The mbaMission Podcast

Epizódy

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  What Strengthens an MBA Application? (Your Questions Answered) | Ep 120 15.09.2026 25min

  Send us your admissions questions! Which admissions test should you take? Can you overcome a lower GPA? How should reapplicants choose their recommenders, and how much clarity do business schools expect applicants to have about their career goals? In Episode 120 of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Managing Director Gavriella Semaya explain how candidates from varied backgrounds can make strategic choices, address weaknesses, and present a stronger, mor...
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  How Duke Fuqua Helps MBAs Build Lasting Careers | Ep 119 08.09.2026 24min

  Send us your admissions questions! In this episode, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Founder Jeremy Shinewald speak with Shari Hubert, associate dean of admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, about MBA career outcomes and the school’s approach to long-term professional development. Shari explains that Fuqua’s Career Management Center assists students with increasing their self-awareness, building relationships, and developing adaptability, then supports thei...
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  Finding MBA Programs Outside the Top Ten That Fit Your Goals | Ep 118 01.09.2026 34min

  Send us your admissions questions! The perfect MBA program to get you closer to your goals might be outside the top ten. In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, host Harold Simansky, mbaMission Founder Jeremy Shinewald, and Managing Director Gavriella Semaya discuss how applicants can build a more appropriate list of target MBA programs by looking beyond the top tiers of the rankings. Their conversation starts with a simple question: What do you want your MBA to help you do? From that poin...
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  HBS Online Core Business Essentials for MBA Applicants | Ep 117 25.08.2026 33min

  Send us your admissions questions! Can Harvard Business School (HBS) Online’s Core Business Essentials program help MBA applicants prove they are ready for the classroom? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Managing Director Gavriella Semaya speak with Simeen Mohsen, senior managing director of HBS Online, about the program’s origins, structure, rigor, and value for MBA applicants. They discuss how Core Business Essentials, which demands...
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  Why “Team Fuqua” Is More Than a Motto and How It Turns Culture into Leadership | Ep 116 18.08.2026 35min

  Send us your admissions questions! What does Team Fuqua mean for Duke MBA students once they arrive on campus? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Founder Jeremy Shinewald continue their conversation with Shari Hubert, associate dean of admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. This time, they move beyond admissions to explore Fuqua’s paired principles, leadership development model, student-led community, alumni culture, ...
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  AI in MBA Admissions: Your Unique Voice Beats Polished Sameness | Ep 115 11.08.2026 13min

  Send us your admissions questions! In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Managing Director Gavriella Semaya discuss how MBA candidates can use AI responsibly when preparing their applications, without losing their unique voice. They explain that AI detectors are unreliable, offer guidance on responding to schools’ AI disclosure questions, and share that programs are increasingly using spontaneous video components to get a clearer sense of ...
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  What Duke Fuqua Looks for in MBA Applicants When Building “Team Fuqua” | Ep 114 04.08.2026 42min

  Send us your admissions questions! What does Duke Fuqua’s admissions team want candidates to understand before they start working on their application to the school’s MBA program? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Founder Jeremy Shinewald speak with Shari Hubert, associate dean of admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, about the MBA program’s collaborative philosophy, distinctive essay prompts, and behind-the-scenes ...
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  Is an MBA Worth is in 2026 and Beyond? | Ep 113 28.07.2026 26min

  Send us your admissions questions! Is an MBA still worth the investment in 2026? What about in the years ahead? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky, Founder Jeremy Shinewald, and Managing Director Gavriella Semaya discuss the MBA’s return on investment, AI, hiring headlines, scholarship opportunities, and the long-term value of business school. They explain why applicants should evaluate the expense of earning the degree through a broad lens...
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  From Waitlist to Startup CEO: Clyde Anderson’s MIT Sloan Story | Ep 112 21.07.2026 39min

  Send us your admissions questions! What does starting a company during business school really demand beyond a strong idea? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, host Harold Simansky and Gatehouse Founder Liza Weale sit down with GrowthFactor CEO and MIT Sloan alumnus Clyde Anderson for a candid conversation about the Sloan experience, entrepreneurship, and school fit. Clyde explains how he moved from finance to business school, why Sloan became the right match after a surprising waitlist...
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  Beyond the Essay: How Top Consultants Guide Candidates to Strong MBA Applications | Ep 111 14.07.2026 39min

  Send us your admissions questions! How do MBA admissions consultants help their clients beyond editing their essays? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, host Harold Simansky sits down with two highly experienced admissions consultants, mbaMission Managing Director Rachel Beck and Gatehouse Admissions Founder Liza Weale, for a candid, inside look at what MBA consulting entails. The conversation covers the brainstorming and experience inventory process that begins every client engagement...
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  The Future of Work and Reinventing Work | Ep 110 07.07.2026 40min

  Send us your admissions questions! The old deal with work is broken. Leaders today are looking for a way to get their company’s culture back, but an expert in the consulting space argues that rather than returning to old ways, we should be reinventing work from scratch. In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Founder Jeremy Shinewald and Executive Director Jessica Shklar sit down with Debbie Lovich, a BCG managing director and senior partner with 32 years of experience, for a co...
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  How to Avoid Business School Application Mistakes | Ep 109 30.06.2026 36min

  Send us your admissions questions! In this episode, listeners learn how to optimize the formatting of their resume, strategically handle issues with their transcript, and make their short-answer responses effective. Host and mbaMission Founder Jeremy Shinewald talks with Executive Director Jessica Shklar and Managing Director Rachel Beck about how admissions committees evaluate applicants’ professionalism. Drawing on decades of evaluation experience, these experts discuss why following instru...
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  Understanding the Case Method with HBS Professor Joshua Margolis | Ep 108 23.06.2026 42min

  Send us your admissions questions! What is the case method, and how does it work at Harvard Business School (HBS)? Plus, what should MBA applicants know before they enroll? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, host Harold Simansky and mbaMission Executive Director Jessica Shklar sit down with HBS professor Joshua Margolis—a member of the program’s Organizational Behavior Unit and a faculty member in the Christensen Center for Teaching and Learning—for a candid, behind-the-scenes discuss...
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  Real Estate as an MBA Career Path with Frank Cohen | Ep 107 16.06.2026 25min

  Send us your admissions questions! Is real estate a feasible career path for MBA students? And how can one break into the industry? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, host Harold Simansky and mbaMission Founder Jeremy Shinewald speak with Frank Cohen, a Boston-based real estate developer, co-founder of Sheridan Road Properties, former senior director at Tishman Speyer, and a Kellogg MBA, about how MBA students can effectively pursue careers in real estate, even if they arrive on campu...
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  Why “Nontraditional” MBA Applicants Don't Exist (And What Does) | Ep 106 09.06.2026 24min

  Send us your admissions questions! Are any MBA applicants truly “nontraditional” applicants? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, Harold Simansky is joined by Jeremy Shinewald, the founder of mbaMission, to examine a common notion in MBA admissions: that of the “nontraditional” applicant. Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Jeremy argues that applicants should not focus on whether or not their background is “traditional” but on identifying and showcasing the personal stories...
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  The Truth About Informal Business School Endorsements | Ep 105 02.06.2026 18min

  Send us your admissions questions! What role do informal letters of recommendation play in business school admissions decisions? Host Harold Simansky is joined by Melissa Blakeslee, an experienced MBA admissions consultant and former admissions director, to clarify what these endorsements are and why most programs discourage them. In this episode, Melissa shares firsthand insight into how admissions committees evaluate external outreach, helping candidates understand when an extra recom...
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  MBA Networking That Leads to Referrals | Ep 104 26.05.2026 35min

  Send us your admissions questions! How can MBA applicants and business school students network effectively? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, host Harold Simansky and Jessica Shklar, mbaMission Executive Director, speak with Jeff Yolen, CEO and founder of Career Connector, about how to network effectively to advance your career. Jeff explains why cold applications so rarely lead to offers, how referrals can improve your odds of landing a job, and why informational interviews are one ...
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  How to Define Your Post-MBA Career Goals | Ep 103 19.05.2026 27min

  Send us your admissions questions! How do you figure out what your post-MBA career goals should be when you only know you want change but do not yet understand what that change entails? In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, Harold Simansky speaks with Melissa Blakeslee, an mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant, and Rachel Beck, an mbaMission Managing Director, about how business school applicants can clarify, research, and articulate MBA career goals that will resonate with an admissio...
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  Reapplying to Business School: MBA Admissions Strategies for Reapplicants | Ep. 102 12.05.2026 22min

  Send us your admissions questions! Many successful MBA applicants were not accepted the first time they applied. In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, host Harold Simansky is joined by mbaMission Executive Director Jessica Shklar and Senior Admissions Consultant Melissa Blakeslee to discuss what MBA reapplicants can do to strengthen their candidacy and improve their chances of admission. The conversation explores why admissions committees do not view reapplicants in a negative light, how...
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  From Rejection to Partner: 32 Years at Boston Consulting Group | Ep. 101 05.05.2026 37min

  Send us your admissions questions! What does it really take to make partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and stay with the firm for more than three decades without losing yourself? Debbie Lovich, BCG managing director and senior partner, joins host Harold Simansky and mbaMission Executive Director Jessica Shklar for a candid conversation about her path through consulting. Debbie became BCG’s fastest-promoted partner, achieving the position in less than six years. She was also the first wo...