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Posts by Lauren Wakal

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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 2, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Ruthie Pyles Stiffler of WashU Olin Business School
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A, Ruthie Pyles Stiffler, the associate dean of graduate enrollment management for WashU Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, digs into the value and culture of their full-time MBA program. Ruthie oversees the admission, recruitment, reporting, financial services and talent acquisition divisions for Olin’s graduate programs. Read more
Published: July 30, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: How Do You Turn a Business Idea into a Real Business?
While the setting of this Fridays from the Frontline is Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, the question it explores is universal: How do you turn a business idea into a real business? Oxford MBA student, Jiaxian Shi, shares his journey to answer this question–what inspired him to attend Oxford Saïd, bridging the gap between ideas and reality, and more. How Do You Turn a Business Idea into a Real Business? Jiaxian Shi Oxford MBA ’19-’20 By Jiaxian Shi, Oxford MBA ’19-’20 This question haunted me long before Read more
Published: July 29, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Melissa Rapp of the Emory Goizueta Business School
Our latest edition of the Admissions Director Q&A series takes us to Atlanta, Georgia, and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.  Melissa Rapp is the Associate Dean of MBA Admissions there. In this role, she leads the team responsible for the recruitment, evaluation, and matriculation of students across Goizueta’s portfolio of MBA programs. Read on for her insights into admissions at Emory Goizueta, including what they look for in application essays, what to expect in regards to your interview and more. Read more
Published: July 28, 2020
HBS Announces Virtual Admissions Interviews for 2020-2021 Season
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Harvard Business School announced that all admissions interviews for the 2020-2021 application season will take place virtually. In a message on the Direct from the Director’s blog, Managing Director of MBA Admissions Chad Losee shared the following: “I have said it before—the interview is a highlight of the application process for us. After getting to know you first through your written application, we finally get to have a conversation and learn more Read more
Published: July 27, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Soojin Kwon of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A, learn all about the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.  Soojin Kwon is the Managing Director for Full-time MBA Admissions and Program and a lecturer of Business Communication at Michigan Ross. Soojin has led MBA Admissions since 2006 and, since 2016, also oversees the MBA Program, which includes student experience and academic advising. Before joining Ross, Soojin was a Manager in Deloitte’s Strategy and Operations practice. Prior to consulting, she served as a Presidential Management Fellow, doing stints with the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and Department of Commerce. Read more
Published: July 26, 2020
Stanford GSB Announces Action Plan for Racial Equity
Following their pledge to stand against racism and social injustice, Stanford GSB leadership announced the Stanford GSB Action Plan for Racial Equity today. The plan’s initiatives include the goals of increased representation, building a culture of inclusion and belonging, making positive change beyond the school, and leadership accountability. Read on for how the school proposes to achieve these objectives. Increased Representation Representation matters, and Stanford GSB aims to improve the diversity of their faculty, students and staff. Faculty recruitment strategies will be bolstered, drawing on alumni’s input to identify talented lecturers Read more
Published: July 26, 2020
Episode 113: Wire Taps—Can a Class Make Up for My Quant-less Liberal Arts Background?
We are back with another podcast episode of Wire Taps, which is chock full of MBA admissions advice from our resident experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown. The two talk through three profiles shared in MBA ApplyWire. Catch a summary of the MBA applicants below, then tune in. The first MBA hopeful has a background in the energy industry: Read more
Published: July 26, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Jackie Brockmyre of the Boston College Carroll School of Management
A little west of Boston, Massachusetts, MBA students enjoy a collaborative community and industry-focused curriculum at the Carroll School of Management of Boston College (BC).  In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A, we hear from Associate Director of Graduate Admissions, Jackie Brockmyre, about the tight-knit community and flexible admissions process.  Brockmyre graduated from Elon University with a business degree and has been a member of the Carroll School of Management’s graduate admissions team for close to four years. Prior to BC, Jackie worked in education technology and technology sales. She is currently pursuing a part-time MBA at BC and is expected to graduate in 2021. Read on for her admissions insights. Read more
Published: July 23, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: Duke Fuqua Student Life Events Adapt to Social Distancing
MBA students continue to adapt under the social restrictions due to COVID-19. See how the Duke Fuqua student community has been maintaining their connection in this edition of Fridays from the Frontline. Read more
Published: July 22, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Paula Amorim of IESE
Along with IESE’s four campuses in Barcelona, Madrid, New York, and Munich, the school has facilities in São Paulo as well. IESE’s full-time MBA program is headquartered at the University of Navarra’s campus in Pedralbes, a residential neighborhood of Barcelona that sits just 20 minutes from the city’s downtown area. In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A, Paula Amorim, Director of Admissions and IESE MBA ’16, discusses the hallmarks of the IESE MBA, what to expect in admissions and how you can learn more about the dynamic and diverse program. Read more
Published: July 20, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Rodrigo Malta of the Texas McCombs School of Business
This edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series takes us to the dynamic city of Austin and leading business school there, the University of Texas McCombs School of Business.  Rodrigo Malta, the Managing Director of MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Texas McCombs, was born and raised in Brazil and moved to the U.S. in high school. After earning his bachelor’s degree in management from Missouri State University and working for a large telecom company in Kansas City, he pursued an MBA at Texas McCombs. Read more
Published: July 19, 2020
Episode 112: Wire Taps—Top School or Bust!
Whether you have worrisome stats or vague career goals, our admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, have you covered in this podcast episode of Wire Taps. The duo advise three MBA hopefuls about the upcoming application season.  Preview the applicants’ profiles from MBA ApplyWire below, and then tune in. Read more
Published: July 19, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Taylor Martini of the UCI Merage School of Business
Located between Los Angeles and San Diego, the University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business puts MBA students in the center of Southern California’s Tech Coast. In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we hear from Taylor Martini, who serves as the Executive Director of UCI Merage's full-time MBA program. He oversees operations, including financial and strategic management, academic programming and supervision of the admissions and student services teams. Taylor joined the Merage School in June 2015, soon after graduating from the UCI Paul Merage School of Business Full-Time MBA Program.  Read more
Published: July 16, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: NYU Stern’s Endless Frontier Labs of Endless Opportunity
When entrepreneurial business needs intersect with science and tech, NYU Stern MBA students can partake in the Endless Frontier Labs to strengthen their experience knowledge and abilities.  Learn more about the course in this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, as Wilson Keng, an MBA graduate of NYU Stern, shares his student experience with the program's Endless Frontier Labs. Read more
Published: July 15, 2020
Friday Refresh: New and Updated Resources, July Roundup
Welcome to Friday Refresh, a weekly roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site. In this edition, we’re catching up with essay tips, deadlines, admissions news and recommendation questions from the month of July. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: Berkeley / Haas U. Chicago / Booth Dartmouth / Tuck Northwestern / Kellogg Read more
Published: July 15, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Rebekah Lewin of the University of Rochester, Simon Business School
We continue our Admissions Director Q&A series with Rebekah Lewin, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Rochester, Simon Business School.  She has more than 20 years of experience working in undergraduate and graduate admissions, financial aid and student experience roles, primarily within the University of Rochester.  In her current position, she oversees efforts related to recruitment, admissions, financial aid and on-boarding for more than 500 students across the full-time MBA and MS programs.   Rebekah also oversees academic operations for the business school and has program management responsibilities for the Barry Florescue Undergraduate Business Program within the University of Rochester. Read more
Published: July 13, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Shari Hubert of the Duke Fuqua School of Business
Diversity and inclusion stand out in the thorough Duke MBA admissions process.  Here to tell us all about it in our ongoing Admissions Director Q&A series is Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.  Hubert is responsible for overseeing recruitment and admissions for Fuqua’s Daytime MBA, Weekend Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA, and four Specialty Masters’ Degree Programs.  Prior to Fuqua, Hubert was in charge of admissions for the Full-time and Evening MBA programs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She has Read more
Published: July 12, 2020
Episode 111: Wire Taps—Which B-Schools for Tech Product Management?
Big dreams and solid stats fill this podcast episode of Wire Taps. The three MBA hopefuls, however, need some guidance to maximize their chances of success this admissions season.  Our admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, weigh in with advice on school choice and more.  Preview the applicants’ profiles from MBA ApplyWire below, and then tune in. Read more
Published: July 12, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Rebecca Mallen-Churchill of ASU Carey
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A, the Director of Graduate Student Recruitment, Rebecca Mallen-Churchill, joins us to discuss the W.P. Carey School of Business at the Arizona State University (ASU). ASU is located just outside of Phoenix, AZ, and the W.P. Carey MBA program boasts executive connections and an interdisciplinary curriculum. Rebecca Mallen-Churchill, Director of Graduate Student Recruitment, ASU W.P. Carey School of Business Mallen-Churchill graduated from ASU in 2005; while earning her degree in theatre and Italian, she also discovered her love for higher education while working for the Graduate Admissions Read more
Published: July 9, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: 2020 Bollywood Bash Digital Dhamaka – Uniting a Community Over Zoom
Student members of the India Business Club at Northwestern Kellogg showcased how the school community is acclimating to the new virtual world with their online Bollywood Bash.  Read all about the fun cultural event in this edition of Fridays from the Frontline. Read more
Published: July 8, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Alex Lawrence of UCLA Anderson School of Management
The Anderson School of Management at UCLA boasts diverse career placement, but stands out for its strengths in marketing and technology. MBA students also enjoy a tight knit community—class size hovers around 360—amid the larger setting of Los Angeles.  Here to discuss additional features of the leading MBA program is Alex Lawrence, the Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid since 2012. In the Admissions Director Q&A that follows, Lawrence highlights Anderson’s career support, campus features and the ins and outs Read more
Published: July 6, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Donna Swinford of Chicago Booth School of Business
In addition to being one of the Best Business Schools for Finance, the Chicago Booth School of Business also stands out for its culture of curiosity and a teaching style called The Chicago Approach.  The educational philosophy of The Chicago Approach is about critical thinking—by understanding fundamental scientific disciplines, the resulting theoretical frameworks help define problems, ask better questions, and develop better solutions.  To discuss more of the hallmarks of the Chicago Booth MBA program, the Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions, Donna Swinford, joins us for this Read more
Published: July 5, 2020
Episode 110: Wire Taps—Do I Need a CS Credential to Transition into Tech?
In this podcast episode of Wire Taps, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown advise MBA applicants who need help with defining their career goals and determining fit.  Preview their profiles from MBA ApplyWire below, then tune in. Read more
Published: July 5, 2020
Admissions Director Q&A: Margaret O’Neill of Cambridge Judge Business School
“Collaboration is a buzz word that is often used, but at Cambridge we live and breathe it,” says Margaret O’Neill, Head of MBA Marketing, Admissions and Careers at Cambridge Judge Business School (CJBS). O’Neill has oversight of the whole MBA journey, from the moment candidates first engage with the school, to the time they leave to embark upon their post-MBA careers.  She has spent the past 20 years working with post-graduate business school professionals across projects, careers and admissions at both Cambridge Judge and London Business School. Margaret O’Neill, Head of MBA Marketing, Read more
Published: July 2, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: At Stanford GSB, Reimagining the News
In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, Stanford GSB student, Judd Olanoff, introduces his entrepreneurial project, Storyist. Read on for how an MBA class inspired his idea, and how the Stanford GSB program helped him bring it to life. At Stanford GSB, Reimagining the News By Judd Olanoff, Stanford MBA ’20 Judd Olanoff, Stanford MBA ’20 “How many of you read The New York Times? The Wall Street Journal?” NYT editor and GSB lecturer Glenn Kramon begins his “Winning Writing” class by asking students what news they read. Fewer than half raise Read more

MBA Livewire

July 9, 2026 3:09pm ET
Accepted from Waitlist to Penn / Wharton
Round: Round 2
Received via email on July 07, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GRE: 319
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Application Location: New York
Juno Member: Not yet
July 8, 2026 4:30pm ET
Accepted to Columbia Business School
Round: Round 1
Received via email July 8, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 3.83
GMAT: 700
Program Type: January Intake
Post MBA Career: Finance, Asset Management
Application Location: New York
Note:

June 8 applied
June 26 interview invite
July 2 interview
July 8 acceptance via email about portal update
Juno Member: Not yet
July 8, 2026 3:06pm ET
Accepted from Waitlist to Penn / Wharton
Round: Round 3
Received via portal July 8, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 3.8
GMAT: 765
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Healthcare
Juno Member: Not yet
July 8, 2026 1:37pm ET
Accepted to Columbia Business School
Round: Round 1
Received via portal July 8, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 4.0
GRE: 330
Program Type: January Intake
Post MBA Career: Finance
Note:

Applied 6/4
Interview Invite 6/24
Interview 6/30
Accepted 7/8
Juno Member: Not yet
July 8, 2026 12:25pm ET
Accepted from Waitlist to Penn / Wharton
Round: Round 2
Received via portal July 8, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.34
GRE: 319
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Technology
Application Location: New York, NY
Note:

Don't give up!
Juno Member: Not yet
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