Interviews with admissions directors, students and alumni from Europe’s top-ranked business schools and MBA programs.
Over the past 6 months, I’ve had over 20 MBA Admissions Directors on the Touch MBA Podcast. I’ve asked all of them, “What would you advise candidates to improve their chances of admissions?”
This is what they told me.
Here are 10 actionable tips you can use right away to boost your admissions and scholarship chances at your target business schools.
Joining the show this week is Dr. Michael Shulver, Assistant Dean of Generalist Masters Programmes at Warwick University in the UK. Michael was formerly an engineer in the Royal Air Force before getting his MBA and PhD from Warwick.
Michael is a straight shooter and offers a truly insider’s perspective on how admissions selects candidates and awards scholarships. As a faculty member, he also shares a lot of insight into Warwick’s academic offerings.
Overwhelmed by the number of MBA programs? Having a hard time differentiating business schools? After listening to this episode, you’ll have the toolkit to surgically dissect an MBA’s offering. You’ll also know a lot more about the student experience at London Business School (LBS).
What is it really like to be an MBA student at INSEAD?
The best way to learn about a school is to talk to students and alumni. For those of you who don’t know anyone from INSEAD, this conversation may be the next best thing.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Ms. Nadia Ahrazem, MBA Recruitment and Admissions Manager for London Business School, this week. Sure, we all know LBS is perennially ranked as one of Europe’s and the world’s top 5 MBA programs. But what is the LBS MBA really all about?
Mr. Keegan Pierce, Associate Director of International Admissions, ESADE Business School, joined the show to share more about the ESADE MBA, located in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. Keegan graduated from the Full-time program in 2011 so he has firsthand experience with ESADE’s intimate size (max 180 students/intake) and culture of collaboration (over 80% of coursework is done in a team setting). The program is uniquely flexible: students can finish the MBA in 12, 15, or 18 months.
Mr. Andrew Bueno, Assistant Director of Marketing, INSEAD MBA Program, joined the show to share more about the program’s international nature, admissions process, and scholarship and career opportunities. What emerges is a “must-consider” program for those looking to turbo-boost their international exposure and placement opportunities. Listen on for much, much more!
This week I spoke to Mr. Philippe Oster, Communication, Development, and Admissions Director, HEC Paris, who has over 8 years of experience representing top business schools in France. Philippe discusses 3 principles you should look for when applying to MBA programs: the quality of the student body, learning environment and career support.
This week Mr. Dirk Hopfl, Managing Director, South East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan at IE Business School, joined the show to talk about the IE MBA, a 13-month program focused on entrepreneurship and change management.
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. 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 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.