100 Episodes Later – Reflections, Lessons, and What Comes Next

The Truth About Informal Business School Endorsements | Ep 105

Send us your admissions questions! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368294/fan_mail/new] 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 recommendation can add value and when it might instead cause harm. Listeners will discover how to handle recommendation offers from well-connected executives, what makes a campus visitor endorsement credible, and how to use specific school initiatives such as Chicago Booth’s “Shape the Class.” The conversation also addresses the proper timing for submitting outside endorsements and how to employ the strategy effectively when waitlisted. This episode is especially valuable for MBA candidates who are still determining their recommendation strategy or have been placed on a school’s waitlist. Listeners will learn how to identify appropriate individuals to provide an informal note, how admissions readers assess fit, and how an unsolicited letter can inadvertently signal a lack of judgment. 00:00 Introducing Informal Letters of Recommendation 02:14 Defining Informal Endorsements Versus Recommendations 05:51 Using Campus Visit Endorsements to Emphasize Fit 07:58 How Endorsements Vary Across Business Schools 09:56 A Strategy for Waitlist and Deferred MBA Applications 13:01 Examples of Helpful Versus Damaging Endorsements Book your FREE 30-minute MBA admissions consultation with Harold or another one of our experienced MBA admissions consultants by filling out this form. [https://www.mbamission.com/consult/] Learn more about onTrack by mbaMission, [https://ontrack.mbamission.com/] our innovative, on-demand MBA application platform, and take our two-minute questionnaire to receive your customized learning path.   ‼️Use code MBAMPOD for 30% off any onTrack subscription‼️ Contact Us: info@mbamission.com [ info@mbamission.com] Follow Us: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@mbaMission] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbamission/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mbamission]

MBA Networking That Leads to Referrals | Ep 104

Send us your admissions questions! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368294/fan_mail/new] 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 of the most valuable tools in the MBA recruiting process. They discuss how to identify the most valuable contacts, how to write concise outreach messages, what to ask for during a networking conversation, and how MBA students can start building relationships that support both their immediate professional goals and their long-term career growth. If you are thinking about MBA admissions, MBA recruiting, or your post-MBA career strategy, this episode offers practical advice you can apply right away. Contact Jeff Yolen: jeff@careerconnector.coach [jeff@careerconnector.coach] 00:00 Networking and Post-MBA Career Opportunities 05:58 Why Cold Applications Fail and Referrals Matter 09:16 Where to Start If You Do Not Already Have a Network 13:20 The Real Goal of an Informational Interview 21:14 How Career Connector Helps Students Network Strategically 25:23 Jeff’s Best Networking Advice for MBA Applicants and Students Subscribe for more MBA admissions advice and business school strategies from mbaMission. Book your FREE 30-minute MBA admissions consultation with Harold or another one of our experienced MBA admissions consultants by filling out this form. [https://www.mbamission.com/consult/] Learn more about onTrack by mbaMission, [https://ontrack.mbamission.com/] our innovative, on-demand MBA application platform, and take our two-minute questionnaire to receive your customized learning path.   ‼️Use code MBAMPOD for 30% off any onTrack subscription‼️ Contact Us: info@mbamission.com [ info@mbamission.com] Follow Us: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@mbaMission] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbamission/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mbamission]

How to Define Your Post-MBA Career Goals | Ep 103

Send us your admissions questions! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368294/fan_mail/new] 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 admissions committee. The admissions experts explain why so many candidates get stuck on the career goals question, how to transition from a vague desire for “more” and a credible post-MBA plan, and why schools care that candidates have goals that are both ambitious and achievable. The conversation also covers practical research tools—such as LinkedIn, school employment reports, student club leaders, and job postings—that can help applicants build a stronger, more realistic story. If you are struggling to connect your past experience to your future objectives, this episode will help you approach the problem with more structure and confidence. 00:00 Why MBA Career Goals Trip Up So Many Applicants 01:50 Your Story Only Needs to Make Sense—for Now 03:59 What “Ambitious but Achievable” Really Means 06:12 Reflecting on What You Want from Your MBA 08:16 Researching Roles Through LinkedIn and Business School Resources 09:23 Using Business School Employment Reports to Test Your Assumptions 15:30 Frameworks for Narrowing Your Options 24:23 Why Unclear Post-MBA Goals Can Lead to Rejection 26:14 Final Advice for MBA Applicants Book your FREE 30-minute MBA admissions consultation with Harold or another one of our experienced MBA admissions consultants by filling out this form. [https://www.mbamission.com/consult/] Learn more about onTrack by mbaMission, [https://ontrack.mbamission.com/] our innovative, on-demand MBA application platform, and take our two-minute questionnaire to receive your customized learning path.   ‼️Use code MBAMPOD for 30% off any onTrack subscription‼️ Contact Us: info@mbamission.com [ info@mbamission.com] Follow Us: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@mbaMission] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbamission/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mbamission]

Reapplying to Business School: MBA Admissions Strategies for Reapplicants | Ep. 102

Send us your admissions questions! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368294/fan_mail/new] 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 applicants can identify weaknesses in their original applications, and what kinds of growth schools want to see from candidates before a second attempt. Harold, Jessica, and Melissa also share advice on improving one’s essays, recommendations, career goals, extracurricular involvement, and school research. Whether you are considering reapplying to Harvard Business School, the Stanford GSB, UPenn Wharton, Northwestern Kellogg, or another top MBA program, this episode offers practical advice for moving forward strategically and confidently. 0:00 Why MBA Reapplicants Can Still Be Successful 1:53 How Admissions Committees View Reapplicants 5:46 The Biggest Reasons Strong Applicants Get Rejected 7:25 Improving Essays, Goals, and School Fit 13:01 How to Show Growth Before Reapplying 17:08 Reapplying Strategically and Expanding Your School List 19:17 Why MBA Rejection Does Not Define Your Future Book your FREE 30-minute MBA admissions consultation with Harold or another one of our experienced MBA admissions consultants by filling out this form. [https://www.mbamission.com/consult/] Learn more about onTrack by mbaMission, [https://ontrack.mbamission.com/] our innovative, on-demand MBA application platform, and take our two-minute questionnaire to receive your customized learning path.   ‼️Use code MBAMPOD for 30% off any onTrack subscription‼️ Contact Us: info@mbamission.com [ info@mbamission.com] Follow Us: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@mbaMission] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbamission/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mbamission]

From Rejection to Partner: 32 Years at Boston Consulting Group | Ep. 101

Send us your admissions questions! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368294/fan_mail/new] 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 woman on the firm’s executive committee. She later stepped away from the partner role to find work-balance before returning and making senior partner on her own terms. This episode covers the unglamorous truth about work-life balance in consulting, why Debbie got rejected by BCG twice before being hired, how the “up or out” culture actually functions, and what she tells every MBA applicant who thinks they want to do consulting. This episode is must-listen for anyone considering an MBA with consulting as their career goal. 📖 Debbie’s new book, Make Work Work: The 5 Daily Practices of the Employee-Centric Leader, will be released in November 2026. Preorder now: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/831079/make-work-work-by-deborah-lovich/ 00:00 Introducing Debbie Lovich, BCG Managing Director and Senior Partner 07:48 The Path to Partner — Speed, Serendipity, and Purpose 16:01 Work, Life, and Finding Balance 24:41 Advice for MBA Applicants 30:49 Retiring from Consulting and Writing a Book Book your FREE 30-minute MBA admissions consultation with Harold or another one of our experienced MBA admissions consultants by filling out this form. [https://www.mbamission.com/consult/] Learn more about onTrack by mbaMission, [https://ontrack.mbamission.com/] our innovative, on-demand MBA application platform, and take our two-minute questionnaire to receive your customized learning path.   ‼️Use code MBAMPOD for 30% off any onTrack subscription‼️ Contact Us: info@mbamission.com [ info@mbamission.com] Follow Us: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@mbaMission] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbamission/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mbamission]