The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Darren speaks with Julee Conrad, Assistant Director of MBA Admissions and Recruiting at Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, about Fisher's unique advantages and how to best position yourself in the admissions process.  Go to http://www.touchmba.com/ohio-state-fisher-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business MBA program.

Many of our podcast listeners come to Touch MBA to get free school selection help. One of them, Li Daming, recently got into Northwestern Kellogg, Insead, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua and Cornell Johnson with scholarship funding. How did he do it? Daming has literally invested hundreds of hours (and plane miles!) in the application process – be sure to benefit from his experience as he shares his best tips. There’s lots of gold nuggets in this one. Enjoy… I’m always excited to hear listeners succeed in their MBA journeys. If you would like to share your story, please get in touch at darren at touchmba.com – we’d love to feature you on the show. Daming’s educational and professional background and career goals (3:25) Common misconceptions about MBA admissions (8:32) What if you don’t work for a well-known company? (12:02) Do you need a high GMAT to get in? (14:52) Daming’s process to select schools (16:56) How to research schools (20:19) How to tell your best story and Daming’s “fit in, stand out” positioning strategy (25:50) Recommendation tips (31:16) Daming’s top 3 interview tips (32:13) What questions to ask at the end of your interview (38:46) Final thoughts and advice (41:25)

There’s no perfect school for everyone, so the saying goes. Education, like love, is all about fit. Top business schools are looking for candidates that would fit with their program, culture, and values. And you should be looking for programs that match your goals too. How can you demonstrate fit in your application without sounding disingenuous or even worse, like everyone else? Darren shares 4 common mistakes applicants make when trying to prove fit. This comes from reading thousands of applications. Listen on to learn 4 simple strategies you can use to convincingly demonstrate you belong at your target schools. Remember, there is no perfect school for you Speak the same language as the tribe Don’t repeat the school’s marketing pitch; fit should reveal you Avoid using school buzzwords; embody them instead Go to www.touchmba.com/podcast to get more insider admissions tips and free school selection help.  

What is the difference between Masters in Management, MBA and specialized Masters degrees? Which one makes most sense for you? A number of you coming to Touch MBA for school selection help are considering multiple Masters programs so I thought it would be good to dedicate one short episode to covering key differences from an admissions, curriculum, career and reputation perspective. Dirk is involved in all 3 programs for IE Business School so I played the role of "applicant" and asked him common questions I get. About Our Guest Dirk Hopfl is Director, IE Center Singapore for IE Business School. Dirk got his MBA from IE in 1999 and done admissions and development for IE's graduate and undergraduate programs for over 15 years.

Want to attend a top 30 program in the US that lives and breathes "business is personal?" Darren talks to Ruthie Pyles, Director of Graduate Programs Admissions and Recruiting, W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, about how Carey works intimately with its students to achieve their educational and career goals. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/wp-carey-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Arizona State W.P. Carey's MBA program.

How about getting your MBA from one of Hong Kong's most prestigious universities AND also having the option to study one semester at either Columbia Business School, London Business School or Fudan University School of Management? Sachin Tipnis, Executive Director of MBA Programmes at HKU, joins the show to discuss the HKU MBA's unique format and career benefits. Darren and Sachin also talk about HKU's admissions process in-depth so you know exactly how to best prepare your application. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/hku-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Hong Kong University's MBA program.

If you're thinking about getting an elite and rigorous MBA in Canada, you have to to consider the Rotman MBA (University of Toronto) based in Toronto. Get the inside scoop as Darren chats with Leigh Gauthier, Acting Director of Recruitment & Admissions & Director of Careers for the Full-time MBA. Rotman is a pioneer in the business education space and it's great to hear how they are challenging the traditional MBA curriculum to produce sought after graduates. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/rotman-mba-admissions-interview/ for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management MBA program.

Did you know that China is on track to overtake America as the world's biggest economy by 2016? Dr. Longkhai Zhao, Executive Director of the MBA Program at Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, joins the show to discuss why he thinks Guanghua is the best place to learn about China business at this pivotal point in the country's history. We also discuss Guanghua's admissions process, career opportunities for international students in China, and the changing status of the MBA degree in China. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/peking-university-guanghua-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management MBA program.

Looking for an intimate MBA experience but want the benefits of a large alumni network at a good cost? Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smeal MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA Admissions Director Stacey Peeler. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/smeal-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at Penn State University's Smeal College of Business MBA program.

Interested in tech, entrepreneurship and strategy and looking for strong ROI from a European MBA? The UCD Smurfit MBA in Ireland boasts 90% + employment rates after their 11 month program to go along with a relatively affordable tuition (29,500 EUR) and generous scholarships. Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smurfit MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA Program Director Orla Nugent.  Go to http://www.touchmba.com/ucd-smurfit-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School MBA program.

Want to get a rigorous business education grounded in economics and analytics from a renown US business school? Simon awards 75% of its students scholarships and prides itself on its 90%+ job placement rate within 3 months of graduation. Rebekah Lewin, Assistant Dean of Admissions & Student Engagement at Simon Business School, University of Rochester, joined the show to discuss what makes Simon unique, career prospects for Simon grads, and what fit qualities she's looking for from applicants. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/rochester-simon-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the University of Rochester Simon MBA program.

Want to study business in idyllic St. Gallen, Switzerland, with an experienced cohort of 40-50 classmates from around 30 countries? The school prides itself in its individual support and strong relationships with corporates in finance, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and luxury good industries. Nearly 50% of graduates made a "triple transformation" and switched geography, industry and function. Listen on for the inside scoop as Darren interviews Zwanet Van Lubek, Head of Marketing and Recruiting, Careers and Corporates, about the St Gallen MBA. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/st-gallen-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the St. Gallen MBA program.

Are you looking for a hands-on, customizable and intimate MBA in the heart of one of the world's great research universities? Darren sits down with Mark Lockwood, MBA Director of Recruiting, Admissions, and Alumni Affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to discuss the program's key advantages and admissions process. At only $66,000 USD for a 2-year program, the Illinois MBA offers sneaky good value for a top-ranked MBA. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/illinois-mba-admissions-tips for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financing, and careers at the Illinois MBA program.

What is relatively unique about the HKUST MBA? #1 ranked Asian MBA program in the world by Financial Times past 5 years Finish the program in 12 or 16 months Most international MBA program in Hong Kong, usually 25-30 nationalities represented in 120 person class; 95% of class is from outside Hong Kong HKUST has great exchange relationships - participants are guaranteed exchange spots with nearly 60 MBA programs around the world Financial Times rated HKUST's faculty #1 for research in Asia Strong reputation for Finance - 40-50% of graduates work in Finance A Good Fit for You if: You are interested in careers in Hong Kong and China - even though 80% of the class is non-Chinese, 50% of graduates stay in Hong Kong to work and 23% work in China You want to live, study and work in one of Asia's financial capitals; Hong Kong hosts over 6,000 MNCs and 70 of the top 100 banks You're looking to build a career and network in a fast growing region with a lot of potential upside, and get the prestige of a top-ranked program About Our Guest  Sean Ferguson is Associate Dean of Masters Programmes at HKUST Business School. Prior to joining HKUST in 2013, Sean was Assistant Dean of Degree Programmes at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business. Before to moving to the higher education industry, Mr Ferguson had a distinguished in corporate career working at PROS, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGE&Y), and Procter & Gamble (P&G). He currently serves on the board of GMAC and got his MBA from Rice University.

Here at Touch MBA we help you find your best-fit business schools. But what about getting an MBA in the first place? How can it help you? Do you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur? What should you consider when choosing between 1 and 2 year programs? And will the MBA be as valuable in the future? I sat down with Prof. Franz Heukamp, Associate Dean of MBA Programs at IESE, to get his thoughts on these very important questions. Getting an MBA is a massive investment. As Prof. Franz points out, applicants should think about the long-term ROI – and not just financial ROI – of the degree. I enjoyed his direct answers, and think you will too. Enjoy the show and we'll see you next Friday! About Our Guest Franz Heukamp is Professor of Managerial Decision Sciences and Associate Dean of MBA Programs at IESE Business School, where he teaches in the MBA, Executive MBA, and executive education programs. He got his PhD from MIT and his main area of research is behavioral decision-making with a special interest in the area of Neuroeconomics.