The Leading Independent
Resource for Top-tier MBA
Candidates

Posts by Lauren Wakal

About
Lauren Wakal has been covering the MBA admissions space for more than a decade, from in-depth business school profiles to weekly breaking news and more.
Published: August 3, 2021
Admissions Director Q&A: Kirsten Moss of Stanford GSB
Get the inside scoop on MBA admissions at Stanford GSB, as Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid, Kirsten Moss, shares everything you need to know about getting into the leading business school in our latest Admissions Director Q&A. Kirsten Moss, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid, Stanford GSB Prior to Stanford GSB, Kirsten held roles in leadership coaching, consulting, admissions and more. In addition to being an executive coach for senior executives in various sectors, she had worked as a consultant for Egon Zehnder, developing tools to assess leadership potential. Earlier in her Read more
Published: August 1, 2021
Episode 177: Wire Taps—FinTech Goals, GPA Woes, H-1B Lottery
When you want to apply for an MBA, you need to make sure all of your ducks are in a row. The featured applicants in this week’s podcast episode of Wire Taps have a lot going for them, but need help addressing potential rough patches. One applicant has goals in tech and eventually wants to return to their home country of the Philippines. Then, a successful entrepreneur has some undergrad missteps to cover. Finally, bad luck with the H-1B visa lottery could be an issue for a promising international applicant. Preview the profiles that Alex and Graham discuss this week, Read more
Published: July 27, 2021
Admissions Director Q&A: Chad Losee of Harvard Business School
Are you applying to Harvard Business School (HBS) this year? Then you won’t want to miss this latest installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series as we welcome Chad Losee, the Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at HBS. His team is responsible for recruiting, evaluating, and yielding a class of about 930 HBS students each year. In addition, Losee’s team oversees a need-based financial aid program that deploys more than $40 million in scholarships for HBS students. Chad Losee, Managing Director, MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at HBS Losee earned Read more
Published: July 25, 2021
Episode 175: Wire Taps—Low GMATs, Fuzzy Goals, Visa Issues
An MBA can enhance your career progress or help you get a running start on a new path—and that’s exactly what this week’s featured applicants want. In this podcast episode of Wire Taps, Graham and Alex advise three MBA hopefuls looking to achieve career growth or make a career change. One MBA hopeful is looking to pursue consulting after a career in the military. Another applicant wants to reach higher in finance or possibly consulting. And finally, a candidate with extensive international experience wants to excel on the GMAT as well as in investment banking. Preview the profiles that Alex Read more
Published: July 20, 2021
Admissions Director Q&A: Blair Mannix of The Wharton School
Blair Mannix, Director of Admissions at the Wharton School We are rolling along with our Admissions Director Q&A series and are thrilled to welcome Blair Mannix, Director of Admissions for The Wharton School. Blair has a rich history in higher education, working at Penn since 2008 and specifically in admissions at Wharton for nearly a decade. She has an undergraduate degree from Saint Joseph’s University and a master’s degree from Penn’s Graduate School of Education, where she studied Early Decision programs at selective universities. In this interview, Blair talks about: The life of an MBA application at Read more
Published: July 18, 2021
Episode 173: Wire Taps—Should I Apply Now or Sit This Year Out?
Career goals and application timing are hallmarks of this week’s podcast episode of Wire Taps, as Graham and Alex dig into three MBA hopefuls’ quandaries and dish out related admissions advice. One applicant is seeking help regarding whether she should apply for an MBA this year or get her grounding in her new role first. Also, a consultant is looking to change tracks to private equity. Then, someone discovered their passion for problem-solving and needs an MBA to make a career of it. Preview the profiles that Alex and Graham discuss this week, then tune in below! The first featured Read more
Published: July 13, 2021
Admissions Director Q&A: Emily French Thomas of Columbia Business School
Emily Thomas, Director of Admissions, Columbia Business School We are excited to kick off our annual Admissions Director Q&A series, in which MBA admissions directors shed light on their program’s application process, essays and more. To start the 2021-2022 round of exclusive Q&As, we welcome Columbia Business School’s Director of Admissions Emily French Thomas. Emily has been a proud member of the Columbia Business School community since 2008. She joined Columbia as part of the Academic and Student affairs team in the Executive MBA program, and now leads recruiting for EMBA, MBA and Deferred Enrollment programs on Read more
Published: July 11, 2021
Episode 171: Wire Taps—Is My Undergrad GPA Too Big of a Hurdle?
Graham and Alex are here for another podcast episode of Wire Taps to address all of your b-school admissions concerns. This week, application challenges run the gamut of MBA admissions—from academic history and showing impact at work to deciding which schools to target. Preview the profiles that Alex and Graham discuss this week, then tune in below! An MBA applicant with a military background faces the hurdle of a low undergrad GPA: Next, a boutique investment banker has his sights set on the UK post-MBA: Finally, a Tokyo-based real estate development planner seeks Read more
Published: July 4, 2021
Episode 170: Wire Taps—Pivoting Industries with the Help of an MBA
An MBA not only helps advance candidates on their current career paths, but also supports wholesale changes in industry and function. In this week’s podcast episode of Wire Taps, Graham and Alex advise three MBA applicants planning on pivoting—from corporate strategy to PE in the restaurant/hospitality domain, from oil & gas/chemical engineering to consumer packaged goods, and from MBB & military (reserves) to tech. Preview the profiles that Alex and Graham discuss this week, then tune in below! An MBA applicant with a passion for the restaurant industry opens the episode: Next, Graham and Alex resolve some Read more
Published: June 27, 2021
Episode 169: Wire Taps—Help! I’m Off the Waitlist after Making Deposits at Another School
MBA applicants and candidates had a lot going on last week, based on entries in MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire. The first person featured in this week’s Wire Taps podcast has already financially committed to one program—only to be taken off the waitlist at another, higher ranking program!  Should they turn their summer plans upside down?  Another MBA hopeful with an impressive profile struggles to turn practice GMAT scores into the one that counts. And finally, b-schools will likely line up to recruit the third profiled applicant—an immigrant turned U.S. Marine with international & management experience. Preview the Read more
Published: June 20, 2021
Episode 168: Wire Taps—Big Dreams, Re-applying & Changing Industries
It’s time for another podcast episode of Wire Taps, as Graham and Alex dig into candidates’ profiles shared in MBA ApplyWire. This week’s edition delves into a number of key questions: What should applicants with somewhat informal outside activities do to best position those activities in their applications? How can reapplicants be sure to put their best foot forward – even if their recommenders aren’t ‘all-in’ for another go round? Alex and Graham try to provide answers to these questions and more, while analyzing candidates from California, Indonesia, Singapore and beyond. Get a closer look at the applicants featured Read more
Published: June 16, 2021
HBS Announces Need-based Application Fee Waiver
MBA applicants to the Class of 2024 at Harvard Business School can request a need-based waiver of the $250 application fee. HBS first piloted this option in the 2020-2021 admissions season and were pleased with the support. As a result, HBS plans to keep it as a part of ongoing efforts to help remove barriers to applying and improve accessibility to graduate education from different walks of life. Chad Losee, Managing Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, told Clear Admit, “If you think of access to education in the U.S. for instance, we know Read more
Published: June 13, 2021
Episode 167: Wire Taps—Older Re-Applicant, Lawyer to MBA, and Investment Banking Goals
It’s time for another podcast episode of Wire Taps!  As the G7 summit invades Alex’s backyard in England, he and Graham still manage to share of host of vital admissions lessons. This week’s show focuses on three MBA applicants who have shared their profiles and challenges in MBA ApplyWire. Preview the applicants featured below, then tune to the show! First up, a re-applicant in the oil industry is still hoping for acceptance letters this season but very much aware that reapplication may be in the cards: Next, a U.S. trial attorney wants to use the MBA Read more
Published: June 6, 2021
Episode 166: Wire Taps Turns 100!
Alex and Graham are in a celebratory mood as this episode marks the 100th time our hosts have recorded an edition of Wire Taps! To mark the occasion, this show includes audio clips from some of the Wire Taps faithful, facts and figures about the Wire Taps journey to date, and a medley of classic Alex/Graham banter (tucked into the end of the episode). Of course, our hosts still make time to review a great group of MBA candidates, including a woman in NYC with healthcare experience looking to boost her GMAT, an EdTech professional wondering about the impact of Read more
Published: June 1, 2021
Episode 165: Meet Ryan Price, Keeper of MBA Secrets
What is MBA student life like—really? Our special guest, Ryan Price (BYU Marriott MBA), joins Graham Richmond to explore the ins and outs of the b-school experience, from admissions to career support and more. Ryan Price, Founder & Host, MBA Secrets Podcast Ryan is the host and founder of the podcast, MBA Secrets, and an incoming full-time business school student at Brigham Young University. His mission is to provide current and aspiring MBA candidates with the perspectives of the students who are actually DOING business school every day. Ryan has international business experience as the regional Read more
Published: May 30, 2021
Episode 164: Wire Taps—Aim Higher for Your Target Schools!
This podcast episode of Wire Taps features feedback for three MBA applicants trying to hammer out their roadmap for the coming admissions season. Graham and Alex offer their keen advice to an applicant with goals in tech and consumer goods. Also, an innovation consultant with solid stats sought advice on a high GRE/low GPA issue. Finally, another MBA hopeful wants to elevate her career with an MBA—but should she go to school in Europe or the U.S.? We are excited to be hitting a major milestone next week: The 100th podcast episode of Wire Taps! And we want you to Read more
Published: May 23, 2021
Episode 163: Wire Taps—Government & Goals, Being All You Can Be, ‘Fostering’ the Right Environment
Tune into another informative podcast episode of Wire Taps with our resident experts, Graham and Alex!  After discussing the news of Rod Garcia’s retirement from MIT Sloan admissions, our hosts review an Indian applicant with a nontraditional government background who needs to hammer out some post-MBA details. Additionally, an Army Officer checks in about school choice and other application concerns. Finally, a candidate choosing between Indiana Kelley and Washington Foster hones in on the value of location. Preview the posts from MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire that Graham and Alex discuss below, then tune in! An MBA hopeful Read more
Published: May 16, 2021
Episode 162: Wire Taps—Reapplication Strategy, Casting too Wide a Net, and Decision Dilemmas
This week, Alex and Graham travel to Southeast Asia while touting a review from a listener in Thailand and evaluating a Malaysian applicant who needs a reapplication strategy (and who apparently likes cooking while tuning into WireTaps). They then turn their attention to a consultant in NYC who needs a bit of a confidence boost due to a below-average GPA (and who apparently listens to WireTaps in the shower). Our hosts also dig into a dilemma from a candidate with admissions offers from Vanderbilt ($92K), Georgetown ($20K), and Georgia Tech (~$20K). The dilemma? This candidate has an aversion to landing Read more
Published: May 13, 2021
Wharton Venture Lab Announces Virtual Startup Challenge Winner
University of Pennsylvania students recently competed for $135,000 in prizes in The Wharton School’s 2021 Venture Lab Virtual Startup Challenge. The competition invited student teams from across the Penn community to present their start-up ideas. In response, Penn students from the Wharton School, The College of Arts and Sciences, The School of Engineering and Applied Science, Penn Carey Law, Perlman School of Medicine, and Penn Nursing submitted business plans.  Out of 29 semi-finalists, eight finalists made their pitches at the final virtual event on April 30, 2021. Clear Admit’s co-founder, Eliot Ingram, attended the virtual event and Read more
Published: May 12, 2021
Triple Accreditation & New Online MBA at WashU Olin School of Business
The Olin School of Business at the Washington University in St. Louis recently announced a couple of milestones. First, they have earned triple accreditation. Additionally, the school will be launching an Online MBA program in January 2022. Earning Triple Accreditation If a business school is accredited, it means that their program adheres to the highest educational standards. Also, accreditation opens the door to federal funding for the institutions as well as federal and state financial aid for students. Different governing bodies, including Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), review teaching, curriculum, Read more
Published: May 9, 2021
Episode 161: Wire Taps—GMAT / GRE Recency, Back Office Blues, and a Texas vs. California Clash!
This week, Alex and Graham tackle a number of key admissions questions, ranging from the importance of GMAT/GRE ‘recency’ to potential hurdles candidates may face when coming from ‘back office’ roles. Along the way, our hosts also counsel an early bird applicant thinking of applying in 2024 and a recently admitted applicant weighing offers from UCLA Anderson (with $100K) vs. UT Austin McCombs (with $30K). Other topics in this jam-packed episode include R3 applications and the state of the waitlist at top schools this season. Preview the featured posts from MBA ApplyWire and MBA DecisionWire that Graham and Read more
Published: May 2, 2021
Episode 160: Wire Taps—ED or Not ED, That Is the Question
Graham and Alex deliver another podcast episode of Wire Taps, dishing out MBA application and admissions advice. This week, a military applicant who has made significant strides in maturity and time management wants to show the adcom he’s ready for business school life—even if his early undergraduate record suggests otherwise. Another MBA hopeful reached out for advice on timing of their applications—specifically, should they jump head-on into an early decision that would be binding or take their chances with more flexible acceptances? Finally, an accepted candidate planning on a tech career is weighing matriculating at CBS with a scholarship or Read more
Published: April 25, 2021
Episode 159: Wire Taps—The “That Was Then, This Is Now” Strategy
In this week’s podcast episode of Wire Taps, Graham and Alex offer keen admissions advice to two new applicants and one candidate torn about school choice. First up, a U.S. Army officer with a poor academic background sought advice about targeting MBA programs for their pending return to civilian life in 2022. Another MBA hopeful coming from commercial banking and hoping to transition into investment banking also needed help with school choice. Finally, as the 2020-21 admissions season winds down, some candidates are still facing tough decisions. This week, Graham and Alex weigh in on one candidate’s scholarship-laden choice between Read more
Published: April 18, 2021
Episode 158: Wire Taps—The Final Decision Is Making Me Crazy!
Since Round 2 decisions have been delivered, many lucky accepted candidates are facing some tough decisions. Two such candidates turned to the Clear Admit community on DecisionWire for advice about their school choices. On this week’s WireTaps podcast, Graham and Alex weigh in on their questions, as the candidates wonder: Cornell Johnson or Michigan Ross? Emory Goizueta or UNC Kenan-Flagler? Of course, there are many factors that go into these decisions, so be sure to tune in below for some expert admissions advice. Also this week, Graham and Alex advise an applicant with a background in cyber-defense for the Read more
Published: April 14, 2021
Stanford MSx Class of 2021: Profile in Resilience & Purpose
Stanford GSB’s MSx program is a mid-career one-year, full-time master’s degree program that traditionally begins in July at the Knight Management Center. Mike Hochleutner, director of admissions for the MSx program, told Clear Admit: “The MSx program itself is a very unique program that blends full-time business education with a particular model that is geared much more toward experienced and mature leaders. In the midst of Silicon Valley and Stanford, they have full access to the best of our faculty and other resources.” Mike Hochleutner, Director of Admissions, Stanford GSB MSx Program Current MSx student Katherine Read more

MBA Livewire

March 31, 2026 7:45am ET
Accepted to Harvard Business School
Round: Round 2
Received via portal on March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.44
GRE: 332
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Energy, Finance
Target Career: Other
Application Location: Boston
Juno Member: Not yet
March 31, 2026 7:43am ET
Accepted to Northwestern / Kellogg
Round: Round 2
Received via portal on March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.44
GRE: 332
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Energy, Finance
Target Career: Other
Application Location: Boston
Juno Member: Not yet
March 31, 2026 7:42am ET
Accepted to Columbia Business School
Round: Round 2
Received via portal on March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.44
GRE: 332
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Energy, Finance
Target Career: Other
Application Location: Boston
Juno Member: Not yet
March 30, 2026 5:16pm ET
Accepted to Northwestern / Kellogg
Round: Round 2
Received via portal on March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 3.9
GMAT: 705
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Juno Member: Yes
March 30, 2026 2:19pm ET
Accepted to Northwestern / Kellogg
Round: Round 2
Received via portal on March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 3.7
GMAT: 745
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
View or Submit Entries
Live
Wire