THE GMAT Club Podcast

In this episode of the GMAT Club MBA Podcast, we take you inside the interview room. Our guest, Kelsey Kephart, former Columbia Admission Director and interviewer with the experience of conducting hundreds of interviews, reveals what really happens when admissions committees evaluate your MBA interview.

Is your GMAT score high enough for top business schools? 🤔 In this episode of the GMAT Club MBA Podcast, Brian Fobi (GuruFi.com) and Maria Wich-Vila (Applicant Lab) tackle the most debated question in MBA admissions: What’s a good GMAT score? They break down how admissions committees really use GMAT scores, when it makes sense to retake the test, and how much weight the GMAT carries compared to your GPA, work experience, and essays.

Crafting strong MBA essays isn’t just about storytelling — it’s about showing admissions committees who you are beyond your resume and test scores. In this GMAT Club Podcast episode, Brian and Maria, along with Bruce DelMonico (Head of Admissions at Yale School of Management), dive deep into the real job of MBA essays and explain how AdComs evaluate them. Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: Why business schools need essays when they already have your resume How admissions committees view the use of tools like ChatGPT in essays Common mistakes applicants make and what AdComs don’t want to see The real role of MBA essays in your application strategy Examples of standout essays from top applicants Balancing professional vs. personal stories (with insights from Yale SOM) How to showcase program fit authentically What happens behind the scenes — how many people actually read your essays Harvard MBA essay insights: business-minded, leadership, and growth-oriented essays

Join us for an insightful conversation with Angelo Adams, First generation college student and President of Zipcar, as he takes us through his remarkable journey from the U.S. Army to becoming the CEO of a leading car-sharing company in the US. In this episode, Soojin Kwon, former Dean of Michigan Ross Admissions, interviews Angelo and understands how he transitioned from military service to pursuing an MBA at Michigan Ross School of Business, the challenges he faced in business school, and how he navigated his career post-MBA. From his first role at Johnson & Johnson to leading teams at Otis and Zipcar, Angelo offers invaluable advice on leadership, career transitions, and the power of personal branding. Get actionable insights and inspiration, whether you're an aspiring MBA student, a transitioning veteran, or someone aiming for leadership roles in the corporate world.

Your MBA is Just the Start: How to Grab Life-Changing Opportunities What happens after getting an MBA? Is it worth the investment? To find out, I interviewed 10 GMAT Club professionals who have completed their MBAs and built careers in consulting, finance, tech, and entrepreneurship. Their answers might surprise you! 🎯 What You’ll Learn: ✅ The reality of post-MBA careers: Expectations vs. Reality ✅ How an MBA impacts salary, career growth & work-life balance ✅ The biggest regrets and best decisions from MBA grads ✅ Industry insights: Consulting, Tech, Finance & Beyond If you're considering an MBA or wondering what life looks like after graduation, this video is packed with real-world insights to help you make an informed decision!

In this GMAT podcast, we talk to Naman Aggarwal, an Indian Electronics Engineer who scored an impressive 715 on his latest GMAT attempt. That's a 99.5th percentile score achieved with just 4 months of effective self-study. Naman's journey stands out due to his meticulous planning, focused approach, and positive attitude towards learning from mistakes. As Naman put it, "I made countless mistakes in my preparation, just like every GMAT student, but I worked hard to ensure I didn’t repeat a single one. That’s what helped me reach the 99th percentile by studying only with the Official Guide, GMAT Club's Forum Quiz, and YouTube videos." In this interview, we will dive deeper into Naman's approach, study habits, and preparation techniques.

Welcome to another episode of GMAT Success Talks. Today, we are covering a phenomenal GMAT story of Vatsal, who scored 715 - a 99.5 percentile score - on his latest GMAT focus test, using GMAT Club resources, including forum quizzes, GMAT Club’s YouTube videos and official questions. Vatsal took the classic version of the GMAT in Oct 2023, scoring 710. He then took a break and resumed prep for the GMAT Focus edition in June 2024. Studying only through GMAT Club and official sources, as mentioned already, and immersing himself in intensive practice sessions, Vatsal scored 715 in 4 months. Today, we'll explore his GMAT journey, his challenges, and the unique timing techniques that propelled him to success on the verbal.

In this GMAT Success Story episode, we delve into the GMAT journeys of Piyush a petroleum engineer from ISM Dhanbad, India, currently working in the oil and energy sector. Piyush recently scored a 735 in GMAT Focus attempt, hitting the 100th percentile on his 4th attempt. After preparing on and off for the GMAT for almost two years, today he is here with us to share his journey and help you avoid the mistakes that he initially made. So guys get ready to be inspired as we dive into his GMAT journey!

In this GMAT experience talk show, we talk to Tavishi, a young MBA aspirant from India who recently scored 725 in her latest GMAT Focus exam. It’s a 99.9 percentile score on the new GMAT Focus edition and she achieved this feat in her first GMAT attempt. Tavishi faced many problems in her GMAT prep as many other test-takers; She wasn’t able to study long hours due to her demanding work schedule; she would often lose interest after studying for a day or two; she would rush through the test for lack of time management, sacrificing accuracy. She eventually overcame these challenges, made significant improvements in her preparation & practicing strategies, made the most of the Magoosh GMAT course she had purchased and faced her actual GMAT attempt with full confidence and scored 725. In this podcast, we talk to Tavishi and try to understand her GMAT journey in her own words.

In this conversation with Ankit Mehra, IESE MBA and CEO & Co-Founder, of GyanDhan, we will discuss how prospective MBA students can finance their MBA education with education loans and scholarships.

Let’s face it; many applicants typically apply to 5 or more MBA programs and usually, there is a great deal of overlap between the mba application essay prompts of business schools. Here's the catch: while prompts may look similar across different applications, each business school has its own set of expectations. So, how do we navigate this labyrinth without squandering your valuable time and energy? In this video, Brian T. Fobi (Founder of Gurufi.com) explains how to repurpose your mba essays for multiple MBA applications, tips for personal statements, Do's and Don'ts in MBA application essays.

Welcome to another exciting episode of our GMAT & MBA success stories. Today we are going to discuss the GMAT success story of Mukul Kumar, a veteran Indian Military Officer. Mukul is an Electronic and Communications engineer. Back in Nov 2022, he decided to take the GMAT to go to business school. As a trained soldier, he prepared a complete roadmap for GMAT preparation, split his gmat study in multiple phases - starting with basics and then preparing for the GMAT in 3 phases. But, setbacks were bound to happen. He had to pause his studies longer than planned and then struggled to catch up again. Often his scores in mock tests went down after a rigorous prep, leading to frustration. But being a fierce soldier, he knew how to fight back. He overcame the challenges, did a lot of introspection and careful analysis of his mistakes, held many talk sessions with his tutors and his mentor, who is also a moderator on GMAT Club. And eventually scored 99th percentile on GMAT Focus edition after 2 years of preparation. So guys, get ready as we uncover the remarkable tale of Major Mukul Kumar's journey from soldier to scholar.

Hank, a professional working in the gaming industry, scored 775 in his recent GMAT Focus test. With 6 weeks of GMAT Focus Study and extensive use of Official guide and GMAT club resources, Hank managed to score the perfect 100 percentile score on the GMAT. In this GMAT success story podcast, we will understand his gmat preparation strategy and study plan in detail.