School Q&A

Published: June 20, 2024

Admissions Director Q&A: Paula Amorim of IESE

Our Admissions Director Q&A series continues with a visit to Barcelona, Spain, with the Director of Admissions of the Full-Time MBA at IESE Business School, Paula Amorim, who is back this year with more behind-the-scenes insights into MBA admissions. Paula joined the admissions team after completing her MBA at IESE in 2016 and was previously responsible for the Latin American market, based in the Sao Paulo campus. She is an Industrial Engineer from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in her hometown, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Prior to the MBA, she dedicated her Read more

Published: June 19, 2024

Admissions Director Q&A: Matteo Pedriglieri of emlyon business school

For this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, meet Matteo Pedriglieri, Recruitment Manager and Business Developer at emlyon business school. Pedriglieri is an experienced professional with dual master’s degrees in International Relations and Human Resources Management, and boasts an international background. With a decade of experience, his career spans significant roles at globally renowned recruitment consulting firms Michael Page and Morgan Phillips. Pedriglieri now spearheads recruitment for the International MBA program at emlyon business school, leveraging his extensive experience and global perspective to foster the next generation of business leaders. Read on for Read more

Published: June 17, 2024

Admissions Director Q&A: Andrea McHale of Michigan Ross

We continue with our Admissions Director Q&A series with Andrea McHale, Director of Admissions for the Full-Time and Global MBA Programs at University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business, for insights into the application process, curriculum and more at the leading business school. Before transitioning to higher education, Andrea spent 10 years in marketing, sales, and supply chain management within the healthcare and automotive industries. In 2013, she moved into education administration and is currently the Director of Admissions for the Full-Time and Global MBA Programs at Read more

Published: June 13, 2024

Admissions Director Q&A: Rebecca Mallen-Churchill of ASU Carey

In our latest Admissions Director Q&A, 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. 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 office. After gaining work experience in the hospitality industry and traveling the world, Rebecca returned to Arizona and joined W. P. Carey in 2013. In her time working with the graduate program’s office, Rebecca has Read more

Published: June 12, 2024

Admissions Director Q&A: Kara Tripi of Michigan State Broad College of Business

Kara Tripi, Director of Admissions at the Michigan State Broad College Full-Time MBA, joins us for this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Tripi brings over a decade of experience in higher education. With a strong passion for working with students, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate the world of academia. In her current role, Tripi assists with program development by overseeing the recruitment and admissions process. As a strong advocate for women in business and the LGBTQIA+ community, she is committed to ensuring Read more

Published: June 11, 2024

Episode 357: Insights from Top MBA Admissions Directors

Recorded live at the Clear Admit MBA Fair, admissions directors from top business schools share their insights on key questions prospective MBA students often need answering in this special episode of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. The episode features Eddie Asbie from Cornell Johnson, Dana Fernandez from Harvard Business School, Matthew Ganderson from Michigan Ross, and Lindsay Lloyd from NYU Stern. Together, they answer questions such as: What are the different teaching methods employed in MBA programs, and can you describe experiential learning? Do you have any Read more

Published: June 10, 2024

Admissions Director Q&A: Hollie Hinton of The Ohio State Fisher College of Business

We are officially kicking off our Admissions Director Q&A series for the 2024-2o25 admissions season with Senior Director of Admissions Hollie Hinton for an insider’s view of MBA admissions at The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business. Hollie Hinton leads global admissions strategy for the MBA and other graduate programs. Hinton brings private and public sector experience to her role at Ohio State, having formerly led a multi-state marketing and business development team for engineering and architecture firm DLZ, bringing critical infrastructure to communities and expanding the company into new markets. Read more

Published: January 10, 2024

Admissions Director Q&A: Arnold Longboy of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we take a look inside admissions for the Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi One-year Full-time MBA with Arnold “Arnie” Longboy. Arnie recently joined Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) as Executive Director, Admissions. In this role, he provides strategic leadership in the engagement and selection of future alumni for the Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA. He currently serves on the higher education industry’s EMBA Council Board of Trustees and is a past Chair of the Board. Prior to joining NYU, he was Executive Read more

Published: November 30, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Bruce DelMonico of the Yale School of Management

We are happy to welcome back Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Yale School of Management, for 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 on for his insights into MBA admissions at Read more

Published: October 9, 2023

Episode 314: Admissions Director Q&A with Jamie Schein of Stanford GSB

In our latest installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Jamie Schein, the assistant dean of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid at Stanford GSB, to the podcast to discuss all things admissions and more. Before joining Admissions & Financial Aid, she served for four years as the assistant dean and director of the Stanford GSB Career Management Center, and before that six years as the director of strategy and curricular support in the Stanford MBA Program, working with students, faculty, and staff to manage co-curricular programming and support for students in their academic Read more

Published: September 28, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Steve Thompson of Northwestern Kellogg

In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Steve Thompson, Senior Director of Admissions at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. As the leader of Full-Time admissions, Steve is focused on attracting the best and brightest candidates to Kellogg’s portfolio of Full-Time MBA programs. Steve has played a critical leadership role at Kellogg since January 2018, when he first joined the team as director of the Executive MBA Program. Prior to Kellogg, Steve worked at IE Business School as the Executive Director of the Read more

Published: September 20, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Teresa Peiro-Camaro of INSEAD

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back Teresa Peiro-Camaro, the Associate Director of Global Admissions at INSEAD. Based in Fontainebleau, France, she leads the Admissions Office team, which oversees the admissions process for Degree Programmes and is responsible for the class composition for Executive Degrees and MBA. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring that each INSEAD cohort brings together people, cultures, and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. Teresa and her team accompany candidates along the entire application journey, helping them to explore Read more

Published: September 19, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Eric Askins of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

In this Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome back Eric Askins, Executive Director of Admissions at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Eric leads the admissions and enrollment efforts at Berkeley Haas, having spent over a decade in higher education with a mission of advancing access and opportunity. At Haas, he partners with students, faculty, and staff to recruit a diverse student body. Read on to get Eric’s insight into MBA admissions this year, including what to expect from interviews, how to put your best essay forward, and more. Eric Askins, Executive Director of Read more

Published: September 13, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Brent Nagamine of University of Washington Foster School of Business

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we visit Seattle’s University of Washington Foster School of Business with Director of Admissions Brent Nagamine. Brent Nagamine, Director of Admissions, Washington Foster Brent currently oversees marketing, recruitment, selection, and scholarships for the Full-Time, Evening, and Global MBA programs. He has been working in the higher education sphere since 2013, when he graduated from the University of Washington. He started his career working in undergraduate admissions and eventually pursued his M.S.Ed from the University of Pennsylvania. After joining the Read more

Published: September 11, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Shelly Heinrich of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Shelly Heinrich, associate dean of MBA admissions and director of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Heinrich leads the MBA Admissions team in both its marketing and operational strategy to build awareness, recruit, yield, and retain the Full-time and Flex MBA programs. She also develops the integrated marketing strategy for the team and manages the internal marketing team and external marketing firm in its execution. Heinrich is a Read more

Published: September 6, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Danielle Richie of UNC Kenan-Flagler

In this Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome back Danielle Richie, Director of Full-Time MBA Admissions & Recruiting at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Danielle brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as the leader of the Full-Time MBA Program admissions and student recruitment team at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. With over 15 years of professional recruiting experience in both graduate and undergraduate business programs, she is well-versed in identifying top talent and creating a diverse and talented MBA student community. Her educational background in communications with Read more

Published: September 4, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Bailey McChesney of Vanderbilt Owen

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, Bailey McChesney, Director of MBA Admissions at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, sheds light on the MBA admissions process and more. With over a decade of recruiting and admissions experience, Bailey focuses on the admissions side of the Vanderbilt MBA Recruiting and Admissions Team, managing the application evaluation process and incoming student onboarding. She also co-leads the MBA Recruiting & Admissions Fellows. Bailey began with Vanderbilt Business in March 2011 and has served in several roles on the Recruiting & Admissions Team, managing Read more

Published: August 30, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Rodrigo Malta of Texas McCombs

In this edition of our MBA Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back Rodrigo Malta, Managing Director of MBA Marketing, Recruiting & Admissions at the Texas McCombs School of Business. Rodrigo is originally from Brazil and immigrated to the United States during high school. He earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business (2007), and his bachelor’s degree in management from Missouri State University (2000). Before and after his MBA, Rodrigo worked for Fortune 100 companies in internal audit and marketing in the telecom and technology Read more

Published: August 28, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Justin Aier of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management

In this Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome back Justin Aier, Assistant Dean of Graduate Recruitment & Enrollment at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. Justin has been a part of the Carroll School Graduate Admissions team for over five years, and has taken on roles from marketing and communications to recruitment and enrollment management. His favorite part of the admissions process is personally working with applicants to determine how the BC MBA can help them achieve their academic and professional goals. Read on for his Read more

Published: August 23, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Leigh Britton of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business

This edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series takes us to Athens, Georgia, to learn all about the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business from Leigh Britton, Associate Director of Admissions for the Full-Time MBA and MS Business Analytics Programs. Leigh began her UGA career in 2018 as a student services coordinator working with admitted MBA and MSBA students and on the admissions committee for the MSBA program. She transitioned to full-time admissions in 2022. Leigh is a seasoned higher education professional serving multiple intuitions across 3 different states Read more

Published: August 21, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: David Simpson of LBS

In this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, David Simpson, the Recruitment and Admissions Director for the MBA and Masters in Finance (MiF) programs at London Business School, joins us to talk about admissions. David has been with the School for over 25 years, starting in admissions, moving through various roles in marketing and business development, before returning to admissions. His undergraduate degree is in business, majoring in international marketing. In his time at London Business School, he has enjoyed travelling the world to Read more

Published: August 17, 2023

Admission Director Q&A: J.R. McGrath of Carnegie Mellon Tepper

In this Admissions Director Q&A, we welcome back J.R. McGrath, Executive Director of Masters Admissions at the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. J.R. has been at Tepper for the past 2.5 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, JR 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 his take on MBA Read more

Published: August 16, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Liam Kilby of Saïd Business School at Oxford University

For this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome Liam Kilby, Associate Director of MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Liam attended the University of Sheffield, studying for a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics. He started working in finance after leaving University and joined Barclays Global Wealth in the UK before deciding on a career pivot and a move into education several years later. He spent time working at Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press, before a relocation back to Oxford and Read more

Published: August 14, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Eddie Asbie and Vishal Gaur of Cornell Johnson

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome two members of the Cornell University Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management leadership: Eddie Asbie, Executive Director of Admissions & Scholarship for the Two-Year MBA program, and Vishal Gaur, the newly appointed Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean and Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management. Asbie has spent the past 18 years of his professional career in higher education, primarily within admissions, and has called Ithaca and the Johnson School his home for the last 11 years. He graduated from Read more

Published: August 10, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Mikale Elliott of WashU Olin

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we welcome back Mikale Elliott, Associate Director of Recruiting at Washington University’s Olin Business School. Mikale spent her undergraduate career at the University of Missouri–Columbia studying business communication and gaining experience recruiting underrepresented minorities. After graduating, she took a non-traditional pathway working as a flight attendant for a few years. Eventually, she returned to higher education to work on an HIV prevention research project. Through all these pivots, the thing that brought her back to admissions was her passion for others from diverse backgrounds Read more

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MBA Applywire

April 24, 2025 12:05am ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU Stern, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: EMT/Paramedic for 7 years, State Government job in environmental compliance for 1 year

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Entrepreneurship Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey

GPA: 3.8

Years of Work Experience: 8

Location: Georgia

Notes:

Academics: Neuroscience major at large state school, initially struggled with mental health issues in undergrad failing about 6 classes and got academically suspended, able to retake 2 of my failed classes, very strong upward trend after getting life together.
Impact/growth at work: Worked as an EMT for 3 years full time while attending school, went to paramedic school for a year, then promoted to work as a medic for another 2 years finishing my undergrad. Had the opportunity to help save some lives and hopefully make their lives better. Left medical field about a year ago, now working in state government in an environmental compliance role.
Activities: Writing/mixing/producing music, rock climbing, long distance running, volunteer crisis counselor for suicide hotline.
Interested in MBB Consulting, Healthcare management, Biotech, and eventually starting my own business.
Plan on taking GMAT early August for R1 application, looking to score around 700

April 22, 2025 9:08pm ET

Applying: Columbia, Cornell / Johnson, NYU Stern, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: Management consulting (since 2023 to now), regional eastern european investment banking and PE companies

Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking Companies: Bank of America , Barclays , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan , Merrill Lynch , Morgan Stanley , JP Morgan Chase , Other

GRE: 330

GPA: 3.0

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: UAE

Post MBA Location: NYC

Notes:

Had quite a few extracurriculars in undergrad years and first two years of career, then all ECs are mostly at my job (like conducting training, mentorship program, etc.)

Don't know if this is relevant, but I was born and grew up in Central Asia (think Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, etc.)

April 22, 2025 2:22am ET

Applying: Harvard Business School

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: CEO

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, Venture Capital Companies: Ernst & Young , JP Morgan , Google , Other

GPA: 3.41

Years of Work Experience: 17

Location: Malaysia

Post MBA Location: Boston MIT

Notes:

I got 4 years professional working experience

April 19, 2025 2:39pm ET

Applying: Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting; Venture Capital

Post-MBA Target Industry: Private Equity, Entrepreneurship, Other Companies: TPG , KKR , Other

GRE: 321

GPA: 3.2

Years of Work Experience: 6

Location: London

April 18, 2025 9:51am ET

Applying: INSEAD, London Business School

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: Sales and Amazon Sales

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , Amazon , Apple , Google

GMAT: 655

GPA: 3.54

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Canada

Post MBA Location: Middle East

Notes:

Background:

Age: 28
Nationality: French & North African
Undergraduate: Industrial Engineering 3.5/4.3 GPA
GMAT/GRE Score: 655 on only practice exam completed so far (Test date: June 2nd)
Work Experience:

4 years at P&G in Sales - Promoted in 1.5 years and did 3 roles total, the latest in which I managed 2 direct reports
2 years at FAANG in Sales/Account Management - Promoted in less than a year
Extracurriculars / Volunteering:

Case competition Coach for my school’s team at an international case comp for a couple years post grad, now sitting on board of advisors
Mentoring new immigrants to help find employment through resume workshops, interview prep, etc. through a non-profit
Plenty of clubs & case competitions during undergrad
Target Schools:

LBS or INSEAD
Post-MBA Goals:

Middle East Tech PgM/PM or Consulting
Other:

Trilingual and grew up between North Africa, Middle East, Asia, and North America.

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MBA LiveWire

April 24, 2025 12:09am ET

Applied to UPenn / Wharton

Round: Round 3

Received via portal

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.49

GRE: 311

Program Type: Deferred Enrollment

Target Career: Other

Application Location: Los Angeles

April 23, 2025 8:46pm ET

Applied to Northwestern / Kellogg

Round: Round 3

Received via portal

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.49

GRE: 311

Program Type: Deferred Enrollment

Target Career: Other

Application Location: Los Angeles

April 23, 2025 7:09pm ET

Interview Invite to Duke / Fuqua

Round: Round 4

Received via email on April 16, 2025

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.64

GRE: 311

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: New York

April 23, 2025 4:47pm ET

Interview Invite to U. Washington / Foster

Round: Round 3

Received via portal on March 29, 2025

Standardized Test: I haven't taken any of the standardized tests yet.

GPA: 3.5

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: General Management

April 23, 2025 4:14pm ET

Applied to INSEAD

Round: Round 2

Received via n/a

Standardized Test: GMAT

GPA: 3.3

GMAT: 740

Program Type: January Intake

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Canada

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