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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: July 8, 2025
Podcast: MBA Decoded–Who Goes, What You Learn, and Why It’s Worth It
We are thrilled to be able to share audio from the 2025 Clear Admit MBA Fair. In this panel, admissions deans from Emory Goizueta, MIT Sloan, UCLA Anderson and Yale School of Management help decode the MBA experience by explaining who goes, what the core curriculum consists of, how schools deploy different teaching methods, and much more: Do you need a business background to be competitive? What will you study—and how will you learn it? From core curriculum and teaching methods to timing your application Read more
Published: July 8, 2025
MBA Admissions Tip: Volunteer Experience
While there are many elements to the MBA application, there is one that candidates often underestimate: volunteer experience. Why volunteer experience is important in your MBA application In order to understand why this category is important, candidates should keep in mind that the adcom is responsible for crafting a dynamic class each year. The aim is to admit individuals who will support a vibrant campus community and step into leadership positions. In other words, as admissions officers consider each applicant, they ask themselves, “What’s in it for our school?” An applicant who has previously demonstrated a talent Read more
Published: July 3, 2025
Weekly Refresh: MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Questions
Welcome to Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions updates and advice on the Clear Admit site. The 2025-2026 admissions cycle is on the horizon with some deadlines and essay topics coming out. Apps are going live as well, which means recommendation questions are available. 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: Cornell / Johnson Dartmouth / Tuck Duke / Fuqua Deadlines Released See the Read more
Published: July 1, 2025
MBA Admissions Tip: Applying to Business School as a Younger Applicant
It has become increasingly common for younger individuals to apply to MBA programs. Whereas the average age and years of work experience at the leading business schools has traditionally hovered at around 28 and five respectively, many programs are now carefully considering the more youthful end of the applicant pool. Of course, the fact that admissions officers are taking a closer look at younger applicants does not mean that getting accepted to a top program is easy for this group. In fact, it may be difficult for younger applicants to present themselves as fully prepared to Read more
Published: June 29, 2025
The Week Ahead: Chicago & Wharton Deferred Decisions, June 30-July 4, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Deferred Decisions A few leading MBA programs continue to release their final decisions. Tuesday, July 1, UPenn / Wharton and Chicago / Booth are scheduled to release their decisions for their deferred admissions programs. How “The Wires” Can Help Visit MBA LiveWire for the latest “buzz” about MBA admissions, including interview invitations and decision notifications. There are 5 Ways MBA LiveWire Helps You Navigate Admissions. Access MBA ApplyWire to explore the application strategies of fellow candidates. Add Read more
Published: June 26, 2025
Real Flexibility, Real Results: A Career Pivot Powered by the Georgetown McDonough Flex MBA
Sponsored Content For professionals ready to redefine their careers without pressing pause, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Flex MBA offers the perfect launchpad. For Amy Tu, the Georgetown McDonough Flex MBA was more than a degree—it was a strategic springboard for professional reinvention. After nearly eight years in supply chain and procurement at Nestlé USA, Amy knew she needed a change. She sought an MBA program that would not only refresh her business fundamentals, but also broaden her perspective and open new career doors. Drawn to Georgetown McDonough by glowing recommendations from colleagues and the school’s strong community, Read more
Published: June 22, 2025
The Week Ahead: Imperial and HBS 2+2 Decisions, June 23-27, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! A few leading MBA programs continue to release their final decisions. Thursday, June 26, Harvard is scheduled to release its decisions for its 2+2 deferred program. Friday, June 27, Imperial Business School is scheduled to release its Round 4 decisions. How “The Wires” Can Help Visit MBA LiveWire for the latest “buzz” about MBA admissions, including interview invitations and decision notifications. There are 5 Ways MBA LiveWire Helps You Navigate Admissions. Access MBA ApplyWire to explore the application strategies Read more
Published: June 19, 2025
Berkeley Haas Announces Professor Jennifer Chatman as New Dean
UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business has appointed Professor Jennifer Chatman as its 16th Dean, effective July 1, 2025. The announcement follows Chatman’s interim stewardship since July 2024. She is the third woman to lead Haas in the school’s 126-year history. Dean Jenny ChatmanUC Berkeley Haas School of BusinessPhoto Copyright Noah Berger / 2025 Chatman is deeply rooted in the Berkeley community, earning both her BA (Psychology, 1981) and PhD (1988) before joining the Haas faculty in 1993. She remarked, “As a proud ‘Double Bear’ … it is an incredible honor to Read more
Published: June 19, 2025
Weekly Refresh: MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines
Welcome to Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions updates and advice on the Clear Admit site. The 2025-2026 admissions cycle is on the horizon with some deadlines and essay topics coming out. Apps are going live as well, which means recommendation questions are available. 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: MIT Sloan Yale SOM Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: Read more
Published: June 12, 2025
Weekly Refresh: MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Questions
Welcome to Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions updates and advice on the Clear Admit site. The 2025-2026 admissions cycle is on the horizon with some deadlines and essay topics coming out. Apps are going live as well, which means recommendation questions are available. 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 NYU / Stern Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: Duke / Fuqua Read more
Published: June 10, 2025
MBA Admissions Tip: Considering the Campus
There are many factors that go into deciding whether to apply to a specific school, one of which is the physical place where you’ll be spending 1-2 years, which is why we’ve rounded up some campus visit tips. Whether speaking with current students or touring the campus for yourself, it’s helpful to approach these information-gathering experiences with as clear a sense of what matters to you as possible. Campus Visit Tips: Factors to Consider 1. Facilities Are state-of-the-art classrooms and impressive new architecture a priority for you? Would you prefer a school that is headquartered in a single building to Read more
Published: June 8, 2025
The Week Ahead: IESE & Minnesota Carlson MBA Decisions, June 9-13, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Round Decisions A few leading MBA programs continue to release their final decisions. Friday, June 13, IESE is scheduled to release its Round 4 decisions. Sunday, June 15, Minnesota / Carlson is scheduled to release its Round 5 decisions. How “The Wires” Can Help Visit MBA LiveWire for the latest “buzz” about MBA admissions, including interview invitations and decision notifications. There are 5 Ways MBA LiveWire Helps You Navigate Admissions. Access MBA ApplyWire to explore Read more
Published: June 3, 2025
MBA Admissions Tip: Making Your List of Business Schools
You’ve decided the MBA is the next stop on your career path. What now? The smartest applicants are those who take the time to create an informed MBA application strategy—a well thought-out game plan that can help you obtain your goals as effectively as possible. This includes making a list of your target business schools. One of the first tasks you’ll need to tackle is school selection: strategically choosing which schools to apply to, while considering how your experience and stats compare to those of current students (or, how “competitive” your application will be at each program). How many MBA Read more
Published: June 1, 2025
The Week Ahead: Late Round Decisions & Imperial Interview Invites, June 2-6, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Rounds Three and Four continue. Top MBA programs continue to release their final decisions. Wednesday, June 4, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper is scheduled to release its Round 4 decisions. Thursday, June 5, London Business School is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Friday, June 6, Georgia / Terry and Georgia Tech / Scheller are scheduled to release their Round 4 decisions. Imperial Business School is scheduled to release its Round 4 interview invites. How “The Read more
Published: May 29, 2025
Fridays from the Frontline: Listening, Learning, and Leading — My Journey with the Brazil NYU Stern Signature Project
Take a trip to Brazil with Stefany Claudia, NYU Stern MBA Class of 2025, in this Fridays from the Frontline for an inside look at a Stern Signature Project, a semester-long experiential study. This spring, her Signature Project team partnered with Aliança pelo Impacto, a nonprofit impact ecosystem builder in São Paulo, to explore how Brazil can unlock more capital for its impact investing ecosystem. The students spent a week in the field meeting with over 50 key stakeholders across the ecosystem, from venture capitalists, accelerators, entrepreneurs, development banks, DFIs, and global policy advocates. Read more
Published: May 25, 2025
The Week Ahead: Late Round Decisions, May 26-30, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Round Decisions Roll Out Top MBA programs continue to release their final decisions. Wednesday, May 28, UNC / Kenan-Flagler is scheduled to release its Round 4 decisions. Thursday, May 29, Stanford is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Friday, May 30, Cornell / Johnson is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Ohio State / Fisher, Arizona / Carey and SMU / Cox are scheduled to release their Round 4 decisions. Saturday, May 31, Read more
Published: May 22, 2025
Weekly Refresh: New Season’s MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines
Welcome to Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site. We are officially kicking off the 2025-2026 admissions cycle with some deadlines and essay advice. 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: Columbia Business School London Business School Michigan / Ross Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: Berkeley / Haas Read more
Published: May 18, 2025
The Week Ahead: Chicago Booth R3 Decisions & More from Imperial, May 19-23, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Rounds Top MBA programs continue to release their final decisions. Monday, May 19, Imperial Business School has its Round 4 application deadline. Thursday, May 22, Chicago / Booth is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Friday, May 23, Imperial Business School is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. How “The Wires” Can Help Visit MBA LiveWire for the latest “buzz” about MBA admissions, including interview invitations and decision notifications. There are 5 Ways Read more
Published: May 15, 2025
Making the Most of Your MBA: Career Paths, Pivots, and Possibilities
Sponsored Content This special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast is all about making the most of your MBA—the careers it unlocks, the pivots it enables, and the lifelong impact it can have on your professional journey. Christine Murray, Associate Dean and Managing Director of Career Services, Georgetown McDonough To unpack this important topic, host Graham Richmond is joined by an expert in the field: Christine Murray, Associate Dean for Career Services at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Christy brings over two decades of experience in corporate Read more
Published: May 11, 2025
The Week Ahead: Late Round Deadlines, Decisions & Interview Invites, May 12-16, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Rounds Continue More top MBA programs are now releasing their final decisions. Tuesday, May 13, UPenn / Wharton is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Boston College / Carroll has its Round 5 application deadline. Wednesday, May 14, Northwestern / Kellogg, Georgetown / McDonough and IESE are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 15, MIT / Sloan, Yale SOM, and Minnesota / Carlson are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Read more
Published: May 5, 2025
Calling All Admits: Support Forté Foundation by Posting to Clear Admit’s MBA DecisionWire
We’d like to offer hearty congratulations to all who gained admission to their top choices and encourage you to share which business school you plan to attend in 2025. MBA DecisionWire was designed to let MBA applicants, students and alumni share more information with their peers—specifically about where they decide to attend business school based on where they applied and were accepted. For a limited time, every fifth person to submit an entry to MBA DecisionWire will be awarded a $10 Amazon.com gift card. To be eligible for the $10 gift card, you must be signed into your Read more
Published: May 4, 2025
The Week Ahead: Late Round Deadlines & Decisions, May 5-9, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Rounds Are Underway. Attention now turns to Round 3 and beyond. Monday, May 5, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper has its Round 4 application deadline. Tuesday, May 6, IESE has its Round 4 application deadline. Wednesday, May 7, Emory / Goizueta is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 8, Berkeley / Haas is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Duke / Fuqua is scheduled to release its Round 4 decisions. How “The Read more
Published: April 27, 2025
International Admits to U.S. MBA Programs — Share Your Insights!
At Clear Admit, we know that choosing to pursue an MBA abroad is a major decision — and one that can feel even more complicated in today’s political and economic environment. That’s why we’re inviting international admits to U.S. MBA programs to participate in a short survey designed to understand how prospective students are thinking about their plans to study in the United States this fall. If you are international and have received an offer of admission to a U.S. MBA program for Fall 2025, we would love to hear from you. The survey takes just 2–3 minutes Read more
Published: April 27, 2025
The Week Ahead: Late Round MBA Decisions & Deadlines, April 28-May 2, 2025
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Round Deadlines & Decisions Attention now turns to Round 3 and beyond. Monday, April 28, Rice Business has its Round 4 application deadline. Tuesday, April 29, Chicago / Booth has its Chicago Booth Scholars Round application deadline. UNC Kenan-Flagler and SMU / Cox have their Round 4 application deadlines. Texas / McCombs is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Wednesday, April 30, UVA / Darden, Indiana / Kelley, and Johns Hopkins / Carey are Read more
Published: April 24, 2025
The SMU Cox MBA: Careers, Connections, and the Power of the Texas Economy
Sponsored Content This special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast is about an innovative business school making waves in Texas – the SMU Cox School of Business. As corporations flock to the Lone Star State and big markets like Dallas experience serious growth, SMU has been on the frontlines capitalizing on these opportunities. To dig deeper into careers, connections and the power of the Texas economy, we welcome Shelly Heinrich, the Senior Assistant Dean of Career Management and Graduate Admissions at SMU Cox. Shelly Heinrich, Senior Assistant Dean of Career Management and Graduate Admissions, SMU Read more

MBA Livewire

January 7, 2026 10:14pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 2
Received via phone January 7, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GRE: 321
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
January 7, 2026 5:35pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 2
Received via phone January 7, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 3.4
GMAT: 665
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Consulting
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: United States, New York
January 7, 2026 4:58pm ET
Accepted to INSEAD
Round: Round 2
Received via email January 7, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.95
GRE: 320
Program Type: One Year Program
Post MBA Career: Healthcare
Application Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Note:

GRE quant score 155 & verbal score 165. No international working experience. Surprised and excited!!
January 7, 2026 4:27pm ET
Accepted to NYU Stern
Round: Round 1
Received via phone January 7, 2026
Standardized Test: Executive Assessment (EA)
GPA: 3.19
EA: 160
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: San Diego, CA
Note:

Applied r1 so was getting worried when r2 ppl were getting accepted lol. No mention of scholarship on phone call, will get letter later this week. Really surprised since I had a very low GPA, but 🤷
January 7, 2026 4:27pm ET
Interview Invite to UNC Kenan-Flagler
Round: Round 2
Received via email January 7, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.05
GRE: 326
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Finance, Investment Banking
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: United States, Boston
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