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In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the recent events and activities that Clear Admit has been involved in, including our MBA Fair in Boston, and online admissions events series that wrapped up last week. More than 600 attendees participated in our most recent virtual event, which included admissions representatives from UPenn / Wharton, Stanford, Texas / McCombs, Columbia and Yale SOM. Graham noted two articles that have been recently published on Clear Admit. The first focuses on the different teaching methods that are used in top MBA programs. The second focuses on financial aid issues relevant to U.S.-based candidates, including FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Graham then highlighted two Real Numbers articles that focus on Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) and Health Care placements. Graham highlighted five Real Humans alumni spotlights, alums from Yale SOM working at Amazon, IMD working at Disney, Cornell / Johnson working at Invenergy, UPenn / Wharton working at Aepnus Technology, and Chicago / Booth working at American Express. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a 695 GMAT and 3.8 GPA. They are seeking a top MBA with goals to pivot to the entertainment industry. This week's second MBA candidate has not yet taken the GMAT, but everything else about their profile looks very strong. Their long-term goal is to develop a chain of dental practices. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Northwestern / Kellogg, with a significant scholarship, and Harvard. They want to work in venture capital or private equity. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA admissions podcast we began by discussing the Round 3 activity on LiveWire; interview invites and final decisions continue to roll out for this shortened application round; next week UPenn / Wharton, Northwestern / Kellogg, IESE, MIT / Sloan, Yale SOM, Minnesota / Carlson, Columbia, Washington / Foster, UCLA / Anderson and Washington / Olin are scheduled to release final decisions. Graham noted a new Clear Admit promotion, where for every new entry we receive on DecisionWire, that maps out a candidate's entire application journey, Clear Admit will donate $10 to the Forte Foundation. Graham then highlighted Clear Admit's MBA admissions fair in Boston, on Wednesday. This event includes panel discussions, one of which is focused on Consulting hiring and is led by Bain. Twenty-four of the top 25 U.S.-based MBA programs are planning to attend, along with London Business School. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/mbafair2025 The remainder of Application Overview events series will then be hosted, virtually, on May 20 and 21. Signups for those events are here: https://bit.ly/appoverview25 Graham noted two articles recently published on Clear Admit. The first covers the broad topic regarding what you can do with an MBA, looking at post MBA careers. The second article is a deep-dive research piece that examines placement statistics of the top MBA programs, for those seeking an MBA for their entrepreneurial ambitions. It's no surprise that Harvard and Stanford top the list of programs that future entrepreneurs join. Graham highlighted three Real Humans alumni spotlights, alums from HEC / Paris who established a Search Fund, Washington / Olin working at Applied Materials, and Ohio State / Fisher working at Bank of America. Finally, Graham discussed a forthcoming podcast featuring the leader of career services at Georgetown / McDonough. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is an engineer who is now working in the renewable energy space. They have a 3.57 GPA and need to retake the GRE. This week's second MBA candidate is from Canada, and is also an engineer, working in Toronto. They have nine years of experience, and a 337 GRE. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Cornell / Johnson, UVA / Darden and Michigan / Ross, and is seeking a career in investment banking. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Ashley Sonlin is a digital marketer with a sharp eye for what drives engagement.She began her career as a celebrity talent manager, working with multi-platinum, Grammy-winning artists, then moved into the creator economy, leading influencer campaigns for brands like McDonald's, Xfinity, and Macy's at Influential. While earning her MBA at Northwestern Kellogg, she built a TikTok following of 500K+ and 175M+ views, and today, she's a Senior Content Strategist at Influent, where she builds LinkedIn thought leadership for top CEOs and founders.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the Round 3 activity on LiveWire; interview invites are now starting to roll out for this shortened application round. Graham then announced the recent partnership Clear Admit has now established with Leland, which will now become our partner for MBA admissions coaching, test prep, and career counseling. Graham noted Clear Admit's Application Overview May series of events. These online events will be hosted on May 6 and 7, and May 20 and 21. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/appoverview25 Sandwiched in the middle of these events is Clear Admit's MBA admissions fair in Boston, on May 14th. Twenty-four of the top 25 U.S.-based MBA programs are planning to attend, along with London Business School. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/mbafair2025 Graham noted a Clear Admit admissions tip focused on what candidates need to do, if they were not able to secure admissions at the targeted MBA programs. Graham then highlighted two recent articles from Clear Admit that focus on NYU / Stern's new dean, and UPenn / Wharton's new AI major. We then discussed the recent publication of 2025 US News's rankings, which led to a discussion on their overall methodology. Graham highlighted four Real Humans alumni spotlights, alums from IMD working at Johnson & Johnson, Cornell / Johnson working at Elephant Energy, Vanderbilt / Owen working at Amazon, and London Business School working as an entrepreneur. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected one ApplyWire entry and two DecisionWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is clearly non-traditional; for that reason, we discussed some of the approaches that non-traditional candidates need to pursue, including a strong focus on “why MBA” and their goals. This week's second MBA candidate is choosing between Berkeley / Haas and Northwestern / Kellogg's MBAi. They want to do product management in tech, in Texas. The final MBA candidate is choosing between UVA / Darden and NYU / Stern. They have a full-ride scholarship at both and want to purse MBB consulting. This episode was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Bio Moiz Doriwala is a seasoned professional with a diverse background spanning real estate finance, investment, and entrepreneurship .... Growing up in Naperville, Illinois, his interest in real estate was sparked by his father's career as a general contractor and developer. He pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA in Finance and Management and Strategy from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. His early career began in the finance sector with a unique rotational program at Bank One (later JP Morgan Chase), where he gained experience in asset-backed securities trading, commercial loan workouts, leveraged leasing, and even worked in a strategic group under Jamie Dimon. He further honed his investment banking skills in the Financial Sponsor Group of J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, focusing on M&A transactions and various financing activities. In 2005, Mr. Doriwala transitioned to the real estate industry, joining S&R Land Development, LLC in Reston, VA, where he was involved in the development of residential and commercial land. Leveraging his financial acumen and real estate exposure, he later became Vice President of Perseus Realty Capital, LLC, specializing in joint venture equity, preferred equity, and mezzanine financings. In 2008, Mr. Doriwala formed his own umbrella company, Stirling Realty Advisors, LLC, a boutique real estate investment bank that provides financial advisory services, primarily focusing on raising debt and equity capital for real estate developers and operators nationwide. While initially focused on capital raising, Stirling has evolved into a vehicle for his various investment activities. Under the Stirling umbrella, Mr. Doriwala manages and invests in several businesses, including: Bookhill Park: An entity that manages a series of small funds and operates as a finance company, providing opportunistic lending across various industries and geographies Investments in mental health and behavioral health businesses Investments in one off LPs in apartment projects His role as President of Superior Living Foundation Inc., a 501c3 non-profit focused on owning businesses in the healthcare region, such as senior housing and behavioral health facilities1 .... Mr. Doriwala also has experience in the senior housing sector, having served as Treasurer for Meridian Senior Living .... Additionally, he was involved in the mobile home park business for a number of years through BHP, building and eventually exiting a portfolio of parks. Throughout his career, Mr. Doriwala has demonstrated an opportunistic and entrepreneurial approach, building strong relationships and a reputation for his ability to navigate complex transactions and provide creative financial solutions. He values strong partnerships, thorough due diligence, and trusting his instincts in his investment decisions. Show Notes [6:30] Introduction to Moiz Doriwala and his diverse business background. He manages or participates in managing at least three businesses. [7:00] Overview of Sterling Realty Advisors. Formed in 2008 as an umbrella company for advising real estate operators and developers on capital raising (joint venture equity, mezz, preferred equity, debt financing). Now primarily a vehicle for personal and business investment activities. [7:50] Discussion of Sterling as an investor. Investing in individual real estate projects and companies, often as a passive investor or advisor. [8:20] Introduction to Bookhill Park. An entity managed by Moiz, functioning as a finance company providing loans across various industries and geographies, focusing on the borrower and path to repayment. [9:10] Overview of investments in mental health and behavioral health businesses. [9:20] Moiz's role as President of Superior Living Foundation Inc. A 501c3 non-profit focused on owning businesses in the healthcare region (senior housing, behavioral health, substance abuse). [9:55] Moiz shares his origins and early life in Naperville, Illinois. Noteworthy growth of the suburb outside Chicago. [10:40] Influence of his father's career as a general contractor and developer on his early real estate exposure. [11:05] Initial aspirations to be a lawyer but a shift to finance and banking during college at the University of Chicago (Economics). [11:30] First job at Bank One and the unique two-and-a-half-year rotational program with simultaneous part-time MBA at Northwestern Kellogg. [12:15] Rotations at Bank One: Asset-backed securities trading desk, managed assets (commercial loan workout group, including the Safety Clean bankruptcy), leveraged leasing group, and "skunk works" group working directly for Jamie Dimon. [14:30] Rotation in the banks' merger and acquisition (M&A) group. [14:45] Unique aspect of the Bank One program: Obtaining an MBA (paid for by the bank) through evening classes while working full-time. [16:15] Jamie Dimon's arrival at Bank One as CEO during Moiz's time there. [16:30] Merger of Bank One with JP Morgan Chase and Moiz's move to New York to work in the investment bank's financial sponsors group. [16:45] Fond memories of working in JP Morgan's financial sponsor group. Considered a top group on the street with a strong balance sheet and access to private equity firms. [18:40] Decision to leave JP Morgan in 2005 due to his wife's desire to return to the DC area and the demanding hours of investment banking. [19:30] Intense work hours in investment banking: Regularly working 12+ hour days, seven days a week, sometimes sleeping at the office. [20:15] Wife's background in the real estate industry and understanding of the demanding work schedule. [20:20] Opportunity to join his wife's family's business in land development in the growing DC area, prompted by his father-in-law coming out of retirement to help a large home builder. [20:50] Reasons for leaving high finance for land development: Opportunity to learn real estate on someone else's dollar, educational and financial rewards, and the desire to move to DC. [21:30] Eye-opening experience transitioning from Wall Street to land development. Different work hours and the need for patience when dealing with the public sector. [23:15] Realization that residential land development was not the right fit. [23:30] The financial crisis impacting the land development industry. Fortunate timing of selling their last project before the major downturn. [24:25] Pivoting after the financial crisis to Perseus Realty Capital. A brokerage firm focused on financing real estate transactions (joint venture equity, mezzanine, preferred equity). [25:15] Reasons for choosing Perseus over larger national players: Desire for a smaller, newer firm with more control over destiny, having experienced both very large and very small companies. [26:25] Perseus's evolution to PRP real estate and shift from intermediary to asset management. [26:45] Learning curve at Perseus regarding traditional real estate financing. Understanding mortgage financing, mezzanine debt in real estate, and the role of institutional investors and private equity funds. [27:45] Focus on networking and finding new sources of capital for clients at Perseus. [28:50] Most challenging deal at Perseus: A high-rise residential building in Denver during the financial crisis where the senior loan fell through after construction began. [29:30] Securing mezzanine financing for the Denver project with another intermediary bringing in Corus Bank as the senior lender. [30:10] Challenges with Corus after Starwood took over, transitioning from dealing with a bank to an opportunity fund. [31:10] Comparison of the lending environment today (more cautious with lower loan-to-cost, higher rates, stronger covenants) compared to before COVID. [32:30] Overview of Bookhill Park's lending activities. Opportunistic lending beyond just real estate, including first and second mortgages, mezzanine, unsecured and secured loans, asset-based loans, inventory financing, payroll loans to government contractors, and factoring. [33:20] Origin of Bookhill Park's lending business: Helping a government contractor with payroll financing due to challenges with traditional bank lending for new contractors. [34:20] Higher return expectations in Bookhill Park's early lending days (17%+) compared to today (12-15%) due to increased private credit competition. [36:00] Impact of higher generic interest rates versus the decrease in Bookhill Park's targeted returns due to market competition. [36:50] Bookhill Park's patient capital base (personal capital, friends, family, investors) allows for selectivity in deals. [38:10] Evolution of Stirling Realty Advisors post-Perseus, focusing on national JV equity and mezzanine raising with a business partner. [38:50] Strategies for finding clients and investors: Networking at conferences (ULI), cold calling developers, and building relationships. [39:55] Business partner's departure and Moiz continuing as a sole entrepreneur with Stirling, leading to involvement in other businesses through new partnerships. [40:30] Evolution of the senior living business involvement. Initial capital raising for healthcare deals leading to a role at Meridian Senior Living. [41:20] Role as Treasurer at Meridian Senior Living. Initially part-time but became more significant, involving corporate infrastructure and learning the operations-focused nature of the healthcare business. [42:50] Financing structure of Meridian Senior Living: Real estate financed by traditional sources (opportunity funds, REITs) through leases, while operations were primarily financed by the three partners. [43:20] Involvement in raising capital for Meridian. [43:30] Managing banking relationships at Meridian. The partners had existing relationships, but Moiz also brought new ones. [44:20] Growth and evolution of Meridian: Hiring a full-time treasurer and assistant treasurer, and starting ancillary businesses (pharmacies, therapy business). [45:20] Parallel development of Bookhill Park and how relationships from the senior housing business led to healthcare lending deals. [46:00] Bookhill Park's unique lending advantage in the senior housing space: Ability to potentially take over management due to the operating company connection. [46:30] Bookhill Park's partnership with regional banks to do larger "A/B" structure loans, effectively syndicating the "A" piece. [48:30] Mobile home park business (BHP): Parallel investment with a different group of partners, attracted by limited supply and affordable housing characteristics. [50:15] Portfolio size of mobile home parks at its peak. [50:20] Opportunistic investment strategy leading to eventual exits from mobile home park projects. [50:45] Sale of a well-located mobile home park in Maryland after a short ownership period due to a strong offer. [51:30] Institutionalization of the mobile home park space over the last 15 years, leading to increased competition and higher acquisition costs, making current returns less attractive. [52:00] Challenges in the current mobile home park market: Increased broker presence and sellers having unrealistic price expectations. [52:50] Differences between mobile home park and traditional multifamily operations. [53:10] Section 8 in mobile home parks. [53:30] Potential future re-entry into the mobile home park market when institutional capital exits. [54:10] Formation of Superior Living Foundation Inc. (501c3) in 2017 by the principals at Meridian Senior Living to grow their presence in senior housing and healthcare through tax-exempt opportunities. [56:00] Avoiding conflicts of interest between the non-profit and for-profit entities. Independent board for the non-profit making decisions at market rates with multiple operator options. [57:15] Interesting financing assignments: Maritime claim settlement through Bookhill Park, involving learning about maritime law and insurance claims. [59:30] Recent closing of a 14-property skilled nursing portfolio acquisition by Superior Living Foundation. A tax-exempt bond deal with institutional buyers, aimed at growing the foundation's ability to provide healthcare services. [1:01:30] Reflection on John's early prediction of Moiz's success and their collaborative transactions over the years. [1:01:45] Moiz's experience in the ULI mentorship program with John as his mentor. [1:02:30] Value of their ongoing relationship and how it has led to successful introductions and investment opportunities, including a senior housing deal in Florida and multiple investments in a former mentee's multifamily projects. [1:04:40] Advice for young listeners on investment criteria and sponsor selection. Prioritizing the sponsor, location, and the sponsor's financial resources and "skin in the game." [1:07:00] Views on signing recourse loans. Moiz's partner's perspective on the development game. [1:08:00] Not personally willing to act as a co-GP solely for providing a guarantee. [1:08:30] Ability to bring both equity and a guarantor to a deal. [1:08:45] The unique aspect of Moiz's ability to raise capital and bring a group of investors to deals. [1:09:50] Investment philosophy and what sets Moiz apart: Creativity without a fixed "box," focusing on the story and exit, and a commitment to doing what they say they will. [1:12:00] Clarification on partnership structure: While Stirling is his sole business, almost all other ventures involve partnerships. [1:12:30] Importance of having partners to bounce ideas off of. [1:13:00] Time management strategies: Making lists, prioritizing, managing multiple transactions, relying on mental organization, and detailed calendar use. [1:14:20] Financial management: Working with an accountant and using QuickBooks for many entities. [1:15:15] Lean administrative structure. [1:16:00] Personal management of investor payouts for Bookhill Park. [1:16:30] Utilizing technology for tracking investments (example of Colin's investor portal) and the recommendation to invest in such technology. [1:17:00] Limited personal exploration of AI but an interest in future use. [1:17:30] Use of a wealth management firm with strong technology to track personal and investment financials. [1:17:45] Effectively having a "family office" through their wealth management firm's tracking capabilities. [1:18:30] Ensuring his wife knows the location of important financial information. [1:19:00] Challenging trends and unique opportunities in investments and capital markets today: Uncertainty due to government changes, tariffs, and financial market fluctuations. Lending still tough, potential impact of rising unemployment on real estate. Possible positive impact on office sector. [1:20:30] Trends in the senior housing business: Demographic upside ("silver tsunami") but challenges with increasing labor, food, and supply costs not yet matched by rent increases. Impact of stock market and interest rates on affordability. Financing and construction costs remain high. [1:22:00] Dynamics in the skilled nursing space: Reliance on Medicaid with capped payments and potential cuts creating nervousness. [1:23:15] Growth potential in healthcare in general and the role of AI. [1:23:45] Growth potential in the energy business, including passive energy. [1:24:00] Concerns and questions surrounding the office sector: Return to office trends, occupancy rates, and the efficiency of operating buildings with hybrid work models. Impact on retail demand. [1:24:45] Approach to future investments: Remaining opportunistic and open-minded across various sectors, continuing high-quality lending and partnerships, and focusing on good real estate in prime locations. [1:26:00] The unique value of Moiz's diverse experience across institutional finance, small entrepreneurial groups, agency, and principal roles. [1:26:15] Accepting that not all ventures will succeed and the importance of learning from both successes and failures. [1:26:45] Most surprising lessons learned: No guarantees in business or life, and the critical importance of personally verifying key information rather than solely relying on team members or partners. [1:28:30] Advice to his 25-year-old self: Be curious, be patient, be a hustler, slow down (balance opportunism with thorough execution), and be passionate. [1:29:55] Priorities of family, work, and giving back: Family is paramount with a focus on spending time with his children. Strong emphasis on giving back in the education space, both domestically and internationally. [1:30:30] Supporting various educational organizations. [1:31:30] Final question: What would a billboard on the Capitol Beltway say? "Trust your gut." [1:32:00] Reflection on times when trusting his gut paid off and, more significantly, times when ignoring his gut led to negative outcomes. [1:32:20] Accepting missed opportunities without regret. [1:33:20] Thank you and closing remarks. Similar Episodes Brad Olsen Shekar Narasimhan Ken Bacon Willy Walker

Today, we're excited to get to know Dr. Ali Khan, Chief Medical Officer of Aetna Medicare, overseeing healthcare services for over 4 million members. His career spans across some of the most impactful value-based care organizations, including Oak Street Health, CareMore, and Iora Health. He is also an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and serves on the clinical faculty of the Yale School of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Khan is a director on the American Board of Internal Medicine. Also a trusted advisor on Pear's Health Industry Council.Before Aetna, Dr. Khan played a key role in Oak Street Health's rapid expansion, scaling it from 21 to 200+ clinics, culminating in its acquisition by CVS Health. Prior to that, he was instrumental in CareMore Health's growth and innovation in care delivery for vulnerable populations.He holds an MD-MPP from Virginia Commonwealth University and Harvard Kennedy School, completed his residency at Yale, and has taught at institutions like Northwestern Kellogg and Yale School of Medicine.As a leader in value-based care, he has firsthand experience in building, scaling, and optimizing healthcare startups—making his insights invaluable for founders, investors, and industry leaders navigating the complex world of healthcare innovation.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the Round 2 activity on LiveWire; Stanford, UPenn / Wharton and MIT / Sloan were among the top MBA programs releasing decisions last week. For this upcoming week, Round 3 admissions deadlines are rolling on, while Oxford / Said and Ohio State / Fisher have decision deadlines. Graham noted Clear Admit's Application Overview May series of events. These online events will be hosted on May 6 and 7, and May 20 and 21. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/appoverview25 Sandwiched in the middle of these events is Clear Admit's MBA admissions fair in Boston, on May 14th. Twenty-four of the top 25 U.S.-based MBA programs are planning to attend. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/mbafair2025 Graham noted a Clear Admit article from the Friday's-from-the-Frontline series from an LBS MBA student, discussing the EQUALL conference, which is focused on gender equality. Graham also noted a recently published admissions tip that focuses on how to negotiate scholarships with business schools. Graham highlighted three Real Humans alumni spotlights, alums from UPenn / Wharton working at Pfizer, Ohio State / Fisher working at Deloitte, and Chicago / Booth working at Nike. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected one ApplyWire entry and two DecisionWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from Brazil, and has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, and is now working at a bank, focused on data. They have a 710 GMAT score and are targeting next season. This week's second MBA candidate is choosing between several top MBA programs, including Chicago / Booth and Northwestern / Kellogg. They want to work in consulting in Chicago, post MBA. The final MBA candidate also has several choices, but has narrowed down their decision to be between Indiana / Kelley, with a full scholarship, and Michigan / Ross. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the Round 2 activity on LiveWire; Harvard, Northwestern / Kellogg, Chicago / Booth, Berkeley / Haas, Washington / Foster, UCLA / Anderson, Texas / McCombs and London Business School were among the top MBA programs releasing decisions last week. For this upcoming week, Stanford, UPenn / Wharton, MIT / Sloan and Cornell / Johnson are scheduled to release their final decisions. Graham highlighted the Spring Survey that Clear Admit conducts each season. These surveys are important to understand the decisions of each applicant-cohort. Here is the link for this season's survey: https://bit.ly/casurvey25 Graham noted Clear Admit's Application Overview series of events scheduled for May. These online events will be hosted on May 6 and 7, and May 20 and 21. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/appoverview25 Sandwiched in the middle of these events is Clear Admit's MBA admissions fair in Boston, on May 14th. Twenty-four of the top 25 U.S.-based MBA programs are planning to attend. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/mbafair2025 Graham noted a Clear Admit article that shines the spotlight on ESADE and their work to become carbon neutral. He then highlighted the first in a series of Clear Admit career trends articles, focused on Class of 2024 consulting placements at leading MBA programs. As we have reported over several episodes this season, consulting placements are generally down across the top MBA programs. However, consulting remains a critical industry for top MBA graduates - with most schools sending a third of their class into the domain. Graham then noted a Fridays-from-the-Frontlines feature that focuses on MBA students from London Business School who traveled to Singapore and explored sustainability efforts. Graham highlighted four Real Humans alumni spotlights, alums from Duke / Fuqua working at McKinsey, Indiana / Kelley working at Microsoft, Michigan / Ross working at JP Morgan and Columbia working at Netflix. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from the UK and now lives in the US. They have a 675 GMAT score, and a 3.1 GPA undergraduate degree, followed by a 3.8 GPA master's degree in finance. Their focus is on real estate. This week's second MBA candidate is an electrical engineer who also has a master's degree. They work in the semiconductor industry as a product manager; they also have a 675 GMAT score. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua (with a $40,000 scholarship), and Georgetown / McDonough. They are seeking a consulting career. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the Round 2 activity on LiveWire; UNC / Kenan Flagler, Yale SOM and Georgetown / McDonough were among the top MBA programs scheduled to release Round 2 decisions last week. For this upcoming week, IESE, Harvard Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, Columbia, Chicago / Booth, Berkeley / Haas, UCLA / Anderson, Texas / McCombs, Washington / Foster, Boston College / Carroll, Michigan State / Broad, Imperial College and London Business School are releasing their final decisions. Graham highlighted the Spring Survey that Clear Admit conducts each season. These surveys are important to understand the decisions of each applicant cohort. Here is the link for this season's survey: https://bit.ly/casurvey25 Graham noted that we have now nearly finalized the line-up for our Application Overview series of virtual events in May. These events will be hosted on May 6 and 7, and May 20 and 21. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/appoverview25 Sandwiched in the middle of these events is Clear Admit's MBA admissions fair in Boston, on May 14th. Twenty-four of the top 25 U.S.-based MBA programs are planning to attend. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/mbafair2025 May truly kicks off the new season of MBA admissions at Clear Admit! Graham mentioned a recently published admissions tip that offers a primer on the Executive Assessment test. This article is a result of the queries we are seeing on the Ask Clear Admit AI bot tool. Graham then highlighted a Real Humans alumni spotlight, an alum from NYU / Stern working at PepsiCo. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three DecisionWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is choosing between Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, and UVA / Darden. They want to work in consulting on the west coast after business school. This week's second MBA candidate is choosing between Chicago / Booth's EMBA program and Cambridge / Judge's full-time program. They are from Japan and wish to begin a career in the United States. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, and Michigan / Ross. They want to work in tech in New York City. They have a $100k scholarship offer from Ross, and a $30k offer from Johnson. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the Round 2 activity on LiveWire; Dartmouth / Tuck, Emory / Goizueta, UVA / Darden, Michigan / Ross, Rice / Jones, Indiana / Kelley and Vanderbilt / Owen were among the top MBA programs releasing Round 2 decisions last week. For this upcoming week, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Yale SOM, Georgetown / McDonough and INSEAD are releasing their final decisions. Graham highlighted the Spring Applicant Survey that Clear Admit conducts each season. These surveys are important to understand the decisions of each applicant cohort. Here is the link for this season's survey: https://bit.ly/casurvey25 Graham also mentioned an AMA event that Clear Admit is hosting with NYU / Stern this week, on Wednesday. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/nyusternama Graham noted that Clear Admit now has several admissions-related events for the month of May available on the website; this includes the MBA admissions fair Clear Admit is hosting in Boston, on May 14th. Twenty-four of the top 25 U.S.-based MBA programs are planning to attend. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/mbafair2025 Graham mentioned two recently published articles by Clear Admit that focus on fellowships and community for women targeting business school and a similar piece highlighting support and funding options for minorities at the leading MBA programs. These articles also address the wider political context, in the United States, that makes these efforts more important. Graham then noted an admissions tip that focuses on choosing between MBA program options, post admissions decisions. Graham also highlighted four Real Humans alumni spotlights, alums from Emory / Goizueta working at Deloitte, Rice / Jones working at Pfizer, Berkeley / Haas working at JP Morgan and UCI / Merage working at Microsoft. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected one ApplyWire entry and two DecisionWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is a military candidate who has a 331 GRE score. Their overall profile looks very strong; we want them to focus a little more on their short-term goal. This week's second MBA candidate is choosing between Arizona / Carey and USC / Marshall. They have a better scholarship offer at Carey. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Northwestern / Kellogg and Berkeley / Haas. They are looking to a career in consulting or tech. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing Round 2 activity on LiveWire; a few MBA programs are still releasing a few interview invites, but we are getting closer to the end of the Round 2 cycle; CMU / Tepper, Johns Hopkins / Carey and Ohio State / Fisher are scheduled to release final decisions for R2 candidates this upcoming week. Graham highlighted the MBA Fair Clear Admit is hosting in Boston, on May 14th. Twenty-four of the top 25 U.S.-based MBA programs are planning to attend. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/mbafair2025 Graham then mentioned the publication of an admissions tip that focuses on strategies for those on a waitlist. Graham then discussed a new Real Humans piece that focuses on students at Harvard Business School. Graham also highlighted two Real Numbers features, that focus on average GMAT scores at leading b-schools and the percentage of international students in MBA programs. We then discussed the Class of 2024 career report released by Texas / McCombs. They did see an uptick in recruiting for tech-related jobs, which bucked a trend we are seeing with other top MBA programs. This may be a function of another recent trend - tech firms moving to Texas. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is applying next season, and had experience in the military in special operations, as well as more recent role as a financial advisor. They have a total of 13 years of experience, but we worry their current GRE score of 315 is a little low. This week's second MBA candidate applied in Round 2, is from India and works in the tech space. Despite being potentially over-represented, they have received several invitations to interview, including from Stanford. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Northwestern / Kellogg, with a scholarship, and UPenn / Wharton. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing Round 2 activity on LiveWire; interview invites continue to roll out for Round 2 candidates; UPenn / Wharton and MIT / Sloan have yet to release their Round 2 interview invites. Alex discussed the release of a “Prompt Guide” for Clear Admit's new Ask Clear Admit admissions bot. This guide is designed to help candidates get the most out of their engagement with the chat bot. So far, we have seen more than 1,000 prompts. Graham then highlighted the upcoming webinar series for Master's in Management candidates; the first of these webinars features Michigan / Ross, CMU / Tepper and Georgetown / McDonough.  Signups are here: https://bit.ly/mim0225 Graham noted the continuation of Clear Admit's series of articles about podcasts, where we place the spotlight on podcasts from the leading MBA programs. Graham then mentioned the publication of an admissions tip focused on post interview activities. This led to a plea for MBA interview reports, in order to support Clear Admit's comprehensive MBA interview archive. Graham then highlighted two real numbers stories, focused on female enrollment (very well done, Johns Hopkins / Carey!) and tuition costs for European-based MBA programs. Finally, we discussed one more MBA career report from London Business School. Their career statistics generally follow similar patterns we have identified with prior career reports that we have published this season, although they were able to gather data from an impressive 100% of the graduating class. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from Brazil and is looking ahead for the MBA applications. They have still to take the GMAT, and they are seeking other areas they can strengthen before they apply. This week's second MBA candidate has a 334 GRE and strong legal experience from London. They also appear to have interesting activities outside of work and could be a very strong candidate. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Chicago / Booth and Northwestern / Kellogg, with very similar scholarship offers. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing Round 2 activity on LiveWire; this upcoming week we have two more application deadlines, Arizona / Carey and Minnesota / Carlson. Last week, we saw more interview invitations rolling out for UVA / Darden, Dartmouth / Tuck, Yale SOM, Northwestern / Kellogg and CMU / Tepper. We then discussed the role out of Clear Admit's latest innovation, our “Ask Clear Admit” chat bot, which launched the prior Thursday. We have seen hundreds of prompts come in from applicants as we launched, and the quality of the responses has impressed! You can find the chat bot here: https://ai.clearadmit.com Graham noted two upcoming webinar series. The first is for Deferred Admissions candidates, with signups here: https://bit.ly/de0225 The first webinar in this series, on February 5, features Berkeley / Haas, UPenn / Wharton and Stanford. The following week we have CMU / Tepper, Chicago / Booth, Columbia, Yale SOM and UVA / Darden. The second webinar series is for Masters in Management candidates in late February, with signups here: https://bit.ly/mim0225 Graham highlighted two MBA news stories. The first story focuses on Stanford GSB's new Dean, Sarah Soule, who has appeared on a prior Clear Admit podcast. The second covers the release of U.S. News 2025 online MBA rankings. Indiana / Kelley tops those rankings, as it has done in prior years. Graham then highlighted an admissions tip focused on the five most commonly asked MBA interview questions.  Graham also noted a Real Humans story from HEC / Paris. Finally, we discussed two more MBA career reports from Chicago / Booth and Yale SOM. Both MBA programs show the same resilience as other top MBA programs, while facing the headwinds of a tighter employment market. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is based in India and working for a large conglomerate to which they intend to return. They are applying in Round 2, and we are a little concerned that this may present more challenges than if they had been able to apply in Round 1. This week's second MBA candidate also has a very interesting MBA profile but has a weak GPA of 2.9. We discussed mitigating actions they will need to take, ahead of applying next season. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Columbia and Yale SOM, and are planning a career in Clean Tech, hoping to move into private equity in that industry. This episode was recorded in Philadelphia, USA and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing Round 2 activity on LiveWire; this upcoming week we have two more application deadlines, Imperial College and Boston College / Carroll. Last week, we saw more interview invitations rolling out for UVA / Darden, Dartmouth / Tuck, Yale SOM, Northwestern / Kellogg and CMU / Tepper. We then discussed the roll out of Clear Admit's latest innovation, our “Ask Clear Admit” AI chat bot. We are excited to get customer feedback and hope this new tool will become a “best in class” for chatbots that are specifically trained on MBA admissions-related content. You can find the chatbot here: https://ai.clearadmit.com Graham noted two upcoming webinar series. The first is for Deferred Admissions candidates, with signups here: https://bit.ly/de0225 The first webinar in this series, on February 5, features Berkeley / Haas, UPenn / Wharton and Stanford. The second webinar series is for Masters in Management candidates, with signups here: https://bit.ly/mim0225 Graham highlighted two admissions tips. The first admissions tip focuses on the role of letters of support, and how they are different to letters of recommendation. The second admissions tip focuses on group interviews like the Wharton team-based discussion exercise. Graham also noted two Real Humans stories from Manchester / Alliance and Emory / Goizueta's MIM program. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is based in India and working at one of the MBB firms. They have super numbers (335 GRE, 3.94 GPA) and are planning ahead for a future admissions season. This week's second MBA candidate also has a very strong profile (331 GRE, 3.7 GPA), and works for an MBB firm in the United States. Their passion appears to be in the urban mobility space. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Columbia, Stern, Yale SOM and a few other top MBA programs. They also have very good scholarship offers. They are seeking a career in social impact, in New York City. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

New year = new predictions for the world of digital marketing! The DMI's podcast host ⁠Will Francis⁠⁠ talked to eight experts across digital marketing about what marketers can expect to see and what they should focus on during 2025. We have so many amazing insights to share, so we've broken this podcast into two episodes! In this first episode, Will hears a range of thoughts of the opportunities and challenges coming up. Jim Lecinski, Professor of Marketing at Northwestern-Kellogg, sees AI shifting from productivity improvements to enabling transformative business growth, customer data platforms (CDPs) becoming more cloud-native and AI-powered, and marketers needing to prepare for Gen Alpha. -- Check out our ⁠January 22 webinar on Youth Marketing⁠. -- Nikki Lindgren, founder of agency Pennock, sees community engagement and alignment with brand values becoming crucial for beauty & lifestyle brands, increased use of machine learning-based marketing campaigns, and growth in fractional CMO/marketing director roles to support emerging brands. -- Listen to our full episode with Nikki Lindgren on DTC Marketing -- Brian Corish, founder of Elemental AI, isn't the only person to talk about the rise of AI agents that can autonomously execute marketing tasks and workflows . He also sees the need for marketers to develop more holistic, creative, and cross-functional skills to deal with the changing landscape. Fractional CMO and documentarian Peter Murphy Lewis sees LinkedIn organic content and newsletters as highly effective marketing tactics, the leveraging of LinkedIn automation tools to connect with prospects, and webinars remaining a powerful top-to-bottom of funnel marketing strategy. You'll hear more from Peter in an upcoming episode. Mischa McInerney, CMO of the DMI says soft skills are even more critical as AI becomes more pervasive, while companies need to upskill their workforce on AI adoption, and marketers prove the value and outcome of applying new efficiencies. ------------------------- The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join for free today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us! You can also drop us a line with topic or guest suggestions at podcast (at) digitalmarketinginstitute (dot) com.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the new season of MBA admissions; this upcoming week we have many Round 2 application deadlines, including Harvard, Dartmouth / Tuck, UCLA / Anderson, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough, CMU / Tepper, Rice / Jones, Chicago / Booth, Yale SOM, UVA / Darden, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Washington / Foster, Notre Dame / Mendoza, SMU / Cox, Stanford, Northwestern / Kellogg, Johns Hopkins / Carey, Vanderbilt / Owen, Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Cornell / Johnson, USC / Marshall, IESE, Georgia / Terry and Georgia Tech / Scheller. Graham highlighted two admissions tips for those finalizing their admissions essays; these essay tips focus on word limits and the optional essay. Graham then discussed a Real Humans post focused on holiday celebrations. Graham then presented the Class of 2024 career placement reports from Columbia, Northwestern / Kellogg and UPenn / Wharton. This finalizes our reviews of the M7 career reports, and we are seeing the outcomes of a tougher placement market for these top programs. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is only applying to two programs, Duke / Fuqua and UVA / Darden. They did apply last season to some different programs, and we worry that they may be challenged by applying in Round 2 this season. This week's second MBA candidate was a NCAA Div 1 athlete with an outstanding GPA. They now work in their family business, focused on sports. While their GMAT is not outstanding, we wonder if they should target a few programs from a higher tier. The final MBA candidate is deciding between Washington / Foster, with $66k scholarship and Vanderbilt / Owen with $100k scholarship. They want to pursue a career in consulting or technology. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire; several top MBA programs will be releasing their Round 1 decisions this week, including Harvard, UPenn / Wharton, Northwestern / Kellogg, MIT / Sloan, Dartmouth / Tuck, Berkeley / Haas, UVA / Darden, Duke / Fuqua, UCLA / Anderson, Georgetown / McDonough, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Notre Dame / Mendoza, Vanderbilt / Owen, Rice / Jones, Johns Hopkins / Carey and Arizona / Carey. Washington / Olin is releasing Round 2 decisions and Oxford / Said is releasing Stage 3 decisions. Graham noted a recently published story on Clear Admit that focuses on four students at Dartmouth / Tuck who are focused on healthcare. Graham then highlighted two admissions tips, the first tip focuses on how to reflect on negative admissions results, and the second explores the role of the video essay in the admissions process. We then discussed two Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at UC Irvine / Merage and Berkeley / Haas. Graham then presented the second career placement report of the season, from NYU / Stern. While overall, the placement statistics are in line with last season, one potentially troubling statistic is the lower percentage of students reporting accepting a job, three months from graduation. This is a stat we will be looking at closely for subsequent career reports. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a really interesting profile, which includes doing NGO work in conflict zones. We believe this is the type of candidate that top MBA programs really aspire to enroll. Their GPA is going to be slightly lower than the median for top MBA programs, but they have completed a masters degree and a calculus course, which helps compensate. This week's second MBA candidate is planning a second round strategy, based on the results from their Round 1 programs. They have received a few interview invites and are now considering whether to aim higher, or go with more safety programs. The final MBA candidate is from Africa, has five years of work experience and a very decent GPA. But their GRE score is very low; we really hope they are able to prepare more and retake the test. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity of MBA LiveWire; a few MBA programs are still rolling out Round 1 interview invites; several candidates are eager to hear from Northwestern / Kellogg and Stanford. Upcoming this week, London Business School is scheduled to release its Round 1 decisions, and Michigan State / Broad has its Round 2 deadline. Graham highlighted the upcoming webinar series for Masters in Management programs, which are held on December 3rd and 4th, and includes Chicago / Booth, Georgetown / McDonough, Michigan / Ross, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, Indiana / Kelley, CMU Tepper, and Notre Dame / Mendoza. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/camim24 Graham also noted the Clear Admit survey that's in the field, and focuses on issues related to building relationships with MBA program participants. The survey is here: https://bit.ly/casurveyfall24 Graham then highlighted two admissions tips. The first tip focuses on background checks that MBA programs undertake for their admissions candidates, and the second tip lists all the Round 2 MBA deadlines; January is a very busy month for those targeting Round 2. We then discussed three Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at Johns Hopkins / Carey, SMU / Cox and Columbia. Finally, Graham highlighted a podcast episode he recently conducted with the new Admissions leader at Stanford. This should be published very shortly. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is an American applicant who wants to apply to leading European MBA programs, to build a career in Europe. They appear to have a strong career in technical sales, but we worry about their overall academic profile. This week's second MBA candidate is working in their family business, which led to a discussion on how to source their recommenders. They certainly cannot use family members. They have only recently started preparing for the GMAT, but we like their overall profile. The final MBA candidate has offers from IESE, IE Business and ESADE. They are considering whether they should attend one of these programs or reapply next season and include a few more programs. This episode was recorded in Estoril, Portugal and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the U.S. election, and the potential impacts of a new Trump administration. Graham highlighted the webinar series for deferred admissions candidates, which continues on Wednesday, November 13 with Berkeley / Haas, CMU / Tepper, UVA / Darden and Stanford. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/cadefermba Graham also noted the upcoming webinar series for Masters in Management programs, which begins on December 3, signups are here: https://bit.ly/camim24 Graham then shared a recently published report from Forte Foundation, which illustrates the continued efforts of the MBA industry to move to gender parity. Graham then noted three admissions tips, two focused on the MBA interview process (questions to ask your interviewer, and thank you notes), and the third focused on potential admissions mistakes to avoid. We then discussed four Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at Yale SOM, IESE, Northwestern / Kellogg and NYU / Stern, and two MBA Class of 2026 profiles, from Columbia and Northwestern / Kellogg. We then discussed activity on MBA LiveWire; for this upcoming week, Michigan State / Broad, INSEAD, Minnesota / Carlson and Ohio State / Fisher are scheduled to release Round 1 decisions. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from South Asia and has a GMAT score of 720. We are worried about the impact of their low GPA. They do appear to have interesting work experience and additional activities, so we are hoping adcom can look past their GPA. This week's second MBA candidate is a military candidate with a super GPA from a military academy. We are concerned that their lower GRE score is not truly reflective of their overall profile. The final MBA candidate has a 331 GRE score and a 3.98 GPA! They also appear to have interesting work experience and several significant activities outside of work. They are aiming high with their target programs, but this makes sense. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

This week on Modern Marketers, Jim Lecinski, clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, joins Google's Joshua Spanier and Bethany Poole to talk about Jim's career pivot from tech executive to college professor, what traits make up the most effective marketer, and the ability to combine left and right brain to be a whole-brain marketer. Jim discusses what he sees as top of mind for rising-star marketers in his classes, how he wrote a book on AI — well before the recent buzz — in 2021, and advice for creating a marketing plan that excites your C-suite.

This week's guest on The CMO Podcast is one of the foremost experts in the world of Artificial Intelligence and marketing, Professor Jim Lecinski. Jim is the Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing at Northwestern Kellogg. We use the term “Renaissance man or woman” too loosely these days, but in this case it's an appropriate moniker. Consider these highlights from Professor Lecinski's curriculum vitae:Studied German and Government at Notre Dame, MBA from Illinois.Teaches seminars and blogs about Jazz for newcomers.Has written for The Journal of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors.Twelve years at Google, left as a VP.Literally wrote the book on marketing and AI, back in 2021 before it was the “in thing.”Awarded Professor of the Year at Northwestern Kellogg in 2022.It's a double-Jim conversation, as the two dive into the hottest topic in marketing...AI.---Learn more about AI:Marketing AI Institute: https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/Andrew Ng's Courses on Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/instructor/andrewngKeynotes to Watch:Agentforce Keynote: Build the Future with AI Agents: https://www.salesforce.com/plus/experience/dreamforce_2024/series/agentforce_&_data_cloud_at_dreamforce_2024/episode/episode-s1e27Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian'a Keynote: https://cloud.withgoogle.com/nextAnd pickup Jim and Raj Venkatesan's book - The AI Marketing Canvas: A Five-Stage Road Map to Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: https://a.co/d/9osop0BSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire; we are starting to see interview invites released for Round 1 for programs like Yale SOM, Berkeley / Haas, and Northwestern / Kellogg. Upcoming this week, we have several Round 1 deadlines including MIT / Sloan, Duke / Fuqua, UCLA / Anderson, CMU / Tepper, USC / Marshall, Washington / Foster, Washington / Olin, Maryland / Smith, SMU / Cox, Minnesota / Carlson, UVA / Darden, Emory / Goizueta and Georgia Tech / Scheller. Oxford / Said has its Stage 2 deadline, too. Graham highlighted the upcoming webinar focused on MBA programs from the West Coast, including Berkeley / Haas, Stanford, UCLA / Anderson, Washington / Foster and UC / Irvine. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/westcoastmba Graham then highlighted two recently published admissions tips focused on letters of support, and different types of MBA admissions interviews. Graham then noted two Real Humans stories, focused on MBA students at Cornell / Johnson and London Business School. We then discussed three recently published class profiles, from Harvard, MIT / Sloan and Dartmouth / Tuck. Like prior profiles for this season, application volumes are up, and the profile of the incoming classes remains strong. This did, however, lead to a discussion regarding median GMAT scores versus GRE scores. Finally, Graham noted a recently published podcast he hosted with David Simpson of London Business School. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate has an outstanding academic profile, with a 3.85 GPA and 750 GMAT score. They have a health care focus, and as part of their school selection, they need to consider their partner's continuing career. This week's second MBA candidate has a 720 GMAT and a 329 GRE, which led to a conversation as to which is better. They have a strong technical focus, which includes their own entrepreneurial experience. The final MBA candidate for this week is a reapplicant for USC / Marshall. They have improved their GRE score, and other elements of their profile should also be improved. We suggest they also apply to UCLA / Anderson. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire; we are starting to see interview invites released for Round 1 for programs like Yale SOM and Northwestern / Kellogg. Upcoming this week, we have several Round 1 deadlines including Toronto / Rotman, Imperial College, Dartmouth / Tuck and IESE. The Clear Admit “Inside the MBA Admissions Process” event series concludes this week, on Wednesday, and includes Duke / Fuqua, CMU / Tepper, Columbia, Texas / McCombs and Georgetown / McDonough. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/insidemba Graham also highlighted the upcoming webinar focused on MBA programs from the West Coast, including Berkeley / Haas, Stanford, UCLA / Anderson, UC / Irvine, and UW Foster.  Signups are here: bit.ly/westcoastmba We then discussed two recently published MBA rankings, from LinkedIn and Bloomberg / BusinessWeek. While we understand the importance of rankings for candidates' research, we discussed the integrity of these rankings, relative to the reality of the marketplace of top MBA programs. Graham highlighted a recently published admissions tip focused the optional essay, which, for most MBA programs, is truly optional and should be tackled with caution. Graham then noted the recently published Adcom Q&A from Stanford. This included a conversation about how to address Stanford's first essay prompt, which is Alex's favorite MBA admissions essay. Graham then highlighted the beginning of Clear Admit's Real Humans series that focuses on current students. This series kicked off with a focus on Rice / Jones and Michigan State / Broad. We then discussed two recently published MBA class of 2026 profiles, from Yale SOM and UVA / Darden. Both programs appear to have very decent class profiles overall. Yale's does stand out with its academic numbers. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is a senior at university and looking to apply for deferred admissions. They have some decent internships in the health care space. They have also undertaken some entrepreneurial work. They still need to take the GMAT and need to aim very high. This week's second MBA candidate is applying from India and is applying in Round 1. They do appear to have a very strong profile, overall, with a GMAT score of 760 and several promotions at work. The final MBA candidate for this week is a London-based software engineer, originally from South Korea, who has worked for some major tech companies. They have a strong GRE score of 330, and are looking to transition to product management, before working at their family business. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the busy season that is upon us; we have several MBA admissions deadlines upcoming this week; Georgetown / McDonough and Johns Hopkins / Carey have their Early Action round deadlines. Stanford, Michigan / Ross, Columbia, Yale SOM, INSEAD, Northwestern / Kellogg and Berkeley / Haas have their Round 1 application deadlines. The Clear Admit “Inside the MBA Admissions Process” event series begins this week and runs for three weeks, on September 11th, 18th and 25th. Our first event includes INSEAD, London Business School, UPenn / Wharton, Emory / Goizueta and Michigan / Ross. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/insidemba Graham highlighted recent news from GMAC, which is launching a new writing exam, now that the AWA element of the traditional GMAT test has been eliminated. We discussed Harvard admissions team's desire to see a writing sample for all its candidates. Graham then highlighted several admissions-related articles that have been recently published on Clear Admit. They include admissions tips focused on GMAT and GRE test waivers (don't if you are able to take a test) and MBA programs which don't require the test (we still encourage candidates to take a test). Admissions tips that focus on video essays, which are becoming more popular, and the need to avoid comparing your target MBA program with other programs, through the admissions process. Finally, Graham noted an in-depth survey of visa requirements for international MBA students who plan to study outside their home country. Graham highlighted three Adcom Q&As, from IMD, Vanderbilt / Owen and Cornell / Johnson. We then discussed two recently published class profiles. UCLA / Anderson experienced an incredible 41% increase in application volume last season, and Duke / Fuqua was able to recruit a class where female enrolment eclipsed 50% for the first time. Both these class profiles are very impressive. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and a Question from LiveWire: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is going to be sponsored for their MBA by a “big 4” consulting firm. They appear to have done very well at work, and they also have a very good profile for sustainability initiatives. Their numbers, 3.3 GPA and 690 GMAT, are a potential area of concern. This week's second MBA candidate enlisted in the military straight out of high school. Once they completed their military service they started their undergraduate degree at a community college, they have now transferred to Stanford, and are studying Mechanical Engineering. We anticipate they have a very interesting “lived experience” that may play well in MBA admissions. The final MBA candidate for this week posed a question on MBA LiveWire regarding their reapplication process. They are planning to retake the GRE, as well as transition to a new job. The question is whether to apply in Round 1 or Round 2. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Dr. Gaurav Joshi works as a Senior Product Marketing Manager at GC America where he manages direct and indirect restorative portfolios. Dr. Joshi is passionate about innovation in dental materials and technologies. He leverages his clinical knowledge and scientific expertise to lead marketing and education programs at GC America. Dr. Joshi serves as a reviewer for several reputed dental journals such as Operative Dentistry and Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. He is committed to continuous learning and currently pursuing an MBA program at Northwestern Kellogg. Outside of his professional commitments, Dr. Joshi enjoys spending time with family, outdoors, group exercises at Orange Theory, and reading Yelp reviews to find the best places to eat. Join the community on Dentaltown at https://www.dentaltown.com

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire; we have several MBA admissions deadlines upcoming this week; Duke / Fuqua, UVA / Darden and Notre Dame / Mendoza have their Early Action round deadlines. Harvard, UPenn / Wharton and London Business School have their Round 1 application deadlines. The next Clear Admit event series is now only one week away and runs for three weeks, on September 11th, 18th and 25th. Our first event includes INSEAD, London Business School, UPenn / Wharton, Emory / Goizueta and Michigan / Ross. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/insidemba Graham highlighted two recently published stories on Clear Admit. The first looks a which of the top MBA programs offer a STEM designation. It is clear this has been an interesting trend that began with Rochester / Simon and has recently included Harvard.  The second story focuses on some of the recent Olympic athletes who are completing their MBAs. We are great admirers of the talent, dedication and perseverance it takes to compete at the very top of any endeavor. Graham then noted two admissions tips that were recently published by Clear Admit. The first tip focuses on the importance of understanding the background of the admissions readers. The second tip discusses the need to do deep research on each of the MBA programs that a candidate is targeting. Graham then mentioned six recently published Adcom Q&As, from HEC Paris, Imperial College, UNC / Kenan Flagler, Washington / Olin, Northwestern / Kellogg, and UCLA / Anderson. We then highlighted a new MBA admissions series that focuses on “famous” MBA alumni, which we think highlights the real value of the MBA from top tier MBA programs. This series will focus on MBA alumni in a variety of sectors including technology, health care and retail, finance and philanthropy, and automotive and energy. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from South Africa and appears to have had a very strong career to date in finance roles in the tech sector. Their GMAT is a 730 and they are targeting the M7 MBA programs. This week's second MBA candidate works in academia as a researcher in the health care domain. They want to transition out of academia, their long-term goal is to work for an organization like the Gates Foundation. They have a GRE score of 330. The final MBA candidate for this week is from Ghana. They have a GRE score of 312, but plan to retake the test. They do have a strong GPA and decent work experience, but their post MBA goals could be strengthened. This episode was recorded in Pescoluse, Italy, and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Steven DeKrey, Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School, has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program. Darren asks Professor DeKrey about the value of top MBA programs in Asia, how applicants can stand out in the admissions process, who should apply to Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) programs, and whether leadership can be taught. Listen carefully to materially improve your chances of finding a great business school and getting in! Topics Introduction (0:00) What makes top MBA programs in Asia and Hong Kong different? (4:06) The quality of top Asian MBA programs vs. top US programs (10:30) How important are local language skills for MBA graduates outside the US? (14:10) What questions applicants should ask when researching MBA programs? (18:35) MBA rankings and other signals of quality (24:30) Who should apply to Full-time MBAs, Part-time MBAs and Executive MBAs (EMBA) (28:30) Understanding EMBA Admissions (34:50) Can leadership be taught? The importance of learning agility (38:45) How can MBAs demonstrate leadership skills to employers? (46:40) About Our Guest Steven DeKrey is Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School. He has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program. He has served as a board member on AACSB and EQUIS, the two most respected accreditation bodies in graduate business education, and today, teaches graduate students and executive training programs in leadership, corporate governance and board member development. Steven has written over 15 cases for the Thompson Case Center, 9 of which have been published by Harvard Business School Publishing. Before starting his career in business education, Steven worked as a School & Sports Psychologist in Iowa. He got his PhD in School & Sports Psychology from the University of Iowa and his MBA from Northwestern Kellogg. Show Notes Follow Professor Steven DeKrey on LinkedIn HKUST MBA Kellogg-HKUST EMBA Tiger, Peacock, Owl, Koala - Which Kind of Leader Are You? MBA Application Resources Get free school selection help at Touch MBA Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the activity on MBA LiveWire, with most top MBA programs finalizing their incoming classes; there is still some activity around wait lists at a few MBA programs. Graham highlighted the upcoming summer application series that Clear Admit hosts, which begins this Wednesday, July 10, with Duke / Fuqua, INSEAD, Columbia, UPenn / Wharton and UVA / Darden. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/summeressays Graham noted a recently published admissions tip focused on selecting recommenders. Graham then highlighted three recently published Adcom Q&As, from Emory / Goizueta, ESMT and Harvard Business School, and also discussed a recently published Friday's from the Frontlines which focuses on a VC competition won by Northwestern / Kellogg students. Graham then noted the publication of a new podcast which was another recording from one of the panel discussions during the in-person Chicago MBA admissions event that Clear Admit hosted. This discussion centered on the key elements of the applicant profile, including test scores, GPA, work experience and extra-curricular/additional activities.  Duke / Fuqua, Georgetown / McDonough, Yale SOM and Emory / Goizueta participated in this discussion. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate began in investment banking, but soon switched to strategy consulting focused on life sciences. They have a very strong GPA of 3.87; their GRE is OK, but does not stand out. This week's second MBA candidate appears to have a strong tech-focused career in India, having graduated from a top Indian university. They have a decent GMAT of 730, their GPA is 6.8 out of 10. Their post MBA goal is product management, then entrepreneurship. The final MBA candidate for this week played Division 1 football in the Big Ten Conference, and has now pursued a career in Real Estate. Post MBA they plan to join their family firm in Real Estate. They have a very strong GMAT (705); their overall GPA is a little weaker. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began with a rundown of all the latest MBA application news - ranging from admissions deadlines and essay topic releases to forthcoming decisions and waitlist updates. Graham highlighted the upcoming summer application series that Clear Admit hosts, which begins on Wednesday, July 10, and will include the majority of the top MBA programs. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/summeressays Graham noted two recently published admissions tips; the first is about the importance of post-MBA goals, the second focuses on how to handle gaps in employment. Graham then highlighted the recently published essay prompts for Harvard. HBS is taking a slightly different approach to their essays this season, as the admissions office is now under new leadership. Graham then noted the publication of a new podcast episode which was a recording from one of the panel discussions during the in-person Chicago MBA admissions event that Clear Admit hosted. This discussion centered on how to handle the application materials that a candidate has direct control over; London Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, Texas / McCombs and CMU / Tepper participated in this discussion. Graham finally highlighted the publication of four Adcom Q&As, from Rochester / Simon, Maryland / Smith, emlyon, and IESE. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate began their career in manufacturing, and then moved on to MBB consulting; we like that transition. They plan to retake the GMAT, which is currently a 700. This week's second MBA candidate has 12 years of experience, placing them at the long end of the spectrum; they will need to justify “why now” is the right time. They have had some employment gaps, due to chronic health issues, and were recently laid off from their most recent role, unrelated to health. They do appear to have developed a strong resume, but they will face challenges in the MBA admissions process. The final MBA candidate for this week has very good numbers, and graduated top of their class. They are currently a consultant, and are looking to move into product management. Overall, they have a strong profile. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

This week's MBA Admissions podcast began with our usual rundown of the latest MBA application news for this season. This week, a few top MBA programs are releasing final decisions for Rounds 3 and 4, including London Business School, CMU / Tepper and Texas / McCombs; there is also still some waitlist activity being reported on LiveWire. Graham highlighted two recently published Clear Admit admissions tips; the first looked at the impact of volunteer activities in an MBA application, the second focused on choosing between MBA programs. Graham then noted two Real Humans Alumni pieces; an MBA alum from IESE who is now an entrepreneur, and an alum from Northwestern / Kellogg who now works at BCG. Graham also discussed a report from the Kellogg Climate conference, as well as a feature on a Dartmouth / Tuck MBA creating a startup while in business school. We then discussed a Real Humans piece from UCLA / Anderson, which features six MBA students from the program. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from India and now works in Canada. They have 10 years of work experience, which places them at the high end of the spectrum for traditional full-time MBA programs. Should they target one-year MBA programs?  How high should they aim? This week's second MBA candidate has developed a VC-backed startup over the last several years. They also have a STEM PhD. They are looking at online/hybrid or executive MBA programs, so they can continue with their startup, while studying for their MBA. The final MBA candidate for this week is originally from India, but studied in the United States for their undergraduate degree, and then went into banking in the U.S. They then moved back to India for a Fintech startup. This is a rather unorthodox move for an MBA admissions candidate. They also have very good numbers.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began with our usual discussion around application deadlines, interview releases, and decisions for this season. This week, Round 3 and 4 continue with several application notifications; several programs are also releasing final decisions for Round 3, including Northwestern / Kellogg, Emory / Goizueta, CMU / Tepper, Duke / Fuqua and INSEAD. Graham highlighted the Spring Online Webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting. The first event is on Wednesday, May 8th, and includes Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough and Texas / McCombs. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/caspringwebinars Graham then noted the May 15th event we are hosting in Chicago, which will be Clear Admit's first in-person MBA candidate event. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/cachicagofair Graham then mentioned an admissions tip that focuses on the reapplication process. While this is targeted to candidates who were not able to secure a seat at a top MBA program this season, we also discussed candidates who are debating whether to reapply next season, or go to business school this season. Graham then noted three Real Humans Alumni pieces, alums from: UCLA who works at Google, Harvard who works at Amazon and UC / Irvine who works at PepsiCo. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate is targeting leading executive MBA programs, rather than full-time MBA programs. They have 15 years of experience, most of which has been in digital marketing. They currently work at Nestle. They have a 720 GMAT score and a 3.02 GPA. This week's second MBA candidate has a 326 GRE and a 3.43 GPA; they work at IBM in technical sales. They plan to return to IBM after the MBA, and then move on to work in their family business. The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between USC / Marshall and CMU / Tepper. While both MBA programs are in the same tier, they will offer different experiences. We think the candidate needs to really think hard about their post MBA goals, in order to help drive their final decision. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the latest application deadlines and decision releases for this season. This week Round 3 and 4 continue with several application deadlines; some programs are also releasing final decisions for Round 3, including UVA / Darden, Georgetown / McDonough, Dartmouth / Tuck, Berkeley / Haas, Texas / McCombs and Michigan / Ross. Graham highlighted the May 15th event we are hosting in Chicago, which will be Clear Admit's first in-person MBA candidate event. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/cachicagofair Graham also noted the Application Overview webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting. The first event is on May 8th, and includes Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough and Texas / McCombs. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/caspringwebinars Graham then mentioned two admissions tips that focus on MBA scholarship negotiation, and how important scholarship offers can be to a final decision. Graham then noted four Real Humans Alumni pieces, alums from: Northwestern Kellogg at Google, Duke / Fuqua at Accenture, Rochester / Simon at Bain and Texas / McCombs at Tesla. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a very strong GRE score of 332, and they graduated with a first class engineering degree, in India. Their career focus has been in software engineering in the non-profit sector. We like their overall profile, and recommend they target the first rounds. This week's second MBA candidate is planning several years ahead for their MBA experience. They need to overcome a very low 2.4 GPA. There are steps they can take to help mitigate this concern, and we detailed some of those steps. The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Cornell / Johnson and UVA Darden, with a goal for MBB consulting. They are an international student and wonder whether the Ivy name from Johnson should be a factor. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the MBA application deadlines and interview releases for this season. This week Round 3 continues with several application deadlines, and UPenn / Wharton and Duke / Fuqua are scheduled to release interview invite decisions. Graham started with a story of his random meeting with a podcast listener (and current Wharton student), who he met at a car rental agency. Graham then highlighted the May 15th event we are hosting in Chicago, which will be Clear Admit's first in-person MBA candidate event. Signups are here: https://www.bit.ly/cachicagofair Graham also noted the Spring Online Webinar series that Clear Admit is hosting, with signups here: https://www.bit.ly/caspringwebinars We then had a discussion about the recently published 2024 U.S. News MBA ranking of U.S. based MBA programs. For the second year in row, there is a significant emphasis on career outcomes in this ranking, rather than an emphasis on the quality of the incoming class. Some of the order of the ranking appears to be off, as a consequence of this. Graham highlighted a recently published admissions tip focused on the waitlist, which also provides direct access to a video that we hosted for the Admissions Academy. This video is now freely available for all to watch. Graham then noted three Real Humans Alumni pieces, alums from: Cornell / Johnson working at Amazon, Columbia working at Google, and Georgetown / McDonough working at Johnson & Johnson. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate is applying next season. They have decent numbers, with a 3.72 GPA and 326 GRE. They have 3 years of work experience in consulting. We discussed what they might do to improve their overall profile, over the next several months. This week's second MBA candidate has recently left their work, to take a break, before starting business school. They appear to have a strong professional record at top tech companies, and a decent GPA. They have gained a test waiver to the programs they are targeting; we are not convinced that's the right approach. The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Northwestern / Kellogg, Duke / Fuqua (with money) and IESE. They also need to consider their spouse's options, as they weigh whether to do an MBA in Europe or the United States. This episode was recorded in Schenectady, New York, USA and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Want to know the secret sauce that sets superstar consulting candidates apart from average ones? This episode is for you.You'll learn firsthand the recruiting strategies, surprising mindsets, and tools to stand out in a crowded landscape from leaders at 5 top MBA programs (CBS, Indiana Kelley, Northwestern Kellogg, Michigan Ross, and Rotman).Whether you're launching or pivoting, this is a can't-miss episode.Relevant LinksMore info on Palm Tree careers2 weeks only - $200 discount on the Strategy Sprint consulting project ends April 26, 2024; see if consulting is for you and add U.S. work experience to your resume!Represent a university or consulting club? Reach out to learn about a case interview workshop for your studentsConnect with the MBA programs on this panelConnect With Management Consulted Follow Management Consulted on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and industry insights. Schedule a free 15min consultation with a member of the Management Consulted team. Join an upcoming live event - case interviews demos, expert panels, and more. Email our team (team@managementconsulted.com) with any questions or feedback.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the MBA application deadlines and decision notifications for this season. Interview invites for Round 2 are now coming to an end as schools have shifted into handing out admissions decisions. Speaking of which, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM, Harvard, London Business School, Stanford, Northwestern / Kellogg, and Washington / Foster are releasing their final Round 2 results next week.  Best of luck to everyone awaiting word! Graham highlighted the new Spring survey that Clear Admit is running, to get a better sense of how MBA candidates select their target programs. Answering this survey really helps Clear Admit better understand the MBA community, and provides great insights for top MBA programs. The survey is here: https://bit.ly/caspringsurvey Graham then mentioned a Clear Admit event, with CMU / Tepper, which focuses on the MBA for non-traditional candidates. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/nontradMBA Graham also shared tidbits from four Real Humans Alumni pieces: alums from Harvard, working at PepsiCo, Stanford working at Uber, Berkeley / Haas working at Nike and Yale SOM working at EY-Parthenon. Finally we discussed the first in Clear Admit's series of post-MBA career reports. This one focuses on finance careers, and shows quite clearly which are the best MBA programs for buy-side finance roles, as well as for roles in investment banking. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate has very respectable numbers, with a 730 GMAT and 3.54 GPA. They began their career in oil and gas, and more recently are working in the area of carbon capture. They are really targeting the very top programs, which we think they have a realistic chance to attain. This week's second MBA candidate has an outstanding profile, all around. They have a fantastic GPA, complemented by a 730 GMAT. They have very decent work experience, with progressive roles, and their additional volunteer activities look good, too. We recommend they stick to one post-MBA short term goal, while targeting the very best MBA programs and considering geography as well. The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua and UVA / Darden. They have a very good scholarship offer from Fuqua, which may tip the balance in their favor. They are still waiting to hear back from Northwestern / Kellogg. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we kicked things off with a discussion around the fact that we are now starting to see more interview invites for Round 2 candidates, specifically for programs like Columbia, Michigan / Ross, London Business School, Harvard, Chicago / Booth, Yale SOM, Dartmouth / Tuck, UVA / Darden and Northwestern / Kellogg. This upcoming week, UPenn / Wharton will release its Round 2 interview invites. On Wednesday, this week, Clear Admit is hosting an event for deferred admissions candidates, signups are here: https://bit.ly/defeb24 On February 21, Clear Admit begins its event series for Masters in Management programs, featuring several top programs. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/camimfeb On March 6, Clear Admit will be hosting an AMA with NYU / Stern, signups are here:  https://canyuama U.S. News released its ranking of online MBA programs. Indiana / Kelley continues to top the list. Michigan / Ross is notably absent from the list, again. Graham then discussed the stars system we have for Clear Admit community members who post comments and like comments on the Clear Admit wires. We are now offering Amazon gift cards to the biggest contributors! Graham highlighted a recently published admissions tip focused on the seven hardest MBA interview questions. Graham also noted the publication of our Real Numbers series, which last week focused on MBA class sizes and the costs of US MBA programs. He then highlighted a Fridays from the Frontlines piece, which focused on the African American Union at Harvard Business School. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate was enlisted in the military and exited as a Captain before joining a government agency in the software engineering domain, they are applying next season. They have a strong GPA, as well as a very decent masters degree. We wonder if their 323 GRE score is their best score, or should they retake the test. This week's second MBA candidate is also applying next season, and has yet to take the GMAT. They appear to have a very interesting professional background, with a strong focus in the transportation sector in Indonesia. Their long term goal is to return to Indonesia and return to the transportation sector. The final MBA candidate for this week has several offers from top MBA programs, with many including significant scholarship offers. They are weighing whether Wharton is worth the risk, with no money, versus Haas, with a large scholarship. Their principle goal is VC in Los Angeles. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing interview invite news out of Harvard and Duke.  As we get further into the R2 cycle, we are now starting to see more invites for candidates, specifically for aforementioned programs like Harvard and Duke, but also for the likes of Chicago / Booth, Yale SOM, Dartmouth / Tuck, UVA / Darden and Northwestern / Kellogg. This upcoming week, London Business School will release its Round 2 interview invites. Clear Admit is hosting is its monthly Clear Admit+ webinar later today, Monday, February 5. Alex and Graham will take all questions related to MBA admissions. A big focus of the event will be on MBA interview preparation.  On Wednesday, February 7 (and again February 14), Clear Admit is hosting events for deferred admissions candidates, with several leading MBA programs; signups are here: https://bit.y/defeb24 On Thursday, February 8,  Clear Admit is hosting an AMA with UC / Irvine. More details on our website. Graham highlighted Real Humans pieces for Maryland / Smith and ESCP that were recently published on Clear Admit. We then discussed a Fridays from the Frontline feature on a student at Duke / Fuqua, who is pivoting from digital marketing to brand management. Because we have moved into interview season, we are seeing more interview tips being published on Clear Admit; last week the focus was on interview etiquette. Graham then highlighted a recently recorded podcast episode with Georgetown / McDonough that focused on leadership...stay tuned for details! For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is an army veteran, with a legal background. They have really good numbers, too. Because they have worked for 10 years, we think they need to focus on fit, as well as articulate a firmer long-term goal. This week's second MBA candidate has a really interesting background in the performing arts. Their numbers are very decent, although the quant section of their GRE might raise a concern. Doing some additional course work, like GMAC's Business Fundamentals, might well serve them well. The final MBA candidate for this week has offers from NYU / Stern and UNC Kenan Flagler with a considerable scholarship at the latter. Because of their personal circumstances, we think that Kenan Flagler may be the better option, but it's clearly a tough call. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the MBA application deadlines and interview releasesfor Round 2. We are now starting to see a few interview invites for Round 2 candidates, specifically for programs like Chicago / Booth, Yale SOM, Dartmouth / Tuck, UVA / Darden and Northwestern / Kellogg. This upcoming week, Duke / Fuqua and Harvard Business School will release their Round 2 interview invites. Clear Admit is hosting is next Clear Admit+ virtual event on Monday, February 5. Alex and Graham will lead this event, and will take all questions related to MBA admissions. A big focus will be on MBA interview preparation.  Graham also briefly mentioned upcoming events in February for Deferred Admissions candidates and Masters in Management candidates. Graham highlighted a Real Humans piece for Harvard, recently published on Clear Admit. This included a discussion about the academic profiles of incoming students at Harvard. We then discussed employment reports from INSEAD and Texas / McCombs. What is striking is the gap in average starting salaries for top MBA programs based in the United States and their counterparts in Europe. This led to a discussion about how firms offer different salaries based on different geographies. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate has applied to 12 programs, via The Consortium. They have a very good GPA (3.66) but they have waived the GMAT. Because they are seeking scholarship offers from the programs they are targeting, we suggest they still try to take the GMAT or GRE. This week's second MBA candidate is planning to apply next season, and has a strong profile from the military. They also have a good GPA from one of the Service Academies, as well as a great GMAT of 750. We think they will be a very strong candidate, but we provided some thoughts on their post MBA plans. The final MBA candidate for this week has offers from Chicago / Booth, Columbia Business School, and NYU Stern. Their offer from Stern is a full-ride, which makes their decision very difficult. They would like to go into venture capital, but that may be a tough industry to break into, wherever they attend. This episode was recorded in Philadelphia, USA and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in glorious West Philadelphia. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the latest news from Round 2 MBA applications. We are now starting to see a few interview invites, specifically for programs like Yale SOM, Dartmouth / Tuck, UVA / Darden and Northwestern / Kellogg.  DecisionWire also remains popular, as Round 1 MBA candidates start making decisions as to which MBA program they will enroll. Clear Admit is hosting a Real Humans admissions event, scheduled for this Wednesday, January 24 at 8 pm ET. This event will bring together students from a variety of top MBA programs, including Dartmouth / Tuck, NYU / Stern, Georgetown / McDonough and Washington / Foster, ready to answer questions from MBA aspirants.  Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/carealhumans Graham highlighted an Adcom Q&A for NYU / Stern's one year program in Abu Dhabi, as well as a recently published Real Human's story that focused on six students at Manchester / Alliance. Graham then highlighted a story on Dartmouth / Tuck, which focuses on three MBA alumni who work in Investment Banking. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate is a female from Vietnam who has worked in a non-traditional field. She also has very strong stats, and we like her overall profile. We think she should be targeting some additional programs from higher tiers. This week's second MBA candidate is from India, but was educated in the United States at the undergraduate level, and then received a Masters from the U.K. They've worked in the risk area of finance for two years. We worry that their post MBA goals could be better developed, we also would like to see more additional interests, outside of work. The final MBA candidate for this week has several MBA offers, and wants to remain in Boston, after her MBA, while pivoting into Marketing. She also has a young family. Should she explore her options with programs from a higher MBA tier, or remain in Boston for her MBA? This was the question we discussed. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Touch MBA's goal has always been to offer you evergreen content that will help you shortlist and get into best-fit MBA programs. We invite listeners to share lessons from their MBA application journeys not just on the podcast, but in written form, too. These short reflections are full of timeless application wisdom! Darren shares three lessons from three listeners that have stood the test of time: how to overcome working for a relatively unknown company, how to research and find best-fit b-schools, and how to deal with dings. Want to share your hard-earned application lessons? Contact us at https://touchmba.com/contact Topics Introduction (0:00) Working for an Unknown Company - Daming, Northwestern Kellogg MBA (4:30) Determining Best-Fit Schools - William, Texas McCombs MBA (10:30) Dealing with Dings - Bren, Emory Goizueta MBA (17:30) Show Notes My Application Journey - Touch MBA Listeners Share Hard-Earned Lessons Share Your Journey and Lessons Learned Admitted to Kellogg, Insead, Ross, Fuqua, Johnson – Here's How I Did It I Got Into 8 Top MBA Programs; These Are My Top 3 Tips 2 Years, 8 Dings and 2 Scholarships Later  –  My Reflections on the MBA Application Process Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Online Course Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by noting that the Round 2 admissions process continues with a few key deadlines remaining at MIT / Sloan, NYU / Stern, and INSEAD and many applicants who applied to programs with early-January deadlines turning their attention towards admissions interviews.  DecisionWire also remains popular, as Round 1 MBA candidates start making decisions as to which MBA program they will enroll. Clear Admit is hosting a Real Humans admissions event, scheduled for January 24. This event will bring together students from a variety of top MBA programs, including Dartmouth / Tuck, NYU / Stern, Georgetown / McDonough and Washington / Foster, ready to answer questions from MBA aspirants. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/carealhumans Graham highlighted two recently published admissions tips which focus on application data forms, and resume versus application-based interviews; we are now moving to the interview preparation phase of Round 2. Graham also mentioned two Real Humans pieces that were recently published, covering students from MIT / Sloan and CEIBS. We then discussed the recently released Employment Report for the Chicago / Booth Class of 2023. With an average starting salary of $180,000, their report looks very robust. Interestingly, they saw a slight uptick in placements on the west coast, and in tech. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from South East Asia, and works in consulting. Their GMAT is 710, and this appears to be the weakest aspect of their overall profile. We really like their work experience and their extra-curricular activities, as well as the fact that they completed their undergraduate degree in the US. This week's second MBA candidate is a first-generation immigrant to the United States. They pursued a double major in Engineering, and their GPA is a 3.22. They were also quite busy in outside activities during their undergraduate studies. They have a GMAT of 720, so their numbers combination is not outstanding. They also appear to have interesting work experience, with a focus on entrepreneurship. The final MBA candidate for this week has some terrific options to consider, which include Harvard, Northwestern / Kellogg and Michigan / Ross. Some financial awards also make the options to consider less clear cut. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the flurry of Round 2 MBA application deadlines that dominate the beginning of January. This upcoming week, we see several top business schools have their deadlines.  DecisionWire also remains popular, as Round 1 MBA candidates start making decisions as to which MBA program they will enroll. On Tuesday at 12 pm ET, Clear Admit is hosting an event with CMU / Tepper, which focuses on its Data Analytics masters program. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/cmuanalytics Clear Admit is also hosting a Real Humans admissions event, scheduled for January 24 at 7 pm ET. This event will bring together students from a variety of top MBA programs, including NYU / Stern, Georgetown / McDonough and Washington / Foster, ready to answer questions from MBA aspirants. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/carealhumans Graham highlighted two recently published admissions tips which focus on two key aspects related to finalizing the MBA admissions essays: word counts and essay polishing. One question that is becoming more obvious: how can we best use Generative AI in the essay writing and editing process? Graham then highlighted two Real Humans pieces that were recently published on Clear Admit, covering students from Yale SOM and Berkeley / Haas. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a very solid GMAT score of 730, but their GPA is a very troubling 2.5. They suffered from mental health issues during their undergraduate experience. Their long term goals are in the mental health space. They will need to address concerns surrounding the GPA in the optional essay; we think they really also need to take some additional coursework. This week's second MBA candidate has a very decent 720 GMAT score, and has a chemical engineering undergraduate degree, with a 3.67 GPA from their graduating University. We think there's a lot to like about this profile, but nothing that absolutely stands out. They might want to consider also exploring 1-2 more top 16 tier MBA programs. The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Columbia and Northwestern / Kellogg, while also applying to UPenn / Wharton and MIT / Sloan in Round 2. . They want to be on the east coast, after their MBA, with a focus on healthcare and pharma. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Happy 2024!!! In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we turn our attention towards the coming wave of Round 2 MBA application deadlines. These deadlines come thick and fast and will dominate the first two weeks of this month. DecisionWire also remains popular, as Round 1 MBA candidates start making decisions as to which MBA program they will enroll. Graham noted the next Clear Admit+ event which is scheduled for this Wednesday at 12 pm ET, one day before Round 2 deadlines for 10 of the leading MBA programs.  On January 9th, Clear Admit is hosting an event with CMU / Tepper, which focuses on its Data Analytics program. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/cmuanalytics Clear Admit is also hosting a Real Humans admissions event, scheduled for January 24. This event will bring together students from a variety of top MBA programs, ready to answer questions from MBA aspirants. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/carealhumans We then discussed a new program that CMU / Tepper is rolling out this season, an accelerated version of their MBA program for those who already have taken some business academic coursework. This is another example of how top business schools are innovating their offerings in order to meet market needs. Graham then highlighted a recently published admissions tip which focuses on the notion that MBA candidates shouldn't just tell MBA programs that they are the best, they should focus on showing each program why they are a great fit. This is a common error with MBA applicants. Graham then highlighted a Friday's from the Frontline feature, which highlighted a student from Notre Dame / Mendoza and her experience in Chile as a part of their Mod-Away program. This led to a discussion on the importance of really looking at the individual offerings of the programs that candidates are targeting, in order to identify the right academic and extracurricular fit. We then discussed Northwestern / Kellogg's recently published Class of 2023 employment report, which was in line with many of the top MBA programs we have already featured; Kellogg experienced a slight uptick in consulting placements, and downward trend for tech placement, and a corresponding downward trend in West Coast placement. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate appears to have a very interesting profile, from Central Europe. Their one weakness is their GRE score of 311. They may target this season, or return next season with a retake on the test. This week's second MBA candidate is quite similar, in terms of having an interesting profile, and a relatively weaker GRE score, this time its 318. They want to be in Boston post MBA, and this has driven their target school selection in part. We discussed some alternatives to their list. The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Indiana / Kelly and Washington / Olin. They are from Brazil and want to move to the midwest of the U.S. They also have scholarship offers at both programs to consider. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen! Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2024, and for positive admissions results!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the flurry of decisions we have witnessed from all the top MBA programs as Round 1 decision deadlines have passed. While things will be a little quieter on LiveWire now, as we head closer to the Christmas holiday, DecisionWire is getting very popular, as Round 1 MBA candidates start making decisions as to which MBA program they will enroll or turn to the Clear Admit community for advice. Graham noted a new Real Humans admissions event, scheduled for January 24. This event will bring together students from a variety of top MBA programs, ready to answer questions from MBA aspirants. Signups for the event are here: https://bit.ly/carealhumans Graham also mentioned the next Clear Admit+ event which is scheduled for January 3rd, one day before Round 2 deadlines for 10 of the leading MBA programs.  Please join us by signing up here: https://www.clearadmit.com/private-webinar-series/ We then discussed the recently published Poets & Quants 'aggregate' MBA ranking. Most of our conversation focused on UPenn / Wharton's position in the ranking at #31, as a result of not being able to participate in the Financial Times ranking. Graham highlighted three Real Humans pieces from Clear Admit, focused on Washington / Olin, IMD, and Chicago / Booth. We then discussed three MBA employment reports, from MIT / Sloan whose top industry is Consulting, Berkeley / Haas whose top industry is Tech, and UPenn / Wharton whose top industry is Financial Services. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from Africa and has really interesting professional experience which may help them stand out. Their GRE score is a very respectable 327, but we worry that their GPA of 3.01 may raise concerns, despite it being a computer science degree. This week's second MBA candidate has a GMAT score of 655. Because this is the new GMAT focus edition, we needed to convert this score to a 700-710. They have a strong GPA (3.6) and decent work experience in Canada. They also have a good spread of target MBA programs. The final MBA candidate for this week is deciding between Dartmouth / Tuck (with scholarship), UVA /  Darden (no money) and possibly Northwestern / Kellogg. If they are admitted to Kellogg, we see a tough choice between Kellogg and Tuck, and geographical preferences will likely play a part in the final decision. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the flurry of activity on LiveWire relating to R1 decision releases for a number of top schools.  This upcoming week will continue to be busy with UNC / Kenan Flagler, Northwestern / Kellogg, Oxford Said, UPenn / Wharton, UCLA / Anderson, Texas / McCombs and Washington / Foster all scheduled to release Round 1 decisions. Graham highlighted two Real Humans pieces from Clear Admit, focused on IESE and Vanderbilt / Owen. We then discussed the recently published MBA class of 2025 profile from Columbia, and three employment reports, from Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth / Tuck. The profile of recruiters at Harvard and Stanford is different from other “M7” programs, with more focus on buy-side financial services, and less focus on consulting. Graham also highlighted an Adcom Q&A from Yale SOM, as well as a topical admissions tip that was published last week: how to handle rejections from top MBA programs. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries. This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a very interesting profile, and it appears that she also has really strong leadership experiences. She applied in Round 1, and has received interview invites. Her one clear weakness is a 305 GRE score. This week's second MBA candidate has some pretty amazing entrepreneurial experience from West Africa; they helped start a budget airline. They still need to take the GMAT, which is a potential concern. They are targeting some of the more unique programs like Stanford's one year MSx program, and the Sloan Fellows Program at MIT. The final MBA candidate for this week is an engineer who is targeting next season for their MBA applications. Their combination of a 690 GMAT (with a relatively low quant score) and 3.0 GPA is a little concerning. We are hoping they are able to boost the GMAT, even if only a little. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the latest MBA application deadlines and decision releases. This upcoming week Yale SOM, Harvard, Stanford, UVA / Darden, CMU / Tepper, Emory / Goizueta, Dartmouth / Tuck, Berkeley / Haas, Georgetown / McDonough, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross and Cornell / Johnson are all scheduled to release Round 1 decisions. Graham highlighted the upcoming MBA admissions events this week. On Monday, December 4, Clear Admit is hosting its monthly Clear Admit+ event, open to all registered users. This is an opportunity to ask questions to our podcast hosts as we move towards the Round 2 deadlines. On Wednesday, December 6, Clear Admit is hosting its second Masters in Management program webinar. Schools participating in this event include Duke Fuqua, Emory Goizueta, Georgetown McDonough, Northwestern Kellogg, and Notre Dame Mendoza. Signup for this event here: https://bit.ly/clearadmitmim We then had a discussion on the recently released LinkedIn ranking of top MBA programs. They use their self-reported employment data to rank the programs, which is an interesting approach. The outcome of the ranking is reasonable, with a few exceptions. Graham then highlighted a recent article that Clear Admit published for its Sustainability series, from Northwestern / Kellogg. He then noted a three Real Humans articles from Texas / McCombs, London Business School and Georgetown / McDonough. We then discussed two Admissions Tips: one focused on the increasing use of video essays, the second on the importance of the data forms in the admissions process. We then reviewed the London Business School class of 2025 profile, which looked very reasonable for a top European program in terms of the statistics. We did wonder whether European application numbers were harmed by the Brexit situation (Europe + the U.K. only represents 18% of this recent class). Finally, we discussed the MBA employment report for UVA / Darden Class of 2023. Their employment statistics fall in line with other top programs, with an increase in consulting placements (even if some of those are delayed), and a small reduction on tech placements, which appears to be in line with the wider employment environment. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries. This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a super GRE score of 335. They are an engineer, from India, now working in the U.S. They are targeting next season. They do have three degrees already, so the MBA will be the fourth; they will need to make it clear that they are not simply collecting degrees, and there are broader goals that make sense of their pathway. We also hope they have some hobbies and interests that further differentiate them from other very bright engineers from India. This week's second MBA candidate also has a great test score, with a 750 on the GMAT. They are from Azerbaijan, and they are targeting Round 2 for this season. Their longer term goals are for entrepreneurship, and we were very interested in whether this is back in their home country, or where they study for the MBA. We also like their community activities. The final MBA candidate for this week is debating whether to apply for full-time of part-time programs, weighing up the risk / reward trade offs of both. They appear to have a very decent profile, but their GRE score is at 317. They are targeting next season, so we hope they can really boost that score, and then potentially apply to both program options, to see what opportunities this presents. This episode was recorded in Milan, Italy and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

As usual, this week's MBA Admissions podcast begins with a rundown of all the latest news regarding application deadlines, interview releases, and decisions. While a few interview invites may remain, and a few candidates are still interviewing, we are moving to the stage of waiting for decision releases; this upcoming week Chicago / Booth and London Business School are scheduled to release Round 1 decisions. Graham highlighted three upcoming admissions events: on Wednesday, November 29, at 12 pm ET, Clear Admit is hosting an event for Masters in Management programs. Schools participating in this event include Chicago / Booth, Michigan / Ross, and CMU / Tepper. The following Wednesday (same time), Clear Admit's second event for Masters in Management programs will include Northwestern / Kellogg, Georgetown / McDonough and Notre Dame / Mendoza. Signup for these events here: https://bit.ly/clearadmitmim On Thursday, November 30th, Clear Admit is hosting an admissions event with seven leading MBA programs, which will share key tips on how to optimize candidates' MBA admissions opportunities. These seven programs are Berkeley / Haas, Cornell / Johnson, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, NYU / Stern, Yale SOM and UVA / Darden. Signups for this event are here: https://bit.ly/catoptips Graham also mentioned a recent article that Clear Admit published for its Sustainability series, from Michigan / Ross. He then noted a Real Humans article from Johns Hopkins / Carey. We then discussed an Admissions Tip about how to convince schools you 'mean business' by demonstrating the research you've done and ensuring it comes to light in your MBA application essays. Finally, we discussed two employment reports, from Yale SOM and Cornell / Johnson. Despite a slowdown in technology and consulting hiring, both programs have pretty fantastic numbers across the board in terms of the careers their candidates are able to move into.  This is very much in line with other top MBA programs we've profiled on recent episodes. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from South Africa, and has a good combination of a strong GPA and 730 GMAT. Their work experience, via a rotational program in tech, looks very decent. They are also quite involved in activities outside of work. They are targeting the very elite M7 programs, but we do think they have a strong overall profile. This week's second MBA candidate is originally from East Asia, but now lives and works in Canada, from where they did their undergraduate degree. Their GPA is slightly lower than average, but Canada has less grade inflation. Their GRE score is 326, which is decent. They are targeting top 16 programs, which do look within reach. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced and engineered in Philadelphia, USA by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we ran down all the latest MBA application deadlines and interview releases. While a few interview invites remain, and a few candidates are still interviewing, we are moving to the oft-challenging stage of waiting for decision releases. This waiting period does create considerable anxiety for MBA candidates. Graham highlighted the upcoming MBA admissions event on November 30, where seven of the world's leading MBA programs will share tips on how to optimize their MBA admissions opportunities. Signups for the event are here: https://bit.ly/catoptips Clear Admit is also hosting two events for Masters in Management programs, on November 29 and December 6. Schools participating in that event include Chicago / Booth, Michigan / Ross, CMU / Tepper, Northwestern / Kellogg, Georgetown / McDonough and Notre Dame / Mendoza. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/clearadmitmim Graham then highlighted two articles that Clear Admit published for its Sustainability series, from Chicago / Booth and Cornell / Johnson. He then noted a Real Humans article from UNC / Kenan Flagler, which led to a story about how the MBA student challenged their fear of heights. We then discussed an Admissions Tip: knowing your audience, which details the importance of understanding the admissions officers who will be reviewing the applications. Finally, Graham previewed a recently recorded podcast that he conducted with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), and two students who successfully used the service and attended Stanford GSB and Columbia Business School.  Stay tuned for more on this... For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries: The first MBA admissions candidate is targeting next season for their applications. They have a 700 GMAT and 3.3 GPA. They do plan to retake the GMAT. They have very interesting experience within the Federal Government, helping small businesses in underserved communities. Their goals for the MBA make great sense, and they would appear to be a potentially strong candidate, especially if they improve their numbers profile. This week's second MBA candidate has a strong career in sales within the tech industry, and is looking for the MBA to help them relocate from New York to the west coast, and potentially seek opportunities in the media and sports industries. They do have a lower GRE score of 316, but are planning a retake. We finished this podcast episode with a short discussion on the risks associated with doing a self-diagnosis in terms of determining why a candidate is rejected from an MBA program. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced and engineered in Philadelphia, USA by Dennis Crowley. Please remember to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen and to 'stay safe everybody'!

Gary C. Laney is CEO of Success Masters, #1 bestselling author, former high-tech software executive, former co-Founder and CEO of Trustegrity, a startup investor, and a serial entrepreneur for 20 businesses. Gary has been recognized as a top presenter, motivating tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, professionals, and salespeople. Prior to his entrepreneurial run, Gary spent 25 years as an executive in corporate high-tech and commercial publishing, including for a public company where he was VP of Sales and one of four members that made up the office of the president. He is known for his ability to turn around sales organizations, struggling businesses, and create dramatic revenue growth. Gary has a triple major MBA from Northwestern Kellogg in finance, marketing, and policy. He served a mission in Seville, Spain, and is the author of The Power of Strategic Influence! 10 Success Factors of Highly Influential Leaders. Highlights 01:45 Kurt introduces Gary and his professional background 03:10 Early on in his career, Gary has received mentorship from some very influential people, such as Steven Covey and President Monson. 06:00 The impact of Steven Covey 07:00 Principles that Gary learned from Steven Covey and President Monson 09:10 Begin with the end in mind. Sticking to tasks and finishing them. 11:00 Gary talks about his book, The Power of Strategic Influence. It's about helping people solve problems and maximizing your potential as a person. 15:00 In callings in the Church we need to start by thinking of what we want the end result to be. The principle of beginning with the end in mind. 19:45 Influence takes work to really earn it. The title of influence cannot be self proclaimed. The same goes for the title of leader or bishop. It's bestowed on you by the people. 21:30 If you want to have influence then give first. 23:40 How do we find balance in giving? Gary shares a story from his mission. They focused first on making people's day better instead of only focusing on a lesson or people joining the church. 27:00 Servant leadership. A true leader is someone that is barely noticed. There is a lot of ego in leadership and we want to be noticed. We have to be ok with not being recognized for our work. 29:30 Gary shares an experience from his mission in Spain. Not pushing someone into baptism but holding space for them until they were truly ready. 34:00 Gary's six spheres Sphere 1 - Perspective - Counting the costs up front, committing, and not looking back Sphere 2 - Accountability - People trust you Sphere 3 - Relationships - People trust and want to follow you Sphere 4 - Become a leader - You accept the role Sphere 5 - Opportunity to influence people Sphere 6 - Give back - Not just physical things but consoling, listening, and loving others 37:15 The two successful factors of accountability are 1. Accepting personal responsibility. 2. To become responsible and self reliant. 41:30 How to help with apathy and stimulate accountability in an elders quorum 46:30 Gary talks about the new book he is working on. 51:50 What Gary has learned from being a leader Links The Power of Strategic Influence! 10 Success Factors of Highly Influential Leaders GaryCLaney.com Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat,

Gary C. Laney is CEO of Success Masters, #1 bestselling author, former high-tech software executive, former co-Founder and CEO of Trustegrity, a startup investor, and a serial entrepreneur for 20 businesses. Gary has been recognized as a top presenter, motivating tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, professionals, and salespeople. Prior to his entrepreneurial run, Gary spent 25 years as an executive in corporate high-tech and commercial publishing, including for a public company where he was VP of Sales and one of four members that made up the office of the president. He is known for his ability to turn around sales organizations, struggling businesses, and create dramatic revenue growth. Gary has a triple major MBA from Northwestern Kellogg in finance, marketing, and policy. He served a mission in Seville, Spain, and is the author of The Power of Strategic Influence! 10 Success Factors of Highly Influential Leaders. Highlights 01:45 Kurt introduces Gary and his professional background 03:10 Early on in his career, Gary has received mentorship from some very influential people, such as Steven Covey and President Monson. 06:00 The impact of Steven Covey 07:00 Principles that Gary learned from Steven Covey and President Monson 09:10 Begin with the end in mind. Sticking to tasks and finishing them. 11:00 Gary talks about his book, The Power of Strategic Influence. It's about helping people solve problems and maximizing your potential as a person. 15:00 In callings in the Church we need to start by thinking of what we want the end result to be. The principle of beginning with the end in mind. 19:45 Influence takes work to really earn it. The title of influence cannot be self proclaimed. The same goes for the title of leader or bishop. It's bestowed on you by the people. 21:30 If you want to have influence then give first. 23:40 How do we find balance in giving? Gary shares a story from his mission. They focused first on making people's day better instead of only focusing on a lesson or people joining the church. 27:00 Servant leadership. A true leader is someone that is barely noticed. There is a lot of ego in leadership and we want to be noticed. We have to be ok with not being recognized for our work. 29:30 Gary shares an experience from his mission in Spain. Not pushing someone into baptism but holding space for them until they were truly ready. 34:00 Gary's six spheres Sphere 1 - Perspective - Counting the costs up front, committing, and not looking back Sphere 2 - Accountability - People trust you Sphere 3 - Relationships - People trust and want to follow you Sphere 4 - Become a leader - You accept the role Sphere 5 - Opportunity to influence people Sphere 6 - Give back - Not just physical things but consoling, listening, and loving others 37:15 The two successful factors of accountability are 1. Accepting personal responsibility. 2. To become responsible and self reliant. 41:30 How to help with apathy and stimulate accountability in an elders quorum 46:30 Gary talks about the new book he is working on. 51:50 What Gary has learned from being a leader Links The Power of Strategic Influence! 10 Success Factors of Highly Influential Leaders GaryCLaney.com TRANSCRIPT coming soon Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III,