Category: MBA Application Tips

#236 Get Ahead Before You Apply with MBA Pre-Assessments

Many top-ranked MBA programs in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia actively encourage applicants to connect with admissions teams before submitting an application. But most applicants don’t know this – or are too nervous to reach out. Should you contact admissions before you’re ready? What if you haven’t taken the GMAT yet, or your resume isn’t…
How to Choose the Right MBA Programs for You

We’ve helped over 4,000 MBA applicants from 50 countries shortlist MBA programs. Follow these 4 steps to find business schools that fit you best.
#233 6 Ways to Make Your Application Stick (Repost)

Darren uses the marketing classic Made to Stick as inspiration for how to create a memorable MBA application. Six elements – Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story (SUCCES) – are the building blocks of sticky ideas. Be sure to incorporate all 6 elements into your MBA application.
#231 Crafting a Personal Narrative that Stands Out with Ellin Lolis

How can you stand out from thousands of MBA applicants with impressive CVs? Darren sits down with Ellin Lolis, Founder and President of Ellin Lolis Consulting and one of the top ranked MBA admissions consultants on Poets & Quants, to learn how she helps MBA applicants craft powerful personal narratives. With a near 99% success…
#230 Five Keys to MBA Admissions Success with N’doli Jean-Hugues Cherif, Insead MBA ’26

Darren talks with N’doli Jean-Hugues “Cherif,” a French and Ivorian candidate who gained admission to both INSEAD and London Business School’s MBA programs. Cherif, an older full-time MBA candidate with diverse experience across five roles – including audit, management consulting, investment banking and infrastructure project finance in the public and private sector – shares his…
#229 AI’s Impact on MBA Careers: An Insider’s Perspective

Darren confronts his own “AI anxiety” with Sabine King, Director of the Career Accelerator at the prestigious Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW). Together, they explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the demand for MBA graduates, the evolving strategies of career services, and how leading business…
#228 3 Exercises to Design Your Life & Find Best Fit MBA Programs

Darren shares 3 design thinking exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan’s Designing Your Life that will help you build a joyful life – and find MBA programs you are excited about.
#221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)

Inspired by Kevin Kelly’s Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier, Darren shares 10 bits of life wisdom that could materially improve your chances of getting into business school and building a successful career.
#218 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 2): Drawing a Roadmap for Admissions, Prioritizing Conversations, Prematurely Applying, Being Strategic Yet Flexible

Darren shares more hard-earned application lessons from four listeners (now graduated MBAs): drawing a roadmap for the admissions team, prioritizing conversations when picking schools, “prematurely applying” and being strategic yet flexible
#217 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 1): Working for Unknown Companies, Determining Best-Fit Schools, Dealing with Dings

Darren shares three lessons from three admitted applicants that have stood the test of time: how to present yourself if you work for a relatively unknown company, how to determine best-fit b-schools, and how to deal with dings.
The Definitive Guide to Financing Your MBA & The Best MBA Student Loans (2023)

A step-by-step guide to financing your MBA plus our recommendations for best MBA student loans
#209 How Wharton Reviews MBA Applicants & More with Thomas Caleel, Former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton

Thomas Caleel, former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton, takes us behind the scenes of how an Admissions Director builds a class and what he or she looks for from applicants. What are the key qualities and characteristics that admissions committees look for? How did Thomas’ team review 8,000 applicants per year? And how can you…
#208 Undercover MBA Subrankings

Darren shares his top 5 “undercover” subrankings that can help you shortlist best-fit MBA programs.
#206 Strategies for Optimal MBA Student Loans with Nikhil Agarwal from Juno

Nikhil Agarwal, Co-Founder of Juno, shares optimal strategies to minimize your MBA student loans in 2023. Nikhil shares everything you you need to know loan terms, repayment schedules, variable vs. fixed interest rates, and federal vs. private loans to secure the most favorable rates and terms for your MBA student loans.
#203 What Are Your Game-Changing Differentiators? with Paul Bodine from Admitify

Paul Bodine, one of the world’s most experienced admissions consultants and president of Admitify, shares how he helps clients with seemingly par-for-the-course profiles discover their game-changing assets. Sixty percent of Admitify’s MBA clients gain admission or interview invitation at Stanford, Wharton and Harvard, and Admitify’s clients win over $2M in scholarships each year. Listen on…

Category: MBA Application Tips

#236 Get Ahead Before You Apply with MBA Pre-Assessments

Many top-ranked MBA programs in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia actively encourage applicants to connect with admissions teams before submitting an application. But most applicants don’t know this – or are too nervous to reach out. Should you contact admissions before you’re ready? What if you haven’t taken the GMAT yet, or your resume isn’t…
How to Choose the Right MBA Programs for You

We’ve helped over 4,000 MBA applicants from 50 countries shortlist MBA programs. Follow these 4 steps to find business schools that fit you best.
#233 6 Ways to Make Your Application Stick (Repost)

Darren uses the marketing classic Made to Stick as inspiration for how to create a memorable MBA application. Six elements – Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story (SUCCES) – are the building blocks of sticky ideas. Be sure to incorporate all 6 elements into your MBA application.
#231 Crafting a Personal Narrative that Stands Out with Ellin Lolis

How can you stand out from thousands of MBA applicants with impressive CVs? Darren sits down with Ellin Lolis, Founder and President of Ellin Lolis Consulting and one of the top ranked MBA admissions consultants on Poets & Quants, to learn how she helps MBA applicants craft powerful personal narratives. With a near 99% success…
#230 Five Keys to MBA Admissions Success with N’doli Jean-Hugues Cherif, Insead MBA ’26

Darren talks with N’doli Jean-Hugues “Cherif,” a French and Ivorian candidate who gained admission to both INSEAD and London Business School’s MBA programs. Cherif, an older full-time MBA candidate with diverse experience across five roles – including audit, management consulting, investment banking and infrastructure project finance in the public and private sector – shares his…
#229 AI’s Impact on MBA Careers: An Insider’s Perspective

Darren confronts his own “AI anxiety” with Sabine King, Director of the Career Accelerator at the prestigious Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW). Together, they explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the demand for MBA graduates, the evolving strategies of career services, and how leading business…
#228 3 Exercises to Design Your Life & Find Best Fit MBA Programs

Darren shares 3 design thinking exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan’s Designing Your Life that will help you build a joyful life – and find MBA programs you are excited about.
#221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)

Inspired by Kevin Kelly’s Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier, Darren shares 10 bits of life wisdom that could materially improve your chances of getting into business school and building a successful career.
#218 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 2): Drawing a Roadmap for Admissions, Prioritizing Conversations, Prematurely Applying, Being Strategic Yet Flexible

Darren shares more hard-earned application lessons from four listeners (now graduated MBAs): drawing a roadmap for the admissions team, prioritizing conversations when picking schools, “prematurely applying” and being strategic yet flexible
#217 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 1): Working for Unknown Companies, Determining Best-Fit Schools, Dealing with Dings

Darren shares three lessons from three admitted applicants that have stood the test of time: how to present yourself if you work for a relatively unknown company, how to determine best-fit b-schools, and how to deal with dings.
The Definitive Guide to Financing Your MBA & The Best MBA Student Loans (2023)

A step-by-step guide to financing your MBA plus our recommendations for best MBA student loans
#209 How Wharton Reviews MBA Applicants & More with Thomas Caleel, Former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton

Thomas Caleel, former Head of MBA Admissions for Wharton, takes us behind the scenes of how an Admissions Director builds a class and what he or she looks for from applicants. What are the key qualities and characteristics that admissions committees look for? How did Thomas’ team review 8,000 applicants per year? And how can you…
#208 Undercover MBA Subrankings

Darren shares his top 5 “undercover” subrankings that can help you shortlist best-fit MBA programs.
#206 Strategies for Optimal MBA Student Loans with Nikhil Agarwal from Juno

Nikhil Agarwal, Co-Founder of Juno, shares optimal strategies to minimize your MBA student loans in 2023. Nikhil shares everything you you need to know loan terms, repayment schedules, variable vs. fixed interest rates, and federal vs. private loans to secure the most favorable rates and terms for your MBA student loans.
#203 What Are Your Game-Changing Differentiators? with Paul Bodine from Admitify

Paul Bodine, one of the world’s most experienced admissions consultants and president of Admitify, shares how he helps clients with seemingly par-for-the-course profiles discover their game-changing assets. Sixty percent of Admitify’s MBA clients gain admission or interview invitation at Stanford, Wharton and Harvard, and Admitify’s clients win over $2M in scholarships each year. Listen on…