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Published: March 19, 2019
Sentence Correction Tip: Cut the Junk
Sentence corrections on the GMAT can be particularly tricky. There are so many rules and goals to keep in mind – not only does the correct selection have to be grammatically correct, but it needs to be concise and clear – at least, according to GMAC standards. The biggest strategy that we find even the best GMAT test takers fail to consider is “cutting the junk” when approaching GMAT sentence correction questions. It is easy for a GMAT test taker, particularly a native English speaker, to heavily rely on how a sentence correction questions sounds to make corrections, then jump Read more
Published: March 18, 2019
DecisionWire Spotlight: Columbia Business School or UCLA / Anderson for Media
In this MBA DecisionWire Spotlight, which highlights MBA candidates’ choices as shared in Clear Admit’s DecisionWire, we take a closer look at a candidate accepted to Columbia and UCLA Anderson.  The candidate is planning a post-MBA career in media and received a $60k scholarship to CBS. A community member kicked off the conversation: Read more
Published: March 17, 2019
Rochester Simon School of Business Leads the Way with STEM-Designated MBA Program
As international applications at U.S. business schools drop, there’s more demand than ever for science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines in MBA curriculum. Why? The new STEM designation program. Created by the federal government to help with the shortage of qualified workers in the STEM fields, the program makes H1b visas far more attractive. If a student attends a STEM-designated education program and gains a STEM job after graduation, they gain an additional 24 months of optional practical training (OPT) time. This lengthens their stay in the U.S. from one to three years, which is very attractive to candidates and a solid reason for schools to consider the STEM designation. And many have. Read more
Published: March 14, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: What is it like to be a woman in one of today’s top global business schools?
In light of International Women's Day last week and the ongoing Women's History Month, this edition of Fridays from the Frontline features two Forté Foundation scholars from Cambridge / Judge. Forté Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to empowering women in business, offers a Fellows Program, which provides fellowships to “women pursuing a full-time, part-time or executive MBA education at our sponsor business schools.” According to Forté, sponsor schools have given more than $142 million to more than 6,300 Forté Fellows to date. Read on to hear from members of the Judge MBA Class of 2018, Natalia Dziergwa and Rebecca Kilbane, about why women would do well to consider Cambridge Judge. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, Cambridge Judge Insight. Read more
Published: March 13, 2019
Will the UK Avoid Chaos After Brexit? Wharton Podcast Discusses
With the Brexit deadline looming on March 29, and chaos after Brexit almost expected, there are a lot of unknowns. But thanks to a possible extension and guarantees from the EU to help British Prime Minister Theresa May push her proposal through Parliament, new possibilities are starting to open up. Still, there is a lot of uncertainty over Brexit that’s impacting the UK on a variety of levels, including business. Read more
Published: March 13, 2019
Can IKEA and the Instant Pot Teach Us About Competition? MIT Sloan Thinks So
People purchase IKEA furniture because it’s easy to put together. They don’t want to have to buy a drill; they want holes and pieces that easily fit together like Legos. In fact, according to Harvard professor Theodore Levitt, when someone buys a drill, what they want is what the drill can do. That’s just one reason why MIT professor Sanjay Sarma believes that IKEA is on the cutting edge of business. While other companies are trying to sell solutions to outdated problems, IKEA has figured out how to solve a core problem. “That's what I call inversion,” Sarma said. “You’ve got to wrap yourself around the need and think outwards, rather than limit yourself to your product.” So, what can IKEA and other companies teach about competition? Sarma provides insight from three recognizable brands who are mastering the art of inversion, and one that failed. Read more
Published: March 12, 2019
MBA News You Need: Yale SOM Names New Dean, Harvard Makes Plans to Increase Diversity, IMD Talks Women in Leadership, and More
Each week we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest trending topics from top business schools around the world. Here’s your quick MBA News You Need digest for the week of March 11, 2019. Read more
Published: March 11, 2019
Wharton Tops the U.S. News 2020 MBA Ranking And More
As reported here this morning, the Wharton School has claimed the number one spot—for the first time on its own—of the U.S. News and World Report 2020 rankings of full-time MBA programs. Before we get to other noteworthy shifts and positions, here’s a quick rundown of this year’s top 10, in order of their 2020 rank (2019 rank in parentheses): Read more
Published: March 11, 2019
LiveWire Spotlight: Venting Frustration
While MBA applicants usually share good (interview invitations, acceptances) and bad (ding, ding, ding) admissions news on LiveWire, it’s also a communal touchstone for the admissions process in general.  The real-time updates provided by candidates as they move through the admissions process at leading business schools has offered a new degree of transparency into the processes at individual schools—and sometimes those processes aren’t the smoothest. Read more
Published: March 10, 2019
Q&A with Student Interviewers at Cornell / Johnson
As Cornell / Johnson wraps up initial notifications for its January Round this week, we caught up with a few student interviewers to provide insights into their admissions interview.  At Johnson, the MBA admissions interview may be conducted by an adcom member or a trained second-year student member of the Johnson Admissions Group (JAG).  Two JAG members, Lauren Keithahn and Corey Minerva, shed light on why they became interviewers, what stands out to them in an admissions interview, what advice they have for new candidates and more. Read more
Published: March 7, 2019
International Women’s Day in the Business School Community
Each year, the business school community takes extra time on International Women’s Day to promote gender parity and celebrate women.  Given the plethora of events and related research, we’re rounding up what the top business schools are doing as shared on Twitter. A picture from Cornell / Johnson summarized International Women’s Day in 1,000 words: https://twitter.com/CornellMBA/status/1103999121868886017 Cambridge Judge and Yale SOM held events: Read more
Published: March 7, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Tuck’s OnSite Global Consulting Takes a Closer Look at China’s Running Culture
As we enter the third decade of the Asian Century, Stateside MBA programs are taking strides to find ways to embed themselves and their students in Asian markets. One clear method to gain a foothold in any market—or at the very least get a lay of the land—is through cultural immersion. Second-year Tuck student Maria Milleville, who will join the Danaher Corporation’s General Management Development Program after graduation, documented her experience with Chinese running culture as part of her OnSite assignment. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Tuck 360 Blog. Read more
Published: March 7, 2019
Everyone Should Promote Gender Balance According to INSEAD Research
Improving gender balance isn’t just a problem for some businesses or individuals; it’s a problem for everyone. The most progressive companies are taking active steps to find a better balance, which is a very encouraging development. Read more
Published: March 6, 2019
U.S. and China Trade Agreement: Wharton Podcast Talks About What’s Going On
The U.S. and China trade war has been a concern for a while. It’s been costing the economy and businesses millions in imports and exports. When, in February, the U.S. decided to postpone plans to implement a stiff import tariff indefinitely, many people thought a resolution was on the horizon. Unfortunately, trade negotiations between the two countries go beyond tariffs. Other sticking points include U.S. concerns over the protection of intellectual property rights and cultural disconnect between the rights of businesses in both countries. According to experts at the Wharton School and Fordham University, there’s a long way to go before a trade agreement can be reached. Read more
Published: March 5, 2019
MBA News You Need: HEC Paris on Inclusivity, HBS on Management, IMD on Luxury Businesses, and More.
Each week we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest trending topics from top business schools around the world. Here’s your quick MBA News You Need digest for the week of March 4, 2019. Read more
Published: March 4, 2019
MBA DecisionWire Spotlight: Waitlisted and Waiting to Hear
In this MBA DecisionWire Spotlight, which highlights MBA candidates’ choices as shared in Clear Admit’s DecisionWire, we take a closer look at a couple of candidates either on the waitlist or waiting to hear from other schools before making a decision. If you’re on the waitlist in Round 1, check out our latest podcast about what you can do to improve your odds.  The first candidate we highlight was accepted to UNC Kenan-Flagler and on the waitlist at Duke / Fuqua.  They are also getting ready to interview at Georgetown / McDonough, and waiting to hear from NYU Stern. Clear Admit’s resident admissions expert, Alex Brown, opened the conversation: Read more
Published: March 3, 2019
Round 2 Applicants: Your Handy Guide for Leading MBA Programs’ Decisions
Round 2 leading MBA program decisions are upon us! For those who have applied in Round 2 and are anxiously awaiting their decision, you’re in the right place. Use this to guide you through Round 2 decisions that will be released in March 2019. School Decision Date Emory / Goizueta March 8, 2019 (Round 3) Toronto / Rotman March 8, 2019 Vanderbilt / Owen March 8, 2019 Berkeley / Haas March 14, 2019 Dartmouth / Tuck March 14, 2019 CMU Tepper March 14, 2019 Michigan / Ross March 15, 2019 UNC Kenan-Flagler Read more
Published: February 28, 2019
Prodigy Finance to Host Free Webinar on March 21st – “How Will You Fund Your MBA Abroad?”
Click here to Register If you’re applying for your MBA abroad in 2019 or later, this is a great opportunity to learn about how you can get a free loan quote without any co-signer or collateral in under 30 minutes. The webinar will be hosted by the Prodigy Finance Country Manger for India, Nikhil Lasrado. He will discuss financing for your education, including: • Benefits of a top-ranked MBA course • The 30-minute loan application • Loan terms, including loan size, interest rates, and repayment period • How Read more
Published: February 28, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Helping Vets Make the Transition to Business
Business school has become an increasingly popular bastion for military veterans looking to pivot to a less death-defying career path. Veterans make natural MBAs—they are known for devising and executing detailed plans, alternately leading and following orders, and working collaboratively. More and more ex-military have begun to pursue MBAs and business schools are working to make the transition as smooth as possible. Current UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA student and U.S. Navy vet Michael Burris took to the school blog to discuss how Kenan-Flagler helps veterans transition from tours of duty to careers in consulting, finance, real estate, entrepreneurship, and beyond. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the UNC Kenan-Flagler Blog. Read more
Published: February 28, 2019
London Business School on Gaining and Using Power
Power shapes every interaction. Powerful people get their way often, we’re generally nicer to them, and we listen to them. So how do you get power and use it? Power is a zero-sum game and complicated to discuss. However, for London Business School Associate Professor Ena Inesi, that’s what makes it so appealing to study. Read more
Published: February 27, 2019
And the Award Goes to…Wharton Talks About the Financial Benefit of Winning an Oscar
Nearly 30 million people tuned into the 91st Academy Awards ceremony this past Sunday, rooting for Roma, listening for Lady Gaga, or just joyfully discovering Olivia Colman. Fanfare and speeches aside, there’s no doubt that winning an Academy Award is a great honor. Whether it’s a film, actor, director, or those working behind the camera, an Oscar is validation for a lot of hard work. But what is the actual benefit of winning an Oscar beyond a gold statue? Is there any financial award? That’s what a recent Knowledge@Wharton podcast set out to discover. The podcast, which interviewed Wharton’s Jehoshua Eliashberg and S. Abraham Ravid, talks about the benefits of being nominated and winning an Oscar. Read more
Published: February 27, 2019
Four Reasons You Need to Visit Clear Admit’s Interview Archive
If you're preparing for a Round 2 MBA admissions interview, we wanted to remind Class of 2020 hopefuls that Clear Admit can help with the final hurdle to acceptance: the interview. The Clear Admit Interview Archive is a repository of first-hand accounts shared directly by MBA applicants after they have interviewed with one or more of their target top-tier business schools. The details shared in these reports—from the questions asked to what the applicant would do differently if he or she had it to do over—provide invaluable information as you prepare for your interviews. Read more
Published: February 26, 2019
MBA News You Need: Tuck Wins Global Challenge, Columbia Revisits Homeownership, Anderson Helps with a Case of the Mondays, and More
Each week we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest trending topics from top business schools around the world. Here’s your quick MBA News You Need digest for the week of February 25, 2019. Read more
Published: February 25, 2019
MBA DecisionWire Spotlight: Berkeley / Haas or UCLA / Anderson for Tech
In this MBA DecisionWire Spotlight, which highlights MBA candidates’ choices as shared in Clear Admit’s DecisionWire, we take a closer look at a candidate accepted to Berkeley / Haas and UCLA Anderson. The candidate is interested in tech and also received a scholarship offer, worth $80k, from UCLA / Anderson. Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond spent some time crafting a lengthy response: Read more
Published: February 21, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: 25 Random Things About My Section at Duke / Fuqua
As many b-schoolers we’ve profiled in our Real Humans series will attest, the essay is often the most nerve-wracking part of the entire admissions process; not only is your individuality on full display, but it’s poked, prodded, and vetted for how well it might fit into your desired school’s community vision. Duke Fuqua’s “25 Random Things” admissions prompt takes a fun approach to the traditional essay, offering prospective students an opportunity to share just about anything and everything they see fit with the admissions team. Current Duke Fuqua MBA student John MacDonald took to the Daytime MBA Student Blog to compile the “25 Random Things” about all the students in his section. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog. Read more

MBA Applywire

3
November 16, 2024 5:16pm ET
Applying: ESADE, IE Business School, IESE
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Tech
Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology, Pharmaceutical Companies: Apple , Facebook , Google , Microsoft , Oracle , Johnson & Johnson , Novartis , Pfizer , Roche
GMAT: 525
GPA: 2.79
Years of Work Experience: 4
Post MBA Location: Europe
Notes:

Asian, female, USA. Top 10 Undergraduate school in USA, majored in Biomedical Engineering. Worked for Salesforce, Accenture, and Microsoft within sales department. Major accomplishments within sales roles. Strong personal essays. Letters of Recommendations from direct managers. Founder and held multiple leadership positions in school clubs during Undergrad. Just a really bad test taker and cannot seem to get my scores up no matter how many times I take it specifically in the quant section. American trying to stay in Europe post MBA and only applying to European B-schools.
7
November 15, 2024 9:32am ET
Applying: Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, Minnesota / Carlson, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM
Pre-MBA Career: Insurance
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , Other
GMAT: 505
GPA: 3.44
Years of Work Experience: 3
Post MBA Location: Midwest, Northeast
Notes:

GMAT Note:
* The score is an unofficial practice test. I am beginning my studies for the real thing now.

Undergrad Majors:
* Economics
* Business Management

Work Experience Notes:
* Insurance experience is at a family business
* I implemented data analytics into business operations since that was not a practice beforehand.
* I help with sales, customer service, bookkeeping, and marketing.

Extracurriculars & Volunteer Activities:
* Worked as an economics research assistant during my undergrad where I consulted public and private entities
* Was part of an economics research project that won a national award for its work in community economic development
* Published 2 university-sponsored economics articles
* During my senior year, I was appointed to a university faculty committee to help plan university award ceremonies and delegate student scholarships
* Won a leadership award from my university
* Economics honor society member
* President of a student club (1 year) and a club's Senior Advisor (1 year)
* Started and led 2 initiatives that installed free smoke alarms in rural area homes (received a leadership award from the American Red Cross for this)
* Ironman triathlete
13
November 14, 2024 8:16pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Cambridge / Judge, Columbia, Cornell / Johnson, emlyon, IESE, Imperial, INSEAD, London Business School, Manchester / AMBS, Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU Stern, UPenn / Wharton
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Hospitality
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Consumer Goods, Other Companies: Amazon , Apple , Google , Coca Cola , LVMH , Nestle , Nike
GRE: 326
GPA: 3.46
Years of Work Experience: 6
Post MBA Location: Consultancy
7
November 14, 2024 6:29am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Georgetown / McDonough, UVA / Darden
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Consulting, Capital Project Development (Renewable Energy/CCS)
Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Commercial Banking, Family Business, Entrepreneurship
GMAT: 664
GPA: 2.9
Years of Work Experience: 7
Notes:

Pakistani male, looking to get into the financial services industry short term, and long-term make a significant contribution to the family business or pursue entrepreneurship. Studied engineering from UT Austin for undergrad followed by three jobs (roughly 2 years each) and a nine month break in between job 2 and 3. Planning to take the GMAT again in 3 weeks to offset GPA. Goal score is 695. Mitigating circumstances around GPA are just illness and general family/self issues but doubt they will be very convincing.
7
November 13, 2024 11:52am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Georgetown / McDonough, Michigan / Ross, UNC Kenan-Flagler, USC / Marshall
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Real Estate Development Analyst and Acquisitions Project Manager
Post-MBA Target Industry: Private Equity, Family Business, Entrepreneurship Companies: Other
GPA: 3.44
Years of Work Experience: 3
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MBA LiveWire

November 17, 2024 12:58am ET
Rejected at Columbia
Round: Round 1
Received via portal on November 14, 2024
GPA: 3.49
GMAT: 740
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: India
November 17, 2024 12:46am ET
Interview Invite to Duke / Fuqua
Round: Round 1
Received via email on November 12, 2024
GPA: 3.49
GMAT: 740
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: India
November 16, 2024 12:19pm ET
Interview Invite to Northwestern / Kellogg
Round: Round 1
Received via email
GRE: 320
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Application Location: India
November 16, 2024 10:45am ET
Accepted to Boston College / Carroll
Round: Round 1
Received via phone on November 12, 2024
GPA: 3.91
GRE: 318
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Texaa
November 16, 2024 9:42am ET
Accepted to Ohio State / Fisher
Round: Early Decision
Received via email on November 14, 2024
GRE: 316
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
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