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 polished? And how do you make sure the conversation is actually useful for both sides?

Sandra Richez, Program Director of the Global MBA at EDHEC Business School, discusses what makes the EDHEC MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

The ultimate guide to the United Kingdom’s best full-time MBA programs. Compare the United Kingdom’s top MBA programs head-to-head and get the inside scoop from Admissions Directors and students.

Compare Hong Kong’s best MBA programs head-to-head and get the inside scoop from admissions teams & students.

Stephen Shih, Associate Dean (MBA Programs) at HKUST Business School, discusses what makes the HKUST MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

The ultimate guide to Germany’s best full-time MBA programs. Compare Germany’s top MBA programs head-to-head and get the inside scoop from Admissions Directors and students.

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.

Compare Singapore’s best MBA programs head-to-head and get the inside scoop from Admissions Directors, MBA alumni and more from Singapore’s best MBA programs.

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.

Patrik Wallen, MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School, discusses what makes the IESE MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

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 rate, Ellen shares the process she uses to transform an applicant’s collection of achievements into a cohesive and compelling personal narrative.

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 five key success factors for MBA admissions.

N’doli Jean-Hugues Cherif, a French and Ivorian applicant with a background in financial advisory and project finance, shares five key success factors that helped him get into Insead and London Business School.

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 schools are equipping their students to thrive in an AI-world.

The ultimate guide to France’s best full-time MBA programs. Compare the France’s top MBA programs head-to-head and get the inside scoop from Admissions Directors and students.

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.

Ann-Marie Stephenson and Colleen McLister, Senior Recruitment Manager and Admissions Manager of MBA Programmes at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discuss the Frankfurt School MBA’s admissions criteria, admissions process, scholarships and more. After listening to this episode, you will have a thorough and nuanced understanding of how to submit your strongest application to the Frankfurt School.

Sara Vanos, Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for HEC Paris MBA Programs, discusses what makes the HEC Paris MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA? Bridget Pujals, Berkeley Haas MBA ’24 and Co-Founder of Saelo, shares her experience being an active founder during her Full-time MBA. What resources did she find most helpful? What should active and aspiring entrepreneurs consider before and during their MBA? Bridget shares specific steps she (and other entrepreneurs at Berkeley) took to de-risk their startups and increase their odds of success.

Professor Steven DeKrey, Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program, discusses the value of top MBA programs in Asia, how applicants can stand out in the admissions process, who should apply to Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) programs, and whether leadership can be taught. Listen carefully to materially improve your chances of finding a great business school and getting in!

Melody Jones, Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting, has been helping applicants get into top 10 MBA programs for over a decade. How does Vantage Point help applicants triple their chances compared to other applicants? Melody shares key learnings, examples and questions you can use right away to craft a compelling application.

What should you do if you have 10+ years of working experience but are looking for an MBA-type experience to build your skills and network? Richard Campbell, Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, joins the show to discuss his experience with three mid-career MBA alternatives: Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development (HBS PLD), London Business School’s Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (LBS Sloan Masters), and 500 Global’s Accelerator program.

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.

Professor Tomoya Nakamura, President of GLOBIS USA, discusses what makes the GLOBIS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Beau Gresham, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Mastercard and NYU Stern MBA ’20, shares his journey as an applicant, student, and alumni of NYU Stern. How did Beau transition from the military to consulting through the MBA? How was the NYU Stern Full-time MBA experience? How did Beau break into mergers & acquisitions consulting at Deloitte, and then land his current job at Mastercard? And how does Beau view the MBA three years after graduating?

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

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.

Darren asks Admissions Directors from two top schools – Toronto Rotman (#1 in Canada) and IESE (#1 in Spain) – tough questions about the new GMAT Focus test and other standardized tests. Listen on to get your GMAT Focus questions answered and to understand how top b-schools use standardized test scores when making admissions decisions.

Dr. Adrian Buss, Associate Professor of Finance and Academic Director of MBA Programs, at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discusses what makes the Frankfurt School’s MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Professor Wan Wongsunwai, Associate Dean of MBA Programmes and Director of MBA Programmes at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, discusses what makes the CUHK MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Shari Hubert, Associate Dean at Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, discusses what makes the Duke MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

A step-by-step guide to financing your MBA plus our recommendations for best MBA student loans

Ten countries international MBA applicants should consider for job opportunities and flexible post-study work visas

Compare Australia’s best MBA programs head-to-head and get the inside scoop from Admissions Directors on how to improve your chances of getting in.

Jasper Isip, a pharmacist from the Philippines and now McMaster University DeGroote MBA’23, shares hard-earned lessons to help MBA applicants.

Dr. Jonathan Clarke, Interim Dean at Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business, discusses what makes the Scheller MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Sue Oldham, Associate Dean at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, discusses what makes the Vanderbilt MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Shelly Heinrich, Associate Dean, MBA Admissions and Director of Marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, discusses what makes the Georgetown MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

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 craft a thoughtful, authentic and compelling application that stands out?

Darren shares his top 5 “undercover” subrankings that can help you shortlist best-fit MBA programs.

Wedad Sunny, Head of Marketing & Admissions of MBA Programmes at NUS Business School, discusses what makes the NUS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

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.

Rebecca Loades, Director of MBA Programs at ESMT Berlin, discusses what makes the ESMT Berlin MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Paula Amorim, MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School, discusses what makes the IESE MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

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 to learn more!

[quote style=”5″]”Being in the [NUS MBA] program is like traveling every day… The people I meet here everyday – my co-MBAs, my professors, the program office – they are from many different countries and interacting with them is like traveling the world, it’s a very amazing and warm experience.”[/quote] Tilla Caveng, a full-time MBA student… Read more: #202 Inside the National University of Singapore MBA with Tilla Caveng, NUS MBA ’24

Jochem Kroezen, Academic Director of Rotterdam School of Management’s (RSM) Full-time MBA Program, and Maria Tsachli, Recruitment & Admissions Manager, Americas, discuss what makes the RSM MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

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.

We’re nearing 200 episodes of Touch MBA. Feeling nostalgic, Darren reflects on 10 lessons for applicants from 10 years of Touch MBA!

Chris Tran, London Business School (LBS) MBA ’22, shares lessons learned from applying to and attending LBS, as well as how he landed his first post-MBA consulting gig in London.

Lights, cameras—finance? That’s right, behind the glitz and glamor of Hollywood are the business professionals who produce, fund, market, and make the show happen. If you’ve ever dreamed of merging your business and creative interests, read on to learn more about the best b-schools for entertainment and media.

Tony Ngo, HBS ’08, shares how he used the MBA to explore a career in Vietnam, first in finance, and then as an edtech entrepreneur with Everest Education.

We’ve identified six standout b-schools that complement their strong curricula with robust co-curricular opportunities in order to expose students to the social impact, social entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) industries.

Bridget Pujals shares lessons learned from her MBA application journey, culminating in admits to Harvard, Wharton ($70K scholarship), UCLA Anderson ($100K scholarship), and Berkeley Haas ($175K scholarship).

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?

Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA ’22, shares how building relationships helped her reach her MBA goals – including breaking into the real estate industry.

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.

How can you make the most of your MBA experience? Adam Putterman, co-author of MBA Coffee Chats, shares why coffee chats are essential and key lessons learned from hundreds of successful MBAs.

As a UX Designer and mother in Kansas City with no MBA network, Graciela Brewer wasn’t sure if she “had a sliver of a chance” at her targets: HBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern and Cornell Tech. Four months later, she got into all four programs. In this episode, Grace shares how she shortlisted schools, submitted her strongest resume, essays, and recommendations, and stayed sane during a stressful application process.

After 11 years advising over 4,000 MBA applicants, we recommend the following providers for GMAT prep, admissions consulting, student loans, and more.

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!

Veeral Desai, Chief Strategy & Development Officer at Agilon Health and HBS MBA ’07, shares what you need to know about breaking into healthcare industry as an MBA.

Steve Dalton, a senior career consultant and program director at Duke University’s Fuqua School, shares time-saving techniques for choosing a career and acing common interview questions from his new book, The Job Closer. Having worked in MBA career services for over 16 years, Steve also shares what MBA employers are looking for, how Covid-19 has changed recruiting, and one of his favorite exercises for helping MBAs make difficult career decisions.

Amy Duckworth, Director of Admissions at Imperial College Business School, shares what makes the Imperial MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Sabine Noe, Director of Recruitment & Admissions for WHU’s MBA Programs, shares what makes the WHU MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Emily Brierley, Head of Cambridge MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Cambridge Judge Business School, discusses what makes the Cambridge MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Imran Kanga, Director of Recruitment & Admissions for Rotman School of Management’s Full-time MBA at the University of Toronto, discusses what makes the Rotman MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Francesca Roveda, who does recruiting and admissions for SDA Bocconi’s MBA program, discusses what makes the SDA Bocconi MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

the NUS MBA Student Council. How has Covid affected the program and what has most surprised her about the NUS MBA so far? Safira shares the importance of student clubs and her takeaways from leading the 38th NUS Student Council as its first female and Indonesian president. Finally, Safira touches on being a mother and making the most of her MBA.

Most applicants get an MBA to step out of their comfort zones. But, what about pursuing your MBA and subsequent five-year marketing career in Hong Kong as an American? Tony DeGennaro, who majored in Political Science and Philosophy at Rutgers, shares his winding journey to the CUHK MBA, one of the top-ranked business schools in Asia, to running a boutique marketing agency targeting Chinese consumers, to now working as a Digital Strategist for First Page Digital, an online marketing agency with offices in 9 countries. What has Tony learned from studying and working in Hong Kong?

An anonymous NYU Stern Tech MBA ’22 (also admitted to Cambridge Judge MBA + Washington Foster MBA) shares his top 5 application tips.

Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA ’22, has an amazing story to tell about applying to 18 business schools over 2 years, and getting full-scholarship awards at 8 of them. How was he able to do this? And what has he learned from his application journey from Abuja, Nigeria to Vancouver, Canada?

Justin Taines, RSM MBA ’21, shares his journey from developing kids and family entertainment shows in Los Angeles to the RSM MBA, based in the Netherlands. Why did Justin pursue an MBA (instead of an EMBA) despite having over 10 years of work experience? What was his experience at the RSM MBA as an older student and during Covid? And how can you best prepare to make the most of a 1-year MBA?

Milan Mecklenberg, Insead MBA ’18D, shares his journey from studying theoretical physics at Cambridge to McKinsey Berlin to Insead and then back to McKinsey, this time in Vietnam. What has he learned from the journey?

Hunter Dong shares his best application tips for getting into the Wharton MBA / MA Lauder Joint Degree in International Studies program. How did Hunter pull together his diverse work experience working for the Hinrich Foundation in the Philippines, his family business in pharmaceutical packaging and IBM as a Data Scientist to make an ultimately winning case to Wharton and Columbia? Hunter walks us through his entire preparation process, from initial school research to the final team-based discussion interview. Don’t miss this episode packed with clear, practical advice from a just admitted applicant.

Darren shares how you can use the five senses – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch – to make your application more three dimensional. 

Dr. Michele Roberts, MBA Academic Director of the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW), discusses what makes the AGSM MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Chief Market Officer Kai Stenzel and Admissions Manager Sofia Syed Nasir discuss what makes the Mannheim MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Alex Jones, MBA Recruitment Manager, discusses what makes the Bayes Business School MBA, at City, University of London unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Anastasia Georgiou, Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School, discusses what makes the Melbourne MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

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?

Gilbert Chua, Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions at Nanyang Business School, discusses what makes the Nanyang MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

James Kent, Marketing Manager for the MBA Admissions & Marketing Team at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), discusses what makes the CEIBS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Here is my unsolicited advice to friends in their 20s searching for purpose, work, home and satisfaction. More than anything, this episode is a reminder to myself to love and live the questions – cause they never go away.

How did Henry Nguyen, who graduated from Kellogg 20 years ago, launch Vietnam’s first technology venture capital fund, Vietnam’s first professional basketball team, and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise?

Why did a Colombian civil engineer choose to do his MBA in Israel? Manuel Fajardo shares his journey to the Tel Aviv University’s Sofaer Global MBA, and how the program’s focus on new venture creation has helped him pursue his business idea.

Darren invites Dirk Hopfl from IE Business School to share how Covid-19 has affected its MBA program and IE’s plan moving forward. IE, based in Spain, is one of Europe’s leading business schools with one of world’s most international MBA programs, regularly admitting 90% of its students from 75 countries outside Spain. Its response offers one possibility for how MBAs will evolve to meet student needs during a pandemic.

Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai shares her MBA journey from Bangkok to Virginia Darden and then back to Thailand to do strategy for Samsung. Like many international applicants, Tina didn’t have the chance to visit her four target US business schools. How did she research schools and find her best fit? Why did she choose Darden and what did she take from her Darden MBA experience?

As a UX Designer and mother in Kansas City with no MBA network, Graciela Brewer wasn’t sure if she “had a sliver of a chance” at her targets: HBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern and Cornell Tech. Four months later, she got into all four programs. In this episode, Grace shares how she shortlisted schools, submitted her strongest resume, essays, and recommendations, and stayed sane during a stressful application process.

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky has dedicated his professional life to helping others overcome cognitive biases and make better decisions. In this episode, Darren and Dr. Gleb discuss ways MBA applicants can make better, unbiased decisions when it comes to business school and their careers.

Do you have to quit your job to get your MBA? Darren invites Chris Healy from Alliance Manchester Business school to share how the part-time / professional MBA has evolved with new technology and student and employer demands. If you’re unsure about getting an online, blended, part-time or Executive MBA, you’ll get key insights from this episode.

How to demonstrate you’re a great fit for your target MBA programs – or your next employer – even if you’re short on experience.

Sachin Tipnis, Senior Executive Director of HKU’s MBA, EMBA & 6 specialized Masters programs discusses the Hong Kong protests, curriculum changes, admissions, and picking the right Masters program for your career goals.

Gregory Wool, Cornell Johnson MBA ’21, scored below average on the quantitative section of the GMAT. How did he overcome this score to not only get into Cornell Johnson, but win a prestigious tuition free scholarship? Gregory also shares his experience surviving a packed first semester, leading the student consulting club, and recruiting into strategy consulting.

Around half of Insead MBA graduates end up working in consulting each year. Darren invites Massine Bouzerar, Insead MBA ’19J, to share how he landed a job with Bain & Company AND made the most of his ten months at Insead’s Fontainebleau campus

Gary Lo, Managing Director of Glo Consulting and former Head of Marketing & Admissions for the HKUST MBA, shares three questions to ask before you make a career move – MBA included. Aside from working for 10 different companies in 7 industries, Gary has counseled hundreds of MBAs and professionals as a career coach, so don’t miss this episode if you’re thinking about making a career move.

Darren recently attended a panel “Preparing Your Application: Advice from MBA Admissions Directors” at the MBA Tour in Ho Chi Minh. In this episode, he unpacks the application advice given by five admissions directors.

Cristian Molina Cornejo, Tuck MBA ’21, shares how MBA applicants can take advantage of two pre-MBA programs that champion diversity and inclusion: Management Leaders for Tomorrow (MLT) and the Consortium. Cristian also gives his best application tips after getting into four out of five top 20 US MBA programs.

Hailing from Nigeria and having never visited the US, how did Ikechukwu Edeagu shortlist and apply to MBA programs? And what was his process for navigating internships and the job search as an international student? Listen to get a real-time, inside look into one international student’s MBA experience at UNC Kenan Flagler.

The lifelong benefits I’m getting from this MBA have nothing to do with rankings; they’re the conversations you have, the people you meet, and the perspectives that change. I’ve learned so much in the way of soft skills by learning from my classmates; so really, when you visit schools, pay attention to the school culture and read between the lines.