The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

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!

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

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

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 desperationHow to generate a list of 40 target employers in 40 minutesThe 3 pieces of data that are both easy to find and predictive of job search successSteve's LAMP method for prioritizing which employers to targetWhy systematically building internal referrals at your target employers is the key to securing interviews in the online eraHow to focus on "boosters" (people willing to help) vs. "obligates" or "curmudgeons"How to prepare for informational interviews - whether for job searches or MBA programsHow to answer common interview questions like "Tell me about yourself" and "Why this MBA program?"The TIARA framework to systematically build likeability with strangersWhat Steve advises Fuqua MBAs to succeed in their job searchesAnd much, much more... Don't miss this episode if you're planning your post-MBA career goals or looking to change jobs.

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.

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

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.

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.

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...

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