The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Did you know that China is on track to overtake America as the world's biggest economy by 2016? Dr. Longkhai Zhao, Executive Director of the MBA Program at Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, joins the show to discuss why he thinks Guanghua is the best place to learn about China business at this pivotal point in the country's history. We also discuss Guanghua's admissions process,...

Looking for an intimate MBA experience but want the benefits of a large alumni network at a good cost? Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smeal MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA Admissions Director Stacey Peeler. Go to http://www.touchmba.com/smeal-mba-admissions-interview for a full breakdown of the program's key advantages and fast facts about admissions, financ...

Interested in tech, entrepreneurship   and strategy and looking for strong ROI from a European MBA? The UCD Smurfit MBA in Ireland boasts 90% + employment rates after their 11 month program to go along with a relatively affordable tuition (29,500 EUR) and generous scholarships. Get the inside scoop on what makes the Smurfit MBA unique and its admissions process – straight from MBA...

Want to get a rigorous business education grounded in economics and analytics from a renown US business school? Simon awards 75% of its students scholarships and prides itself on its 90%+ job placement rate within 3 months of graduation. Rebekah Lewin, Assistant Dean of Admissions & Student Engagement at Simon Business School, University of Rochester, joined the show to discuss what makes Simon un...

Want to study business in idyllic St. Gallen, Switzerland, with an experienced cohort of 40-50 classmates from around 30 countries? The school prides itself in its individual support and strong relationships with corporates in   finance, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and luxury good industries. Nearly 50% of graduates made a "triple transformation" and switched geography, industry and function. Liste...

Are you looking for a hands-on, customizable and intimate MBA in the heart of one of the world's great research universities? Darren sits down with Mark Lockwood, MBA Director of Recruiting, Admissions, and Alumni Affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to discuss the program's key advantages and admissions process. At only $66,000 USD for a 2-year program, the Illinois MBA offers snea...

What is relatively unique about the HKUST MBA? #1 ranked Asian MBA program in the world by Financial Times past 5 years Finish the program in 12 or 16 months Most international MBA program in Hong Kong, usually 25-30 nationalities represented in 120 person class; 95% of class is from outside Hong Kong HKUST has great exchange relationships - participants are guaranteed exchange spots wit...

Here at Touch MBA we help you find your best-fit business schools . But what about getting an MBA in the first place? How can it help you? Do you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur? What should you consider when choosing between 1 and 2 year programs? And will the MBA be as valuable in the future? I sat down with Prof. Franz Heukamp, Associate Dean of MBA Programs at IESE, to get his thoughts o...

Few business schools can match the size and scale of Columbia Business School. The school has two intakes in August and January with 750 students graduating each year. Over 450 business leaders speak on the campus annually and Columbia has 40,000 alumni around the world. Students can choose from over 17 concentrations, 100 student clubs and 200 electives. And all of this takes place in New York Ci...

Dr. Dana Brown, MBA Programme Director at Said Business School, joined the show this week to discuss what makes the Oxford MBA unique and its admissions process. Being one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Said is looking for students with strong academic abilities. Although they evaluate applicants holistically, Said recommends having a minimum 3.5 GPA and Dana made it very clear...

What's the best MBA program for supply chain management? Or entrepreneurship? Or marketing? Many applicants who come to Touch MBA for help picking schools have this exact question. One of the biggest frustrations candidates have is figuring out the key advantages of schools. As one listener wrote, "It's difficult to know which one is the best in a certain area." In this episode, Darren gives a 3-s...

Over the past year hundreds of applicants have come to Touch MBA to get profile assessments and find their best fit schools . One of the most common problems I see is weak career goals. Career goals are important – and necessary – for you to figure out your best fit schools AND to improve your chances of acceptance. In this episode, I cover 5 ways adcoms evaluate your career goals so y...

Who better to learn storytelling from than a two-time Pulitzer Prize Winner for dramatic nonfiction? This week Darren uses Jon Franklin’s Writing for Story as guidance for “stalking the story” and writing MBA essays that grip and reveal. Franklin pioneered the narrative nonfiction genre, and his book is full of gems for applicants struggling with their essays. After listenin...

Ms. Christie St-John, Director of Admissions, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, joined the show to discuss the Vanderbilt MBA. The program is focused on giving students a high-touch and flexible education that will prepare them well for internships and job placement success Vanderbilt's medical, law and education programs are also highly ranked and Owen encourages its MBA...

Carlson MBA Director of Admissions Linh Gilles joined the show this week and we had a great chat about Carlson's focus on experiential learning, the benefits of attending a smaller MBA program in Minneapolis, and how to give yourself the best chance for admissions. We discuss Carlson's Enterprise program, where students work directly with corporate clients (many of them Fortune 500s) in a consulti...

What is it like to be an MBA student at UCLA Anderson School of Management? My good friend Mark Zee, a second year student at Anderson, joined the show to discuss his experience at UCLA. Mark is truly a non-traditional candidate, graduating from Princeton University in 2003, acting in Asia for 6 years, starting an import/export business in Singapore, and then working in educational consulting and...

How would you like to grab coffee with one of the world's most experienced MBA admissions consultants and pick his brain on what makes a successful application? This week I asked Paul Bodine, author of Great Applications for Business School, and owner of Paul Bodine Admissions Consulting, about his best advice to clients and admissions trends. Paul has helped hundreds of candidates since 1997 get...

Are you struggling with post-MBA career goals in your application? Top business schools are looking for well-researched and realistic career goals. But  exactly  how can you do this? Especially when you're strapped for time? Steve Dalton, Senior Associate Director of the Career Management Center at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and author of the  2 Hour Job Search...

Most of the top-ranked business schools in Asia are in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. But what if you can't afford to leave your job or city to pursue your MBA? IE Business School and Singapore Management University (SMU) have teamed up to help such professionals in South East Asia and launched a 10-month blended MBA, which combines residential segments in Singapore and Madrid with weekly onl...

Are there really more MBA job opportunities in Hong Kong and China? How has the market changed and what are employers looking for? This week I sat down with Marjorie Chang, Director of CUHK's Career Management Centre, to separate fact from fiction. Listen on to get an "on the ground" picture of the job market in Hong Kong and China. You'll also get insight into how MBA admissions evaluates your po...

Ms. Lisa Piguet, Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at IMD, joins the show this week and generously shares her advice on IMD's accelerated 11-month program, the admissions process and more... Interesting things I learned about IMD: IMD is focused on leadership and general management; over 80% of graduates go into industry Only 90 students are admitted each year from ~40 countries, and...

Mr. Praveen Muruganandan, Director of Admissions and Recruitment at Schulich School of Business, joined the show to share more about the Schulich MBA, located in Toronto, Canada. We had a revealing chat about Schulich's unique points and what the school is looking for during the admissions process. Interesting things I learned about the Schulich MBA: The Schulich MBA is flexible and customizable....

Professor Elaine Ferneley, MBA Director at Manchester Business School, joined the show to share more about the Manchester MBA, located in Manchester, UK, and give us an inside look into the admissions process. Interesting things I learned about the Manchester MBA: - They don't call it "practice based" learning for nothing. Manchester MBAs are required to do 3 live consultancy projects -  requ...

How can younger candidates compensate for their lack of experience? What are admissions committees looking for in younger candidates? Darren covers 5 tips to show you belong and will be a valued member of your MBA class.  Season your application with these 5 ingredients and you'll improve your chances: Strong academic track record Contribution inside class and in student life Atypical, except...

Prof. Reiji Ohtaki, Program Director of the Nanyang-Waseda Double MBA, joined the show to talk about Waseda's International MBA Program located in Tokyo, Japan. Prof. Ohtaki runs the career management center and held many senior leadership positions for Hay and Mercer Consulting in Asia Pacific, so he's a great person to talk to about MBAs and careers in Japan. Listen on for the insider's scoop...