MBA Wire Taps 270—Unorthodox pathway. GRE of 318. Ross beats other options.

This week's show kicks off with a quick run-down of the remaining Round 2 application deadlines; on Monday and Tuesday there are a handful of schools with apps due. Graham then highlighted an important admissions tip that Clear Admit recently published, regarding whether the optional essay should be used. He then presented the Columbia Business School 2022 employment report, which led with financial services, followed by consulting; the graduating class have a huge average starting salary of $175,000. Graham then highlighted the two deferred enrolment events that Clear Admit is hosting on February 1 and February 8 with ten leading business schools. Signups are here: https://bit.ly/defer23 For candidate reviews, Graham and Alex tackle two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: First up, Alex choses a candidate who dropped out of high school, but 13 years later is completing their undergraduate after stints in the private sector and in the army. They still need to complete the GRE or GMAT exam, but we think there is a lot to like, in terms of how they’ve appeared to successfully manage their unorthodox career to date. This week's second candidate also looks very promising, with one weak spot; a GRE of 318. Alex and Graham think that with the programs they are targeting, they should hear some positive news (assuming well-executed applications). Finally Alex and Graham discuss a candidate who ran the table with their R1 applications and has selected Michigan / Ross, despite having several other MBA options to consider. Some of those other options might appear to be more promising, but the nuances regarding each individual’s decision making can lead to a variety of outcomes. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by Dennis Crowley in West Philadelphia. Thanks for listening, and for telling any fellow-MBA applicants about the show. Stay safe everybody!