Our host Erika is joined by former Kellogg admissions director Beth Tidmarsh for a discussion about MBA interviews. They cover the types of questions candidates can expect, advice on how to answer those questions, what adcoms are looking to get from you out of these interviews, and more. Part 2 will be live on November 23.
You may remember madlibs from childhood—the silly word game where you fill in blanks to make an entertaining story… but don’t let the playful title of this podcast fool you! The content we discuss today is anything but silly. However, we are using the madlibs concept as a powerful FRAMEWORK to help you think about how best to articulate your short and short- and long-term goals in ways that are specific, authentic, bold, and realistic. If you have ever been intimidated about fleshing out your sh...
We all know how to write, so what could possibly go wrong in an MBA application essay? Lots of things, as it turns out. In this podcast we dive into 6 tips for MBA essay writing that even the most confident writers sometimes miss. This will include: Directly answering the question asked The active vs the passive voice Writing an attention-grabbing first (and last) sentence The STAR format and why it is your friend Structuring your essay clearly Writing in a way that is clear, simple and concise ...
In this replay of one of our most popular episodes, Meg — a former University of Chicago Booth admissions committee member and current SBC admissions consultant — joins Erika to discuss some of the biggest things they see MBA candidates wasting their precious time on during the application process. They address: Their most-hated question MBA candidates often ask *Why* it doesn't make sense to worry about certain things in the admissions process What applicants' time is better spent on What waitl...
This episode discusses the most important things you must communicate to the admissions committee -- as well as the red flags you can head off -- if you're a candidate who's only worked for one employer since college.
This episode details: The most important recommender criteria What you should do if you can’t ask your direct manager for a letter What you should do if you don’t want anyone at your company to know of your MBA plans If it’s OK to use college professors or extracurricular contacts as recommenders Whether seniority or alumni status matters Whether "side letters" are effective What you should do if you’ve worked for more than one company since college What you should do if you haven’t worked with ...
In this episode Caryn Altman joins us for more real talk. Today’s topic: the complicated question of sharing something in your application of which you are not proud. This might be explaining anything you wish you’d handled differently… from a low GPA, to a lapse in judgment, to something like a DUI. The key to approaching these topics effectively is often LESS about the incident itself and much MORE about how you respond to and explain the topic in your application. Admissions officers want to ...
In this episode Caryn Altman joins us for some real talk. Today’s topic: the complicated question of sharing something in your application of which you are not proud. This might be explaining anything you wish you’d handled differently… from a low GPA, to a lapse in judgment, to something like a DUI. The key to approaching these topics effectively is often LESS about the incident itself and much MORE about how you respond to and explain the topic in your application. Admissions officers want to ...
If you're usually not comfortable "tooting your own horn" -- or telling others about your achievements, this episode is for you. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance. How can you make sure you don't cross it in your MBA materials?
All of us who put together this podcast are on a mission to help MBA applicants shine their brightest when applying to business school. For this episode, we sit down with SBC consultant Marc Paulo -- who has worked in admissions at UVA Darden and for private sector leaders like McKinsey and Bain -- to share lessons we have learned from working with LGBTQ+ and other underepresented applicants over the years. This podcast is NOT ONLY for members of the queer community. It is a must-listen for ANY ...
In this replay of one of our most popular episodes, Erika is joined by Kellogg JD/MBA and fellow SBC consultant Gina for an in-depth discussion about how applicants can use the MBA application process to reflect on what they really value and what kind of work might make them truly happy.
Today we are dive into a topic on the minds of many MBA applicants: test prep for the GMAT and/or GRE. We are joined by , Stacy Blackman Consulting’s Director of Test Prep, who’s been a GMAT and GRE tutor for more than two decades. Anthony works with his clients to develop an individualized plan of attack for a broad range of focus areas. To give an example of this, today Anthony takes a deep dive into one area of test prep he focuses on – in this case, GRE vocabulary prep – and shares a range o...
It's a question that haunts all MBA applicants: How do I stand out? What's special about me? What makes me unique? This episode offers several ideas for how to understand what you have to offer an MBA program that no one else can.
This episode covers how to make the most of the data form—or the actual online application itself—and why you shouldn't underestimate its importance. We’ll cover: Optional fields Common questions applicants have about confusing fields and dropdowns The awards section(s) How you can use the data form fields to strengthen your candidacy (This is a replay of episode 21.)
B-Schooled Episode #118: Tackling Your Main MBA Essay (Part 2 of 2) Today we are dive into about one of the topics we get the most questions about: how best to tackle your main MBA essay. While different MBA programs approach this essay in different ways, what these programs REALLY want to understand is who you are as a person and what you are passionate about. Just as importantly, these schools want to understand WHY you are passionate about these things… and how you want to lead in these areas...
Today we are dive into about one of the topics we get the most questions about: how best to tackle your main MBA essay. While different MBA programs approach this essay in different ways, what these programs REALLY want to understand is who you are as a person and what you are passionate about. Just as importantly, these schools want to understand WHY you are passionate about these things… and how you want to lead in these areas after earning your MBA. These questions can be intimidating. These ...
At SBC we work with an increasing number of applicants interested in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion – either because they are personally passionate about these topics, see DEI as a possible post-MBA career path, or both. If you are interested in Diversity, Equity, and/or Inclusion this is the ABSOLUTELY the podcast for you. This episode includes all of the following (and more): Tips for DEI-focused applicants applying to MBA programs Suggestions about making the most of your MBA exper...
MPG, a former Assistant Director of Admissions and adcom member at Darden -- who's now on the SBC admissions consulting team -- shares insight into UVA's Darden School of Business and its surrounding Charlottesville community.
Your resume is perhaps the single most important part of your application materials. This episode (a replay of episode 16 from August 12, 2020) covers how to maximize that one precious page.
Looking back on 15+ years of helping applicants with their own MBA applications, host Chandler Arnold shares a Top Ten List of things he wishes he had known when starting his own MBA application. Part One of this podcast covers tips related to vulnerability in essays, resisting the urge to present yourself as a “typical” MBA applicant, special tips for reaching out to current students and alums, interview prep, and other topics.
Looking back on 15+ years of helping applicants with their own MBA applications, host Chandler Arnold shares a Top Ten List of things he wishes he had known when starting his own MBA application. Part One of this podcast covers tips related to short and long term goal planning, career aspirations, story mapping, test scores, and essay writing.
Erika talks with her SBC colleague Kevin, a member of the disability community, about what differently abled MBA applicants need to keep in mind, do/not do, and otherwise prepare for in their application materials, their interviews, their MBA experience itself, and their re-entry into the working world.
This episode will motivate you to get going on your Round 1 MBA materials, and will cover what makes the most sense for you to be working on right now before applications are released.
The hottest topic in MBA circles just might be a term you’ve never heard before: Futurism. Futurism is a broad term referring to the advancement of disruptive technologies across industries. These exponential technologies are rapidly emerging in the fields of genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, synthetic organisms, nanotechnology, 3D printing, virtual reality, big data, cybernetics and many other areas. Cross-disciplinary by nature, Futurism is growing in popularity among business schoo...
In this episode (a replay of episode 6 from June 2020), our host Erika and fellow SBC admissions consultant (and former Kellogg adcom) Caryn have a discussion that covers: Several tactics applicants can use to strengthen their quantitative profiles What applicants should do if they have not taken the GMAT yet amidst test-center closures (COVID-specific) How to use the Additional Info field/essay to address any quantitative weaknesses in your candidacy
If there is one question nearly every school asks somewhere in the application process, it is some version of “What are your short and long-term term career goals?“ Not only is this question essential to nail, but tackling this it in the right way can provide a “north star” for your entire application--linking together who you are, what you’ve done, where you want to go, and how an MBA will help you get there. Host Chandler Arnold sits down with MBA admissions expert Christina Fu to dive into wh...
Anthony Ritz, Stacy Blackman Consulting's Director of Test Prep, who's been a GMAT and GRE tutor for more than two decades, joins the podcast to share his insights on how MBA applicants can best prepare themselves to do well on their admissions tests. He covers: When to take the test How long to plan on studying for the test How many times to take the test What to do if you're not getting the score you want How his team can help applicants who aren't satisfied with their scores ... and more!
We love the podcast. Hopefully you love the podcast. But even if you love the podcast as much as we do, you might not have time to listen to all 100+ episodes. However one successful applicant, , did take the time to listen to EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. For this edition, Ty sits down with Chandler Arnold to share three key takeaways from the podcast, some specific episodes he found to be most helpful, and a few hidden gems he discovered along the way. Ty and Chandler also discuss how the podcast infl...
What should you do if you're light on extracurriculars, volunteer work and community service? And is it even worth it to try and beef up this aspect of your MBA candidacy during COVID-19 lockdowns ... and when there are only a few months before Round 1 deadlines? This episode gives MBA applicants some tactical ideas for how to ensure they're not just relying on their academic and professional achievements in their materials. (This is a replay of episode #4 from May 2020.)
Chandler Arnold joins B-Schooled as a new host, and he welcomes SBC colleague Christina Fu to have an extraordinary conversation about a hot topic in the world of MBA applications: authenticity. Chandler and Christina share several excerpts from past admissions consulting clients' essays as examples of how to use candor, vulnerability and boldness effectively.
