The inside scoop on HBS Essay Question #1: B-Schooled episode 214
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Release Date: 07/17/2024
Paths Less Traveled: Suzanne Ginestro (Kellogg MBA, CPG Marketing Executive): B-Schooled episode 304
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Suzanne Ginestro is a seasoned CPG executive leader with over 27 years of marketing expertise across the food and beverage industry. She is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Califia Farms and leads a 35-person marketing organization that encompasses brand management, creative services, communications, and consumer engagement. Suzanne's previous roles include Chief Marketing Officer at Quest Nutrition, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer for Bolthouse Farms, and marketing leadership roles at Red Bull North America, Pinkberry Ventures, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, and Kraft Foods....
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Do's & Don'ts Before & After You Submit Your Round 1 MBA Application: B-Schooled episode 303
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Round 1 of the 2026-27 MBA application cycle is soon drawing to a close, and along with those deadlines comes a surge in self-sabotaging applicant behavior. This episode covers 3 things you should do before submitting, as well as 3 mistakes you should avoid making after your materials are in.
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Paths Less Traveled: Paul Altman (Consumer M&A, Wharton, Ross)
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Paul Altman is a Partner and Managing Director and joined The Sage Group at its inception in 2000. He focuses on consumer M&A transactions, advising high-growth lifestyle brands on transactions across multiple subsectors, including e-commerce, specialty retail, apparel & accessories, home, CPG, wellness, and beauty & personal care companies. He attended University of Michigan Ross for a joint BBA and law degree, and went to Wharton for his MBA.
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MBA Admissions Test Indicator Words: B-Schooled episode 301
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Attention GRE and GMAT test-takers! Did you know there are certain words in a given reading passage that can help you quickly figure out the correct MBA admissions test answers? Well, there are, and we call them "indicator words." Indicator words are among the most powerful tools for solving several types of verbal questions on both the GMAT and the GRE. In this episode, SBC's Director of MBA Test Prep, Anthony Ritz, walks through what indicator words are, what they do, and how they are used to solve problems. The episode concludes with a full example question, in which Stacy...
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Paths Less Traveled with Kellogg alums Nicole Small and Erin Krawiec: B-Schooled episode 300
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Erin Krawiec is the President and co-founder of Pitch Your Peers Seattle ("PYP Seattle), a nonprofit that turns philanthropy into a collaborative, pitch-driven experience where women fund impactful local causes. Her career spans entrepreneurship, high-tech business roles, and serving as an expert witness in corporate litigation—an unconventional path shaped by curiosity and a drive to make an impact. Today, she focuses on building community and creating opportunities for others to engage in meaningful philanthropy. Nicole Small has served as CEO of LH Capital, Inc. and Lyda Hill...
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GRE Vocabulary Test Prep: B-Schooled episode 299
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
In this replay of one of our most popular episodes, , Stacy Blackman Consulting’s Director of Test Prep -- who’s been a GMAT and GRE tutor for more than two decades -- shares a range of specific suggestions, tips and proven test-prep strategies for the GRE's Vocabulary section. Check out Stacy Blackman Consultings MBA Test Prep services .
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Paths Less Traveled: Patrick Curtis, CEO of Wall Street Oasis & Wharton MBA: B-Schooled episode 298
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Patrick Curtis is the founder and CEO of Wall Street Oasis, one of the largest online communities for elite careers in finance and consulting, which he has built over nearly 20 years into a platform reaching millions of visitors each year. He began his career as an investment banking analyst at Rothschild, spent several years in private equity, and holds an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School. He also leads WSO Academy, a structured mentorship and interview prep program that helps students land offers in investment banking and other competitive consulting and finance...
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Explaining why you NEED an MBA: B-Schooled episode 297
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
It's not uncommon for overachieving MBA applicants to focus so much on trying to convince the adcom why they're worthy of a spot at their program that they inadvertently also communicate that they're already SO gifted and accomplished, they actually don't need a masters degree in business to succeed in the future. This episode discusses why all business school candidates need to be able to clearly explain why they need an MBA, especially if they are in one of four applicant buckets where it's important to clarify that need. Common reasons for getting an MBA are covered, as are reasons...
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FAQs about SBC's GMAT/GRE Test Review Service: B-Schooled Episode 296
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
We’re often asked: “This is my GMAT/GRE score and this is the score I want—how many hours of tutoring do I need?” Our honest answer: before we can recommend a plan, we need to review one of your recent practice tests alongside you. This deep-dive analysis allows us to pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, and the most efficient path to your goal. Enter Stacy Blackman Consulting's Test Review package. This episode not only covers what that service includes, but also shares priceless MBA test-prep insight from Stacy Blackman herself and SBC's test prep expert, Anthony Ritz.
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Paths Less Traveled: Ann Hsing's Career, from Finance to Foodies: B-Schooled episode 295
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
In this installment of Paths Less Traveled, Stacy talks with Ann Hsing. Upon graduating from undergrad at MIT, Ann opened and operated a bubble tea shop in Boston. She then worked as a strategy consultant at the small boutique Callidon Group, focusing on private equity due diligence projects and pricing structures. Next, Ann returned to school to earn her MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Following business school, she was Vice President in Equity Derivatives Sales at Credit Suisse from 2009 to 2013 in New York City. Ann then joined The Alinea Restaurant Group. At the time of...
info_outlineFor the first time in more than a decade, Harvard Business School has updated its essay questions.
In this much-anticipated series, we sit down with HBS alum and longtime SBC consultant Yvette to talk about each of these questions and share suggestions, tips and strategies regarding how best to approach these new essay prompts.
In this segment, we tackle the first question:
Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)
In this episode, we discuss:
- What this question is REALLY asking (and what it isn't),
- One possible way to structure your essay response,
- How to decide which experience(s) from your own life to share (and the importance of sharing what you LEARNED),
- Specific things you should do when answering this question,
- Possible pitfalls you should avoid when answering this question, and
- How this essay fits into your larger application
This essay is a MUST for anyone thinking of applying to HBS. Special thanks the many SBC consultants and former admissions officers who shared useful advice and guidance that informed this episode.