In this week's episode of WireTaps, Graham and Alex discuss the recent release of the Financial Times MBA rankings, and the challenges the FT faces in being the only leading MBA ranking that combines programs from around the world into a single list; Wharton took the top spot this year. Graham highlighted a yearly favorite, a piece on Northwestern / Kellogg’s assessment of the Superbowl ads. Graham also mentioned the career reports from Chicago / Booth and UVA / Darden, both programs showing nice geographic and industry diversity. Graham also noted another recent podcast he did with the admissions folks at Dartmouth / Tuck as a part of the continuing adcom Q&A series. UPenn / Wharton released their interview invites last week, a sign that candidates are clearly in the depths of Round 2 interview season at this point. Your hosts then tackled two ApplyWire entries and a DecisionWire entry: First up, Graham and Alex discuss a candidate with an unusual personal background, who is debating whether to apply next season or the following. She appears to have advanced fairly rapidly in her professional career, and also has decent numbers overall. Her target is product management, and she is contemplating switching to that role pre-MBA. Because this would be her fourth role in 3 years, we provide a note of caution... Our second candidate has a decent academic profile and extra-curricular involvement (music and sports). They work in investment banking and also run a “side hustle” venture. They’ve applied in Round 2, and are still waiting for some interview invites. Overall, the numbers are a little pedestrian for the very top programs, but there are lots of other things to like. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex selects a candidate who’s essentially debating a very generous offer from UVA / Darden versus an almost-as-generous offer from Berkeley / Haas. They are a budding entrepreneur who wants to be in the South/Mid Atlantic region, post MBA. They’ve also just received an interview invite from Stanford, which may further complicate their decision making process... This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was engineered, produced, and mixed by Dennis Crowley in West Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen!

Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

Wire Taps 217—Budding Product Manager, Investment Banker and Entrepreneur, Haas versus Darden, for now.

Get the inside scoop on MBA admissions at Dartmouth Tuck, as Co-Executive Directors of Admissions & Financial Aid, Amy Mitson and Pat Harrison, share everything you need to know about the leading business school in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A.

Episode 216: Admissions Director Q&A with Amy Mitson & Pat Harrison of the Dartmouth Tuck School of Business

In this Valentine's Day edition of the podcast, Alex and Graham offer some tips as to how you can warm-up to your MBA interviewer. Your hosts also break down the latest career placement report (Berkeley Haas) and talk a bit about application volume and the prospect of R3 applications this season. As to the WireTaps candidates, first up, Alex picks a Chemical Engineer with great numbers. The candidate is planning to apply in two seasons, but Graham and Alex suggest they should strongly consider targeting next season and add more M7 programs. Their main challenge is to show leadership, via work and outside of work. Our second candidate this week has already applied and is on the wait list at Duke / Fuqua. They are also preparing for an upcoming interview at Vanderbilt / Owen and still awaiting news from NYU / Stern and Columbia. Alex and Graham think the Fuqua waitlist is something they should really pursue (as it may be their best chance given the radio silence from CBS and Stern), and that they should consider retaking the GMAT; it’s currently a 690. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chose a candidate who is considering offers from Haas with a significant scholarship, and from Stanford with no funding. As an aspiring entrepreneur, they need to weigh the benefits of the cost savings at Haas versus the quality of the network and resources at Stanford. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in Philly by Dennis Crowley and the spirits of b-school past, present, and future. Please remember to rate and review this show, wherever you may listen!

Wire Taps 215—Chemical Engineer, Duke Wait List, Haas with money versus Stanford

MBA offerings come in all shapes and sizes—from full-time to part-time, at a candidate’s personal pace, over the course of a year or two or more. It sounds simple, but the landscape is admittedly quite complex. In this podcast episode, host Graham Richmond and special guest Chris Healey demystify the types of MBA programs out there to help you figure out what works best for your educational and career needs. In this podcast episode, Graham and Chris go through: The basics of full-time vs. part-time MBAs, The differences between MBA programs for young professionals, working professionals, and executives, How MBA programs are delivered – online, in-person, hybrid, The pacing of different MBA programs, Misconceptions around how to pursue your MBA, and more! This episode was recorded in Manchester, UK and Paris, France. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, former capital city of the United States of America. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen!

Episode 214: A Crash Course in MBA Program Types–Which Format Is Right for You?

Welcome back to another episode of your friendly MBA-neighborhood podcast!  The big conversation from last week’s MBA admissions activity centered around the interview invite releases of Harvard and Michigan / Ross (note: Alex and Graham somehow neglected to mention the release of Duke / Fuqua’s Round 2 invites, also heavily reported on MBA LiveWire). Alex put Graham on the spot about his own experience interviewing at HBS, and after diving into that topic a bit Graham called listeners attention to Real Humans piece on UVA / Darden, and the employment report for Cornell / Johnson. It was no surprise that a whopping 36% of students head into Finance from Johnson. Graham and Alex also discussed SMU / Cox’s merging of MBA Admissions and Career Services, and how that might, or might not, work at a larger program. Graham excitedly shared a lovely email - and audio clip - from a faithful listener. As always, this week's episode features three real candidate reviews, including two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: First up, Alex picked out a candidate from India who applied in Round 2, and is not being overly ambitious with their school selection. Your hosts like the overall profile, but wonder whether waiting to the following season, with apps in the first rounds, might allow them to target some higher profile programs. This week's second candidate also hails from India, but has completed an MS in the United States. With a solid engineering background and good numbers, there is a lot to like about the overall profile. Alas, this candidate is on the waitlist from Round 1 at a couple of programs, and has targeted a few top 16 programs in Round 2. Fingers crossed! Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chose a candidate who has several offers, and is weighing UVA / Darden with a full ride against Berkeley / Haas with a $90k award. Looking at the personal preferences of the candidate, Darden may have the edge, here. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in also-snowy West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

Episode 213: Wire Taps—Strong profile from an over-represented population, should they wait? Engineer with great numbers, on the waitlist, and waiting for Round 2 offers. Haas versus Darden with more money, a tough call.

This special podcast episode covers the importance of career goals in both the MBA admissions and post-MBA career placement domains.  In particular, with the help of two special guests, we dive into an innovative approach being taken at one leading business school, where the MBA admissions and career services teams are truly working in tandem. Host Graham Richmond welcomes Lisa Tran and Jason Rife from the SMU Cox School of Business to explore the symbiotic relationship that propels MBA graduates’ success. This episode was recorded in Philadelphia and Dallas. It was produced by Dennis Crowley in West Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review the podcast wherever you listen!

Episode 212: An Admissions & Career Services Merger at SMU Cox

Alex and Graham are back with a jam-packed episode including Harvard Business School interview-timing news, breakdowns of the MIT Sloan and Yale SOM employment reports, and even some Wordle tips! Graham also reminds listeners of Clear Admit's upcoming events for deferred enrollment applicants (the first of which is this Wednesday, February 2nd and includes Berkeley Haas, CMU Tepper, Chicago Booth, and Columbia Business School). Sign up here: https://bit.ly/demba22 As to the WireTaps portion of the show, first up Alex and Graham look at an 'early bird' candidate for next season who is really trying to figure out whether the MBA is the right next step. She has an interesting background as a refugee who is now working in clinical research. If she aces the GMAT, and really develops a concrete post-MBA plan, top programs should be very interested in her profile. Next, Alex chooses a profile that has two parts to it: on the one hand there is really interesting and impressive looking work experience across parts of Africa - showing very good levels of impact. On the other hand, a sub-3.0 GPA is cause for serious concern. Finally, from DecisionWire, our hosts look at a candidate who is weighing options between UVA / Darden (without a scholarship) and Cornell / Johnson (with $80K). They are seeking a consulting career, but may also look into investment banking. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and snowy New York, NY. It was produced in also-snowy West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

Episode 211: Wire Taps – Potentially very strong candidate, needs to shape their story. A candidate with interesting work experience….but is low GPA a killer? Darden ($0) vs. Johnson ($80K) for consulting (or maybe IB)?

In this episode, Graham and Alex kick things off with some talk about the timing of interview invitations for impatient R2 applicants. Graham also highlights the final 'Real Humans: MBA Students' piece for the season (USC Marshall) and mentions a cool DEI initiative (courses and concentration) coming out of Emory. As to the WireTaps candidates featured this week, first up, Alex selects a female candidate whose experience spans Big 4 and tech consulting. Her strong GPA and work are positives, but there is some concern for her 710 GMAT (and weaker quantitative score). She’s targeting next season, and Alex suggested she look at MBA Math / HBS CORe to further mitigate any issues with the GMAT (which is certainly within range of top programs). Your hosts also suggest she goes “top heavy” in Round 1. Next, Graham and Alex look at a candidate who is hoping to engineer a fairly big career switch from tech to investment banking. A superb 770 GMAT is going to help, and the candidate already has an interview lined up with UVA / Darden, but what other factors should be considered? Alex raises some important questions about school selection on this one. Finally, from DecisionWire, your hosts look at a candidate who is weighing options between MIT / Sloan with a generous $100K scholarship, and UPenn / Wharton with a much smaller $10K scholarship. Both programs are very viable for the short term, MBB, goals. The long run plan may well be key, here. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and chilly New York, NY. It was produced in West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

Episode 210: Wire Taps—Strong female candidate worried about a 710 GMAT. Pivot from tech to investment banking, with a 770 GMAT. Wharton ($10K) vs. Sloan ($100K), for MBB Consulting.

This Martin Luther King Day edition of the podcast takes a moment to recognize the unparalleled contributions of Dr. King before moving into the latest news from the MBA admissions front. With R2 deadlines mostly in the rearview, Graham is impatient about interview invites and Alex offers him some advice in this regard. Your hosts then break down the latest Employment Report from Kellogg and mention the recent publication of Real Humans pieces for UT Austin, Vanderbilt Owen, and Boston Carroll. Also of note, two upcoming 'deferred enrollment' events hosted by Clear Admit and featuring admissions representatives from Berkeley, Chicago Booth, Columbia, CMU Tepper, UVA Darden, Wharton, Yale SOM, and MIT Sloan - sign up here! https://bit.ly/demba22 As to this week's featured candidates, Alex and Graham kick things off with a close look at a Dartmouth grad who has worked for 11 years in Japan. He’s launched several entrepreneurial ventures, most recently setting up a language school. A super GMAT and fascinating experience helps, but he will really need to show fit and that he plans to fully engage during his MBA experience. Next, Alex selects a Syrian American chemical engineer who has worked in the petrochemical industry and wants to move to consulting and sustainability. She also has a passion for advocacy work and is currently in the midst of a 'gap year' to pursue that passion (while applying to b-school). Finally, from DecisionWire, Graham and Alex break down the dilemma for a candidate who is weighing offers from Chicago / Booth, Cornell / Johnson, Yale SOM and NYU / Stern - with varying scholarship amounts. The admitted student is from West Africa and is seeking to enter Investment Banking. Your hosts also give credit to the contributions from the community on DecisionWire for this entry. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was mixed, produced, re-mixed, and version-ed, by the incredible Dennis Crowley in sunny Philadelphia. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to tell at least 100 friends about it. Thanks for listening!

Episode 209: Wire Taps— Dartmouth grad with 11 years of work experience in Japan. Syrian American chemical engineer looking to transition to consulting. West African candidate weighing offers from Booth, Johnson, Yale and Stern, for Investment Banking.

With the new year and R2 in full effect, this week's episode of WireTaps is action-packed and filled with a variety of content ranging from the R2 deadlines blitz, to employment reports out of Fuqua and Columbia, and into non-MBA areas such as Tesla's stock valuation, and the current debate over Aaron Rodgers and Novak Djokovic! As to the candidates profiled this week, first up, Alex and Graham look at a candidate with great numbers (760 / 3.74) who appears to have some strong tech experience in consulting and then the VC space. Your hosts discussed the specifics of the role in VC, noting that it isn’t “front facing” and the implications of that. Nevertheless, it's clear that this is a 'wicked smart' candidate with a good focus on tech. Next, Alex and Graham look at a female Indian candidate who appears to have very solid work experience, a strong undergraduate record, but a relatively weak GRE score of 323 (given her target schools). Alex wondered whether it would be worthwhile to plan to reschedule the test, even if it was for after the deadline. Finally, from DecisionWire, this week features a look at a candidate who is weighing up offers from Dartmouth / Tuck, Northwestern / Kellogg and UVA / Darden. The Darden offer comes with a generous scholarship, and also appears to be more appealing from a 'fit' standpoint with the candidate...leading to a bit of a dilemma! This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen (including Spotify!), and to tell at least one person about the show!

Episode 208: Wire Taps—Female Indian candidate with a lower GRE score. Tech candidate with super numbers. Darden with dollars versus Kellogg.

Happy 2022 to all! Graham and Alex are back to ring in the New Year, despite some unexpected hurdles... Our dynamic duo talk R2-craziness as business schools line up about 20 admissions deadlines in 5 days! Graham also shares a truly heartwarming e-mail from a listener in Chile and some big news about Spotify podcast ratings (thanks John!). As to the candidates profiled this week: first up, Alex and Graham look at a female engineer who is targeting next season. With a 700 GMAT, and a lower quant score, the test seems to be a clear area of improvement. Your hosts also discussed the quality of her work experience (engineering sales) and her potential opportunity to target M7 programs. Next, Graham introduces another candidate who is targeting next season; her “North Star goal” is to someday be the COO at Patagonia. Alex and Graham like her operations experience and sustainability goals, and discussed her 'extra curriculars' and her GPA as both of those areas are going to require some attention and/or remedial work. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex selected a candidate who is debating whether Stern with a very generous scholarship ($170K) is a better option than Booth without scholarship money. The candidate's short term goal is investment banking in New York City with a long term plan to potentially return to California. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen (yes, even on Spotify!), and to have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!

Episode 207: Wire Taps—Female engineer with lower GMAT quant score. Operations candidate targeting the COO role at Patagonia. Stern with $$$$ vs. Booth full-fare, for Investment Banking in New York?

Grab a glass of eggnog and cozy up to this holiday edition of WireTaps! Alex and Graham tackle holiday deliberations on R1 results and task-lists for R2, while also taking time to closely examine the latest employment reports from Harvard Business School and the Tuck School of Business. Then, our hosts move into the WireTaps portion of the show with two ApplyWire candidates targeting R2 and one DecisionWire candidate making a tough call... First up in the batch is a military candidate who appears to have a very impressive set of experiences. While their GPA is decent, Alex and Graham wonder if the GRE (323) is going to be their weakest link, and whether it might make things a bit of an uphill battle at the very best programs. Our hosts also make some last minute recommendations regarding target programs. Next up, a candidate from China who has completed their masters degree, secured an outstanding GMAT score (770), worked several years in government, and transitioned to a serial novelist. Alex and Graham marvel at the list of highly compelling ingredients, but worry about this applicants ability to 'make the recipe'. Finally, from DecisionWire, our hosts look at a US-based candidate who largely targeted non-US MBA programs, and is now determining which is their best option for work in luxury goods in Europe in the short term and a return to the US in the longer-term. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by the always cheery Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to wear a mask under the mistletoe!

Episode 206: Wire Taps—Outstanding military candidate with modest GRE. Government worker turned serial novelist. US-based candidate weighing options with non US-based programs.

For this week's WireTaps, Alex and Graham look at a URM candidate who appears to have overcome significant life challenges to get to where they are today. At issue (beyond dropping out of ugrad) are some well below average statistics; no doubt, adcom will be rooting for this type of candidate...but is that enough? Next, our hosts have another candidate who faced challenges during their undergrad, and ultimately skipped undergrad to jump straight into a graduate degree, and some super interesting work experience. Their GMAT is also very strong; making this an interesting case for schools to consider. Finally, Alex and Graham unveil the first DecisionWire entry discussion for the 2021-22 season. It’s a straight-up debate: Georgetown / McDonough with money versus Stern at full fare. They are seeking a career as a product manager at FAANG companies (top tech firms, for those less familiar with the acronym). Where should they go? This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by the uniquely talented Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to take it easy with the eggnog at the holiday party!

Episode 205: Wire Taps—URM college dropout with low test scores; can he make the cut? Accomplished woman with great numbers despite being expelled from ugrad. Will adcoms take a risk? DW: Stern full fare vs. McDonough with dollars; Should money matter?

Alex and Graham are back amidst the whirlwind of R1 decisions from Harvard, Stanford, Tuck, Kellogg, Emory, Darden, Michigan, Georgetown, and more! Our hosts preview MIT and Wharton R1 decisions (coming later this week) and remind listeners to drop by Clubhouse this Thursday at 12 pm ET for some R1 results chatter. As to our featured candidates this week, first up is a Chemical Engineer targeting admissions for next season. This 'early bird' has plenty of time to fine tune their application, which might include improving their GMAT from 710 to the 740s (their prediction). They also have a very strong undergrad record, and their work experience also appears impressive, suggesting they have opportunities at M7 programs. Alex and Graham address their ROI concerns and myth-bust the notion “under targeting” to gain scholarship money. WireTaps candidate #2 is a Taiwanese candidate who already has an offer at Columbia, from their ED round. Should they be targeting programs in Round 2? Alex and Graham explore the options, pros, cons, risks, and ethics.... Finally, our hosts review a Latin American candidate who probably could improve her school target list; there is a big gap between her top targets (Harvard and Stanford) and remaining choices (Top 16 programs.) This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in West Philadelphia by the amazing Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, and to tip your servers!

Episode 204: Wire Taps—Energy Guy Worried About ROI. Columbia ED Candidate Targeting Round 2. Latam Candidate Might Rethink Target Programs.

In another installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Yale School of Management, joins us to discuss admissions and more about the MBA program.

Episode 203: Admissions Director Q&A with Bruce DelMonico of the Yale School of Management

The Leading Independent Resource for Top-tier MBA Candidates

hubhopper

Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

hubhopper