The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Are there really more MBA job opportunities in Hong Kong and China? How has the market changed and what are employers looking for? This week I sat down with Marjorie Chang, Director of CUHK's Career Management Centre, to separate fact from fiction. Listen on to get an "on the ground" picture of the job market in Hong Kong and China. You'll also get insight into how MBA admissions evaluates your post-MBA career goals

Ms. Lisa Piguet, Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at IMD, joins the show this week and generously shares her advice on IMD's accelerated 11-month program, the admissions process and more... Interesting things I learned about IMD: IMD is focused on leadership and general management; over 80% of graduates go into industry Only 90 students are admitted each year from ~40 countries, and the average work experience is 7 years There's a 2:1 student to faculty ratio To help develop self-awareness, each student gets 20 sessions with a licensed psychologist New MBA program director Ralph Boscheck is pushing to get MBAs more exposure to IMD's 9,000 Executive Education participants Instead of an interview, IMD applicants participate in an assessment day which includes a 1-1 interview with admissions, 5-minute impromptu presentation on a mini-case, lunch with IMD student, and case study class with Professor IMD is based in Lausanne, which is centrally located in Europe, and has over 350 MNCs (!) The IMD MBA in a Tweet: "The skills to know, the confidence to act, the humility to lead." Darren's take: If you're looking for more experienced and international classmates, to transition to a general management role in industry, and to maximize your ROI, consider IMD.

Mr. Praveen Muruganandan, Director of Admissions and Recruitment at Schulich School of Business, joined the show to share more about the Schulich MBA, located in Toronto, Canada. We had a revealing chat about Schulich's unique points and what the school is looking for during the admissions process. Interesting things I learned about the Schulich MBA: The Schulich MBA is flexible and customizable. Students can start in January or September, and finish in 16 or 20 months. Students can choose from over 150 electives and 19 specializations. Most grads end up working in Finance, Marketing and Strategy. The Strategy Field Study is the capstone of Schulich MBA experience; groups of 7-8 students help an organization with its strategy over 6-7 months. Schulich also has an International MBA (IMBA) program, which requires students to work abroad and to speak 2 languages. There are 30-40 students per cohort. Toronto is the 4th biggest city in North America and 45% of its residents are international. Graduates from Schulich get a 3-year postgraduate work permit. It typically takes around 2 years to get permanent residence in Canada. Attending a top Canadian b-school would be a great transition to working and living in North America.[/ulist] The Schulich MBA in 3 words: global, innovative, diverse.  Darren's take: if you're looking for a comprehensive and top-tier global program in Toronto, the financial center of Canada, you should consider the Schulich MBA.

Professor Elaine Ferneley, MBA Director at Manchester Business School, joined the show to share more about the Manchester MBA, located in Manchester, UK, and give us an inside look into the admissions process. Interesting things I learned about the Manchester MBA: - They don't call it "practice based" learning for nothing. Manchester MBAs are required to do 3 live consultancy projects -  requiring over 600 client facing hours - over the 18 month program. The first consulting project starts on Day 2!  Students are often working for companies 3.5 days during the week. This way all students get substantial experience working for big name companies before they graduate - and many end up with jobs at these organizations. - Manchester also has its own admissions test, which includes a psychometric evaluation of applicant's personality. Could this be a future trend in MBA admissions? - Elaine made it very clear that the adcom places a strong focus on interpersonal skills in the application - so be sure to prepare for the interview.  Manchester puts its students in front of companies on Day 2, so your soft skills have to be strong from the start. - The school has the top ranked accounting/finance group in the UK. - Manchester is the largest provider of transnational MBA education in the world, delivering its MBA program in the UK, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Miami and Sao Paolo. - The Manchester MBA in a Tweet: practice-based learning, a good life and good fun! Darren's take: if you want to get multiple and intensive real-world consulting experience during your Full-time MBA, you should consider the Manchester MBA. Listen on for the insider's scoop...

How can younger candidates compensate for their lack of experience? What are admissions committees looking for in younger candidates? Darren covers 5 tips to show you belong and will be a valued member of your MBA class.  Season your application with these 5 ingredients and you'll improve your chances: Strong academic track record Contribution inside class and in student life Atypical, exceptional impact Professionalism Maturity

Prof. Reiji Ohtaki, Program Director of the Nanyang-Waseda Double MBA, joined the show to talk about Waseda's International MBA Program located in Tokyo, Japan. Prof. Ohtaki runs the career management center and held many senior leadership positions for Hay and Mercer Consulting in Asia Pacific, so he's a great person to talk to about MBAs and careers in Japan. Listen on for the insider's scoop...

Is it worth it to get an MBA if it's not Harvard, Stanford or Wharton?  Many candidates don't think so. In this episode Darren talks about the top 5 arbitrages that exist in the MBA world. If you know what's important to you, you can still "negotiate up" and get a great educational and life experience at many top MBA programs outside the top 3 (or top 7).

Can an MBA really develop "global leaders you can trust?"  This week I sat down with Anjaney Borwankar, Director of Corporate Develpment, SE Asia, to discuss how IESE MBA strives to fulfill this mission through its global makeup and case-study pedagogy. Anjan is an IESE MBA alumni, and plays an active role on the admissions committee and career services teams. We had an illuminating discussion about what makes IESE unique, the admissions process, and why candidates should see the IESE MBA as a launching pad for a global career - not just one in Spain. You'll get some great tips here on what the school is looking for. Hint: it's not the GMAT. Both the Economist and Financial Times recently ranked IESE as #1 and #3 in Europe, respectively, despite Spain's economic troubles. The school has overseas modules in New York, Shanghai, Sao Paulo and Nairobi, and is the 2nd largest producer of case studies in the world. If you prefer the case-study method, and want to get a global business education, IESE should be a leading contender. The IESE MBA in 3 words: global, leadership, positive-impact. Listen on for the insider's scoop...

Christine and I talk about the exciting new MBA collaboration between Cornell Tech and the Johnson School in New York City that starts next year in 2014. What makes it different from Cornell's traditional MBA? Who should apply? And what should candidates keep in mind when applying to this 1-year program? For the first couple years the program will be held in Google's Manhattan office in the Chelsea district. But here's what Cornell Tech's Roosevelt campus will look like. Listen on for the skinny on this exciting new offering from Cornell.

This week I spoke with Christine Sneva, who is Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid of MBA Programs at Cornell Johnson. Christine is one of the most enthusiastic guests I've had on the show. And she really opens up on what makes Johnson special and how her team looks at applications. You can really go behind the scenes of Cornell's admissions process in this episode. Although Johnson's class is relatively small (270 students in 2 year program, 60 in 1 year program), Christine makes it very clear that Cornell's bschool network is the 2nd largest in the Ivy League behind Harvard and that students really benefit from the size and engagement of the "Big Red" network. Johnson's flexible curriculum and 1st year focus on immersions has really helped students with internship (and job) placements. The Cornell Johnson MBA in 140 characters or less: "#CornellMBA innovative programs & is one of the largest bschools #ILR #Dyson #MMH & most engaged alumni networks, we are Cornellians!" I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!