#241 The Paramedic Method: Revive Your MBA Essays & Beat the Word Count, Too
“Deleting prepositional phrases and replacing “is” forms with active verbs energize your prose.” – Darren, Touch MBA Darren edits an applica...
Radio and PodcastLive Radio & Podcasts
Education
The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast
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 craf...
Episodes
20 of 240 episodes#240 What Does "Holistic" Mean?
Just about every top-ranked MBA program says they evaluate applicants “holistically” i.e. no single factor, whether GMAT score, GPA, work ex...
#239 How to Capture the AdCom's Attention (Repost)
Capturing your reader's attention is the most important goal of your MBA application. You want the admissions officer to remember you after...
#238 Feel Ordinary? Try "The J.D. Vance" Positioning Strategy
"So I didn't write this book because I've accomplished something extraordinary. I wrote this book because I've achieved something quite ordi...
#237 3 Storytelling Strategies to Power Up your MBA Application (from Storytelling Champion & Author Matthew Dicks)
Almost two years ago, I heard 10-time Moth GrandSLAM winner and novelist Matthew Dicks share his storytelling secrets on the Knowledge Proje...
#236 Get Ahead Before You Apply with MBA Pre-Assessments
Many top-ranked MBA programs in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia actively encourage applicants to connect with admissions teams before su...
#235 EDHEC Global MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Sandra Richez
Sandra Richez has spent two decades overseeing each aspect of the EDHEC Global MBA - from admissions and curriculum to career outcomes and a...
#234 HKUST MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Stephen Shih
The HKUST MBA has been one of Asia's top-ranked MBAs for many years - the Financial Times has ranked it top 25 globally 15 times. But, what...
#233 6 Ways to Make Your Application Stick (Repost)
Your MBA application is a "movie preview" of what is to come - a pitch for your candidacy. Imagine an admissions officer reading hundreds of...
#232 IESE MBA Admissions Insights with Patrik Wallen
What does IESE look for in MBA applicants? How do they evaluate your academic aptitude, post-MBA career goals, leadership potential and fit?...
#231 Crafting a Personal Narrative that Stands Out with Ellin Lolis
How can you stand out from thousands of MBA applicants with impressive CVs? Darren sits down with Ellin Lolis, Founder and President of Elli...
#230 Five Keys to MBA Admissions Success with N'doli Jean-Hugues Cherif, Insead MBA '26
Darren talks with N'doli Jean-Hugues "Cherif," a French and Ivorian candidate who gained admission to both INSEAD and London Business School...
#229 AI's Impact on MBA Careers: An Insider's Perspective
Darren confronts his own "AI anxiety" with Sabine King, Director of the Career Accelerator at the Australian Graduate School of Management (...
#228 3 Exercises to Design Your Life and Find Best Fit MBA Programs
Darren shares 3 design thinking exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan's Designing Your Life that will help you build a joyful life - and...
#227 Inside the Frankfurt School Full-Time MBA: Admissions & Recruitment Insights with Ann-Marie Stephenson & Colleen McLister
Ann-Marie Stephenson and Colleen McLister, Senior Recruitment Manager and Admissions Manager of MBA Programmes at the Frankfurt School of Fi...
#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 s...
#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...
#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-r...
#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 dec...
#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?...