MBA Admissions Ep 2: The MBA Consultant Who Applied to 37 B-Schools and Dropped Out of Stanford

How should you decide what MBA programs to apply to? What are some common mistakes applicants make when drawing up their lists? Why might an applicant with great credentials get rejected by a target school? Why might an applicant with a less-than-stellar background win acceptance at a reach school?

And most interestingly: why the heck would someone work hard to get into Stanford, and then immediately drop out?

For answers to these questions and more, check out this discussion between Matt McDonnell (GMAT Ninja Admissions Consultant) and Charles Bibilos (founder of GMAT Ninja).

Over the course of four application cycles, 37 graduate school applications, 52 interviews, and a completed MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Matt has seen it all, and he’s excited to share his insights. Drawing on his first-hand experiences, he'll outline both common application mistakes and savvy practices to help you find a school that’s right for you. Some highlights include:

1. Why picking business schools based solely on rankings is a terrible idea.
2. Why it’s helpful to nail down your career goals BEFORE you get on campus.
3. Why the culture and location of a school are HUGELY important.
4. Why telling a coherent story (or failing to) can sway admissions committees.
5. Why the first step of your admissions journey should be introspection.
6. Why every MBA applicant should ask themselves the following questions: What do I want my day-to-day career to look like? What environment will allow me to thrive? What will make me happy?

So whether you’re already knee-deep in your applications, or merely considering the possibility of an MBA, Matt’s experiences will point you in the right direction, and help you focus on what really matters. Because applying to an MBA program is about more than just checking a box or picking the most prestigious name off a list. It’s about figuring out what makes you tick, telling a coherent story, and pursuing a career path that makes sense for you.

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Are you looking for an MBA admissions consultant, but you don’t know where to start? Do all of them pretty much look the same, and you’re not sure which ones are actually worth hiring?

If so, fill out this short form and we’ll send you information on some of our favorite admissions consultants. While some of them are from our MBA admissions consulting team, there are several from other companies we trust and work with regularly.

https://www.gmatninja.com/contact-us-...

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Want more MBA admissions tips & advice?

More information about our MBA Admissions consulting services: https://www.gmatninja.com/mba-admissions

Several (painfully honest) articles that will help you choose the best MBA admissions consultant for your specific needs: https://www.gmatninja.com/mba-admissi...

Articles that will help you produce your very best MBA application: https://www.gmatninja.com/mba-admissi...

Free, complete GMAT prep course on YouTube:    / @gmatninjatutoring  

Free, complete GRE prep course on YouTube:    / @greninjatutoring  

Updates on this series and our other MBA admissions-related projects:   / gmatninja  

For more on Charles Bibilos, his love of international food, and his contributions to ornithology textbooks: https://www.gmatninja.com/charles-bib...

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction
06:50 Dropping Out of Stanford
16:10 Third Round of Applications
23:20 What Schools are Looking For
27:00 Punching Above/Below Your Weight
29:24 Tell a Coherent Story
31:25 Applying for a PhD
37:14 Conclusion: Introspection is Key