Are you interested becoming a McKinsey/Bain/BCG (MBB) consultant after business school? Or are you a pre-MBA consultant interested in applying to a top business school? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, this is the podcast is for you.

Today we sit down with Will Bachman. Will is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Umbrex, a firm providing rapid access to independent management consultants with experience at top-tier consulting firms. Today, Will and his team manage more than 1,000 independent consultants, over 90% of these consultants are alums of McKinsey, Bain, or BCG.

Prior to founding Umbrex, Will spent four years as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company eight years as a Submarine Officer in the U.S. Navy. Will also graduated from Harvard and earned his MBA from Columbia Business School.

In the first part of this two part segment, Will and host Chandler share advice for pre-MBA consultants interested crafting applications that stand out when applying to top-tier MBA programs.

In our next podcast, Will shares advice for MBA students hoping to land a top-tier consulting internship or full time job during or after B school.

In this wide-ranging discussion Will and Chandler discuss:

• Advice for pre-MBA consultants applying to B school,
• Ways to make applications from consultants stand out from the crowd,
• Suggestions about how to make your MBA application stand out from other consultants,
• Ways to complement the traditional consultant skillset,
• Suggestions for those wanting to explore their passions—and expand their business acumen—prior to business school,
• Tips for how to combat self-doubt during the MBA application process,

In addition to all kinds of great tips and suggestions, Will has also been kind enough to share a free Consulting Skills Self-Assessment module with podcast listeners. Will developed this module with other Umbrex consultants, which helps you rate your consulting skills across more than 50 areas: https://umbrex.com/resources/consulting-skills-self-assessment/

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to those celebrating today.

In this replay episode we share another extensive profile of an applicant Stacy Blackman Consulting worked with. We explain how the former admissions committee members on our staff assessed his candidacy and what ended up happening.

In this replay episode, we share an extensive profile of an applicant Stacy Blackman Consulting worked with. We explain how the former admissions committee members on our staff assessed her candidacy, what advice they gave to strengthen her materials, and what ended up happening.

• How to leverage military experience in your MBA application (and in the classroom),
• The importance of "giving yourself grace" when applying to business school and planning your career,
• Suggestions for those interested in earning an MBA in addition to another advanced degree,
• Advice for older-than-average applicants,
• Advice for applicants with children,
• Tips for those interested in earning an MBA part-time,
• and real-world advice for running your own cost/benefit analysis on whether or not an MBA is the right choice for you.

This podcast is a must for anyone--regardless of your age--interested in hearing thoughtful tips regarding the MBA application process from a global leader with lots of kindness and wisdom to share.

In this replay episode, our host Erika welcomes Bill Chionis, one of Stacy Blackman Consulting's experts on part-time (PT) MBA programs.

They have a discussion about:

• Whether or not we've seen an increase in interest in PT programs since COVID hit in 2020
• The benefits of PT program vs. a traditional 2-year MBA
• Similarities and differences between part-time and full-time MBA programs
• How employers look at PT programs
• How (and if) PT MBAs can pursue a career switch
• Part-time MBA application criteria and guidance

Friends, Lovers, and Entrepreneurship: Starting a business with a Friend or Spouse

Have you ever dreamed of starting a business with a friend? Or maybe launching an enterprise with your significant other?

If so, this episode is for you...

Today we sit down with Purvi Mody, Co-CEO of Insight Education. Insight Education is an educational consulting company Purvi and her husband acquired, run, and have expanded dramatically--both in the US and overseas.

This wide-ranging discussion touches on a number of topics, including:

• combining a passion for two different fields,
• embracing a nontraditional career journey,
• the pros and cons of starting a business with a friend or loved one,
• embracing authenticity in the application process,
• successfully drawing lines between "work" and "home",
• thriving in business school as an introvert,
• exploring the important ways applying to business school can "tear you down", and
• one special piece of advice Purvi likes to share with applicants.

In this two-part series we are going to talk about fear.

In the first episode our host Chandler unpacked three of the most frequent MBA application fears clients and other applicants have shared with him over the years. This included fears around:

• Not applying to enough “stretch” or “safe” schools,
• Letting parents (or others) overly influence your school selections decisions, and
• the challenges of paying for business school

In this episode we will continue the conversation by unpacking fears related to:

• not being real/authentic/vulnerable enough in your essays,
• being too vulnerable or personal in your essays, and
• doubts that an MBA might not be the right degree for you in the first place

In addition to the points above, Chandler also points listeners to a number of other useful podcasts about related topics you might want to check out as well.

Our hope is that—after closely examining and learning from your own fears—that you will be able to use these fears to dramatically improve your application.

This series is a must for anyone experiencing fears or doubts along their MBA application journey.

In this two-part series we are going to talk about fear.

Fear--and admitting you are afraid--has gotten a bit of a bad rep in our world, especially in the world of MBA applications. However facing your fears fears can offer you a very real opportunity to learn about yourself and dramatically improve your MBA applications.

In this episode our host Chandler unpack three of the most frequent MBA application fears that clients and other applicants have shared with him over the years. We will unpack each of these and examine:

• What these fears might REALLY be telling you about yourself,
• How you can lean into these fears, and
• What you can learn about yourself – and, therefore, make your application stronger – from this process.

Chandler also shares a number of other useful podcasts about related topics that you might want to check out, including:

• Episode 125 – Where we share 5 things applicants are often scared to talk about (and why you really should), including:
  • A low GMAT/GRE score
  • A mistake you made or something you regret (such as a DUI or an honor code violation)
  • The need to *stand out* from the crowd (especially if you come from an overrepresented demographic)
• Episode 126 – Where we continue the discussion and talk about:
  • Failing grades or low GPA
  • Being a candidate that is significantly “older” or “younger” than other applicants
  • A sneaking suspicion that your school selection is way out of reach
• Episodes 137 – Where we talk about five specific ways to combat self-doubt during the MBA admissions process, including:
  • Facing your doubts head on
  • Developing a plan to address each of your doubts
  • Role-playing “worse case” interview questions
  • Clearing your mind
  • Asking yourself, what can I learn from this doubt?
• Episode 138 – Where we talk about five more tips and suggestions for dealing with self-doubt, including:
  • Don’t compare yourself to other people
  • Develop a realistic post-MBA plan
  • Identify a “career path exemplar”
  • Find an MBA mentor
  • Ignore your inner saboteur

NOTE: We apologize for the lesser audio quality of this episode related to a one-time recording complication.