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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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

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.

1. Why should you get an MBA? (3:16)
2. What type of experience are top business schools looking for? (7:20)
3. How can you assess school fit? (10:12)
4. What are your top essay tips? (13:00)
5. 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

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:

1. Ki (start)
2. Shō (development)
3. Ten (twist)
4. 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

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

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 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

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.

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

• #75 Yale SOM MBA Admissions Interview with Bruce DelMonico – “Educating Leaders for Business & Society”
• #47 Great Applications for Business School with Paul Bodine

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.