Category: Darren’s MBA Application Tips

#238 Feel Ordinary? Try “The J.D. Vance” Positioning Strategy

Do you feel like your profile is ordinary for business school? Why not try the “J.D. Vance?” Instead of sharing positions and achievements, why not talk about the significant obstacles you overcame to get where you are? Why not offer admissions readers more context in which to evaluate your performance?
#237 3 Storytelling Strategies to Power Up your MBA Application (from Storytelling Champion & Author Matthew Dicks)

Darren shares 3 storytelling lessons from ten-time Moth GrandSLAM winner Matthew Dicks that will help you capture your MBA admissions readers’ and interviewers’ attention.
#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.
#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.
#208 Undercover MBA Subrankings

Darren shares his top 5 “undercover” subrankings that can help you shortlist best-fit MBA programs.
#200 The 3S’s of Scintillating Storytelling

Inspired by The Moth, Darren highlights three tools you can use immediately to improve your stories, so you can show adcoms who you really are and draw them closer to you. Darren also shares over a dozen questions that will help you identify your most compelling stories.
#199 10 Application Lessons from 10 Years of Touch MBA

We’re nearing 200 episodes of Touch MBA. Feeling nostalgic, Darren reflects on 10 lessons for applicants from 10 years of Touch MBA!
#195 Business School Selection Simplified: How to Shortlist MBA Programs You’re Excited About AND Competitive At

What if you could figure out MBA programs you’re excited about AND competitive at, that would be a great investment in your future? And do this with the least time and effort?
#193 Hiring Trends & Salaries for Business School Graduates from GMAC’s Corporate Recruiters Survey

What are corporate recruiters looking for from business graduate students? And how do median MBA salaries compare to those of specialized business masters programs? Darren shares 3 interesting findings from GMAC’s Corporate Recruiters Survey. This way, you can think more like an admissions officer, and put forward your strongest application.
#190 3 Timeless Application Strategies from MBA Admissions Strategy (2005) by Avi Gordon

Darren shares three foundational application strategies from Avi Gordon’s MBA Admissions Strategy: From Profile Building to Essay Writing (2005) that have stood the test of time. It’s always advantageous to master the fundamentals of any art form – including constructing a winning MBA application. Listen on to review the basics!
#176 Use the 5 Senses to Make Your MBA Application Stick

Darren shares how you can use the five senses – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch – to make your application more three dimensional.
#171 3 Positioning Strategies for Job Hoppers

Darren shares three strategies you can use to mitigate your track record of job hopping. How can you present this as an asset to your target MBA programs?