“Once you understand the grants and scholarships you’re eligible for and what potential gap you need to close with student loans, I encourage people to start doing their research early… We encourage people to try to minimize the stress of it being mid-August and you’re about to head off to school, and you still haven’t done your student loans. We encourage people to call or at least chat to lenders online to get a feel of the level of customer service that will be available for them while they’re in school.”

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“I’m In – Now How Do I Pay For B-School?” 

Most applicants are 100% focused on getting IN a top MBA. Then after the euphoria of getting in, the hard reality of financing the MBA hits them in the face. Darren talks to Phil DeGisi, Chief Marketing Officer of CommonBond, about what US applicants can do to get the best MBA loans for US MBA programs.

Darren and Phil also talk about the Dartmouth Tuck MBA, the MBA’s usefulness in the marketing industry, and what applicants should look for in an MBA network.

About Our Guest

As Chief Marketing Officer at CommonBond, Phil DeGisi oversees the marketing, business development, and creative teams. Prior to joining the CommonBond team, Phil held ecommerce and digital marketing roles spanning startups and large organizations, including Quidsi (a subsidiary of Amazon), littleBits electronics, and Walmart.com. Across these roles, he led direct response marketing, customer retention, and site merchandising/optimization efforts. Phil received his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and his BA from Vassar College with a degree in economics.

Questions

• What should applicants think about (strategically) to secure the best MBA loan (6:16)
• What is the common financing path for most US MBAs? What federal and private loan options are available? (8:40)
• Federal loans vs. private loans (12:28)
• Estimating your MBA costs and last financing tips (19:40)
• What applicants can do now (tactically) to secure a great loan (21:30)
• How Phil has benefited from the Dartmouth Tuck MBA (30:08)
• How to gauge the strength of MBA alumni networks (32:36)
• Phil’s thoughts on the MBA’s value in the marketing industry (34:50)

Show Notes

• Common Bond Student Loan Calculator
• Fafsa.ed.gov – Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• How to Choose the Best Student Loan for You
• 5 Ways for MBA Candidates to Get the Best Graduate Student Loans
• Follow Phil on Twitter
• Tuck Spotlight: 10 Questions with Phil DeGisi Tuck ’09
• Dartmouth Tuck MBA

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