The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Stephen Huber discusses his MBA experience at USC Marshall, from what he did to get off the waitlist, to preparing his wife for an intense first year, to leading the High Tech and Interactive Gaming Associations, to landing internships and jobs in tech and the hard-to-break into entertainment industry. After listening to this talk, you'll have a good idea of what it takes to make the most of your MBA experience, especially as a career switcher. Stephen is also open to answering your questions about the the USC Marshall experience on our Ambassadors Forum. Questions What Stephen did to get off the waitlist  (9:31) Preparing significant others for the Full-time MBA experience (14:06) How to prepare for your first semester (21:13) Recruiting and Internships at USC (22:06) How USC Marshall has transformed Stephen (32:35) The importance of professional clubs at USC (38:07) What most applicants don't know about USC (46:10) Stephen's advice on what applicants should look for in an MBA program (49:20) About Our Guest Stephen Huber got his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the UC Berkeley and worked as a Nuclear Engineer for General Dynamics before starting business school. Stephen recently completed his first year at USC Marshall's Full-time MBA program and will graduate in Summer 2018. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/usc-marshall-mba-insights-real-time/ Episode Sponsor Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA. CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t It's not that admissions officers (or readers, movie-goers, consumers) are mean or cruel. They are just busy. How can you reward your application readers for their gift of time and attention? By telling an interesting story. How do you do this with your MBA applications? Inspired by Steven Pressfield's book, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, Darren offers 3 pillars to frame your MBA story: concept, theme, and structure (hook, build, payoff). Darren also dissects 3 successful applicants' positioning through the lens of these core story elements. By choosing what to focus on, represent something bigger than yourself, and using a story structure embedded in our collective unconscious, you make your application more memorable, and easier for admissions to process. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/nobody-wants-to-read-your-shit Episode Sponsor When three MBAs struggled with student loans, they knew there had to be a better way – so they created one. Now, CommonBond is a leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA   CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900

Your LinkedIn profile could be the first thing business schools see. Darren draws on his admissions experience and shares 7 tips to make a good first impression, reinforce your MBA story, and highlight additional qualities not in your application. MBA programs are looking at your social media, especially your LinkedIn profile. Take 15 minutes to follow these guidelines, optimize your LinkedIn presence, and represent yourself well to b-schools, MBA students & alumni, and future employers. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/linkedin-tips-mba-applicants Episode Sponsor When three MBAs struggled with student loans, they knew there had to be a better way – so they created one. Now, CommonBond is a leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900

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 Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA. CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.    

Caroline Diarte Edwards and Darren cover best practices for securing great MBA letters of recommendation. Don’t miss this detailed and open-ended discussion between 2 former Admissions Directors so you can sidestep common mistakes and understand what top b-schools consider an excellent letter of recommendation. Questions Why recommendations are important (3:16) Who to select as your recommender (6:06) How to prepare and what to give your recommenders (19:06) Last tips on to get great MBA recommendations (37:00) About Our Guest Caroline Diarte Edwards is Co-Founder and Director of Fortuna Admissions. Caroline was Director of Admissions for the Insead MBA from 2005 to 2012. Caroline got her MBA from Insead in 2003 and is a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/great-mba-letters-of-recommendations Episode Sponsor Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA. CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

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 Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA. CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.    

“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 Ever wish there was an easier, more affordable way to get your MBA loans? Well now there is. CommonBond is leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA. CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

Matt Reesor from Queen's University Smith School of Business joins the show to discuss what makes the Queen's MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Queen's MBA students. Program Highlights (3:00) | Admissions (25:10) | Scholarships (51:40) | Careers (56:30) About Our Guest Matthew Reesor is the Director of the Queen’s MBA at Smith School of Business. He has held administrative leadership and faculty positions at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (NUCB) and Queen’s University. His research, focusing primarily on communications and language policy, has been published and widely referenced in academic journals. Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/queens-mba-admissions-interview Episode Sponsor When three MBAs struggled with student loans, they knew there had to be a better way – so they created one. Now, CommonBond is a leading student lender, saving members up to thirteen thousand dollars on MBA loans.   Learn more at http://CommonBond.co/TouchMBA   CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900

How do top business schools use the GMAT to evaluate you? What exactly are they looking for? What do you need to score and on which sections? When should you retake the GMAT? Do schools prefer the GMAT or GRE? Darren asks Admissions Directors from 3 top schools - Michigan Ross (USA), IESE (Spain) and HKUST (Hong Kong) - tough questions about the GMAT. Listen on to get your GMAT questions answered! Son Nguyen from Michigan Ross MBA (4:46) Anjaney Borwankar from IESE MBA (20:30) Gary Lo from HKUST MBA (33:55) GMAT Lessons Learned (50:44) Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/gmat Episode Sponsor Save up to thirteen thousand dollars with a low-interest MBA loan from CommonBond. CommonBond has funded over a billion dollars in student loans, and their easy online application only takes minutes.   To learn more, visit http://commonbond.co/TouchMBA CommonBond Lending LLC, NMLS number 1175900.

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