Final Thoughts After 20 Years of MBA Advising (Part 1): B-Schooled episode 274
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Release Date: 01/07/2026
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
In the second installment of our Paths Less Traveled series, Stacy Blackman interviews Terry Cumes and Tristen Langley, a married couple who share how the same Stanford GSB foundation led one to global wellness entrepreneurship and the other to top-tier technology investing — and what this says about career optionality, partnership, and long-term impact. Here are the full bios for these amazing interviewees: Tristen Langley has over twenty-three years of experience in venture capital, operations, M&A and equities research with leading international investment and technology companies....
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In this episode we discuss 4 things MBA candidates should consider when facing the “Bird in Hand” dilemma: meaning, when they have been admitted to at least one program, but are considering not claiming their spot, forgoing the sure thing and taking the risk of trying again in the future in the hopes of getting into a program they’re even more interested in.
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This episode discusses how accepted MBA candidates should go about asking for an increase in merit aid; the four situations a candidate might be in and their associated negotiating tactics; and detailed advice for approaching such an ask over the phone vs. email.
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For years, MBA applicants have asked some version of the same question: "What job will I get after graduation?" It's understandable. Recruiting is a visible and important part of the MBA experience. But after decades working with business school graduates, Stacy Blackman has noticed something more interesting: the most meaningful MBA outcomes rarely follow a straight line. That's the premise behind Paths Less Traveled, a new B-Schooled podcast series launching this week. Each episode features conversations with MBA alumni whose careers evolved in unexpected directions over time....
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In this episode, Erika explains how your social media behavior could affect your MBA candidacy — positively or negatively. She covers what admissions committees might be looking for on your online profiles and platforms that could be problematic, as well as what kinds of social media posts might actually end up strengthening your candidacy. She also explains how reviews of your social media accounts don’t end once you’re admitted.
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In this replay of a past episode, Erika talks with Anthony Penna, a fellow SBC admissions consultant who spent 10 years with the Wharton School in Career Management and as Associate Director of Admissions for the full-time MBA program. As Anthony served on the implementation and design team for Wharton's Team Based Discussion (TBD) interview format, this episode focuses on his insight advice for MBA candidates who will be interviewing with Wharton.
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In this episode, Alex Liff interviews Andrew Walker, GMAC’s Director of Research Analysis and Communication about the latest MBA application trends survey that he just completed. Andrew offers interesting insights into the latest trends both on the applicant and corporate recruiter sides and talks about what to expect going forward.
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Final Thoughts After 20 Years of MBA Advising: Part 3 B-Schooled Co-Host, Chandler, is preparing to step away from his co-hosting responsibilities in order to care for his aging parents and launch a new venture for philanthropists. Chandler has decided to conclude his four years as co-host (and 20 years of advising MBA applicants) with a three-part series in which he gets very authentic and very bold in order to help you create a solid application plan. In this final of three episodes, Chandler takes a no-holds barred look at the last stages of your MBA application. In this...
info_outlineB-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Final Thoughts After 20 Years of MBA Advising: Part 2 B-Schooled Co-Host Chandler is preparing to step away from his podcast responsibilities in order to care for his aging parents and launch a new venture for philanthropists. Chandler has decided to conclude his four years as co-host (and 20 years of advising MBA applicants) with a three-part series in which he gets very authentic and very bold in order to help you create a solid application plan. In Part Two Chandler takes a no-holds barred look at the “heart” of your MBA application: your essays, your recommendations, your...
info_outlineB-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Final Thoughts After 20 Years of MBA Advising: Part 1 This episode is bittersweet for our longtime podcast co-host, Chandler. Chandler is preparing to step away from his co-hosting responsibilities in order to care for his aging parents and launch a new venture for philanthropists. He would like to share how much he has enjoyed co-hosting and wants to say a HUGE thank you to Stacy, Erika, Yvonne, Esther, Alex and the entire SBC team for their amazing friendship and support along the way. As Chandler thought about how to frame his last podcast, he ultimately decided to take...
info_outlineFinal Thoughts After 20 Years of MBA Advising: Part 1
This episode is bittersweet for our longtime podcast co-host, Chandler.
Chandler is preparing to step away from his co-hosting responsibilities in order to care for his aging parents and launch a new venture for philanthropists. He would like to share how much he has enjoyed co-hosting and wants to say a HUGE thank you to Stacy, Erika, Yvonne, Esther, Alex and the entire SBC team for their amazing friendship and support along the way.
As Chandler thought about how to frame his last podcast, he ultimately decided to take my own advice. As our loyal listeners know, Chandler has closed each of his podcasts over the past four years with the words “be authentic, be bold, and to have a solid plan”.
To that end, he will conclude his four years as co-host (and 20 years of advising MBA applicants) with a three-part series in which he gets very authentic and very bold in order to help you create a solid application plan.
In this first of three episodes, Chandler takes a no-holds barred look at the first phase of the application process, and shares his biggest pieces of advice in each of the following categories:
- Planning your application (including the very best place to begin, which most people miss)
- Defining career goals,
- Addressing lower-than-desired quant scores,
- Quantifying your resume,
- Using the data forms strategically, and
- … a special surprise at the end of the episode he hasn’t shared before.