Blog:
MBA Ding Analysis (or Why You Didn’t Get In)
March 25, 2025
Every year, after business school decisions are released, we at Stratus get an influx of requests for a “ding analysis.” These applicants want to understand why they were rejected by their top-choice MBA programs. To gain acceptance to a highly ranked business school, you need to both be a strong applicant AND submit a strong…
Top MBA Programs for Sports
March 24, 2025
When I worked at ESPN, the MBA was not yet popular outside of the finance and marketing departments. Some of my colleagues had earned a Master of Science in Sports Management (UMass Amherst was the most popular program at the time) to gain insight on managing the business of sports, but that was about it. However,…
Three Things to Consider When Applying to Wharton’s Health Care Management Program
March 24, 2025
Wharton’s Health Care Management (HCM) MBA major offers one of the most prestigious paths into pharmaceuticals, hospital administration, earlier stage ventures, and beyond. It’s also one of the most competitive MBA programs to gain admission to. If health care–related MBAs are on your radar, let’s talk about three things you should consider when applying to…
Top MBA Programs for Social Impact
March 21, 2025
Social impact programs have come a long way since I did my MBA internship in social entrepreneurship with Juma Ventures in San Francisco. This topic has become the cornerstone of many MBA programs, and each time I update this blog post, I am excited to add new schools to this list! While finance, marketing, operations,…
Future Business Leaders: Listen to These Podcasts!
March 18, 2025
Perhaps the very best podcast I have listened to that offers insight for future business leaders is an HBR IdeaCast episode with Guy Raz. In this episode, Raz discusses the three qualities that hundreds of business founders and leaders of successful organizations have in common: they create a culture of collaboration, encourage risk taking, and allow for…
How to Use an MBA to Transition into CPG
March 17, 2025
Although MBA grads are more likely to seek employment in the consulting, finance, health care, and tech industries, many recruiting options exist for those seeking employment in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. Employment reports from top MBA programs for 2024 noted that MBA students were recruited to CPG companies including The Kraft Heinz Company,…
Full Time, Part Time, or EMBA: Four Steps to Choosing Your B-School Journey
March 14, 2025
“What MBA programs are a good fit for me?” Many prospective MBA applicants ask us this question, and occasionally there are some obvious answers. But the truth is, it takes introspection, research, and dialogue to find the best-fit program(s) for any individual. Before even looking at specific programs, many people should consider what type of…
Researching MBA Programs from Afar
March 13, 2025
Thanks to all the new upgrades MBA programs have made to their websites and digital footprints over the past several years, MBA applicants now have so many more options to help them get to know a school from a distance. While in-person options are also quite valuable, there are a lot of great reasons to…
Ten Tips to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile Before Applying to Business School
March 12, 2025
Among social media outlets with a professional focus, LinkedIn is the undisputed leader. The platform allows you to showcase thought leadership in your field and to weave in additional details that support your overall MBA narrative. Considering that there are word limits for just about every aspect of the application process, LinkedIn is low-hanging fruit…
The Dynamic Duo: The MBA Degree and Six Sigma Certification
March 11, 2025
In today’s environment, earning advanced degrees and certifications has become increasingly important and often is required to remain competitive and advance your career. Gaining the best mix of complementary skills is also important and can be a great selling point to potential employers. Let’s break down the nuts and bolts of the MBA degree and…
Do Business Schools Have “Types”?
March 10, 2025
Do business schools have “types”—meaning, are shared characteristics common among all students? The short answer is yes, but it is more nuanced than that. What you think is a school’s type may not be its type at all. So, how does this play itself out? The most mundane way is that most people who gain…
Ten Things to Consider When Selecting an MBA Admissions Consultant
March 6, 2025
Getting an MBA is possibly one of the biggest investments of your life. As you ponder this $100K-plus investment, you are likely to realize that you cannot do something as important as this on your own. Although friends or colleagues might be able to help, rarely do they have enough expertise to move the needle…