The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Mr. Edward Cook, Director, MBA Programs, Melbourne Business School to talk about the benefits of attending one of Australia's top ranked MBA programs and how to get in. The Melbourne MBA in a Tweet: Global business leaders learning within an intimate and multicultural environment. Listen on for much, much more...

Jolene and I discuss the value (and reputation) of MBAs in Germany, job opportunities for international MBA students in Germany, and how to get into ESMT. The program was founded just over 10 years ago by 25 leading companies - including Bayer, Daimler, and McKinsey - who wanted to develop management talent in Germany. The school's EMBA program is ranked #29 in the world by the FT, and ESMT expects to do fairly well in the FT's 2014 ranking (the Economist ranked the MBA program #30 worldwide).  The program has two elective tracks: technology and innovation management and global sustainable development. A good chunk of students (25% this past year!) also start their own companies after graduating, no doubt due to the program's proximity to Berlin. Candidates can get 3 months of free intensive German language training if they apply early, and can stay for up to 18 months in Germany to look for jobs.  Currently tuition is €29,000 for the 1 year program (after a €9,000 scholarship deduction) - with average starting salaries at €80,500, ROI is immediate and high. ESMT MBA in a Tweet: The global MBA made in Germany for technology management & sustainable development.

How did Lawrence Cole, author of the popular MBA applicant blog MBAOver30, get into Wharton, Chicago Booth and MIT Sloan as a 36 year old? Just so you know his stats: Lawrence graduated from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in 2000, worked for over 10 years at UPS and Internet Brands, and “barely broke 700″ on his GMAT. He also started 2 online businesses. Lawrence is now a first year student at Wharton focused on entrepreneurship. In this episode, you’ll hear Lawrence and I discuss application tips for older candidates including: Why top-ranked MBAs tend to trend younger The 2 application “booby traps” you must avoid The importance of movement and believability in your application How and why to gather as much experiential school data as possible Why you shouldn’t force fit in your application How to tie together work experience that might seem unrelated Common traits adcoms look for from both older AND younger candidates: initiative, impact and purpose This episode is a goldmine of admissions tips for older candidates. Lawrence has lived and breathed MBA applications for the past year. Be sure to learn from his experience! Don’t miss this episode – one of our best yet.

Over the past 6 months, I’ve had over 20 MBA Admissions Directors on the Touch MBA Podcast. I’ve asked all of them, “What would you advise candidates to improve their chances of admissions?” This is what they told me. Here are 10 actionable tips you can use right away to boost your admissions and scholarship chances at your target business schools. Avoid them at your own peril! Featuring: Megan Overbay, Duke University Fuqua School of Business  Nadia Ahrazem, London Business School Jeff Carbone, MIT Sloan School of Management A M Kannan, Indian School of Business Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Admissions Lawrence Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong Shari Hubert, Georgetown McDonough School of Business Katherine Alford, Virginia Darden School of Business Roy Chason, CEIBS Libby Livingston, Emory Goizueta School of Business

Dr. Shulver and I talk about what makes Warwick's 1-year MBA unique, and what he looks for from candidates during the admissions process.  Warwick's 1-year Full-time MBA was ranked #3 worldwide for ROI by the Financial Times with graduates experiencing an average salary rise of 84% within 3 years of graduation. The school's curriculum places a heavy emphasis on the practice of management and behavioral sciences. The program is relatively small with about 60 students in each year's cohort. Michael is a straight shooter and offers a great perspective on how admissions selects candidates and awards scholarships. As a faculty member, he also shares a lot of insight into Warwick's academic offerings. The Warwick MBA in 3 words: relevant, innovative, caring. Listen on for the insider's scoop...

Having a hard time differentiating business schools? After listening to this episode, you'll have the toolkit to surgically dissect an MBA's offering. You'll also know a lot more about the student experience at LBS. James Clark just graduated from LBS and wrote a student blog post, "What I had wished I had known when choosing business schools." In it he lists 22 questions you should ask about your target schools. I found James' perspective insightful and wanted to explore his questions in more detail for the benefit of our audience.

The Goizueta MBA is one of the few top-ranked US programs that can be completed in 1 or 2 years. The school emphasizes Day 1 Readiness: getting students exceptionally ready for class, internships, interviews, and jobs. Listen on as Libby and I discuss admissions tips, career opportunities and more at this intimate and market-oriented program in the US.

Viet is a former management consultant and investment banker - hear his take on picking business schools, getting through the application process and the INSEAD experience.

Jeff and I discuss the flexibility and opportunities of getting your MBA at MIT Sloan. Listen on for admissions tips, career opportunities and more at one of the most entrepreneurial MBA programs in the US and the world.

Darren continues his conversation with Prof. Yoshi about how candidates can stand out in the admissions process and what scholarship, career, and international opportunities there are at the Hitotsubashi ICS MBA.