Admissions Director Q&A
Clear Admit’s exclusive interviews with admissions directors at the world’s leading MBA programs.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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: April 16, 2026
Podcast: Admissions Director Q&A with Anne Kilby of Georgetown McDonough
Sponsored Content Anne Kilby, Associate Dean of MBA Admissions, Georgetown McDonough In this special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast, we welcome Anne Kilby, Associate Dean of MBA Admissions at Georgetown McDonough School of Business, for a deep dive into the application process, the MBA program and more. Kilby oversees the operations, recruitment and events, and marketing verticals 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
Read more
Published: December 15, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Bruce DelMonico of the Yale School of Management
Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Yale School of Management, is back for another installment of our MBA Admissions Director Q&A series. Bruce joined Yale SOM in October 2004 and has led the Admissions Office since November 2006. Before joining Yale, Bruce was an attorney focused on First Amendment, white collar, and commercial litigation. Bruce holds a BA in Honors English from Brown University, an MA in Literature from the University of Texas at Austin, and a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. Read our Q&A below for
Read more
Published: September 24, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Becky Gallagher of the University of Bath School of Management
Welcome back to the U.K.’s University of Bath School of Management. We are once again joined by Becky Gallagher, Head of MBA Admissions and Recruitment, for this Admissions Director Q&A. Becky has worked within the University for over 20 years, spending time in the Students’ Union where she oversaw student development and leadership programs. She has worked in the role of Head of MBA Recruitment and Admissions since January 2021 and has built an impressive network of connections globally. Becky loves nothing more than taking a student through the journey from pre-applicant stage right through to
Read more
Published: September 17, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Ivone Foisy of the University of Rochester Simon Business School
We are back at the University of Rochester Simon Business School, this time with Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management, Ivone Foisy, in this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Ivone has over 20 years of enrollment management experience. In her current role as assistant dean of enrollment management at Simon, she oversees recruitment strategy, enrollment marketing, and financial aid for full-time, part-time, and online MS and MBA programs. As Simon expands its offerings to include the DBA and certificate options, she will oversee enrollment for those programs as well. Ivone is inspired
Read more
Published: September 10, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Cara Sonnier of Georgia Terry
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back Cara Sonnier, Director of Admissions for the Full-Time MBA and M.S. Business Analytics programs at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. Since joining the Full-Time MBA program in 2012, Cara has been instrumental in shaping the admissions process, making it more accessible and streamlined for prospective students. With a passion for graduate management education, Cara believes deeply in the transformative power and significant return on investment that the Terry College programs provide. Under her leadership, the admissions team not only
Read more
Published: September 8, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Francesco Farné of IMD
In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A, series, we meet Francesco Farné, the new Admissions Director at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. Francesco has over 12 years of experience managing global products and leading sales teams within the education sector, specifically at EF Education First, where he honed extensive expertise in global sales, strategic account management, and customer success. He is deeply passionate about digital transformation, customer experience optimization, and driving business growth within fast-paced industries. He is now thrilled to leverage this experience in his new role with IMD,
Read more
Published: September 3, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Bailey McChesney of Vanderbilt Owen
We are back with Bailey McChesney, Director of MBA Admissions at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management in this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. With almost 15 years of experience with the Vanderbilt Owen Recruiting and Admissions Team, Bailey McChesney is passionate about equipping candidates with the knowledge they need to navigate the MBA admissions process and transition to business school. Throughout her tenure at Vanderbilt, she has gained comprehensive insights into the admissions process, and her role encompasses overseeing application evaluations as well as coordinating onboarding initiatives for incoming
Read more
Published: September 1, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Brad Rosenwinkel of Kelley School of Business
For this Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome Brad Rosenwinkel, Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for the Kelley Full-Time +Flex MBA program at Indiana University. Originally from the Chicagoland area, he has more than two decades of experience in higher education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at various institutions across the country including his alma mater, Valparaiso University, the University of Denver Daniels College of Business, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Berkeley Haas, and Michigan Ross. While his career has focused on admissions, he has led
Read more
Published: August 27, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Patrik Wallén of IESE
In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we meet Patrik Wallén, MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. Patrik joined the Admissions team after 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
Read more
Published: August 25, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Eric Askins of Berkeley Haas School of Business
We are back in Berkeley, California, with Eric Askins, Executive Director of Full-time MBA Admissions at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A. Eric is dedicated to recruiting exceptional global talent and focuses his efforts on the intersection of access and excellence, identifying and enrolling outstanding leaders from all backgrounds who will shape the future of business. Eric and his team partner with students, faculty, and staff to build a community defined by innovative leadership and academic rigor, ensuring that a Haas education
Read more
Published: August 20, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Luke Bretscher of WashU Olin
In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Luke Bretscher, Assistant Dean and Director of Recruitment and Admissions at Washington University’s Olin Business School. Luke spent over a decade working in admissions and enrollment across a range of institutions—public and private, large and small—and he’s passionate about helping students find the right fit for their goals. He holds a PhD in Educational Leadership, an MBA with specializations in Finance and International Business, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Analytics at WashU. He lives in St. Louis with his
Read more
Published: August 18, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Lawrence Mur’ray of the Dartmouth Tuck School of Business
In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we hear from Lawrence Mur’ray, Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth Tuck. Before joining the Tuck School in August 2022, Lawrence served as the Senior Assistant Dean of Graduate Business Programs at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, where he was responsible for strategic enrollment management for more than 15 graduate business programs. Before his time at Gabelli, Lawrence spent more than ten years in MBA and undergraduate business program administration at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Across these
Read more
Published: August 13, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Betsy Ryan of the Minnesota Carlson School of Management
Get an insider’s perspective of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management MBA program with Betsy Ryan, MS, Senior Associate Director of Admissions for MBA & MS Programs in this Admissions Director Q&A. Betsy has been a member of the Carlson School of Management MBA & MS team since 2016. Before holding her current role, she worked closely with CSOM MBA students as an academic advisor. She holds an MS degree in Counseling and has 15 years of experience in higher education, with a particular focus on adult and graduate student
Read more
Published: August 12, 2025
Admissions Director Q&A: Eddie Asbie of Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management
We are back at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University in this Admissions Director Q&A for an overview of the MBA admissions process and some highlights of the MBA program with Executive Director of Admissions and Scholarship, Eddie Asbie. Eddie is responsible for overseeing admissions and recruitment for the Two-Year Residential MBA program. He has spent over 20 years of his professional career in higher education, primarily within admissions, and has called Ithaca, N.Y., and Cornell home for 13 years. He completed his undergraduate degree from the
Read more
