The mbaMission Podcast

Send us your admissions questions! Mid-career MBA programs offer a very different experience from traditional two-year MBAs—and for the right candidates, they can be transformational. In this episode of the mbaMission Podcast , hosts Jeremy Shinewald and Harold Simansky explore accelerated, one-year programs designed for experienced professionals, including Stanford MSx , MIT Sloan Fellows , Londo...

Send us your admissions questions! The Stanford GSB is the most selective business school in the country, admitting only 6-8% of applicants each year. So how can you stand out in an incredibly competitive pool? In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Jeremy Shinewald is joined by Katy Lewis, mbaMission Executive Director and former MBA admissions reader at the Stanford GSB. Katy sha...

Send us your admissions questions! What does it mean to be a nontraditional MBA applicant? What about an overrepresented applicant? Understanding these distinctions can make a big difference in how you approach your business school applications. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simanksy is joined by Senior Consultant Nisha Trivedi and Managing Director Harshad Mali. Ha...

Send us your admissions questions! Healthcare is a dynamic and fast-changing industry. More and more MBA students hope to improve lives by driving innovation and strategy in the healthcare space, whether in biotech, pharma, hospital administration, or digital health. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simanksy and Jeremy Shinewald are joined by mbaMission Senior Consulta...

Send us your admissions questions! The Stanford GSB application is notoriously challenging, and includes a variety of essay and short answer prompts including the famous: "What matters most to you, and why?" In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simanksy and Jeremy Shinewald are joined by Christine Patel, an mbaMission Senior Consultant and graduate of the Stanfor...

Send us your admissions questions! Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we think, work, and lead. If you're thinking about earning your MBA, AI is likely on your mind. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simanksy is joined by mbaMission Managing Director Harshad Mali and Executive Director Katy Lewis. Harold, Harshad, and Katy discuss the impacts of AI on the eco...

Send us your admissions questions! For many business school students, securing a summer internship between the first and second years of their MBA program is a top priority. These MBA internships are competitive, and the recruitment process starts earlier than you might think. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jessica Shklar welcome back Aman Singh. Aman is...

Send us your admissions questions! 2025 has been a unique (and at times unpredictable) year when it comes to business school admissions. Questions around the economy, tariffs, AI, international student visas, and more have left many aspiring MBAs wondering: is this the right year to apply to business school? In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewal...

Send us your admissions questions! As MBA application deadlines approach, many applicants feel the pressure to make their application essays "perfect." But how should you actually go about revising and polishing your essays? How much rewriting is TOO much, and how does a final read-through differ from a standard round of revisions? In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, H...

Send us your admissions questions! In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, we welcome back Liz Ramos, former head of human capital at Bain & Company. Today Liz is sharing her professional journey from management consulting to the field of HR/human capital. She talks about career pivot points, the critical role of people management in successful firms, and universal leadership tr...

Send us your admissions questions! Letters of recommendation are a critical -- and often overlooked -- part of the MBA application process. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky is joined by mbaMission Managing Director Rachel Beck and Executive Director Jessica Shklar. Harold, Rachel, and Jessica discuss the role recommendations play in business school admissions,...

Send us your admissions questions! Getting into business school is challenging, but PAYING for business school can be just as stressful for many MBA hopefuls. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald sit down with mbaMission Managing Director Rachel Beck to discuss all things related to financing your MBA. They talk about MBA merit scholarships, f...

Send us your admissions questions! The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia is known for it's top-ranked faculty,dedication to the case method, and stunning facilities. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald welcome back Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA Darden. Dawna shares the qualities and featur...

Send us your admissions questions! In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jessica Shklar welcome back Aman Singh, a former mbaMission client and current student at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Today Aman is sharing his an experience as an international student attending business school in the United States. He discusses the ways in which he connected with...

Send us your admissions questions! In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald welcome Liz Ramos. Liz has spent decades recruiting and hiring MBA students at firms such Bain & Company, Fidelity Private Equity, and Cambridge Associates. Today Liz shares her unique perspective on how top firms recruit and develop talent. She discusses how the MBA r...

Send us your admissions questions! The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia offers one of the most rigorous and transformational MBA programs in the country. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald sit down with Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA Darden. Dawna discusses the kind of applicant the Darden adm...

Send us your admissions questions! This week on the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jessica Shklar welcome Aman Singh, former mbaMission client and current student at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Aman shares his journey to business school and the ways in which Jessica helped him to craft a powerful MBA application. He discusses his background in data science, engineering, and produc...

Send us your admissions questions! When working on business school applications, MBA applicants tend to focus on their essays, resumes, and recommendations. But inside the applications are a myriad of additional questions that require equal attention. This week on the mbaMission podcast Harold Simansky is joined by mbaMission Managing Director Rachel Beck and Executive Director Jessica Shklar. Har...

Send us your admissions questions! Round 1 business school application deadlines are here, which means interview season is just around the corner. In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast we're discussing all things interviews, and sharing our top tips for succeeding on interview day. This week Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald are joined by mbaMission Senior Consultant Susan...

Send us your admissions questions! In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast we're discussing common MBA interview pitfalls. Where do MBA interviews tend to go wrong, and why? And -- just as importantly -- what are the hallmarks of great business school interviews? This week Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald are joined by mbaMission Executive Director Devi Vallabhaneni. Devi is...

Send us your admissions questions! In this week's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremey Shinewald welcome back mbaMission Executive Director Devi Vallabhaneni. Devi is an alum of Harvard Business School and spent years interviewing HBS applicants as a member of the admissions board. As mbaMission's Interviewer in Residence, she conducts hundreds of interview simu...

Send us your admissions questions! In today's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremey Shinewald are joined by Devi Vallabhaneni, HBS alum and mbaMission's Interviewer in Residence. Harold, Jeremy, and Devi discuss some of the most challenging interview experiences they and their clients have had. They talk about the human element of interviews, how to tackle some o...

Send us your admissions questions! In today's episode of the mbaMission podcast, we're tackling a question that we're hearing more and more often these days: can business school really prepare you to be an entrepreneur? Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald discuss their own post-MBA experiences as entrepreneurs, and whether the skills they developed in business school are necessary...

Send us your admissions questions! As the private equity industry continues to expand, the number of PE associates applying to business school -- and the number of MBA students interested in entering PE post-graduation -- is on the rise. In today's episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald explore the worlds of private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds. Th...

Send us your admissions questions! In today's episode of the mbaMission podcast, we're breaking down MBA basics: What exactly do you learn in business school? How is the curriculum structured? And how can an MBA accelerate your career? Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald discuss what business school is all about, and then then walk through each piece of the application process, from pro...