The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

#234 HKUST MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Stephen Shih

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:42:01 GMT

The HKUST MBA has been one of Asia's top-ranked MBAs for many years - the Financial Times has ranked it top 25 globally 15 times. But, what is it actually like to study there?

Stephen Shih, Associate Dean of MBA Programs at HKUST Business School and a former Partner at Bain & Company, shares what makes the HKUST MBA unique. We cover Hong Kong's strategic importance, the benefits of studying at a renowned science and technology university, HKUST's flexible curriculum, and the differences between the 12 and 16-month program options. Stephen also shares his views on AI's impact on MBA careers, what employers are prioritizing, and what the HKUST admissions team actually looks for beyond GMAT scores.

Program Highlights - What Makes the HKUST MBA Unique?

Introduction (0:00)
What Makes the HKUST MBA Unique? (8:25)
How HKUST is "Future-Proofing" its MBA as AI Reshapes Business (13:20)
Why Hong Kong for Your MBA (20:00)
HKUST MBA's 12 and 16-Month Course Structure (22:45)
HKUST MBA's Student & Learning Culture (25:00)

HKUST MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances?

What HKUST MBA Looks for from Applicants (27:00)
Post-MBA Goals (29:00)
Interviews (31:05)
GMAT/GRE Scores (32:15)
Stephen's Final Application Tips (35:50)
How HKUST MBA Admissions Views Scholarships & How Applicants Can Win Funding (37:35)

Career Opportunities at HKUST - What to Know & How to Prepare

How to Leverage HKUST's Career Resources to Land Post-MBA Jobs (40:30)
HKUST Industry Placements & Resources for Entrepreneurs (45:45)
What Applicants Need to Know about Landing Jobs in Hong Kong, China & Asia-Pacific (51:00)
Maximizing ROI at the HKUST MBA (52:15)

About Our Guest

Stephen Shih is the Associate Dean of MBA Programs at HKUST Business School. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of Learning & Development at Bain & Company in Shanghai, China. Stephen served as Head of MBA Career Services and Corporate Relations at HKUST from 2010-11 before returning to Bain & Company as a Partner and leading its organization practice in Asia-Pacific. Stephen majored in Economics at Princeton University and got his MBA from UCLA Anderson.

Show Notes

MBA Application Resources

#233 6 Ways to Make Your Application Stick (Repost)

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:13:42 GMT

Your MBA application is a "movie preview" of what is to come - a pitch for your candidacy. Imagine an admissions officer reading hundreds of applications. How can you get this gatekeeper to pay attention, remember you, believe you, care about you, and act on your application in a positive way (we must interview her!)?

In this reposted episode, Darren uses the marketing classic Made to Stick as inspiration for how to create a memorable MBA application.

Six elements - Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story (SUCCES) - are the building blocks of sticky ideas. Be sure to incorporate all 6 elements into your MBA application.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Your MBA Application is Like a Movie Preview (3:25)
Simple (7:15)
Unexpected (8:45)
Concrete (10:40)
Credible (11:05)
Emotional (12:30)
Story (14:35)

Show Notes

Resources for MBA Applicants

#232 IESE MBA Admissions Insights with Patrik Wallen

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:14:06 GMT

What does IESE look for in MBA applicants? How do they evaluate your academic aptitude, post-MBA career goals, leadership potential and fit? In this episode, IESE MBA Admissions Director Patrik Wallen shares candid insights into what makes candidates stand out — and what makes IESE’s two-year MBA unique.

Program Highlights - What Makes the IESE MBA Unique?

Introduction (0:00)
What Makes the IESE MBA Unique? (3:30)
IESE's Reputation with Employers (11:30)
IESE MBA's Two-Year Course Structure (14:27)
Living, Studying & Working in Barcelona, Spain (18:37)
The Importance of Speaking the Local Language: Spanish (25:10)

IESE MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances?

What IESE MBA Looks for When Building a Class (28:00)
Patrik's Thoughts on Post-MBA Goals (37:00)
GMAT/GRE Scores & GPA (41:45)
Resumes (48:00)
Written Essays & Video Essays (52:45)
Letters of Recommendation (55:35)
Interviews & IESE MBA's Assessment Day (57:45)
How IESE MBA Admissions Views Scholarships & How Applicants Can Win Funding (1:03:35)

Career Opportunities at IESE - What to Know & How to Prepare

Has AI Affected Recruiting for Consulting? (1:10:55)
IESE MBA's Grading System (1:17:30)
What Applicants Need to Know about Landing Jobs in Spain & Europe (1:20:05)
Structured Recruiting & Unstructured Recruiting: What Applicants Can Expect from IESE's Career Services (1:27:45)

About Our Guest

Patrik Wallen is the MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School. Previously, he was Director of IESE's Career Development Center. Before joining IESE, Patrik worked as a general manager in hospitality, founded a fish importing business and worked as a software consultant. Patrik got his Masters in Science in Computer Science from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and his MBA from IESE in 2007.

Show Notes

MBA Application Resources

#231 Crafting a Personal Narrative that Stands Out with Ellin Lolis

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:09:26 GMT

How can you stand out from thousands of MBA applicants with impressive CVs?

Darren sits down with Ellin Lolis, Founder and President of Ellin Lolis Consulting and one of the top ranked MBA admissions consultants on Poets & Quants, to learn how she helps MBA applicants craft powerful personal narratives. With a near 99% success rate, Ellen shares the process she uses to transform an applicant's collection of achievements into a cohesive and compelling personal narrative.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
How Ellin Fell into Admissions Consulting (2:37)
The Importance of Narrative: Why Data and CVs Aren't Memorable (3:37)
What's Your Career Goal & Career Purpose? (10:20)
Finding the Golden Thread of Your Personal Narrative (22:20)
Dealing with "My Story Isn't that Interesting" (40:12)
How to Differentiate Yourself when You Have a Common Career Goal (39:55)
The Power of Vulnerability (45:23)
Darren's Hot Dog Story - How Mundane Moments Can Make for a Memorable Story (47:19)
How MBA programs are Evolving with AI (50:07)
Using AI in Your MBA Applications (52:54)
Video Essay Tips (59:28)

About Our Guest

Ellin Lolis is founder and president of Ellin Lolis Consulting, which has helped 98.9% of their clients get accepted to at least one program of their choice. Ellin and her team have spent over a decade helping MBA applicants craft their story and build their careers. Prior to starting her admissions consulting firm, Ellin worked in marketing and communications.

Ellin graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelors in International Cultural Studies, and is a member of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC).

Show Notes

More Resources

#230 Five Keys to MBA Admissions Success with N'doli Jean-Hugues Cherif, Insead MBA '26

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 21:54:47 GMT

Darren talks with N'doli Jean-Hugues "Cherif," a French and Ivorian candidate who gained admission to both INSEAD and London Business School's MBA programs. Cherif, an older full-time MBA candidate with diverse experience across five roles - including audit, management consulting, investment banking and infrastructure project finance in the public and private sector - shares his five key success factors for MBA admissions.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Cherif's Background & Pre-MBA Plan & Goals (3:10)
How Cherif Found Career Mentors & Built Future Opportunities (10:40)
Cherif's 5 Key Success Factors

Unwavering Focus (17:20)
Strategic Peer Review (27:15)
Work with a Consultant (34:30)
Self-awareness (43:15)
Narrative Coherence (52:30)

How Cherif Assessed his Competitiveness (1:00:00)
Cherif's Interview Tips for Insead & London Business School (1:07:10)

Cherif's Final Tips (1:24:00)

About Our Guest

N'doli Jean-Hugues Cherif graduated from Cranfield University with a Masters in Management and Concordia University with a Bachelors in Political Science. He will be attending the Insead MBA program in Fontainebleau, France, focused on a post-MBA career in infrastructure-focused private equity.

After getting his Masters, Cherif worked as an auditor for PwC, management consultant for Square Management, and then in Financial Advisory and Project Finance for the government of Côte d'Ivoire and then as an investment banker for Obara Capital. He then returned to Paris with his family to do Financial Advisory and Project Finance for Egis.

Show Notes

More Resources

#229 AI's Impact on MBA Careers: An Insider's Perspective

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 03:08:00 GMT

Darren confronts his own "AI anxiety" with Sabine King, Director of the Career Accelerator at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW). Together, they explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the demand for MBA graduates, the evolving strategies of career services, and how leading business schools are equipping their students to thrive in an AI-world.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
AI's impact on demand for MBAs (5:50)
How AGSM embeds AI into its curriculum & career services (8:30)
AI tools for resume optimization (11:30)
The importance of authenticity & one's mindset in using AI (13:30)
What AI skills do employers expect from MBAs? (17:00)
Using AI for psychometric testing, initial assessments & interview preparation (26:00)
Using AI for career exploration (30:00)
AGSM's AI courses & resources (36:00)
Ethical use of AI (38:40)

About Our Guest

Sabine King is the Director of the Career Accelerator at  Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia. Previously, she worked for Education First as a Program Manager and Cox Purtell as a Recruiting Specialist. She graduated with a degree in Business Management from the International School of Management in Germany.

Show Notes

MBA Application Resources

#228 3 Exercises to Design Your Life and Find Best Fit MBA Programs

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 04:50:00 GMT

Darren shares 3 design thinking exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan's Designing Your Life that will help you build a joyful life - and find MBA programs you are excited about.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Make Odyssey Plans - Imagining Life 1, 2 and 3 (3:45)
Prototype - "Building is Thinking" (8:20)
Wayfind - Following Energy and Engagement (13:30)

Show Notes

MBA Application Resources

#227 Inside the Frankfurt School Full-Time MBA: Admissions & Recruitment Insights with Ann-Marie Stephenson & Colleen McLister

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 08:37:00 GMT

Ann-Marie Stephenson and Colleen McLister, Senior Recruitment Manager and Admissions Manager of MBA Programmes at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discuss the Frankfurt School MBA's admissions criteria, admissions process, scholarships and more. After listening to this episode, you will have a thorough and nuanced understanding of how to submit your strongest application to the Frankfurt School.

Topics

Introducing Ann-Marie Stephenson & Colleen McLister (0:00)
What about the Frankfurt School MBA Surprises International Students? (4:00)
How much German do Frankfurt MBA students need to thrive? (8:45)
Frankfurt School MBA's Admissions Criteria & Process (11:30)
Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (24:30)
Advice on Recommendations, Case-Study Essays, Career Goals (35:00)
Final Tips for Applicants (46:15)

Show Notes

MBA Application Resources

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

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:54:00 GMT

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

MBA Application Resources

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

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 17:54:00 GMT

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

MBA Application Resources

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

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 17:09:00 GMT

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

MBA Application Resources

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

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 03:27:00 GMT

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

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/

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

Mon, 27 May 2024 22:22:00 GMT

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

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

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

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 22:37:00 GMT

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

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

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

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 04:44:00 GMT

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

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

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 05:46:00 GMT

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

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

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

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 23:58:00 GMT

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

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

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

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 17:31:00 GMT

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

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#216 The GMAT Focus Episode (GRE, too)

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:51:00 GMT

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

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

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:20:00 GMT

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

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

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 04:32:00 GMT

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

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

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 08:08:00 GMT

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

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

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

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:36:00 GMT

"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

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

#211 Vanderbilt MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sue Oldham

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:32:00 GMT

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

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

#210 Georgetown MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Shelly Heinrich

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 06:36:00 GMT

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

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

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:57:00 GMT

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

#208 Undercover MBA Subrankings

Wed, 31 May 2023 08:32:00 GMT

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

#207 NUS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Wedad Sunny

Tue, 23 May 2023 08:17:00 GMT

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

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

#206 Strategies for Optimal MBA Student Loans with Nikhil Agarwal from Juno

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 19:14:00 GMT

Nikhil Agarwal, Co-Founder of Juno, shares optimal strategies to minimize your MBA student loans in 2023. Nikhil shares everything you you need to know about the following variables to secure the best financing package for your situation:

Loan terms
Repayment schedules
Variable vs. fixed interest rates
Federal vs. private loans

Juno has helped thousands of students access over $700M in loans at preferential rates and terms. Take advantage of Nikhil's deep experience in this space to secure the most favorable rates and terms for your MBA student loans.

About Nikhil

Nikhil Agarwal is Co-Founder of Juno. Nikhil got his Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Nikhil validated the Juno business model his first year at HBS when he helped 700 MBA students from 10 business schools save over $14,000 USD on their loans through collective bargaining.

Topics

Introducing Nikhil Agarwal & Juno (0:00)
Optimal strategies to minimize your MBA student loans (12:30)
Nikhil's thoughts on maximizing long-term net worth (30:00)
How international MBA students can minimize their MBA loans (33:00)
How students can join Juno & negotiate with lenders for better rates (37:00)
Nikhil's thoughts on optimizing your MBA experience (45:00)

Show Notes

Juno (support Touch MBA and Juno by signing up here)
Touch MBA's Guide to Financing Your MBA and the Best MBA Student Loans

Episode write-up and links: https://touchmba.com/strategies-optimal-mba-student-loans-nikhil-agarwal-juno/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#205 ESMT Berlin MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Rebecca Loades

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:26:00 GMT

Rebecca Loades, Director of MBA Programs at European School of Management and Technology (ESMT Berlin), discusses what makes the ESMT Berlin MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

ESMT was founded in 2002 by 25 leading companies - including Bayer, Daimler, and McKinsey - who wanted to develop management talent in Germany. The school is the fastest in history to be triple accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA and was ranked the #1 German business school by the Financial Times in 2022.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Program Highlights - What Makes the ESMT Berlin MBA Unique? (2:30)
ESMT Berlin MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (22:00)
Career Opportunities at ESMT Berlin - What to Know & How to Prepare (44:05)

About our Guest

Rebecca Loades is Director, MBA Programs at ESMT Berlin. Previously, she worked for the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) for over 10 years in numerous roles, including as Director of Masters Programs and Director of Next Generation GMAT. Rebecca studied mechanical engineering as an undergraduate at University of Bradford and got her MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management.

Show Notes

ESMT Berlin MBA

Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of ESMT Berlin MBA: https://touchmba.com/esmt-berlin-mba-program-admissions-interview-rebecca-loades

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#204 IESE MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Paula Amorim

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 19:04:00 GMT

Paula Amorim, MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School, discusses what makes the IESE MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Topics:

Introduction (0:00)
IESE MBA Program Highlights - What Makes IESE Unique? (5:10)
IESE MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances (33:50)
Career Opportunities at IESE - What to Know & How to Prepare (59:55)

About Our Guest

Paula Amorim is the MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School. Before joining IESE, Paula worked as a Project Manager for Grupo Marista, a non-profit in Brazil. Paula got her Bachelors in Industrial Engineering from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and MBA from IESE in 2016.

Show Notes

Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of IESE MBA: https://touchmba.com/iese-mba-program-admissions-interview-paula-amorim

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#203 What Are Your Game-Changing Differentiators? with Paul Bodine from Admitify

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 05:02:00 GMT

Paul Bodine, one of the world's most experienced admissions consultants and president of Admitify, shares how he helps clients with seemingly par-for-the-course profiles discover their game-changing assets. How does Paul help his clients dig deep to unearth their most remarkable stories? How does he advise his clients to present these stories? If you feel like your profile is nothing special, you are most likely mistaken - even the most common profiles have parts which are uncommon. Sixty percent of Admitify's MBA clients gain admission or interview invitations at Stanford, Wharton and Harvard, and Admitify's clients win over $2M in scholarships each year. Listen on to learn Paul's process for identifying your game-changing differentiators.

About Paul

Admitify’s president, Paul Bodine, is among the world’s most experienced admissions consultants. A graduate of University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University, Paul is the author of 6 books on admissions including the best-selling Great Applications for Business School, Perfect Phrases for Business School Acceptance, and Perfect Phrases for Letters of Recommendation (McGraw-Hill).

Paul was recognized in Poets & Quants Admissions Coach Hall of Fame in 2021 for his 5 consecutive years on the Best Consultant list. He was one of only three consultants who made every single ranking since the inaugural list of the Top 10 in 2017. He is also ranked as a Top 10 Consultant With The Most Positive Client Reviews Over Time. Paul’s Admitify team has over 140 years of collective admissions consulting experience with more than 2,000 admitted clients.

Paul has been quoted in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Money magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and Poets & Quants,

Topics

Introducing Paul Bodine & Admitify (0:00)
Finding Your Game-Changing Assets (4:30)
Which Differentiators Should You Present? (11:35)
Case-Studies of Digging Deeper to Find Unusual and Remarkable Stories (17:20)
Presenting Your Remarkable Stories in Essays (23:05)

Learn More About Paul Bodine & Admitify

Admitify - Mention TOUCH MBA to get $300 off First-school package, and then $250 off each additional school for multiple school packages OR $100 off 5-hour packages and $150 off 10-hour packages

Episode write-up and links: https://touchmba.com/admitify

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#202 Inside the National University of Singapore (NUS) MBA with Tilla Caveng, NUS MBA '24

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 04:20:00 GMT

Tilla Caveng, a full-time MBA student at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, shares her top application tips and lessons learned from her first 6 months at NUS.

Questions

Introducing Tilla (0:00)
Tilla's Pre-MBA Career & MBA Application Journey (2:52)
Tilla's Best Application Tips (12:45)
Tilla's NUS MBA Experience - What She Has Learned So Far (34:20)
Applying for Internships/Jobs & Networking as an International Student in Singapore (54:50)

About Tilla

Tilla Caveng is currently attending the Full-time NUS MBA program in Singapore, where she was awarded the NUS MBA Dean's Award. Prior to NUS, Tilla worked for Kaiser Partner Wealth Advisors, a family-owned wealth advisor operating in Liechtenstein and Switzerland, as a business analyst and chief of staff for the CEO. She was a trainee lawyer at Baker McKenzie Switzerland. Tilla received her Masters and Bachelor of Law from University of Zurich.

Episode write-up and links: https://touchmba.com/inside-the-national-university-of-singapore-mba-tilla-caveng-nus-mba/

NUS MBA: https://mba.nus.edu.sg/

Consult 1-1 with NUS MBA Admissions Team before you apply and get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#201 Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Jochem Kroezen and Maria Tsachli

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 05:33:00 GMT

Jochem Kroezen, Academic Director of Rotterdam School of Management's (RSM) Full-time MBA Program, and Maria Tsachli, Recruitment & Admissions Manager, Americas, discuss what makes the RSM MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Introduction (0:00) | Program Highlights (4:00) | Admissions (25:00) | Careers (50:55)

About Our Guests

Jochem Kroezen is the Academic Director of RSM's Full-time MBA Program, and Associate Professor of Organization Theory at RSM. Before joining RSM, Jochem worked as an Associate Professor in International Business at Cambridge University's Judge Business School. Jochem got his Masters in Business Research from RSM.

Maria Tsachli is Recruitment & Admissions Manager, Americas, for RSM's International MBA Program. Previously, Maria worked for booking.com as a commercial advisor. Maria got her Bachelors of Arts in Communication and Mass Media from Ethnikon kai Kapodistriakon Panepistimion Athinon and her Masters in Social and Cultural Anthropology from VU Amsterdam.

Show Notes

RSM MBA

Episode write-up and snapshot/stats of RSM MBA: https://touchmba.com/rotterdam-school-of-management-mba-program-admissions-interview-jochem-kroezen-maria-tsachli/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#200 The 3S’s of Scintillating Storytelling

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:46:00 GMT

“A well-crafted story helps create a magical sort of clarity. It can illuminate an experience your audience could not have fathomed a few minutes before, or draw them so close that they imagine they can feel your heart beating.” - How to Tell a Story by The Moth

Compelling stories make admissions officers feel closer to you - like they know you better.

Inspired by How to Tell a Story by The Moth, Darren highlights three tools you can use immediately to improve your stories, so you can show adcoms who you really are and draw them closer to you. Darren also shares over a dozen questions that will help you identify riveting stories for your MBA application.

Topics

A Story about Touch MBA (0:00)
The Moth (4:40)
Shift (6:50)
Scenes (9:20)
Stakes (13:20)
Applying the 3S's to Your MBA Application (16:20)

Episode write-up and show notes: https://www.touchmba.com/3s-scintillating-storytelling-the-moth

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#199 10 Application Lessons from 10 Years of Touch MBA

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 05:48:00 GMT

We're nearing 200 episodes of Touch MBA. Feeling nostalgic, Darren reflects on 10 lessons for applicants from 10 years of Touch MBA!

10 Lessons from 10 Years of Touch MBA

Introduction (0:00)
Know Your Must Haves (2:00)
Work on Your MBA Pitch with Others (5:50)
Master the MBA Coffee Chat (9:10)
Connect Your MBA Objectives with Those of MBA Admissions (12:45)
The GMAT Matters (16:15)
Resumes: Show How You've Impacted Organizations (19:12)
Essays: Unforgettable > Impressive (21:15)
Interviews: Answer the Questions Behind the Questions (30:40)
Selecting Business Schools: Who Do You Want to Marry? (33:15)
Careers: Be Humble, Hungry, and Do Your Homework (36:15)

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/ten

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#198 Inside the London Business School MBA & Honing Your Story with Chris Tran, LBS '22

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 12:22:00 GMT

Chris Tran, London Business School (LBS) MBA '22, shares lessons learned from applying to and attending LBS, as well as how he landed his first post-MBA consulting gig in London.

Questions

Introducing Chris (0:00)
Chris' Pre-MBA Career & MBA Application Journey (3:45)
Consulting as a Post-MBA Career Goal (9:55)
Chris' Top 3 Tips for Applicants (12:30)
How Chris Honed his Application Story (16:40)
Preparing for the LBS MBA Interview (22:05)
Highlights from Chris' LBS MBA Experience (28:45)
Making the Most of Your MBA Time (47:45)
Structuring Your Network & Getting Help from Alumni (48:15)
Consulting Internships & Recruiting at LBS (49:40:)

About Chris

Chris graduated from London Business School's Full-time MBA program in 2022 and works as a Business Strategy Consultant for Accenture (UK). Chris received his Bachelors in Actuarial Science from Keele University. He then worked in investment management in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for 8 years before getting his MBA.

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/inside-the-london-business-school-mba-chris-tran

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#197 Pivoting Geographies & Breaking into EdTech with Tony Ngo, Harvard Business School 08

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 04:35:00 GMT

Tony Ngo, Harvard Business School '08, shares how he used the MBA to pivot to Vietnam, first in finance, and then as an edtech entrepreneur with Everest Education.

Questions

Introducing Tony (0:00)
Tony's Pre-MBA Career & MBA Application Journey (5:00)
Tony Pivots Towards Asia - Post-MBA Careers & Relationships (7:15)
Networking Your Way to Jobs vs. Resume Drops (13:10)
Having a Focus / One Question in Mind During Your MBA (21:00)
Succeeding in Private Equity & Hedge Funds (24:40)
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity - Vietnam (32:00)
Tony's Pivot from Finance to EdTech (36:30)
What MBAs Need to Know About Working in EdTech (47:10)

About Tony

Tony Ngo is co-founder and Executive Chairman of Everest Education (E2), which offers live small classes online and operates a network of premium learning centers offering a variety of subjects, including math, English Language Arts, college admissions consulting, test prep, and tutoring. Since 2014, he also has been a board member at Nam Long, a publicly-traded real estate developer. In 2009, he founded Sponsors for Educational Opportunity - Vietnam, a non-profit developing leadership capacity among young professionals in Vietnam.

Tony graduated from Harvard Business School in 2008 and received his Bachelors (Economics) and Masters (Industrial Engineering) from Stanford University. After getting his MBA, Tony was an investor for Bridger Capital, a long-short equities hedge fund, where he covered Asian and Technology, Media and Telecom investments from 2008-2015.

Tony frequently speaks and writes about leadership, community building, parenting, and career development. Tony lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and two children.

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/pivoting-to-vietnam-breaking-into-edtech-tony-ngo

Connect with Tony online: https://linktr.ee/thaytonyoi

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#196 How I Got Into Berkeley Haas MBA (and HBS, Wharton, UCLA too!) & Breaking into Product Management with Bridget Pujals

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 04:31:53 GMT

Bridget Pujals shares lessons learned from her MBA application journey, culminating in admits to Harvard, Wharton ($70K scholarship), UCLA Anderson ($100K scholarship), and Berkeley Haas ($175K scholarship). She will attend UC Berkeley Haas this Fall.

While her results are spectacular, Bridget took the GRE three times, and spent two years researching, preparing, and applying to b-schools. As Bridget makes clear, “It was a two year grind to make this happen. No one sees the tears.”

Bridget and Darren discuss the importance of knowing your priorities, starting your essays early, and the benefits of working with an admissions consultant.

And after working in product management roles at Postmates and Facebook for 6 years, Bridget shares her thoughts breaking into product management at startups and tech giants.

Questions

Introducing Bridget (0:00)
Bridget’s Pre-MBA Career & MBA Application Journey (3:20)
Bridget’s Best Application Tips (18:20)
Prepping for MBA Interviews (29:00)
The Consortium & Scholarships (33:00)
Picking & Prepping Recommenders (37:40)
Breaking into Product Management (41:00)
How Bridget Plans to Pursue Entrepreneurship at Berkeley Haas (54:20)

About Bridget

Bridget Pujals will be attending the UC Berkeley Haas Full-time MBA in Fall 2022, where she will focus on entrepreneurship. After graduating from UC Irvine with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry, Bridget worked for Postmates in business development and sales before transitioning into a product management role. She then worked for Facebook as a Senior Product Manager (Messenger) and Product Lead (Privacy for Instagram Direct). Bridget also launched a coaching service to help more women break into product management roles in technology and serves as a Startup Mentor for First Round Capital.

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-uc-berkeley-haas-mba-bridget-pujals

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#195 Business School Selection Simplified - How to Shortlist MBA Programs You're Excited About and Competitive At

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 12:12:07 GMT

“The most frustrating part I have found is the vast amount of information about schools, applications, and chances that is out there. It’s been hard to sift through all the noise and really figure out what schools are good for you and what your actual chances are.”
– Margaret, USA

Feel the same way?

Trust me, you’re not alone.

We’ve helped over 3,500 MBA applicants from 50 countries shortlist MBA programs, and hear comments like this all the time.

What if you could figure out MBA programs you’re excited about AND competitive at, that would be a great investment in your future? And do this with the least time and effort?

I’m a former MBA Admissions Director who has thought about this problem – how to make school selection easier – for the past 10 years.

I’ve also observed where applicants end up applying and attending. Why? So I could cut out any part of the research and selection process that has no utility. In other words, to save you time.

I would like to share with you the 4-step method that I believe is most effective for shortlisting best-fit MBA programs.

The best part of this method? It will give you the best chance of getting in, too.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Rankings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (3:40)
Step 1: Reflect on Your A, B, and C (9:25)
Step 2: Determine Your "Must Haves" (12:10)
Step 3: Evaluate Your Competitiveness (17:00)
Step 4: Interact to Find Fit (22:00)
Conclusion (24:45)

Show Notes

How to Choose the Right MBA Programs for You: Follow these Four Steps to Find the Right Business Schools

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/business-school-selection-simplified

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#194 Building a Professional MBA Network with Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA '22

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 15:52:01 GMT

Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA '22, shares how building relationships helped her reach her MBA goals - including breaking into the real estate industry. After listening to this episode, you'll have a detailed and instructive case study of what's required to make a career pivot at a world-class business school.

Questions

Nicolle's Wharton MBA application & interview strategy (4:00)
How Nicolle pursued her real estate career goals at Wharton (18:10)
Real estate case competitions and student clubs (25:25)
How Nicolle secured her real estate internship - and then job - at Morgan Stanley (32:20)
Nicolle's second year at Wharton + conducting hundreds of coffee chats (44:00)
Wharton's culture and resources for social impact & women empowerment (50:15)
Nicolle's last thoughts on making the best MBA investment (55:25)

About Nicolle

Nicolle Lee is a second year MBA at Wharton majoring in Real Estate and Finance. After graduating from Columbia University with a Bachelors in Financial Economics, she worked at Banc of California and then Voya Financial doing venture capital, strategy and business development. After graduating from Wharton, Nicolle will work for Morgan Stanley's Real Estate Investment Banking group in New York.

EPISODE SPONSOR: QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY'S SMITH FULL-TIME MBA

The path to your next big career move goes through Canada. The 12-month Full-time MBA program at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business features a proven team-based, experiential curriculum — built around the exact set of skills that top employers seek. The results speak for themselves. 98% of the Class of 2021 accepted an offer for their dream role within 3 months of graduation. Listeners of the Touch MBA Podcast can receive a complimentary virtual consultation by visiting Yoursmithmba.com/touchmba.

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/building-a-professional-mba-network-nicolle-lee-wharton-mba

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#193 Hiring Trends & Salaries for Business School Graduates via the Corporate Recruiters Survey

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 15:11:59 GMT

What are corporate recruiters looking for from business graduate students? And how do median MBA salaries compare to those of specialized business masters programs?

Darren shares 3 interesting findings from GMAC’s Corporate Recruiters Survey. This way, you can think more like an admissions officer, and put forward your strongest application.

This episode is about taking advantage of GMAC’s free market intelligence reports to inform your graduate school plans and strategy.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Most important skills for business school graduates (6:00)
MBA salaries vs. other business masters salaries (11:10)
GMAT testing statistics per country (14:45)

EPISODE SPONSOR: QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY'S SMITH FULL-TIME MBA

Show Notes

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/hiring-trends-salaries-business-school-graduates-gmac-corporate-recruiters-survey

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#192 MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful Advice on How to Get the Most out of your MBA with Adam Putterman, Kellogg MMM '19

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 23:36:45 GMT

How can you make the most of your MBA experience?

After reflecting on their own MBA experiences and those of hundreds of successful grads, Adam Putterman, Northwestern MMM '19, and Bob Manfreda, Stanford GSB '19, wrote MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful Advice on How to Get the Most out of your MBA.

The book answers frequently asked questions from recent MBA admits, and aims to help this group have more productive coffee chats with MBAs before starting business school.

Darren invites Adam, who graduated from Northwestern's Dual Degree MBA & M.S. in Design Innovation program, to discuss how to find people to have coffee chats and what to ask. The two also discuss prioritizing time and personal growth at business school.

At Touch MBA, we're all about helping you make the best MBA investment. Although MBA Coffee Chats is intended for MBA admits, why not get a sneak preview of the best practices and big questions you'll need to answer before starting your MBA?

Questions

Introducing Adam (0:00)
Why MBA coffee chats? (4:30)
How to find people and what to ask (8:20)
Writing an MBA "to don't list" (25:45)
Getting peer feedback (32:15)
Adam asks Darren questions about podcasting (35:30)

About Adam

Adam Putterman is Co-Founder of Ours, a relationship wellness company. He got a dual MBA and MS in Design Innovation Degree (MMM) from Northwestern University. Before attending Kellogg, Adam got his B.S in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and worked for Deloitte as a consultant.

EPISODE SPONSOR: QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY'S SMITH FULL-TIME MBA

Show Notes

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/mba-coffee-chats-adam-putterman/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#191 Inside Harvard Business School - An Introvert's Experience with Graciela Brewer, HBS MBA '22

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 20:33:42 GMT

Back by popular demand, Graciela Brewer returns to reflect on her Harvard Business School experience. We discuss what she found easier and more difficult than expected, how she has made the most of her HBS MBA, and her thoughts on how applicants can best prepare for business school.

Questions

Introducing Graciela Brewer (0:00)
Graciela's Harvard Business School experience: expectations vs. reality (4:00)
What Graciela found most valuable about her HBS experience (17:30)
HBS during the pandemic (23:10)
Graciela's involvement in the Latino Student Organization and Socioeconomic Inclusion Task Force (28:00)
Graciela's thoughts on prioritizing mental health, well-being and family at HBS (34:00)
How Graciela landed her internship - and post-MBA job - at Toast (38:00)
Taking advantage of "time off" at business school (47:00)
Graciela's advice for MBA applicants: talk to students and work on your stories! (51:30)
How Graciela would re-design the HBS MBA (55:30)
Last thoughts for applicants, including her formula for student involvement (1:00:00)

About Graciela (Grace)

Graciela Brewer is a second year MBA at Harvard Business School. After she graduates, she will help Toast, which makes software for the restaurant industry, with design operations. Before attending Harvard Business School, Grace got her B.S in Information Science from Missouri University of Science & Technology and worked as a Senior UX Designer at Netsmart.

EPISODE SPONSOR: QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY'S SMITH FULL-TIME MBA

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/inside-the-hbs-mba-graciela-brewer

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#190 3 Timeless Application Strategies from MBA Admissions Strategy (2005) by Avi Gordon

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 22:51:30 GMT

Darren shares three foundational application strategies from Avi Gordon's MBA Admissions Strategy: From Profile Building to Essay Writing (2005) that have stood the test of time. It's always advantageous to master the fundamentals of any art form - including constructing a winning MBA application. Listen on to review the basics!

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Marketing to Adcoms (3:50)
Attributes that Count (10:40)
Points, Stories, Analysis (19:40)

EPISODE SPONSOR: QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY'S SMITH FULL-TIME MBA

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/mba-admissions-strategy-avi-gordon

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#189 Breaking into Healthcare (as an MBA) with Veeral Desai, HBS '07

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 21:00:12 GMT

What do MBA applicants need to know about breaking into the healthcare industry?

Darren invites Veeral Desai, Harvard Business School MBA ’07, to share his experience moving from Bain & Company's Healthcare Practice to senior executive roles at Vantage Oncology and agilon health. Veeral shares his best tips on narrowing your target list of organizations, connecting with alumni, and acing the recruitment process. A big part of Veeral's roles has been recruiting MBAs, so don't miss his advice on how to give yourself the best chance of building a successful career in healthcare.

This is Part 12 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Introducing Veeral (0:00)
Veeral's MBA journey and why Veeral pursued a career in healthcare (5:30)
Why and how Veeral moved on from Bain & Company to Vantage Oncology (12:00)
Tactics to break into healthcare (16:00)
Interacting with MBA alumni (24:30)
Acing the healthcare recruiting process (28:00)
Key skills to succeed in healthcare (34:30)
The ups and downs of Veeral's healthcare experience (44:15)
How Covid has affected the healthcare industry (48:30)

About Veeral

Veeral Desai is the Chief Strategy and Development Officer at agilon health. Veeral joined agilon health in 2017 as President of Enterprise Operations, where he led the creation of agilon's operating platform, and held P&L and operating responsibility spanning the Western and Eastern regions of the company. Prior to agilon, Veeral served in several senior executive roles at Vantage Oncology (most recently as President of Operations) overseeing the growth and development of Vantage into a leading national cancer delivery network. Before joining Vantage, Veeral spent nearly a decade as a leader in the healthcare practice of Bain & Company. Veeral received his B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Episode Sponsor: Queens University's Smith Full-time MBA

The results speak for themselves. 98% of the Class of 2021 accepted an offer for their dream role within 3 months of graduation.

Listeners of the Touch MBA Podcast can receive a complimentary virtual consultation by visiting
Yoursmithmba.com/touchmba

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/mba-careers-healthcare.

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#188 Steve Dalton's The Job Closer - Giving Job Seekers Straightforward Frameworks that Work Fast and Work Well

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 17:30:52 GMT

Steve Dalton, a senior career consultant and program director at Duke University's Fuqua School, shares time-saving techniques for choosing a career and acing common interview questions from his new book, The Job Closer. Having worked in MBA career services for over 16 years, Steve also shares what MBA employers are looking for, how Covid-19 has changed recruiting, and one of his favorite exercises for helping MBAs make difficult career decisions.

Questions

Introducing Steve (0:00)
Why Steve wrote The Job Closer and hates tips (5:00)
Choosing a career in 63 minutes (15:00)
Answering the "tell me about yourself (TMAY)" interview question with "FIT" (21:15)
Can Steve's recipes be too formulaic? (33:30)
What MBA employers are looking for (36:35)
Building rapport online with recruiters (41:00)
The "Sleep On It" exercise for making difficult decisions (44:20)
Inner vs. outer ring careers (51:30)

About Steve

Steve Dalton is the author of The 2-Hour Job Search and The Job Closer, founder of the corporate training firm Contact2Colleague, and a senior career consultant and program director at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where he got his MBA in 2004. Steve lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/the-job-closer-steve-dalton/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#187 Imperial MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Amy Duckworth

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 21:47:37 GMT

Amy Duckworth, Director of Admissions at Imperial College Business School, shares what makes the Imperial MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (2:00) | Admissions (13:00) | Financing & Scholarships (26:10) | Careers (29:10)

What is unique about the Imperial MBA? What are its key advantages?

Imperial College is one of the world’s leading STEM institutions, ranked 12th globally by the Times Higher Education
1-year MBA completed at two campuses (South Kensington and White City) in London
Imperial is launching a new MBA curriculum for Fall 2022 class, which includes a year-long LEAD (Leadership, Ethics, Awareness, Diversity, Society) module
Full-time students are encouraged to collaborate with the wider Imperial College student body and MBAs from Imperial's 3 other MBA programs
Admissions is looking for intellectual ability, strong professional track record and leadership potential as well as a bent towards innovation and collaboration
Students can specialize in Analytics, Entrepreneurship or Finance
The Imperial College Union runs over 340 clubs, societies and projects, the largest range of student-led activities of any university in the UK

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/imperial-mba-program-admissions-interview-amy-duckworth

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#186 WHU MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sabine Noe

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:20:34 GMT

Sabine Noe, Director of Recruitment & Admissions for WHU's MBA Programs, shares what makes the WHU MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (1:50) | Admissions (14:45) | Financing & Scholarships (27:00) | Careers (32:00)

About Our Guest

Sabine Noe leads the Recruitment & Admissions Teams for MBA Programs at WHU's Otto Beisheim School of Management, where she has worked for over 5 years. Sabine graduated from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg with a Masters in Political Science & Sociology.

What is unique about the WHU MBA? What are its key advantages?

Ranked #1 in Germany and #14 in Europe by the Financial Times (2021)
Ranked #6 for Entrepreneurship worldwide by Financial Times (2018); WHU alumni have founded 13 unicorns (companies valued over $1 billion USD before IPO)
Located in Dusseldorf (population 600,000), a creative and start-up hub in Germany. More than 400 advertising agencies call Dusseldorf home, as well as hundreds more startups
The program’s leadership module offers intensive training – both in and out of the classroom – aimed at helping students develop critical soft skills necessary to be effective managers
MBA candidates are required to participate in short-term study periods in the U.S., India and China. Partner universities include Kellogg, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, and CEIBS/Fudan
The program offers two potential start dates – March or September – and an intensive, four-week German language course that candidates can participate in before starting the MBA

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/whu-mba-program-admissions-interview-sabine-noe

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#185 Cambridge MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Emily Brierley

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 00:32:43 GMT

Emily Brierley, Head of Cambridge MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Cambridge Judge Business School, discusses what makes the Cambridge MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (17:30) | Financing & Scholarships (28:30) | Careers (36:45)

About Our Guest

Emily Brierley is Head of Cambridge MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, where she has worked for over 5 years. Emily graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a Bachelors in American Studies.

What is unique about the Cambridge MBA? What are its key advantages?

The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, ranked 5th globally by Times Higher Education (2022)
Each Cambridge MBA belongs to 1 of 31 colleges affiliated with the University, which could include undergraduates and masters/PhD students studying different disciplines
Requires 3 team projects over the year that emphasize real world, experiential learning
Admissions is looking for academic achievement, clear career progression and ambition, international experience and global outlook, and strong interpersonal and collaborative skills
Interviews are conducted by Cambridge Judge Business School faculty members
Students can specialize in 10 concentrations
The area surrounding Cambridge is known as ‘Silicon Fen;’ 900 high tech firms operate within 50 miles of the city
Cambridge attracts the largest investment per capita in Europe, five times that of London. The total amount of capital (including VC) invested in Cambridge startups is £600 million.
International MBA graduates can remain in UK for employment for 2 years under new post-study work visa

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/cambridge-mba-program-admissions-interview-emily-brierley/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#184 Toronto Rotman MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Imran Kanga - "Choose Your Own Adventure"

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 19:13:12 GMT

Imran Kanga, Director of Recruitment & Admissions for Rotman School of Management's Full-time MBA at the University of Toronto, discusses what makes the Rotman MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (19:00) | Financing & Scholarships (35:30) | Careers (39:50)

About Our Guest

Imran Kanga is Director of Recruitment & Admissions for the Rotman School of Management's Full-time MBA Program at the University of Toronto. Previously, Imran worked in a similar capacity for the Schulich School of Business, where he got his MBA in 2010.

What is unique about the Toronto Rotman MBA? What are its key advantages?

The University of Toronto was ranked 18th globally by Times Higher Education, and #1 in Canada (2022)
Rotman, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, was ranked #1 Canadian MBA program by Financial Times (2021)
250-300 students/intake with 40 nationalities
Rotman’s office of student engagement curates over 1,000 experiential learning opportunities for students with its Creative Destruction Lab, Self-Development Lab, Business Design Institute, etc
Rotman requires a one semester, 4-month internship for all students
Admissions is looking for intellectual horsepower, experience and impact, communication and presence, and spike factor i.e. doing interesting things with your personal and professional lives that demonstrate passion, grit, resilience, innovation, drive and ambition
Students can specialize in 15 majors
Toronto was ranked one of the world's most livable cities by the Economist, with a lower cost of living and higher quality of life than many major cities in the US; over half of Toronto's population was born outside of Canada
Rotman's 2-year MBA allows international Full-Time MBA graduates to be eligible for a 3-year Canadian work permit

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/toronto-rotman-mba-program-admissions-interview-imran-kanga

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#183 SDA Bocconi MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Francesca Roveda

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 02:04:41 GMT

Francesca Roveda, a member of the recruiting and admissions team for SDA Bocconi’s MBA program, discusses what makes the SDA Bocconi MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (5:30) | Admissions (28:26) | Financing & Scholarships (48:00) | Careers (55:30)

About Our Guest

Francesca Roveda recruits candidates for the MBA, Executive MBA and Specialized Masters program for Bocconi University’s School of Management. Francesca has been with Bocconi for nearly 30 years, starting in the marketing office and then moving over to recruiting and admissions in 2008.

What is unique about the SDA Bocconi MBA? What are its key advantages?

Located in downtown Milan, which has the third largest economy among EU cities after Paris and Madrid and is recognized as one of the world’s finance and fashion capitals; Paris, London and Barcelona are a one-hour flight away
SDA Bocconi MBA starts in September and lasts 12 months
100 students per class from 30 countries; 75% of students are from outside Italy
Admissions is looking for applicants who truly listen and respect diversity and have strong interpersonal skills to work in groups
Students can specialize in Finance, Marketing & Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Luxury Business Management
SDA Bocconi is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2021

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/sda-bocconi-mba-program-admissions-interview-francesca-roveda

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#182 Inside the NUS MBA with Student Council President Safira Djati, NUS MBA '22

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 00:58:33 GMT

Safira Djati shares her journey from private equity analyst in Indonesia to the NUS MBA, where she is President of the NUS MBA Student Council. How has Covid affected the program and what has most surprised her about the NUS MBA so far? Safira shares the importance of student clubs and her takeaways from leading the 38th NUS MBA Student Council as its first female and Indonesian president. Finally, Safira touches on being a mother and making the most of her MBA.

Questions

Safira's background, pre-MBA goals, and reasons for applying to NUS (3:20)
Safira's NUS MBA experience vs. expectations (8:30)
MBA recruiting during Covid (14:00)
What Safira has learned from the MBA (17:00)
Singapore job-seeking as an international student (20:05)
Building connections in VC/PE (24:20)
Safira's experience running for President and leading the 38th NUS MBA Student Council (30:10)
Safira's advice for mom MBAs (46:20)
Safira's last thoughts on making the most of your MBA (52:00)

About Safira

Safira Djati currently attends the NUS MBA. Prior to NUS, she worked as a Manager and Investment Analyst for PT PPA Capital in Jakarta, Indonesia. Safira graduated from Universitas Prasetiya Mulya with a Bachelors in Economics. Safira is President of the NUS MBA Student Council, runs her own jewelry business, XAVIA Jewelry, and is looking to pursue a private equity, venture capital or impact investing role after graduation.

Show Notes

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/inside-the-nus-mba-student-council-president-safira-djati-nus-mba

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#181 Taking the Road Less Traveled with Tony DeGennaro, CUHK MBA '17

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:21:46 GMT

Most applicants get an MBA to step out of their comfort zones. But, what about pursuing your MBA and subsequent five-year marketing career in Hong Kong as an American?

Tony DeGennaro, who majored in Political Science and Philosophy at Rutgers, shares his winding journey to the CUHK MBA, one of the top-ranked business schools in Asia, to running a boutique marketing agency targeting Chinese consumers, to now working as a Digital Strategist for First Page Digital, an online marketing agency with offices in 9 countries. What has Tony learned from studying and working in Hong Kong?

Questions

Tony’s background, pre-MBA goals, and reasons for applying to CUHK (3:45)
Tony’s biggest challenge during the MBA (13:40)
The two things Tony took away from his MBA experience (17:10)
Can entrepreneurship be taught? (21:20)
How Tony ended up running his own boutique marketing agency (22:10)
Tony’s current role at First Page Digital (27:50)
Tony’s thoughts on the future of digital marketing and the marketing industry in Hong Kong (29:50)
Tony’s tips for landing a post-MBA job in a foreign country (33:30)
Leading the Marketing Club at CUHK (37:00)
What Tony would have done differently (43:20)
How Hong Kong has changed over the past 5 years (45:20)
Tony’s last tips to applicants (50:00)

About Tony DeGennaro

Tony DeGennaro is an Enterprise Digital Strategist at First Page Digital. Previously, he was Director of Marketing and Business Development for Dragon Social, a boutique marketing agency in Hong Kong. Tony graduated from Rutgers with a Bachelors in Political Science and Philosophy, and worked in sales and as an English teacher before attending the CUHK MBA.

Show Notes

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/taking-the-road-less-traveled-tony-degennaro-cuhk-mba/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#180 The Fully Funded MBA with Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA '22

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 16:33:20 GMT

Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA '22, has an amazing story to tell about applying to 18 business schools over two years, and getting full-scholarship awards at 8 of them. How was he able to do this? And what has he learned from his application journey from Abuja, Nigeria to Vancouver, Canada?

Questions

Samuel's background (4:18)
Samuel's 2-year journey applying to over 15 business schools (8:00)
Samuel's advice to low income applicants on applying to business schools and winning scholarships (20:52)
Why Samuel started City of Lane and LanePod (30:40)
Samuel's Sauder MBA experience so far and landing an internship at Microsoft (41:54)

About Samuel

After getting his Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, Samuel Adeoye interned as a Highway and Transportation Engineer while launching a podcast tech startup, and then worked as an Implementation & Design Engineer for Arup, a global architecture and civil engineering consulting firm. He then worked as a consultant for The Bluepen Company, a boutique consulting company serving small and medium sized enterprises in Nigeria.

In March 2020, Samuel founded City of Lane, a community of MBA Alumni, students and applicants looking to leverage their MBA experience for an economically and politically inclusive Africa.

Samuel is currently a Mastercard Scholar pursuing his MBA at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, in Vancouver, Canada.

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/fully-funded-mba-samuel-adeoye-ubc-sauder-mba

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#179 From Artist to MBA with Justin Taines, RSM MBA ’21

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 16:18:45 GMT

Justin Taines, RSM MBA ’21, shares his journey from developing kids and family entertainment shows in Los Angeles to the RSM MBA, based in the Netherlands. Why did Justin pursue an MBA (instead of an EMBA) despite having over 10 years of work experience? What was his experience at the RSM MBA as an older student and during Covid?

Questions

Justin's background (2:15)
Justin's shortlist of schools (4:30)
Why Justin took the GRE instead of the GMAT (12:36)
Justin's positioning and application tips (16:40)
Justin's RSM MBA experience (27:10)
Justin's thoughts on his (forced) hybrid MBA experience (35:33)
Justin's recruiting experience and lessons (45:45)
What Justin wished he knew before starting his MBA; how to best prepare for your MBA (1:05:45)

About Justin

After getting his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of Arts, Justin Taines worked in creative development, developing kids and family entertainment shows. He then worked in business development, building animation studios and helping the city of Jerusalem build up its animation industry. He also started and sold a retail cannabis cultivation venture before heading to the Rotterdam School of Management for his MBA. Justin is currently freelance consulting while exploring new roles post-MBA.

Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/rsm-mba-justin-taines

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#178 The McKinsey & Insead Experience with Milan Mecklenburg, Insead MBA '18D

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 04:54:35 GMT

Milan Mecklenberg, Insead MBA '18D, shares his journey from studying theoretical physics at Cambridge to McKinsey Berlin to Insead and then back to McKinsey, this time in Vietnam. What has he learned from the journey?

Questions

Milan's background (2:20)
Applying to Insead and getting sponsored by McKinsey (4:20)
Preparing for the GMAT (8:55)
Interviewing with McKinsey as an MBA student (11:20)
Milan's McKinsey experience (18:28)
Milan's Insead experience (22:42)
Making the most of 1-year and building your network at Insead (33:40)
Building self-awareness at Insead & McKinsey (39:45)
Picking classes & professors at Insead (44:55)

About Milan

After getting his Masters and Bachelors in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from Cambridge University, Milan Mecklenburg worked for McKinsey in Berlin, who then sponsored his Insead MBA in 2018. He then joined McKinsey Vietnam's office for two years. Milan is currently working as a freelance consultant and pursuing entrepreneurial projects

Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/mckinsey-insead-experience-milan-mecklenburg/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#177 How I Got into the Wharton MBA / MA Lauder Joint Degree Program with Hunter Dong

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 09:27:28 GMT

Hunter Dong shares his best application tips for getting into the Wharton MBA / MA Lauder Joint Degree in International Studies program. How did Hunter pull together his diverse work experience working for the Hinrich Foundation in the Philippines, his family business in pharmaceutical packaging and IBM as a Data Scientist to make an ultimately winning case to Wharton and Columbia? Hunter walks us through his entire preparation process, from initial school research to the final team-based discussion interview. Don't miss this episode packed with clear, practical advice from a just admitted applicant.

Questions

Hunter's work experience and reasons for pursuing an MBA/MA in International Studies (2:25)
Hunter's positioning strategy (9:10)
How Hunter focused on students and professors as sources of information to craft his application (15:00)
Hunter's advice for Wharton's team-based discussion (TBD) interview (19:25)
Hunter's essay timeline and editing process (29:45)
Lauder application tips (35:40)
Preparing a "briefing guide" to recommenders (42:23)
How Hunter demonstrated leadership qualities to adcoms (45:20)
Why Hunter chose to attend the Wharton / Lauder program (47:30)

About Hunter

Hunter Dong will be starting his joint MBA/MA degree at Wharton and Lauder this Summer. He previously worked as a Senior Consultant and Data Scientist at IBM. Hunter got his B.S in Operations Research and Financial Engineering from Princeton University.

Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-the-wharton-mba-lauder-hunter-dong

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#176 Use the 5 Senses to Make Your MBA Application Stick

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 11:12:18 GMT

After helping four MBA applicants with their resume and essays, Darren realized he was repeating similar advice. In this episode, Darren shares how you can use the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - to make your application more three dimensional.

Topics

Introduction (0:00)
Sight - paint the scene (2:23)
Touch - make the reader feel something (8:00)
Sound - have a point of view (12:54)
Taste - be focused and break stereotypes (18:10)
Smell - make sure your entire application matches (23:54)

Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/five-senses

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#175 AGSM MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dr. Michele Roberts

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:20:52 GMT

Dr. Michele Roberts, MBA Academic Director of the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW), discusses what makes the AGSM MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (3:20) | Admissions (31:00) | Careers (47:30)

About Our Guest

Dr. Michele Roberts is the MBA Academic Director of AGSM at UNSW, looking after all its MBA Programs. Michele teaches MBA courses in Marketing Management and Foundations of Management. Prior to academic life, Michele worked as a Marketing Manager at a Fortune 500 company in London and Melbourne. She holds a Masters’ Degree in Marketing and a PhD in Marketing & Public Policy from the University of Western Australia.

Full write-up on what makes AGSM unique: https://touchmba.com/agsm-mba-program-admissions-interview-michele-roberts

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#174 Mannheim MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Kai Stenzel & Sofia Syed Nasir

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 04:46:17 GMT

Chief Market Officer Kai Stenzel and Admissions Manager Sofia Syed Nasir discuss what makes the Mannheim MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (3:50) | Admissions (25:15) | Financing & Working in Germany (35:40) | Careers (48:30)

About Our Guest

Kai Stenzel is the Chief Market Officer for Mannheim Business School where he has worked for over 6 years. He is responsible for Marketing, Admissions, Career Development, and Alumni Relations. Kai got his MBA from Mannheim Business School and Essec Business School.

Sofia Syed Nasir is the Admissions Manager for Mannheim Full-time MBA, Mannheim Business School. She got her Masters in International Business from Grenoble Ecole de Management.

What is unique about the Mannheim MBA?

Ranked #1 MBA in Germany by Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Economist
Ranked #1 in Business Administration by German HR professionals 14 years in a row (Wirtschaftswoche University Ranking)
Targets and consistently ranks top 10 worldwide for ROI
1 year MBA starts in September with ~60 students per intake
Admissions looking for collaborative mindset, teamwork abilities, and unique point of view that could benefit other classmates
10 core courses taught in terms 1-2; electives, social sustainability project and business master project offered in terms 2-4; students can extend with a term 5 to get a management analytics certificate, study abroad or pursue a business idea or internship
80% of graduates stay in Germany to work
Graduates get a job seeker's visa that lasts 18-months

Mannheim MBA fast facts, show notes and more at:

https://touchmba.com/mannheim-mba-program-admissions-interview-kai-stenzel-sofia-syed-nasir

#173 Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London Program & Admissions Interview with Alex Jones

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:25:13 GMT

MBA Recruitment Manager Alex Jones discusses what makes the Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (4:10) | Admissions (19:30) | Financing & Scholarships (33:40) | Careers (37:30)

About Our Guest

Alex Jones is the MBA Recruitment Manager for Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London, where he has worked for over 8 years. Alex got his Bachelors in Communication from the University of Leicester and his Masters in Media Production from Birmingham City University.

What is unique about the Bayes Business School MBA?

1 year MBA starts in September with ~90 students per intake
City's campus is in the heart of London’s financial district, which helps with career-related events, meetings and recruiting
Core curriculum is taught in 4 blocks through the first 6 months of program: 1) strategy & organization 2) the financial environment 3) creating management advantage and 4) knowledge and policy, followed by a week-long international consultancy, electives and business mastery project
Looking for minimum of 3 years professional experience and experience working multicultural teams with international outlook
Hosts week-long London Symposium elective that gives a behind-the-scenes look into the economic drivers of London
Has an MBA Expeditionary Society, which includes MBA and EMBA students, and explores leadership through stretch experiences, delivered by renowned mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington
MBA alumni can take one free elective each year
Under revised UK visa system, international students can get 2-year post-study work visa to look for employment in UK
Ranked #2 globally for corporate strategy by Financial Times (2020)
Ranked #1 in the UK for Entrepreneurship by Poets & Quants and Inc Magazine's 2021 50 Best MBAs for Entrepreneurship

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/the-business-school-city-university-of-london-mba-program-admissions-interview-alex-jones

#172 Melbourne MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Anastasia Georgiou

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 07:50:54 GMT

Anastasia Georgiou, Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School, discusses what makes the Melbourne MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (4:38) | Admissions (19:00) | Scholarships (31:20) | Careers (34:00)

About Our Guest

Anastasia Georgiou is Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School. Anastasia has worked in higher education and admissions for over 20 years.

What is unique about the Melbourne MBA? What are its key advantages?

Highest ranked Australian MBA by Financial Times, Economist and QS
Offered Australia’s first MBA program starting in 1963. Melbourne Business School is 55% owned by Australia’s leading companies and 45% by the University of Melbourne
Melbourne was ranked the world's most livable city for 18 years straight and is the multicultural capital of Australia
MBA can be completed in 1 or 2 years
Well-known for marketing and finance, and has recently set up Centres for Business Analytics and Sustainability & Business
Prides itself in offering a high-touch MBA experience for 40 students/year

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/melbourne-mba-program-admissions-interview-anastasia-georgiou

#171 3 Positioning Strategies for Job Hoppers

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 01:45:58 GMT

Job hoppers, this episode is for you! Darren shares three strategies you can use to mitigate your track record of job hopping. How can you present this as an asset to your target MBA programs?

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-positioning-strategies-for-job-hoppers

#170 Nanyang MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Gilbert Chua

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 10:29:40 GMT

Gilbert Chua, Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions at Nanyang Business School, discusses what makes the Nanyang MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (11:50) | Scholarships (31:45) | Careers (34:20)

About Our Guest

Gilbert Chua is the Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions at Nanyang Business School. Gilbert previously served as Head of Recruitment & Admissions for Singapore Management University's Postgraduate Programmes, where he also got his EMBA.

What is unique about the Nanyang MBA? What are its key advantages?

1-year program includes 9 core courses + 4 electives + 1 leadership module + 1 business study mission + 1 strategy project, with option to add a summer / fall exchange or get Double Masters with Waseda (Japan), St. Gallen (Switzerland) or Essec (France)
Offers 5 concentrations in Banking & Finance, Strategy & Innovation, General Management, Marketing Management, Human Capital Management, and Strategy Projects
Admissions looking for academic capacity, those with "T-shaped" leadership potential, ability to contribute in classroom, and cultural adaptability
The Nanyang MBA was ranked the 35th worldwide by Financial Times (2020) and 73rd worldwide by the Economist (2019), and Nanyang Technological University was ranked 48th Worldwide in the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings (2020)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/nanyang-mba-program-admissions-interview-gilbert-chua

#169 CEIBS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with James Kent

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 09:23:45 GMT

James Kent, Marketing Manager for the MBA Admissions & Marketing Team at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), discusses what makes the CEIBS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (3:00) | Admissions (23:40) | Scholarships & Covid-19 (39:40) | Careers (49:30)

About Our Guest

James Kent is the Marketing Manager for the MBA Admissions & Marketing Team at CEIBS. James got his Bachelors in Chinese and Management from Sheffield University and has worked in recruitment and marketing for 10 years.

What is unique about the CEIBS MBA? What are its key advantages?

China's top-ranked MBA lasts 18 months and focuses on "China Depth, Global Breadth"
CEIBS was co-founded in 1994 by the Chinese Government and the European Union, and has campuses in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Accra and Zurich
CEIBS is looking for proactive candidates with a pioneering spirit
Mentoring program matches each MBA student with a CEIBS EMBA alumni
CEIBS 70 faculty members are 1/3 from China, 1/3 from the US and 1/3 from Europe, many of whom consult for MNCs and Chinese Companies in China
CEIBS has three coordinated degrees options as well: CEIBS-Fletcher (Law & Diplomacy), CEIBS-Cornell (Hospitality), CEIBS-Johns Hopkins (Public Health)
The CEIBS MBA was ranked the 5th worldwide by Financial Times (2020)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/ceibs-mba-program-admissions-interview-james-kent

#168 Live the Questions

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 08:41:25 GMT

This episode is from my new podcast, ASE, which explores making a living and life as a solopreneur. I bring on artists, social entrepreneurs, and solo founders to explore the self-employed, creative life and how to do your best work.

A number of my salsa friends in their 20s and 30s have found it helpful, so I thought I'd share it with you too. ASE showcases a different, more personal side to me (with some cursing, so be warned!).

And for those of you who are looking for more MBA admissions content, don't worry, I have plenty more MBA episodes coming your way - including more interviews with MBA Admissions Directors - so stay tuned.

Live the Questions

A month ago my salsa friends and I shared our personal challenges over smoothies. Most revolved around feeling more whole and complete with ourselves and our lives. I've thought about that conversation for weeks.

Here is my unsolicited advice to friends in their 20s searching for purpose, work, home and satisfaction. More than anything, this episode is a reminder to myself to love and live the questions - cause they never go away.

Questions

Satisfaction (6:20)
Home (9:35)
Work (13:30)
Purpose (17:10)

Subscribe to the ASE Podcast

Email / Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / Google Podcasts / YouTube

Show Notes

#167 Breaking into Vietnam, Venture Capital & Professional Sports with Henry Nguyen, Founding Owner, Los Angeles Football Club & Kellogg MBA '00

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:39:51 GMT

How did Henry Nguyen, who graduated from Kellogg 20 years ago, launch Vietnam’s first technology venture capital fund, Vietnam’s first professional basketball team, and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise?

Henry recounts his journey from travel writer to MD to MBA to Wall Street and then back to Vietnam, where he has built a career as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

Henry also gives a behind a scenes look into putting together a winning bid for LAFC, building a 22,000 capacity outdoor arena in downtown Los Angeles, and growing a raving fanbase before LAFC’s first game in 2018. Henry shares what he gained from his Kellogg MBA, as well as his advice to young professionals and entrepreneurs considering business school.

"Being an entrepreneur is sometimes just saying 'Why Not?'"

- Henry Nguyen

Questions

Introducing Henry Nguyen (0:00)
Henry’s unanticipated MBA and business career (6:30)
Henry’s heads to Wall Street (11:00)
The travel writing experience that changed Henry’s life (14:45)
Henry’s journey back to Vietnam (21:15)
Starting IDG Ventures Vietnam – “My life is a serendipitous series of fortunate circumstances” (26:30)
From “funny money” to “startup” – the growth of entrepreneurship in Vietnam (30:30)
Breaking into venture capital (34:10)
Henry’s thoughts on the value of a MBA for career changers vs. entrepreneurs, and what he learned from Kellogg (39:30)
Henry’s foray into the business of sports, and starting amateur and professional sports leagues in Vietnam (49:30)
Behind the scenes of Henry’s winning bid for LAFC (1:01:27)
Growing LAFC’s fanbase – “the 3252” – in a city with 11 sports franchises (1:15:10)
Opportunities for MBAs in sports (1:17:35)
How Henry manages his businesses and engagements (1:25:20)
Henry’s last advice to MBA applicants and students (1:29:40)

About Henry

Henry Nguyen is the Chairman of Phoenix Holdings, an investment company with operations in consumer, media, retail, food & beverage, and financial services sectors, and Managing General Partner of IDG Ventures Vietnam. He is the Developmental Licensee of McDonalds Vietnam and Chairman of XLE Group, which develops sports at the professional, collegiate and grass roots level in Vietnam. He is also Founding Owner of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and one of the Founding Trustees at Fulbright University Vietnam.

After majoring in classics at Harvard University, Henry earned his MD and MBA from Northwestern University Medical School and the Kellogg School of Management.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-careers-vietnam-venture-capital-sports-lafc-henry-nguyen

#166 Inside the Sofaer Global MBA with Manuel Fajardo '20

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 10:23:45 GMT

Why did a Colombian civil engineer choose to do his MBA in Israel?

Manuel Fajardo shares his journey to the Tel Aviv University’s Sofaer Global MBA, and how the program’s focus on new venture creation has helped him pursue his business idea.

About Manuel

Manuel Fajardo will graduate from the Sofaer Global MBA this Fall. Before getting his MBA, Manuel worked as General Manager of EDS LA PAZ, and as COO and Chief Engineer at Agregados el Rodeo in Colombia. Manuel got his degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes.

Questions

Introducing Manuel Fajardo (0:00)
Why Manuel decided to study in Israel (3:38)
Is Israel safe? (10:18)
Attending a young MBA program (12:10)
Tel Aviv University’s ties to the start-up ecosystem (13:55)
Manuel’s business idea (17:45)
Sofaer’s entrepreneurial curriculum, competition and opportunities (19:00)
What Manuel found surprising about studying in Israel (24:05)
Being in a small MBA class with less than 40 students (27:20)
Working in Israel post-MBA (30:25)
Manuel’s post-MBA career plan (31:50)
Manuel’s biggest takeaways from the MBA (32:45)
Is it tough to get a job in Israel as a foreigner? (35:20)

Episode summary, show notes and more at:

https://touchmba.com/sofaer-global-mba-manuel-fajardo

#165 How is Covid-19 Impacting B-Schools? Dirk Hopfl Shares IE Business School's Response

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 09:35:36 GMT

Darren invites Dirk Hopfl from IE Business School to share how Covid-19 has affected its MBA program and IE's plan moving forward. IE, based in Spain, is one of Europe's leading business schools with one of world's most international MBA programs, regularly admitting 90% of its students from 75 countries outside Spain. Its response offers one possibility for how MBAs will evolve to meet student needs during a pandemic.

About Dirk

Dirk Hopfl is Regional Director South East Asia for IE Business School. Dirk got his MBA in 1999 from IE and has over 20 years of leadership experience in international management education.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/how-is-covid-19-impacting-b-schools-dirk-hopfl-shares-ie-business-schools-response/

#164 Inside the Virginia Darden MBA with Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai '18

Sat, 16 May 2020 14:11:17 GMT

Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai shares her MBA journey from Bangkok to Virginia Darden and then back to Thailand to do strategy for Samsung. Like many international applicants, Tina didn't have the chance to visit her four target US business schools. How did she research schools and find her best fit? Why did she choose Darden and what did she take from her Darden MBA experience?

Questions

Tina's background (3:40)
Tina's school research and application tips (5:00)
How the MBA did not give Tina more career clarity, but rather a powerful career platform (11:30)
Common problems Tina sees from international MBA applicants (17:00)
Tina's Darden experience (24:40)
Blending in as an international student (34:20)
How to make the most of the MBA experience (36:30)
The importance of the on-campus experience (39:00)
Tina's internship and job search (42:05)
Tina's big takeaways from her Darden experience (48:55)

About Tina

Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai works as a Channel Strategy Lead at Samsung in Bangkok, Thailand. Before getting her MBA Tina worked as an Account Manager at Proctor & Gamble. Tina got into Cambridge Judge, UCLA Anderson and NYU Stern, but chose to attend Virginia Darden, where she graduated in 2018. Tina got her B.S in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University

Episode summary, show notes and more at:

https://touchmba.com/inside-the-virginia-darden-mba-tawan-tina-suvapatrachai

#163 How I Got Into Harvard Business School with Graciela Brewer

Fri, 01 May 2020 09:55:52 GMT

As a UX Designer and mother in Kansas City with no MBA network, Graciela Brewer wasn't sure if she "had a sliver of a chance" at her targets: HBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern and Cornell Tech. Four months later, she got into all four programs. In this episode, Grace shares how she shortlisted schools, submitted her strongest resume, essays, and recommendations, and stayed sane during a stressful application process.

Questions

How Covid-19 is affecting Grace's HBS plans (5:24)
How family and motherhood factored into Grace's school choices (7:57)
Grace's educational and work background (13:10)
Grace's post-MBA career goals (16:38)
How Grace shortlisted schools (18:33)
Why Grace focused her school research process on student clubs (21:25)
Grace's most helpful resources: Touch MBA, Poets & Quants, Applicant Lab (24:14)
Grace's resume tips and extracurriculars (31:50)
How Grace answered the HBS essay (37:00)
Grace's HBS interview & post-interview reflection (44:15)
How Grace handled MIT Sloan's cover letter & 1-minute video (48:54)
Cornell Tech's case study interview (58:15)
How Grace selected and prepare her recommenders (1:01:15)
Grace's tips for dealing with a stressful application process (1:05:09)
Grace's UX suggestions for MBA applications (1:17:55)

About Graciela (Grace)

Grace Brewer works as a Senior UX Designer at Netsmart, which designs and delivers electronic health records. Grace got into Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, and Cornell Tech, and will pursue her MBA at HBS. Grace got her B.S in Information Science from Missouri University of Science & Technology.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-harvard-business-school-graciela-brewer/

#162 Don't Trust Your Gut for Career Decisions with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 07:56:02 GMT

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky has dedicated his professional life to helping others overcome cognitive biases and make better decisions. In this episode, Darren and Dr. Gleb discuss ways MBA applicants can make better decisions when it comes to business school and their careers.

Questions

Why Dr. Gleb has dedicated two decades of his life to overcoming cognitive biases with decision making (3:00)
Autopilot vs. Intentional decision making (7:45)
When our gut serves us in career decisions (14:30)
Best practices for overcoming our cognitive biases (20:48)
Common biases when making career decisions (27:17)
How important are rankings? (33:33)
Five questions to avoid decision disasters (37:07)
Navigating emotions and decision making (43:48)

About Our Guest

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is on a mission to protect leaders from dangerous judgment errors known as cognitive biases by developing the most effective decision making strategies. He has over two decades of consulting, coaching, and training experience as CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and over 15 years of experience in academia as a cognitive neuroscientist and behavioral economist. Dr. Tsipursky has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Time, Scientific American, Fast Company, and Psychology Today. His new book is called Never Go with Your Gut: How How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters.

Dr. Gleb earned his PhD in the History of Behavioral Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/dont-trust-your-gut-career-decisions-dr-gleb-tsipursky/‎

#161 The Evolving Professional MBA with Chris Healy

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 13:00:23 GMT

Do you have to quit your job to get your MBA? Darren invites Chris Healy from Alliance Manchester Business school to share how the part-time / professional MBA has evolved with new technology and student and employer demands. If you're unsure about getting an online, blended, part-time or Executive MBA, you'll get key insights from this episode.

Questions

How the part-time / professional MBA has evolved over the past 15 years (2:30)
How employers view part-time / professional MBAs (15:50)
Networking at b-school as a part-time / professional MBA (21:35)
The quality of online courses (27:20)
How do business schools with multiple campuses maintain quality of faculty? (33:25)
The advantages of dual-MBAs (37:00)
Grades, format, and commitment required of a typical Manchester MBA part-time course held over 6 months (40:35)
The future of part-time / professional MBAs (47:20)

About Our Guest

Chris Healy is Head of MBA Marketing & Recruitment for Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester. Chris has been in the business education industry for nearly 15 years and got his Bachelors in Consumer Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/the-evolving-professional-mba-chris-healy

#160 Experience Does Not Equal Performance

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 08:27:35 GMT

Inspired by the Harvard Business Review article Experience Doesn’t Predict a New Hire’s Success, Darren shares how you can demonstrate you're a great fit for your target MBA programs - or your next employer - even if you're short on experience. If you feel like you lack relevant work experience for the MBA, this episode is for you.

Show Notes

Experience Doesn’t Predict a New Hire’s Success (Harvard Business Review)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/experience-does-not-equal-performance/

#159 What's Up with the HKU MBA?

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 01:31:59 GMT

Sachin Tipnis, Senior Executive Director of HKU's MBA, EMBA & 6 specialized Masters programs discusses the Hong Kong protests, curriculum changes, admissions, and picking the right Masters program for your career goals.

The Hong Kong Protests - How Has this Affected Students? (2:45)
Curriculum, Admissions and Career Services Updates with the HKU MBA (17:30)
Full-time MBA vs. Specialized Masters vs. EMBA - Which Should You Choose (45:15)

HKU MBA Highlights (last updated Jan 2020)

12-months, Fall intake, 55-60 students/year
Typical Class: 5-6 years work exp / ~15 nationalities / 640 GMAT
Has 3 tracks: the London track, the New York track, and the Hong Kong/China track. After finishing 9 months of core courses at HKU, students can study at Columbia University in New York, London Business School in London, or Fudan University in Shanghai for one semester
HKU has 2 rounds of interviews. The first is similar to a job interview; those that pass the first round may be required to give a presentation in the second round
Graduates get a 1-year visa to stay in Hong Kong and find a job post-graduation
Placement, Class of 2018: 83% w/job offers w/in 3 months, $82,551 USD avg post MBA salary (Economist MBA Ranking 2019)
Top Destinations, Class of 2017 & 2018: 47% Hong Kong / 21% Other Regions of Asia / 13% Mainland China / 9% Americas / 7% India / 3% Europe
Top Industries, Class of 2018: 36% Financial Services, Insurance / 12% Consumer Goods, Retail / 6% IT, Telecommunications
Top Functions, Class of 2017 & 2018: 29% Finance, Audit, Accounting / 27% Consulting, Strategy / 21% Marketing, Branding, Business Development / 10% General Management
Ranked #1 Asian Business School by Economist for 9 straight years

About Our Guest

Sachin Tipnis is the Senior Executive Director of MBA, EMBA Global Asia (joint Executive MBA Degree with Columbia and London Business School), and six specialized Master Programmes at the University of Hong Kong. Sachin was part of HKU's first graduating MBA class and has worked for over a decade developing the HKU MBA. Sachin worked in branding and marketing communications for 7 years before working in higher education.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/hku-mba-whats-up-in-2020

#158 Quantless in Cornell with Gregory Wool, Cornell Johnson MBA '21

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 09:14:24 GMT

Gregory Wool, Cornell Johnson MBA '21, scored below average on the quantitative section of the GMAT. How did he overcome this score to not only get into Cornell Johnson, but win a prestigious tuition free scholarship? Gregory also shares his experience surviving a packed first semester, leading the student consulting club, and recruiting into strategy consulting.

Questions

Gregory's application and GMAT journey (4:40)
What Gregory did to overcome his low quant score (8:50)
Gregory's experience with Cornell's L.E.A.D. admissions event (12:45)
Gregory's career goals and how they affected his MBA search (18:50)
Winning a Roy H. Park Leadership Fellowship (22:40)
The importance of speaking to current students (24:30)
Surviving first semester FOMO and coursework (26:50)
Becoming an officer at Johnson Consulting club (32:12)
Recruiting into consulting: clubs, case competitions, career working groups, and live consulting projects (36:15)
Social life at Cornell Johnson (48:00)
Being an older MBA candidate (54:00)
Cornell's Present Value Podcast (58:16)

About Gregory

Gregory Wool worked as a Director of Operations at two boutique resorts before attending the Cornell Johnson MBA, where he is a first year MBA candidate and Roy H. Park Leadership Fellow. Gregory is also President of the Johnson Consulting Club, and Producer of the Present Value Podcast. Gregory got a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Dramatic Performance from the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/quantless-in-cornell-gregory-wool

#157 Management Consulting & Student Life at Insead with Massine Bouzerar '19J

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 10:29:31 GMT

Around half of Insead MBA graduates end up working in consulting each year. Darren invites Massine Bouzerar, Insead MBA '19J, to share how he landed a job with Bain & Company AND made the most of his ten months at Insead's Fontainebleau campus.

Questions

Massine’s overview of management consulting recruiting at Insead (4:35)
Differentiating yourself from thousands of other MBA students applying to consulting firms (7:55)
How Massine's career plans evolved at Insead (10:30)
Work visas in Europe for non-Europeans (12:35)
How Massine explored consulting offices worldwide (14:46)
What helped Massine prepare for recruiting in management consulting (18:00)
The culture of recruiting at Insead (20:55)
Student clubs and recruiting (24:10)
Recruiting for non-consulting jobs (26:00)
Dealing with FOMO in a 1-year program (29:20)
Making connections at Insead (31:40)
Academics at Insead (32:55)
Massine's takeaways from his MBA experience (40:23)
Outsead, Insead's LGBTQ+ student club (44:20)
Dating at Insead (47:56)
Massine's final thoughts (51:00)

About Massine

Massine Bouzerar worked as a product manager and e-commerce strategist in Canada before attending the Insead MBA. Massine served as President of Outsead, Insead's LGBT+ student club, and as the academic representative for his section. He currently is an Associate for Bain & Company in Brussels.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/management-consulting-student-life-insead-massine-bouzerar

#156 Three Questions to Ask Before You Make a Career Move with Gary Lo

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 16:59:19 GMT

Gary Lo, Managing Director of Glo Consulting and former Head of Admissions for the HKUST MBA, shares three questions to ask before you make a career move - MBA included. Aside from working for 10 different companies in 7 industries, Gary has counseled hundreds of MBAs and professionals as a career coach, so don't miss this episode if you're thinking about making a career move.

Questions

Gary's three questions to ask before you make a career move (3:10)
Is following your passion practical? (13:50)
Why Gary believes 10-15 years a good long-term planning period (23:04)
The power song exercise (26:55)
Applying Gary's framework to the MBA: what should more MBA applicants consider before applying? (30:08)
How MBA recruiting has changed (39:25)
Gary's questions to help MBA students breakthrough career planning paralysis (42:20)
Building your personal brand (46:20)

About Gary

Gary Lo is a seasoned trainer with extensive corporate experience. He spent most of his career working at Fortune 500 companies including LVMH, Apple, Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline and Nestle, with a scope covering the Greater China & APAC region. He was the former Head of Marketing & Admissions for the HKUST MBA Programs, and now serves as a Guest Lecturer for the HKU SPACE Institute for China Business and Nielsen University. He is also an appointed career coach for top Universities in the region, where he has trained hundreds of MBA and Masters students, professionals and corporate executives from all around the world. Gary holds an MBA degree from the HKUST Business School.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/three-questions-to-ask-before-you-make-a-career-move-gary-lo

#155 Five Takeaways from MBA Tour Panel in Ho Chi Minh – “Preparing Your Application: Advice from Admissions Directors”

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 09:57:00 GMT

Darren recently attended a panel "Preparing Your Application: Advice from MBA Admissions Directors” at the MBA Tour in Ho Chi Minh. In this episode, he unpacks the application advice given by five admissions directors.

Why should you get an MBA? (3:16)
What type of experience are top business schools looking for? (7:20)
How can you assess school fit? (10:12)
What are your top essay tips? (13:00)
What are your top interview tips? (16:37)

Admissions Directors on MBA Tour Panel (August 2019)

John-Derek (J.D.) Clarke, Ivey Business School
Kylie Stewart, Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business
Gulnura Rakhyshova, Asia School of Business
Jessica Morgan, Schulich School of Business
John Lee, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/five-takeaways-mba-tour-panel-ho-chi-minh-preparing-your-application-advice-from-admissions-directors

#154 Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) & The Consortium What You Need to Know with Cristian Molina Cornejo, Tuck MBA '21

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 09:42:08 GMT

Cristian Molina Cornejo, Tuck MBA '21, shares how MBA applicants can take advantage of two programs that champion diversity and inclusion: Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and the Consortium. Cristian also gives his best application tips after getting into four out of five top 20 US MBA programs.

Questions

Cristian's background (3:20)
What you need to know about MLT (14:25)
What you need to know about Consortium (26:00)
MLT's Professional Development program and its network (30:55)
How to make the most out of MLT and Consortium (40:50)
Cristian's best application tips after getting into four top schools (45:10)
Cristian's thoughts on Tuck (52:50)

About Cristian

Cristian is a first year MBA at the Tuck School of Business. Prior to starting his MBA, Cristian graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Economics, and worked for Energeia, a research and advisory firm in energy technology and electronics.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/management-leadership-for-tomorrow-consortium-what-you-need-to-know

#153 The US MBA Experience as an International Student with Ikechukwu Edeagu, UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA '19

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 05:24:30 GMT

Hailing from Nigeria and having never visited the US, how did Ikechukwu Edeagu shortlist and apply to MBA programs? And what was his process for navigating internships and the job search as an international student? Listen to get a real-time, inside look into one international student's MBA experience at UNC Kenan Flagler.

Questions

Ike's background (3:53)
How Ike shortlisted business schools (8:02)
Ike's application tips for international students (14:20)
Ike's thoughts on financing your MBA (22:20)
How Ike secured his internship and job with Microsoft (25:08)
Ike's recommended resources and research process for your MBA job search (44:30)
The importance of soft skills in building relationships and careers in the US (53:55)
Ike thoughts on the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA experience and culture (1:00:00)
Ike's final recommendations to applicants (1:11:30)

About our Guest

Ikechukwu Edeagu graduated from the UNC MBA with a double concentration in Capital Markets and Investments and Corporate Finance. Prior to starting his MBA, Ike worked in KPMG's Risk Consulting practice in Lagos, Nigeria. Ikechukwu is currently working as a Finance Manager, Cloud and Artificial Intelligence for Microsoft in Seattle.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/the-us-mba-experience-as-an-international-student-ikechukwu-edeagu-unc-mba

#152 Kishōtenketsu

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 15:35:49 GMT

Do you feel like your MBA story is a bit bland? Or uninspiring compared to the applicant profiles you see online? What if you haven't overcome insurmountable odds or accomplished something amazing?

Darren explores the possibilities of kishōtenketsu - a four act story structure used by Japanese and Chinese writers for centuries. What makes this story structure interesting is that it relies on contrast - not conflict - to generate interest.

Kishōtenketsu in 4 acts:

Ki (start)
Shō (development)
Ten (twist)
Ketsu (conclusion)

Listen on for ways you can use this Eastern story structure to keep admissions officers' attention AND demonstrate your self-awareness.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/kishotenketsu

#151 City University Hong Kong MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Christoph Schneider

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 04:23:44 GMT

Dr. Christoph Schneider, Associate Director of MBA Programme and Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Systems, City University Hong Kong, discusses what makes the City U Hong Kong MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (4:06) | Admissions (18:30) | Scholarships (33:58) | Careers (36:38)

About Our Guest

Christoph Schneider is the Associate Director of the MBA Programme at City University Hong Kong, where he has also been Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Systems for over a decade. Christoph has published in premier business journals as well as best-selling textbooks on management information systems and project management. Christoph got his PhD in Business Administration - Management Information Systems from Washington State University.

What is unique about the City U Hong Kong MBA? What are its key advantages?

1-year program includes study trips to Silicon Valley (UC Berkeley), London (Imperial College) and an Asian country for a consulting project
Offers (5 concentrations: Accounting, Finance, Information Management, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management
The business mentoring programme matches students to 25+ MBA mentors according to their backgrounds, experiences and interests; During a 6-month period, mentors and students meet through events, workshops, and 1-1s
City U Hong Kong was ranked the #4 university for Economics and Business in Asia by US News and World Report (2019) and placed #55 worldwide by QS' World University Rankings (2019)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/city-university-hong-kong-mba-program-admissions-interview-christoph-schneider

#150 Behind the Scenes of an MBA Employment Report

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 03:50:26 GMT

Darren invites Susan Bertulli, Director, MBA Career Management at Ivey Business School at Western University to discuss MBA employment reports. First, why and how are MBA employment reports produced? Then, what should you look for? Which employment figures and statistics matter? How can you use them to shortlist b-schools and plan your career?

The Ivey MBA has been ranked #1 in Canada for five years running by Bloomberg Businessweek for both student and recruiter satisfaction, so don't miss this inside look into how a top MBA career services team produces their employment report.

Questions

Susan's background (5:00)
The role of MBA career services (6:55)
The challenges of MBA career management in a 1-year MBA program (9:12)
What applicants should look for from MBA career management teams (12:16)
The context surrounding MBA employment reports (14:30)
The challenges of producing an annual employment report (18:00)
Key figures for applicants to focus on (20:43)
How applicants can approach career services with employment statistics questions (26:15)
Does a business school's size affect diversity of industry recruiters? (30:17)
Understanding a school's list of recruiting firms (34:00)
How should applicants use employment reports to shortlist b-schools (39:40)
How applicants can show employability in MBA interviews (42:30)
MBA Career services: expectations vs reality (44:47)
Actions of students & alumni that succeed in their career search (48:00)
Have employers' criteria changed for MBAs? (50:20)
Susan's recommended resources for career planning (53:05)

About our Guest

Susan Bertulli is Director, MBA Career Management at Ivey Business School at Western University, where she manages student engagement in career planning, from admissions through to job employment. Over her 10+ years with Ivey, MBAs have achieved 90% placement with over 90% of the students reporting on their success. Susan also serves on several boards including the Dorchester Minor Hockey Association and St. Peter’s Anglican Church.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/behind-the-scenes-mba-employment-report

#149 Wisconsin MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Betsy Kacizak and Brad Chandler - "Focus Creates Advantage"

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 19:24:04 GMT

Betsy Kacizak, Director of MBA Admissions and Recruitment, and Brad Chandler, Director, Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking at the Wisconsin School of Business of University Wisconsin-Madison, discuss what makes the Wisconsin MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (10:45) | Admissions (29:56) | Scholarships (45:32) | Careers (49:08

About Our Guests

Betsy Kacizakis the Director of MBA Admissions and Recruitment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Betsy excels at walking you through the admissions process, including helping guide you toward the specialization that best fits your passions and career aspirations. She has expertise as a leader in the field of graduate admissions. She has worked for the Wisconsin School of Business for 11 years and worked for seven years at Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

Brad Chandleris the Director of the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking at the Wisconsin School of Business. At the Nicholas Center, Brad is responsible for both administering the Center's specialized programming focused on MBA and undergraduate students and teaching a number of its core courses. Prior to joining the Nicholas Center in 2017, Brad was a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley in New York City. While at Morgan Stanley, Brad advised corporate and private equity clients on mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism and defense, leveraged buyouts, debt and equity financings, restructurings, and fund-level financings. Brad successfully executed over 55 transactions representing over $225 billion in transaction value. Representative transactions include advising Dow on its merger with DuPont, advising Axiall on its hostile defense against Westlake Corporation, advising Agrium on its proxy contest victory over JANA Partners, advising Dresser Rand on its sale to Siemens AG, the Trinseo and Sensata IPOs, and numerous financings for Bain Capital, Advent Capital Management, Clayton Dubilier & Rice, CF Industries, and Eastman Chemical.

What is unique about the Wisconsin MBA? What are its key advantages?

The Wisconsin MBA asks applicants to select from 10 career specializations at the time they apply: Brand and Product Management, Marketing Research, Corporate Finance and Investment Banking, Applied Security Analysis, Real Estate and Risk Management and Insurance, Operations and Technology Management, Supply Chain Management, Strategic Management, Strategic Human Resource Management, and Arts Administration
Wisconsin MBAs start taking courses and doing applied learning related to their specialization from very first semester
Center Directors running Wisconsin's 10 specializations play a big role in admissions, curriculum design and career advising, as they connect students to alumni, recruiters and thought leaders in the space
Wisconsin offers a tailored and customized approach to 80 students
Wisconsin was one of 3 founding members of the Consortium in 1966

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/wisconsin-mba-program-admissions-interview-betsy-kacizak-brad-chandler

#148 Starting a Business during your MBA with Sheela Lal, Michigan Ross MBA '19

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 21:36:03 GMT

Guest Host Sabaina Kamara, Michigan Ross MBA '19, invites her section-mate Sheela Lal to share her experience applying for internships, founding DrunkShrub and securing a full-time job post-graduation. Listen to get a real-time, inside look into the MBA experience at a top b-school like Ross.

Questions

Sheela's background and reasons for getting an MBA (0:47)
Sheela's approach to landing an internship (7:20)
Sheela founds DrunkShrub (10:33)
How Sheela took advantage of Ross' resources to further her business (14:43)
How Sheela navigated running DrunkShrub and looking for full-time employment in consulting and government affairs (19:30)
Sheela's advice to applicants about applying to business school and entrepreneurship (23:55)

About our Guest Host

Sabaina Kamara is currently an MBA student at University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. Prior to starting her MBA, Sabaina worked in as an HR Analyst at a management and employment law firm, focusing on HR compliance for diversity and inclusion. Sabaina will work in consulting for Deloitte Strategy & Operations in New York City after she graduates.

About Our Guest

Sheela comes across as someone who knows a lot, but really, she's just incredibly good at regurgitating things she's heard on any of the 30 podcasts she listens to. Her current favorites are Detroit Today, Splendid Kitchen, and The Foreign Desk, which reflect her long term interests - in-depth state government engagement, food science and chemistry, and lastly, very sassy international news analysis. Sheela has worked in Missouri politics on and off for 10 years, between congressional and local campaigns, the state house, and at Progress Missouri (a cousin to Progress Michigan). She founded Drunk Shrub, an alternative social beverage company, this summer, and worked in Sri Lanka and India for two years before returning to Missouri. She's found business school to be a surprisingly liberating experience - with very few expectations of appropriate post-graduation steps, she's free to explore her creative side.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/starting-a-business-during-your-mba-sheela-lal-michigan-ross-mba

#147 ASB MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sean Ferguson - "An Action-Learning Based Curriculum"

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 05:27:59 GMT

Sean Ferguson, Associate Dean and Director of MBA Program for the Asia School of Business (ASB), discusses what makes the ASB MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (2:28) | Admissions (24:47) | Scholarships (40:20) | Careers (47:15)

About Our Guest

Sean Ferguson is the Associate Dean and Director of MBA Program for the Asia School of Business. Prior to joining ASB, Sean was Associate Dean of Masters Programmes at HKUST Business School and Assistant Dean of Degree Programmes at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business. He worked at PROS, Cap Gemini, Ernst & Young, and Procter & Gamble before entering business education. Sean got his MBA from Rice University.

What is relatively unique about the ASB MBA? What are its key advantages?

ASB was established in 2015, a collaboration between Bank Negara Malaysia (Malaysia's central bank) and MIT Sloan School of Management
Action Learning at ASB is a core (non-optional) course in each of the five different academic terms of the 20-month ASB MBA program. By the time students graduate, they will experience 5 different business challenges with possibly 5 different host companies, in potentially 5 different countries
1 week long industry treks to US and China
1 month immersion program at the MIT Sloan School of Management
ASB MBA graduates receive a certificate of completion from MIT, and MIT affiliate status
Students live on campus, currently the hotel for Malaysia's central bank

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/asb-mba-program-admissions-interview-sean-ferguson-action-learning-curriculum

#146 The Three Ps of Performance

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 03:40:58 GMT

Darren shares "three P’s" you can use to clarify the value of your accomplishments in your resume and MBA application. Doing so will paint a clear picture of your performance for MBA admissions officers and employers.

How did your performance compare to the previous year’s performance?
How did your performance compare to the plan?
How did your performance compare to that of your peers?

If you can match these to the "three P's" of leadership, you can can show even more impact:

People responsibility
Project responsibility
Profit & Loss responsibility

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/3p-performance

#145 IMD MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dean Seán Meehan - Be on Companies' Leadership Radars Mixdown 1

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 06:00:30 GMT

Seán Meehan, Dean of the MBA Program at IMD, discusses what makes the IMD MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (5:33) | Admissions (22:41) | Scholarships (41:30) | Careers (45:10)

About Our Guest

Dr. Seán Meehan is the Martin Hilti Professor of Marketing & Change Management and the Dean of the MBA program. He joined IMD in 1997 after working for Arthur Anderson and Deloitte, where he was Director of Marketing. Seán got his PhD in Marketing from London Business School.

What is relatively unique about the IMD MBA? What are its key advantages?

Industry-focused general management MBA from a school that is consistently top-ranked in Europe and worldwide for ROI; over 70% of graduates go into industry
1-year MBA that starts in January
Only 90 students are admitted each year from ~40 countries,
More experienced class: the average work experience is 7 years
There’s a 2:1 student to faculty ratio
Strong focus on personal leadership development through a combination of classroom interactions, experiential learning and psychoanalytical coaching
Also emphasizes entrepreneurship, globalization and digitalization
Instead of an interview, IMD applicants participate in an assessment day which includes a 1-1 interview with admissions, individual presentation and group activities, lunch with IMD participants or alumni, and depending on the time of the year, a possibility to attend a class. The assessment days take place on campus in Lausanne or abroad.
IMD is looking for candidates with strong analytical and communication skills and team-oriented leaders who want to shape the future
IMD has 9,000 executive education participants each year, and MBAs have increasing opportunities to connect with these senior executives
IMD is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and has over 350 MNCs
A global meeting place situated in the center of Europe in one of the world’s fastest growing science and technology hubs
The IMD MBA in a Tweet: “We develop leaders who have a desire to make a positive impact in the world”

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/imd-mba-program-admissions-interview-sean-meehan-be-on-companies-leadership-radars

#144 The Pros and Cons of Doing an MBA Outside the US + Assessing a B-school’s Entrepreneurship Offering with Eddy Zakes, IESE MBA ’17

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 07:20:58 GMT

In 2017, US applicants made up 4% of candidates to European MBA programs and 2% of candidates to Asian MBA programs (versus nearly 70% to US MBA programs). What do you need to know about getting a top-ranked MBA abroad? Eddy Zakes shares why he chose to uproot his young family to pursue his MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, as well as the pros and cons of his experience. Darren also asks Eddy - currently the Director of the Center of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at IESE - about how business schools can help aspiring entrepreneurs and how you can assess your target schools' entrepreneurship offerings.

Questions

Eddy's background (4:08)
As an applicant with 10 years of experience and a young family, why did Eddy choose Spain for his full-time MBA? (11:10)
The pros and cons of getting your MBA abroad (23:20)
Recruiting at top European schools (27:45)
Getting an MBA with 2 young kids (35:00)
Eddy's favorite class and thoughts on the case-study method (42:44)
How MBA programs can help aspiring entrepreneurs (49:00)
MBA graduates' typical path to starting their own businesses (54:25)
Questions to ask your target b-schools about their resources for entrepreneurship (59:00)
The startup scene in Europe vs. the US (1:04:50)
Eddy's final thoughts on having a great MBA experience (1:11:04)

About Our Guest

Eddy Zakes is the Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at IESE. Eddy got his B.S. in International Business from Bob Jones University and worked as Director of Advancement at Dayton Christian School in Ohio before getting his MBA at IESE.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/pros-and-cons-of-doing-mba-outside-us-assessing-schools-entrepreneurship-offering-eddy-zakes-iese-mba

#143 Alliance Manchester MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Chris Healy

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 09:21:42 GMT

Chris Healy, Head of MBA Marketing & Recruitment of Alliance Manchester Business School discusses what makes the Manchester MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (3:40) | Admissions (29:48) | Scholarships (41:40) | Careers (45:45)

Manchester MBA Highlights (last updated Sep 2018)

Manchester has a Full-time MBA, Global Part-time MBA, and Kelley-Manchester Global MBA
The Full-time MBA lasts 12, 15 or 18 months and has 1 intake/year in the Fall
Typical Class: 100-120 students / 6 years work exp/ 80% international with 30 nationalities / 630 GMAT
First 10 months dedicated to 5 core courses, 2 live consultancy projects and M&A project. The rest is dedicated to electives, exchanges and the international business consultancy project
Manchester MBAs are required to do 3 live consultancy projects requiring over 900 client facing hours
Manchester is the largest provider of transnational MBA education in the world, delivering its MBA program in the UK, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sao Paolo.
Manchester is looking for candidate with strong communication and interpersonal skills
Students get weekly sessions and unlimited 1-1 consultations with career counselors
Placement, Class of 2017: 85% w/job offers w/in 3 months, 51,370 GBP average starting salary
Top Geographies, Class of 2017: 45% in UK / 16% Asia / 15% South America / 15% Europe / 4% Central America & Caribbean
Top Sectors, Class of 2017: 24% technology / 19% manufacturing and engineering / 16% consulting / 15% financial services / 9% healthcare
30% of class receive merit-based scholarships covering 10-50% of tuition
Manchester has 60,000 alumni in 170 countries
Ranked #4 in the UK and #36 worldwide by The Financial Times in 2018

About Our Guest

Chris Healy is Head of MBA Marketing & Recruitment for Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester. Chris has been with Manchester for over 12 years and got is Bachelors in Consumer Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/alliance-manchester-mba-program-admissions-interview-chris-healy

#142 York Schulich MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Imran Kanga - "One of the most customizable programs in the world"

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Imran Kanga, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions, Schulich School of Business, discusses what makes the Schulich MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (5:13) | Admissions (22:00) | Scholarships (34:30) | Careers (37:25)

About Our Guest

Imran Kanga is the Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions, Schulich School of Business at York University, where he manages global recruitment for Schulich's Full-time MBA and International MBA. Imran joined Schulich's admissions team after getting his International MBA from Schulich in 2010.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/york-schulich-mba-program-admissions-interview-imran-kanga

#141 The Mindset to Make a "3D" Career Change - From Wastewater Engineer to Luxury Brand Manager with Laura Pan, SDA Bocconi MBA '18

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 11:54:52 GMT

Are you pursuing an MBA to make a "3 dimensional" (3D) jump into a new geography, function and industry? Laura Pan, currently a full-time MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan, Italy, shares how she went from wastewater treatment engineer to luxury brand manager, her dream job. Laura shares what it's like to study in Italy, as well as the mindset necessary to capitalize on opportunities as an MBA student. Laura also opines on the myth and reality of attending a business school outside the top 10.

Questions

Laura's background (4:34)
Career goals and shortlisting schools (6:32)
Studying luxury business management at SDA Bocconi (12:44)
Living in Italy (18:37)
Studying at SDA Bocconi and studying business as an engineer (23:44)
How Laura landed her internship, despite it being a "3D" change (27:26)
Proving your value during your internship to get a full-time offer (38:00)
What foreign applicants need to know about career services and job searching at European b-schools? (45:11)
The SDA Bocconi alumni network (51:20)
What about SDA Bocconi gets overlooked (54:50)
The myth and reality of attending a b-school outside the top 10 (57:10)

About Our Guest

Laura Pan worked as a quality control engineer for the Australian government, and then in the oil & gas and rail & automotive industries before going to SDA Bocconi for her MBA. Laura grew up in Australia and got a Double Degree in Chemical Engineering and Food Technology and Nutrition from RMIT University.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-mindset-career-change-laura-pan-luxury-fashion-management-sda-bocconi-mba

#140 RSM MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Brandon Kirby

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 04:57:07 GMT

Brandon Kirby, Director of MBA Marketing and Admissions at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University, discusses what makes the RSM MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (8:07) | Admissions (28:32) | Scholarships (57:48) | Careers (1:04:40)

About Our Guest

Brandon Kirby is the Director of Marketing & Admissions of the Rotterdam School of Management's MBA Program at Erasmus University. Brandon got his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler through the OneMBA. He ran a restaurant for 10 years, then worked in branding and marketing before joining the RSM MBA program.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/rsm-mba-admissions-interview

#139 Breaking into Energy & Sustainability (as an MBA)

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 05:00:00 GMT

What do MBA applicants need to know about the recruiting process into the energy industry? Darren invites Vince Faherty, London Business School MBA ’10, to share his experience moving up from a Marketing Manager to Director at EnerNOC and then moving to Nest & Google, where he is currently Head of Northeast & Midwest Energy Partnerships. Vince shares what it's like to attend business school during one of the worst recessions in history and MBA career lessons he's distilled since attending LBS 10 years ago.

This is Part 8 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Vince's background (3:53)
Why Vince, an American, applied to London Business School (12:50)
How Vince landed his internship & job (17:04)
Vince's tips for networking with alumni (30:08)
An overview of the recruiting process (36:36)
What do applicants need to know about succeeding in energy (43:58)
Vince's recommended resources (49:06)
Vince's thoughts on the future of the renewable energy industry (51:32)
10 years later, Vince reflects on the value of his MBA (55:00)

About Our Guest

Vince Faherty got his MBA from the London Business School in 2010 and is currently Head of Northeast & Midwest Energy Partnerships at Google in Boston. Previously, he worked at EnerNOC for over 7 years, most recently as Director of Utility Solutions & Market Development. Vince got his B.A. in History from Princeton University.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-energy-sustainability

#138 MBA Resume Do's and Don'ts (Plus Templates!)

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 05:18:14 GMT

Your resume is often what MBA admissions officers first see, and frames how they view the rest of your profile. Follow this checklist of CV 'do's and don'ts' to make make a strong first impression and set the stage for a successful application.

This is a re-run of Episode #6 Seven Deadly Sins of MBA Resumesand Rotman MBA's Leigh Gauthier's answer to the question we asked in Episode #100 What 1 Action Can Candidates Take to Dramatically Improve Their MBA Application?

The "7 deadly sins"

1. Too long
2. Hard on the eyes
3. Emphasizes the wrong thing(s)
4. It's a job resume (not an MBA resume)
5. No evidence of impact
6. Lack of context for employers and accomplishments
7. No evidence of career progression

Leigh Gauthier's Advice

“For every resume bullet, ask yourself, 'what have you done and how is the organization better for you having been there?'”

Episode summary, MBA resume templates, and more at:

http://touchmba.com/mba-resume-tips-templates

#137 From Stand Up Comic to MBA Student with Rob O'Reilly, USC Marshall MBA '20

Sat, 28 Jul 2018 04:39:06 GMT

Rob O'Reilly performed stand up comedy for 16 years. Then he decided to get an MBA. We discuss his journey to USC Marshall.

Questions

Rob's background (3:25)
MBA career goals and positioning (8:00)
The GMAT and showing "quant skills" (18:13)
Shortlisting business schools (23:06)
Communicating your interest to business schools (32:30)
Interviews (39:55)
The future of entertainment content (45:32)
Looking forward to USC Marshall (45:50)

About Our Guest

Rob O'Reilly worked as a standup comic, production assistant, staff writer, video producer, and TV producer - most recently for MTV's Ridiculousness - before applying for an MBA. He has landed appearances on The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing and Live at Gotham. He was named one of LA Weekly’s Top 10 Comedy Acts to Watch and one of TBS's 101 Funniest Comedians. He'll be attending USC Marshall's MBA program this Fall. Rob got his B.A. in Television from Boston University.

Episode summary, show notes and more at:

http://touchmba.com/stand-up-comic-mba-student-rob-oreilly-usc-marshall-mba

#136 Military to MBA to Management Consulting with Alex Tuininga, Harvard MBA '18

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 12:30:21 GMT

Alex Tuininga, HBS MBA '18, discusses his transition from a navy intelligence officer to Harvard MBA to BCG management consultant. Alex also shares his thoughts on MBA recruiting and social life as a married, older student.

Questions

Alex's background (3:48)
Alex's advice to military applicants (12:40)
Where Alex applied and why he chose HBS (21:00)
The HBS experience (24:28)
Social life as an older, married student (35:02)
The recruiting process (42:20)
Summer internships and full-time offers at BCG (48:20)
Alex's business lessons from business school (1:04:20)

About Our Guest

Alex Tuininga worked as an Intelligence Officer in the US Navy for 10 years before attending Harvard Business School. Alex majored in History at UC Berkeley and got a M.A. in International Relations and National Security Studies - Middle East from the Naval Postgraduate School. He'll be consulting for the Boston Consulting Group in Chicago this Fall.

Episode summary, show notes and more at:

http://touchmba.com/military-to-mba-to-management-consulting-alex-tuininga-harvard-mba

#135 Michigan Ross MBAs Reflect on Their First Year & Discuss the Journey Ahead

Mon, 21 May 2018 10:32:04 GMT

Guest Host Sabaina Kamara, Michigan Ross MBA '19, invites her friend and classmate Kashay Sanders to share her experience as a first year MBA student at the Ross School of Business.

Listen to get a real-time, inside look into the "MBA1" experience at a top b-school like Ross.

Questions

Kashay's background (3:32)
First year internships and student activities (4:59)
Reflections on the "MBA1" year and lessons learned (6:58)
Multidisciplinary Action Project (MAP) at Ross (10:54)
Dealing with imposter syndrome when switching industries/functions (16:16)
First year summer plans (17:50)
Healthy team dynamics at business school and getting to know classmates (20:47)
MTreks (26:34)
Kashay's Vision for Ross as President of the MBA Council (27:59)
Kashay's advice to MBA applicants (31:10)

About our Guest Host

Sabaina Kamara is currently an MBA student at the Ross School of Business. Prior to starting her MBA, Sabaina worked in as an HR Analyst at a management and employment law firm, focusing on HR compliance for diversity and inclusion. Sabaina is interested in pursuing a career as a strategy consultant post MBA. Sabaina will be interning at Deloitte Strategy & Operations in New York City this summer.

About Our Guest

Kashay Sanders is committed to building healthy workplace cultures to help people, and organizations, operate at their best. Prior to Ross, Kashay worked within the international development, government and nonprofit sectors, leading and designing programs aimed at gender equity, workforce development, neighborhood safety and ending homelessness. Kashay graduated from Dartmouth College in 2011, with a B.A. in Women's & Gender Studies and minors in Anthropology and Japanese. As an MBA student at Ross, Kashay is President of the MBA Council, a +Lab Fellow, and active member of the Human Capital Club. Kashay will be joining Microsoft this summer within the HR Trax Rotational Program in Seattle, WA.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/michigan-ross-mbas-reflect-on-their-first-year-discuss-the-journey-ahead

#134 Successful MBAs, Leadership & High Performing Teams with Prof. Randall S Peterson of LBS

Sat, 05 May 2018 04:45:44 GMT

Guest Host and London Business School (LBS) MBA Mathias Keller invites Dr. Randall S Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour and the Academic Director of the Leadership Institute at LBS, to share his thoughts on successful MBA students, how to develop leadership skills, and how to build high performing teams. Don't miss this episode to sample leadership lessons you'd learn at one of the world's top business schools.

Questions

What makes a successful MBA student? (7:10)
How do you develop leadership skills? (16:02)
How do you build high performing, diverse teams? (29:19)

About our Guest Host

Mathias Keller is currently an MBA student at the London Business School. Prior to starting his MBA, Mathias worked as a German diplomat in Bangladesh and Afghanistan focusing on human rights and counterterrorism. He is interested in pursuing a career at the intersection of business and government. Mathias will intern at McKinsey Berlin this summer.

About Our Guest

Professor Randall S Peterson is Academic Director of the Leadership Institute. His current research activities include investigating: leading diverse teams, how CEO personality affects top management team interaction, leadership transitions in organisations, board effectiveness, conflict management in teams, and the effects of member personality on group interaction and performance.

As Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, he teaches Executive Education and MBA programmes on leading teams and organisations, high performance teams, leadership assessment, and interpersonal skill development.

Professor Peterson holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining London Business School, he was on the faculty of Northwestern University and Cornell University's SC Johnson Graduate School of Management. He is a former Deputy Dean (Faculty), Subject Area Chair of Organisational Behaviour, Chair of the Ph.D. Programme, and Vice President of the Campaign Committee of London Business School.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/successful-mba-students-leadership-high-performing-teams-randall-peterson-lbs

#133 Breaking into Media & Entertainment (as an MBA)

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 17:10:28 GMT

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top media and entertainment companies? Darren invites his good friend Mark Zee, UCLA Anderson MBA '14, to share his experience interviewing and working for companies like 20th Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company, where he is currently Director for Pay TV & Digital Sales. Mark also shares his thoughts on building relationships during and after the MBA.

This is Part 7 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Common entry points for MBA grads in the entertainment industry (5:21)
The entertainment industry is in flux (8:46)
How Mark landed his internship with Fox (11:00)
The importance of location in industry recruiting (19:08)
How Mark landed his post-MBA job with Disney (20:10)
Interviews (38:32)
Mark's recommended resources (41:42)
What do applicants need to know about succeeding in industry (44:21)
Mark's reflections on his promotion at Disney (46:43)
Mark's thoughts on the future of the entertainment industry (52:16)

About Our Guest

Mark Zee is Director of Pay TV & Digital Sales at The Walt Disney Studios. He joined the company after graduating from UCLA Anderson in 2014. In his current role, he negotiates distribution deals with digital platforms and MVPDs (e.g. iTunes, Comcast); develops new business opportunities (e.g. Movies Anywhere, VR); and provides strategic insights to senior leadership. Previously, he worked on the International Digital Distribution team. His responsibilities cover Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and ABC Studios.

While pursuing his MBA, Zee completed a year-long internship in digital strategy and sales operations at 20th Century Fox International Theatrical. Prior to business school, he worked in investment management in Houston, Texas and starred in over a dozen television series in Asia. Zee received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University. As a Chinese-American-Brazilian, he enjoys food, sports, and dancing with his hips.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-media-entertainment

Episode Sponsor

At MPOWER we believe that helping to turn the dreams of future global leaders and innovators into reality is of utmost priority. Therefore we offer international MBA students flexible financing for their education in the US, without requiring co-signers or collateral. What matters most is their future potential. Visit mpowerfinancing.com/borrow-touchmba for more information.

MPOWER Financing, DC consumer lending license: ML9261, Public Benefit Corporation

#132 How to Show Quant Skills (outside your GPA & GMAT)

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 05:00:00 GMT

How can MBA applicants show evidence of quantitative skills outside of their university GPA and GMAT? Do top b-schools accept online courses like Coursera?

Darren invites Admissions Directors from 3 top business schools - Cornell Johnson (USA), IMD (Switzerland) and CEIBS (China) - to share their thoughts.

Eddie Asbie from Cornell Johnson MBA (4:20)
Paola Eicher from IMD MBA (10:18)
Christina Mou from CEIBS MBA (15:44)
Darren's Thoughts (20:18)

About Our Guests

Eddie Asbie is Associate Director, Admissions and Financial Aid at Johnson at Cornell University

Paola Eicher is the MBA Recruitment Manager at IMD Business School.

Christina Mou is Marketing and Admissions Manager at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/how-to-show-quant-skills

Episode Sponsor

MPOWER Financing, DC consumer lending license: ML9261, Public Benefit Corporation

#131 The Quick & Easy Way to Effective MBA Interviewing

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 10:37:55 GMT

Could this be the only book you need to prepare for your MBA interviews?

Inspired by Dale Carnegie's classic book, The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking, Darren shares a simple 3-part framework to help you choose your best 'material' for your MBA interviews.

Checklist

Have you earned the right to talk about topic through experience or study?
Are you excited about your subject?
Are you eager to share your subject with your interviewer?

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/quick-easy-way-effective-mba-interviewing

Episode Sponsor

Ranked among the top public universities in the US, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides an outstanding MBA experience tailored to your interests and leadership development. Whether switching careers, enhancing a career or starting a business, an MBA from Fisher provides tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed today.

Visit fisher.osu.edu to learn more about Fisher’s personalized MBA program and competitive scholarship opportunities.

#130 Breaking into CPG (Consumer Package Goods) as an MBA

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 03:21:52 GMT

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top Consumer Package Goods (CPG) companies? Darren invites Ana Archbold, Michigan Ross MBA '07, to share her experience working for companies like Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson, where she is currently a Senior Marketing Director for Neutrogena. Darren and Ana pay special attention to the recruiting process and what applicants can do to maximize their chances of landing internships and jobs. Ana also shares her thoughts on working internationally after getting a top US MBA.

This is Part 6 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Ana's background (2:54 )
The importance of internships (5:48)
Ana's tips to applicants on how they can get a leg up (9:16)
What are top CPG companies looking for in hires? (16:24)
The recruiting process (21:15)
How important is prior industry experience? (25:20)
Interviews (27:08)
How interns are evaluated for full-time offers (30:15)
Ana's advice to international students applying for US jobs & internships (37:09)
How Ana landed a senior marketing role abroad in the UK (43:20)
Ana's final advice to applicants (46:55)

About Our Guest

Ana Archbold got her MBA from Michigan Ross in 2007 and is currently a Senior Global Marketing Manager for Neutrogena, a Johnson & Johnson brand, in New York City. Previously, she worked as a Global Brand Manager, doing Strategy & Innovation for Unilever in London. Ana has over 15 years of experience in the marketing and brand management.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-consumer-package-goods

#129 Breaking into Brand Management (as an MBA)

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 13:17:23 GMT

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in brand management?

Darren invites Michael Schwartz, NYU Stern MBA '16, to share his experience working as a marketing and brand manager at companies like Philips, Unilever and Heineken.

Michael has worked in marketing and brand management for 10 years – don’t miss his hard-earned insights into the industry!

This is Part 5 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Michael's background (2:30 )
What do brand managers do? (8:54)
Common entry points for MBAs into brand management and industry trends (12:04)
Why Michael pursued an MBA despite wanting to stay in brand management (14:36)
Misconceptions about brand management (24:06)
Traits of successful brand managers (25:16)
Best part of job? Worst part of job? (29:15)
Michael's recommended resources (34:00)
Michael's thoughts on the value of a part-time MBA (38:10)

About Our Guest

After graduating from Baruch College with a degree in Marketing Management, Michael Schwartz has worked in Marketing and Brand Management roles for Philips, Unilever and Heineken. Michael graduated from NYU Stern's Part-time MBA program in 2016. Currently he is a Brand Director for Amstel at Heineken in New York City.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-brand-management

#128 How I Got Into Insead

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 05:01:52 GMT

Massine Bouzerar, a 25-year old Canadian, was backpacking through Myanmar in July when he realized he wanted to start his MBA asap. First round deadlines were looming in September. Within 3 months he wrote the GMAT and submitted a successful application to Insead. What should you do when your back is against the wall? Massine shares his experience and what he did to get accepted to one of the world’s top MBA programs: Insead.

About Our Guest

Massine Bouzerar worked as a product manager for two leading Canadian telecommunication companies before starting his current role as a Manager for E-Commerce Strategy at Ecobee. Massine graduated from Brock University where he majored in Finance. He’ll start at Insead in Fall 2018.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-insead

#127 HKU MBA Program & Admissions Update with Sachin Tipnis

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 04:57:11 GMT

Sachin Tipnis from the University of Hong Kong discusses what makes the HKU MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for HKU MBAs.

Program Highlights (5:15) | Admissions (26:00) | Scholarships (38:36) | Careers (44:27)

HKU MBA Highlights (last updated Jan 2018)

14-months, Fall intake, ~60 students/year
Typical Class: 5 years work exp / 15 nationalities / 660 GMAT
Has 3 tracks: the London track, the New York track, and the Hong Kong/China track. After finishing 9 months of core courses at HKU, students can study at Columbia University in New York, London Business School in London, or Sudan University in Shanghai for one semester
Graduates get a 1-year visa to stay in Hong Kong and find a job post-graduation
Placement, Class of 2015 & 2016: 85% w/job offers w/in 3 months, $77,265 USD avg starting salary
Top Destinations, Class of 2015 & 2016: 48% Hong Kong / 24% Mainland China / 7% India / 7% Europe / 7% other Asia
Top Industries, Class of 2015 & 2016: 32% Banking, Finance, Accounting, Insurance / 29% Consulting, Advisory Services / 19% Consumer Products & Services / 9% IT, Telecoms
Ranked #1 Asian Business School by Economist for 6 straight years

About Our Guest

Sachin Tipnis is the Executive Director of MBA Programmes at the University of Hong Kong. Sachin was part of HKU's first graduating MBA class and has worked for over a decade developing the HKU MBA. Sachin worked in branding and marketing communications for 7 years before working in higher education.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/hku-mba-program-admissions-update

#126 Cornell Johnson MBA Admissions Interview with Eddie Asbie

Sat, 23 Dec 2017 04:19:31 GMT

Eddie Asbie from Cornell University's Johnson School of Management discusses what makes the Cornell MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Cornell MBAs.

Program Highlights (7:14) | Admissions (29:50) | Scholarships (52:07) | Careers (58:38)

Cornell MBA Highlights (last updated Dec 2017)

1-Year Cornell Tech MBA (New York City), May intake, ~50 students/year
1-Year MBA (Ithaca, New York), May intake, ~75 students/year
2-Year MBA (Ithaca, New York), September intake, ~275 students/year
Typical 2-Year Class: 5 years work exp / 35% international / 700 GMAT
Offers 7 immersions in corporate finance, investment research and asset management, strategic marketing, strategic operations, digital technology, sustainable global enterprise, and investment banking
Placement for 2-Year, Class of 2016: 94% w/job offers w/in 3 months, $121,000 USD avg starting salary, $31,000 USD avg signing bonus
Top Destinations for 2-Year, Class of 2016: 53% NorthEast US / 18% West US / 8% Midwest US / 5% Southwest US / 4% Asia
Top Functions for 2-Year, Class of 2016: 33% Finance / 29% Consulting / 22% Management / 11% Marketing
ROI: one-third of class win merit-based scholarships, up to 25 students/year can win Roy H. Park 2-Year Full Tuition Fellowship
Ranked #16 by US News and World Report in 2018

About Our Guest

Eddie Asbie is the Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School of Management. Eddie has worked over 5 years for the Cornell MBA and specializes in helping military, underrepresented and dual degree program candidates. Previously Eddie served as an Admissions Advisor for University at Buffalo.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/cornell-johnson-mba-admissions-interview

Episode Sponsor

The IESE MBA in Barcelona is consistently ranked Top 15 worldwide by the Financial Times. Do you want to challenge yourself and take your career to the next level? IESE’s full time MBA program will transform your capacity to think strategically, explore new perspectives and be a leader in today’s global world. The IESE MBA: Give us 19 months and we give you a lifetime of impact.

Get informal feedback on your profile at mba.iese.edu or visit us on campus at our Open Days.

#125 Should You Hire an MBA Admissions Consultant?

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 02:53:43 GMT

When should you use an MBA admissions consultant? How can you get the most value? What should you look for when hiring one?

As a former MBA Admissions Director and Admissions Consultant, Darren shares his thoughts.

Questions

Why are MBA Admissions Consultants so expensive? Are they worth the fees? (6:25)
Should you hire an MBA Admissions Consultant? Which service should you get? How can you get the most value? (13:10)
What you should look for from an Admissions Consultant? (19:43)
Questions to ask an MBA admissions consultant (21:12)
A framework to help you make the decision (22:15)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/should-you-hire-an-mba-admissions-consultant

Episode Sponsor

Get informal feedback on your profile at mba.iese.edu or visit us on campus at our Open Days.

#124 Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Admissions Interview with Katie Lloyd - "At the Intersection of Business and Technology"

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 04:28:40 GMT

Katie Lloyd from Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business joins the show to discuss what makes the Georgia Tech MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Georgia Tech MBA students.

Program Highlights (4:19) | Admissions (21:03) | Scholarships (37:00) | Careers (41:18)

Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Highlights

Fall intake, 22 months, 80 students/year
Class: 80 students / 4.5 years work exp / 25% international / 680 GMAT
Students can explore 8 immersive tracks at the intersection of business and technology: technology commercialization, leading new ventures, innovating for sustainability, business analytics, computational finance, leading digital transformation, managing technology products, supply chain innovation
ROI: two-thirds of class win funding through graduate assistantships and fellowships
Placement for Class of 2016: 95% w/jobs w/in 3 months, $108,000 USD avg starting salary, $16,000 USD avg signing bonus
Top Industries for Class of 2016: 40% Consulting / 19% Technology / 14% Financial Services / 6% Transportation & Logistics / 6% Consumer Products / 4% Health Care
Ranked #29 by US News & World Report in 2018 MBA Rankings

About Our Guest

Katie Lloyd is Executive Director of MBA Admissions at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business. Previously, Katie served in senior admissions roles for Emory's Goizueta Business School, including Director of Admissions for its 1-year MBA. She has over 20 years over experience in MBA admissions. Katie attended Vanderbilt for her Bachelors, Indiana University Bloomington for her Masters and University of Georgia for her Doctor of Education.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/georgia-tech-scheller-mba-admissions-interview

Episode Sponsor

Get informal feedback on your profile at mba.iese.edu or visit us on campus at our Open Days.

#123 Essec MBA Admissions Interview with Vivien Koh

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 04:09:46 GMT

Vivien Koh from Essec Business School joins the show to discuss what makes the Essec Global MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Essec Global MBA students.

Program Highlights (3:28) | Admissions (21:28) | Scholarships (28:22) | Careers (31:02)

Essec MBA Highlights

September intake, 12 months, 100 students/year
Students can study on French and/or Singapore campuses, depending on major
Offers 6 majors in Luxury Brand Management, Hospitality Management, Finance, Strategy & Management, Enterprise Innovation, and Digital Business
Top Destinations for Class of 2016: 50% France / 25% Asia / 10% Middle East & North America / 10% Europe (excluding France) / 5% North America
Top Industries for Class of 2016: 30% Services / 25% Consulting / 20% Industry / 15% Startups / 5% Public Sector & NGOs / 5% Finance & Banking
Ranked #27 by QS Global MBA Rankings 2018 (#13 in Europe)

About Our Guest

Vivien Koh is Executive Director, Business Development and Marketing for ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific. Previously, Vivien was Head of New Business Sales, Asia Pacific-Japan for Google and ASEAN Regional Sales Director for Oracle. Her sales and marketing career in technology sector spans over 20 years. Vivien received her MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/essec-global-mba-admissions-interview/

Episode Sponsor

Get informal feedback on your profile at mba.iese.edu or visit us on campus at our Open Days.

#122 Breaking into Data and Business Analytics (as an MBA)

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 12:51:25 GMT

Roughly one third of the top 100 business schools have started Masters in Business or Data Analytics programs, in response to the growing need for workers who can leverage data assets for competitive advantage.

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in the growing industry of data and business analytics?

Darren invites Shane Rai, Co-Founder of TenPoint7, a machine learning-as-a-service company, to share his experience as a technology consultant turned entrepreneur in the data analytics and service industry.

This is Part 4 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Shane's background (3:39)
The difference between data science, data analytics and business analytics (7:00)
How to break into the industry (11:00)
What background & experience are data-centric companies looking for? (15:13)
Is AI going to take over the world? (20:30)
Selling data intelligence services (24:30)
Interviewing for a data analytics role - what you need to know (26:41)
Real world examples of data analytics in action (33:24)
Worst parts of the job (37:50)
Shane's recommended resources (39:46)
Shane's final thoughts on the data analytics industry (41:20)

About Our Guest

After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Computing and Software Systems, Shane Rai worked 7 years for Deloitte Consulting in the technology service area, and then 2 years as Product Manager for SDL Social, which provides social media analytics and intelligence tools. Shane currently leads product development for TenPoint7, a machine-learning-as-a-service and data consulting provider based in Seattle.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-data-and-business-analytics

Episode Sponsor

Get informal feedback on your profile at mba.iese.edu or visit us on campus at our Open Days.

#121 21 MBA Application Questions Answered

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 03:03:49 GMT

7 senior MBA Admissions Directors from Berkeley Haas, Cornell Johnson, Virginia Darden, Duke Fuqua, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, and Yale School of Management came to Vietnam this Fall for an MBA admissions panel.

Darren shares the questions asked and lessons learned from the event.

Questions

GMAT or GRE - does it matter? (5:08)
How do schools evaluate undergrad transcripts? (5:39)
Should only business students apply for MBAs? (6:32)
What does the ideal resume look like? (7:33)
What do adcoms want to see in essays? (9:19)
Optional essay - should it be used? (11:13)
Letter of recommendations - what are b-schools looking for? (13:24)
Tips for interviews? (15:25)
How can applicants show interest in programs? (17:32)
What if your recommender is not a native English speaker? (18:06)
Common myths in the MBA application process? (18:25)
Does visiting a school campus increase chances? (21:03)
How do schools view multiple GMAT scores? (22:08)
How are IR and AWA evaluated and used? (23:27)
What if adcoms see conflicting evidence/data points for quant scores? (23:57)
Is international experience important? (26:07)
Interviews - is there any difference between adcom and student interviews? (27:47)
Do adcoms consider how long you’ve worked for your recommender? (29:05)
What is most stressful part of getting an MBA? (29:20)
Rewarding part? (30:00)
Bonus - Darren’s key takeaways from the event (31:42)

Admissions Directors at Multi-School Admissions Event in Ho Chi Minh (Sep 2017)

Eddie Asby (Cornell Johnson, Associate Director of Admissions & Financial Aid)
Candace Gonzales (Berkeley Haas, Associate Director of Admissions)
Rita Morrow (Virginia Darden, Associate Director of Admissions)
Jessica Brown (Duke Fuqua, Assistant Director of Admissions)
Taya Sapp (Michigan Ross, Associate Director of Admissions)
Maria Derlipanska (Yale Som, Associate Director of Admissions)
Fatema Dalal (NYU Stern, Director of MBA Admissions)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/21-mba-application-questions-answered

Episode Sponsor

Get informal feedback on your profile at mba.iese.edu or visit us on campus at our Open Days.

#120 Breaking into Venture Capital (as an MBA)

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 17:39:44 GMT

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in venture capital?

Darren invites his friend Garrett to share his experience, both as an MBA student looking to break into venture capital and as an interviewer for Hewlett Packard Ventures.

Garret has worked in venture capital and related jobs in San Francisco for 7 years – don’t miss his hard-earned insights into the industry!

This is Part 3 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Garrett’s background (4:50 )
What do venture capitalists do? (9:56)
What work background & experience are venture capital (VC) firms looking for? (17:00)
The importance of networking to break into the industry (20:39 )
How helpful are business school reputations and rankings in recruiting (23:40)
Common entry points into VC as an MBA? (25:34)
The (lack of a) recruiting process in VC (26:10)
How VC’s and startups perceive MBAs (28:50)
Interviewing with VCs - what you need to know (32:21)
Traits of successful VCs (35:38)
Best part of job? Worst part of job? (38:12)
Venture capital opportunities for international MBAs in US (44:42)?
Garrett’s recommended resources (48:47)
Garrett’s final thoughts on succeeding in venture capital (50:07)
Business school geography and venture capital (52:46)

About Our Guest

After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Electrical Engineering, Garrett Wong worked 3 years as an investment banker at Wachovia and UBS, and then 2 years as a corporate development associate at Cisco, where he evaluated venture capital investments in clean tech and technology. After getting his MBA from Wharton, Garrett worked in a number of PE, VC and product management roles before joining Hewlett Packard Ventures.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-venture-capital

Episode Sponsor

Ranked among the top public universities in the US, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides an outstanding MBA experience tailored to your interests and leadership development.

Whether switching careers, enhancing a career or starting a business, an MBA from Fisher provides tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed today.

Visit fisher.osu.edu to learn more about Fisher’s personalized MBA program and competitive scholarship opportunities.

#119 Breaking into Investment Banking (as an MBA)

Sat, 21 Oct 2017 05:59:07 GMT

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in investment banking?

Darren invites his friend Scott to share his experience, both as an MBA student looking to break into investment banking and as an MBA recruiter for Wells Fargo Securities.

Scott has worked in investment banking for 7 years after his MBA – don’t miss his hard-earned insights into the industry!

This is Part 2 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Scott's background (3:40)
The 2 paths to entering investment banking (6:46)
What do investment bankers do? (8:50)
Common roles for recent MBA graduates (10:58)
What is the recruiting process? (15:02)
Bulge bracket vs. boutique investment banks (24:39)
How b-schools help with recruiting (28:40)
The Wharton alumni network and how to stay connected (30:10)
What investment banks are looking for in new MBA hires (33:00)
Interviews and dealing with technical questions (43:20)
Scott's recommended resources for interview prep (49:35)
The role of office locations and ìcore b-schools in recruiting (51:05)
Investment banking opportunities for international students in the US? (59:20)
Best part of job? Worst part of job? (1.01:05)
Scott's final thoughts on succeeding in investment banking (1.07:25)

About Our Guest

Scott Dragicevich played professional baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays before going to business school. After getting his MBA from Wharton majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship, Scott joined Wells Fargo Securities in New York City covering transportation and logistics. He currently works as Vice President - Investment Banking and Capital Markets, for Wells Fargo Securities in Los Angeles.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-investment-banking

Episode Sponsor

Ranked among the top public universities in the US, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides an outstanding MBA experience tailored to your interests and leadership development.

Whether switching careers, enhancing a career or starting a business, an MBA from Fisher provides tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed today.

Visit fisher.osu.edu to learn more about Fisher’s personalized MBA program and competitive scholarship opportunities.

#118 Full-time vs. Part-time vs. Online vs. Executive MBA - Which is the Right MBA for You?

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 05:26:49 GMT

What is the difference between Full-time, Part-time, Online and EMBA degrees? Which one makes most sense for you?

A number of you coming to Touch MBA for school selection help are considering multiple MBA program formats so I thought it would be good to dedicate one short episode to covering key differences from an admissions, curriculum, career and reputation perspective.

Dirk is involved in all 4 MBA programs for IE Business School so I played the role of “applicant” and asked him common questions I get.

About Our Guest

Dirk Hopfl is Director, IE Center Singapore for IE Business School. Dirk got his MBA from IE in 1999 and done admissions and development for IE's graduate and undergraduate programs for over 15 years.

Episode Sponsor

Ranked among the top public universities in the US, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides an outstanding MBA experience tailored to your interests and leadership development.

Whether switching careers, enhancing a career or starting a business, an MBA from Fisher provides tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed today.

Visit fisher.osu.edu to learn more about Fisher’s personalized MBA program and competitive scholarship opportunities.

#117 Breaking into Management Consulting (as an MBA)

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 02:13:30 GMT

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in management consulting?

Darren invites his friend Sandra to share her experience, both as an MBA student looking to break into consulting and as an MBA recruiter for McKinsey & Company.

Sandra worked in management consulting for 5 years after her MBA - don't miss her hard-earned insights into the industry!

This is Part 1 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

Sandra’s background (3:42)
The role summer internships play in the recruiting process (6:12)
Common types of consulting jobs for MBA grads (11:06)
The recruiting process for management consulting (12:52)
What McKinsey is looking for in hires? (16:00)
What if you don’t go to a top-ranked b-school? (20:00)
What do applicants need to know about succeeding in consulting? (21:41)
Misconceptions about management consulting (27:16)
Best part of job? Worst part of job? (32:24)
Consulting opportunities for international students in the US? (38:08)
The role of locational offices in recruiting (44:18)
Recommended resources for breaking into management consulting (48:36)

About Our Guest

After getting her MBA from Northwestern Kellogg, Sandra worked for McKinsey & Company for 5 years. She currently lives and works in New York.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-management-consulting

Episode Sponsor

Ranked among the top public universities in the US, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides an outstanding MBA experience tailored to your interests and leadership development.

Whether switching careers, enhancing a career or starting a business, an MBA from Fisher provides tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed today.

Visit fisher.osu.edu to learn more about Fisher’s personalized MBA program and competitive scholarship opportunities.

#116 Interacting with MBA Admissions Officers at Events

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 04:45:32 GMT

How can you make a memorable impression on MBA Admissions Officers at MBA recruiting events? Drawing on his experience recruiting at MBA Tours and information sessions, Darren shares 3 tips for how you can stand out.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/interacting-with-mba-admissions-officers

Episode Sponsor

Ranked among the top public universities in the US, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides an outstanding MBA experience tailored to your interests and leadership development.

Whether switching careers, enhancing a career or starting a business, an MBA from Fisher provides tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed today.

Visit fisher.osu.edu to learn more about Fisher’s personalized MBA program and competitive scholarship opportunities.

#115 Charting Your Own Path in China with Jesse Miller, CEIBS MBA '17

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 06:59:20 GMT

Why did an American Ivy League graduate decide to pursue an MBA in China?

In 2015 Jesse Miller decided to pursue his MBA at CEIBS, ranked #11 worldwide by the Financial Times in 2017 and China's top-ranked program.

Jesse discusses the pros and cons of pursuing a top-ranked MBA in Asia, his experience as a minority American student at CEIBS (Shanghai) and ISB (Hyderabad) where he studied one semester, and how he jumped from working in fashion to the entertainment industry. Jesse also shares his thoughts on the startup and entrepreneurship environment in China.

Listen to one applicant's take on using the MBA to chart your own path.

Questions

Jesse's background (4:06)
Why Jesse chose to study in China after graduating from a top US university (7:14)
The case for and against getting an MBA in China (9:06)
How Jesse secured his internship and job (14:50)
CEIBS' alumni network and student clubs (17:26)
Jesse's thoughts on CEIBS' reputation inside and outside of China (21:00)
Exchanging for 3 months at the Indian School of Business (23:00)
Jesse's thoughts on the startup and entertainment industry in China (27:20)
Jesse's final thoughts on who should pursue MBAs in China (33:16)

About Our Guest

Jesse Miller graduated from Brown University where he majored in Political Science and Government. He then led the expansion of his family jewelry business into China. At CEIBS, Jesse was President of the CEIBS MBA Energy and Environment Club and played an active role in CEIBS eLab Incubator. Jesse speaks fluent Chinese and recently started working as an International Development Manager at Shanghai Media Group, one of China's largest media conglomerates.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/charting-your-own-path-in-china-ceibs

Episode Sponsor

When three MBAs struggled with student loans, they knew there had to be a better way – so they created one. Now, CommonBond is a leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA.

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

#114 Stephen Huber, USC Marshall MBA ’18 on Getting Off the Waitlist, Preparing Significant Others, and Breaking Into a New Industry

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 05:50:37 GMT

Stephen Huber discusses his MBA experience at USC Marshall, from what he did to get off the waitlist, to preparing his wife for an intense first year, to leading the High Tech and Interactive Gaming Associations, to landing internships and jobs in tech and the hard-to-break into entertainment industry.

After listening to this talk, you'll have a good idea of what it takes to make the most of your MBA experience, especially as a career switcher.

Stephen is also open to answering your questions about the the USC Marshall experience on our Ambassadors Forum.

Questions

What Stephen did to get off the waitlist (9:31)
Preparing significant others for the Full-time MBA experience (14:06)
How to prepare for your first semester (21:13)
Recruiting and Internships at USC (22:06)
How USC Marshall has transformed Stephen (32:35)
The importance of professional clubs at USC (38:07)
What most applicants don't know about USC (46:10)
Stephen's advice on what applicants should look for in an MBA program (49:20)

About Our Guest

Stephen Huber got his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the UC Berkeley and worked as a Nuclear Engineer for General Dynamics before starting business school. Stephen recently completed his first year at USC Marshall's Full-time MBA program and will graduate in Summer 2018.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/usc-marshall-mba-insights-real-time/

Episode Sponsor

Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA.

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

#113 Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 04:26:40 GMT

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t

It's not that admissions officers (or readers, movie-goers, consumers) are mean or cruel. They are just busy.

How can you reward your application readers for their gift of time and attention?

By telling an interesting story.

How do you do this with your MBA applications?

Inspired by Steven Pressfield's book, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, Darren offers 3 pillars to frame your MBA story: concept, theme, and structure (hook, build, payoff).

Darren also dissects 3 successful applicants' positioning through the lens of these core story elements.

By choosing what to focus on, represent something bigger than yourself, and using a story structure embedded in our collective unconscious, you make your application more memorable, and easier for admissions to process.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/nobody-wants-to-read-your-shit

Episode Sponsor

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900

#112 LinkedIn Tips for MBA Applicants

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 08:57:18 GMT

Your LinkedIn profile could be the first thing business schools see.

Darren draws on his admissions experience and shares 7 tips to make a good first impression, reinforce your MBA story, and highlight additional qualities not in your application.

MBA programs are looking at your social media, especially your LinkedIn profile. Take 15 minutes to follow these guidelines, optimize your LinkedIn presence, and represent yourself well to b-schools, MBA students & alumni, and future employers.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/linkedin-tips-mba-applicants

Episode Sponsor

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900

#111 MBA for Entrepreneurs - Worth It?

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:42:20 GMT

Many MBA applicants are interested in entrepreneurship, but have trouble reconciling the cost of an MBA with their goal of starting a business. Darren invites 2 recent Wharton MBA graduates, Alex Kubo and Renata Arauz De Stefano, to discuss if an MBA helps you become a better entrepreneur. Alex currently works at Burrow.com, a Y Combinator backed startup in New York City, and Renata started Mwayi, a fashion social enterprise that brings customized, African-print apparel to US consumers.

How helpful is an MBA for starting your own business? For joining startups? How can you make the most of your MBA experience if you have entrepreneurship goals? Is it tough to go this route when your peers are getting high paying jobs? Can entrepreneurship be taught? Listen on to get the perspective of 2 students who started organizations during their MBA.

About Our Guests

Alex Kubo graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He then worked as a Project Manager and Project Engineer for ExxonMobil before attending Wharton, where he majored in Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing. After a summer internship and consulting role at Andela, Alex joined 2 of his Wharton classmates in the Fall of 2016 to help lead Burrow.

Renata Aráuz-DeStefano majored in International Relations and French at Tufts University and worked for 4 years at FINCA International in microfinance before heading to Wharton. In her second year, she started Mwayi, a fashion social enterprise. This summer, she will be investment banking for Bank of America - Merrill Lynch.

Alex Kubo, Burrow (4:50)
Renata Arauz DeStefano, Mwayi (39:15)

Episode summary, links and more at http://touchmba.com/mba-for-entrepreneurs-worth-it/

Episode Sponsor

Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA.

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

#110 Great MBA Letters of Recommendations with Caroline Diarte-Edwards

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Caroline Diarte Edwards and Darren cover best practices for securing great MBA letters of recommendation. Don’t miss this detailed and open-ended discussion between 2 former Admissions Directors so you can sidestep common mistakes and understand what top b-schools consider an excellent letter of recommendation.

Questions

Why recommendations are important (3:16)
Who to select as your recommender (6:06)
How to prepare and what to give your recommenders (19:06)
Last tips on to get great MBA recommendations (37:00)

About Our Guest

Caroline Diarte Edwards is Co-Founder and Director of Fortuna Admissions. Caroline was Director of Admissions for the Insead MBA from 2005 to 2012. Caroline got her MBA from Insead in 2003 and is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/great-mba-letters-of-recommendations

Episode Sponsor

Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA.

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

#109 Crafting Your Best Story & Applying Through the Consortium with Sabaina Kamara, Michigan Ross '19

Tue, 23 May 2017 05:01:28 GMT

Sabaina Kamara, a Touch MBA listener and Admissions Edge Member, details what she did each step of the way to craft her best story - one that got her admitted to 4 top 20 US b-schools, including Michigan Ross, where she will head to this Fall. Sabaina also shares the benefits of applying through the Consortium, and her best application tips on career goals, school selection, GMAT, resumes, essays and MBA interviews.

Also Sabaina has generously shared her Michigan Ross MBA essays below - check them out.

Questions

How Sabaina decided on her MBA career goals and researched b-schools (4:08)
Applying through the Consortium (11:56)
Sabaina's best tips on the GMAT, and MBA resumes, essays and interviews (22:30)

About Our Guest

Sabaina Kamara got her B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland and worked as a Human Resources Analyst for a top management and employment law firm in Washington, DC, where she advised federal contractors on diversity related issues such as affirmative action and equal employment opportunity compliance. Sabaina will be starting the Michigan Ross MBA in Fall 2017.

Episode summary, links and Sabaina's Ross essays at: http://touchmba.com/sabaina

Episode Sponsor

Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA.

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

#108 How to Finance Your US MBA with Phil DeGisi, CommonBond

Tue, 16 May 2017 01:23:49 GMT

“I’m In – Now How Do I Pay For B-School?”

Most applicants are 100% focused on getting IN a top MBA. Then after the euphoria of getting in, the hard reality of financing the MBA hits them in the face. Darren talks to Phil DeGisi, Chief Marketing Officer of CommonBond, about what US applicants can do to get the best MBA loans for US MBA programs.

Darren and Phil also talk about the Dartmouth Tuck MBA, the MBA's usefulness in the marketing industry, and what US applicants should look for in an MBA network.

Questions

What should applicants think about (strategically) to secure the best MBA loan (6:16)
What is the common financing path for most US MBAs? What federal and private loan options are available? (8:40)
Federal loans vs. private loans (12:28)
Estimating your MBA costs and last financing tips (19:40)
What applicants can do now (tactically) to secure a great loan (21:30)
How Phil has benefited from the Dartmouth Tuck MBA (30:08)
How to gauge the strength of MBA alumni networks (32:36)
Phil's thoughts on the MBA's value in the marketing industry (34:50)

About Our Guest

As Chief Marketing Officer at CommonBond, Phil DeGisi oversees the marketing, business development, and creative teams. Prior to joining the CommonBond team, Phil held ecommerce and digital marketing roles spanning startups and large organizations, including Quidsi (a subsidiary of Amazon), littleBits electronics, and Walmart.com. Across these roles, he led direct response marketing, customer retention, and site merchandising/optimization efforts. Phil received his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and his BA from Vassar College with a degree in economics.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/us-mba-loans

Episode Sponsor

Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA.

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

#107 Queen's MBA Admissions Interview with Matt Reesor - "Team-based"

Tue, 09 May 2017 03:08:17 GMT

Matt Reesor from Queen's University Smith School of Business joins the show to discuss what makes the Queen's MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Queen's MBA students.

Program Highlights (3:00) | Admissions (25:10) | Scholarships (51:40) | Careers (56:30)

About Our Guest

Matthew Reesor is the Director of the Queen’s MBA at Smith School of Business. He has held administrative leadership and faculty positions at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (NUCB) and Queen’s University. His research, focusing primarily on communications and language policy, has been published and widely referenced in academic journals.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/queens-mba-admissions-interview

Episode Sponsor

Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900

#106 The GMAT Episode

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 01:00:00 GMT

How do top business schools use the GMAT to evaluate you? What exactly are they looking for? What do you need to score and on which sections? When should you retake the GMAT? Do schools prefer the GMAT or GRE?

Darren asks Admissions Directors from 3 top schools - Michigan Ross (USA), IESE (Spain) and HKUST (Hong Kong) - tough questions about the GMAT. Listen on to get your GMAT questions answered!

Son Nguyen from Michigan Ross MBA (4:46)
Anjaney Borwankar from IESE MBA (20:30)
Gary Lo from HKUST MBA (33:55)
GMAT Lessons Learned (50:44)

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/gmat

Episode Sponsor

Save up to thirteen thousand dollars with a low-interest MBA loan from CommonBond. CommonBond has funded over a billion dollars in student loans, and their easy online application only takes minutes.

To learn more, visit http://commonbond.co/TouchMBA

CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

#105 Life as a Business School Professor with Gregor Halff

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 03:44:06 GMT

Amid all the attention paid to rankings, average salaries, and ROI, one crucial part of the MBA experience often gets overlooked - faculty. After all, you are spending more than 700 hours in class at most top MBA programs. In this episode, Darren invites Professor Gregor Halff to give you a behind the scenes look at the life of a business school professor. What does their typical day look like? What are their responsibilities? What are they looking for from MBA students? And what should MBA applicants look for and expect from MBA faculty? Listen on to better understand what b-school professors do and how this could influence your experience.

About Our Guest

Gregor Halff is Professor of Corporate Communication (Practice) & Deputy Dean, Singapore Management University (SMU). He is also Chair of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. Gregor got his PhD in Communication from Westfõlische Wilhelms-Universitõt and was previously Managing Director for Publicis Group, one of the largest communications company in the world.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/life-as-a-business-school-professor

#104 CUHK MBA Admissions Interview with Lawrence Chan & David Ahlstrom

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:45:03 GMT

Lawrence Chan and Professor David Ahlstrom of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) MBA program join the show to discuss what makes the CUHK MBA unique, the school's admissions process and the career opportunities in the region.

Program Highlights (2:48)
Admissions (19:30)
Careers (32:40)

CUHK MBA Highlights

A pioneer in business education, CUHK offered Asia's first MBA in 1966
Students can complete the course in 12 or 16 months
CUHK offers 4 specializations in Finance, Marketing, China Business, and Entrepreneurship
Financial Times ranked CUHK MBA 36th worldwide in 2017
70-80 students/year
Top Industries for Class of 2016: 22% Banking & Finance / 22% Investment and Asset Management / 15% Business and Management Consulting / 9% Private Equity & Venture Capital

About Our Guests

Lawrence Chan is Administrative Director (Marketing and Student Recruiting), MBA Programs at CUHK. Lawrence went to CUHK for his bachelor and MBA degrees and has over 2 decades of experience in sales, promotion and recruiting in Hong Kong and China

David Ahlstrom is a Professor in the Department of Management at CUHK, where he has taught for over 20 years. He obtained his PhD in Management and International Business from New York University after working several years in government and industry. His research interests include managing in Asia, innovation and entrepreneurship, decision-making, and management and organizational history.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/cuhk-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions and careers at the CUHK MBA program.

#103 Advice for MBA Reapplicants with Neethling McGrath, Columbia MBA '19

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Neethling McGrath, an Admissions Edge Member, shares the ups and downs of applying, reapplying and getting into his first choice: Columbia GSB.

Neethling shares what he did differently the second time around and what he believes were the factors for his application success

To those of you who got dinged and are re-applying to top programs, this episode is for you.

Neethling applies the first time (5:15)
Gets dinged form his 2 schools, now what? (9:50)
How Neethling focused his career goals and improved resume (14:20)
How to reach out to current students, faculty and admissions (19:11)
Dealing with space constraints in reapplicant essay (25:40)
Neethling's reflections and lessons learned (29:34)

About Our Guest

Neethling McGrath got his Bachelors in Electronic Engineering and Masters Degree in Music Technology from Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Before pursuing his MBA, he worked as a consultant for KPMG Management Consulting focusing on telecommunications, technology and media. A recording engineer, Neethling has also recorded live concerts, bands and solo performers.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/advice-for-mba-reapplicants-neethling-mcgrath-columbia

#102 Last Minute Application Tips with Clare Simonis, HBS MBA ’19

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 08:34:13 GMT

You decide you need an MBA. You check your schools' application deadlines - only 1 month left before Round 1 apps are due! What to do?

Clare Simonis found her herself in this situation last Fall. With deadlines 1 month away, she applied to HBS, Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan and Berkeley Haas. She got into HBS and Haas and will be starting at HBS this Fall.

In this episode, Clare shares her journey and tips for those of you scrambling to apply last minute. Not the ideal situation - but certainly a common one. Enjoy the episode!

Clare's application strategy with only 1 month left before the deadline (6:25)
Prepping for interviews at HBS, MIT Sloan, Stanford, Berkeley Haas and deciding on HBS (22:02)
Miscellaneous application tips and thoughts on MBAs vs. starting a business (28:30)

About Our Guest

Clare Simonis graduated from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, majoring in Supply Chain and Operations Management and minoring in Asian Languages and Literature. She worked for Deloitte Consulting as a Management and Strategy Consultant for 3 years and current serves as Chief of Staff to the Integrated Care Group President at Fresenius Medical Care North America.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/last-minute-application-tips-clare-simonis-hbs

#101 Are Business School Students Career Ready? with Jeff Kavanaugh

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 03:55:51 GMT

With 200,000 MBAs graduating each year, are business schools preparing "career ready" employees?

In a sweeping survey of 10,000 recruiters, 3,000 business school students (both MBAs and undergraduates), and 500 business school career center leaders, Jeff Kavanaugh found that all three constituencies had different perceptions of what’s important and where they stand.

Darren and Jeff discuss the 4 main skills recruiters are looking for, where business school graduates are perceived as falling short, and what you can do to boost your employability. Jeff also shares what competencies consulting firms are looking for from MBAs, and what non-consultants can do to break into the industry.

About Our Guest

Jeff Kavanaugh is a Senior Partner at Infosys Consulting, where he heads North American recruiting at the undergraduate and graduate level. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas Dallas, where he teaches Developing Customer Insights, a course focused on critical and creative thinking. Jeff got his Bachelors from from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and MBA from the University of North Texas.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/business-school-students-career-ready-jeff-kavanaugh/

#100 Our Most Popular Guests Answer: “What 1 Action Can Candidates Take to Dramatically Improve Their MBA Application?”

Sun, 25 Dec 2016 04:43:34 GMT

To celebrate the 100th episode of the Touch MBA Podcast, I’m trying something a little different. Instead of hearing from just 1 guest today, you’ll hear from 9.

I asked guests from our most downloaded episodes:

“What 1 Action Can Candidates Take to Dramatically Improve Their Application?”
Today, you’ll hear answers from some incredibly knowledgeable folks, a group with over 75 years of MBA admissions experience.

You'll get 9 powerful, bite-sized tips (each less than 5 minutes) on mindset, positioning, school selection, resumes, essays and interviews.

I encourage you to listen EVERY minute so you can absorb ALL the advice each guest has to offer.

Applying to top MBA programs is never easy. I hope these words of wisdom inspire you prepare your best application and stay true to who you are and what you value.

Tune in and enjoy!

Nick Barniville, Associate Dean for Degree Programs, ESMT Berlin (6:20)
Caroline Diarte Edwards, Former Admissions Director of Insead and Director of Fortuna Admissions (7:54)
Lawrence Li, Northwestern Kellogg Full-time MBA (13:03)
Leigh Gauthier, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto (15:26)
Tyler Cormney, CEO & CoFounder, MBA Prep School (19:07)
Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of MBA Admissions, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University (23:56)
Ashley Lautzenheiser, Associate Director of Graduate Admissions at Olin Business School, Washington University of St. Louis (26:20)
Chua Nan Sze, Director of Graduate Studies, NUS Business School, National University of Business School (29:30)
Ivan Kerbel, Former Director Career Development Office of Yale School of Management and Founder, Practice MBA (32:58)

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/100

#99 Preparing for MBA Interviews with Vince Ricci

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 05:00:00 GMT

Vince Ricci from VincePrep shares his best MBA interview preparation tips, from mindset to strategy to tactics. Vince has some of the most downloaded Youtube videos on MBA interviews and has helped hundreds of applicants get past this final hurdle so don't miss this one!

About Our Guest

Vince Ricci is Director of Admissions Counseling for Agos Japan and Owner of VincePrep.com, where he has produced over 120 videos on how applicants can ace their MBA essays and interviews. Vince has been a Graduate Admissions Consultant for over 15 years and currently serves as President of The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC). He got Bachelors from Stanford and Masters in Instructional Design from New York University. Vince currently lives in Tokyo with his family.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-interview-prep-tips

#98 Insead Insights Real Time: President of Private Equity & Venture Capital Club, Rahul Kewalramani

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 06:28:24 GMT

Rahul Kewalramani, Insead MBA 16D, shares his thoughts on leading the Insead Private Equity & Venture Capital club, finding jobs in Private Equity and Venture Capital, the January vs. September intake, differences between Singapore and Fountainebleu's campus and cultures, exchanging at Wharton, bidding for exchanges/classes at Insead, entrepreneurship, hot industries at Insead and more.

About Our Guest

Rahul Kewalramani is getting his MBA at Insead, where he is President of the Insead Private Equity & Venture Capital Club. Rahul graduated from McGill University where he studied Economics and Finance. Prior to Insead, he worked for JP Morgan in Mergers & Acquisitions, Macquarie Group covering Telecoms, Media, Entertainment and Technology, and Redmart, an online grocery startup in Singapore, doing corporate development. He will graduate from Insead in December 2016.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/insead-insights-real-time-president-private-equity-venture-capital-club

#97 Michigan Ross MBA Program & Admissions Q&A with Son Nguyen

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 03:21:24 GMT

Son Nguyen is Associate Director of Admissions at Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, where he has been since 2014. Previously he was a Corporate Recruiter for Target and Assistant Director of Admissions for the University of Notre Dame. Son got his Bachelors from Notre Dame and his Masters of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia.

University of Michigan Ross MBA Program Highlights 4:18 Admissions 21:56 Financing 38:58 Careers 42:11

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/michigan-ross-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Michigan Ross MBA program.

#96 Career Tips for Spain MBAs with Amber Wigmore Alvarez

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 06:23:13 GMT

Amber Wigmore Alvarez, Executive Director of Career Services for IE, shares her best career tips for international MBA students considering top business schools in Spain. Amber and Darren discuss work conditions for non-EU nationals, Spain's new visa policy, achieving career goals in a 1-year program, and placement trends for IE MBA graduates.

About Our Guest

Amber Wigmore Alvarez is Executive Director of Career Services at IE Business School, Law School and University, where she manages a team of 30 people in the areas of Career Advising, Career Education and Recruiter Relations. She oversees career services for 5,000 current students, 50,000 global alumni and over 4,000 recruiting partners. Amber got her International MBA from IE in 2000 and hosts a monthly podcast focused on career journeys.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/spain-mba-careers

#95 MBA Careers in Social Impact

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 17:31:43 GMT

Pin Chin Kwok, UC Berkeley Haas MBA '09, shares her journey pursuing a social impact career as an MBA applicant, student and alumni. Pin majored in Finance & Operations Research at NYU and worked 7 years at Citi in the finance industry before starting her MBA. Pin and Darren discuss what social impact applicants (broadly defined as those who want to work in corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, non-profit, government/public policy, and corporate social responsibility) should look for when shortlisting MBA programs, securing internships/jobs in the sector, and planning their careers.

About Our Guest

Pin Chin Kwok is a Singaporean who graduated from UC Berkeley Haas in 2009, where she was co-chair of the Global Social Venture Competition and a Haas Merit Scholar. She pursued an MBA to move from finance to the social impact space. She is currently Innovation Director for LumenLab, a MetLife Innovation Centre, focused on health care innovations. She lives in Singapore with her husband Stefan (also a Haas grad!) and daughter Jodi.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-social-impact

#94 US Visas: What International MBA Students Need to Know About Working and Staying in the US

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 10:30:21 GMT

Emma Fisher, NYU Stern MBA '15, joins the show to discuss what international MBA students must know about working in the US during and after their US MBA. Emma and Darren walk through the common visa path for most international students - from F1 student visa to OPT/CPT to H1B. Emma also shares ways international students can maximize their chances of working in the US post-MBA.

About Our Guest

Emma Fisher is a Canadian who graduated from NYU Stern MBA in 2015. Emma pursued a US MBA to switch careers from private equity to luxury brand marketing. She currently works as a Merchandise Planner for Canada Goose in Toronto.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/us-visas-international-mba-students

#93 Which Extracurriculars?

Fri, 23 Sep 2016 07:16:37 GMT

Darren offers 3 questions to consider when presenting your extracurricular activities and shares examples from successful applicants. The volunteering / activities / interests / achievements / additional part of your resume is anything but "additional." Make it count!

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/extracurriculars

#92 MBA Careers Uncovered with Ivan Kerbel

Sat, 06 Aug 2016 09:51:50 GMT

Darren speaks with Ivan Kerbel of Practice MBA about what applicants need to know about MBA career strategy. A Wharton MBA himself, Ivan headed Yale SOM’s Career Development Office and was also a Associate Director at Wharton’s MBA Career Office. There are few people worldwide who have Ivan’s know-how about MBA career strategy – listen on for the inside scoop!

Questions, links and more at: http://www.touchmba.com/mba-careers-uncovered-ivan-kerbel/

#91 Overlooked Aspects of the MBA Experience

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 06:14:11 GMT

Darren shares 3 overlooked aspects of the MBA experience after going through CEIBS Pre-MBA Bootcamp, an intense 5-day MBA immersion in Shanghai, China. They are:

Classroom. You'll be spending at least 700 hours in class - who do you want to learn from?
Careers. Opportunities are often different for local & international students - do you know what's more possible for you?
Community. You're investing in a family for life - what types of people would you be excited to know now and in the future?

#90 Boston University Questrom MBA Admissions Interview with Dana Dubovik

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 08:45:06 GMT

Dana Dubovik is Director of MBA Admissions, Boston University, Questrom School of Business. Dana has been with Questrom since 2008.

Boston University Questrom MBA Program Highlights 2:40 Admissions 20:10 Financing 36:45 Careers 40:05

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/boston-university-questrom-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Questrom MBA program.

#89 Washington University St. Louis Olin MBA Admissions Interview with Ashley Lautzenheiser

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 06:17:03 GMT

Ashley Lautzenheiser is Associate Director of Graduate Admissions at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis, where she has been since 2010. Ashley got her bachelor's degree in marketing from Olin in 2009. Her main role is admissions for Wash U's full-time MBA program.

Washington University St. Louis Olin MBA Program Highlights 3:12 Admissions 20:04 Financing 32:00 Careers 35:22

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/washington-olin-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Olin MBA program.

#88 ESMT MBA Admissions Interview with Nick Barniville

Fri, 27 May 2016 03:44:32 GMT

Nick Barniville is Associate Dean for Degree Programs, ESMT (European School of Management and Technology), where he has been since 2010. Nick is responsible for the management and development of full-time MBA, Executive MBA and Masters Programmes at ESMT. Before joining ESMT, Nick was the Director of MBA Programmes at the Smurfit School at University College Dublin for 4 years and at Insead as Director of Communications for 5 years.

ESMT MBA Program Highlights 3:38 Admissions 24:35 Financing 36:28 Careers 42:35

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/esmt-berlin-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the ESMT MBA program.

#87 Boston College Carroll MBA Admissions Interview with Kristen Shambo - "A Profession Ready MBA"

Mon, 16 May 2016 04:55:48 GMT

Kristen Shambo is Associate Director, Graduate Admissions, Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Kristen has been with Boston College for over 10 years in a variety of admissions capacities and got her MBA from Carroll in 2009.

Boston College Carroll MBA Program Highlights 4:05 Admissions 16:35 Financing 32:58 Careers 38:57

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/boston-college-carroll-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Boston College Carroll MBA program.

This episode of Touch MBA is brought to you be Prodigy Finance – the leader in education loans for international postgraduate students. Visit prodigyfinance.com to learn more.

#86 Financing your MBA Abroad & International MBA Loans with Ricardo Fernandez, Insead MBA '06

Mon, 09 May 2016 00:32:22 GMT

How do you plan to finance your MBA? This can be a very challenging process, especially for students from developing countries who have less access to competitive MBA loans. Ricardo Fernandez, Head of Business Development for Prodigy Finance and Insead MBA '06, discusses financing options for students pursuing their MBA outside their home country, as well as how Prodigy is trying to innovate in this underserved marketplace. Prodigy has processed more than $140m USD of loans for over 4,000 MBA students in 112 countries since it launched 9 years ago.

Darren and Ricardo also talk about the value of the MBA 10 years after graduation and whether MBAs are beneficial for entrepreneurs.

About Our Guest

Ricardo Fernandez is Prodigy Finance's Head of Business Development, working between Madrid, London and New York. After getting his MBA from INSEAD he worked in management consulting for 8 years with Accenture, BCG and KPMG. He then shifted his focus to consult for startup companies in the fintech space, and joined the Prodigy Finance team in 2014. Ricardo got a B.Eng Mechanical Engineering and Material Science from UC Berkeley.

QUESTIONS

How can students fund their MBA educations abroad? (3:37)
Why was Prodigy started? (8:16)
Prodigy's rates, investment model and community benefits (15:35)
Last tips for financing your MBA (24:50)
Looking back at your career, 10 years after you got your MBA, what is the biggest benefit you’ve gotten from Insead? (27:30)
Insead's alumni network and what to look for in alumni networks (29:58)
At least 50% of Insead graduates start or run their own company at some point in their career - why do you think that is? Are MBAs conducive or even necessary for startups? (34:14)
How do investors view MBAs? (40:00)

This episode of Touch MBA is brought to you be Prodigy Finance – the leader in education loans for international postgraduate students. Visit prodigyfinance.com to learn more.

#85 Why I Got My MBA in Asia with Yuan Lee Chung, HKUST MBA '15

Sat, 30 Apr 2016 06:23:10 GMT

Yuan Lee Chung, HKUST MBA '15, discusses why she got her MBA in Asia and the benefits and challenges of attending a top Asian business school. Yuan Lee also studied at Columbia for one-term and shares her thoughts on how Asian and US programs compare.

About Our Guest

Yuan Lee Chung is from Malaysia and got her Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS) before working in finance for Capital Group and UBS Wealth Management in Singapore. After graduating from the HKUST MBA, where she was Vice President of the MBA Association, she stayed in Hong Kong to work for Hubert Burda Media, where she is Head of Corporate Development. Learn more about Yuan Lee's HKUST MBA experience at the Ambassadors Forum.

TOPICS & QUESTIONS

Why Yuan Lee chose HKUST over LBS, IMD, Booth, Insead
What Yuan enjoyed most about HKUST
How Yuan Lee's HKUST experience compared to her exchange term in Columbia
The HKUST MBA alumni network
The reputation of MBAs in Hong Kong and in the finance industry
Clubs & leadership at HKUST
The biggest advantage of going to a Asian B-School (opposed to European or US)?
Last advice for applicants
Hong Kong's visa policy for MBA graduates

This episode of Touch MBA is brought to you be Prodigy Finance – the leader in education loans for international postgraduate students. Visit prodigyfinance.com to learn more.

#84 IMD MBA Admissions Interview with Ralf Boscheck

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 22:12:14 GMT

Dr. Ralf Boscheck is the MBA Program Director and The Lundin Family Professor of Economics and Business Policy at IMD, where he teaches courses in economics and industry analysis. Dr. Boscheck has been a faculty member at IMD for over 25 years.

IMD MBA Program Highlights 2:55 Admissions 25:32 Financing 41:06 Careers 45:25

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/imd-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the IMD MBA program.

This episode of Touch MBA is brought to you be Prodigy Finance – the leader in education loans for international postgraduate students. Visit prodigyfinance.com to learn more.

#83 MBA Essays that Work - Candid Thoughts on Essays, Authenticity and Being Yourself

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 17:25:18 GMT

With MBA programs shortening their applications and asking for less essays, how can applicants still tell their story? How should applicants approach these MBA essays and what should they write?

Darren speaks with Yale SOM MBA Admissions Director Bruce DelMonico and MBA Admissions Consultant Paul Bodine to get two different perspectives on this common applicant challenge.

At the end of the episode, Darren shares his reflections after helping an Admissions Edge member with his 1 Harvard essay.

Show Notes

This episode of Touch MBA is brought to you be Prodigy Finance – the leader in education loans for international postgraduate students. Visit prodigyfinance.com to learn more.

#82 What to Ask MBA Students, Alumni & Admissions Officers to Research Schools, Sharpen your Story & Improve Your Chances

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 19:57:11 GMT

Ben Parker came to Touch MBA nine months ago for free school selection help. As an Australian government policy maker with little business experience, Ben struggled to understand the MBA world and find the right business schools.

In this episode, Ben shares his journey from researching MBA programs to getting accepted to London Business School and HKUST - all this despite having a less than stellar GMAT and GPA and a non-business background.

You’ll learn what to ask MBA students, alumni, and admissions to shortlist schools, make your story “glow” and improve your essays and interview performance. This episode is about assembling an army of advocates - friends, students, admissions staff - to support your candidacy and sanity during an emotionally challenging application process.

Need help picking the right schools? Go to http://touchmba.com/free-school-selection-guidance/ to get your MBA program match scores and expert advice.

#81 How to Make Better Choices When Selecting MBA Programs

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 17:49:28 GMT

At Touch MBA we believe that school selection is half the battle to having a great (and worthwhile!) MBA experience. In this episode, Darren covers an MBA decision-making process to help you avoid common decision-making biases and choose the right MBA programs.

Widen your options - to combat narrow framing
Reality test your assumptions - to combat confirmation-bias
Attain distance - to combat short term emotions
Prepare for the worst - to combat overconfidence

Need help picking the right schools? Go to http://touchmba.com/free-school-selection-guidance/ to get your MBA program match scores and expert advice.

#80 University of Texas at Austin McCombs MBA Admissions Interview with Stephen Sweeney

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 20:07:40 GMT

Stephen Sweeney is Director of Full-Time MBA Admissions at McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin. Stephen got his MBA from McCombs in 2011. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/texas-mccombs-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business MBA program.

#79 University of Washington Foster MBA Admissions Interview with Erin Town - "Take the Reins"

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 18:55:04 GMT

Erin Town is Director of MBA Admissions, Foster School of Business, University of Washington. Erin has been doing MBA admissions for Foster for over 11 years. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/foster-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Washington University's Foster School of Business MBA program.

#78 Ivey MBA Admissions Q&A with J.D. Clarke - "Hit the Ground Running"

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 22:45:15 GMT

Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the Ivey MBA the #1 international MBA program in 2014, largely due to employer and student satisfaction. Darren interviews J.D. Clarke, MBA Executive Director of Masters Programs Recruitment and Admissions, about the school's unique offering and admissions process.

About Our Guest

John-Derek (J.D.) Clarke is the MBA Executive Director of Masters Programs Recruitment and Admissions, Ivey Business School at Western University. J.D. got his MBA from Ivey in 2010. He has worked for over 20 years in higher education, including for Queens School of Business and Ivey Business School.

Program Highlights (4:54), Admissions (15:40), Financing (29:51), Careers (32:48)

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/ivey-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Western University's Ivey Business School MBA program.

#77 Internships, Jobs & Social Life at MIT Sloan

Sat, 15 Aug 2015 23:53:13 GMT

Darren talks to Andrew, a recent MIT Sloan MBA graduate, about his internship and job search experience at Sloan. Andrew worked for Target as a Senior Analyst doing business intelligence and analytics before business school. He landed an internship with Uniqlo (one of the world's top 5 retailers) in New York City and will be heading to Cupertino to work for Apple this month. This episode will give you a great feel for how recruiting works at top US business schools and what to look out for as you shortlist programs based on your career goals. The two also talk about social life at MIT Sloan and what to look forward to. Enjoy!

QUESTIONS

Why Andrew applied to MIT Sloan (2:00)
How Andrew found his internship with Uniqlo (3:06)
Securing internships in a different industry or function (8:08)
How Andrew found his job with Apple & tech recruiting at MIT Sloan (13:12)
The job search process at MIT Sloan (17:15)
The role of alumni in the recruiting process (19:00)
Andrew's school selection advice for MBA applicants (20:25)
MBA social life: Year 1 vs. Year 2 (22:10)
Andrew's thoughts on classmates and culture at MIT Sloan (28:30)

#76 Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA Admissions Interview with Kelly Wilson - "Leadership & Analytics"

Sun, 14 Jun 2015 17:27:55 GMT

Do you know how to solve a problem that has no precedent?

Kelly Wilson, Executive Director of Masters Admissions at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business, shares with Darren how Tepper equips its students to do this through a mastery of analytics, year-round leadership development program, and one-on-one attention with professors. Kelly and Darren also talk in depth about Tepper's admissions process, how to prepare for Tepper's behavioral interviews, and the school's extensive career services.

About Our Guest

Kelly Wilson is Executive Director of Masters Admissions at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Before joining Tepper in 2012, Kelly worked as an Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions for Georgetown McDonough School of Business and Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business. Kelly got her MBA from George Mason University and Masters of Management of Information Systems from Katz.

Program Highlights (2:51), Admissions (16:46), Financing (30:37), Careers (33:01)

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/carnegie-mellon-tepper-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business MBA program.

#75 Yale SOM MBA Admissions Interview with Bruce DelMonico - "Educating Leaders for Business & Society"

Sun, 07 Jun 2015 16:02:15 GMT

This week Darren sat down with Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions at Yale School of Management, to discuss Yale’s mission of “educating leaders for business and society.” How does this translate into the curriculum? How does the school plan to evolve? And what does this mean from an admissions and career perspective? Don’t miss this very informative chat about what makes Yale unique and how you can give yourself the best shot of getting in.

About Our Guest

Bruce DelMonico is the Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions at Yale School of Management, where he has been for over 10 years. Prior to Yale, Bruce worked as an Attorney for 10 years. Bruce has a JD from University of Virginia School of Law and Masters in English from the University of Texas Austin.

Program Highlights (2:20), Admissions (19:16), Financing (33:27), Careers (39:46)

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/yale-som-mba-admissions-interview-bruce-delmonico for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Yale School of Management MBA program.

#74 How to Overcome a Low GPA

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 00:56:44 GMT

Dozens of MBA applicants come to Touch MBA every month for free school selection help and a common concern is how to overcome a low GPA. How can you show top-ranked programs that you will perform well in an intense Master's level program? That you belong with other MBA candidates who got A and B+ averages as undergraduates?

Applicants with low GPAs need to send 2 signals: 1) that they're academically capable and 2) that they have a strong work ethic. Listen on for 7 concrete ways you can communicate these qualities in your application to tackle a low GPA.

Scoring well on GMAT
Performing well in other academic environments (Masters Degrees) or tests (CFA, CPA, etc)
Highlighting work experience that demonstrates your hard business skills
Securing recommendations that rank you highly for intellectual ability
Taking pre-MBA classes (MBA Math, online courses, community college courses)
"The Shaq Rule" - being so strong employability and ambassadorial-wise that you'll still be a net contributor
Using your optional essay to explain (not excuse) the context surrounding your GPA

#73 Which schools in which rounds? A Kellogg Admit Shares His Process

Sat, 16 May 2015 01:59:33 GMT

At Touch MBA we help point applicants in the right direction when it comes to best-fit schools. But which schools should you target in the first, second or third rounds? Should you apply to all your top choices in round 1?

In this episode, Darren talks to Dean Nordheilm, who came to Touch MBA last Fall and just got into Kellogg. Dean applied to 4 top schools - Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan and Northwestern Kellogg - and learned many lessons along the way. We discuss his "round strategy" as well as how he positioned himself and researched schools. Don't miss these great tips from someone who just got admitted!

Questions

Dean's background (2:32)
Dean's positioning tips (4:10)
Researching and presenting your post-MBA goals (6:08)
Which schools to apply to? (9:30)
Dean's round strategy and reflections (15:32)
Do your applications get better to each subsequent school? (17:20)
Getting recommendations for multiple rounds and schools (18:30)
Not setting expectations too high (20:50)
The importance of building up your application network (23:45)

#72 UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions Interview with Jessica Chung - "Shared Success"

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:25:12 GMT

This week I sat down with Jessica Chung, Associate Director of Full-time MBA Admissions at UCLA's Anderson School of Management.

We had an in-depth and open discussion about UCLA's MBA offering and culture, what admissions is looking for, and how the program supports students in their career searches. After listening to our conversation, you'll get an insider's feel for the qualities Anderson is looking for and how the school is evolving. Jessica is very transparent about the admissions process so don't miss this one!

About Our Guest

Jessica Chung is the Associate Director of Full-time MBA Admissions at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. Jessica got her B.S. in Business Administration at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and got her Masters in Education from UCLA. She also worked for USC Marshall School as a Graduate Admissions Advisor before joining the Anderson School at UCLA in 2007.

Program Highlights (3:12), Admissions (18:58), Financing (41:05), Careers (44:53)

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/ucla-anderson-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the UCLA Anderson School of Management MBA program.

#71 How to Apply for Top MBAs with Tyler Cormney of MBA Prep School

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 21:50:02 GMT

Over the past decade, Tyler Cormney and MBA Prep School have achieved a 90% success rate with clients at the world's top schools. What are the key steps to preparing an application that puts you in the top 10%? Hint: it's not your essay(s).

Don't miss this value-packed episode and feel free to ask Tyler your questions in the comments!

You can find a list of questions asked at http://touchmba.com/how-to-apply-for-a-top-mba-tyler-cormney-mba-prep-school

About Our Guest

Tyler Cormney is the CEO and Co-Founder of MBA Prep School. Tyler graduated from Harvard Business School with Distinction and has a Masters Degree in Professional Writing from USC. Tyler has been helping MBA applicants for 10 years and his company has a 90% success rate for top-ranked business schools.

Questions

Why preparing to apply is the most important step in the application process (3:47)
How to determine your "points of difference" (6:50)
Which points of difference should you highlight? (10:20)
Career goals and how to tell your "career story" (12:45)
A different and better way to answer "why do you need an MBA?" (17:40)
Developing a compelling "career purpose" (19:28)
How to show long-term and short-term MBA goals (24:10)
Why self-reflection is the secret weapon in MBA applications (26:40)
Admissions trends applicants should be aware of at top 7 schools (28:18)
With schools shortening applications, how can applicants still tell their story? (33:28)
Cultivating mentor relationships early for your recommendations (36:34)
Common mistakes applicants make (37:44)
The necessity of putting together a support team (40:20)

#70 Ohio State Fisher MBA Admissions Interview with Julee Conrad - "Collaboratively Competitive"

Sat, 28 Feb 2015 08:02:30 GMT

Darren speaks with Julee Conrad, Assistant Director of MBA Admissions and Recruiting at Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, about Fisher's unique advantages and how to best position yourself in the admissions process.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/ohio-state-fisher-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business MBA program.

#69 How One Listener Got Into Kellogg, Insead, Ross, Fuqua, Johnson and CEIBS

Sat, 21 Feb 2015 01:08:47 GMT

Many of our podcast listeners come to Touch MBA to get free school selection help. One of them, Li Daming, recently got into Northwestern Kellogg, Insead, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua and Cornell Johnson with scholarship funding. How did he do it?

Daming has literally invested hundreds of hours (and plane miles!) in the application process – be sure to benefit from his experience as he shares his best tips. There’s lots of gold nuggets in this one. Enjoy…

I’m always excited to hear listeners succeed in their MBA journeys. If you would like to share your story, please get in touch at darren at touchmba.com – we’d love to feature you on the show.

Daming’s educational and professional background and career goals (3:25)

Common misconceptions about MBA admissions (8:32)

What if you don’t work for a well-known company? (12:02)

Do you need a high GMAT to get in? (14:52)

Daming’s process to select schools (16:56)

How to research schools (20:19)

How to tell your best story and Daming’s “fit in, stand out” positioning strategy (25:50)

Recommendation tips (31:16)

Daming’s top 3 interview tips (32:13)

What questions to ask at the end of your interview (38:46)

Final thoughts and advice (41:25)

#68 4 Tips to Show School Fit

Sat, 14 Feb 2015 01:21:38 GMT

There’s no perfect school for everyone, so the saying goes. Education, like love, is all about fit.

Top business schools are looking for candidates that would fit with their program, culture, and values. And you should be looking for programs that match your goals too. How can you demonstrate fit in your application without sounding disingenuous or even worse, like everyone else?

Darren shares 4 common mistakes applicants make when trying to prove fit. This comes from reading thousands of applications. Listen on to learn 4 simple strategies you can use to convincingly demonstrate you belong at your target schools.

Remember, there is no perfect school for you
Speak the same language as the tribe
Don’t repeat the school’s marketing pitch; fit should reveal you
Avoid using school buzzwords; embody them instead

Go to www.touchmba.com/podcast to get more insider admissions tips and free school selection help.

#67 MBA vs MSc vs Masters in Management - Which is the Right Masters Degree for You?

Sat, 27 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

What is the difference between Masters in Management, MBA and specialized Masters degrees? Which one makes most sense for you?

A number of you coming to Touch MBA for school selection help are considering multiple Masters programs so I thought it would be good to dedicate one short episode to covering key differences from an admissions, curriculum, career and reputation perspective.

Dirk is involved in all 3 programs for IE Business School so I played the role of "applicant" and asked him common questions I get.

About Our Guest

#66 Arizona State WP Carey MBA Admissions Q&A with Ruthie Pyles - "Business is Personal"

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 04:19:51 GMT

Want to attend a top 30 program in the US that lives and breathes "business is personal?" Darren talks to Ruthie Pyles, Director of Graduate Programs Admissions and Recruiting, W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, about how Carey works intimately with its students to achieve their educational and career goals.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/wp-carey-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Arizona State W.P. Carey's MBA program.

#65 HKU MBA Admissions Interview with Sachin Tipins

Sun, 07 Dec 2014 09:27:54 GMT

How about getting your MBA from one of Hong Kong's most prestigious universities AND also having the option to study one semester at either Columbia Business School, London Business School or Fudan University School of Management? Sachin Tipnis, Executive Director of MBA Programmes at HKU, joins the show to discuss the HKU MBA's unique format and career benefits. Darren and Sachin also talk about HKU's admissions process in-depth so you know exactly how to best prepare your application.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/hku-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Hong Kong University's MBA program.

#64 Rotman MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Leigh Gauthier

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:06:04 GMT

If you're thinking about getting an elite and rigorous MBA in Canada, you have to to consider the Rotman MBA (University of Toronto) based in Toronto. Get the inside scoop as Darren chats with Leigh Gauthier, Acting Director of Recruitment & Admissions & Director of Careers for the Full-time MBA. Rotman is a pioneer in the business education space and it's great to hear how they are challenging the traditional MBA curriculum to produce sought after graduates.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/rotman-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management MBA program.

#63 Peking University Guanghua MBA Admissions Interview with Dr. Longkhai Zhao - "Best Bschool to Know China"

Fri, 07 Nov 2014 06:37:07 GMT

Did you know that China is on track to overtake America as the world's biggest economy by 2016? Dr. Longkhai Zhao, Executive Director of the MBA Program at Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, joins the show to discuss why he thinks Guanghua is the best place to learn about China business at this pivotal point in the country's history. We also discuss Guanghua's admissions process, career opportunities for international students in China, and the changing status of the MBA degree in China.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/peking-university-guanghua-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management MBA program.

#62 Penn State Smeal MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Stacey Peeler - "Best of Both Worlds"

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 06:15:39 GMT

Looking for an intimate MBA experience but want the benefits of a large alumni network at a good cost? Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smeal MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA Admissions Director Stacey Peeler.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/smeal-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Penn State University's Smeal College of Business MBA program.

#61 UCD Smurfit MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Orla Nugent – “IQ, EQ & RQ”

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 08:50:27 GMT

Interested in tech, entrepreneurship and strategy and looking for strong ROI from a European MBA? The UCD Smurfit MBA in Ireland boasts 90% + employment rates after their 11 month program to go along with a relatively affordable tuition (29,500 EUR) and generous scholarships. Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smurfit MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA Program Director Orla Nugent.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/ucd-smurfit-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School MBA program.

#60 Rochester Simon MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Rebekah Lewin

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 17:34:48 GMT

Want to get a rigorous business education grounded in economics and analytics from a renown US business school? Simon awards 75% of its students scholarships and prides itself on its 90%+ job placement rate within 3 months of graduation. Rebekah Lewin, Assistant Dean of Admissions & Student Engagement at Simon Business School, University of Rochester, joined the show to discuss what makes Simon unique, career prospects for Simon grads, and what fit qualities she's looking for from applicants.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/rochester-simon-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the University of Rochester Simon MBA program.

#59 St. Gallen MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Zwanet Van Lubek

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 17:18:00 GMT

Want to study business in idyllic St. Gallen, Switzerland, with an experienced cohort of 40-50 classmates from around 30 countries? The school prides itself in its individual support and strong relationships with corporates in finance, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and luxury good industries. Nearly 50% of graduates made a "triple transformation" and switched geography, industry and function. Listen on for the inside scoop as Darren interviews Zwanet Van Lubek, Head of Marketing and Recruiting, Careers and Corporates, about the St Gallen MBA.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/st-gallen-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the St. Gallen MBA program.

#58 Illinois MBA Program & Admissions Chat with Mark Lockwood - "Take Charge"

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 05:10:49 GMT

Are you looking for a hands-on, customizable and intimate MBA in the heart of one of the world's great research universities? Darren sits down with Mark Lockwood, MBA Director of Recruiting, Admissions, and Alumni Affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to discuss the program's key advantages and admissions process. At only $66,000 USD for a 2-year program, the Illinois MBA offers sneaky good value for a top-ranked MBA.

Go to http://www.touchmba.com/illinois-mba-admissions-tips for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Illinois MBA program.

#57 HKUST MBA Admissions Q&A with Sean Ferguson

Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:38:47 GMT

What is relatively unique about the HKUST MBA?

#1 ranked Asian MBA program in the world by Financial Times past 5 years
Finish the program in 12 or 16 months
Most international MBA program in Hong Kong, usually 25-30 nationalities represented in 120 person class; 95% of class is from outside Hong Kong
HKUST has great exchange relationships - participants are guaranteed exchange spots with nearly 60 MBA programs around the world
Financial Times rated HKUST's faculty #1 for research in Asia
Strong reputation for Finance - 40-50% of graduates work in Finance

A Good Fit for You if:

You are interested in careers in Hong Kong and China - even though 80% of the class is non-Chinese, 50% of graduates stay in Hong Kong to work and 23% work in China
You want to live, study and work in one of Asia's financial capitals; Hong Kong hosts over 6,000 MNCs and 70 of the top 100 banks
You're looking to build a career and network in a fast growing region with a lot of potential upside, and get the prestige of a top-ranked program

About Our Guest

Sean Ferguson is Associate Dean of Masters Programmes at HKUST Business School. Prior to joining HKUST in 2013, Sean was Assistant Dean of Degree Programmes at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business. Before to moving to the higher education industry, Mr Ferguson had a distinguished in corporate career working at PROS, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGE&Y), and Procter & Gamble (P&G). He currently serves on the board of GMAC and got his MBA from Rice University.

#56 The Value of an MBA with Prof. Franz Heukamp of IESE

Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:34:56 GMT

Here at Touch MBA we help you find your best-fit business schools. But what about getting an MBA in the first place? How can it help you? Do you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur? What should you consider when choosing between 1 and 2 year programs? And will the MBA be as valuable in the future?

I sat down with Prof. Franz Heukamp, Associate Dean of MBA Programs at IESE, to get his thoughts on these very important questions. Getting an MBA is a massive investment. As Prof. Franz points out, applicants should think about the long-term ROI – and not just financial ROI – of the degree. I enjoyed his direct answers, and think you will too.

Enjoy the show and we'll see you next Friday!

About Our Guest

Franz Heukamp is Professor of Managerial Decision Sciences and Associate Dean of MBA Programs at IESE Business School, where he teaches in the MBA, Executive MBA, and executive education programs. He got his PhD from MIT and his main area of research is behavioral decision-making with a special interest in the area of Neuroeconomics.

#55 Columbia MBA Admissions Q&A with Senior Admissions Team – “Unparalleled Access”

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 07:59:55 GMT

Few business schools can match the size and scale of Columbia Business School. The school has two intakes in August and January with 750 students graduating each year. Over 450 business leaders speak on the campus annually and Columbia has 40,000 alumni around the world. Students can choose from over 17 concentrations, 100 student clubs and 200 electives. And all of this takes place in New York City, a global business hub with over 3,000 MNCs.

This week I had an in-depth chat about the Columbia MBA with 5 members of the Admissions Team. We discussed what makes Columbia different from other top-ranked schools, admissions tips, living in New York, and the extensive career support available at the school. One thing is for sure: Columbia has a wealth of resources to deliver a first-class business education.

Enjoy!

About Our Guests (5 senior members of Columbia Business School's Admissions Team)

Amanda Carlson, Assistant Dean, Admissions - Amanda got her EMBA from Columbia in 2013 and worked in campus recruitment for McKinsey before coming to Columbia.
Christina Shelby, Director, Admissions - Christina has been doing Admissions for Columbia for over 7 years and got her Masters in Education from Columbia.
Michael Robinson, Senior Associate Director Admissions - Michael got his MBA from Columbia in 2001 and has been with the admissions team for 12 years.
Matthew Moll, Associate Director, Admissions - Matthew got his Masters in Journalism from Columbia and has been working in Columbia admissions for 7 years. He is currently pursuing his EMBA at Columbia.
Anne Carnahan, Associate Director, Admissions

#54 Oxford Said MBA Admissions Q&A with Dana Brown

Mon, 18 Aug 2014 17:11:27 GMT

Dr. Dana Brown, MBA Programme Director at Said Business School, joined the show this week to discuss what makes the Oxford MBA unique and its admissions process.

Being one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Said is looking for students with strong academic abilities. Although they evaluate applicants holistically, Said recommends having a minimum 3.5 GPA and Dana made it very clear that the school thinks the GMAT is important. They are also looking for critical thinkers with open minds who show ambition and purpose. Over 95% of the class international coming from over 40 countries.

Said recently revamped their curriculum to focus on global threats and opportunities, entrepreneurship and more interdisciplinary studies within the wider Oxford community. They also have one-on-one executive coaching throughout the 12-month program. Said plans to grow the class from 240 to 320 by next year.

Listen on for the insider's scoop as I talk to Dana about Said's culture, admissions, scholarships, careers and more!

About our Guest

Dr. Dana Brown is the MBA Programme Director of the MBA Programme at Said Business School, Oxford University. She got her Masters in Philosophy from Oxford and PhD at MIT before returning to Oxford to teach international business and corporate social responsibility. She also spent 3 years at Emlyon before returning to Oxford.

#53 A Quick Guide to Researching School Strengths

Sun, 03 Aug 2014 04:56:00 GMT

What's the best MBA program for supply chain management? Or entrepreneurship? Or marketing?

Many applicants who come to Touch MBA for help picking schools have this exact question. One of the biggest frustrations candidates have is figuring out the key advantages of schools. As one listener wrote, "It's difficult to know which one is the best in a certain area."

In this episode, Darren gives a 3-step framework for quickly and effectively researching a school's academic strengths - "The MBA Physical."

Heart - the people
Skeleton - the course structure
Muscle - the jobs

Listen on for what key things to look for in each of these areas.

You can also download the template to carry out your school research!

See you next week!

#52 How Adcoms Rate Your Career Goals

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 04:41:00 GMT

Over the past year hundreds of applicants have come to Touch MBA to get profile assessments and find their best fit schools. One of the most common problems I see is weak career goals.

Career goals are important – and necessary – for you to figure out your best fit schools AND to improve your chances of acceptance.

In this episode, I cover 5 ways adcoms evaluate your career goals so you can make yours bulletproof.

Are your career goals defined?
Do your career goals reflect a sense of purpose, passion, meaning, and significance?
Can adcoms connect the dots between your prior skills/experiences and post-MBA goals?
Do you have convincing motivations for pursuing an MBA?
Can you make a rock solid case for pursuing an MBA from the school(s) you are applying to?

#51 Stalking the Story for Your MBA Essays

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 17:15:00 GMT

Who better to learn storytelling from than a two-time Pulitzer Prize Winner for dramatic nonfiction?

This week Darren uses Jon Franklin’s Writing for Story as guidance for “stalking the story” and writing MBA essays that grip and reveal. Franklin pioneered the narrative nonfiction genre, and his book is full of gems for applicants struggling with their essays.

After listening to this episode, you’ll know whether you are a) telling your best stories and b) writing your essays in the most compelling way possible.

According to Franklin, great stories share 4 core elements:

Complication: any problem or event that complicates our lives and creates tension
Development: the actions the character takes to resolve the complication
Resolution: a change in the character or situation that resolves tension
Character: a character who cares deeply about and puts significant effort towards resolving the complication

The result? In Franklin’s words: “In the best stories, the odyssey from complication to resolution changes the character profoundly.”

That’s what adcoms are after: getting to know what’s important to you and what has changed you. They are begging to hear your best stories. And that’s why their essays prompt you for complication, resolution, and action that demonstrate your character.

For example, two of Insead's “motivation” essays this year are:

Essay 2. Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned. (400 words max.)

Essay 3. Tell us about an experience where you were significantly impacted by cultural diversity, in a positive or negative way. (300 words max.)

Insead is prompting the elements of a great story: complication (i.e. describe a situation where you failed…) and resolution (i.e. tell us about an experience where you were significantly impacted…). So give it to them!

For “personal” or “motivation” type essays, be sure your story has a complication and a matching resolution. The action you take in between these elements shows your character and how much solving the problem means to you.

So here's a checklist for finding your best stories:

What are the biggest problems / obstacles you’ve faced? (complication)
What you have wanted more than anything? (complication)
When have you taken massive action to accomplish something? (action)
When did your actions make an impact? (action)
What are your proudest accomplishments? (resolution)
What did you have to overcome to get there? (complication, action)
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned? When have you changed the most? (resolution)

And here's a checklist for evaluating your essay:

Do you involve the reader in your story with a complication and create tension?
Does this complication mean a lot to you?
Do you take action to solve the problem?
Do you resolve the complication you bring up?
Did you change or grow from the experience?

Knowing the core elements of great stories will help you find your best material and write stories adcoms will enjoy reading.

#50 Vanderbilt MBA Admissions Q&A with Christie St-John

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 18:33:00 GMT

Ms. Christie St-John, Director of Admissions, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, joined the show to discuss the Vanderbilt MBA. The program is focused on giving students a high-touch and flexible education that will prepare them well for internships and job placement success

Vanderbilt's medical, law and education programs are also highly ranked and Owen encourages its MBA students to study across disciplines. Nashville is the epicenter of the US healthcare industry, and Vanderbilt is one of the few business schools in the country to offer a Healthcare MBA.

Owen is focused on attracting the best students and award 70% of their students with scholarship funding based on merit. Christie makes it very clear that school takes a counseling approach in order to admit students who will succeed - and the school's rising rankings and excellent job placement stats attest that her team has done so.

Christie also expands on Owen's focus on leadership development, human organizational performance, its student culture, and of course, admissions. She has held leadership positions in admissions for Vanderbilt and Tuck for nearly 2 decades and gives great tips on how to present yourself in your essays and interviews - and on how to increase your scholarship chances.

Listen on for the insider's scoop...

#49 Minnesota Carlson Admissions Q&A with Linh Gilles - "A Really Well Kept Secret"

Wed, 07 May 2014 03:07:00 GMT

Carlson MBA Director of Admissions Linh Gilles joined the show this week and we had a great chat about Carlson's focus on experiential learning, the benefits of attending a smaller MBA program in Minneapolis, and how to give yourself the best chance for admissions.

We discuss Carlson's Enterprise program, where students work directly with corporate clients (many of them Fortune 500s) in a consulting capacity over 15-months in 4 areas: branding and marketing, management consulting, new business ventures, and funds investments. By the time students graduate, they'll have a lot more work experience to showcase to employers.

Carlson has a strong reputation in information systems, health care & the medical industry, and entrepreneurship, along with the core business functions. The school benefits from its proximity to Minneapolis' thriving business community, which is home to 19 of the Fortune 500 companies.

Definitely pay special attention to the admissions section of our talk. Linh's shares a wealth of admissions tips that could help you get in to not just Carlson, but other smaller, hi touch programs that emphasize fit.

Enjoy!

#48 Inside UCLA Anderson as a Non-Traditional Candidate with Mark Zee '14

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:21:00 GMT

What is it like to be an MBA student at UCLA Anderson School of Management?

My good friend Mark Zee, a second year student at Anderson, joined the show to discuss his experience at UCLA. Mark is truly a non-traditional candidate, graduating from Princeton University in 2003, acting in Asia for 6 years, starting an import/export business in Singapore, and then working in educational consulting and finance in Houston, Texas before applying to business school in 2012. Mark shares how he tied all this experience together - and linked them to congruent career goals - in only a few essays.

In this episode, Mark and I discuss:

Why Mark chose UCLA Anderson
Application advice to non-traditional & older candidates
The importance of professional clubs at Anderson & how Mark found his entertainment internship
Mark's take on Anderson's culture - "a school is only as good as its students"
Hot industries and career opportunities for Anderson students

#47 Great Applications for Business School with Paul Bodine

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 07:36:53 GMT

How would you like to grab coffee with one of the world's most experienced MBA admissions consultants and pick his brain on what makes a successful application?

This week I asked Paul Bodine, author of Great Applications for Business School, and owner of Paul Bodine Admissions Consulting, about his best advice to clients and admissions trends. Paul has helped hundreds of candidates since 1997 get into the likes of Harvard, Stanford and Wharton. This is a conversation you don't want to miss!

In this episode you'll learn:

The 3 pillars of a successful application (which stand the test of time)
Why you must make sure your goals are organic to what you've done
The importance of authenticity in your application - and how to achieve this
Recent application and admissions trends
Paul's strategic and tactical advice to clients on what to do with less essays
Tips to ace group interviews and multimedia essays

#46 Steve Dalton's The 2 Hour Job Search: The 80/20 Formula to Target Employers & Secure First Interviews

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 06:24:00 GMT

Are you struggling with post-MBA career goals in your application? Top business schools are looking for well-researched and realistic career goals. But exactly how can you do this? Especially when you're strapped for time?

Steve Dalton, Senior Associate Director of the Career Management Center at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and author of the 2 Hour Job Search, joined the show this week to share his systematic formula to efficiently and effectively target potential employers and secure the first interview.

Steve has delivered 2 Hour Job Search workshops to over 20 business schools, and his process is now part of the Fuqua MBA curriculum. I am a huge fan of the book and think it's a must read for not only MBAs, but MBA applicants as well. You'll also get a sneak peek of the strategic and tactical career guidance you'll get at a bschool like Fuqua.

In this episode you'll learn:

How to rig the job search in your favor and avoid artificial desperation
How to generate a list of 40 target employers in 40 minutes
The 3 pieces of data that are both easy to find and predictive of job search success
Steve's LAMP method for prioritizing which employers to target
Why systematically building internal referrals at your target employers is the key to securing interviews in the online era
How to focus on "boosters" (people willing to help) vs. "obligates" or "curmudgeons"
How to prepare for informational interviews - whether for job searches or MBA programs
How to answer common interview questions like "Tell me about yourself" and "Why this MBA program?"
The TIARA framework to systematically build likeability with strangers
What Steve advises Fuqua MBAs to succeed in their job searches
And much, much more...

Don't miss this episode if you're planning your post-MBA career goals or looking to change jobs.

#45 IE-SMU MBA Admissions Chat with Gregor Halff and Lieven Demeester

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 05:17:00 GMT

Most of the top-ranked business schools in Asia are in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. But what if you can't afford to leave your job or city to pursue your MBA? IE Business School and Singapore Management University (SMU) have teamed up to help such professionals in South East Asia and launched a 10-month blended MBA, which combines residential segments in Singapore and Madrid with weekly online classes and forum discussions.

Most people (including myself) consider "online MBAs" a way for business schools to scale and make more money. But after speaking to Dr. Gregor Halff, Associate Dean of General Management Programs at SMU, and Dr. Lieven Demeester, IE-SMU MBA Academic Director, I learned that students can expect as much - if not more - time spent with professors than in a traditional face-to-face MBA format. Gregor calls this small-group learning supported by technology; the expected class size is 30 students.

Graduates are awarded a joint-degree from IE and SMU and get access to both schools' alumni networks and career services. At 74,900 SGD, the tuition is 20% more than SMU's MBA program, but also 30% less than IE's MBA program. Students take 18 core courses, 3 courses focused on management in Asia, and must complete a real-world 10-month consulting project with teammates.

Listen on for the insider's scoop on this new program...

Darren's take: this blended program is ideal for professionals in SE Asia who a) don't want to leave their job and b) want get a high-touch, top-tier joint MBA degree in just 10 months.

#44 MBA Jobs in Hong Kong & China with CUHK Career Services Director Marjorie Chang

Fri, 14 Feb 2014 00:37:23 GMT

Are there really more MBA job opportunities in Hong Kong and China? How has the market changed and what are employers looking for? This week I sat down with Marjorie Chang, Director of CUHK's Career Management Centre, to separate fact from fiction. Listen on to get an "on the ground" picture of the job market in Hong Kong and China. You'll also get insight into how MBA admissions evaluates your post-MBA career goals

#43 IMD MBA Admissions Q&A with Lisa Piguet

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 19:39:00 GMT

Ms. Lisa Piguet, Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at IMD, joins the show this week and generously shares her advice on IMD's accelerated 11-month program, the admissions process and more...

Interesting things I learned about IMD:

IMD is focused on leadership and general management; over 80% of graduates go into industry

Only 90 students are admitted each year from ~40 countries, and the average work experience is 7 years

There's a 2:1 student to faculty ratio

To help develop self-awareness, each student gets 20 sessions with a licensed psychologist

New MBA program director Ralph Boscheck is pushing to get MBAs more exposure to IMD's 9,000 Executive Education participants

Instead of an interview, IMD applicants participate in an assessment day which includes a 1-1 interview with admissions, 5-minute impromptu presentation on a mini-case, lunch with IMD student, and case study class with Professor

IMD is based in Lausanne, which is centrally located in Europe, and has over 350 MNCs (!)

The IMD MBA in a Tweet: "The skills to know, the confidence to act, the humility to lead."

Darren's take: If you're looking for more experienced and international classmates, to transition to a general management role in industry, and to maximize your ROI, consider IMD.

#42 York University Schulich MBA Admissions Q&A with Praveen Muruganandan

Thu, 30 Jan 2014 20:23:00 GMT

Mr. Praveen Muruganandan, Director of Admissions and Recruitment at Schulich School of Business, joined the show to share more about the Schulich MBA, located in Toronto, Canada. We had a revealing chat about Schulich's unique points and what the school is looking for during the admissions process.

Interesting things I learned about the Schulich MBA:

The Schulich MBA is flexible and customizable. Students can start in January or September, and finish in 16 or 20 months. Students can choose from over 150 electives and 19 specializations. Most grads end up working in Finance, Marketing and Strategy.

The Strategy Field Study is the capstone of Schulich MBA experience; groups of 7-8 students help an organization with its strategy over 6-7 months.

Schulich also has an International MBA (IMBA) program, which requires students to work abroad and to speak 2 languages. There are 30-40 students per cohort.

Toronto is the 4th biggest city in North America and 45% of its residents are international.

Graduates from Schulich get a 3-year postgraduate work permit. It typically takes around 2 years to get permanent residence in Canada. Attending a top Canadian b-school would be a great transition to working and living in North America.[/ulist]

The Schulich MBA in 3 words: global, innovative, diverse.

Darren's take: if you're looking for a comprehensive and top-tier global program in Toronto, the financial center of Canada, you should consider the Schulich MBA.

#41 Manchester MBA Admissions Q&A with Elaine Ferneley

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 08:21:00 GMT

Professor Elaine Ferneley, MBA Director at Manchester Business School, joined the show to share more about the Manchester MBA, located in Manchester, UK, and give us an inside look into the admissions process.

Interesting things I learned about the Manchester MBA:

- They don't call it "practice based" learning for nothing. Manchester MBAs are required to do 3 live consultancy projects - requiring over 600 client facing hours - over the 18 month program. The first consulting project starts on Day 2! Students are often working for companies 3.5 days during the week. This way all students get substantial experience working for big name companies before they graduate - and many end up with jobs at these organizations.

- Manchester also has its own admissions test, which includes a psychometric evaluation of applicant's personality. Could this be a future trend in MBA admissions?

- Elaine made it very clear that the adcom places a strong focus on interpersonal skills in the application - so be sure to prepare for the interview. Manchester puts its students in front of companies on Day 2, so your soft skills have to be strong from the start.

- The school has the top ranked accounting/finance group in the UK.

- Manchester is the largest provider of transnational MBA education in the world, delivering its MBA program in the UK, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Miami and Sao Paolo.

- The Manchester MBA in a Tweet: practice-based learning, a good life and good fun!

Darren's take: if you want to get multiple and intensive real-world consulting experience during your Full-time MBA, you should consider the Manchester MBA.

Listen on for the insider's scoop...

#40 Application Tips for Younger Candidates

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 05:43:00 GMT

How can younger candidates compensate for their lack of experience? What are admissions committees looking for in younger candidates? Darren covers 5 tips to show you belong and will be a valued member of your MBA class.

Season your application with these 5 ingredients and you'll improve your chances:

Strong academic track record
Contribution inside class and in student life
Atypical, exceptional impact
Professionalism
Maturity

#39 Waseda International MBA Admissions Chat with Prof. Reiji Ohtaki

Sat, 14 Dec 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Prof. Reiji Ohtaki, Program Director of the Nanyang-Waseda Double MBA, joined the show to talk about Waseda's International MBA Program located in Tokyo, Japan. Prof. Ohtaki runs the career management center and held many senior leadership positions for Hay and Mercer Consulting in Asia Pacific, so he's a great person to talk to about MBAs and careers in Japan.

Listen on for the insider's scoop...

#38 MBA Arbitrage and Negotiating Up

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:56:34 GMT

Is it worth it to get an MBA if it's not Harvard, Stanford or Wharton? Many candidates don't think so. In this episode Darren talks about the top 5 arbitrages that exist in the MBA world. If you know what's important to you, you can still "negotiate up" and get a great educational and life experience at many top MBA programs outside the top 3 (or top 7).

#37 IESE MBA Admissions Q&A with Anjaney Borwankar

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 04:48:00 GMT

Can an MBA really develop "global leaders you can trust?" This week I sat down with Anjaney Borwankar, Director of Corporate Develpment, SE Asia, to discuss how IESE MBA strives to fulfill this mission through its global makeup and case-study pedagogy.

Anjan is an IESE MBA alumni, and plays an active role on the admissions committee and career services teams. We had an illuminating discussion about what makes IESE unique, the admissions process, and why candidates should see the IESE MBA as a launching pad for a global career - not just one in Spain. You'll get some great tips here on what the school is looking for. Hint: it's not the GMAT.

Both the Economist and Financial Times recently ranked IESE as #1 and #3 in Europe, respectively, despite Spain's economic troubles. The school has overseas modules in New York, Shanghai, Sao Paulo and Nairobi, and is the 2nd largest producer of case studies in the world. If you prefer the case-study method, and want to get a global business education, IESE should be a leading contender.

The IESE MBA in 3 words: global, leadership, positive-impact.

Listen on for the insider's scoop...

#36 Cornell Tech NYC Johnson MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Christine Sneva

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 05:10:00 GMT

Christine and I talk about the exciting new MBA collaboration between Cornell Tech and the Johnson School in New York City that starts next year in 2014. What makes it different from Cornell's traditional MBA? Who should apply? And what should candidates keep in mind when applying to this 1-year program? For the first couple years the program will be held in Google's Manhattan office in the Chelsea district. But here's what Cornell Tech's Roosevelt campus will look like.

Listen on for the skinny on this exciting new offering from Cornell.

#35 Cornell Johnson MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Christine Sneva

Fri, 08 Nov 2013 11:26:00 GMT

This week I spoke with Christine Sneva, who is Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid of MBA Programs at Cornell Johnson. Christine is one of the most enthusiastic guests I've had on the show. And she really opens up on what makes Johnson special and how her team looks at applications. You can really go behind the scenes of Cornell's admissions process in this episode.

Although Johnson's class is relatively small (270 students in 2 year program, 60 in 1 year program), Christine makes it very clear that Cornell's bschool network is the 2nd largest in the Ivy League behind Harvard and that students really benefit from the size and engagement of the "Big Red" network. Johnson's flexible curriculum and 1st year focus on immersions has really helped students with internship (and job) placements.

The Cornell Johnson MBA in 140 characters or less: "#CornellMBA innovative programs & is one of the largest bschools #ILR #Dyson #MMH & most engaged alumni networks, we are Cornellians!"

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!

#34 Melbourne Business School MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Edward Cook

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 04:03:00 GMT

Mr. Edward Cook, Director, MBA Programs, Melbourne Business School to talk about the benefits of attending one of Australia's top ranked MBA programs and how to get in.

The Melbourne MBA in a Tweet: Global business leaders learning within an intimate and multicultural environment.

Listen on for much, much more...

#33 ESMT MBA Admissions Q&A with Jolene Monson

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 03:27:00 GMT

Jolene and I discuss the value (and reputation) of MBAs in Germany, job opportunities for international MBA students in Germany, and how to get into ESMT.

The program was founded just over 10 years ago by 25 leading companies - including Bayer, Daimler, and McKinsey - who wanted to develop management talent in Germany. The school's EMBA program is ranked #29 in the world by the FT, and ESMT expects to do fairly well in the FT's 2014 ranking (the Economist ranked the MBA program #30 worldwide). The program has two elective tracks: technology and innovation management and global sustainable development. A good chunk of students (25% this past year!) also start their own companies after graduating, no doubt due to the program's proximity to Berlin.

Candidates can get 3 months of free intensive German language training if they apply early, and can stay for up to 18 months in Germany to look for jobs. Currently tuition is €29,000 for the 1 year program (after a €9,000 scholarship deduction) - with average starting salaries at €80,500, ROI is immediate and high.

ESMT MBA in a Tweet: The global MBA made in Germany for technology management & sustainable development.

#31 Application Tips for Older Candidates from MBAOver30 (admitted to Wharton, Booth and MIT Sloan)

Thu, 03 Oct 2013 03:27:00 GMT

How did Lawrence Cole, author of the popular MBA applicant blog MBAOver30, get into Wharton, Chicago Booth and MIT Sloan as a 36 year old?

Just so you know his stats: Lawrence graduated from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in 2000, worked for over 10 years at UPS and Internet Brands, and “barely broke 700″ on his GMAT. He also started 2 online businesses.

Lawrence is now a first year student at Wharton focused on entrepreneurship.

In this episode, you’ll hear Lawrence and I discuss application tips for older candidates including:

Why top-ranked MBAs tend to trend younger
The 2 application “booby traps” you must avoid
The importance of movement and believability in your application
How and why to gather as much experiential school data as possible
Why you shouldn’t force fit in your application
How to tie together work experience that might seem unrelated
Common traits adcoms look for from both older AND younger candidates: initiative, impact and purpose

This episode is a goldmine of admissions tips for older candidates. Lawrence has lived and breathed MBA applications for the past year. Be sure to learn from his experience!

Don’t miss this episode – one of our best yet.

#30 How to Improve Your Chances – 10 Tips from Gatekeepers of the World’s Top Business Schools

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 16:10:00 GMT

Over the past 6 months, I’ve had over 20 MBA Admissions Directors on the Touch MBA Podcast.

I’ve asked all of them, “What would you advise candidates to improve their chances of admissions?”

This is what they told me.

Here are 10 actionable tips you can use right away to boost your admissions and scholarship chances at your target business schools.

Avoid them at your own peril!

Featuring:

Megan Overbay, Duke University Fuqua School of Business

Nadia Ahrazem, London Business School

Jeff Carbone, MIT Sloan School of Management

A M Kannan, Indian School of Business

Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Admissions

Lawrence Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Shari Hubert, Georgetown McDonough School of Business

Katherine Alford, Virginia Darden School of Business

Roy Chason, CEIBS

Libby Livingston, Emory Goizueta School of Business

#29 Warwick Business School MBA Admissions Q&A with Dr. Michael Shulver

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Dr. Shulver and I talk about what makes Warwick's 1-year MBA unique, and what he looks for from candidates during the admissions process.

Warwick's 1-year Full-time MBA was ranked #3 worldwide for ROI by the Financial Times with graduates experiencing an average salary rise of 84% within 3 years of graduation. The school's curriculum places a heavy emphasis on the practice of management and behavioral sciences. The program is relatively small with about 60 students in each year's cohort.

Michael is a straight shooter and offers a great perspective on how admissions selects candidates and awards scholarships. As a faculty member, he also shares a lot of insight into Warwick's academic offerings.

The Warwick MBA in 3 words: relevant, innovative, caring.

Listen on for the insider's scoop...

#28 What I Wish I Had Known When Choosing Business Schools with James Clark, LBS MBA 2013

Fri, 13 Sep 2013 05:17:33 GMT

Having a hard time differentiating business schools? After listening to this episode, you'll have the toolkit to surgically dissect an MBA's offering. You'll also know a lot more about the student experience at LBS.

James Clark just graduated from LBS and wrote a student blog post, "What I had wished I had known when choosing business schools." In it he lists 22 questions you should ask about your target schools. I found James' perspective insightful and wanted to explore his questions in more detail for the benefit of our audience.

#27 Emory Goizueta MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Libby Livingston

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 19:01:00 GMT

The Goizueta MBA is one of the few top-ranked US programs that can be completed in 1 or 2 years. The school emphasizes Day 1 Readiness: getting students exceptionally ready for class, internships, interviews, and jobs. Listen on as Libby and I discuss admissions tips, career opportunities and more at this intimate and market-oriented program in the US.

#26 Inside the INSEAD MBA with Viet Le Quoc '13

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Viet is a former management consultant and investment banker - hear his take on picking business schools, getting through the application process and the INSEAD experience.

#25 MIT Sloan MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Jeffrey Carbone

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 04:53:00 GMT

Jeff and I discuss the flexibility and opportunities of getting your MBA at MIT Sloan. Listen on for admissions tips, career opportunities and more at one of the most entrepreneurial MBA programs in the US and the world.

#24 (Part 2) Hitotsubashi ICS MBA Admissions Q&A with Dr. Yoshinori Fujikawa

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Darren continues his conversation with Prof. Yoshi about how candidates can stand out in the admissions process and what scholarship, career, and international opportunities there are at the Hitotsubashi ICS MBA.

#24 (Part 1) Hitotsubashi ICS MBA Admissions Q&A with Dr. Yoshinori Fujikawa

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The Hitotsubashi ICS MBA is one of the top English language MBA programs in Japan. What makes this program unique? And what is the value of a MBA degree in Japan? Darren interviews Prof. Yoshi Fujikawa, faculty director of the Hitotsubashi ICS MBA program, to learn more.

#23 ISB MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. AM Kannan

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Darren talks with Mr. Kannan, Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, about what makes the Indian School of Business unique - get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in India and Asia.

#22 London Business School (LBS) MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Nadia Ahrazem

Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:57:00 GMT

Darren speaks to Nadia about what makes the London Business School's MBA unique and gets the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in the UK, Europe and the world.

#21 Georgetown McDonough MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Shari Hubert

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 03:28:00 GMT

Shari and Darren discuss the Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business MBA focus on global management, integrative learning, and mission to make a meaningful impact in business and society. Get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in the US.

#20 University of Virginia Darden MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Katherine Alford

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 08:03:00 GMT

Katherine opens up to Darren about the Darden MBA's focus on general management and the case-study method - get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in the US.

#18 Duke Fuqua MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Megan Overbay

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Darren has a lively discussion with Megan about what makes Fuqua unique, and what Fuqua's adcom looks for in applicants. Listen on to get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in the USA.

#17 INSEAD MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Andrew Bueno

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 01:11:00 GMT

Andrew Bueno joins the show and shares more INSEAD's unique format, admissions process and scholarship and career opportunities at arguably the world's most international business school.

#16 How to Show Leadership Potential in Your Application

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Darren discusses 3 ways to show "leadership potential" even if you are short on work and management experience. They are demonstrating that you have had vision and made it real, attracted and influenced people, and gotten results. Just about all top MBA programs have "habit of leadership" as an admissions criteria so listen on for specific ways you can show this in your application.

#15 HEC MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Phillipe Oster

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:49:00 GMT

Phillipe and Darren discuss what makes the HEC MBA unique and get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in France / Europe.

#14 IE MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Dirk Hopfl

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:02:00 GMT

Darren and Dirk talk what makes the IE MBA unique - get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in Spain / Europe.

#13 Insider Tips for Applying to INSEAD with Ms. Caroline Diarte Edwards

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:05:00 GMT

Get the inside word on MBA admissions at INSEAD from Caroline Diarte Edwards who was Director of MBA Admissions at INSEAD for 7 years. Learn about INSEAD's 4 criteria (academic capacity, leadership potential, ability to contribute and international motivation) and what you can do if you are weak in any of these areas.

#12 CEIBS MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Roy Chason

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Darren speaks to Roy about what makes the CEIBS MBA unique - get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in China / Asia.

#11 Cambridge University Judge MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. James Barker

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:59:00 GMT

Darren interviews James on what Cambridge MBA unique - get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in UK / Europe.

#10 CUHK MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Lawrence Chan

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:22:00 GMT

Learn about what makes the Chinese University of Hong Kong's - CUHK MBA unique and get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in Hong Kong / Asia.

#9 AIM MBA Admissions Q&A with Dean Ricardo Lim

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:41:00 GMT

Learn about what makes the Asian Institute of Management's (AIM) MBA unique and get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in Philippines / Asia.

#8 Nanyang (NTU) MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Nick Soriano

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Learn about what makes the Nanyang (NTU) MBA unique and get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in Singapore / Asia.

#7 Erasmus Rotterdam RSM MBA Admissions Q&A with Mr. Bart Scheenaard

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Learn about what makes the Erasmus Rotterdam - RSM MBA unique and get the insider word on admissions, financing and career placements at one of the top MBA programs in Netherlands / Europe.

#6 7 Deadly Sins of MBA Resumes

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Your resume is often the first thing MBA admissions officers see. Avoid these 7 deadly mistakes when preparing your resume.

#5 Ace Your Interview by Answering the "Questions Behind the Questions"

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Darren discusses the 4 “questions behind the questions” that admissions officers really want to know. If you can prepare compelling responses to these key questions, you stand a good shot of making the final cut.

#4 4 Ways to Get & Keep the Adcom's Attention

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Darren discusses 4 ways you can get and keep attention in your application. The primal “croc brain” that receives a pitch is intrigued by pleasant novelty, intrigue, movement, and suspense. Listen on for some very specific ways you can incorporate these elements into your MBA essays and resume.

#3 6 Ways to Make Your MBA Applications Stick

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

We take the core concepts from Dan and Chip Heath's Made to Stick and apply them to your MBA application. How can you get admissions officers to pay attention to, remember, believe, care and act for you? The formula for sticky ideas (and applications) is SUCCES.

#2 National University of Singapore (NUS) MBA Admissions Q&A with Ms. Chua Nan Sze

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Ms. Chua Nan Sze, Director of Graduate Studies, NUS Business School, talks to Darren about the latest curriculum changes to the NUS MBA, NUS' focus on international exposure, career placements and what NUS is looking for during the admissions process.

#1 Singapore Management University (SMU) MBA Admissions Q&A with Dr. Philip Zerrillo

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Darren talks to Dr. Zerrillo, Dean of Postgraduate Programs at SMU, about the SMU MBA program, its unique pedagogy, career placements and admissions tips.