The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Darren C. Joe

1 hour 5 minutes

#226 HEC Paris MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sara Vanos
Sara Vanos, Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, discusses what makes the HEC Paris MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.
Topics
- Introduction to HEC Paris MBA and Sara Vanos (0:00)
- Program Highlights - What Makes the HEC Paris MBA Unique? (3:20)
- HEC Paris MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (29:15)
- Career Opportunities after HEC Paris - What to Know & How to Prepare (52:50)
About Our Guest

Sara Vanos is Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, where she has been for over 10 years. Previously, Sara worked in the careers office for the University of Toronto Rotman. Sara got her EMBA from HEC Paris and her undergraduate degree from Ryerson University.
Show Notes
MBA Application Resources
11 November 2024, 9:54 am
50 minutes 7 seconds

#225 Is an MBA Worth It for Startup Founders? with Bridget Pujals, Berkeley Haas MBA '24
Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA?

Bridget Pujals, University of California 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? And finally, what differentiates the MBA as a launchpad for founders?

Bridget shares specific steps she (and other entrepreneurs at Berkeley) took to de-risk their startups and increase their odds of success. After listening to this conversation, you'll get a much clearer picture of whether an MBA makes sense for your entrepreneurial goals.
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- How Bridget's entrepreneurial plans evolved during her MBA (4:00)
- Lean launchpad at Berkeley Haas (7:50)
- Co-founder dating (9:45)
- What entrepreneurial resources Bridget found most useful at Haas (14:30)
- Professors as an influential resource for MBA founders (18:40)
- How other active & aspiring entrepreneurs approached the MBA (25:00)
- Tips for active & aspiring founders to make the most of their MBA investment (30:15)
- Importance of student culture for MBA entrepreneurs (33:30)
- Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA? (39:00)
About Our Guest
Bridget Pujals graduated from University of California's Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Full-time MBA program in 2024, where she focused on building her startup. She is Co-Founder and CEO of Saelo in San Francisco, which offers high-tech, clinical skin treatments.

Before getting her MBA, Bridget worked for Meta as a Senior Product Manager (Messenger) and Product Lead (Privacy for Instagram Direct), and before that, Postmates in business development and product management roles. Bridget graduated from University of California Irvine with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry.
Show Notes
MBA Application Resources
3 September 2024, 5:54 pm
50 minutes 6 seconds

#224 Important Things to Look for in MBA & EMBA Programs with Prof. Steven DeKrey, HKUST Business School
Steven DeKrey, Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School, has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, Asian Institute of Management and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program.

Darren asks Professor DeKrey about 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!
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- What makes top MBA programs in Asia and Hong Kong different? (4:06)
- The quality of top Asian MBA programs vs. top US programs (10:30)
- How important are local language skills for MBA graduates outside the US? (14:10)
- What questions applicants should ask when researching MBA programs? (18:35)
- MBA rankings and other signals of quality (24:30)
- Who should apply to Full-time MBAs, Part-time MBAs and Executive MBAs (EMBA) (28:30)
- Understanding EMBA Admissions (34:50)
- Can leadership be taught? The importance of learning agility (38:45)
- How can MBAs demonstrate leadership skills to employers? (46:40)
About Our Guest
Steven DeKrey is Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School. He has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, Asian Institute of Management, and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program. He served on the EQUIS accreditation board and AACSB's Asia-Pacific board, and today, teaches graduate students and executive training programs in leadership, corporate governance and board member development.

Steven has written over 15 cases for the Thompson Case Center, 9 of which have been published by Harvard Business School Publishing. Before starting his career in business education, Steven worked as a School & Sports Psychologist in Iowa. He got his PhD in School & Sports Psychology from the University of Iowa and his MBA from Northwestern Kellogg.
Show Notes
MBA Application Resources
12 August 2024, 5:09 pm
46 minutes 40 seconds

#223 How to 3x Your Chances to Top 10 MBA Programs with Melody Jones, Vantage Point MBA
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.
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- Melody's MBA Story, Career & Co-Founding of Vantage Point (2:45)
- Vantage Point's Philosophy for Serving Applicants (11:00)
- Vantage Point's 3x Success Factors (13:00)
- Factor 1: Who Are You? (17:00)
- Factors 2 & 3: What Do You Want? Why? (23:00)
- Rejected Application Analyses for Columbia, MIT, Harvard, Stanford (34:00)
- What if you have the same career goals as everyone else? (41:00)
- Melody's Last Two Tips for Applicants (43:00)
About Our Guest
Melody Jones is Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting. Previously, Melody worked as a Marketing Manager for L'Oreal in New York City and prior to her MBA, Melody worked in finance at Wachovia and Wells Fargo.

Melody got her MBA from the Columbia Business School and her Bachelors in Marketing & International Business from the University of Virginia.
Show Notes
- Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting
- #221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)
MBA Application Resources
- Get free school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com
- Learn effective strategies to secure admission to top-ranked MBA programs with Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. Gain insights from successful resumes, essays, and case studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands on consulting fees while optimizing every aspect of your application: https://go.touchmba.com/edge
- Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants): https://touchmba.com/favorite-mba-application-tools/
19 June 2024, 3:27 am
1 hour 3 minutes

#222 Mid-Career MBA Alternatives with Richard Campbell (HBS Program for Leadership Development, LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership & Strategy, 500 Global Accelerator)
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.

Listen on to learn more about the learning experience, alumni networks and benefits of attending each of these programs!
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- Richard's career arc before business school (4:40)
- Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development (8:40)
- The London Business School Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (22:45)
- 10 Adventures and the 500 Global Accelerator Program (48:00)
- Richard' advice for entrepreneurs considering mid-career MBA alternatives (59:00)
About Our Guest
Richard Campbell is Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, which helps people book personalized, active vacations worldwide. Before 10Adventures, Richard worked as COO of Vista Projects, an industrial engineering firm that helps clients navigate the digital transformation of their operations.

Richard got his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary; after ten years growing Vista Projects, he took Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development and then completed London Business School's Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy. In 2023, he joined 500 Global's Accelerator program in Calgary, where he currently resides. Richard also hosts the 10Adventures Podcast and serves on the Board of Directors for The Alpine Club of Canada.
Show Notes
Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

Learn proven strategies to get into top-ranked MBA programs and optimize every part of your application through Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. See resumes, essays and case-studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands of dollars on consulting fees: https://go.touchmba.com/edge
27 May 2024, 10:22 pm
28 minutes 38 seconds

#221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!)
Inspired by Kevin Kelly's Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier, Darren shares 10 bits of wisdom that could materially improve your chances of getting into business school and building a successful career.
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- School Selection (3:00)
- Support Network (8:20)
- Positioning (10:30)
- Resumes (15:45)
- Essays (20:05)
- Interviews (22:00)
- Communication (26:10)
Show Notes
Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

Don't want to pay thousands for admissions consulting? Take our online MBA admissions course w/ our best application tips and strategies. Members have gotten into ALL top 25 MBA programs: https://go.touchmba.com/edge
16 April 2024, 10:37 pm
1 hour 14 minutes

#220 GLOBIS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Tomoya Nakamura - "Find Your Kokorozashi"
Sometimes, it's hard to differentiate MBA programs. That is not the case with GLOBIS University, Japan's number 1 MBA, which prizes entrepreneurial skills, societal impact, and helping its students find their kokorozashi (personal mission).

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

Started by Harvard Business School MBA graduate and entrepreneur Yoshito Hori in 1992 as a single marketing course in Tokyo, GLOBIS has grown to become Japan's largest MBA program, consulting with 60-70% of public Japanese companies with learning hubs in 5 countries. Listen on to learn what makes getting an MBA at GLOBIS - and in Tokyo - unique.
Topics
- Introduction to GLOBIS and Tomoya Nakamura (0:00)
- Program Highlights - What Makes the GLOBIS MBA Unique? (6:30)
- GLOBIS MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (33:30)
- Career Opportunities after GLOBIS - What to Know & How to Prepare (55:00)
About Our Guest

Tomoya Nakamura is President of GLOBIS USA. Tomoya started his professional career at Marubeni Corporation, reorganized an investment company at Advantage Partners (a buyout VC firm), and was the Senior Managing Director of Sun-Life Corporation. He served as Dean of the English MBA Programs at GLOBIS University while also starting the GLOBIS global training business and continues to serve as the main facilitator for various corporate clients. He primarily lectures on leadership, kokorozashi, and globalization.

Tomoya graduated from the Hitotsubashi University with a Bachelors in Social Studies before getting his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Show Notes
- GLOBIS Full-time MBA
- Free Online President's Seminar: Leveraging Japan’s No.1 MBA to the World’s No.1 MBA with AI & Technovate, Mr. Yoshito Hori, March 12, 2024 (6:30pm-7:30pm PST)
- Schedule a personal consultation with GLOBIS MBA admissions advisors
Touch MBA's Summary of the GLOBIS Full-time MBA:

https://touchmba.com/globis-mba-program-admissions-interview-tomoya-nakamura/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com
11 March 2024, 4:44 am
1 hour 26 minutes

#219 From Military to MBA, Consultant & More with Beau Gresham, NYU Stern MBA '20 - "Find Your Champions"
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?
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- Beau's Background (4:00)
- Beau's MBA Application Journey & Lessons: School Selection, GMAT, Career Goals (6:30)
- MBA Application Resources for Military Veterans (20:30)
- Beau's #1 Tip: Finding "Champions" (23:30)
- Beau's NYU Stern MBA Experience (33:30)
- Breaking into Consulting- How Beau Landed his Internship & Job with Deloitte (39:00)
- The NYU Stern Network in NYC & Study Abroad Trips (53:00)
- Beau's Post-MBA Career with Amazon & Deloitte (1:00:00)
- Advancing at Deloitte & Transitioning to Mastercard (1:07:00)
- Beau's Last Tips for Applicants (1:21:00)
About Our Guest
Beau Gresham is Director of Strategic Initiatives in Cybersecurity at Mastercard. Previously, Beau worked as a Senior Consultant & Manager in M&A Strategy for Deloitte. Prior to his MBA, Beau served in the US Army in a variety of leadership, operational and combat roles, including as a Company Commander in Afghanistan.

Beau got his MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business with specializations in Finance, Strategy & Management, his Masters in Management and Leadership from Webster University and his Bachelors in Political Science & Government from the University of South Florida. He currently serves on the Stern Alumni Council.
Show Notes
Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com
20 February 2024, 5:46 am
27 minutes 44 seconds

#218 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 2): Drawing a Roadmap for Admissions, Prioritizing Conversations, Prematurely Applying, Being Strategic Yet Flexible
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

Want to share your hard-earned application lessons? Contact us at https://touchmba.com/contact
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- Tips for the Untraditional Applicant - Kate, Texas McCombs MBA (2:30)
- Rankings Don't Matter. Go Where You'll Find the Conversations You Want to Have - Eileen, Oxford Said MBA (10:00)
- Five Things I Learned When I Applied to Business School - Anonymous, NYU Stern Tech MBA (13:50)
- Be Strategic, Yet Adaptable - Jasper, McMaster DeGroote MBA (20:15)
Show Notes
Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com
29 January 2024, 11:58 pm
24 minutes 58 seconds

#217 Lessons from Listeners (Vol. 1): Working for Unknown Companies, Determining Best-Fit Schools, Dealing with Dings
Touch MBA's goal has always been to offer you evergreen content that will help you shortlist and get into best-fit MBA programs. We invite listeners to share lessons from their MBA application journeys not just on the podcast, but in written form, too. These short reflections are full of timeless application wisdom!

Darren shares three lessons from three listeners that have stood the test of time: how to overcome working for a relatively unknown company, how to research and find best-fit b-schools, and how to deal with dings.

Want to share your hard-earned application lessons? Contact us at https://touchmba.com/contact
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- Working for an Unknown Company - Daming, Northwestern Kellogg MBA (4:30)
- Determining Best-Fit Schools - William, Texas McCombs MBA (10:30)
- Dealing with Dings - Bren, Emory Goizueta MBA (17:30)
Show Notes
Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com
20 January 2024, 5:31 pm
42 minutes 11 seconds

#216 The GMAT Focus Episode (GRE, too)
How are top business schools using the GMAT Focus exam, which will replace the GMAT in January 2024? What do you need to score and on which sections? Do schools prefer the GMAT, GMAT Focus, or GRE?

Darren asks Admissions Directors from two top schools – Toronto Rotman (#1 in Canada by the Financial Times) and IESE (#1 in Spain by the Financial Times) – tough questions about the GMAT Focus test and GRE. Listen on to get your GMAT Focus questions answered and to understand how top b-schools use standardized test scores when making admissions decisions.
Topics
- Introduction (0:00)
- Toronto Rotman MBA - Agnes Mak (4:20)
- IESE MBA - Tomofumi Nishida (30:20)
About Our Guests

Agnes Mak is the Assistant Director, Recruitment & Admissions managing the East Asia region for the Full-Time MBA program at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management. She has over 20 years of professional experience in higher education and business advisory. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, she was a Partner at KPMG Canada and held numerous leadership roles to attract and promote international talent.

Tomofumi Nishida is Deputy Director (Asia, MBA Admissions) for IESE Business School, where he has been since 2016. Prior to IESE, Tomo worked for NTT DOCOMO as a strategic investment analyst and account manager in corporate sales. Tomo got his B.A. in Occidental History from the University of Tokyo and MBA from IESE.

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com
21 December 2023, 5:51 pm
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