Wire Taps 215—Chemical Engineer, Duke Wait List, Haas with money versus Stanford

In this Valentine's Day edition of the podcast, Alex and Graham offer some tips as to how you can warm-up to your MBA interviewer. Your hosts also break down the latest career placement report (Berkeley Haas) and talk a bit about application volume and the prospect of R3 applications this season. As to the WireTaps candidates, first up, Alex picks a Chemical Engineer with great numbers. The candidate is planning to apply in two seasons, but Graham and Alex suggest they should strongly consider targeting next season and add more M7 programs. Their main challenge is to show leadership, via work and outside of work. Our second candidate this week has already applied and is on the wait list at Duke / Fuqua. They are also preparing for an upcoming interview at Vanderbilt / Owen and still awaiting news from NYU / Stern and Columbia. Alex and Graham think the Fuqua waitlist is something they should really pursue (as it may be their best chance given the radio silence from CBS and Stern), and that they should consider retaking the GMAT; it’s currently a 690. Finally, from DecisionWire, Alex chose a candidate who is considering offers from Haas with a significant scholarship, and from Stanford with no funding. As an aspiring entrepreneur, they need to weigh the benefits of the cost savings at Haas versus the quality of the network and resources at Stanford. This episode was recorded in Cornwall, England and Paris, France. It was produced in Philly by Dennis Crowley and the spirits of b-school past, present, and future. Please remember to rate and review this show, wherever you may listen!