B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit

If there’s one question nearly every school asks somewhere in the application process, it’s a version of “What are your short- and long-term career goals?” Not only is this question essential to nail, but tackling it in the right way can provide a “north star” for your entire application—linking together who you are, what you’ve done, where you want to go, and how an MBA will help you get there.  In this replay, host Chandler Arnold sits down with MBA admissions expert Christina Fu to dive into what works and what doesn’t when thinking about short- and long-term career goals. This episode is especially helpful for those who: Already have a clear idea of their post-MBA goals and want to articulate them in the most powerful way, Are still deciding between two possible career paths, or Have no idea what they want to do after B-school (this group is larger than you’d think, so if this is you, you’re not alone!)

Emma Case, former Associate Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School and current consultant at Stacy Blackman Consulting, shares invaluable insights about the MBA application process. She emphasizes the importance of genuine interactions with the Admissions Committee, offering essential dos and don'ts. Emma stresses maintaining a positive attitude while navigating the admissions journey and highlights how unique personal stories can make applicants stand out. With her experience, she provides behind-the-scenes advice that demystifies the admissions process.

You’ve all heard the expression all work and no play makes Jack (or Julia) a dull sport.  The same is true with MBA applications. Simply having an amazing set of  professional accomplishments is not enough to get you into a top MBA program. Setting aside scores and academic achievements for another podcast, this podcast will dive into five different aspects of your life you might explore applications, including a few you probably have not previously considered. Question: Why are we talking about this? And why do business schools even ask you to write essays in the first place?  Answer: These schools are interested in much MORE than your test scores, academic transcript, and professional accomplishments. More than almost anything else these schools are interested in learning what lessons you have learned about yourself and your leadership style, and—critically—how you will harness those learnings in order to drive impact in the world.  Listening to this podcast is a must for anyone who wants to: Present a full and complete picture of them to the admissions office, Stand out from the crowd by sharing unique and attention-grabbing stories and examples, and/or Identify memorable and authentic ways to share what makes YOU tick, how YOU think, how YOU have grown and changed over the years, and (very importantly) what lessons you have learned about yourself along the way.  This B-Schooled episode can be found here, or take a listen on any of the major podcast platforms below.

In this replay of a past episode, Erika talks with Anthony Penna, a fellow SBC admissions consultant who spent 10 years with the Wharton School in Career Management and as Associate Director of Admissions for the full-time MBA program. As Anthony served on the implementation and design team for Wharton's Team Based Discussion (TBD) interview format, this episode focuses on his insight advice for MBA candidates who will be interviewing with Wharton.

As many of our listeners already know, Kellogg recently updated its MBA application. For this episode, our host Chandler sits down with former Kellogg Admissions Officer—and longtime SBC Consultant—Caryn to talk about all the changes… and how to tackle them.  Caryn not only holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, she also worked as an Admissions Officer for Kellogg before joining SBC. In this role Caryn read and evaluated thousands of applications. For this podcast Caryn touches on a range of topics, including: SBC’s recent conversations with the Kellogg Admissions Team about a range of topics of interest to current and future students, The fact that Kellogg is much more than a marketing school (in fact you might be surprised what most students are focusing on), and A deep dive conversation about Kellogg’s wide range of MBA program options, including their—two year program, one year program, MBAi program, joint degree offerings, and other program options.   Caryn also shares specific advice on the updated Kellogg application, including specific suggestions regarding: Two new essay questions, what you should focus on (and what you shouldn’t),  Possible ways to approach each of these questions, Ways you might structure your essays, Potential pitfalls applicants should be aware of, and How to tackle all of these things within a very tight word count. Caryn then closes out the podcast with a few pieces of personal advice from her position as a former Kellogg MBA admissions officer that we promise you don’t want to miss.

Round 1 of the 2024-25 MBA application cycle is soon drawing to a close, and along with those deadlines comes a surge in self-sabotaging applicant behavior. This episode covers 3 things you should do before submitting, as well as 3 mistakes you should avoid making after your materials are in.

In May, B-Schooled co-host Chandler returned to the Bay Area for his 20-year Stanford GSB reunion.  During the weekend, Chandler kept a notebook at his side and wrote down a number of thought-provoking quotes and notes from classmates and friends. In the second part of this two-episode arc, Chandler shares 5 additional reflections related to his MBA experience and intervening 20 years.  These reflections--coming both from his own experience as well as those of his classmates--touch on a range of topics, including why: one big problem with perfection,  why changing your own narrative is not only ok but essential,   the double-edged sword of social media, and   several very specific dangers of the very successful. Whether you’re targeting Stanford or are just curious to hear how Stanford GSB grads reflect on their experience, this podcast provides a unique sneak peek into the reunion experience at one of the world’s top business schools.

In May, B-Schooled co-host Chandler returned to the Bay Area for his 20-year Stanford GSB reunion.  During the weekend, Chandler kept a notebook at his side and wrote down a number of thought-provoking quotes and notes from classmates and friends. In the first part of this two-episode arc, Chandler shares 5 reflections related to his MBA experience and intervening 20 years.  These reflections--coming both from his own experience as well as those of his classmates--touch on a range of topics, including why: focusing on what you are “supposed to do” is only valuable up to a point,  the power of being “joyfully irritated” shouldn’t be ignored,   the “write your own obituary” exercise isn't necessarily the way to look back on your life.   Not enough people are discussing a little secret about imposter syndrome, and  two specific criteria to look for in friends during business school (and beyond) Whether you’re targeting Stanford or are just curious to hear how Stanford GSB grads reflect on their experience, this podcast provides a unique sneak peek into the reunion experience at one of the world’s top business schools.

In this replay of a popular past episode, we discuss how your social media behavior could affect your MBA candidacy — both positively and negatively. We cover what admissions committees might be looking for that could be problematic, as well as what kinds of social media posts might actually end up strengthening your profile. We also talk about how reviews of your social media accounts don’t end with the adcom once you’re admitted.

For the first time in more than a decade, Harvard Business School has updated its essay questions. In this much-anticipated series, we sit down with HBS alum and longtime SBC consultant Yvette to talk about each of these questions and share suggestions, tips and strategies regarding how best to approach these new essay prompts. In this segment, we tackle the third question: Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words) In this episode, we discuss: What this question is REALLY asking (and what it isn't), A discussion of what "curiosity" means in the context of this question and what curiosity-related experiences might be appropriate for this essay Possible ways to structure your essay response, Specific things you should do when answering this question, Possible pitfalls you should avoid when answering this question, and  How this essay fits into your larger application  This essay is a MUST for anyone thinking of applying to HBS. Special thanks the many SBC consultants and former admissions officers who shared useful advice and guidance that informed this episode.