As political tension rattles the U.S. visa system and high-profile schools like Harvard face international admissions delays, panic is setting in among global MBA applicants. But with 15 years in the field, I see this moment differently: not as a crisis, but as a strategic window. The fear is thinning out competitive applicant pools, creating rare opportunities for those willing to act decisively.
Columbia Business School has revised its 2025 MBA Essay 2 prompt, removing direct references to DEI and inclusive leadership frameworks. While the language is now broader, focusing on collaboration, inclusion, and community, the underlying goal remains the same: Columbia wants applicants who can lead with empathy and build effective teams across differences. Here’s why the change likely happened and how to approach the new essay with strategy and authenticity.
This essay topic analysis looks at MBA admissions essays for Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) for the 2022-2023 admissions season. Stanford is asking applicants to answer the same two questions it has been asking for a few years. The word limit of 1,050 words from last year was kept, and applicants were told to use 650 words for Essay A and 400 words for Essay B. There are also two essays about the candidate's impact and background that are optional. Let's take a deeper dive.
Why has Haas put their Defining Principles right at the top of the application? The simple reason is that you have to hit all four principles throughout your application. The admissions committee should be able to see that these ideas are reflected in your background, goals, and why you want to go to Haas.
One thing that seems to be on the rise in our little corner of the academic world is an interest in joint degree programs, be it combining an MBA with a policy program, a more niche degree (such as a masters in something very quantitative), or the tried-and-true JD-MBA, there has been a push to fuse a business education with “something else.” This is especially true at Harvard, where HBS is always a powerful draw for our clients, but also boasts Harvard Law and the Kennedy School, creating truly dynamic and elite pathways for students seeking a joint-degree program.
How do you know if you are right for INSEAD? And what are the things INSEAD is looking for in their prospective MBA students? Here are a few thoughts on INSEAD’s motivational essays.
Candidates should be ambitious, inventive, and self-assured, with outstanding interpersonal skills, according to the Cambridge Judge admissions staff. Is this the perfect MBA program for you? Here are some MBA admissions breakdowns and ideas to help you figure out if this institution is right for you.
There are a few reasons why you might want to figure out what the perfect timing to submit your MBA application is. In this blog post we will help you navigate which round you should aim to apply to. Consider your personal readiness, visit enough schools, is "early action" an option, and what about the third round?
Other than a handful of business schools where early MBA application windows do seem to matter, there is no real difference between Round 1 and Round 2. However, it is ever so slight shifting… in favor of Round 2. In this blog post, we are going to explore why you could have an advantage applying in Round 2.
There are many common myths surrounding the Round 3 MBA application deadline. You may have heard, “the class is pretty much full,” “you have to be a truly unique applicant,” and “only European programs admit people that late.” There are, of course, bits of truth in these myths, but only bits. Here are the real facts.
