MBA Podcaster

Its been a wide-held notion that in order to get the most out of an MBA education you need at least a few years of working experience. Business schools compounded the theory by favoring candidates with solid work experience and turning out classes with an average age in the late twenties. Recently however, some top schools have been bucking the trend by reaching out to younger applicants in an effort to diversify their classes and attract fresh graduates before they become established in their careers. Well hear from these schools and understand the benefits of getting an MBA at a younger age.

Get ready to think hard, dig deep and do a little soul searching: youre about to tackle your MBA application essays. The essay section is the single most important part of your entire application which you can control. So put the test scores and the GPA aside and think about how you can convince the admissions committee that you deserve a spot on their campus. Our guests will tell you where to begin, what to focus on and how to address any weaknesses in your application such as a low GMAT score or weak GPA. Youll also learn how to prep the people you chose to write your letters of recommendation so that they are consistent with your essays and add to the overall image youre building of yourself.

According to recent compensation surveys, MBA salaries are on the rise. That's good news for MBAs. In 2007, GMAC reported the average MBA starting salary ranged between $80 - $85,000. Many factors influence how much you'll actually make. Years of experience, location, industry, function, and region are just a few things that can significantly raise or lower your MBA salary. Join us as we explore MBA salaries, how to properly determine how much you can earn, and how to have realistic salary expectations. You'll hear from GMAC, TopMBA.com, Payscale.com, and MBA career management directors.

MBA Podcaster takes you to Evanston, IL to get a behind-the-scenes view of one of the most prominent business schools in the world: Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. Join Linda Abraham, founder and president of Accepted.com, as she provides expert application advice specifc to Kellogg. Linda shares how you can put your best foot forward and how to attack each of the essay questions. You'll also learn about Kellogg's various MBA programs including the 2-year and 1-year programs. Meet current students and get to know what Kellogg looks for in candidates from the associate dean of MBA programs. If you want the insider scoop on Kellogg, you won't want to miss this!

The old adage says that if you're looking to change your career you need to go back full-time while pursuing your MBA. We challenge the notion and explore the opportunities available for part-time MBA students to change career tracks in the middle of, or after, their MBA studies. We hear from a corporate recruiter, a part-time alumnus who successfully changed careers and MBA career placement departments. Hear what our experts recommend if you are planning on getting an MBA part-time but may be interested in pursuing a new career down the road.

The Road to Business School is the premier forum to meet-and-greet with admissions officers and get an edge in your application. In 2010, ''the Road'' brought over 20 top business schools to seven cities for open networking sessions, admissions panels, and GMAT breakout sessions. In this MBA Admissions Panel, we hear from admissions representatives from NYU Stern, Tuck School of Business, Boston University, an UCLA Anderson.

Are you thinking about using an MBA to change careers? In business school they'll call you a career switcher and you'll find that you aren't alone. Up to 90% of MBA candidates consider switching careers during their time on campus. Within just one or two years you can learn the skills and gain the context you need to launch into a new direction. This time we'll take you through the process that you'd experience through the career management center at business school. You'll learn how to make your past experiences relevant to future employers, how to update your resume and network your way into new opportunities. You'll hear from the heads of career management from four top MBA programs.

You know you need an MBA to progress in your career and earn a higher salary. But how will you finance the $40,000+/year in MBA expenses? Our guests explain the options available to students, how best to prepare financially to be a student again and help you determine which financing strategy will work for you. In some cases, your MBA educational expenses can be tax deductible, learn if this option works for you.

Salaries for MBA grads, especially those in the traditionally highly-paid sectors of investment banking and private equity, is a topic of great interest in any economy. It's a given that the finance industry is not the easiest place to find a job at the moment. But for those few MBA grads savvy enough to land a job, what kinds of salaries can they expect? How is the recession affecting MBA grads' salaries in finance jobs, on and off Wall Street? And most importantly, what can you do to land yourself a job in investment banking or private equity in this economic climate?

For most MBA programs, being granted an interview is your first step toward acceptance into business school. Its the opportunity for you to make yourself come alive to the admissions committee and show them why you should be included in their upcoming class. Its also a time that many candidates have a hard time setting themselves apart from all the other candidates and verbalizing their individual value proposition. Listen in as we discuss the business school interviews with the admissions directors of various MBA programs and see what they recommend in order to ace your interview.

Let's face it: getting into the MBA program of your choice isn't easy. This may be especially true for younger people with less work experience, or would-be applicants with liberal arts or science backgrounds - valid pursuits, but not directly linked in an admissions director's mind to making someone B-school ready. In this show, we'll talk with some experts - program administrators, a professor, and a student - to hear their advice for non-business majors about getting some coursework under their belts before applying for or entering an MBA program.

Many have relied upon the services of an admission's "coach" or consultant to get them into their top choice school, yet few have admitted to it. We explore the benefits and risks of using such services and find out what type of candidate is best suited for the advice of a professional. Hear what schools think about the use of a consultant and what they consider the tell-tale signs of relying too heavily on a 3rd party on your application.

Has the MBA become pass? Once viewed as an elite degree for the future leaders of successful organizations, MBA programs and graduates are now popping up everywhere. With the multitude of degree options available to graduate students how does one decide which program best suites their needs and growth plans? Well discuss the topic with the deans at the top business schools as well as deans from masters programs in finance and economics.

You know you need to get a MBA in order to advance your career but you're not sure what program fits your experience. Do you have enough experience to qualify for an Executive MBA? What's the difference between the Executive MBA and a regular Part-Time MBA? What's the long-term career impact of choosing one program over the other? We'll ask all these questions and more from directors of top EMBA programs across the country.

If you've got your eye on moving into a management position you're probably seriously considering getting an MBA. Knowing that a business school degree will take a significant amount of time and money, you're probably wondering if it's a good move. Do Business Schools prepare good managers? That's the question we explore today and in this show we will hear from a student, a professor, a recruiter and an author - to guide you to the right answer.

Join us as we travel to business schools across the country and around the world to bring you an in-depth profile of life and times on campus. This time we travel to Washington, DC to spend a week with students from the OneMBA Program. Listen in as we meet with students, alumni and faculty from UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and its OneMBA partner schools: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, RSM Erasmus University (Netherlands), EGADE - Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico), and FGV-EAESP (Brazil).

The growing awareness of pollution, global warming, and rising sea levels is creating a stir in business education. ''Green'' courses have been added to curriculums and sustainable development programs are rising in popularity. Join us as we explore new opportunities in the Green Industry, how schools are reacting to the environmental crises, and how Green MBAs are leading the way for change on campuses.

International exposure is becoming an important calling card in this highly competitive economic climate. Since the name of the game is to set yourself apart, whether you're applying to MBA programs or hitting the job market, global experience divides you from the pack. Other reasons are time and cost. European schools typically offer an alternative MBA. program that is shorter than those in the U.S. Less time in school means less tuition to pay, though it does put you back out on a tough job market sooner. On today's show, The MBA Tour's International Schools stop in San Francisco. MBA Podcaster's Catherine Girardeau sat in on the event at San Francisco's Hyatt Regency. Representatives from eight business schools from Europe, Latin America and Asia were on hand for informal, roundtable discussions with about a hundred prospective applicants.

On today's show, we bring you coverage of a live event, ''MBA Admissions and the New World Order''. How is the ''new world order'' affecting business schools? Has the MBA curriculum changed as a result of the economic downturn? How are schools coping with the economy? Panelists also answered audience questions about the panel topic, as well as general questions about their programs, admissions, and career prospects for graduates.

Each year the Stanford Graduate School of Business has the hard job of deciphering who--among the 7500+ applicants--deserves a spot in their next incoming class of roughly 370. With such high stakes, you'll want expert advice on how to present yourself at your very best. In this episode of MBA PodTV, we've brought on Linda Abraham, founder and president of Accepted.com. She'll break down each of the essay questions and give you advice on getting Stanford-specific recommendation letters.