomplishments, what you’ve learned from your successes (and failures), and your most ambitious goals for the future. These are all items you’ll want to talk about in your essays and interviews. You’ll also want to start to identify Read more
Published: July 30, 2017
Real Humans of MBA Admissions: Stanford GSB’s Kirsten Moss
Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) announced this past spring that Kirsten Moss would fill the void left by Derrick Bolton, who led admissions for the most selective business school in the world for 15 years. Moss, who assumed her new role in June, becomes the only person to ever lead admissions at both Stanford and its chief rival, Harvard Business School (HBS). An HBS alumna, she nonetheless knows Stanford’s admissions office intimately, having worked there from 2004 to 2010, first as a consultant, then as associate director of evaluation and finally as director of MBA admissions. She left Stanford Read more
Published: July 30, 2017
Admissions Tip: Off-Campus Information Sessions
If you’ve recently opened a calendar to plan the next few months only to realize that you can’t possibly fit in campus visits on top of a full-time job and essay writing, don’t worry! It’s true that traveling to a school’s campus is the ideal way to learn about an MBA program, but visiting is often not a viable option for applicants who live far away or aren’t sure how interested they are in a given school. The good news is that business schools might very well come to you. Many b-schools are getting ready to hit the road and Read more
Published: July 20, 2017
Darden Debuts MBA Application Tip Video Series Amid MBA Program Leadership Changes
Sara Neher, long-time assistant dean of admissions at UVA’s Darden School of Business, recently announced the debut of a 12-part MBA application tip video series for the 2017-18 admissions season. The brief videos—each between three and five minutes long—cover individual components of the application and are designed so that applicants can watch them all at once and/or return to them one by one as they work on different parts of the application. “I really encourage you to watch them because they will give you tips that will help you prevent mistakes and know what we are looking for,” explained Neher in an introductory video. “We do mean for the application to be pretty straightforward, but I think it always help to have a few extra tips and a little bit of thought behind what the questions are really asking.” Read more
Published: July 17, 2017
MBA ApplyWire Spotlight: Applying to Business School for Brand Management
This week’s MBA ApplyWire Spotlight takes a look at a particularly unique applicant, with a background heavy in nonprofit experience. This candidate has set their sights on six potential business schools: Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Georgetown / McDonough, NYU Stern and UCLA Anderson. Read on for more details about the candidate’s background. Even with so many potential target schools, the first responses suggested an even wider pool of Read more
Published: July 12, 2017
Making the Most of MBA Admissions Events? Ross Adcom Director Shares Dos and Don’ts
If you’ve met Soojin Kwon, who leads admissions at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, you know that she doesn’t pull punches. She’s whip-smart, no nonsense, and gets right down to business, whatever the business at hand happens to be. Most recently, on her Admissions Director’s Blog, she offered advice to prospective applicants on dos and don’ts for attending MBA admissions events. In our opinion, her tips are worth heeding whether you’re applying to Ross or any other top school. Soojin Kwon, Ross managing director for full-time MBA admissions Read more
Published: July 10, 2017
MBA ApplyWire Spotlight: Applying to Business School for Consulting
With the launch of Applywire, Clear Admit’s latest tool to aid in your admissions process, we're setting this week’s spotlight on a candidate considering nine MBA programs. This week, we take a closer look at a post from an applicant considering Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke /Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, MIT / Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth and the Wharton School. Read on for more details about the candidate’s background. Initial feedback tried to steer towards a timeline: Read more
Published: June 28, 2017
Newest AIGAC Survey Unveils Millennial Conflicts
The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) recently released the results of its annual survey, which found that—perhaps unsurprisingly—millennials are not an easy group to pin down. Read more
Published: June 19, 2017
New GMAT Feature Offers Test-Taking Personalization
For hopeful business school students taking the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), a significant change will be going into effect on July 11, 2017. Previously, those taking the GMAT tackled exam sections in a set order: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and finally the Verbal section. The amendment made by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) offers considerably greater flexibility, giving test-takers some choice in the order in which they complete these tasks. The new GMAT feature, officially titled the Select Section Order, was implemented based on research from GMAC. “GMAC is committed to continuously improving the GMAT Read more
Published: May 25, 2017
Admissions Director Soojin Kwon Shares the Skinny on Ross’s New Application Essays
Soojin Kwon, who leads MBA admissions at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, began her most recent Director’s Blog by suggesting that things are quiet on campus right now—only to reveal big news about planned changes to its approach to essay questions this year. Soojin Kwon, Ross director of admissions The two are connected, of course. It’s the relatively quiet time—when students jet off for global immersion courses around the world or gear up for summer internships every bit as far flung—that the Admission Committee can finally catch its breath, review its process, and really examine what’s working and where there might be opportunity to change things up a little. Read more
Published: May 1, 2017
New Clear Admit Chat Series Offers Valuable Free Primer for the MBA Admissions Season
Note: You can join the chat in progress here https://www.clearadmit.com/chat/mba-admissions-series/ If you are planning to apply to business school in the coming year, listen up: We’re rolling out a brand-new series of 10 free expert-led chats that together offer a comprehensive overview of the steps successful applicants take in the MBA admissions process. Hosted by Clear Admit’s own Alex Brown—author of Becoming a Clear Admit: The Definitive Guide to MBA Admissions and former senior associate director of admissions at Wharton—each chat in the series will focus in on an individual component of the MBA admissions process. Read more
Published: April 17, 2017
MBA DecisionWire Spotlight: Chicago Booth, Northwestern / Kellogg or UPenn / Wharton for Finance
In this week’s MBA DecisionWire Spotlight, which pulls the admissions results of students and alumni as shared in Clear Admit’s DecisionWire, we round up responses to a candidate considering Northwestern / Kellogg with a scholarship, Chicago Booth or The Wharton School for finance. While the F.C. Austin scholarship from Kellogg sounded lucrative to many, several people chimed in for the other MBA programs, Chicago Booth and the Wharton School. This community member succinctly captured the potential conundrum: Read more
Published: April 11, 2017
Latest Edition of Must-Read Guide to MBA Admissions Just Released
We are pleased to announce the release of the second edition of Becoming a Clear Admit: The Definitive Guide to MBA Admissions. Its author, Clear Admit’s own Alex Brown, brings nearly 25 years of experience in the MBA admissions industry as a consultant, admissions officer, and teacher, including seven years as senior associate director of admissions at the Wharton School. Like the initial version released in August 2016, this updated version of Becoming a Clear Admit offers an insightful guide for anyone approaching the MBA admissions process, one that provides fascinating background and an in-depth overview Read more
Published: March 21, 2017
HBS Admissions Director Encourages Reapplicants
With Round 2 applicants anxiously awaiting the imminent release of decisions from Harvard Business School (HBS) today, this post from January seemed worthy of a reprise. Of course, we know you are all very hopeful that Chad Losee’s words below encouraging rejected applicants to reapply to HBS will prove moot when you get your acceptance at noon. But since that unfortunately simply can’t be the case for everyone, maybe it’s nice to be reminded that one in 10 students in HBS’s class didn’t get in on the first try? Best of luck to you all—whether you’re awaiting word from Read more
Published: March 7, 2017
Application Tip from ASU’s W. P. Carey School: How to Choose the Right Recommenders
Sponsored Content The b-school application process has several components. And while you can complete the majority of the application on your own, the letters of recommendation require a bit more time and consideration. These letters are a key opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates, so make sure to get the ball rolling as early as possible in the application process. Opt for Quality Selecting the right people for the job is a crucial step. While it may look impressive to see your CEO’s name on a recommendation letter, unless you worked directly with the CEO, the gaps Read more
Published: February 14, 2017
MBA Admissions Mashup: Harvard’s IFCs & Interning at Amex
Every Wednesday, we share a roundup of the latest news from MBA admissions blogs at the top business schools. This week we take a look at an internship experience at American Express, opportunities to practice newly learned skills in the field and three reasons why applying to business school is like writing a movie script.  At Harvard Business School(HBS), students get the opportunity to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into practice out in the real world. In a recent blog post, HBS lists four things you need to know about these Immersive Field Read more
Published: January 25, 2017
Inside the Revamped Ross Admissions Process
As you navigate the MBA application process, do you ever feel like the websites, brochures and talking points for top MBA programs have blended together? Indeed, it has become more important than ever for schools to rely on innovative ways to differentiate themselves. At the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, the carefully curated process of admissions is ever evolving. Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon is known for putting a particularly personal fingerprint on the process, posting videos and written messages to a behind-the-scenes blog throughout the year. Read more

MBA Applywire

7
January 20, 2025 6:40pm ET
Applying: Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: McKinsey & Company Consultant
Post-MBA Target Industry: Venture Capital, Media Companies: Other , Other
GMAT: 745
GPA: 3.93
Years of Work Experience: 3.5
Location: Los Angeles, California
11
January 20, 2025 5:53pm ET
Applying: Babson / Olin, Cornell / Johnson, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough, Illinois / Gies, Indiana / Kelley, Ohio State / Fisher, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Undecided, UVA / Darden
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Military
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Other Companies: Accenture , Booz Allen Hamilton
GPA: 3.8
Years of Work Experience: 20
Post MBA Location: Florida
Notes:

Currently employed full time with a small defense contractor. I’m attached to a Flight Test squadron to advise and assist the Air Force in flight operations, long range and short range testing, resources, manning, scheduling, and collaborate with outside agencies and vendors.

Looking to stay within the Aero and Defense sector.
9
January 20, 2025 11:52am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Real Estate
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Consumer Goods, Non Profit/SI, Other Companies: Deloitte , McKinsey , 3M , Coca Cola , Unilever
GRE: 328
GPA: 3.05
Years of Work Experience: 7
Location: Nigeria
Post MBA Location: United States of America
Notes:

I would appreciate if given pointers as to the kind of questions to ask while attending virtual events and how to successfully gain application fee waiver. Thank you.
6
January 19, 2025 11:24am ET
Applying: Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Michigan / Ross, U. Chicago Booth, UCLA Anderson, UT Austin / McCombs
Pre-MBA Career: Production Supervisor
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Consumer Goods Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey
GPA: 2.9
Years of Work Experience: 5
Location: Southern California
Post MBA Location: Midwest
Notes:

Low GPA due to having to work full time during schooling to support my family and also career change. I was originally in Engineering undergrad then switched to Finance and achieved much higher grades.

I have taken a practice GMAT and I am aiming for a ~675+ to hopefully offset GPA.

M 30, Hispanic American, First-gen, I would apply through the Consortium, also a part of the Big Brother program mentor.

3 years of credit specialist experience and 2 years of production supervisor experience, all within the same company. 5 more years of general production jobs where I had some leadership experience but nothing too notable.

I'm not absolutely locked into only attending those schools, but I know they have great placements in Consulting. How would everyone rate my chances?
9
January 16, 2025 2:59am ET
Applying: Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM
Pre-MBA Career: Financial Services, Wholesale Banking
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting
GPA: 4.0
Years of Work Experience: 2
Location: Bangladesh
Post MBA Location: United States (preferably Boston, NY, Chicago, or Seattle)
Notes:

Hi Alex and Graham, huge fan of your podcast. Love the work that you are doing, especially with the candidate profile reviews

- Female from outside the capital city in Bangladesh; 23-year-old; to accumulate 3 years of full-time work experience at matriculation in Fall 26. Also completed HBS CoRE with high honors (99th Percentile). Prepping for the GRE now and expecting a score of 330 ish, with a skew towards quant.

- Graduated with 4.0 in Econ (Minor: Finance and Math) from an international women's college in Bangladesh; extensively involved as Tutor (Math and Science Center) and Teaching Assistant (for 8 courses) during my undergrad; Secretary at the SDG Club. Have done internships and global mgmt. programs internationally, but remotely given it was during peak Covid.

- Working as an Assistant Vice President in one of the largest multinational banks; I manage the largest client of my office and oversee accounts; I also work actively on several CSR projects of my organization, including a major initiative that involves my Alma Mater. Managing a team of 3 at work now despite being the youngest in the team

- Target is to get into Top 15 MBA programs at the US with a substantial scholarship. I recognize that the Work Exp will be a major barrier. Please suggest ways in which I can maximize my chances. My goal is to do consulting with an MBB firm in the Short Term and then move to Non-profit/Social Impact (either in Consulting with orgs such as Dalberg, or at the likes of Gates Foundation etc.) focusing on women empowerment/ education.

- Planning to apply in R1 to 5 ish schools (Mix of M7, Top 10, 10-15 range) and then in R2 to 3 ish, targeting a total of 8 applications

Would love to get covered in one of your future episodes. Happy to share more about my profile and ambitions. Thanks a ton!
View or Submit Entries

MBA LiveWire

January 20, 2025 10:58pm ET
Applied to Michigan / Ross
Round: Round 2
Received via email
GPA: 8.81/10 (3.82 WES Converted)
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: India
January 20, 2025 10:57pm ET
Applied to UVA / Darden
Round: Round 2
Received via email
GPA: 8.81/10 (3.82 WES converted)
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: India
January 20, 2025 10:55pm ET
Interview Invite to Vanderbilt / Owen
Round: Round 2
Received via email on January 12, 2025
GPA: 8.81/10 (3.82 WES Converted)
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: India
January 20, 2025 4:01pm ET
Applying to UVA / Darden
Round: Round 2
Received via portal
EA: 149
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: Chile
Note:

Applied on January 4th
January 20, 2025 3:30pm ET
Interview Invite to UVA / Darden
Round: Round 2
Received via email on January 14, 2025
GPA: 3.6
GRE: 320
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: Atlanta, GA
Note:

HBCU grad. IB/VC/Startup experience.
View or Submit Entries
Live
Wire