MBA Waves: Talking All Things Business and Education

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we examine a few pathways future business leaders might consider to get there: Should you do a MiM (Masters in Management)? A Master in Finance? Or gain a bit of work experience first and then go for an MBA? On this episode of MBA Waves, we are joined by admissions consultant, Dr. Marlena Corcoran of Athena Men...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we are joined by the team at SDA Bocconi who will share about their top-ranked full-time MBA program - n°6 worldwide in 2023 on the prestigious Financial Times MBA Rankings. For this episode we are joined by professional staff from the Recruitment and the Careers offices - Valentina Mardegan and Cinzia Palenzon...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we get to know AIGAC - the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants. Not only are Eric, Krithika, and Bara all AIGAC members, but we've invited 3 others - Candy Lee LaBalle, Paulo Oliveira, and Laura Nelson to join the party, and share their experiences with MBA applicants and Admissions Dir...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we take a deep dive into authenticity. What does it mean exactly to be authentic? Why is it so fundamentally human? And how can you show your own authenticity without over sharing in your MBA application? To help us understand this deeply personal and essential topic, we welcome Professor Abhishek Borah, Associ...

The glamor about management consulting never fades. Why? In our MBA Waves Episode #146, we're bringing the focus on all things Management Consulting from the current trends to the skills that can get you into consulting (and maybe some out-of-the-box experiences/perspectives) to how to leverage your MBA to get into consulting roles. Starting where you are, we'll see if our panel will inspire you t...

You might be surprised to know that some schools, such as Kellogg, INSEAD, Yale, MIT, Rotman, and others have introduced a video interview and/or essay as part of your application. Some schools require it and for others, it is optional. So besides being picture-ready... mastering this skill will benefit you on-the-job, too. In fact, it might be more important than interviews! We understand that no...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we weigh our options, with regards to the admissions rounds. Is Round 3 even worth it?? Candy Lee LaBalle, admissions consultant, founder of MBA Clarity, and AIGAC Board Member joins us for this informative episode on what things to consider when making this important decision. Better to accelerate for Round 2?...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we look at the role that community service, volunteering, extracurriculars, and the impact you have on the communities you touch as on your MBA application. Just how important is this? Is this more important in certain countries than others? At certain schools? In the spirit of the giving time of year, the holi...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we learn more about McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University! McDonough is one of the world's top-ranked MBA programs which also embraces values that connect rigorous academics, research, and experiential learning with the opportunity to serve the common good. On our Spotlight on Georgetown McDonou...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we are joined by one of the best MBA programs in Spain and in the world - IESE! Right in the heart of bustling and beautiful Barcelona, this fantastic school has worked hard and succeeded in attracting an incredibly diverse cohort year after year. If you're looking for an MBA program that truly embraces the uni...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we consider the accelerating impact of #ArtificialIntelligence on our world today - not only in MBA Admissions! We are joined by 5-time published author and visual artist, Sparkle Richards, who writes in a very niche genre: Trinidadian Erotic Fiction. Sparkle shares her journey from rejection to embracing #AI i...

Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we take a stab at battling TEST ANXIETY. Is this something you deal with? According to some estimates, between 40 and 60% of students have significant test anxiety that interferes with their performing up to their capability. That includes on the GMAT, the GRE, the EA, and other tests that can serve as gatekeep...

Episode 157 Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we put on the gloves and train on how to best bring it for Round 2 of MBA admissions. Helping us to understand how to be as competitive as possible, we have Melody Jones, Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions. Are you going for R2? Don't miss this important conversation!

Episode 153 Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - as we get to know what exactly is Action Based Learning and MAP at one of the world's top-ranked MBA programs at University of Michigan's ROSS School of Business. For this episode, all about Ross, we are joined by a panel of two current students, Manisha Vupputuri & Trent Hill, as well as the Managing...

Episode 162 How can AI help you during your admissions process? MBA hosts, Bara Sapir—CEO of  City Test Prep  and  MindFlow Speed Reading —and Eric Lucrezia—founder of  Candidate Coach —are joined by admissions consultants and  AIGAC  members Petia Whitmore of  My MBA Path  and Adam Markus of  Graduate Admissions Guru , who tackle this topic and discuss the do's, don't's, and warnings for AI in ad...

Episode 150 Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Bara Sapir, Eric Lucrezia, and Krithika Srinivasan - for INTERVIEW TIME! With Round 1 deadlines flying by one after the other, it's time to start thinking about next steps - the MBA Interview. This week, we have fellow Admissions Consultant and long-standing AIGAC member, Paulo Cesar Oliveira, who will share his interview training tips and techniques to...

Episode 140 Which Test? GMAT, GRE, EA... or None? Do you have a plan yet to take the GMAT, GRE, or even the EA? Perhaps an internal psychometrics test? Are you considering going test optional? This week we're welcoming MBA Waves veteran, Travis Morgan, fellow AIGAC member, Kellogg MBA alumnus, and founder of the MBA Whisperer. His expertise on tests like the GMAT and GRE give him tons of insight i...

Episode 151 Can MBAs Save the Climate? Sustainability in B-School With many top business schools prioritizing sustainability, MBAs are increasingly positioned to lead in climate innovation. We're joined by Katherine Baird, Director of Sustainability & Climate Change at Berkeley Haas, and Anne Nai-tien Huang, INSEAD alum and sustainability evaluation expert. Together, they share how MBAs can play a...

Is Using AI for Your MBA Essay Cheating? Is using AI in your application essays ethical? Is it considered plagiarism or a violation of school codes of conduct? In this episode, we're joined by Michelle Kassorla, AI expert and English professor at Georgia State University, and Kelly Wilson, former Director of Admissions at CMU Tepper and now with Accepted.com, to explore what's allowed, what's not,...

Episode 156 Women in Business: Changing the Standards Why are women still held to different standards in 2024? We're joined by seasoned MBA admissions consultants and professionals Amy Duckworth and Michelle Stockman, who share insights into navigating gender expectations in business education and leadership. Whether you want to be more assertive, a better ally, or a more supportive leader—this ep...

Episode 161  Join the coaches of MBA Waves - Eric Lucrezia and Bara Sapir - as we dissect the 2025 Financial Times Global MBA Rankings, with returning special guest, Andrew Jack! As always, in February, the FT MBA Rankings were published, and Andrew, Editor of the Education Division of the FT, who has been there for 30+ years now, and oversees each of the various FT Rankings is going to give us th...