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Published: July 22, 2013
U.S. News Ranks 10 Full-Time MBA Programs That Lead to Highest Student Debt
As part of its Short List series, U.S. News & World Report today took a closer look at the student debt load incurred by full-time MBA students graduating from top business school programs. According to data provided by schools as part of its annual ranking, U.S. News found that full-time MBA graduates in 2012 emerged with an average of $49,619 in debt. At the 10 schools where graduates incurred the most student debt, the average per student was $97,154. Graduates of New York University’s Stern School of Business top the list in terms of average debt. There, the average graduate has a debt load of $105,782. Six figure debt is also the norm for graduates from the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, U.S. News reports. Read more
Published: May 12, 2013
Top Business Schools Report Healthy Application Volume Increases
When GMAT test-taking volume jumped by 11 percent for the year ending last June, those watching the MBA admissions space had reason to suspect that application volume at top schools might follow suit. Recent articles from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Poets & Quants reveal exactly that, with Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, the University of Virginia’s Darden School and the University of Chicago’s Booth School all reporting double-digit increases in the number of students applying to their two-year, full-time MBA programs. Bloomberg BW last week surveyed its top-10 ranked business schools, discovering that half were reporting significant increases in application volume, ending a three-year decline. Johnson led the pack, with an increase of 12 percent, followed by Darden, at 11 percent, and Chicago Booth, at 10 percent. P&Q reports that Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business blew even those numbers out of the water: Applications to that school’s two-year MBA program swelled by 25 percent after it moved up the Bloomberg BW rankings four places, to 15th, last year. Read more
UVA / Darden
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CLASS SIZE: 361
Women: 35%
MEAN GMAT: 725
MEAN GPA: 3.54
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MBA Applywire

8
March 20, 2026 11:31am ET
Applying: Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, INSEAD, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Penn / Wharton, SDA Bocconi
Intake Year: 2027
Pre-MBA Career: Energy
Post MBA Career: Consulting, Bain, BCG, McKinsey, Finance, Private Equity, Management Consulting
GMAT: 695
GPA: 3.93
Years of Work Experience: 3
Location: Italy
Post MBA Location: US
Notes:

I am a European 28-years-old engineer (automotive and oil&gas background) preparing my MBA applications. GMAT Focus 695 (97th percentile), IELTS 8/9, ~3 years of work experience.
8
March 16, 2026 11:59am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia Business School, Dartmouth / Tuck, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Penn / Wharton, Stanford GSB, Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2026
Pre-MBA Career: Finance/Biotech
Post MBA Career: Health Care, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Management Consulting
GMAT: 695
GPA: 9.2
Years of Work Experience: 6
Location: MA
Post MBA Location: New york
6
March 16, 2026 11:44am ET
Applying: Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Penn / Wharton, Stanford GSB
Intake Year: 2028
Pre-MBA Career: startup/entrepreneurship
Post MBA Career: Other Industries
GRE: 310
GPA: 4.1
Location: pasadena
Post MBA Location: new york
Notes:

4.1 GPA from a T10 university in STEM planning on doing entrepreneurship post college during the deferred years.
1
March 11, 2026 2:57pm ET
Applying: Michigan / Ross
Intake Year: 2026
Pre-MBA Career: Banking
Post MBA Career: Finance
GRE: 317
GPA: 7/10
Years of Work Experience: 7
Location: São Paulo
3
March 6, 2026 9:59am ET
Applying: Harvard Business School, INSEAD, London Business School
Intake Year: 2027
Pre-MBA Career: Consulting and Corporate Banking
Post MBA Career: Finance, Private Equity, Management Consulting
GPA: 8/12
Years of Work Experience: 7
Notes:

Profile Review: Banking/PE Experience for INSEAD GEMBA (May '27) / LBS EMBA (Jan '28) – Consulting Pivot?

Hi all, looking for a reality check on my profile for top-tier EMBAs with a goal of pivoting into Management Consulting (MBB).

Background:

\* Age: 33 at enrollment

\* Current Role: Associate Director in a major Nordic bank (Corporate Banking/PE/Risk focus).

\* Work Experience: \~7+ years.

\* Current: Lead on liquidity strategy, PE value creation, and covenant restructuring. I manage high-value client portfolios day-to-day, though formal people management/team lead is handled by a Director.

\* Previous: Senior Analyst in Tier-1 US Bulge Bracket and Senior Consultant (Big 4, fast-track promotion).

\* Education: MSc in Finance & Accounting (Top Nordic BS).

\* The GPA Weakness: My academic GPA is on the lower side. However, I have a CFA Level I and have won some industry business cases while at Uni. I’m hoping my professional track record offsets the academic record.

\* Extracurriculars: Board member experience (Mensa/Non-profits).

Goals:

\* Target Programs: INSEAD GEMBA (Flex, May 2027 intake) or LBS EMBA (Blended, Jan 2028 intake).

\* Why MBA: Pivot from finance into Strategy Consulting (MBB) or PE (whom I advise daily).

Questions:

1. How much will a lower GPA hurt me at INSEAD/LBS if my professional trajectory is strong?

2. Does not having formal direct reports (but managing high-stakes client portfolios) hurt my candidacy for these senior-level programs?

3. Is an EMBA actually "consulting-pivot friendly" for someone already at an Associate Director-level in finance?

Appreciate any insights or past experiences from similar paths, thank you!
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MBA LiveWire

March 25, 2026 12:45am ET
Accepted to Berkeley / Haas
Round: Round 2
Received via phone March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: GRE
GRE: 340
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Healthcare, Technology
Juno Member: Not yet
March 24, 2026 11:48pm ET
Waitlisted at Georgetown / McDonough
Round: Round 2
Received via email on March 19, 2026
Standardized Test: Granted Waiver
GPA: 3.376
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Consulting
Application Location: New York, NY
Juno Member: Yes
March 24, 2026 11:46pm ET
Accepted to Cornell / Johnson
Round: Round 2
Received via phone March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: Granted Waiver
GPA: 3.376
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Consulting
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: United States, New York
Juno Member: Yes
March 24, 2026 10:20pm ET
Accepted to Berkeley / Haas
Round: Round 2
Received via phone March 24, 2026
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 2.6
GMAT: 705
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career: Other Industries
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Brazil, Sao Paulo
Note:

International (Brazil), currently in e-commerce, background in strategy consulting (OW and BCG). Really happy. First mba approval.
Juno Member: Not yet
March 24, 2026 9:12pm ET
Accepted to Berkeley / Haas
Round: Round 2
Received via phone 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
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