Hi! I've been invited to Join a school in france interview for Hec, escp and emlyon. How likely am i to get admitted?

Hi everyone,

I studied business informatics in Albania, a small country in the Balkans. Through my education, I gained foundational knowledge in economics, marketing, business, and informatics.

I’ve been working as a backend developer for five years, mostly self-taught, and I've had the opportunity to work on various products, including some in digital marketing, which helped me understand that field more deeply. In my engineering teams, I've worked with both Agile and hybrid systems.

I genuinely enjoy my job, but over time, I’ve noticed a common challenge: many engineering teams lack strong management, even when they have a product owner or product manager. I feel confident in my people skills and communication abilities, and I’ve always loved managing my team. However, despite my passion for making the engineering experience smoother, I recognize that I lack formal knowledge in team management and possibly business management.

Could you suggest any programs I should consider to strengthen these skills?

Thank you

Hey y’all, I am considering an online/hybrid MBA so I can switch careers. I am currently looking at University of Washington, Iowa, Indiana and North Carolina. Is it worth it to attend those schools if it is an online program? Thanks ahead of time for any advice and guidance!

Hey r/MBA!

I'm new to the MBA application process and would really appreciate some feedback on my profile. Planning to apply to a mix of top U.S. and international MBA programs in the September-October 2025 cycle for the class starting in 2028. Would love to get insights into my competitiveness at these schools and ways I can improve my profile!

Profile

• Background: Indian, 24M, BTech in IT (Honors in Data Science and Analytics) from a Tier-1 university in India, with a 3.35/4.0 GPA.
• Work Experience: 2+ years in technology consulting at KPMG India, with promotions on track from Analyst -> Associate Consultant -> Consultant (expected in April 2025).
• Social Work: Involved in weekend teaching programs for underprivileged children.
• GMAT & IELTS: Planning to take the GMAT Focus Edition and IELTS by March 2025.

Target

M7/ T15/ T25

Questions

1. GMAT & IELTS: What scores should I aim to have a competitive chance at these schools?
2. Profile Improvements: Given I come from an over-represented applicant pool, what should I focus on in the next year to strengthen my profile?
3. School Categorization: How would you categorize these schools as ambitious, target, or safety options?

Thanks so much for any guidance you can share!

I need advice regarding two certificates programs in ISB.

If you've done these certificates how it helped you and does it led to growth in your career?

1. Professional Certificate Programme in Digital Marketing- https://online-em.isb.edu/pcp-digital-marketing?utm_source=isb&utm_campaign=school_website&utm_medium=website
2. Digital Marketing and Analytics- https://online-em.isb.edu/digital-marketing-and-analytics?utm_source=isb&utm_campaign=school_website&utm_medium=website

So I will be applying next year hence I am trying to figure things out.I really like McCombs overall mba structure and also the cost of tuition. Also feel like it will fit me(a mild assumption at the moment)

They have proper healthcare concentration but it's one of those concentrations out of the 22 that's not STEM certified. I'm an international. OPT is important. So if any graduate from there has any idea if I can take two concentrations to graduate with? Or is that not possible

So that atleast one of them is STEM certified and I get the 24 month extension period.

Just to get an idea

Does every LOR have to be different for each school? Can the contents be the same and the names different? Also does it create a bad impression if I allow myself also to see it along with the school? (An option that allows the applicant and school to see what the recommender has written)

Can the essay be in form of pointers or does it have to be like a regular essay? Considering it’s optional and we are just trying to explain any discrepancies.

Does it increase chances of getting an admit to M7 or T15 if a company is willing to pay some $$$ towards tuition? If so, why?

I’ve heard that the GSB calls to notify if an interviewed candidate is accepted or not. Is this true? I know the email said something about December 5 being the final date?

For me, the overall experience with Cornell was very quick.

• September 11: Submitted the application
• September 19: Invited for an interview
• October 16: Interviewed (I scheduled the interview quite late as I wasn’t fully prepared)

After the interview, I was informed that the decision would be released within 2 to 3 weeks. I haven’t seen anyone on Reddit or ClearAdmit who has received their decision yet, though I assume someone who interviewed earlier might have.

Does anyone know when the decision will be released? Is anyone else in the same situation as me?

Story of a severely low performer :(

Hey all,

I have been a consistent abysmal performer in consulting. Upon graduating, I thought that consulting would be a great and prestigious job. I was mistaken. I was never good at solving logical tests even when I studied a lot for it. So I couldn't even pass the initial tests at mbb and several other companies. Eventually I found a T2 where I could bullshit my way through and they were asking far easier cases. Some people were easily navigating through cases with minimal effort while I had to solve 100+ cases to be able to move forward. I never had any business acumen (I never knew what an interest rate is lol) so it was kinda hard for me.

Upon entering my first job, I worked a lot. I dedicated my week-ends and everything. However they didn't just ask me to work hard. They also wanted me to think and use critical reasoning. I was good at operational tasks and I loved them but they eventually wanted me to question and use brain power. That is when my world went upside down. I always loved obesience and unwavering loyalty to my superiors but I didn't like thinking. I don't love thinking I only like operational tasks. Upon my company realizing this, I was put on a PIP. I worked crazy hard and dedicated a lot. Everyone knew that I was a hard worker but when asked to use brain power, I quickly got demolished. Eventually they were either giving me basic tasks like research, ppt formatting or carrying boxes around for workshops (I loved doing them). Eventually I got kicked out.

Unable to solve cases and tests, I had to settle for a big4 consulting. I basically got a downgraded in terms of league. Big4 was far easier and I could hide under my managers. Many people were very low quality so I was able to blend in. High quality people were exiting to higher quality jobs while I was unable to move. Sometimes I were given brain usage requiring tasks but I evaded them by giving them to my analysts. Being a great ass-kisser I got promoted to managerial role. My doom started again when I got promoted. I was asked to lead projects and use my critical thinking. I was trying to deflect them but assigning these tasks to my analysts but I was discovered and I got chewed out. All my previous managers and partners left the company so there was no guardian angel for me to hide under. As a manager, I wasn't able to bring any sales or manage projects. I had the skill level of a first year analyst. I unfortunaly got kicked out again.

I went to Mba at an m7 and now considering my options. I want to stay at a place where I simply follow orders without using any brain power. I can work hard and deliver results if I am not asked to use my brain and knowledge. I don't like connecting pieces and creating complex analyses. I was thinking IB but got discouraged when I they told us that they were gonna make us think about deals and analyze big picture. I can't apply to a lot of roles in tech or pharma as they require case studies or thinking. I am scared I will be left without a job suitable to me. What should I do pls help? :(

Edıt: this is not a troll post but a grim reality of my miserable career. Is it your first time seeing a low performer loser?

Is there anyone here who went to Harvard Business school?

Do MBB for Consulting and BB/EB banks for IB require students to disclose their GMAT/GRE scores? Does that mean that people with lower scores (sub 700 GMAT/sub 320GRE) are at a disadvantage? Curious if anyone could speak to their experience on this recruiting for consulting or baking. Thanks!

I am a recent undergraduate (from a university ranked around 40 by U.S. News) and have just started working full-time at a boutique management consulting firm focused on a specific industry (though it’s not a strategy consulting firm). My role provides me with opportunities to work on projects with prominent clients. However, from my perspective, the firm itself isn't widely recognized. My ultimate goal is to gain admission to a top MBA program (specifically the M7).

Though I'm in my first year out of undergrad, I’m already considering my career path and how to increase my chances of getting into an M7 MBA in a few years. I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to approach my career plan.

1. What are the typical career paths or job types that serve as strong feeders to M7 MBA programs? Is it worth considering a transition to consulting at a Big 4 or Accenture (non-strategy arms)? (My current firm views Big 4 firms as competitors.)

2. Which types of firms should I consider switching to in the next 1-2 years? For instance, would moving to a top strategy consulting firm like LEK, Kearney, OW, Capital One Strategy, or the strategy arms of Big 4 firms significantly improve my MBA chances? Or should I explore roles outside of consulting, considering that I might be overly focused on the consulting path to MBA admissions?

3. When is the right time to make a job switch? Should I begin applying in my first year, second year, or wait until I advance further in my current firm?

4. Would it be beneficial to stay at my current firm and aim for a senior position (e.g., manager level)? I’m concerned about the firm’s reputation and the risk of developing overly specialized knowledge.

I understand having the GMAT waiver hurts scholarships, but does it even actually hurt one's admissions chances? I took the GMAT waiver for various T20-T30 schools because I legitimately did not think I needed it since I have 4 YOE at a bank in a quantitative field and have a Master of Science in Finance with a 3.4 GPA.

I was fine just paying sticker price for the MBA, but all I have received are WL. No flat-out rejections, just waitlists. Does the GMAT waiver legitimately hurt one's chances of even getting accepted? I am very confident everything else about my application is the best it can be.

I am strongly considering taking the GRE to get off the WL or just applying next year and forgetting the waiver, it seems like a major handicap and I question why it's even offered if all it does is handicap.

Have an interview coming up for a FT role. Does anyone have advice on how I should prepare for the “business case”? Will be similar, or entirely different, than a consulting style case?

I have seen fairly limited examples of the CBS interviews. Only one posted on ClearAdmit for this round, for example.

Can anyone speak to the experience of getting interviewed?

Hey everyone, I'm looking for advice on how to be more productive while studying. I usually study on my bed, but I find that it makes me feel tired, yet I continue to stay there. What would be the best way to maximize my productivity?

My wife and I relocated to south-central Ohio and will likely be here for 3-4 years at least. I am researching MBA programs in my region and would appreciate perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of the MBA programs around here. Here's a little about me:

- Mid 30s, software engineer, work remote. Total comp is $215K. Pursuing MBA to open myself to potential C-Suite moves down the road. Originally for mountain west, don't care about sports rivalries or things like that when it comes to programs I am listing. I am only interested in part-time programs. My work is comping 20% of my tuition.

Programs I am considering:
- Miami (OH). We live within about 20 minutes of Oxford. Nearest to me. I've heard good things, but not sure it has much name recognition outside of mid-west? Can someone confirm that hunch?

- OSU. This is probably the best program in the region and while I don't know my odds of being accepted, I think this is my goal.

- Xavier. Heard good things, but not sure how well established their program is. Not sure how reputable it is outside of mid-west?

- UC. Same as Xavier. Seems good? Not sure it resonates outside Ohio. Not sure I'll be living in Ohio in 5-10 years so want a program that will have some weight outside Cincy/Middletown/Hamilton, etc.

I come from a diverse background, lived in 8 cities across 3 countries and have moved schools over 10 times (not for academic reasons). We literally moved alot, sometimes in the middle of the year. This kinda fked up my fundamentals, so when it came to doing my Bachelors in chose CS engineering in India where I failed miserably. I just didn't have the fundamentals to cope up.

So after 3 years of resilience I chose to drop out and switch to a business degree in Singapore. My headspace was so messed up, I even worked part time to support my ed, I ended up with just a 3.3/4 GPA. But alot of extra curriculars (removed the smoke zone, Student council president, Business club Prez, etc)

After that I worked for 4 years in early stage startups, including starting my own company which did pretty well in revenue.

Now i am looking to do my MBA and I am writing my GRE this month. In my practice tests I am getting 314s, i have 2 weeks to get the number up lets see.

I would love to know if anyone knows people with lower gpas that get in, or what else can I do besides my GRE to shine. Is it possible for a T15 atleast?

I want to apply to 6-8 unis, I have shortlisted Simon and Texas A&M, but idk if I can aim higher?

Stern and Mccomb Is the dream!

Hey all!

I had a few questions about IUs MBA program.

First, how has it been the #1 online mba program for the last few years? Like what makes it so good that it’s beating out other online programs

Second, is it worth getting an MBA from that program since it’s online?

Third, how well is it recognized throughout the MBA community and with recruiters?

Thanks!

Hi Reddit! I'm Lily (in the middle) from Kellogg's MMM program! Me and some of my classmates will be hosting an AMA here on November 13, 2024 all day long to answer questions about Kellogg and the MMM program. We hosted an AMA last year and had a lot of great questions come in - link is below if you're interested in checking that out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/comments/17s3qme/were_8_kellogg_mmm_mba_ms_students_ask_us/

https://preview.redd.it/mxysz4novqyd1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=130fe8f272c18cefdcd3eabeb4815c2c90e29419

What is the MMM Program? The MMM Program is an immersive dual-degree program that gives students a rigorous business education integrated with a strong foundation in design innovation. MMM graduates receive an MBA from Kellogg and an M.S. in Design Innovation from the Segal Design Institute at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Links to resources to learn more about the MMM program:

Kellogg MMM Website: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/full-time-mba/mmm-program.aspx

MMM Courses: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/full-time-mba/mmm-program/curriculum.aspx

Segal Design Institute MMM Websitre: https://design.northwestern.edu/mmm-program/

MMM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmmkellogg/

Hey guys! I posted here roughly 2 years ago when I was 23 asking about my chances at MBA schools. Now that I am more experienced and have an actual GMAT score (I got a 760 on a mock and used it to ask, a 685 FE is rough a classic 730-740), I was wondering what my chances would be for the upcoming R2?

MBA Info

• Why I want an MBA: To move from MM leveraged finance (commercial/corporate banking at a foreign bank's domestic arm) to EB/BB IB.
• Why I want one now: I believe I have enough meaningful work experience to transition over to a FT MBA program.
• Target schools: Wharton (Reach), Columbia, Booth, Kellogg, Stern, Yale SOM, Anderson (safety)

Background

• Work experience (all in Los Angeles): (1) 1.5 years as a senior tax associate at a mid-tier public accounting school straight of UG; (2) 1.75 years as an senior analyst/AVP at a mid-market bank (branch of a large, non BB foreign bank with a domestic arm) dealing with purely leveraged finance loans (mostly commercial - senior & uni, no junior) in the enterprise SaaS space. The role is front-office (clients are all UMM/MF PE firms, partners are all large banks), with time split between underwriting new deals (largely participation but have fair share of agented deals) and portfolio management for existing deals. Have an analyst under me so have some decent junior management experience.
• Current Comp: $125k base + 35-40% bonus
• Extracurriculars and other experience: Semi-elite powerlifter (in a local club - got my current job from here!). Don't know if I can write about this on my app, but I own 3 rental properties in LA and have been developing ADUs as a side hustle that has been lucrative for me the past 1.5 years.
• Undergrad school/major: UCLA, Business Economics & Minor in Accounting (3.7 GPA overall)
• Other education/coursework: CPA (CA) license holder
• Race/nationality: N-URM (Sikh American)
• Sex: Male

Stats

• GMAT FE Score: 685 (Q85 V86 DI 81).
• Undergrad GPA: 3.7

Advice:

1. Is it worth hiring an admission consultant? I feel paying $10k for essay review is a waste, but some guidance regarding scholarships/school specific programs could get me a great ROI
2. Pretty sad with my GMAT FE score since a single wrong quant question dropped me to a Q85, and I somehow got 1/7 data sufficiency questions right (averaged around 70% on hard questions in practice). However, I retook it and got a 645 (Quant was much harder) and am pretty burnt out at this point. The new test is unforgiving for weaker quant skills compared to the old one. I saw a post on gmat club (Link: https://gmatclub.com/forum/average-gmat-focus-scores-430038.html) that states the average is at a 675 for most schools or a 730, so I hope I should be good. Shoot, even a 665 seems fine. Although early, Yale says its average is a 675, and Haas says 665
3. Are there any other programs worth applying to for IB recruitment? I'm aiming for LA IB post grad - we have a good amount of shops here, (Moelis, Santander, WF, JPM etc.) although nowhere near NYC's scale. I would prefer tech IB, but all the tech groups are in SF so will just go to a generalist group to stay in LA.
4. If I don't get accepted to these programs, is it worth going to Booth PT? Seen lots of posts of people saying that they've used Booth or Kellogg PT to transition to MBB or BB IB roles, although you gotta put additional work in to do it. My employer is willing to pay for it if I'm willing to stay on for a year post grad.

Thank you for reading and any advice!

I have a background in technology and product management with an aspiration to pivot towards entertainment technology (think YouTube, PlayStation, Hulu, Disney Streaming, Xbox, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard - you get the picture). From what I have found, these two schools seem to be very good schools, and they appear to do quite well in entertainment and tech.

With that said, these two programs were two of my top choices. However, seeing the sentiment here, I’m wondering if that would be a bad decision. Am I wrong?

About me: a Senior Manager in Strat & Ops at a Top Big Pharma / Biotech firm. 10 years experience with a B.Sc. and a couple Exec Education certificates from T7 business schools. Total comp: $251k

My company sees potential in me with current and past managers pushing / referring me to pursue internal Directors roles:

The problem: I’ve been up for 8 Director level positions, made it to the final round of 5 of them, and 100% of the time I’ve lost to someone with a similar background but they all have an MBA (not all top MBA programs but mostly T50).

MBA isn’t necessary for LT positions at my company but nearly every Director+ has some type of Masters or PHD.

My company does do some EMBA reimbursement but this is very rare and usually for Directors moving to ED. So can’t assume I will get any. (Usually sponsored at Duke Fuqua)

The jump in TC to Director can be real starting at ~$310 and will grow to close to ~$400 over the standard 7-10 yr tenure at Director. (Plan to end my career at VP >$1m TC)

I’ve received excellent pre-assessment interest from all EMBA programs I’ve engaged.

So do I front the $150-$230k EMBA at Yale, NYU, Duke, Cornell, or Kellogg to gather a strong network and name brand or do I go with a low cost online MBA check the box such as BU online MBA?

I’ve applied to around 10 MBA programs ranging from T20–T35 in Round 1, and so far I haven’t received any interview invites, except for one or two schools. I’m getting anxious about whether this is a bad sign, given that it’s already early November. Some experts claim that if you haven’t heard back by now, it’s likely a ding. Is there still a realistic chance I might receive invites through November or even early December? Any insights?

I had an interviewer led case interview Friday and am not sure what to make of it. It was a strange interview, since the case interview was the first round rather than the final round and it was purely qualitative, no quant questions whatsoever.

Several times throughout the interview she would say "These are good things to consider", or "That's a good response", but then she would often probe me to go deeper and consider things I hadn't included in my analysis. When she probed me to go deeper, I would sometimes struggle to come up with what I considered to be a strong response.

I'm not sure if the additional probing is just typical of interviewer led cases, or if I was genuinely missing the mark with the structures/frameworks/responses I was providing. Also, the interview went much longer than it was supposed to (a little over 1 hour rather than 45 min), but we did have some technical difficulties for the first 5-7 min.

I know it's impossible to tell just from this, but what are some signs that a case interview went well that I should be considering?

Hey everyone, Wanted some advice on R2 applications.

Applied to the below in R1 -

1. HBS - Further Consideration
2. Wharton - Rejected without interview
3. Kellogg - Invited to Interview
4. Booth - Invited to Interview

Profile:

1. International
2. CPG, 5 YOE - manufacturing/product development
3. Chemical Engineer, 770 GMAT, High GPA
4. Extracurriculars - Led community service group in undergrad (200+ team), Active community work as part of work, play football

Want to continue to remain in CPG strategy/CPG consulting - MBA is to learn marketing, business, strategy, after having seen manufacturing

Thinking of applying to Stanford, Columbia, MIT to round off M7 as opportunity cost is high for an MBA but open to thoughts! Thank you once again!

After a long wait, I finally heard back from the Kellogg team, but there’s some confusion. I'm not entirely sure what to expect, and it would be helpful to know if anyone else has received a similar email, either in this round or previously.

The first email said, “You are invited to schedule an interview with Kellogg Admissions staff! After scheduling, you will receive the Zoom link on the day of your interview, a few hours before the scheduled time.”

After booking a slot through the portal, I got another email with the name of the interviewer and meeting details. It includes my name, the meeting date, and my phone number in parentheses with a note saying, “we will call you at this number.” Now I’m wondering if this is actually a phone interview.

What do you guys think?