MBA Wire Taps 378—Tech PM to MBA. Climate finance to MBA.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast Graham began by discussing our September MBA admissions event series; several top MBA programs are scheduled to participate. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/insidemba

We then did something very different - we had a deep conversation about our backgrounds, and work history together, which has extended beyond 20 years. We wanted to highlight our MBA admissions experience, so listeners can get a better sense for who is providing the weekly commentary on MBA admissions.

We covered our time together at UPenn / Wharton, where we launched several applicant-facing web initiatives that were industry firsts at the time. These included Wharton’s student2student applicant discussion forum, a student blogging initiative, as well as an online interview scheduler. We then discussed the formation of Clear Admit, and its evolution, as it pivoted from being a leading applicant consulting firm to what it is today - an online community where candidates can get unfiltered and free guidance so they can present their best applications.

It has been a long journey together, but a very enjoyable journey. We hope that comes across during our Wire Taps weekly podcast show!

For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries:

This week’s first MBA admissions candidate has a super GMAT score of 750 but has a more modest undergraduate GPA of 2.99. They also have a graduate degree, and both degrees are in engineering. Their work experience appears to be very decent, in tech product management. Their post MBA goals are to pursue consulting in the short term, and then return to the tech industry.

This week’s second MBA candidate also has a super GMAT score (760), but also has a poor undergraduate record. They were compromised by their mental health. They completed an MBA directly after their undergraduate degree, to help compensate. They work in climate finance, and ultimately want to return to this field after a stint in consulting.

This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who’ve been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!