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“Where should you apply?”

It’s a question thousands of MBA applicants struggle with every year. There are dozens of great business schools worldwide. So many choices, and so much info to consider. Which MBAs fit you best?

The goal of this site is to make school selection easier and save you time – and potentially a lot of money!

Darren Touch MBA

Back when I was an MBA Admissions Director… the good ol’ days

My name is Darren and I am a former MBA Admissions Director. I think it’s a serious problem that most MBA applicants rely on 1-2 rankings to determine their MBA investment. There are more than 3 schools i.e. HSW (really!) where you can get an outstanding business education, network, and career boost. Education is about fit – which schools would be great for your needs and your career? It’s the goal of Touch MBA to help you find these programs.

Here’s what I’ve done so far to make the school selection process easier and more transparent for you:

I’ve interviewed over 75 MBA Admissions Directors from schools like Columbia, MIT Sloan, and Yale SOM in the US, London Business School, Insead and IESE in Europe, HKUST, NUS and CEIBS in Asia, and Rotman, Ivey and Queens in Canada. One thing you’ll notice is that I give equal attention to MBA programs in the US, Europe, Asia and Canada. Why? Because I think applicants need to think globally to make the best MBA investment. You’ll find direct and candid insights in these interviews that you won’t find anywhere else online. You’ll also get “fast facts” about each program’s offering, admissions process, scholarships and careers so you can quickly compare options. Our school write-ups and interviews will save you a ton of time.

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“Your show has been 1 of the best sources of info to learn the details required for a successful MBA journey. ”

– Sarel, South Africa (admitted to Cambridge Judge & Oxford Said)

“Your podcasts were really informative and helped me get a sense of what adcoms were looking for and the type of story I wanted to tell.”

– Ben, Australia (admitted to London Business School & HKUST)

“Your admissions podcasts played a big role in helping me determine which schools would be a fit. The conversations you hold with admissions officers and insightful questions posed are very helpful in showcasing the human element and philosophies of MBA schools, in a way websites and online articles can’t.”

– Ana, Romania (admitted to Wash U. Olin, Minnesota Carlson, ASU Carey)

Need Help Picking Schools?

We offer FREE school selection help and profile feedback so you can accelerate your research and planning process. As a former Admissions Director, I have a deep understanding of how candidates can improve their chances of admission. And my team works each day to improve our knowledge of top b-schools around the world so we can point you in the right direction. Thousands of applicants from over 50 countries have used this service. We’ve seen Touch MBA applicants get into all the Top 25 US, Top 10 European, and Top 5 Asian MBA programs.

 “Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m not sure how many people take advantage of this service, but I found it extremely helpful. I would not have found this school or applied without your podcast informing me of the comparative benefits! Thank you for your service!”
– Eddy, USA (admitted IESE)

You can also share your profile with top-ranked business schools for an initial consultation. Our school partners are always looking for the best talent worldwide and believe in a counseling approach to admissions i.e. getting to know you before you apply to see if you’re a good fit and helping you along the way.

The best way to learn about a school is to speak to students and staff at your target schools. Are you having trouble keeping track of who is in town? We track the 40 top-ranked b-schools so you can get monthly emails of MBA recruiting events near you (US cities / International cities). This is the best alternative to get a feel for your target programs if you can’t make a campus visit.

I also bring MBA students on the show to share their application insights and student experience. These conversations have been some of our most downloaded podcasts:

What About Getting IN?

While picking schools is half the battle, getting IN is the final challenge. Here are some ways I’ve tried to help you here:

You can get application tips on how to tell your best story, write great essays, present your best CV, ace your interview, and show leadership potential. I was an MBA Admissions Director for 3 years and saw hundreds of applications – trust me, these techniques work!

I also invite application experts, such as Paul Bodine (author of the classic Great Applications for Business School), Tyler Cormney (MBA Prep School and author of How to Apply for an MBA), Steve Dalton (author of The 2-Hour Job Search) and Caroline Diarte Edwards (Fortuna Admissions), to help you improve your chances.

You can listen to our personal interviews with Admissions Directors from your target school to get the inside scoop on what they are really looking for. I encourage you to listen to 5+ episodes. You’ll start to see patterns and “get” the admissions process – it’s not a black box, just a matter of putting yourself in adcoms shoes and making it easier for them to say “yes!”

Looking for MBA Admissions Consulting?

I offer consulting services by hour, a-la-carte or school for those of you who want private 1-1 admissions guidance. Here you can see my full range of services. I work with a maximum of 3 clients at a time to make sure you get my full attention. I have helped applicants get into Insead, LBS, HKUST, NUS and more.

“I must thank you for your service since I have gotten interviews from all schools I applied to. Without your help, I don’t think I could have even moved onto the interview stage, especially for Oxford.”
– Yolanda, China (admitted Oxford Said)

Applicants should speak with a few admissions consultants to gauge best-fit. I can vouch for the following admissions consultants, whom I know personally. Touch MBA listeners can get some nice discounts too.

  • Paul Bodine and Admitify. Paul wrote the classic book, Great Applications for Business School, and has a strong placement record at US schools for over 25 years. Mention TOUCH MBA to get $300 off 1-school package, and then $250 off each additional school for multiple school packages AND $100 off 5-hour packages and $150 off 10-hour packages. 
  • Tyler Cormney and MBA Prep School. Tyler is a HBS grad who has been helping MBA applicants for 10 years and his company has a 90% success rate for top-ranked business schools. Mention TOUCH MBA to get $250 off school packages.

If you end up using Admitify, MBA Prep School, or another admissions consultant, please let us know about your experience so we can recommend the best consultants to our audience. You can see all our recommended MBA application tools here.

Don’t Want to Pay Thousands for Admissions Consulting? Check Out This Alternative

Pressed for time and want to know the 20% of actions that can make 80% of the difference in your application? Get our Admissions Edge Online Training Course containing my best MBA application insights – as well as those I’ve learned from interviewing 60+ Admissions Directors – in step-by-step videos covering every part of your MBA application. Just as important is knowing what NOT to do – and what common mistakes to avoid. These are tips that have gotten applicants into schools like Wharton, Booth, and Insead. You’ll get over 2.5 hours of video training, case-studies, and examples to help you submit your strongest application. Plus you can learn from over 75 expert replies to commonly asked questions in our forum. Soon you’ll be thinking like an MBA Admissions Officer.

Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Online Course

“Thanks for your video course and forum, they are very useful and definitely fill an existing market gap.”

– Li Daming, Singapore (admitted Kellogg, Insead, Duke, Ross, Johnson)

How do I Get Started With This Site?

Definitely take a few minutes to send us your CV to get free expert feedback and best-fit school selection recs. This is what our audience loves the most about Touch MBA.

“You offer a neat service with the school selection evaluation.”

– Borjana, Bosnia (admitted Wharton)

If you want to self-assess yourself, I’ve put together a helpful Admissions Rubric so you can diagnose your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities to improve your application before you apply (you’ll need to give us your email).

Touch MBA Admissions Rubric

Many applicants find us through our personal interviews with MBA Admissions Directors. I would listen to episodes with your target schools, and also download some of our application tips episodes.

I love hearing from listeners – let me know if there are other schools or topics you want to have on the podcast.

Want to Hear Touch MBA’s Best Episodes?

Over the past 10 years, we’ve recorded over 200 episodes! I’d like to think they all are useful (maybe wishful thinking!) but our listeners have thanked us most for the following episodes:

How to Connect With Us

Follow our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Youtube, Soundcloud or your favorite podcast app.

We also post our new podcasts, blog posts, school guides and occasional rants on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Want to ask me a question? One of the best ways is to comment on relevant episodes. I respond to everyone and it gives other people interested in the those topics a chance to participate

Or write to darren at touchmba dot com.

Oh yeah – subscribers to our email list to get exclusive content not on this blog.

Occasionally Asked Questions

Why the heck are you doing this?

Getting an MBA is one of the biggest investments you make in your life. I’m talking $30,000 to… $120,000 or more. Wow. An even bigger part is spending 1 or 2 years of your precious youth (yes, your 30s still count!) back in school, when you could be advancing your career or pursuing other passions.

Some of you have friends or colleagues that attended top b-schools. But I know many of you don’t and are using rankings and MBA forums (full of strangers) to research schools.

Finding the right schools shouldn’t be so hard. We want to make this easier for you, the applicant, by guiding you to best-fit schools and connecting you to better information and real students.

To most this may be a small problem, but to me it’s a HUGE problem that demands a better solution. An MBA could alter your career and life path. You need to make the best decision and we’re here to help.

Why the Touch MBA Podcast?

I was tired of overly formal b-school presentations, glossy brochures, and slick websites. While important, they are intended to impress. I know, because I use to do all of them. What’s the real story?

The goal of the podcast is to have a casual and candid conversation with the gatekeepers at top business schools. What do they think makes their school unique? How do they make admissions decisions? How do they award scholarships? And what is their take on careers for their graduates? These are the 4 main questions I ask. Hopefully they give you more insight into the admissions process.

How can I help you with Touch MBA?

Please tell your friends about Touch MBA or share our content!

We’re about ACCESS – giving applicants better information and guidance about schools in unfamiliar places. That’s why we offer the podcast and school selection service for free. If you know someone or an organization that could benefit from this please let me know.

Resume Workshop for Fulbright University

Talk Show with VOCO Center

Webinar Series with SEO-V

MBA Resume Workshop with Toronto Rotman

MBA Admissions Talk with VietMBA

MBA Admissions Talk with VietMBA

Reviewing CVs

Reviewing CVs at CV Workshop Seminar

Deloitte Mexico BAACstage Octubre 2014

Thanks to Jose in Mexico for sharing Touch MBA with his Deloitte colleagues!

Admitted Applicants Benefiting from Touch MBA

If you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. These keep us motivated and also help more people find the show.

Have you gotten into your target schools? We’re always looking for applicants, students and alumni to share their lessons learned along the way. Please contact me to share your story. Maybe we can feature you on the podcast. 😉

Still here?

Check out our full podcast archives or get a free profile review (below) to kickstart your application process.

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