Weekly Columns

There has been much digital ink spilled on these Clear Admit pages about how prospective b-schoolers can navigate the major life transitions that MBA degrees entail.  Usually these articles take the form of balancing school with a demanding job or uprooting across the country (or continents). However, one issue that has not been discussed as widely in business school circles is pursuing an MBA as a parent. Mid-career professionals have historically used the MBA as a way to climb the corporate ladder or pivot to new lines of work. As the profile of an MBA student skews older, the reality of life outside the classroom and/or boardroom naturally gets more complicated as personal and professional responsibilities compete. Current MIT Sloan student Hadar Ben Ari (MBA ’20) took to the Sloan blog to discuss the art of earning an MBA as a parent. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the MIT Sloan blog. Read More Read more

When you are about to embark on a major life change like an MBA, it's not only the curriculum and campus that can feel daunting. Learning new neighborhoods and deciding where to call "home" for two years also presents unique challenges. That's why Rochester / Simon Business School students shared advice to ease the transition for future Flour City residents. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Simon Admissions Blog. Moving to Rochester? Current Simon Students Are Here to Help! Picking up your life and moving to another city to begin a graduate business program is a big change. One of the things you’ll need to check off your “to-do” list is finding a place to live. But where should you begin? Read More Read more

Each week we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of August 19, 2019. Read More Read more

Brands are more than just umbrellas or avatars for a business—they reinforce what a business stands for. When businesses develop initiatives to bolster their brand equity, they are really trying to influence the associations the general public makes with their product(s). To manage the “perceived value” of a business is a delicate process that Duke Fuqua MBA graduates are quite well suited to oversee. Tarun Desai, Daytime MBA ’20 and a five-year veteran of the strategy consulting and private equity industries, recently took to the Duke Fuqua blog to discuss his illuminating experience with the Marketing Club’s annual Brand Challenge. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua Blog. Read More Read more

If you want to understand some key hallmarks of the MBA experience, look no further than NYU's Impact Investment Fund (NIIF).  First, it's student-led, giving participants hands-on leadership experience and skills that translate to real world success.  Second, it represents the educational advantage of being part of a larger university–NIIF was born out of collaboration between the NYU Stern School of Business, the Law School and the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.  And what's more, it represents the ideal goal of blending business and social impact. Recent Stern & Wagner double-degree student Gabriel Ng ’19 recently shared with Clear Admit his experience with NIIF and the educational journey to its first deal.  Read on for some on-the-ground insights. NYU’s Student-led Impact Investment Fund Completes Its First Deal by Gabriel Ng MBA/MPA ’19 Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of August 5, 2019. Read More Read more

Many applicants spend so much time wrestling with fundamental questions about their MBA programs before taking the plunge:  Which school is the right cultural fit? Which schools will open doors in X industry? Which school offers the best value? Dartmouth Tuck MBA student Alex Wood T’20 took to the Tuck 360 Blog to unpack the moment she decided the school was the right place for her, and how their Women in Business Conference informed her involvement with the event now. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Tuck 360 Blog. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of July 29, 2019. Read More Read more

MBA students spend a lot of time with one another both in and outside the classroom. Since community is at the heart of the MBA experience, many programs spearhead innovative—and fun—initiatives to fortify the relationships that naturally develop between students. Colin Tierney '18-'19 took to the Oxford Saïd Business School blog to share lessons learned from the recent MBA Tournament, which assembled students from across the world to spar in a friendly competition featuring sports, dance, music, and more. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Saïd Business School blog. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of July 22, 2019. Non-traditional MBA Candidates Should Be Optimistic Non-traditional MBA candidates without undergraduate business backgrounds are often accepted to leading business schools, according to Vanderbilt Owen's MBA admissions committee.  Whether your background is in the military, Peace Corps, Teach for America, or performing arts, non-traditional candidates have become more commonplace in many MBA programs. The truth is that business schools want a balance of candidates and appreciate a diverse array of perspectives.  “I think by having people who have not been steeped in in corporate America—it’s really helpful to have outside perspectives,” said Rob Schickler, Associate Director of Admissions at Vanderbilt Owen. “The more diversity you have, the more groupthink can be avoided.” So, how do you ensure that as a non-traditional candidate you have the best chance of getting accepted into an MBA program? Read More Read more

Last week, Fridays from the Frontline featured the first-year experience of recent Booth graduate Monisha Shivakumar.  Now, we continue along the rest of her business school path, from a summer internship through graduation. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Booth Experience Blog. Read More Read more

The business school experience crams so much into such a short timeframe, it’s easy to blaze right through those two years.  Given the combination of coursework, internships, case studies, networking, and extracurriculars—not to mention exploring your surroundings—it’s understandable why many students find it difficult to stop and take stock of the once-in-a-lifetime experience an MBA offers when they’re in the thick of it. To encourage current students to reflect, recent Chicago Booth graduate Monisha Shivakumar took to the Booth Experience Blog to share a timeline of the first year of her MBA degree. Tune in next week for Monisha’s summary of her second year. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Booth Experience Blog. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of July 8, 2019. Read More Read more

Business school often turns one’s life upside down—whether interrupting a career, requiring relocation, or balancing professional goals with the needs of a burgeoning family.  The greatest shockwaves, however, may be felt by one's partner. Samantha Dorsey—a member of the Joint Ventures (JV) club and whose husband attends the Evening & Weekend  MBA program at Northwestern / Kellogg—is intimately familiar with the challenges an MBA lifestyle can bring.  So, she took to the Kellogg blog to help incoming MBA students and their partners smoothe the transition to a hectic, but ultimately rewarding, lifestyle change. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Northwestern Kellogg Blog. Read More Read more

While finance, consulting and technology tend to dominate business school employment stats, the recruiting landscape can, in fact, support a variety of goals—real estate, energy, sports business, non-profit and more.  The MBA is a versatile degree, empowering business school students to blaze brighter professional trails. Current UCLA Anderson student Tim Maleski '20 opted to pursue an MBA to give himself a leg up in the lucrative, but unconventional, field of sports business. Maleski took to the Anderson blog to unpack how to find a job along the professional road less traveled. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the UCLA Anderson Blog. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of June 24, 2019. Read More Read more

The MBA admissions process can be a humbling one.  Many applicants to elite MBA programs seemingly tick all the boxes—an excellent undergraduate GPA, high GMAT score, robust work experience, poignant essays—but may still face rejection.  However, one round of dings does not need to completely dash one's dreams—re-applicants often find success in subsequent admissions cycles, usually after a period of self-reflection and action to improve their candidacy. This week, we hear from current HBS student Arman Keshani, who shares his experience of getting rejected by Harvard and then taking steps to re-apply successfully. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the HBS Blog. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of June 17, 2019. Read More Read more

Commencement ceremonies currently abound for the MBA Classes of 2019, and many new graduates are reflecting back on their transformational two-year student experience.  While many MBA dreamers may just be starting their applications while first-years tackle their internships, we wanted to showcase the positive perspective after the two-year journey of a full-time MBA program. Janette Hwang, a second-year MBA student at Duke Fuqua, took to the Fuqua blog to share how she took on leadership responsibilities she never imagined during business school—and how the journey transformed her. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua blog. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of June 10, 2019. Read More Read more

In a weekly LinkedIn blog, current MIT Sloan MBA student Melinda Salaman fielded some of the most frequently asked questions she’s received about her MBA experience from prospective students. These questions range from why Salaman decided to go to business school in the first place to her experience with Sloan’s curricular and extracurricular offerings.  The goal was to offer an “insider scoop” to address concerns that many prospective students share and would benefit from hearing more about in more detail. We've compiled the first few entries for this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, and look forward to another post in the near future with her additional insights. "Why B-School?"​ and Other FAQs about my MBA program (Part 1) The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, MIT Sloan’s LinkedIn page. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of June 3, 2019. UCLA Anderson Names Antonio Bernardo New Dean Courtesy Antonio Bernardo UCLA Anderson School of Management has just named its new dean, Antonio Bernardo, an award-winning teacher and respected scholar who has taught at UCLA for the last 25 years and currently holds the Joel Fried Chair in Applied Finance. Since 1994, Bernardo has had a long and distinguished career at the school. He previously held the Robert D. Beyer Term Chair in Management; he was department chair and senior associate dean for academic affairs from 2006-2009; and he held the finance chair from 2013-2015, and again in 2019. “Chancellor Block and I are confident that the UCLA Anderson School of Management will continue to thrive under Tony’s capable leadership,” said Scott Waugh, executive vice chancellor and provost. “Please join me in congratulating him and welcoming him to this new role.” Bernardo's tenure begins July 1. Read the full announcement here. INSEAD Launches Master in Management Program The new Master in Management program at INSEAD is a 10-month accelerated program for young graduates interested in pursuing a career with an international focus. Read More Read more

The summer internship is a significant piece of the business school journey.  From searching for a fitting role to landing the position and then doing the actual work, the internship offers valuable real-world business experience from beginning to end, and prepares business school students for post-MBA professional life. Matt Pundmann, a second-year Johnson MBA student and Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Fellow, took to the Johnson Cornell blog to discuss his summer internship, from finding one to fit his seemingly atypical interests to lessons learned throughout the experience.  Read on for his rundown of his summer internship with Dow Chemical’s Plastics & Specialty Packaging business with a focus on sustainability. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Johnson Cornell Blog. Read More Read more

Each week, we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest updates from top business schools around the world. Here’s your MBA News You Need digest for the week of May 27, 2019. Read More Read more

The MIT Sloan School of Management has long been a bastion for the intersection of sports, business, and data analytics.  Their Sports Analytics Conference, which was just held for the thirteenth year in a row, is a forum for industry professionals and students to learn about the global sports industry. The two-day event includes a research paper competition, numerous competitive advantage panels, startup trade show competitions, workshops and more. Current Sloan MBA candidate and former Deloitte management consultant (and college baseball player), Jason Rehhaut, took to the Sloan blog to discuss his experience as part of the Organizing Committee for the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the MIT Sloan blog. Read More Read more