The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

If you're thinking about getting an elite and rigorous MBA in Canada, you have to to consider the Rotman MBA (University of Toronto) based in Toronto. Get the inside scoop as Darren chats with Leigh Gauthier, Acting Director of Recruitment & Admissions & Director of Careers for the Full-time MBA. Rotman is a pioneer in the business education space and it's great to hear how they are challenging the traditional MBA curriculum to produce sought after graduates. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/rotman-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management MBA program.

Did you know that China is on track to overtake America as the world's biggest economy by 2016? Dr. Longkhai Zhao, Executive Director of the MBA Program at Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, joins the show to discuss why he thinks Guanghua is the best place to learn about China business at this pivotal point in the country's history. We also discuss Guanghua's admissions process, career opportunities for international students in China, and the changing status of the MBA degree in China. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/peking-university-guanghua-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management MBA program.

Looking for an intimate MBA experience but want the benefits of a large alumni network at a good cost? Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smeal MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA Admissions Director Stacey Peeler. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/smeal-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Penn State University's Smeal College of Business MBA program.

Interested in tech, entrepreneurship and strategy and looking for strong ROI from a European MBA? The UCD Smurfit MBA in Ireland boasts 90% + employment rates after their 11 month program to go along with a relatively affordable tuition (29,500 EUR) and generous scholarships. Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smurfit MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA Program Director Orla Nugent.  Go to http://www.touchmba.com/ucd-smurfit-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School MBA program.

Want to get a rigorous business education grounded in economics and analytics from a renown US business school? Simon awards 75% of its students scholarships and prides itself on its 90%+ job placement rate within 3 months of graduation. Rebekah Lewin, Assistant Dean of Admissions & Student Engagement at Simon Business School, University of Rochester, joined the show to discuss what makes Simon unique, career prospects for Simon grads, and what fit qualities she's looking for from applicants. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/rochester-simon-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the University of Rochester Simon MBA program.

Want to study business in idyllic St. Gallen, Switzerland, with an experienced cohort of 40-50 classmates from around 30 countries? The school prides itself in its individual support and strong relationships with corporates in finance, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and luxury good industries. Nearly 50% of graduates made a "triple transformation" and switched geography, industry and function. Listen on for the inside scoop as Darren interviews Zwanet Van Lubek, Head of Marketing and Recruiting, Careers and Corporates, about the St Gallen MBA. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/st-gallen-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the St. Gallen MBA program.

Are you looking for a hands-on, customizable and intimate MBA in the heart of one of the world's great research universities? Darren sits down with Mark Lockwood, MBA Director of Recruiting, Admissions, and Alumni Affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to discuss the program's key advantages and admissions process. At only $66,000 USD for a 2-year program, the Illinois MBA offers sneaky good value for a top-ranked MBA. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/illinois-mba-admissions-tips for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Illinois MBA program.

What is relatively unique about the HKUST MBA? #1 ranked Asian MBA program in the world by Financial Times past 5 years Finish the program in 12 or 16 months Most international MBA program in Hong Kong, usually 25-30 nationalities represented in 120 person class; 95% of class is from outside Hong Kong HKUST has great exchange relationships - participants are guaranteed exchange spots with nearly 60 MBA programs around the world Financial Times rated HKUST's faculty #1 for research in Asia Strong reputation for Finance - 40-50% of graduates work in Finance A Good Fit for You if: You are interested in careers in Hong Kong and China - even though 80% of the class is non-Chinese, 50% of graduates stay in Hong Kong to work and 23% work in China You want to live, study and work in one of Asia's financial capitals; Hong Kong hosts over 6,000 MNCs and 70 of the top 100 banks You're looking to build a career and network in a fast growing region with a lot of potential upside, and get the prestige of a top-ranked program About Our Guest  Sean Ferguson is Associate Dean of Masters Programmes at HKUST Business School. Prior to joining HKUST in 2013, Sean was Assistant Dean of Degree Programmes at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business. Before to moving to the higher education industry, Mr Ferguson had a distinguished in corporate career working at PROS, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGE&Y), and Procter & Gamble (P&G). He currently serves on the board of GMAC and got his MBA from Rice University.

Here at Touch MBA we help you find your best-fit business schools. But what about getting an MBA in the first place? How can it help you? Do you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur? What should you consider when choosing between 1 and 2 year programs? And will the MBA be as valuable in the future? I sat down with Prof. Franz Heukamp, Associate Dean of MBA Programs at IESE, to get his thoughts on these very important questions. Getting an MBA is a massive investment. As Prof. Franz points out, applicants should think about the long-term ROI – and not just financial ROI – of the degree. I enjoyed his direct answers, and think you will too. Enjoy the show and we'll see you next Friday! About Our Guest Franz Heukamp is Professor of Managerial Decision Sciences and Associate Dean of MBA Programs at IESE Business School, where he teaches in the MBA, Executive MBA, and executive education programs. He got his PhD from MIT and his main area of research is behavioral decision-making with a special interest in the area of Neuroeconomics.

Few business schools can match the size and scale of Columbia Business School. The school has two intakes in August and January with 750 students graduating each year. Over 450 business leaders speak on the campus annually and Columbia has 40,000 alumni around the world. Students can choose from over 17 concentrations, 100 student clubs and 200 electives. And all of this takes place in New York City, a global business hub with over 3,000 MNCs. This week I had an in-depth chat about the Columbia MBA with 5 members of the Admissions Team. We discussed what makes Columbia different from other top-ranked schools, admissions tips, living in New York, and the extensive career support available at the school. One thing is for sure: Columbia has a wealth of resources to deliver a first-class business education. Enjoy! About Our Guests (5 senior members of Columbia Business School's Admissions Team) Amanda Carlson, Assistant Dean, Admissions - Amanda got her EMBA from Columbia in 2013 and worked in campus recruitment for McKinsey before coming to Columbia. Christina Shelby, Director, Admissions - Christina has been doing Admissions for Columbia for over 7 years and got her Masters in Education from Columbia. Michael Robinson, Senior Associate Director Admissions - Michael got his MBA from Columbia in 2001 and has been with the admissions team for 12 years. Matthew Moll, Associate Director, Admissions - Matthew got his Masters in Journalism from Columbia and has been working in Columbia admissions for 7 years. He is currently pursuing his EMBA at Columbia. Anne Carnahan, Associate Director, Admissions