The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Reflecting on 10 years of experience, the host shares valuable application lessons for MBA applicants. Topics include defining must-haves, refining your MBA story, mastering the coffee chat, showcasing impact in resumes, crafting unforgettable essays, and selecting schools based on relationships and experiences.

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

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

Bridget Pujals shares her MBA application journey, securing acceptances to top schools with scholarships. She discusses the importance of starting essays early, working with admissions consultants, and preparing for interviews. Bridget also shares insights on breaking into product management at startups and tech giants, and her plans for entrepreneurship at Berkeley Haas.

“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

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  

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 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. Show Notes gmac.com market intelligence GMAC's Corporate Recruiters Survey GMAC's Profiles of GMAT Testing #190 3 Timeless Application Strategies from MBA Admissions Strategy (2005) by Avi Gordon 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  

Adam Putterman, author of 'MBA Coffee Chats', shares tips on maximizing your MBA experience. He discusses the importance of coffee chats, finding mentors, time management, and seeking peer feedback. Learn how to make the most of your business school journey!

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 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/inside-the-hbs-mba-graciela-brewer Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

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 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/mba-admissions-strategy-avi-gordon Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com