Weekly Columns

Keep up with the latest school facts and news from your fellow MBA applicants.

Published: September 24, 2019

MBA News You Need: $5M Gift for NYU Stern Women, INSEAD to Host Africa Business Conference, 10 New Electives at Dartmouth Tuck, and More from IESE and Yale SOM

Each week we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of September 23, 2019. Read more

Published: September 19, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Wait, How Did I Get to Oxford?

Each individual path to business school is unique, and the MBA application process often functions as the great equalizer for prospective students. In other words, applications are opportunities to showcase one’s originality within the established framework of your desired school’s culture. Beyond the standard rigamarole of GMAT scores, securing undergrad transcripts, and getting up to speed on quant pre-reqs, assembling a knock-out personal statement and prepping for in-person interviews can be trying, even for the most seasoned professionals. Nikita Pancholi took to the Oxford University's Saïd Business School blog to offer insights on how to put your best foot forward in the application process. Read more

Published: September 17, 2019

MBA News You Need: Pre-MBA Work Experience at UCLA Anderson, Berkeley Haas on MBA Application Fears, Dartmouth Tuck Admissions Criteria, and More from Michigan Ross and Vanderbilt Owen

Published: September 12, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Expanding My Worldview Through HBS’s FIELD Global Immersion

First-year Harvard Business School MBA students take part in the FIELD Global Immersion course. Over the course of a semester, they work with a global business, which has a product or service issue to solve. Students are expected to choose a city or country they do not have prior experience with, and the course culminates in a weeklong visit to the business. There are so many reasons the study abroad component has become indispensable to the MBA education. To study abroad is an opportunity to understand–as current HBS student Reggie Smith wrote in a recent blog post–how to “innovate in the globally competitive 21st century economy.” Read on for a first hand account of the FIELD Global Immersion at HBS. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, HBS Blog MBA Voices. Expanding My Worldview Through HBS’s FIELD Global Immersion by Reggie Smith '20 Eight of us (six HBS students, a translator, and a driver) packed into a nine-passenger minivan for a winding drive through the bustling streets of Seoul. Our driver navigated us to a small office building as child-like anticipation grew in the van. The building was very clean and felt sparsely populated. We hopped in a small elevator and quickly arrived on the 7th floor. The open office floor plan had six rows of computers with the company’s CEO and the newest hire sitting practically shoulder to shoulder. We soon realized we had just stepped into the “Silicon Valley” of Seoul. Read more

Published: September 5, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Yale SOM Internship Spotlight – Anna Collura ’20

The first-year MBA internship is arguably the second-most important milestone behind actually getting into business school. It is the moment where theory translates into praxis; when business school students have an opportunity to fully embody a year’s worth of knowledge and see how it applies to real-world situations. Second-year MBA student Anna Collura ’20 took to the Yale SOM blog to explain how she applied lessons from her first year at Yale her internship at George State University this past summer. Read more

Published: September 2, 2019

MBA ApplyWire Spotlight: What Do I Need on the GRE?

We are back for another edition of MBA ApplyWire Spotlight, a series that highlights entries from MBA applicants as shared in Clear Admit’s MBA ApplyWire. This week, we highlight an MBA applicant with diverse international experience who sought advice on the GRE. Read on for more detail from a candidate considering Harvard Business School, INSEAD, London Business School, Stanford GSB, and UPenn / Wharton. Clear Admit’s resident expert, Alex Brown, opened the conversation: Read more

Published: August 29, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Pursuing an MBA at MIT Sloan as a Parent

There has been much digital ink spilled on these Clear Admit pages about how prospective b-schoolers can navigate the major life transitions that MBA degrees entail. Usually these articles take the form of balancing school with a demanding job or uprooting across the country (or continents). However, one issue that has not been discussed as widely in business school circles is pursuing an MBA as a parent. Mid-career professionals have historically used the MBA as a way to climb the corporate ladder or pivot to new lines of work. As the profile of an MBA student skews older, the reality of life outside the classroom and/or boardroom naturally gets more complicated as personal and professional responsibilities compete. Current MIT Sloan student Hadar Ben Ari (MBA ’20) took to the Sloan blog to discuss the art of earning an MBA as a parent. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the MIT Sloan blog. Read more

Published: August 22, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Moving to Rochester? Current Simon Students Are Here to Help!

When you are about to embark on a major life change like an MBA, it's not only the curriculum and campus that can feel daunting. Learning new neighborhoods and deciding where to call "home" for two years also presents unique challenges. That's why Rochester / Simon Business School students shared advice to ease the transition for future Flour City residents. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Simon Admissions Blog. Moving to Rochester? Current Simon Students Are Here to Help! Picking up your life and moving to another city to begin a graduate business program is a big change. One of the things you’ll need to check off your “to-do” list is finding a place to live. But where should you begin? Read more

Published: August 20, 2019

MBA News You Need: NYU Stern Expands Test Options for Admission, How Wharton Constructs MBA Clusters, Yale SOM Welcomes Class of 2021, and More from Vanderbilt Owen and Dartmouth Tuck

Published: August 15, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Duke Fuqua – Gaining Marketing Experience During the Brand Challenge

Brands are more than just umbrellas or avatars for a business—they reinforce what a business stands for. When businesses develop initiatives to bolster their brand equity, they are really trying to influence the associations the general public makes with their product(s). To manage the “perceived value” of a business is a delicate process that Duke Fuqua MBA graduates are quite well suited to oversee. Tarun Desai, Daytime MBA ’20 and a five-year veteran of the strategy consulting and private equity industries, recently took to the Duke Fuqua blog to discuss his illuminating experience with the Marketing Club’s annual Brand Challenge. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua Blog. Read more

Published: August 8, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: NYU’s Student-led Impact Investment Fund Completes Its First Deal

If you want to understand some key hallmarks of the MBA experience, look no further than NYU's Impact Investment Fund (NIIF). First, it's student-led, giving participants hands-on leadership experience and skills that translate to real world success. Second, it represents the educational advantage of being part of a larger university–NIIF was born out of collaboration between the NYU Stern School of Business, the Law School and the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. And what's more, it represents the ideal goal of blending business and social impact. Recent Stern & Wagner double-degree student Gabriel Ng ’19 recently shared with Clear Admit his experience with NIIF and the educational journey to its first deal. Read on for some on-the-ground insights. NYU’s Student-led Impact Investment Fund Completes Its First Deal by Gabriel Ng MBA/MPA ’19 Read more

Published: August 6, 2019

MBA News You Need: Admissions Advice from Northwestern Kellogg, Cornell Johnson, and Dartmouth Tuck Plus MIT Sloan and London Business School Offer Summer Reading

Published: August 1, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Tuck WIB – The Moment I Knew Tuck Was Right for Me

Many applicants spend so much time wrestling with fundamental questions about their MBA programs before taking the plunge: Which school is the right cultural fit? Which schools will open doors in X industry? Which school offers the best value? Dartmouth Tuck MBA student Alex Wood T’20 took to the Tuck 360 Blog to unpack the moment she decided the school was the right place for her, and how their Women in Business Conference informed her involvement with the event now. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Tuck 360 Blog. Read more

Published: July 30, 2019

MBA News You Need: Chicago Booth Alumnae Highlight Faculty, UT McCombs Top 5 MBA FAQs, New Dartmouth Tuck Networking Hub, and More from LBS and Oxford

Published: July 25, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Lessons from MBAT – Trust, Camaraderie, and Leading from Behind

MBA students spend a lot of time with one another both in and outside the classroom. Since community is at the heart of the MBA experience, many programs spearhead innovative—and fun—initiatives to fortify the relationships that naturally develop between students. Colin Tierney '18-'19 took to the Oxford Saïd Business School blog to share lessons learned from the recent MBA Tournament, which assembled students from across the world to spar in a friendly competition featuring sports, dance, music, and more. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Saïd Business School blog. Read more

Published: July 24, 2019

MBA News You Need: Non-traditional MBA Candidates Should Be Optimistic, Berkeley Haas on Global Leadership, Meet HBS Pride, and More from UT Austin / McCombs and Cornell / Johnson

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of July 22, 2019. Non-traditional MBA Candidates Should Be Optimistic Non-traditional MBA candidates without undergraduate business backgrounds are often accepted to leading business schools, according to Vanderbilt Owen's MBA admissions committee. Whether your background is in the military, Peace Corps, Teach for America, or performing arts, non-traditional candidates have become more commonplace in many MBA programs. The truth is that business schools want a balance of candidates and appreciate a diverse array of perspectives. “I think by having people who have not been steeped in in corporate America—it’s really helpful to have outside perspectives,” said Rob Schickler, Associate Director of Admissions at Vanderbilt Owen. “The more diversity you have, the more groupthink can be avoided.” So, how do you ensure that as a non-traditional candidate you have the best chance of getting accepted into an MBA program? Read more

Published: July 18, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: My MBA Timeline – Year 2 at Chicago Booth

Last week, Fridays from the Frontline featured the first-year experience of recent Booth graduate Monisha Shivakumar. Now, we continue along the rest of her business school path, from a summer internship through graduation. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Booth Experience Blog. Read more

Published: July 11, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: My MBA Timeline – Year 1 at Chicago Booth

The business school experience crams so much into such a short timeframe, it’s easy to blaze right through those two years. Given the combination of coursework, internships, case studies, networking, and extracurriculars—not to mention exploring your surroundings—it’s understandable why many students find it difficult to stop and take stock of the once-in-a-lifetime experience an MBA offers when they’re in the thick of it. To encourage current students to reflect, recent Chicago Booth graduate Monisha Shivakumar took to the Booth Experience Blog to share a timeline of the first year of her MBA degree. Tune in next week for Monisha’s summary of her second year. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Booth Experience Blog. Read more

Published: July 9, 2019

MBA News You Need: MBA Essay Advice from Michigan Ross, Marketing Might at Wharton, Summer Reading from Stanford GSB, and More from Washington Foster and CEIBS

Published: July 4, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Tips for MBA Students and Their Partners from a Kellogg Spouse

Business school often turns one’s life upside down—whether interrupting a career, requiring relocation, or balancing professional goals with the needs of a burgeoning family. The greatest shockwaves, however, may be felt by one's partner. Samantha Dorsey—a member of the Joint Ventures (JV) club and whose husband attends the Evening & Weekend MBA program at Northwestern / Kellogg—is intimately familiar with the challenges an MBA lifestyle can bring. So, she took to the Kellogg blog to help incoming MBA students and their partners smoothe the transition to a hectic, but ultimately rewarding, lifestyle change. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Northwestern Kellogg Blog. Read more

Published: June 27, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: Recruiting for a Non-Traditional Industry at Anderson

While finance, consulting and technology tend to dominate business school employment stats, the recruiting landscape can, in fact, support a variety of goals—real estate, energy, sports business, non-profit and more. The MBA is a versatile degree, empowering business school students to blaze brighter professional trails. Current UCLA Anderson student Tim Maleski '20 opted to pursue an MBA to give himself a leg up in the lucrative, but unconventional, field of sports business. Maleski took to the Anderson blog to unpack how to find a job along the professional road less traveled. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the UCLA Anderson Blog. Read more

Published: June 25, 2019

MBA News You Need: Harvard Launches Joint MBA/MS, Duke Fuqua Updates MBA Application, New Master’s at Yale SOM, and More from UCLA Anderson, and Michigan Ross

Published: June 20, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: What I Did Differently Before Reapplying to HBS

The MBA admissions process can be a humbling one. Many applicants to elite MBA programs seemingly tick all the boxes—an excellent undergraduate GPA, high GMAT score, robust work experience, poignant essays—but may still face rejection. However, one round of dings does not need to completely dash one's dreams—re-applicants often find success in subsequent admissions cycles, usually after a period of self-reflection and action to improve their candidacy. This week, we hear from current HBS student Arman Keshani, who shares his experience of getting rejected by Harvard and then taking steps to re-apply successfully. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the HBS Blog. Read more

Published: June 18, 2019

MBA News You Need: New Stanford Toolkit for Entrepreneurs, HBS and SEAS Add Financial Aid for Joint MBA Students, Darden Summer Internships, More from Haas and Tuck

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of June 17, 2019. Read more

Published: June 13, 2019

Fridays from the Frontline: How Gaining Leadership Experience at Fuqua Transformed Me

Commencement ceremonies currently abound for the MBA Classes of 2019, and many new graduates are reflecting back on their transformational two-year student experience. While many MBA dreamers may just be starting their applications while first-years tackle their internships, we wanted to showcase the positive perspective after the two-year journey of a full-time MBA program. Janette Hwang, a second-year MBA student at Duke Fuqua, took to the Fuqua blog to share how she took on leadership responsibilities she never imagined during business school—and how the journey transformed her. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua blog. Read more

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MBA Applywire

March 30, 2025 10:53am ET

Applying: Columbia, Duke / Fuqua, ESADE, IESE, INSEAD, London Business School, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Other, Penn State / Smeal, U. Chicago Booth, UCLA Anderson, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: Banking and technology

Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology, Commercial Banking Companies: Other , Other

GMAT: 710

GPA: 3.1

Years of Work Experience: 7

Location: Brazil

Post MBA Location: Brazil

Notes:

I am a 29 yo black brazilian woman. I am civil engineer by the oldest civil engineer school of Brazil with full scholarship. I have been working with data since 2015 and now I am coordinator of a data team I the biggest Latin American Bank. Currently I am studying for toefl and improving my English. My main purposes joining a top tier mba are to improve my leadership skills and to learn with different people from different backgrounds (I am working in the same business since 2017).

March 30, 2025 10:29am ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, INSEAD, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU Stern, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: Fintech, Morgan Stanley

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology Companies: Accenture , Bain , BCG , McKinsey , PWC , Amazon , Apple , Facebook , Google , Microsoft

GRE: 322

GPA: 3.39

Years of Work Experience: 5

March 27, 2025 2:54am ET

Applying: Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: DA/DS; Family Business

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Family Business, Entrepreneurship

GRE: 330

GPA: 3.5

Years of Work Experience: 4

Location: Malden, MA

March 25, 2025 7:42am ET

Applying: Columbia, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: Real estate acquisitions and development

Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking

GMAT: 675

GPA: 3.1

Years of Work Experience: 4

Location: Mid-atlantic

Notes:

I am originally from the UK (now a permanent resident) and went to community college (3.6 gpa), then transferred to a top 25 undergrad and severe health issues due to a disability causing me to get a 3.1 gpa. I then stayed there and did a master’s in finance with a 3.8 gpa. I am very passionate about giving back, especially about the homelessness epidemic. Before college I spent a year in Switzerland volunteering at homeless shelters. During college I led a campus ministry with a focus on helping the unhoused. After my experience with my disability, I started a nonprofit that has consulted with several shelters and foodbanks to help those with similar health issues as myself. I also personally raised capital to purchase and preserve an affordable multifamily property. My career has been in real estate since I graduated, but I have job hopped. My first job was 5 months, then I moved to be closer to family. My next job was for 7 months, but I quit as they were taking actions to make housing unaffordable for first time buyers. My next job was in acquisitions but I was laid off with about half the company due to the rising interest rates that affected the industry. I have been at an impact real estate private equity firm for almost 2 years in an acquisitions, development, and asset management role with a promotion. All my roles have been for REITs or PE firms. My post-mba goal is banking to better learn capital markets and long term to start an affordable real estate investment firm, perhaps in London. I would love to be a wire tap candidate, fingers crossed.

March 24, 2025 8:36am ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, UVA / Darden

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Software Engineer

Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology Companies: Microsoft

GMAT: 695

GPA: 4.0

Location: US

Post MBA Location: Boston

Notes:

Applying for deferred programs at the mentioned schools. African woman studying Comp Sci and Math. GMAT Focus 98 %tile. Substantial community involvement and some experience at big tech working as a SWE. Thinking of consulting or product management post MBA.

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MBA LiveWire

April 1, 2025 11:33am ET

Waitlisted at UPenn / Wharton

Round: Round 2

Received via portal April 1, 2025

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.24

GRE: 323

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Application Location: USA

Note:

Accepted to CBS, Ross, NYU, UCLA. Disappointed with WL given this was the top. There’s a sliver of hope!

April 1, 2025 11:30am ET

Waitlisted at UPenn / Wharton

Round: Round 2

Received via portal April 1, 2025

Standardized Test: GMAT

GPA: 3.73

GMAT: 605

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

Application Location: Lisbon, Portugal

April 1, 2025 11:28am ET

Accepted to UPenn / Wharton

Round: Round 2

Received via portal April 1, 2025

Standardized Test: GMAT

GPA: 4.0

GMAT: 635

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

Note:

Focus Edition

April 1, 2025 11:24am ET

Accepted to UPenn / Wharton

Round: Round 2

Received via portal April 1, 2025

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.9

GRE: 334

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

April 1, 2025 11:22am ET

Rejected at UPenn / Wharton

Round: Round 2

Received via portal April 1, 2025

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.7

GRE: 320

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

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