Weekly Columns
Keep up with the latest school facts and news from your fellow MBA applicants.
Published: November 28, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly round up of the latest news from the b-school blogosphere. With the American holiday of Thanksgiving just a day behind us, we hope that those who celebrate had a particularly festive turkey day. This week applicants and students checked in with additional news about their respective application and academic experiences.
Ellie prepared her readers for a bit of blog silence as she waited to board a plane to India for her sister's wedding. Poetic Quant described his LBS interview as very fun and informative. Domotron also focused his latest blog post on an interview experience, commenting on the Wharton team-based discussion. MBA the Nonprofit Way shared a disappointing zap from Stanford and reflected on the elements of their application that may have been weak. Expecting MBA Milf fared better with a Stanford interview invitation, and described that experience, as well as her Anderson interview. MBA Girl Journey reviewed Clear Admit's Wharton interview guide. TimBob recounted his London HBS interview, which he described as relaxed and free flowing. MBAReapplicant updated his readers with much news, including a waitlist decision from Haas and an exciting Kellogg interview.
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Published: November 21, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly blog feature focused on the b-school blogosphere. This week was a banner one for applicants, as many reported their actual interview experiences or additional interview invitations. Students were a comparatively quiet bunch, though many checked in to share some of their recent extracurricular experiences.
Sarah performed an informal research project to determine how friendly HBS, Darden and Fuqua and her results surprised her. HammO visited Johnson and shared some of his experiences, from sitting in on a core finance course to being interviewed by two people simultaneously. MBA The Nonprofit Way experienced a less than ideal Yale interview in L.A. and recommended taking a moment to compose yourself, even if that means being 2-3 minutes late to the interview, before sitting down with your interviewers. Domotron also provided a run down of his recent off-campus Chicago Booth interview, noting the Clear Admit interview archives and guides as great preparation materials. Also in London, TimBob attended a HBS information session in the days leading up to his imminent interview. ExpectingMBAMilf gladly reported her Stanford interview invitation while wondering how her pregnancy might influence her interviewer's perception of her candidacy. Like most other applicants, Poetic Quant's latest post was interview related, recounting his recent Kellogg campus visit and preparation for a LBS interview. Coffee Beans and Tea Leaves determined her targeted school list for R2, given her low GMAT score and need for proximity to an airport so she can see her consultant significant other on a regular basis.
Fuqua '15 Christina compared her current life to that which she was living a year ago before recounting some of the highlights of the school's Weekend for Women event.
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Published: November 14, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly check in with the latest news and opinions from the b-school blogosphere. This week was relatively quiet, though applicants continued to share how they fared in their Round 1 applications, which included more interview invitations, rejections, and even one 'clear admit.' Students were less active, though some were already reflecting on how much the MBA experience has changed them.
Sarah's GMAT study took a back seat to her Fulbright essay writing and all the while her bar tab grew. MBA The Nonprofit Way recapped her recent Kellogg interview experience and reviewed Clear Admit's Yale Interview Guide. MBA Girl Journey also found Clear Admit's interview resources helpful when gearing up for her Columbia interview, which went very well; three days later she was accepted! Domotron responded to a reader question about the reasons for his school selection. HammO received good and bad news in the form of an interview invitation from Johnson, but a zap from Wharton.
Anderson '15 Melanie and her classmates traveled to a Net Impact conference. INSEAD '14J Imran echoed previous student bloggers' amazement at how quickly the first period flew by and also discussed what it's like to be an INSEAD student and new parent.
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Published: November 7, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's fashionable foray into the frenetic and fascinating world of the b-school blogosphere. This week applicants were primarily focused on R1 interview invitations and preparation, while current students covered a broader range of experiences that they have enjoyed since starting the school year.
Ppandey received a disheartening rejection from HBS, and assumed another would soon follow from MIT, but decided to turn his attentions to a possible entrepreneurial venture. Sarah utilized her research background to explore the question of how friendly different b-schools are, and welcomed others' thoughts on the subject. Poetic Quant also had interview news to report, which included describing his recent Fisher interview as well as receiving an LBS interview invitation, which was met with a double fist pump. MBA the Nonprofit Way decompressed a bit by catching up on housework and car repair while still waiting to hear from Haas and Stanford. Domotron submitted his Tuck application and turned his attentions to preparing for his London Wharton and Booth interviews. TimBob ignored everything except preparing for his upcoming HBS interview.
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Published: October 31, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly round up of the highs and lows of the b-school applicant and student experience. With Halloween only just behind us, there were not to many costumes to behold, but applicants received their figurative 'treats' in the form of additional interview invitations.
HammO asserted that his MBA application journey had to get worse before it could get better. Ellie didn't fare as well as she had hoped on her second GMAT attempt, but resolved not to give up and to push forward with her applications. MBAMilf received her first interview invitation from Anderson while still waiting to hear from Haas and Stanford. MBA The Nonprofit Way also had good news to report: Anderson and Kellogg interview invites. MBAGirlJourney completed her Columbia interview with an assist from Clear Admit's interview archives, and also received an invitation to interview at Wharton. Sarah began brainstorming on her personal statement approach and branding for her Fulbright application. Amit recounted his two GMAT results in brief, but focused mainly on reviewing his Bangalore test site.
HBS '15 Keima researched women's handbags with his FIELD team. Kenan-Flagler '15 Ellie wrote about her experiences as a nonprofit fellow working with community organizations. McCombs '15 Ximena equated going to business school with playing cards, and encouraged all MBA students and applicants to perfect their poker faces. HBS '15 Ahron found himself in the middle of midterms and compared the b-school learning environment to his time in the military. Said '15 Ramesh traveled to Wales with some of his classmates to go caving.
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Published: October 28, 2013
Trivia Tuesday: McCombs’s AIM Investment Center
The focus of this week’s column in the Trivia Tuesday series, in which we cover the unique program elements that differentiate the leading MBA programs from their peers, is the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Today we’re sharing a passage from the Clear Admit School Guide to McCombs that describes the school’s AIM Investment Center.
"The AIM Investment Center, created by an endowment provided by AIM Management Group co-founders Gary Crum and Bob Graham, provides students with the resources to gain an experiential perspective on investment management. The center’s EDS Financial Trading and Technology Center, founded by former dean George Gau and sponso
red by technology services company Electronic Data Systems, includes an accurate recreation of a Wall Street trading room complete with real-time stock quotes and cutting-edge telecommunications systems – a resource which enables finance professors to incorporate the latest technology into their courses. The center also provides office space for the members of the MBA Investment Fund to manage their three multi-million-dollar investment portfolios.
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Published: October 24, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's persistent perusal of the MBA blogosphere. This week was a prolific one for applicants, as they generally reported interview invitations from a range of R1 schools. Students were a far quieter bunch, perhaps busy dealing with exams or planning their Halloween costumes?
Sarah was determined to raise her GMAT study prep to the next level while her Fulbright application continued on track. TimBob considered how to prepare for his upcoming HBS interview while also waiting to hear from Wharton. Domotron rode the roller coaster of hearing back from R1 schools, which included a high of receiving a Wharton interview, and a low in the form of an HBS rejection. HammO discussed the costs of applying to six schools in the first round before celebrating his Ross interview invitation. MBAMilf happily announced that she and her family would be welcoming a new daughter to their brood. MBAGirlJourney also described the emotional ups and downs of waiting to hear from HBS and CBS, ultimately reporting an interview invite from CBS and a deferred admission decision from HBS. MBA the Nonprofit Way also had good news: an interview invitation from Yale. Writing in Transit visited NYU Stern, which included a campus tour, an information session and a corporate presentation.
McCombs '15 Raven found that her MBA midterms stretched her perfectionism.
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Published: October 17, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly pursuit of the hottest news in the b-school blogosphere. This week bloggers covered topics including information sessions, job searches and future trips.
Timbob spent an evening at NYU Stern. MBA The Nonprofit Way described how his opinion on Anderson changed for the better after sitting in on a few classes. Domotron hoped all his round 1 schools would think he was interesting and recounted his HBS visit. Sanket reached out to IE alumni and current students to learn more about the program's offerings. In order to start her Fulbright application, Sarah found herself also determining the b-schools to which she plans to apply, which included Darden, Tuck and Harvard.
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Published: October 10, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's diligent dive into the doings of b-school bloggers. This week many applicants were wrapping up their applications and recounting campus visits while current students caught up their readers on the ways they've spent the last few months on campus.
HammO visited Tuck during Dartmouth's alumni weekend, which led to an extra special campus experience. Ellie experienced GMAT ennui. Domotron also visited Tuck and determined it was "awesome." MBA Reapplicant submitted two out of his four applications and wished those still finishing up R1 applications the best of luck. MBAGirlJourney did not envy those applying to programs with video essay components, but welcomed thoughts or details about the process nonetheless. Sarah found herself sick as a dog in Africa, and very grateful for an English speaking pharmacist. TimBob attended a Haas information session hosted by Stephanie Fujii and presented his takeaways for his readers.
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Published: October 3, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly blog post featuring the latest news from the b-school blogosphere. This week the crescendo of R1 deadlines resulted in a number of applicant bloggers celebrating the successful submission of their applications. Meanwhile current students recounted their on-campus experiences.
MBA My Way expressed displeasure with her performance on the video element of her Yale application, but did provide a few points of advice for those yet to undertake it. HammO submitted his applications to Johnson, Ross and Wharton and planned on putting the finishing touches on his Tuck, Darden and Fuqua materials over the next few weeks. TimBob was on the verge of submitting his Wharton application, though held off until he was certain his recommenders completed their portions. MBAGirlJourney described how her MBA goals had changed or grown over the application process and happily announced that all three of her R1 applications were now submitted. Domotron waved goodbye to his Booth application and turned his attentions to his Tuck interview.
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Published: September 26, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly wander through the hallowed digital halls of the b-school blogosphere. This week applicants continued to track their R1 application progress while students experienced a range of experiences and shared some advice to those who may one day follow them.
Ellie compared her intended b-school application schedule to what has actually transpired thus far. MBAMyWay planned to apply to seven schools and explained why. Domotron submitted his Wharton essay and praised Clear Admit's compilation of interview questions. ExpectingMBAMILF recounted what she did and did not tell her extended family about her MBA aspirations and relocation. MBAGirlJourney submitted her Wharton application well in advance of its deadline and began to think about interview preparation. Sanket reported his experience taking part in a Stanford webinar information session. Ppandey turned his attentions to different strategies one can employ when transitioning into consulting.
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Published: September 12, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit's weekly perusal of the best of b-school blogging. This week applicants were a busy bunch with one large deadline in the forefront of many of their minds. Current students were adjusting to campus life.
BSchool Admit introduced his fellow applicant bloggers to the world. Domotron submitted his HBS application and shifted his focus to his Wharton and HBS applications. ExpectingMBAMILF pondered whether there is a true gender gap in MBA programs. Sanket was in love with the MBA application process. Sarah reviewed the Economist's GMAT prep software. TimBob vacationed in France and shared a humorous chart of the process one goes through to complete an application.
McCombs '15 Raj was three weeks into his MBA experience and didn't regret it a bit. Anderson '15 Daniel introduced his fellow first year bloggers to the world. Booth '15 Pru celebrated the anniversary of her initial 'crash and burn' R1 applications. HBS '145 2YHBS found himself very busy and discussing the required curriculum.
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Published: September 9, 2013
Trivia Tuesday: MIT Sloan’s First-Year Class
In this week’s instalment of Trivia Tuesday, we turn our focus to the Clear Admit School Guide to MIT Sloan, examining how the school creates first-year teams and how these teams impact students’ experiences. “Each first-year class of approximately 400 MBA students is divided into six smaller cohorts, or “oceans” (Atlantic, Baltic, Caribbean, Indian, Mediterranean and Pacific), which help to give shape to the core curriculum experience. Oceans are comprised of approximately 65 students each, and the students in each ocean take all seven of their core courses together. As a result of this shared academic experience, students within each
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Published: September 5, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly blog post focusing on the lives of the b-school blogosphere. This week many an applicant discussed the GMAT, while first and returning students happily got involved on campus.
BSchool Admit responded to a series of questions posed to her through the Liebster Award and then sent her own set of questions forward to 10 blogger friends. Domotron made a series of changes to his resume to make it a more reader-friendly length and style. ExpectingMBAMILF checked in on an online Haas admissions chat and wondered who exactly would need to ask what the GMAT was in such a forum. GMATToMBA recounted the process and lengths he went to prepare for and retake his GMAT and the very satisfying results of all his work. Sarah began to strategize on how she would handle moving to a new apartment while simultaneously studying for and taking the GMAT.
McCombs '15 Raghav introduced himself to the McCombs blogging community and shared some of his greatest passions. Harvard '15 Keima wrote a short post about the first official day of the program, which included meeting her section mates. McCombs '15 Charlie also introduced himself to his new readers with a dose of humor and a photograph of his dog.
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Published: September 2, 2013
Trivia Tuesday: Teaching Methods at Duke / Fuqua
Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday, in which we examine individual program elements that differentiate the leading MBA programs from their peers. Today, we’re taking a look into the Clear Admit School Guide to Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in order to share with you some insights about the program’s teaching methods. “Most classes at Fuqua meet twice a week, either on Mondays and Thursdays or on Tuesdays and Fridays. No classes are held on Wednesdays, a system designed to give students a mid-week break that can be used to schedule job interviews, attend campus events or catch
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Published: August 29, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Greetings! Welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly blog post dedicated to bringing you the latest from b-school bloggers. This week, applicants, first years, and second years alike were nervous, some about admittance and many about everything that comes after admittance.
HammO answered the question, "What if I don't get in anywhere?," with a definitive, "I have to get in somewhere this year." MBA Girl Journey is dealing with the nerve-wracking stress of application short answer questions (where there's no room for error) and essay revisions (you have to have the X factor). MBA Reapplicant84 was one of four winners in Haas's Facebook Value of an MBA Essay Contest and was pretty happy about the Modify watch prize.
Kellogg '12 Jeremy filled his blog with advice about how to be a stronger person who doesn't run from pain and how to make deeper connections with friends and even strangers. He asked readers to think about venturing out of well-established, safe career paths and into more inspiring, yet uncertain career opportunities. HBS '15 TwoYears wrote about feeling retrospective, anxious, and excited all at once and lamenting the fact that she wasn't eligible to attend the Analytics Pre-MBA Program. She spent the summer building her HBS professional network and traveling, and now she's looking forward to meeting her 900 HBS classmates while somehow also managing to sift through 100 case studies. INSEAD 14' Jason prepped for his arrival in Singapore by renting an apartment, meeting his new roommates online, and even getting to know a few Toronto-based INSEAD classmates.
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Published: August 22, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly blog post that follows the lives of b-school applicant and student bloggers. This week a lot of first year students logged in to report on their initial weeks on campus while applicants continued to make inroads with their applications.
HammO started planning his visits to campus and shared his tips on how to make a good impression. MBAJourneyGirl created a checklist to make sure she stayed on track in terms of her applications and their subsequent expenses. TimBob secured his second recommender but felt his energy levels sag. Pandey encouraged other applicants to ask for help when it comes to their applications.
With only a week left before flying to L.A. Anderson '15 Alena said goodbye to many of her favorite spots in Moscow. Booth '15 Pru grew impatient with having to wait to actually get to Chicago, but gladly saw that the days were dwindling. HBS '15 TwoYears took a quick vacation after the pre-MBA program and returned to a campus transformed by the presence of freshmen. Anderson '15 Devon explained that his blog silence was due to his commitment to teaching a creative writing class at a summer camp for kids affected by HIV/AIDS and recounted some of the meaningful interactions he had while there. McCombs '15 Eric described some of his fears about joining a b-school community after years in the army, which were exacerbated by the news that he and his wife will soon be adding a new member to their family. INSEAD '15 Ulhas also shared some initial fears he had before arriving on campus, and how those fears have turned into excitement about the months ahead.
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Published: August 15, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Welcome to Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit's weekly sojourn into the exciting blogging lives of MBA applicants and students. This week, applicants touched on a number of subjects related to the application process, including costs and recommendations. While current students covered topics that encapsulated the experience of orientation and how to deal with the added concerns of moving to b-school with a family.
HammO reflected on how much more competitive the MBA admissions process is now than when his mentor applied, and discussed how this applies to the shifting averages of GMAT scores as reported by GMAC. MBA Journey Girl dusted off her analysis skills to run some calculations on the costs of an MBA program as well as the potential ROI on such costs. TimBob suffered through an extended heat wave in the U.K. and prepared his strategy for requesting a recommendation from his general manager.
Wharton '15 MBA Over 30 provided his readers quite a thorough recounting of his first three weeks in Philly, which included moving into his loft, being taken aback by the number of smokers on the street, pre-term Wharton festivities, getting a cold and meeting his fellow cluster and cohort members. HBS '15 Sophi wrote about the value of a pre-MBA internship for applicants coming from a military background.
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Published: August 8, 2013
Fridays From The Frontlines
Hello there and welcome to Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit’s weekly blog post dedicated to tracking the latest news in the b-school blogosphere. This week second year students were generally a quiet bunch, while the new class and applicants were a bit more vocal. HammO compiled application advice videos and statements from representatives from Wharton, Darden and Tuck. MBA Girl Journey recounted her campus visit to Columbia, which included sneaking into the library. Pandey found the broader questions asked by many b-schools this year a little harder to approach. Booth ’15 Pru described the
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Published: August 1, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly look-see into the lives of b-school applicant and student bloggers. This week applicants were a pretty quiet bunch, while soon-to-be first years were doing last minute errands and tasks in preparation of their arrival on campus.
MBAGirlJourney tackled her HBS essay and reviewed Clear Admit's Harvard School Guide.
Yale '15 Sassafrass likened his departure (only a few days away) to b-school to an international trip and ensured that he was organized. Anderson '14 Lorraine performed some serious due diligence when considering what laptop to buy for b-school, and shared her findings for the edification of her future classmates.
INSEAD '13D Helena discussed her internship in Hong Kong and recounted some of her observations about her P3 courses. Anderson '14 Aimee provided incoming students some examples the pros and cons of living in L.A., which included the weather as a pro and a con. INSEAD '13J Jianggan reported a successful Dragon Week, and shared a music video parody he and other classmates created for a cabaret show.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit's weekly peek into the perks and perils of the b-school blogosphere. This week applicants and soon-to-be first year students were a vocal bunch, all signaling that as July slowly dwindles things in admissions offices and on b-school campuses are going to start heating up.
HammO declared official application season to have begun and reported his progress on working on essays, seeking out recommendations and scheduling campus visits. MBAReapplicant reviewed the Clear Admit Tuck Guide, which he found to be informative even with the level of knowledge about the program he already possessed. MBAGirlJourney made progress in her drafts of essays for HBS, Wharton and CBS. After reading a slightly intense exchange about essay drafts on a forum TimBob shared his own thoughts on how to go about thinking about and writing essays: just relax. Writing In Transit also shared his thoughts on a Clear Admit guide, noting that the guide could save applicants time when it comes to researching the different schools.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's ongoing blog feature taking a closer look at the lives of b-school bloggers. With summer in full swing, applicants were focused on a few different elements of the application process, while soon-to-be first years discussed how they were spending their time before orientation.
HammO complimented the way Clear Admit lays out information in its line of school guides and appreciated the added Q&A sections as well. Thanks for the kind words! Timbob referred to his engineering background as he explored the difference in definitions between "goal" and "aspiration" and expressed his own preference for discussing his aspirations instead of concrete objectives. Writing in Transit took the GMAT one last time and scored a 760, which he was (understandably) quite pleased about.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello there and welcome to Clear Admit's Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit's ongoing blog post dedicated to seeking out the freshest news from the MBA blogosphere. This week applicants were checking in with progress updates and future plans while students provided advice to those soon to be coming to campus.
Writing in Transit logged back into the blogosphere with a post the covered what he had been up to over the past month and his effort to refocus and retake the GMAT tomorrow! MBA Reapplicant discovered the value of introspection and was ready to start their application process anew. HammO created a Twitter handle and reminded his fellow applicants that the adcoms were "not here to trick you."
Kenan-Flagler '15 Amanda described her summer prep routine and described Excel as her "new best friend." Anderson '15 Aimee had some tips and opinions for the best options for off-campus housing.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Welcome to Fridays From the Frontline. We hope this Friday finds you well and that everyone enjoyed their July 4th! In this week’s post, we peruse all the news in the b-school blogosphere from applicants and current students.
Hamm0 opened the newly posted Stanford application and was a bit discouraged to find it full of short, personal questions like “Your favorite thing to read?” Timbob posted his responses to questions about what it's like to be a Brit applying to MBA programs in the U.S.--his main concern? Brits can't sell their strengths as well as Americans. He also relayed a amusing anecdote about taking the adversity he faced changing a tire in the middle of traffic and putting that adversity into one of his Stanford essays. MBAgirljourney narrows down her top five MBA programs and the East Coast schools win the day.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello there and welcome to this week's Fridays From the Frontline. Each week Clear Admit peruses the b-school blogosphere in search of the freshest reports from current applicants and students. This week saw new applicant and student bloggers join the community while established bloggers shed a little light on at least one student's internship experience.
TimBob attempted to attend two schools' London information sessions in one evening, but only managed to attend the MIT Sloan event. Pru explained how she fell in love "strategically" with Tuck, but that with additional reflection decided to broaden her figurative dating pool. MBA Over 30 highlighted the rise of entrepreneurship within Wharton's program. Amit shared his intention to focus first on his GMAT before getting caught up in a discussion of schools or essays. Poetic Quant described how his internal MBA clock sped up once his target schools updated their essays for the 2013-2014 admissions cycle.
MBA Over 30 highlighted the rise of entrepreneurship within Wharton's program.Anderson '15 Aimee prepared for beginning the program by strengthening her quantitative abilities and volunteering at the LA film festival.
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