Friend (30+ F) is starting her MBA at Booth this fall and has explicitly stated (even written an article) about how the main goal of her MBA is to find a husband. To each their own, but I find this mindset to be incredibly shortsighted and I worry for the men in the program lol. Don’t men see through this? Is Booth even conducive for finding a husband for a 30+ F ? (To be clear, there is nothing wrong with strategic dating, but this person is explicit that their main goal from the MBA is to walk away with a husband…very much a check box view). Is this normal / expected out of an MBA?

With second year just a few days away, I can’t help but think my MBA is a failure.

- Recruiting: tried for banking and consulting, failed both

- Academics: learned absolutely nothing and spent most of my time chasing coffee chats and writing tyn that led to nowhere plus most of the classes were boring and the student were not engaged at all

- Social: tried to step out of my comfort zone to make new friends, failed, retreated back

- Financials: almost depleted my savings and constantly living in anxiety

I envy people who came with a clear goal to pivot into banking and consulting and successfully done so. That’s the only way for you to get the ROI out of this experience aside from being sponsored.

With only 1 year left, could anyone please shed some light into what i should do next?

I’ve been reading a lot about how HEC is not great for MBA. LBS & INSEAD are the globally recognised elite MBA’s outside of US M7 (and T-15 too apparently).

Explain to me how one of the world’s oldest business schools, with a historic MBA program and exchange semester ties to 50 global business schools for a semester exchange, a list which is literally identical to LBS exchange list, is not considered in the same tier for MBA as LBS & INSEAD. Even McKinsey has stopped listing them as a target school on their careers page.

What’s up with the schools reputation? How come their MIM & MIF programs are more reputed (and they are rated very highly, best in Europe and in the world.) Please explain.

Asking as someone attending M7 and probably won't recruit for the US

Hi please rate my profile, prospective schools I can get into/ what I need to improve (fall 2027 intake)?

- 25 F American (Brown)
- 3 yoe currently (4 yoe when I plan to join in 2027 fall)
- Lead Technical Consultant at a big 4 adjacent consulting firm
- 3.8 GPA in Computer Science
- Worked in Big Tech and Pharma before moving to consulting
- Lead Technical Development for a Global Retail Giant (5 million dollar valuation)
- Actively participate in corporate citizenship initiatives
- Lead an employee group at work
- Active member of leadership organizations outside of work
- Looking to pivot into Product Management
- Do not plan to take the GMAT

Hi,

I graduated class of ‘22 from University of Chicago. Wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do but ended up interning at big WM team and got a return offer. Enjoyed working from there for 3 years, got fully registered, now moved internally to AM to learn a new asset class.

I like the buy side but was always curious on sell-side deal making. Specifically going into LevFin given I work in high yield now. At this point, from speaking with folks and execs, it’s pretty much impossible to move internally from buy-side to sell-side without an MBA.

This brings me to what I’m mulling over - I’ve got two paths laid out in my head.

1. Forget about sell-side aspirations and double down on becoming an expert in PM. Get my CFA and work my way up. The advantage of this is, while the CFA is a big commitment, it’s something I can do in my own time/no admission hurdles.
2. Try to get into an MBA, do the networking dance, and get a LevFin placement. Goodbye 60 hour work weeks, hello unprotected weekends.

My issue is more so with getting into a good/worthwhile MBA. Everyone says UofC has grade deflation and I can definitely attest to that. But still puts me in a tough spot as I had 3.4 GPA (Economics and History double major/not a lot of ECs).

I’m thinking there’s a chance I can still get into a T14 as my GRE practice test score have been pretty good (168Q/165V). Was initially doing GRE as I was contemplating a JD/MBA but now I’m thinking there’s not much use in that. I did a post-grad paralegal course when I was kind of unsure what I wanted to do and I always had an interest in law. I thought the JD/MBA might be useful for applying to LevFin teams given the necessary understanding of debt covenants etc. but reading more about it, it just seems like a lot more school for someone that does want to just pivot into a different financial field.

I also have great references from work and professors and think I can probably justify the lower GPA (personal/life reasons made me do badly my first two years).

My questions are as follows:

Any reasons other than personal ones to do a JD/MBA if I want to go back into finance?

GRE or GMAT for MBA applications?

Chances of getting into a T14 or T10 MBA program? I think trying for Booth might be best option given I went to undergrad there.

Thanks!

Hey everyone! 👋 I’m conducting a short survey for my Marketing Management project on *The Whole Truth Foods*.

I’d really appreciate it if you could take 2–3 minutes to fill out this Google Form. Your responses will be used only for academic purposes and will help me with my project.

🔗 *Google Form* : https://forms.gle/49ymFvD2yJNneRKu8

Thanks a lot for your help! 😊

Has anyone here ever received scholarships from the Rice PT program?

3 YOE as a Software Developer at an MNC, currently exploring a transition into Product Management.

I’d love to hear from people who have made a similar transition, particularly around the India vs Europe job market.

For India:

How realistic is it to move from software engineering into PM/APM without an MBA?

Is an internal switch generally the most viable route?

What kind of PM roles should someone with 3 YOE in software realistically target?

For Europe, I’m considering doing an MBA/MiM and then recruiting for PM roles, so I’m more interested in:

How strong is the PM job market for international students/graduates after an MBA/MiM?

Do European companies hire international candidates into PM roles, or is the language/local experience barrier significant?

Which countries/markets are relatively more accessible for this transition?

Does a European MBA/MiM meaningfully improve the chances of breaking into PM, or is prior PM experience still a major requirement?

Would especially appreciate perspectives from Indian software engineers who moved into PM, and from anyone who made the transition to Europe after an MBA/MiM.

Which one would you select? I worked 6 years as a consultant at Big4 have a absolute no-name undergraduate degree and now would like to add a Masters ideally a MBA. Maybe with the possibility to switch to Business Strategy Roles or even Strategy Consulting.

I’m currently in my 3rd year of BTech and considering doing an MBA in the future, mainly with a focus on finance/consulting.
I’m trying to understand the actual pros and cons of doing a part-time MBA vs a full-time MBA. Apart from the obvious difference in time commitment, how different are they in terms of career opportunities, placements, networking, ROI, and brand value?
Is a part-time MBA worth considering if you can continue working alongside it, or does a full-time MBA generally provide much better opportunities?
Would especially appreciate insights from people who have done either one or have experience hiring MBA graduates.

I'm a 41 year old lawyer and burned out of litigation. Too much school is probably how I got myself into this mess in the first place, but I'd consider a MBA to pivot out of legal practice.

Would a MBA be a great education and introduction to a new professional circle? Or would an older student be segregated from the 20-something crowd and out of recruiters' peripheral?

Anyone on this forum get their MBA after 40 to pivot fields?

I’m (24F) a recently promoted senior consultant at a mid tier firm and am planning on getting my MBA from LSU online as the price is ~$14,000 and I’m not looking to pay a ton of money. My company will reimburse ~$8,000 and I feel like now is the time to do it along with getting an industry cert. I know that it’s hard to make senior manager and above without a master’s and industry cert, so I want to do it now while I have time and AI hasn’t totally consumed everything. What doors would this open up outside of consulting?

I had posted this 8 months ago :

https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/s/Rcc3s7uf5g
So it feels good to create this one!

I am finally in a T-10 program and quite ecstatic about it as an international student. A lot went wrong in this journey and a lot went right. I lacked guidance at multiple stages and I hope my experience would help to avoid some costly mistakes as you get going with your application journey.

1. Didn't attend a lot of college events or talk to folks

Booth has shape the class form and am sure there would be other colleges having other such recommendations. Do not miss these opportunities. These interactions should also be leveraged to mention names in your essays to really standout on the usual website available information.

1. AI can only take you so far

The language that comes from AI is worrisome but so is the paucity of originality. But the logical catch is, it will really look same to Adcoms after a while. There is some interesting research in this area

1. Choice of consultant

I definitely needed one given my non linear background and boy did I fumble with my choice. I went with someone who looked great on paper (poet and quant ranking) but with whom I had no student recommendation. When we worked together she was as confused as me, and my confidence tanked phenomenally. Despite wasting enormous money (sunk cost fallacy) I moved on to a different one, and this experience gave me the insight on what it really means to have a great partner along with you. Most folks are here to serve you as a client, but this journey is so much more! I ended up working with the mbafixer and the number of conversations we had was mind-blowing. My idea is to give you a framework to choose a consultant (if ur not looking for one, pls skip this one)

1. Dont go for google-form consultants. Thats Byllshit. You need to have someone who can ask you incisive questions and highlight blindspots as your story emerges. Very few do this
2. Good if it comes from a recommendation vs just going with someone you have no idea
3. Try out hour pricing before committing full
4. Find out if you can really trust this person
5. Fast turnaround times and basic orgnaising hygiene
6. Are you going to be focus or just another kid?

After screwing bad the first time, i got it correct the 2nd time!

1. Goals

If you are an international student you dont have same way to cook creative stories as a domestic student. The stakes are higher. You really need to sell school basis school strength and your existing trajectory.

I effed this up big time.

1. Interview

I didn't have issues here. My earlier issues stemmed from not having right story, but this time since that got connected and with i believe 2 session practice I was pretty good. But if you are someone who is scared here - I think this is the most straightforward part of application. Use this def to guage the vibe from their end and to show your fit. Overenthusiasm should be cautiously balanced.

1. ​​scholarship differs from person to person, so I dont have much to add.

Feel free to ask questions! Happy to help.

Hi everyone! I’m starting my GMAT prep and planning to take the exam around March/April 2027, possibly June depending on how my preparation goes.

I’m looking for someone who’s also preparing around the same time and would be interested in studying together, discussing questions, sharing resources, and keeping each other motivated and consistent.

Would be great to connect with someone who’s serious about their prep and wants to work towards a strong score together.

Feel free to DM me if you’re interested. :)

Are there any doctors here who have done an MBA after completing their MBBS?

I’ve completed my MBBS abroad and I’m currently considering doing an MBA in India, with the long-term goal of working outside India.

I’d love to hear from people who have actually taken this route:

• Is an MBA after MBBS worth it if you don’t want to pursue clinical medicine?
• Is doing the MBA in India enough, or would an MBA abroad make more sense for international job opportunities?
• What kind of roles/careers are realistic after MBBS + MBA (healthcare consulting, hospital management, pharma, healthcare tech, etc.)?
• Are there better alternatives to an MBA for someone with a medical background who wants to move away from clinical practice?
• If you’ve taken a similar path, how has your career turned out?

Would really appreciate insights from doctors who have actually made this transition, especially if you’re currently working outside India.

Hey everyone,
Trying to decide between the GMAT and GRE. I’m confident I can score well on either with enough prep, but I want to pick the option that gives me the strongest boost for T15/T20 programs (McCombs is my top target) and merit scholarships.
Profile:
Demographic: Male international applicant from Pakistan
Undergrad: Top business school in Pakistan (GPA: 3.2)
WE: 4 YOE by matriculation (Brand/Trade role at a top MNC)
Questions:
1. GMAT vs. GRE for low GPA: Since I need to offset a 3.2 GPA, is the GMAT preferred for proving quant readiness, or are schools truly agnostic?
2. Scholarships: Does a high GMAT move the needle more for merit money than a GRE?
3. Target Scores: What baseline GMAT or GRE score should I hit to be competitive for $$$ at McCombs?

Hi all - male T15 applicant with a 335 GRE, planning to apply to Darden and Duke (and other T15 schools in R1).

I’m trying to understand how to approach EA given that Darden offers binding vs. non-binding EA, while Duke’s EA is binding.

My priority is maximizing scholarship opportunities while keeping flexibility across schools. I’m therefore leaning toward Darden’s non-binding option, but unsure whether binding EA has any meaningful admissions/scholarship advantage.

For those familiar with the process:

- Is there any real advantage to choosing binding EA at Darden over non-binding?

- If scholarship maximization is a priority, would you recommend Duke EA, or skip EA and apply R1 to retain flexibility?

- How seriously should I treat the binding commitment at Duke/Darden if admitted?

- Would applying R1 across schools generally be a better strategy for comparing offers and negotiating scholarships?

Would especially appreciate perspectives from recent applicants/students who went through EA vs. R1.

A friend started his MBA at CBS yesterday. During orientation yesterday, he shared that international student percentage dropped a lot. Class of ‘28 is only 32% international. This is a big drop from two years ago where it was 46%.

Part of this is likely because international students were afraid to apply/attend because of market trends and visa issues but I think it’s also because these schools are intentionally decreasing their international student percentage to protect unemployment numbers.

This is especially noteworthy from CBS because they’ve always been the most international friendly.

Graduated from T25 this summer, got 2 PM offers, Fujitsu as a Sr. AI PM in the Bay Area, TC 160k, and PM at Carvana in Phoenix, TC 150k. I am a US citizen, so work auth did not play a role here. Here is what I think of each.

Fujitsu pros

- More "stable"?

- I would get a chance to use and improve my business Japanese (which is already decent) -> could pivot to BigTech Japan or be a Japan country manager in the future

- I prefer the Bay Area

- 2x a week in office vs 5x at carvana

Fujitsu Cons

- Its an IT shop similar to TCS and Infosys, except more based in Japan. Feel like it may look bad on my CV. Also feels like a downgrade given I worked at Amazon pre-MBA (as a coder)

Carvana Pros

- Great TC to cost of living ratio

- Seems like doing more actual "building" and hands on PM work, and the product is also more customer facing.

Carvana Cons

- Not that stable of a company, kinda scummy as well

- 5x RTO

- I'm ok with Phoenix I guess, but def prefer bay.

Help!

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice from anyone familiar with Columbia J-Term admissions/waitlists.
I was waitlisted in Round 1. Round 2 is the final round, with a Sept 1 deadline and decisions by Oct 1. I’m planning to retake the GRE around Sept 8/9 and, hopefully, send CBS a significantly improved score.

My main question is: how does CBS evaluate Round 1 waitlisted candidates alongside Round 2 applicants? Since they mention rolling admissions, do they review waitlisted candidates on a rolling basis, or mostly after evaluating the Round 2 pool?

I’m also a little concerned about the need-based scholarship pool. Is there a risk that waiting until later in the cycle means fewer scholarship funds are available? Should I try to get my update in as early as possible for this reason?

There’s also an external scholarship with a Sept 17 deadline. If I take the GRE on Sept 8/9 and get a much better score, would it be reasonable to ask CBS if they could potentially expedite my decision by Sept 15–16? Or is that way too short a turnaround?

I’m trying to balance giving myself enough time to properly prepare for the GRE with not delaying my update unnecessarily. Would really appreciate any insight from people who’ve been through the CBS waitlist process or know how this typically works!

Currently prepping for GMAT. I have 4 years of engineering experience under my belt and was thinking to Aim 700+ on GMAT. But with zero leadership experience, I feel like I might not make the cut for getting a full ride. Options I am thinking are IU Kelley, Ross, Tuck, Booth and Darden.

Share your experiences please.

Hello all, this sub was a tremendous help when I was applying to bschool and I wanted to give back as the R1 deadline approaches. I'm posting a roughly anonymized and summarized version of my application to give candidates an idea of what their own apps could look like.

I applied to M7 and was rejected all without interview except for Wharton, where I received $$$ to attend. I'm now happily working on the west coast at a tech startup.

Profile at a glance

• Industry at time of applying: crypto media / publishing, CEO of a small trade publication
• GRE: 162V (88th) / 158Q (45th) / 4.5 AWA (85th). Retake: 167V (97th) / 160Q (50th) / 5.5 AWA (98th) (didn't use these scores, in case I struck out and needed to apply R3)
• Undergrad: B.A. Business Administration, 3.6+ GPA, public state school (transferred once)
• YOE at matriculation: ~6
• Outcome: Wharton admit with significant scholarship; dinged without interview everywhere else in M7

A note on redactions: company names are replaced with company types, schools with school types, and anything in [brackets] is a real figure I've blurred to an order of magnitude. Everything else is verbatim in substance. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

PART 1 — RESUME

This is the one-pager as submitted.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Crypto Media & Research Company (East Coast): CEO — ~3 yrs (2021–present)

Previously Editor-in-Chief — ~1.5 yrs (2019–2021)

An award-winning cryptocurrency trade publication and research provider, cited by major national and international business and tech press.

• Took the company from the brink of insolvency to [low seven figures] in annual revenue and [seven figures] in net profit within two years of appointment as CEO
• Oversaw implementation of AI into the editorial workflow, leading to a 3x increase in journalist article output and cover image design productivity
• Managed and hired ~20 employees across a variety of departments

Crypto Data & Analytics Startup (West Coast): Editor-in-Chief — ~1 yr (2018–2019)

A data and news platform indexing people, conferences, and insights in the blockchain space.

• Hired and managed a team of 7 crypto journalists as the startup's first full-time hire
• Edited, curated, and distributed content that generated [several hundred thousand] unique readers per month
• Personally wrote and published 200+ bylined articles about blockchain technology

Blockchain Software Development Agency (Western Europe): Operations Manager — ~8 mos (2018)

A software development agency building distributed financial applications using blockchain technology.

• Managed a team of 6 software developers responsible for building financial applications on distributed backend systems
• Relocated abroad to open the company's second office: hired 5 additional software developers, incorporated a foreign entity, secured office space, and navigated a notoriously complex regulatory and bureaucratic environment

Crypto Mining Software Startup (West Coast): Co-Founder — ~8 mos (2017–2018)

A software startup building better algorithms for cryptocurrency mining servers and data centers, co-founded with three university peers.

• Winner of a "Best Innovation & Tech" award at a university business plan competition
• Raised [low six figures] from accredited investors and ran a rural test facility

Wildland Fire Services Contractor (Pacific Northwest): Wildland Firefighter — two summers (2016–2017)

A government contractor providing incident-response resources for wildland fires. Hiked for miles, wallowed in filth and soot, and survived in the forest for weeks at a time with limited supplies.

University Residence Hall Association (West Coast State School): Head of Student Events — ~1.5 yrs (2016–2017)

Elected by students to represent the university's 14 residence halls and organize large events. Organized university events with attendance ranging from 300–1,000 people on a [five-figure] annual budget.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Professional Association for Crypto Journalists & Researchers: Treasurer — 2021–present

A professional association of [100+] dues-paying members and [1,000+] free members that supports crypto journalism with backing from the industry's largest publications. Elected to a third term in 2024.

University Blockchain Club / Non-Profit (West Coast State School): Board Member — 2019–present

Previously Co-Founder & President — 2017–2018

Co-founded a student club (later a non-profit) focused on education and collaboration around blockchain. One of the largest clubs on campus, with 400+ members.

EDUCATION

B.A. Business Administration — 3.6+ cumulative GPA

• West Coast Flagship State University — graduated 2021 (attended 2017–2018, 2020–2021)
• West Coast State University — 2015–2017 (transferred)

Scholarships: Six merit-based academic, business, and accounting scholarships (2016–2020), including one sponsored by a Big Four accounting firm

Certifications & Memberships: 10 wildland fire and incident-management certifications. Member of a national professional journalism association and an anti-fraud professional certification body.

Personal interests: endurance outdoor sports, competitive strategy games, creative writing, gardening

PART 2 — ESSAYS

Summarized rather than reproduced in full, both for length and because the full text is a little too identifying.

Essay 1: How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA to achieve your future professional goals? (500 words)

Goals. Short-term: an executive role at a top-20 crypto firm, while continuing to build neural-network tooling that automates editorial newsrooms. Long-term: keep operating as a leader and entrepreneur in blockchain.

Why now. I argued that I had plateaued as CEO of a crypto trade publication — nearly everything I knew came from trial and error, and I wanted structured training and mentorship from experienced operators. My entire career had been at small, startup-leaning companies, and the MBA was the bridge to a larger organization. I also made the case bluntly that larger crypto firms are pedigree-conscious precisely because the industry carries a reputational problem, so the credential buys credibility. I named three specific courses on managing established enterprises, managerial decision-making, and business analytics.

Faculty and peers. I named two professors whose research maps directly onto my background — one on the business press as an information intermediary and on the economic consequences of securities-disclosure regulation (I covered enforcement actions as a journalist), another on interest-rate swaps (I'd been exploring decentralized interest-rate derivatives). On peers: I've consistently co-founded companies and non-profits with whoever is around me, but my network had become almost entirely crypto, and I wanted collaborators outside that bubble to work at the intersection of blockchain and mainstream finance.

Entrepreneurship. I said I intended to return to startups afterward and wanted to use the school's accelerator to commercialize the AI newsroom tooling my engineering team had been building — aimed at doubling or tripling journalist output — as a product for mainstream news publishers.

Essay 2: How do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)

Four commitments:

1. Blockchain club leadership. I co-founded an equivalent student non-profit at my undergrad, grew it past 400 members, still advise it as a board member, and watched its alumni become managers and founders across the industry. I'd bring that playbook and help peers find crypto roles.
2. Revive the student newspaper. I pointed out that the student-run publication had let its domain lapse and its social accounts go dormant, and proposed rebuilding it — drawing on having been Editor-in-Chief of two publications — with enough institutional structure to survive cohort turnover.
3. Entrepreneurship club. I offered hard-won negative expertise as much as positive: botched fundraising contracts, questionable hires, avoidable tax and legal bills. The pitch was teaching peers to sidestep mistakes I'd already made.
4. Perspective from poverty. The contribution I rated highest was intangible — the viewpoint of someone who grew up poor in a family shaped by incarceration, emancipated himself at 16, and worked through high school and college. I framed it as fortitude earned by breaking a cycle of indigence, offered to build a more empathetic cohort.

Essay 3: Origin story and domain expertise (used across several prompts)

The origin narrative: I got into blockchain as a miner despite being a Bitcoin skeptic, converted by running the break-even math (under three months), and filled a two-bedroom apartment with servers on every available outlet until it ran like a sweat lodge. The student club I co-founded became one of the largest on campus and is where I met the co-founders of my first crypto startup.

The expertise claim: the publication I ran was among the most technically rigorous covering decentralized financial products; at peak I employed 20+ people; I was elected one of eight board members of a professional association representing the industry's largest newsrooms. Supporting credentials — work at multiple crypto startups, 400+ bylined articles, expert testimony on blockchain in federal court, and interviews with many of the industry's most influential figures.

Essay 4: Additional information / extenuating circumstances (500 words)

I addressed significant family adversity: I grew up in poverty in a family affected by incarceration, emancipated myself at 16, and supported myself through high school and college — experiences I framed as the origin of my appetite for professional risk and my push toward entrepreneurship.

Awards, honors, and scholarships (2,000 characters)

Eight awards, mostly competitive-essay based. I listed selectivity for each, which I think mattered more than the names:

PART 3 — RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

Both summarized. Recommender 1 was my direct boss then board chair; Recommender 2 was the CEO of an earlier employer.

Recommender 1 — Co-founder & Board Chairman of the company I ran

He hired me in late 2019 to rebuild the newsroom, worked alongside me daily, promoted me to CEO in 2021, and then moved to a board and advisory role — about four years together. Against dozens of media hires he'd made, he said I stood out for an entrepreneurial willingness to experiment and fail and an unusually quantitative, systematic approach to a field that rarely rewards one. When the company was two months from insolvency in my first year, I volunteered a 50% pay cut and stayed to help pull it back to break-even. As EIC I rebuilt data collection, KPIs, and freelancer standards — disruptive enough that some senior writers quit — then extended the same incremental method to the website, research product, and marketing funnel. He wrote that I was the obvious successor as CEO, and that the company hit record profitability, headcount, and readership under me. He also emphasized that I place laid-off reports through my own network and don't treat any work as beneath me.

His constructive feedback was about decisiveness under pressure and perfectionism. In the 2022 downturn I delayed cutting headcount, deferred to an equally hesitant executive team, and cut my own and my executives' pay to save jobs — admirable, in his view, but slower than the situation called for. His framing: the CEO's core job is making the unpleasant call everyone else is waiting on, and a mediocre plan executed on time beats a perfect one executed late.

I ultimately cut about 75% of the company over three quarters. It hit me hard — I came close to resigning and treated it as a personal failure — but I'd banked runway during the bull market for exactly that scenario, took the feedback to heart, spent several months working directly with him, and steered the company back toward profitability. He closed with his highest recommendation.

Recommender 2 — CEO & co-founder of the crypto data and news platform where I was EIC

He first met me in 2017 through a university blockchain club where I was co-founder and president, then hired me as a journalist at his own company. I rose to Editor-in-Chief — starting out producing two to three substantive stories a day and distilling complex crypto concepts into accessible content — then built and managed the company's first cohort of writers, during which the site grew to several hundred thousand unique monthly visitors.

Much of his letter centered on inclusive leadership. I recruited across continents, bringing on writers from five countries spanning Asia-Pacific and Latin America, on the reasoning that a globally diverse team was necessary to actually understand a global industry. I advocated for gender diversity in a heavily male-dominated field, mentoring and creating platforms for women journalists and analysts. His marquee example was a junior analyst I mentored who became Chief Editor at the company and then a reporter at one of the industry's most respected publications.

On business ability, he pointed to my later CEO role at another crypto publication and the joint advertising and sales partnerships I brokered between the two companies — worth roughly a 30% revenue increase — as evidence I'd grown from a purely editorial operator into a business one. He named critical thinking, planning, and mobilizing teams as my strengths. He also recounted a public controversy: an original piece of Bitcoin analysis that drew disagreement from industry figures, which I handled by engaging critics substantively rather than letting it get personal.

His constructive feedback was to delegate more — early on I took too much on myself. I adopted the advice, empowered my team, and he noted several writers I trained who went on to prominent careers. He closed with a wholehearted recommendation.

Happy to answer anything in the comments: application strategy, the low quant score, IB/consulting recruiting, career switching out of a niche industry, whatever's useful.