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

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“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

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