Clear Admit: MBA News, Admissions Advice & Trends

29Yo ORM
8 YOE in Finance
4 years Big 4 M&A - Investment Banking (Closed 6 deals)
4 years at domestic venture debt fund, last 15 months led my own team of 5 people and managed a $40 million portfolio (primarily in healthcare investments)
Part time CFO/operator advisor role for last 18 months for a consumer startup, helped raised seed funding of $120,000 and scaled monthly revenue 6x during this period
Founder Investor of an angel fund with 3 others since the last 3 years, managing AUM of $50,000 of combined personal capital into domestic impact-focused ventures

February 2, 2026 9:14pm ET

Applying: Columbia Business School, London Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU Stern, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: U.S. Diplomat

Post MBA Career: Marketing

GRE: 319

GPA: 3.2

Years of Work Experience: 10

Location: Moscow, Russia

Post MBA Location: NYC

Notes:

Background:
U.S. diplomat with 10 years experience across Latin America, Asia, and Eurasia, currently posted in Moscow. Career focused on crisis response, policy analysis, stakeholder coordination, and public-facing engagement in complex political and diverse social environments. Have led interagency initiatives, advised senior leadership (ambassadors, U.S. congresspeople, foreign supreme court justices) and managed high-stakes issues involving reputational risk, public trust, and institutional decision-making.

Academics:
Undergraduate GPA: 3.2.
Graduate GPA: 3.7, including strong performance in graduate-level quantitative coursework.
GRE: 319 (169V 150Q) - planning to retake and update on Feb 21 - anticipating a quant increase to 155-158

Career Goals:
Short term: transition into brand or experiential strategy roles (agency or in-house) with exposure to senior brand leadership, partnerships, and investment decisions, particularly within marketing, media, and consumer-facing organizations.
Long term: build a boutique strategy firm focused on helping brands engage LGBTQ+ audiences in durable, values-driven ways that hold up under political and cultural pressure.

Why MBA / Why Now:
Seeking formal business training to complement public-sector leadership experience, gain analytical and financial grounding, and credibly pivot into strategy-facing commercial roles. Interested in programs that combine rigorous general management training with proximity to marketing, media, and cultural ecosystems, particularly in NYC.

Target Schools:
CBS, Kellogg, Yale, Stern, LBS (in that order)

Demographics / Other:
37, Public-sector background, extensive international experience, LGBTQ+.
Post-MBA location preference: NYC.

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MBA Livewire

February 4, 2026 1:51pm ET

Interview Invite to Harvard Business School

Round: Round 2

Received via portal on January 27, 2026

Standardized Test: GMAT

GPA: 3.91

GMAT: 665

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Post MBA Career: Consumer Goods

Application Location: Canada

February 4, 2026 1:19pm ET

Interview Invite to Yale SOM

Round: Round 2

Received via email February 4, 2026

Standardized Test: GMAT

GPA: 9.45/10

GMAT: 635

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Application Location: Argentina

February 4, 2026 1:00pm ET

Interview Invite to Duke / Fuqua

Round: Round 2

Received via email

Standardized Test: GMAT

GMAT: 715

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: General Management

Application Location: United States, Chapel Hill

February 4, 2026 11:52am ET

Interview Invite to Stanford GSB

Round: Round 2

Received via email February 4, 2026

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.51

GRE: 324

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Post MBA Career: Health Care

Application Location: Virginia

Note:

I have Duke Fuqua/UCLA Anderson/USC Marshall acceptances with scholarships from R1 but pushed HSW to R2! Honestly was going in with zero expectations and just hoping for the best

February 4, 2026 11:32am ET

Rejected at Harvard Business School

Round: Round 2

Received via portal

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.89

GRE: 328

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Boston

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MBA DecisionWire

Wha

February 3, 2026 9:27am ET

Enrolled: Penn / Wharton

Admitted: Columbia Business School , Dartmouth / Tuck $

$40000

, MIT Sloan $

$46000

, NYU Stern $

$189000

, Penn / Wharton $

$100000

Applied: Columbia Business School, Dartmouth / Tuck, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Penn / Wharton

GMAT: 695

GPA: 3.6

Location: US

HBS

February 2, 2026 5:47am ET

Enrolled: Harvard Business School

Admitted: Harvard Business School , Penn / Wharton , Stanford GSB

Applied: Harvard Business School, Penn / Wharton, Stanford GSB

Entering Year: 2025

GRE: 330

Yal

January 30, 2026 5:28pm ET

Enrolled: Yale SOM

Admitted: NYU Stern $

$40000

, Penn / Wharton $

$110000

, Michigan / Ross $

$60000

, Cornell / Johnson $

$61000

, Columbia Business School $

$50000

Applied: MIT Sloan, Penn / Wharton, NYU Stern, Michigan / Ross, Cornell / Johnson, Columbia Business School

GRE: 328

GPA: 3.88

Location: Connecticut, USA

Chi

January 29, 2026 6:04am ET

Enrolled: Chicago Booth

Admitted: Dartmouth / Tuck $

$120000

, Michigan / Ross $

$120000

, Minnesota / Carlson $

$70000

, Northwestern / Kellogg $

$140000

, Notre Dame / Mendoza $

$140000

, Chicago Booth $

$140000

Applied: Dartmouth / Tuck, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, Minnesota / Carlson, Northwestern / Kellogg, Notre Dame / Mendoza, Penn / Wharton, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth

GMAT: 755

GPA: 3.9

Location: Minnesota

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