Applying to INSEAD? Then you must listen to this week’s episode. Caroline Diarte Edwards was Director of Admissions for INSEAD’s MBA program for 7 years, from 2005-2012. She joins the show to talk in depth about INSEAD’s 4 admissions criteria (academic capacity, international capacity, leadership potential, ability to contribute), and what applicants can do if they are weak in any of these areas.
This week Mr. Roy Chason, Senior Manager, Admissions and Marketing, CEIBS, joined the show to talk about Mainland China’s top ranked MBA program.
This week Mr. James Barker, MBA Admissions Coordinator, Judge Business School, the University of Cambridge, joined the show to talk about the Cambridge MBA, a practical and entrepreneurial program at the heart of one of the world’s leading universities.
I recently had a great in-depth discussion with Mr. Lawrence Chan, Director of MBA Marketing & Admissions at Chinese University of Hong Kong, about the CUHK MBA.
Lawrence gives tons of great advice to those considering applying to CUHK and to top MBA programs in general. I especially appreciated his straight talk on how MBA applicants and students should plan their post-MBA careers.
On March 2-3, I spoke to 30 students and recent graduates in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam about what top MBA programs are looking for and how they can prepare for the MBA application process now.
My main point was, “Ask not what an MBA program can do for you, but what you can do for your MBA program.”
Dr. Ricardo Lim, Dean of Asian Institute of Management, joined the Touch MBA podcast to discuss the AIM MBA, one of the longest running MBA programs in Asia. Founded in 1968 with the assistance of Harvard Business School, AIM was the first b-school in SE Asia to be accredited by AACSB, and its pedagogy is centered on the case-study method.
Mr. Nick Soriano, Director of MBA Marketing & Admissions at Nanyang Technological University, joined the show to discuss the Nanyang MBA’s major curriculum changes (focus on leadership across cultures, Asia business, industry relevance) and format changes (16 months to 12 months) while also giving an insider’s look into the program’s stringent admissions process.
I recently spoke with Mr. Bart Scheenaard, MBA Marketing & Admissions Manager for the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. Bart emphasized the international nature of the program (40 different nationalities in a 140 student class) and the Netherlands, a progressive and business-friendly country where most business is conducted in English. Rotterdam MBA graduates also benefit from a great visa arrangement where they can stay in the Netherlands for one year to find a job.
Your resume is often the first part of your application that MBA admissions officers see. Yet most candidates spend way more time preparing their essays. Avoid these “7 deadly sins” to make a strong first impression with your resume. The 7 deadly sins: 1. Too long 2. Hard on the eyes 3. Emphasizes the wrong thing(s) 4. It’s a job resume (not an MBA resume) 5. No evidence of impact 6. Lack of context for employers and accomplishments 7. No […]
With the MBA interviewing season fast upon us, Darren discusses the 4 “questions behind the questions” that admissions officers really want to know. If you can prepare compelling responses to these key questions, you stand a good shot of making the final cut. Listen on for more insider tips and techniques to ace your interview. The questions behind the questions: 1. Why are you here? 2. What can you do for us? 3. What makes you unique (from other candidates […]
Capturing your reader’s attention is the most important goal of your MBA application. You want the admissions officer to remember you after reading 20 applications that day. The longer you can keep his or her attention (in the right way!), the better your chances are of landing an interview. In this episode, we take the core principles from Oren Klaff’s Pitch Anything, and discuss 4 ways you can get and keep attention in your application. The primal “croc brain” that […]
In this episode, we take the core principles from the marketing classic Made to Stick, and discuss how to use them to create a memorable MBA application. Your MBA application is a “movie preview” of what’s to come – a pitch for your candidacy. Imagine an admissions officer reading hundreds of applications. How can you get this gatekeeper to pay attention, remember you, believe you, care about you, and act on your application in a positive way (we must interview her!)? […]
This week I sat down with Ms. Chua Nan Sze, Marie Antonie, who is Director of Graduate Studies, NUS Business School, and looks after the NUS MBA and EMBA programs. We discussed the latest curriculum changes at NUS and how to give yourself the best chance in the admissions process.
I had the pleasure of talking to Dr. Philip Zerillo (Dr. Z), who is Dean of Postgraduate Professional Programs at Singapore Management University. Dr. Z has played a pivotal role in developing SMU’s MBA program. We had a very open conversation about the latest developments at the SMU MBA program, its unique pedagogy, career placement success and admissions.