B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit

In the first episode of this two-parter, our co-host Erika shares an overview of her 20-year Harvard Business School reunion this past June.

In order to claim a spot at your dream school, it’s critical that you find a way to let the admissions committee know what your classmates will learn from you and how you’ll be an asset to their program. However, since most schools don’t come right out and ask you to address what you’ll bring to the school’s community, you need to find a way to convey that information throughout your materials.  In this replay of a past episode, we cover ways to communicate the knowledge, experience, soft skills and interests you’ll contribute to class discussions and be able to bond over with fellow students.

In this episode we sit down with an SBC alum, Whitney, who just completed her first year at Stanford… along with two different summer internships. Whitney comes from the social impact world and shares lots of great information in this discussion, including: The best decision she made during her first year, One thing she would do differently about her first year, Suggestions for those wanting to make the most out of their internship experience (and for those considering two different internship experiences), Tips for those interested in the social impact space, and Advice about taking risks. This podcast is a must for anyone interested in making the most out of their first year, anyone passionate about social impact, or anyone interested in learning more about the Stanford GSB student experience.

In this episode we sit down with an SBC alum, Ty, who just completed his first year at Darden and a summer internship with Bain & Company. Ty comes from a somewhat untraditional background—with a focus on music and social change—and shares lots of great information about his experiences at Darden and his transition to the world of consulting, including:  The best decision he made during his first year,  Balancing his marriage and being a father while in school, One thing he would do differently about his first year, Suggestions for those wanting to make the most out of their internship experience, Tips for those wanting to break into consulting, and Advice about taking risks while at B school. This podcast is a must for anyone interested in making the most out of their first year, anyone applying with an untraditional background, or anyone transitioning into the world of consulting.

Round 1 deadlines are upon us, and nerves tend to get the best of many candidate. This timely replay covers common last-minute traps that MBA applicants fall into and how to avoid them, as as what you should do and not do before submitting.

In this podcast we spend a lot of time diving into different element of your MBA application: your essays, your recommendations, your scores, your grades, and so many other things. But it is also critically important—especially as you near the end of your application process—to take a step back to review all these different elements of your application to make sure that they fit together as a cohesive whole.   Think about these different application elements as chapters in a book. While you want each chapter to be compelling in its own stand-alone way – your MAIN GOAL is for these different pieces to function together as an OVERALL NARRATIVE about you, you who are, what your goals are, and what you will bring to the school and to the world after graduation.  To this end, this podcast offers specific tips to help make your overall application narrative as compelling as possible including: Working through a “story mapping” excercise before your start your application,  Forcing yourself to think through—and pressure test—your short and long term goals EARLY in your application process, Creating your own “MBA soundbite”, Stepping back and reading each element of your application and thinking carefully about how they fit together, including: Your resume Your essays Your recommendations Your data forms Your MBA interview prep Finally, thinking about how all of these elements interact with each other to create a clear, consistent and cohesive narrative—while also making sure that you are as bold, vulnerable and authentic as possible. This podcast is a must for anyone wanting to make sure these independent pieces come together in a way that makes your overall application as powerful as possible.

In this replay episode, we cover why it’s so important to clearly convey the reasons you are pursuing business school. What will an MBA help you achieve that you couldn’t otherwise accomplish? Even though many programs don’t specifically ask this question, that doesn’t mean applicants shouldn’t be prepared with a strong answer. Other topics covered include: Common reasons for pursuing an MBA Four candidate types that need to ensure they have clear reasons for wanting the degree Reasons for wanting an MBA that you should probably not mention in your materials

In this episode host Chandler Arnold sits down with Melissa Román Burch, Chief Operating Officer at the NYC Economic Development Corporation and HBS alum. In her current role, Melissa mobilizes public and private investment through tax incentive programs, tax exempt bond financings and across a portfolio of 64 million square feet and 230 assets comprised of life sciences, film & entertainment, advanced manufacturing, off shore wind, and green economy businesses across NYC. Prior to her current role, Melissa spent two decades in the private sector, including time as a leading business executive/property developer as well as a stint on Wall Street. While Melissa is an undisputed leader in the field, this podcast is NOT just for people interested in commercial and industrial real estate. Rather, this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in: Advice for those interested in changing fields after earning their MBA, Suggestions for women working in spaces traditionally dominated by men, Tips for MBAs working in fields in which MBAs are less common, Comments on the value of “horizontal mentorship” and A strong reminder about the power of being bold.

This engaging conversation with UCLA Anderson's Assistant Dean Alex Lawrence covers the program's new essay, what the adcom is looking for in prospective MBA students, how Anderson runs its applicant interviews, unique aspects of the program, what students do around campus, and much, much more.

In this replay of a popular past episode of the B-Schooled podcast, we cover: Two big mistakes we see applicants make regarding school selection An exercise to help you think about and narrow down your school list Which business schools have reputations or are otherwise known for being strong in particular areas

Everyone – and we do mean everyone – gets stuck on their MBA Applications from time to time. So it really isn't a question of IF you are going to hit a wall in your application process. It’s a question of WHEN and—more critically—a question of WHAT you’re going to do when this happens. In the second part of this two-part episode host Chandler Arnold explores what to do when you hit a wall. This episode includes additional tips and suggestions, including such topics as:   Embracing the element of the application you hate the most, Reminding yourself why you are doing this, Having the courage to start over (part 1), Having the courage to start over (reason 2), and  Reminding yourself that you are lucky to be in a position to apply

Everyone – and we do mean everyone – gets stuck on their MBA Applications from time to time.  So it really isn't a question of IF you are going to hit a wall in your application process. It’s a question of WHEN and—more critically—a question of WHAT you’re going to do when this happens. In the first part of this two-part episode host Chandler Arnold explores what to do when you hit a wall. This episode includes 5 specific tips and suggestions, including such topics as:   What you can learn by exploring WHY you’re stuck Specific suggestions about using authenticity and vulnerability to bust through walls Embracing the fact that early drafts are often very bad The power of changing gears The benefits of stepping away and gaining perspective Chandler will also explore five additional strategies next week.

In this episode, Erika talks with fellow Stacy Blackman Consulting team member Deedee, who spent 12 years on the MBA admissions team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Sloan School of Management. Deedee's passion for Sloan comes through as she gives invaluable insight on the program's unique application requirements (such as a cover letter, an organizational chart and a 1-minute video), and also explains how the program integrates with the Boston and Cambridge communities, as well as the wider MIT campus.

While there are countless ways to approach an MBA essay, we know a few things are true for virtually any business school essay prompt: You need to convey a lot of complex information succinctly, These prompts are often purposely broad/vague--which means that it is essential for you to structure your essay in a way that is compelling and easy to understand, and Admissions officers, who have to read hundreds or thousands of applications a year, read these essays VERY quickly. For all of these reasons, it is ESSENTIAL your essay is well structured, compelling, and that you make every word count. Of course you can write a well-structured essay in all kinds of ways, but one tried and true approach is probably the same format that your middle-school English school teacher taught you – the five paragraph essay: One introductory paragraph, Three paragraphs in the body that support and develop your argument, and One concluding paragraph at the end But the magic of what we share here ISN’T this format. Virtually every 14 year-old in the country is familiar with this format; the critical thing is how you LEVERAGE this format to integrate interesting and relevant stories about yourself in a way that is consistent and cohesive with your larger application narrative.  In this segment your host Chandler will: Walk listeners through each paragraph of this essay structure, Suggest specific tips and suggestions to think about for each part of the essay, Share things to watch out for/avoid, and Showcase essay examples from successful applicants who earned admission to their first-choice programs

This episode covers: - How you should think about and position your short- and long-term MBA career goals in both the short-answer responses on business school applications, as well as in career-related essays. - What you should do if you have no idea what your career goals are, or if the main reason you want to go to b-school is to explore different options for your future career path. - Whether it's a bad idea to say you want to completely change careers or stick with what you’re doing now.

Host Chandler Arnold sits down with longtime friend and MBA classmate Carie Lemack to talk about using an MBA in the aerospace field (specifically) and emerging sectors (more generally).   Carie has served as a CEO and COO in aerospace enterprises, as an advisor to a number of aerospace startups, and is the co-founder of the Zed Factor Fellowship Program, a fellowship that empowers aspiring space and aviation professionals from historically excluded backgrounds.   In this wide-ranging conversation Chandler and Carie laugh a lot. They also have radically candid conversations about a variety of topics, including: Advice for people interested in using their MBAs in Aerospace and other emerging industries, Tips for breaking into a new industry from a nontraditional background, Practical suggestions for how to leverage your passion to transition into a new field, Suggestions for women working in typically male-dominated industries, Suggestions for MBA students thinking about how to prioritize their time in business school, How to choose the “fights worth fighting for” in business school and in life, and Advice for MBA applicants doubting whether or not they “have what it takes” when applying to business school.

If you've toyed with the idea of using an artificial intelligence tool to write your MBA essays, this is the episode for you.

One thing many admissions officers focus on is identifying applicants who have a strong record of learning and growth, in both their professional and personal lives.   With that said, effectively DEMONSTRATING you are open to learning and you have a proven aptitude for growth is often easier said than done.  But don't worry. In this podcast, we share specific tips and suggestions you can use to highlight the things you've learned--and the ways you've grown--in three areas of your application: your essays, your recommendations, and your interviews. Listening to this podcast is a must for anyone who wants to distinguish themselves as a thoughtful and emotionally intelligent applicant.

In a continuation of episode 158 on “candidacy question marks” – or red flags on an MBA candidate's record – this week's episode covers what to do if you: have employment gaps in your career, are unemployed when you apply,  get laid off or fired after you submit your materials, or have something like a DUI or honor code violation from college on your record. This is a replay of a past fan-favorite episode.

The things that scare us – especially in the context of MBA essays – are often the things that make us feel vulnerable, uncertain, or insecure. In short, things that force us to take our armor off and be vulnerable.  Vulnerability in MBA essays also offers you a powerful opportunity to connect with your reader, demonstrate self-awareness and/or EQ, and – most importantly – tell a really memorable and compelling story about yourself.   In this episode we talk about how to choose an essay topic offers these opportunities for candor and vulnerability, including sharing a range of examples and categories of essays that might be a good fit for you. This is a must for anyone interested in writing more boldly and more authentically.