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Posts by Christina Griffith

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Christina Griffith is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. She specializes in covering education, science, and criminal justice, and has extensive experience in research and interviews, magazine content, and web content writing.
Published: July 6, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Allison Jamison of Duke Fuqua
In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A, we connect with Allison Jamison, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Duke University Fuqua School of Business, to learn about the ins and outs of admissions. Allison loves working closely with Fuqua’s prospective students each year. She collaborates with the Fuqua Admissions team to find the best ways to meet and engage with individuals considering a graduate business education, and she says it is truly a pleasure for her to get to know the applicants.  Allison began working at Fuqua in Read more
Published: July 2, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Patrik Wallén of IESE
In this Admissions Director Q&A, we visit Barcelona, Spain, to learn more about IESE Business School from Patrik Wallén, the school’s MBA Admissions Director. Prior to joining the Admissions team, Patrik spent several years leading IESE’s Career Development Center, where he supported MBA and MiM students in navigating their career paths and building relationships with global recruiters. Originally from Sweden, Patrik completed his MBA at IESE in 2007. He also holds executive coaching certifications (ORSCC, CPCC, ACC) and has been actively involved in IESE’s leadership and coaching programs. Read more
Published: July 2, 2026
Real Humans of Bain & Co.: Mariana Couttolenc, LBS MBA ’25, Consultant
Mariana Couttolenc was reflecting on what she was looking for in the long term when she decided that business school was the right step to gain exposure to different industries and expand her network. In this edition of our Real Humans: Alumni series, Mariana tells us how she was drawn to London Business School for a more international experience and how the MBA program strengthened her confidence, resilience, and ability to manage pressure. Read about her journey to an MBA and consulting at Bain below. Mariana Couttolenc, LBS MBA ’25, Consultant at Bain & Co. Read more
Published: July 1, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Kara Tripi of Michigan State Broad College of Business
We are back again with Kara Tripi, Managing Director of MBA Admissions at Michigan State University Broad College of Business for this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A. Kara oversees admissions for the Executive, Online, and Full-Time MBA programs. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Oakland University. Over the past 13 years, Kara has built her career in higher education, with a strong commitment to supporting and advocating for students. Outside of her work, she enjoys spending time with her wife and their Read more
Published: June 30, 2026
Top In-Person MBA Events to Check Out in July 2026
An essential part of the process when you apply for an MBA is events. On or off campus, formal or informal, in-person MBA admission events are opportunities for applicants to connect with current students and alumni, sit in on classes, meet the admissions team, and take campus tours. Final round deadlines have passed for fall 2026 intake, but some rolling deadlines continue. In anticipation of admits making decisions on where to go and future applicants taking time during the summer season to check out potential schools, in-person event opportunities are increasing for Read more
Published: June 29, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Anne Kilby of Georgetown McDonough
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back Anne Kilby, Associate Dean of MBA Admissions at Georgetown McDonough in Washington, D.C. Kilby oversees admissions, sets the admissions strategy, and manages the scholarship budget for the Full-Time MBA, Flex MBA, and Flex MBA Online programs. She has spent 18 years in higher education, mainly in admissions and recruiting. Kilby has worked within a global scope by representing programs internationally at recruiting events and fairs, partnering with universities and clients abroad, and interviewing prospective candidates residing worldwide. Prior to Georgetown, she was the Read more
Published: June 25, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Katy Radoll of UNC Kenan-Flagler
We welcome back Katy Radoll, Director of MBA Admissions at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, for this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A. With roots in the Pacific Northwest, Katy has been part of the UNC Kenan-Flagler team as Director of MBA Admissions for the past two years. During her tenure, she has helped bring admissions back on the road to connect with candidates in their own communities, strengthened collaboration and shared purpose across the admissions team, and deepened relationships throughout the MBA admissions landscape. Her approach centers on Read more
Published: June 25, 2026
Real Humans of PepsiCo: Brianna Hoelting, Yale SOM MBA ’25, Finance Associate Manager
Long term, Brianna Hoelting aspires to be in the C-suite and eventually start her own business or nonprofit, and knew she needed a broader toolkit that included management, communication, and organizational strategy. In this installment of Real Humans: Alumni, she shares how the MBA program at Yale School of Management (SOM) was the right investment to accelerate her career and provide the perspective and confidence to lead in new settings, including in her current role at PepsiCo.  Brianna Hoelting, Yale SOM MBA ’25, Finance Associate Manager at PepsiCo Age: 29 Read more
Published: June 24, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Rupal Gadhia of Harvard Business School
The Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at Harvard Business School, Rupal Gadhia, joins us for this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Rupal Gadhia graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2004. Her post-HBS career began in brand management with Sara Lee and Campbell Soup Company, followed by a move to Booz & Co as a management consultant. Leveraging her passion for brand and consulting, she joined the Brand Union, managing North American strategy and research for consumer and corporate clients and was recruited to Interbrand Read more
Published: June 23, 2026
Real Humans of BCG: Apeksha Atal, Dartmouth Tuck MBA ’25, Consultant
After gaining experience in the Indian startup ecosystem, Apeksha Atal realized the next phase of her career required tackling a broader range of challenges, international exposure, and working across industries; to achieve those abilities, she would need an MBA. In this installment of our Real Humans: Alumni, Atal shares how the most important elements she sought in a business school – small class size, distance from the city, community-driven environment, strong core curriculum, proven career services results in consulting, and culture – she found at Dartmouth Tuck. Read about her journey to the Tuck Read more
Published: June 22, 2026
Admission Director Q&A: J.R. McGrath of Carnegie Mellon Tepper
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back J.R. McGrath, Executive Director of Masters Admissions at the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. J.R. has been at the Tepper School for more than five years and accepted the role of Executive Director in October 2022. He has previously served in leadership roles at SMU Cox, TCU, and Syracuse. In addition to his professional responsibilities, J.R. and his wife have a young daughter that keeps them busy. J.R. also enjoys running, golf, and anything to do with Pittsburgh sports teams. Read on for Read more
Published: June 18, 2026
Real Humans of L.E.K. Consulting: Sam Ederle, Vanderbilt Owen MBA ’24, Consultant
In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Sam Ederle shares his professional journey. After leaving an acting career, he knew he faced a challenge: He was capable of succeeding in business, but nobody was going to hire him. Business school was the solution. He chose the MBA program at Vanderbilt Owen based on its strong career outcomes, small, tight-knit community, and the quality of life in Nashville. Read his story here. Sam Ederle, Vanderbilt Owen MBA ’24, Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting Age: 30 Hometown: Duxbury, MA Undergraduate Institution and Major Read more
Published: June 18, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Charlotte Russell-Green of Cambridge Judge
We welcome back Charlotte Russell-Green, Head of MBA Recruitment and Admissions  at Cambridge Judge Business School for this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. After training in Drama and Theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, Charlotte transitioned into marketing and has now worked in the MBA sector for over a decade. She began her MBA career at QS, managing marketing for the World MBA Tour events across North America, before joining Cambridge Judge Business School, where she has held roles spanning marketing, recruitment, and admissions. As Head of MBA Recruitment and Read more
Published: June 17, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Steve Thompson of Northwestern Kellogg
We take our Admissions Director Q&A to Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management for a conversation with Steve Thompson, Senior Director of Admissions. In his role, Steve Thompson leads talent acquisition strategy to draw the best and brightest candidates to Kellogg’s portfolio of eight Full-Time MBA programs. Prior to his current role, Steve gained broad experience across both student and academic experience at Kellogg, serving as Director of the Executive MBA Program on the Miami campus. Before joining Kellogg, he served as Executive Director of IE Business School’s International MBA Program. Keep reading Read more
Published: June 16, 2026
Real Humans of Bain & Co.: Paul Gennett, Yale SOM MBA ’25, Consultant
As an engineer, Paul Gennett understood that the barriers to progress in solving problems like clean energy, transportation, and housing are not technical; they are financial, legal, and human. In this Real Humans: Alumni, Gennett shares how he wanted to play a larger role in helping to build great things as well as how the Yale School of Management (SOM) MBA and other courses at Yale prepared him to achieve his goals at Bain.  Paul Gennett, Yale SOM MBA ’25, Consultant at Bain & Company Age: 27 Hometown: Charlotte, NC Read more
Published: June 15, 2026
GMAC Introduces GMAT Superscore
Starting in August, MBA applicants can put their best GMAT score forward with a new feature from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC): the GMAT Superscore. The GMAT Superscore is an automatic calculation of a test taker’s best aggregate performance across their GMAT attempts. With no additional cost, this feature presents a more holistic view of the applicant and ensures admissions sees their strongest performance.​ According to GMAC, the GMAT Superscore is calculated using a candidate’s highest section scores from all valid attempts of the latest edition, whether taken at a test center Read more
Published: June 15, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Denise Pu of CEIBS
Today we meet Denise Pu, Head of MBA Marketing and Admissions at CEIBS, who joins us to talk about admissions in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Denise Pu leads the same programme from which she graduated in 2012. She returns to the school after a career spanning banking and wealth management, entrepreneurship, and leadership advisory across the United States, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Shanghai. Denise holds a BSc in Management Science from the University of California, San Diego and an MBA from CEIBS. Read on for Read more
Published: June 14, 2026
Emory Goizueta Names Saby Mitra as Next Dean
Starting August 1st this year, Saby Mitra will begin his role as the next John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Mitra succeeds Dean Gareth James, who held the deanship for four years and will be taking over as dean of UCLA Anderson in July. Saby Mitra, the next dean of Emory Goizueta With a background in information systems and technology management, Mitra has held roles in leadership, teaching, and research. He’s an expert in business analytics, information security management, online consumer search, IT governance and Read more
Published: June 11, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Rebecca Mallen-Churchill of ASU W.P. Carey
We welcome back Rebecca Mallen-Churchill, Senior Director of Recruitment, Admission, and Financial Services for graduate programs at Arizona State University (ASU) W.P. Carey School of Business for this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Rebecca Mallen-Churchill is the Senior Director of Recruitment, Admission, and Financial Services for graduate business programs at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. A proud ASU alumna, she first discovered her passion for higher education while working in graduate admissions as a student. Since joining W. P. Carey in 2013, she has helped prospective students from Read more
Published: June 10, 2026
Real Humans of Goldman Sachs: Isabel Steffens, Dartmouth Tuck MBA ’25, Private Wealth Advisor
In this Real Humans: Alumni, we meet Isabel Steffens, who was looking for a graduate business school experience that offered a smaller program, a general management track, and a great location. Dartmouth Tuck checked all those boxes. Read on to learn how Tuck’s resources and culture of collaboration provided the foundation for her success at Goldman Sachs. Isabel Steffens, Dartmouth Tuck MBA ’25, Private Wealth Advisor at Goldman Sachs Age: 30 Hometown: Los Altos Hills, CA Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of California, Santa Read more
Published: June 9, 2026
Admissions Director Q&A: Melissa Rapp of Emory Goizueta
We are excited to kick off our Admissions Director Q&A series for the 2026-2027 admissions season! To start, we welcome back Melissa Rapp, Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions for Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Melissa Rapp leads strategy, recruitment, and enrollment across MBA and Specialized Master’s programs. She brings more than 20 years of experience in graduate management education and enrollment leadership. Prior to joining Goizueta, Melissa held leadership roles at several top institutions, including serving as Director of Admissions for the Full-Time MBA and MSMS programs at Read more
Published: June 8, 2026
Real Humans of Amazon: Carlotta Schwarz, IMD MBA ’24, Senior Product Manager
Like many young professionals, Carlotta Schwarz had reached a point in her career where she was ready for a change. Used to independent learning and taking deep-dives into new ideas, she was looking for a more holistic experience. She found that in IMD‘s MBA program. In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Schwarz shares how IMD’s emphasis on team dynamics and leadership development helped her become more resilient and adaptable, preparing her for a new role at Amazon.  Carlotta Schwarz, IMD MBA ’24, Senior Product Manager at Amazon Age: 32 Read more
Published: June 3, 2026
Real Humans of Bain & Co.: Amna Hussain-Holliday, Northwestern Kellogg MBA ’25, Consultant
Originally from Houston, Texas, Amna Hussain-Holliday spent 11 years living abroad and working in London. She wanted to move back to the U.S., but had never experienced American work culture. Business school was the ideal place to transition and plan her next career move. In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Hussain-Holliday explains how Northwestern Kellogg‘s culture and more helped her pivot from corporate strategy into consulting at Bain. Amna Hussain-Holliday, Northwestern Kellogg MBA ’25, Consultant at Bain & Company Age: 32 Hometown: Houston, TX Read more
Published: June 1, 2026
Real Humans of J.P. Morgan: Mike You, Duke Fuqua MBA ’23, Investment Banking Associate
After beginning his career in public accounting, Mike You became increasingly drawn to the broader strategic questions behind corporate decisions and developed a strong interest in investment banking. Looking for a business school that enabled a successful career pivot while also providing a community for his family led him to Duke Fuqua for his MBA. In this installment of Real Humans: Alumni, we learn about Mike’s journey to a new career at J.P. Morgan. Mike You, Duke Fuqua MBA ’23, Investment Banking Associate at J.P. Morgan Age: Read more
Published: May 28, 2026
Top In-Person MBA Events to Check Out in June 2026
An essential part of the process when you apply for an MBA is events. On or off campus, formal or informal, in-person MBA admission events are opportunities for applicants to connect with current students and alumni, sit in on classes, meet the admissions team, and take campus tours. Most final round deadlines have passed for fall 2026 intake, and in anticipation of admits making decisions on where to go and future applicants taking time during the summer season to check out potential schools, in-person event opportunities are increasing for prospective students. See below for what’s happening in June. Why attend Read more

MBA Livewire

July 3, 2026 11:06pm ET
Interview Invite to Columbia Business School
Round: Round 1
Received via email on July 01, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GRE: 321
Program Type: January Intake
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: United States, New York
Juno Member: Not yet
July 3, 2026 9:48am ET
Accepted from Waitlist to Duke / Fuqua
Round: Round 2
Received via phone on June 04, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.74
GRE: 310
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Other Industries
Target Career: Other
Application Location: United States, New York
Juno Member: Not yet
July 2, 2026 11:03pm ET
Interview Invite to Columbia Business School
Round: Round 1
Received via email July 2, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 2.7
GMAT: 720
Program Type: January Intake
Post MBA Career: Finance, Investment Banking
Application Location: USA
Juno Member: Not yet
July 1, 2026 9:05pm ET
Accepted to Penn / Wharton
Round: Early Decision
Received via portal July 1, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GMAT: 735
Program Type: Deferred Enrollment
Juno Member: Not yet
June 29, 2026 7:40pm ET
Interview Invite to Columbia Business School
Round: Round 1
Received via email June 29, 2026
Standardized Test: Executive Assessment (EA)
EA: 162
Program Type: January Intake
Juno Member: Not yet
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