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. Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (17:30) | Financing & Scholarships (28:30) | Careers (36:45) About Our Guest Emily Brierley is Head of Cambridge MBA Recruitment and Admissions at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, where she has worked for over 5 years. Emily graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a Bachelors in American Studies. What is unique about the Cambridge MBA? What are its key advantages? The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, ranked 5th globally by Times Higher Education (2022) Each Cambridge MBA belongs to 1 of 31 colleges affiliated with the University, which could include undergraduates and masters/PhD students studying different disciplines Requires 3 team projects over the year that emphasize real world, experiential learning Admissions is looking for academic achievement, clear career progression and ambition, international experience and global outlook, and strong interpersonal and collaborative skills Interviews are conducted by Cambridge Judge Business School faculty members Students can specialize in 10 concentrations The area surrounding Cambridge is known as ‘Silicon Fen;’ 900 high tech firms operate within 50 miles of the city Cambridge attracts the largest investment per capita in Europe, five times that of London. The total amount of capital (including VC) invested in Cambridge startups is £600 million. International MBA graduates can remain in UK for employment for 2 years under new post-study work visa Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/cambridge-mba-program-admissions-interview-emily-brierley/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

#185 Cambridge MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Emily Brierley

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. Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (19:00) | Financing & Scholarships (35:30) | Careers (39:50) About Our Guest Imran Kanga is Director of Recruitment & Admissions for the Rotman School of Management's Full-time MBA Program at the University of Toronto. Previously, Imran worked in a similar capacity for the Schulich School of Business, where he got his MBA in 2010. What is unique about the Toronto Rotman MBA? What are its key advantages? The University of Toronto was ranked 18th globally by Times Higher Education, and #1 in Canada (2022) Rotman, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, was ranked #1 Canadian MBA program by Financial Times (2021) 250-300 students/intake with 40 nationalities Rotman’s office of student engagement curates over 1,000 experiential learning opportunities for students with its Creative Destruction Lab, Self-Development Lab, Business Design Institute, etc Rotman requires a one semester, 4-month internship for all students Admissions is looking for intellectual horsepower, experience and impact, communication and presence, and spike factor i.e. doing interesting things with your personal and professional lives that demonstrate passion, grit, resilience, innovation, drive and ambition Students can specialize in 15 majors Toronto was ranked one of the world's most livable cities by the Economist, with a lower cost of living and higher quality of life than many major cities in the US; over half of Toronto's population was born outside of Canada Rotman's 2-year MBA allows international Full-Time MBA graduates to be eligible for a 3-year Canadian work permit Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/toronto-rotman-mba-program-admissions-interview-imran-kanga Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

#184 Toronto Rotman MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Imran Kanga - "Choose Your Own Adventure"

Francesca Roveda, a member of the recruiting and admissions team for SDA Bocconi’s MBA program, discusses what makes the SDA Bocconi MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (5:30) | Admissions (28:26) | Financing & Scholarships (48:00) | Careers (55:30) About Our Guest Francesca Roveda recruits candidates for the MBA, Executive MBA and Specialized Masters program for Bocconi University’s School of Management. Francesca has been with Bocconi for nearly 30 years, starting in the marketing office and then moving over to recruiting and admissions in 2008. What is unique about the SDA Bocconi MBA? What are its key advantages? Located in downtown Milan, which has the third largest economy among EU cities after Paris and Madrid and is recognized as one of the world’s finance and fashion capitals; Paris, London and Barcelona are a one-hour flight away SDA Bocconi MBA starts in September and lasts 12 months 100 students per class from 30 countries; 75% of students are from outside Italy Admissions is looking for applicants who truly listen and respect diversity and have strong interpersonal skills to work in groups  Students can specialize in Finance, Marketing & Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Luxury Business Management SDA Bocconi is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2021  Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/sda-bocconi-mba-program-admissions-interview-francesca-roveda Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#183 SDA Bocconi MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Francesca Roveda

Safira Djati shares her journey from private equity analyst in Indonesia to the NUS MBA, where she is President of 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 MBA Student Council as its first female and Indonesian president. Finally, Safira touches on being a mother and making the most of her MBA. Questions Safira's background, pre-MBA goals, and reasons for applying to NUS (3:20) Safira's NUS MBA experience vs. expectations (8:30) MBA recruiting during Covid (14:00) What Safira has learned from the MBA (17:00) Singapore job-seeking as an international student (20:05) Building connections in VC/PE (24:20) Safira's experience running for President and leading the 38th NUS MBA Student Council (30:10) Safira's advice for mom MBAs (46:20) Safira's last thoughts on making the most of your MBA (52:00) About Safira Safira Djati currently attends the NUS MBA. Prior to NUS, she worked as a Manager and Investment Analyst for PT PPA Capital in Jakarta, Indonesia. Safira graduated from Universitas Prasetiya Mulya with a Bachelors in Economics. Safira is President of the NUS MBA Student Council, runs her own jewelry business, XAVIA Jewelry, and is looking to pursue a private equity, venture capital or impact investing role after graduation. Show Notes Connect with Safira on LinkedIn Get your profile assessed by NUS MBA Admissions Team Chat with NUS MBA Student Ambassadors NUS MBA Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/inside-the-nus-mba-student-council-president-safira-djati-nus-mba Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

#182 Inside the NUS MBA with Student Council President Safira Djati, NUS MBA '22

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? Questions Tony’s background, pre-MBA goals, and reasons for applying to CUHK (3:45) Tony’s biggest challenge during the MBA (13:40) The two things Tony took away from his MBA experience (17:10) Can entrepreneurship be taught? (21:20) How Tony ended up running his own boutique marketing agency (22:10) Tony’s current role at First Page Digital (27:50) Tony’s thoughts on the future of digital marketing and the marketing industry in Hong Kong (29:50) Tony’s tips for landing a post-MBA job in a foreign country (33:30) Leading the Marketing Club at CUHK (37:00) What Tony would have done differently (43:20) How Hong Kong has changed over the past 5 years (45:20) Tony’s last tips to applicants (50:00) About Tony DeGennaro Tony DeGennaro is an Enterprise Digital Strategist at First Page Digital. Previously, he was Director of Marketing and Business Development for Dragon Social, a boutique marketing agency in Hong Kong. Tony graduated from Rutgers with a Bachelors in Political Science and Philosophy, and worked in sales and as an English teacher before attending the CUHK MBA. Show Notes Connect with Tony on LinkedIn Meet Tony at CUHK MBA’s Information Session & Alumni Sharing Webinar on August 25, 2021 Get your profile assessed by CUHK MBA Admissions Team CUHK MBA Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/taking-the-road-less-traveled-tony-degennaro-cuhk-mba/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#181 Taking the Road Less Traveled with Tony DeGennaro, CUHK MBA '17

Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA '22, has an amazing story to tell about applying to 18 business schools over two 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? Questions Samuel's background (4:18) Samuel's 2-year journey applying to over 15 business schools (8:00) Samuel's advice to low income applicants on applying to business schools and winning scholarships (20:52) Why Samuel started City of Lane and LanePod (30:40) Samuel's Sauder MBA experience so far and landing an internship at Microsoft (41:54) About Samuel After getting his Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, Samuel Adeoye interned as a Highway and Transportation Engineer while launching a podcast tech startup, and then worked as an Implementation & Design Engineer for Arup, a global architecture and civil engineering consulting firm. He then worked as a consultant for The Bluepen Company, a boutique consulting company serving small and medium sized enterprises in Nigeria. In March 2020, Samuel founded City of Lane, a community of MBA Alumni, students and applicants looking to leverage their MBA experience for an economically and politically inclusive Africa. Samuel is currently a Mastercard Scholar pursuing his MBA at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, in Vancouver, Canada. Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/fully-funded-mba-samuel-adeoye-ubc-sauder-mba Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

#180 The Fully Funded MBA with Samuel Adeoye, UBC Sauder MBA '22

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? Questions Justin's background (2:15) Justin's shortlist of schools (4:30) Why Justin took the GRE instead of the GMAT (12:36) Justin's positioning and application tips (16:40) Justin's RSM MBA experience (27:10) Justin's thoughts on his (forced) hybrid MBA experience (35:33) Justin's recruiting experience and lessons (45:45) What Justin wished he knew before starting his MBA; how to best prepare for your MBA (1:05:45) About Justin After getting his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of Arts, Justin Taines worked in creative development, developing kids and family entertainment shows. He then worked in business development, building animation studios and helping the city of Jerusalem build up its animation industry. He also started and sold a retail cannabis cultivation venture before heading to the Rotterdam School of Management for his MBA. Justin is currently freelance consulting while exploring new roles post-MBA. Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/rsm-mba-justin-taines Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#179 From Artist to MBA with Justin Taines, RSM MBA ’21

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? Questions Milan's background (2:20) Applying to Insead and getting sponsored by McKinsey (4:20) Preparing for the GMAT (8:55) Interviewing with McKinsey as an MBA student (11:20) Milan's McKinsey experience (18:28) Milan's Insead experience (22:42) Making the most of 1-year and building your network at Insead (33:40) Building self-awareness at Insead & McKinsey (39:45) Picking classes & professors at Insead (44:55) About Milan After getting his Masters and Bachelors in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from Cambridge University, Milan Mecklenburg worked for McKinsey in Berlin, who then sponsored his Insead MBA in 2018. He then joined McKinsey Vietnam's office for two years. Milan is currently working as a freelance consultant and pursuing entrepreneurial projects Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/mckinsey-insead-experience-milan-mecklenburg/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#178 The McKinsey & Insead Experience with Milan Mecklenburg, Insead MBA '18D

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. Questions Hunter's work experience and reasons for pursuing an MBA/MA in International Studies (2:25) Hunter's positioning strategy (9:10) How Hunter focused on students and professors as sources of information to craft his application (15:00) Hunter's advice for Wharton's team-based discussion (TBD) interview (19:25) Hunter's essay timeline and editing process (29:45) Lauder application tips (35:40) Preparing a "briefing guide" to recommenders (42:23) How Hunter demonstrated leadership qualities to adcoms (45:20) Why Hunter chose to attend the Wharton / Lauder program (47:30) About Hunter Hunter Dong will be starting his joint MBA/MA degree at Wharton and Lauder this Summer. He previously worked as a Senior Consultant and Data Scientist at IBM. Hunter got his B.S in Operations Research and Financial Engineering from Princeton University. Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-the-wharton-mba-lauder-hunter-dong Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com  

#177 How I Got into the Wharton MBA / MA Lauder Joint Degree Program with Hunter Dong

After helping four MBA applicants with their resume and essays, Darren realized he was repeating similar advice. In this episode, Darren shares how you can use the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - to make your application more three dimensional. Topics Introduction (0:00) Sight - paint the scene (2:23) Touch - make the reader feel something (8:00) Sound - have a point of view (12:54) Taste - be focused and break stereotypes (18:10) Smell - make sure your entire application matches (23:54) Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/five-senses  Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#176 Use the 5 Senses to Make Your MBA Application Stick

 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. Program Highlights (3:20) | Admissions (31:00) | Careers (47:30) About Our Guest Dr. Michele Roberts is the MBA Academic Director of AGSM at UNSW, looking after all its MBA Programs. Michele teaches MBA courses in Marketing Management and Foundations of Management. Prior to academic life, Michele worked as a Marketing Manager at a Fortune 500 company in London and Melbourne. She holds a Masters’ Degree in Marketing and a PhD in Marketing & Public Policy from the University of Western Australia. Full write-up on what makes AGSM unique: https://touchmba.com/agsm-mba-program-admissions-interview-michele-roberts  Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

#175 AGSM MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Dr. Michele Roberts

 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. Program Highlights (3:50) | Admissions (25:15) | Financing & Working in Germany (35:40) | Careers (48:30) About Our Guest Kai Stenzel is the Chief Market Officer for Mannheim Business School where he has worked for over 6 years. He is responsible for Marketing, Admissions, Career Development, and Alumni Relations. Kai got his MBA from Mannheim Business School and Essec Business School. Sofia Syed Nasir is the Admissions Manager for Mannheim Full-time MBA, Mannheim Business School. She got her Masters in International Business from Grenoble Ecole de Management. What is unique about the Mannheim MBA? Ranked #1 MBA in Germany by Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Economist Ranked #1 in Business Administration by German HR professionals 14 years in a row (Wirtschaftswoche University Ranking) Targets and consistently ranks top 10 worldwide for ROI 1 year MBA starts in September with ~60 students per intake Admissions looking for collaborative mindset, teamwork abilities, and unique point of view that could benefit other classmates  10 core courses taught in terms 1-2; electives, social sustainability project and business master project offered in terms 2-4; students can extend with a term 5 to get a management analytics certificate, study abroad or pursue a business idea or internship 80% of graduates stay in Germany to work Graduates get a job seeker's visa that lasts 18-months  Mannheim MBA fast facts, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mannheim-mba-program-admissions-interview-kai-stenzel-sofia-syed-nasir

#174 Mannheim MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Kai Stenzel & Sofia Syed Nasir

MBA Recruitment Manager Alex Jones discusses what makes the Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (4:10) | Admissions (19:30) | Financing & Scholarships (33:40) | Careers (37:30) About Our Guest Alex Jones is the MBA Recruitment Manager for Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London, where he has worked for over 8 years. Alex got his Bachelors in Communication from the University of Leicester and his Masters in Media Production from Birmingham City University. What is unique about the Bayes Business School MBA? 1 year MBA starts in September with ~90 students per intake City's campus is in the heart of London’s financial district, which helps with career-related events, meetings and recruiting Core curriculum is taught in 4 blocks through the first 6 months of program: 1) strategy & organization 2) the financial environment 3) creating management advantage and 4) knowledge and policy, followed by a week-long international consultancy, electives and business mastery project Looking for minimum of 3 years professional experience and experience working multicultural teams with international outlook Hosts week-long London Symposium elective that gives a behind-the-scenes look into the economic drivers of London Has an MBA Expeditionary Society, which includes MBA and EMBA students, and explores leadership through stretch experiences, delivered by renowned mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington MBA alumni can take one free elective each year Under revised UK visa system, international students can get 2-year post-study work visa to look for employment in UK Ranked #2 globally for corporate strategy by Financial Times (2020) Ranked #1 in the UK for Entrepreneurship by Poets & Quants and Inc Magazine's 2021 50 Best MBAs for Entrepreneurship Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/the-business-school-city-university-of-london-mba-program-admissions-interview-alex-jones

#173 Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London Program & Admissions Interview with Alex Jones

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. Program Highlights (4:38) | Admissions (19:00) | Scholarships (31:20) | Careers (34:00) About Our Guest Anastasia Georgiou is Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School. Anastasia has worked in higher education and admissions for over 20 years. What is unique about the Melbourne MBA? What are its key advantages? Highest ranked Australian MBA by Financial Times, Economist and QS Offered Australia’s first MBA program starting in 1963. Melbourne Business School is 55% owned by Australia’s leading companies and 45% by the University of Melbourne Melbourne was ranked the world's most livable city for 18 years straight and is the multicultural capital of Australia MBA can be completed in 1 or 2 years Well-known for marketing and finance, and has recently set up Centres for Business Analytics and Sustainability & Business Prides itself in offering a high-touch MBA experience for 40 students/year Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/melbourne-mba-program-admissions-interview-anastasia-georgiou

#172 Melbourne MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Anastasia Georgiou

 Job hoppers, this episode is for you! 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? Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-positioning-strategies-for-job-hoppers 

#171 3 Positioning Strategies for Job Hoppers

Get an inside look at how top business schools assess candidates. Interviews with Admissions Directors & students from the world's top ranked MBA programs. Strategies and tips on how to craft a successful application. Straight talk on how to find and get into your target MBA programs.

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The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

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