The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Get an inside look at how top, international business schools assess MBA applicants. Interviews with MBA Admissions Directors and students from the world's top-ranked MBA programs. Strategies and tips on how to craft a successful MBA application and best present yourself. Straight talk on how to get accepted to the world's top MBA programs. Get a free, expert profile review at https://touchmba.com

#226 HEC Paris MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sara Vanos

Sara Vanos, Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, discusses what makes the HEC Paris MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction to HEC Paris MBA and Sara Vanos (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the HEC Paris MBA Unique? (3:20) HEC Paris MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (29:15) Career Opportunities after HEC Paris - What to Know & How to Prepare (52:50) About Our Guest Sara Vanos is Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, where she has been for over 10 years. Previously, Sara worked in the careers office for the University of Toronto Rotman. Sara got her EMBA from HEC Paris and her undergraduate degree from Ryerson University. Show Notes HEC Paris Full-time MBA HEC Paris MBA GMAT/GRE Requirements Touch MBA's Writeup & Highlights of HEC Paris MBA 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)

11-11
01:05:48

#225 Is an MBA Worth It for Startup Founders? with Bridget Pujals, Berkeley Haas MBA '24

Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA? Bridget Pujals, University of California Berkeley Haas MBA '24 and Co-Founder of Saelo, shares her experience being an active founder during her Full-time MBA. What resources did she find most helpful? What should active and aspiring entrepreneurs consider before and during their MBA? And finally, what differentiates the MBA as a launchpad for founders? Bridget shares specific steps she (and other entrepreneurs at Berkeley) took to de-risk their startups and increase their odds of success. After listening to this conversation, you'll get a much clearer picture of whether an MBA makes sense for your entrepreneurial goals. Topics Introduction (0:00) How Bridget's entrepreneurial plans evolved during her MBA (4:00) Lean launchpad at Berkeley Haas (7:50) Co-founder dating (9:45) What entrepreneurial resources Bridget found most useful at Haas (14:30) Professors as an influential resource for MBA founders (18:40) How other active & aspiring entrepreneurs approached the MBA (25:00) Tips for active & aspiring founders to make the most of their MBA investment (30:15) Importance of student culture for MBA entrepreneurs (33:30) Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA? (39:00) About Our Guest Bridget Pujals graduated from University of California's Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Full-time MBA program in 2024, where she focused on building her startup. She is Co-Founder and CEO of Saelo in San Francisco, which offers high-tech, clinical skin treatments. Before getting her MBA, Bridget worked for Meta as a Senior Product Manager (Messenger) and Product Lead (Privacy for Instagram Direct), and before that, Postmates in business development and product management roles. Bridget graduated from University of California Irvine with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry. Show Notes Follow Bridget Pujals on LinkedIn #196 How I Got Into UC Berkeley Haas MBA (and HBS, Wharton, UCLA too!) & Breaking into Product Management with Bridget Pujals Saelo University of California Berkeley Haas MBA Berkeley MBA Resources for Entrepreneurs Berkeley's Lean Launchpad Accelerator Y Combinator's Co-Founder Matching Platform Search Funds & Entrepreneurial Acquisitions by Jan Simon Growth Marketing with Bill Pierce 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)

09-03
50:07

#224 Important Things to Look for in MBA & EMBA Programs with Prof. Steven DeKrey, HKUST Business School

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, Asian Institute of Management 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, Asian Institute of Management, and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program. He served on the EQUIS accreditation board and AACSB's Asia-Pacific board, 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)

08-12
50:06

#223 How to 3x Your Chances to Top 10 MBA Programs with Melody Jones, Vantage Point MBA

Melody Jones, Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting, has been helping applicants get into top 10 MBA programs for over a decade. How does Vantage Point help applicants triple their chances compared to other applicants? Melody shares key learnings, examples and questions you can use right away to craft a compelling application. Topics Introduction (0:00) Melody's MBA Story, Career & Co-Founding of Vantage Point (2:45) Vantage Point's Philosophy for Serving Applicants (11:00) Vantage Point's 3x Success Factors (13:00) Factor 1: Who Are You? (17:00) Factors 2 & 3: What Do You Want? Why? (23:00) Rejected Application Analyses for Columbia, MIT, Harvard, Stanford (34:00) What if you have the same career goals as everyone else? (41:00) Melody's Last Two Tips for Applicants (43:00) About Our Guest Melody Jones is Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting. Previously, Melody worked as a Marketing Manager for L'Oreal in New York City and prior to her MBA, Melody worked in finance at Wachovia and Wells Fargo. Melody got her MBA from the Columbia Business School and her Bachelors in Marketing & International Business from the University of Virginia. Show Notes Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting #221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!) MBA Application Resources Get free school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com Learn effective strategies to secure admission to top-ranked MBA programs with Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. Gain insights from successful resumes, essays, and case studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands on consulting fees while optimizing every aspect of your application: https://go.touchmba.com/edge  Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants): https://touchmba.com/favorite-mba-application-tools/ 

06-19
46:40

#222 Mid-Career MBA Alternatives with Richard Campbell (HBS Program for Leadership Development, LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership & Strategy, 500 Global Accelerator)

What should you do if you have 10+ years of working experience but are looking for an MBA-type experience to build your skills and network? Richard Campbell, Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, joins the show to discuss his experience with three mid-career MBA alternatives: Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development (HBS PLD), London Business School's Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (LBS Sloan Masters), and 500 Global's Accelerator program. Listen on to learn more about the learning experience, alumni networks and benefits of attending each of these programs! Topics Introduction (0:00) Richard's career arc before business school (4:40) Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development (8:40) The London Business School Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (22:45) 10 Adventures and the 500 Global Accelerator Program (48:00) Richard' advice for entrepreneurs considering mid-career MBA alternatives (59:00) About Our Guest Richard Campbell is Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, which helps people book personalized, active vacations worldwide. Before 10Adventures, Richard worked as COO of Vista Projects, an industrial engineering firm that helps clients navigate the digital transformation of their operations. Richard got his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary; after ten years growing Vista Projects, he took Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development and then completed London Business School's Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy. In 2023, he joined 500 Global's Accelerator program in Calgary, where he currently resides. Richard also hosts the 10Adventures Podcast and serves on the Board of Directors for The Alpine Club of Canada. Show Notes Richard Campbell on LinkedIn 10Adventures Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development The LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy 500 Global Richard's Review of HBS LDP program Richard's Review of the LBS Sloan Masters program Richard's Review of 500 Global's Alberta Accelerator John Kotter's 8-Step Change Model from Leading Change Verne Harnish's Scaling Up Platform How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christenson Dan Cable Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It by April Dunford Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick Entrepreneur's Organization (EO) Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com Learn proven strategies to get into top-ranked MBA programs and optimize every part of your application through Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. See resumes, essays and case-studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands of dollars on consulting fees: https://go.touchmba.com/edge 

05-27
01:03:06

#221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)

Inspired by Kevin Kelly's Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier, Darren shares 10 bits of wisdom that could materially improve your chances of getting into business school and building a successful career. Topics Introduction (0:00) School Selection (3:00) Support Network (8:20) Positioning (10:30) Resumes (15:45) Essays (20:05) Interviews (22:00) Communication (26:10) Show Notes Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier by Kevin Kelly Kevin Kelly Outsight #93 Which Extracurriculars? #190 3 Timeless Application Strategies from MBA Admissions Strategy (2005) by Avi Gordon #131 The Quick & Easy Way to Effective MBA Interviewing #113 Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t #51 Stalking the Story for Your MBA Essays #4 Four Ways to Get and Keep the Adcom’s Attention #3 Six Ways to Make Your MBA Application Stick Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com Don't want to pay thousands for admissions consulting? Take our online MBA admissions course w/ our best application tips and strategies. Members have gotten into ALL top 25 MBA programs: https://go.touchmba.com/edge 

04-16
28:38

#220 GLOBIS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Tomoya Nakamura - "Find Your Kokorozashi"

Sometimes, it's hard to differentiate MBA programs. That is not the case with GLOBIS University, Japan's number 1 MBA, which prizes entrepreneurial skills, societal impact, and helping its students find their kokorozashi (personal mission).   Professor Tomoya Nakamura, President of GLOBIS USA, discusses what makes the GLOBIS MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Started by Harvard Business School MBA graduate and entrepreneur Yoshito Hori in 1992 as a single marketing course in Tokyo, GLOBIS has grown to become Japan's largest MBA program, consulting with 60-70% of public Japanese companies with learning hubs in 5 countries. Listen on to learn what makes getting an MBA at GLOBIS - and in Tokyo - unique. Topics Introduction to GLOBIS and Tomoya Nakamura (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the GLOBIS MBA Unique? (6:30) GLOBIS MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (33:30) Career Opportunities after GLOBIS - What to Know & How to Prepare (55:00) About Our Guest Tomoya Nakamura is President of GLOBIS USA. Tomoya started his professional career at Marubeni Corporation, reorganized an investment company at Advantage Partners (a buyout VC firm), and was the Senior Managing Director of Sun-Life Corporation. He served as Dean of the English MBA Programs at GLOBIS University while also starting the GLOBIS global training business and continues to serve as the main facilitator for various corporate clients. He primarily lectures on leadership, kokorozashi, and globalization. Tomoya graduated from the Hitotsubashi University with a Bachelors in Social Studies before getting his MBA from Harvard Business School. Show Notes GLOBIS Full-time MBA Free Online President's Seminar: Leveraging Japan’s No.1 MBA to the World’s No.1 MBA with AI & Technovate, Mr. Yoshito Hori, March 12, 2024 (6:30pm-7:30pm PST) Schedule a personal consultation with GLOBIS MBA admissions advisors Touch MBA's Summary of the GLOBIS Full-time MBA:  https://touchmba.com/globis-mba-program-admissions-interview-tomoya-nakamura/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

03-11
01:14:49

#219 From Military to MBA, Consultant & More with Beau Gresham, NYU Stern MBA '20 - "Find Your Champions"

Beau Gresham, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Mastercard and NYU Stern MBA '20, shares his journey as an applicant, student, and alumni of NYU Stern. How did Beau transition from the military to consulting through the MBA? How was the NYU Stern Full-time MBA experience? How did Beau break into mergers & acquisitions consulting at Deloitte, and then land his current job at Mastercard? And how does Beau view the MBA three years after graduating? Topics Introduction (0:00) Beau's Background (4:00) Beau's MBA Application Journey & Lessons: School Selection, GMAT, Career Goals (6:30) MBA Application Resources for Military Veterans (20:30) Beau's #1 Tip: Finding "Champions" (23:30) Beau's NYU Stern MBA Experience (33:30) Breaking into Consulting- How Beau Landed his Internship & Job with Deloitte (39:00)  The NYU Stern Network in NYC & Study Abroad Trips (53:00) Beau's Post-MBA Career with Amazon & Deloitte (1:00:00) Advancing at Deloitte & Transitioning to Mastercard (1:07:00) Beau's Last Tips for Applicants (1:21:00) About Our Guest Beau Gresham is Director of Strategic Initiatives in Cybersecurity at Mastercard. Previously, Beau worked as a Senior Consultant & Manager in M&A Strategy for Deloitte. Prior to his MBA, Beau served in the US Army in a variety of leadership, operational and combat roles, including as a Company Commander in Afghanistan. Beau got his MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business with specializations in Finance, Strategy & Management, his Masters in Management and Leadership from Webster University and his Bachelors in Political Science & Government from the University of South Florida. He currently serves on the Stern Alumni Council. Show Notes Beau Gresham on LinkedIn Avanti Prep Admissions Consulting Team (mention Touch MBA + Beau Gresham) NYU Stern MBA Programs Hiring Our Heroes - Connecting Military to American Business Service to School - Helping Veterans Apply to Best College or Graduate School What's Next? A Military Veteran's Guide to Maximizing Your MBA by Matthew Cowsert Deloitte's CORE Leadership Program American Corporate Partners (ACP) Mentorship MBA Veterans Career Conference & Expo GMAT Club Panel on Breaking into Consulting, featuring Beau Gresham #136 Military to MBA to Management Consulting with Alex Tuininga, Harvard MBA ’18 Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Online Course Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

02-20
01:26:44

#218 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 2): Drawing a Roadmap for Admissions, Prioritizing Conversations, Prematurely Applying, Being Strategic Yet Flexible

Darren shares more hard-earned application lessons from four listeners (now graduated MBAs): drawing a roadmap for the admissions team, prioritizing conversations when picking schools, "prematurely applying" and being strategic yet flexible Want to share your hard-earned application lessons? Contact us at https://touchmba.com/contact Topics Introduction (0:00) Tips for the Untraditional Applicant - Kate, Texas McCombs MBA (2:30) Rankings Don't Matter. Go Where You'll Find the Conversations You Want to Have - Eileen, Oxford Said MBA (10:00) Five Things I Learned When I Applied to Business School - Anonymous, NYU Stern Tech MBA (13:50) Be Strategic, Yet Adaptable - Jasper, McMaster DeGroote MBA (20:15) Show Notes My Application Journey - Touch MBA Listeners Share Hard-Earned Lessons Share Your Journey and Lessons Learned Surprise, I’m Going to Business School! (tips for the untraditional applicant) by Kate Galloway, Texas McCombs MBA '20 Rankings Don’t Matter. Go Where You’ll Find the Conversations You Want to Have by Eileen Chen, Oxford Said MBA '19 Five Things I Learned When I Applied to Business School by Anonymous NYU Stern Tech MBA ’22 The Key to MBA Success? Be Strategic, Yet Adaptable by Jasper Isip, McMaster DeGroote MBA Jasper Isip '23 PESTLE Analysis Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Online Course Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

01-29
27:44

#217 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 1): Working for Unknown Companies, Determining Best-Fit Schools, Dealing with Dings

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  

01-20
24:58

#216 The GMAT Focus Episode (GRE, too)

How are top business schools using the GMAT Focus exam, which will replace the GMAT in January 2024? What do you need to score and on which sections? Do schools prefer the GMAT, GMAT Focus, or GRE? Darren asks Admissions Directors from two top schools – Toronto Rotman (#1 in Canada by the Financial Times) and IESE (#1 in Spain by the Financial Times) – tough questions about the GMAT Focus test and GRE. Listen on to get your GMAT Focus questions answered and to understand how top b-schools use standardized test scores when making admissions decisions. Topics Introduction (0:00) Toronto Rotman MBA - Agnes Mak (4:20) IESE MBA - Tomofumi Nishida (30:20) About Our Guests Agnes Mak is the Assistant Director, Recruitment & Admissions managing the East Asia region for the Full-Time MBA program at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management. She has over 20 years of professional experience in higher education and business advisory. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, she was a Partner at KPMG Canada and held numerous leadership roles to attract and promote international talent. Tomofumi Nishida is Deputy Director (Asia, MBA Admissions) for IESE Business School, where he has been since 2016. Prior to IESE, Tomo worked for NTT DOCOMO as a strategic investment analyst and account manager in corporate sales. Tomo got his B.A. in Occidental History from the University of Tokyo and MBA from IESE. Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

12-21
42:11

#215 Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dr. Adrian Buss

Professor Adrian Buss, Associate Professor of Finance and Academic Director of MBA Programs at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discusses what makes the Frankfurt School’s MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights – What Makes the Frankfurt School MBA Unique? (4:20) Frankfurt School MBA Admissions & Scholarships – How to Improve Your Chances? (20:45) Career Opportunities after Frankfurt School – What to Know & How to Prepare (36:15) About Our Guest Dr. Adrian Buss is Associate Professor of Finance and Academic Director of MBA Programs at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Prior to joining the Frankfurt School, Adrian taught as an Associate Professor of Finance at Insead for over 10 years. Adrian graduated from the University of Mannheim with a Masters of Science in Mathematics and Business Informatics before getting his PhD in Finance at Goethe University Frankfurt. Show Notes Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MBA Program Touch MBA's Summary of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management Full-time MBA:  https://touchmba.com/frankfurt-school-finance-management-mba-program-admissions-interview-adrian-buss/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

10-17
46:27

#214 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Prof. Wan Wongsunwai

Professor Wan Wongsunwai, Associate Dean of MBA Programmes and Director of MBA Programmes at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, discusses what makes the CUHK MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the CUHK MBA Unique? (4:30) CUHK MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (27:30) Career Opportunities after CUHK Business School - What to Know & How to Prepare (47:20) About Our Guest Professor Wan Wongsunwai is Associate Dean of MBA Programmes and Director of MBA Programmes at CUHK Business School, where he has worked for over 7 years. His research interests include financial reporting quality, corporate governance, entrepreneurship and private equity. Before coming to CUHK, he taught and researched at Insead and Northwestern Kellogg Professor Wan earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Imperial College and later received his Doctor of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. Prior to obtaining his doctoral degree, he worked at KPMG in London, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Hong Kong and then as an equity analyst with ABN AMRO Bank in Hong Kong, covering software and information technology. Show Notes CUHK Full-time MBA Touch MBA Episode write-up and overview of the CUHK Full-time MBA:  https://touchmba.com/chinese-university-of-hong-kong-cuhk-mba-program-admissions-interview-wan-wongsunwai Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

10-12
01:00:20

#213 Duke University Fuqua MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Shari Hubert

Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, discusses what makes the Duke Fuqua MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights – What Makes the Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA Unique? (6:55) Duke Fuqua MBA Admissions & Scholarships – How to Improve Your Chances? (29:10) Career Opportunities after Duke Fuqua – What to Know & How to Prepare (59:30) About Our Guest Shari Hubert is Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She has been with Duke for 6 years. Previously, Shari served as Associate Dean of Admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business as well as Director of Recruitment for the Peace Corps. Shari has also worked at Citi, GE, NBC Universal, The Boston Consulting Group and Merck in a variety of recruiting, consulting and marketing roles. Shari graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA and majored in French at Dartmouth University as an undergraduate. She serves on a number of HBS Alumni Boards, Pyxera’s Global Board of Directors and is a Forte Partner Advisory Council Member. Show Notes Duke Fuqua MBA The Fuqua Show on Spotify The Duke MBA Admissions Interview: What to Expect and How to Prepare Touch MBA Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of the Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA:  https://touchmba.com/duke-fuqua-mba-program-admissions-interview-shari-hubert Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

10-04
01:12:45

#212 Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Jonathan Clarke

"We pride ourselves in being at the center of business and technology... We've asked employers, 'How would you describe our students?' and most often the words we get back are 'humble, hardworking and good problem solvers.' I think that's fantastic and that's how I would describe our students as well." Dr. Jonathan Clarke, Interim Dean at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business, discusses what makes the Scheller MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Unique? (4:00) Scheller MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (17:20) Career Opportunities after Georgia Tech Scheller - What to Know & How to Prepare (32:20) About Jonathan Jonathan Clarke is Interim Dean and Associate Professor of Finance at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business. From 2012-2018, Dr. Clarke served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, where he helped raise the school's profile. Dr. Clarke was named to the Poets and Quants 2018 list of Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors, and also voted the 2009 and 2013 MBA Core Professor of the Year. He has taught custom programs for NCR, Clorox, Georgia Pacific, Lockheed Martin, and the National Football League. Dr. Clarke is on the board of the Eastern Finance Association, on the editorial board of The Financial Review, and edits the Handbook of Modern Finance. Dr. Clarke received his PhD from the Katz Graduate School of Business and the University of Pittsburgh and his undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Economics from Indiana University in Bloomington. Show Notes Georgia Tech Scheller Full-time MBA Program Tech Square Atlanta Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) - Georgia's technology business incubator Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of the Georgia Tech Scheller MBA: https://touchmba.com/georgia-tech-scheller-mba-program-admissions-interview-jonathan-clarke/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

08-28
42:13

#211 Vanderbilt MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sue Oldham

Sue Oldham, Associate Dean at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, discusses what makes the Vanderbilt MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the Vanderbilt MBA Unique? (4:40) Vanderbilt MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (19:30) Career Opportunities at Vanderbilt - What to Know & How to Prepare (39:45) About Sue Sue Oldham is Associate Dean at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, where she is responsible for recruiting and admissions, enrollment management, academic and student affairs, and the career management center. Previously, she worked at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business as Executive Director of Recruiting & Admissions and Alumni Engagement. Before jumping into higher education, she worked over 10 years as a consultant. Sue got her B.A. in English from Rice and her MBA from Vanderbilt. Show Notes Vanderbilt MBA Vanderbilt's MBA Admissions 101 Webinar - Find the Next One Here Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of Vanderbilt MBA: https://touchmba.com/vanderbilt-mba-program-admissions-interview-sue-oldham Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

07-10
51:52

#210 Georgetown MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Shelly Heinrich

Shelly Heinrich, Associate Dean, MBA Admissions and Director of Marketing at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, discusses what makes the Georgetown MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the Georgetown MBA Unique? (3:30) Georgetown MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (23:00) Career Opportunities at Georgetown - What to Know & How to Prepare (45:00) About Shelly Shelly Heinrich is Associate Dean of MBA Admissions and Director of Marketing for Georgetown's University McDonough School of Business. Previously, she worked as a Client Services Director for Wunderman Thompson and Young & Rubicam. Shelly got her EMBA from Georgetown and her Masters in Education from the University of Texas at Austin. Show Notes Georgetown MBA Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of Georgetown MBA: https://touchmba.com/georgetown-mba-program-admissions-interview-shelly-heinrich Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com    

06-28
51:41

#209 How Wharton Reviews MBA Applicants & More with Thomas Caleel, Former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton

Thomas Caleel, former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton, takes us behind the scenes of how an Admissions Director builds a class and what he or she looks for from applicants. What are the key qualities and characteristics that admissions committees look for? How did Thomas' team review 8,000 applicants per year? And how can you craft a thoughtful, authentic and compelling application that stands out? About Thomas Thomas Caleel is host of the Admittedly Podcast and Chairman and Founder of Global Education Opportunities, LLC, an international education consulting and admissions advisory firm. Thomas served as the Head of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid for The Wharton Business School from 2005 - 2008, where he observed how exceptional candidates were able to successfully differentiate themselves. Thomas graduted from the University of Pennsylvania twice, first with a Bachelors in International Relations and then with an MBA from Wharton in 2003. Topics Introducing Thomas Caleel (0:00) What "holistic MBA admissions" means to Thomas (7:00) Behind the scenes of how Wharton reviews 8,000 applicants to build a class (16:25) How applicants can stand out (20:55) How Thomas helps his clients find their authentic voice (25:20) Thoughtful MBA goals (30:30) How Thomas' team evaluated GMAT/GRE scores (34:45) Advice for international students (40:10) Thomas' thoughts on MBA ROI (46:20) How Thomas views the MBA, 20 years after graduating (54:00) Should entrepreneurs get an MBA? (57:00) Show Notes Thomas Caleel Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/inside-the-wharton-mba-application-process-thomas-caleel/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

06-19
01:03:14

#208 Undercover MBA Subrankings

You’ve heard about US News & World Report and Financial Times Global MBA Rankings, but did you know Financial Times also ranks business schools’ alumni network and career effectiveness? Or that QS ranks business schools worldwide according to specialization? After updating Touch MBA’s school matching algorithm, Darren shares his top 5 “undercover” subrankings that can help you shortlist best-fit MBA programs. Darren also shares 3 ways to shortlist business schools that could lead to a better MBA experience and investment. Topics Understanding Rankings & Subrankings (0:00) Darren’s 5 Favorite Subrankings for MBA Applicants (7:30) A Process to Quickly Evaluate Schools (23:45) Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/undercover-mba-subrankings Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

05-31
30:39

#207 NUS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Wedad Sunny

Wedad Sunny, Deputy Director and Head of Marketing and Admissions of MBA Programmes at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, discusses what makes the NUS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. NUS is consistently ranked as one of the world’s top universities by QS (#11 in 2023), Times Higher Education (#19) and US News & World Report (#26). Its MBA programme, run by NUS Business School, was ranked #1 in Asia by Poets & Quants and #25 worldwide by the Financial Times in 2023. Topics Introduction (0:00) Program Highlights – What Makes the NUS MBA Unique? (3:30) NUS MBA Admissions & Scholarships – How to Improve Your Chances? (19:30) Career Opportunities at NUS – What to Know & How to Prepare (38:40) Show Notes NUS MBA Get your profile assessed by the NUS MBA admissions team before you apply Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of NUS MBA: https://touchmba.com/nus-mba-program-admissions-interview-wedad-sunny Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

05-23
47:08

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