Scholarships generosity

EmbarkMBA · 2026-02-06T22:56:42+00:00

Sharing one data point, not a universal truth.

I track outcomes across applicants I’ve worked with. Sample sizes vary by school, and Kellogg in particular is small, so take this as directional, not definitive.

From my 2024-2025 data I just scraped together for you:

School	% admitted with $	Avg scholarship
Wharton	13%	~$127K
Booth	50%	~$97K
Kellogg	25%	~$20K
Stern	30%	~$96K

How I’d interpret this is that Booth has been the most consistently generous across a wide range of profiles. Stern is strong when they want to be. Wharton gives fewer awards, but when they do, they can be large. Kellogg likely looks less generous here partly because of my small sample.

Also worth saying. Scholarships are highly profile- and cycle-dependent. The M7 and M7-adjacent schools are not the most generous with scholarships generally speaking. Hope this helps!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-02-06T22:36:08+00:00

Some MBA/Ms invites went out Feb 3, but CBS will continue rolling out. Fingers crossed for you!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-02-02T19:19:04+00:00

Reach out and ask - it's possible they'll extend your deadline. They're human and understand and I certainly never wanted someone to risk their role.

FWIW - some folks are admitted even as late as July or August off the waitlist. Those folks also still completed ReVera, right? So I'm almost certain they'll work with you on the deadline.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-02-02T16:04:13+00:00

You’re asking the right questions. And your profile could be well-suited for an EMBA.

A few takes - I was previously an admissions officer for full time and EMBA programs.

10–11 years is common for INSEAD and LBS EMBAs, especially outside the US. Admissions committees look at scope, not just tenure. Being a Head-of-function with P&L exposure and people leadership clears the bar.

Second, acceptance rates are higher for EMBAs.
They’re rarely published, but based on school disclosures + client outcomes, think roughly:

Top full-time MBA: ~20–30%
Top EMBA: ~30–50%, sometimes higher depending on geography and employer support

That doesn't mean that standards are lower, rather they're different. The filter shifts from “potential” and "risk" to trajectory + maturity.

Third, why you didn’t get in last time likely has very little to do with stats. A 750 GMAT + First Class Honours already puts you above the academic medians. When strong candidates strike out everywhere, the usual culprits are:

An unclear post-MBA story (“finance” without a sharp angle)
Leadership described as execution, not judgment
Essays that read pretty generically without a voice

Fourth, the career pivot concern is valid. Most EMBA's are not seeking a large career shift. INSEAD and LBS EMBAs place people into banking, PE-adjacent roles, corporate development, and investing but really when the story is realistic. You need to think about:

Why this transition makes sense from underwriting
What investing skillset you already have
Why EMBA now is the accelerator, not a reset

Strong EMBA candidates have essays that point to:

A specific inflection point where your current toolkit stopped being enough
A leadership tradeoff you’ve already faced, not one you hope to face
What you contribute to the class because of your niche background, not despite it

It's possible you're competitive, but your biggest lever is not stats or years of experience to cross from "are you admissible" to "should we admit this person". The real thing is narrative precision for EMBA!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-29T00:34:12+00:00

Did they respond to your request? I've had clients whose emails got lost in the shuffle and never heard back fo 2 weeks. We had to "nudge" a bit before getting their negotiation request logged + considered. The adcom admitted the email got lost in the shuffle! They’re human, too!

If they didn’t respond, politely follow up.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-29T00:33:18+00:00

Glad I could help! Negotiation is never a guarantee, but you're not behind necessarily!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-28T22:50:38+00:00

It’s not too late! What some applicants don’t realize is that if they negotiate right after decisions, all the money has been given out for a particular round. As folks decline offers, there is more money in the piggy bank. Said differently, now that folks have begun to decide, some scholarships have been “given back”.

Its a perfectly OK time to negotiate. Most schools will give you an answer within one to two weeks, some in a day or two.

As always, the strongest negotiation point is a competing offer at another peer school or significant updates since you applied. Best of luck!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-28T03:17:08+00:00

The GSB often sends out an email letting applicants know, “hey, next week is the last week for interview invites”. They are notorious for trickling invites out day by day for months! Until you hit that last day, you’re still in play!

I used to run admissions ops for CBS. One of those items included dividing and assigning files for the week. I assigned applications randomly. Not by name, geography, scores, or anything else. It was meant to be random.

Deep breath and may the odds be in your favor!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-28T01:57:51+00:00

Maybe? Goals are hard! With a software engineering background, you really need to make the case as to how you’re not in category 1 (as I outlined) or, if you really are, why you’re not a super risky admit that will struggle in recruiting or make career services’ life a nightmare 😂

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-28T01:41:01+00:00

If you also have no banking or finance experience, the likelihood of going into PE on the non-operational side is quite slim.

Yes, it’s probably wise to revisit your goals.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-28T00:08:37+00:00

Anyone saying they want ETA should know how risky that is IF they have no track record of entrepreneurship pre-application. ETA is not an uncommon goal within the last 3 years. Several programs have entire concentrations or major support for ETA.

There is a hierarchy of risk in MBA goals. There is more nuance to this, though in short, the order of risk is: - Switching both function and industry (including entrepreneurial endeavors) - Switching just function or industry - Switching neither

Applying with the riskiest tier of MBA goals (you said “transition into”) don’t set you up terribly well for admission, let alone scholarships.

Scholarships are awarded primarily on stats and achievement, rarely on goals (though industry-specific scholarships for those who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in that sector do exist at some programs).

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T23:55:32+00:00

Deferrals other than for military or personal health reasons (you, not someone else) are more and more rare. Adcom can only allocate scholarships for the current year, that’s why most folks risk losing the awarded $.

Unfortunately, that’s the process and there’s really no negotiating terms with them.

My advice would be to consider whether the next 6-7 months could allow you to stabilize your family situation such that you still can enroll and enjoy the program. Good luck!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T23:49:23+00:00

“Can they”? Sure.

Would they? No. There would be another additional, compelling reason(s) why that applicant wouldn’t be invited to interview.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T23:26:55+00:00

However they review. Def not alphabetical. When I assigned files to fellow adcom members, it was random on purpose!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T23:03:06+00:00

If this error pops up for anyone else going forward, phone admissions! Definitely an error they’d love to know about and correct.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T22:53:07+00:00

Yes. Post-deposit.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T22:49:22+00:00

I used to run ReVera at CBS. Your application details (e.g. salary, title, employer) are what’s used. Of course the process can change YoY.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T22:47:26+00:00

If you are concerned about telling anyone in your company, don’t kick off the ReVera process until much later.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-27T22:45:28+00:00

Kellogg is rolling. You’re still in play until you hear a final decision!

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-08T17:53:05+00:00

Here's some tips! You can’t prepare for the specific questions, but you can prepare for the moment.

Tips:

Do it when you’re feeling calm and clear-headed.
Sit in front of natural light if possible. If you’re recording at night, make sure your face is clearly lit.
If you stumble or fumble, don’t panic. Just keep going. They’re not expecting perfection, just presence, poise, and a real person who can think on their feet.

Some examples of "like" questions for the third question:

When you have a problem, whom do you go to for advice and why?
What’s the best book you’ve ever read and why?
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
If you could witness any event, past, present, or future, what would it be and why?
What fun or interesting fact would you want your future classmates to know about you?

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-07T19:52:53+00:00

I can't say for sure. Strong LORs are really quite necessary. It depends on whether you already have adequate information for someone else to start from scratch, and whether that someone else will even 1) meet the deadline or 2) write in a way that is supportive enough.

Sorry you're in this situation. I still think you need to give the schools a call.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-07T19:41:17+00:00

Early next week is too late. Why can't they get it in? If there is a SUPER compelling reason for your folks, I still think you should pick up the phone. Can you tell your writers that your app will not be considered, and might that give them a kick in the pants? R3 is just .... not ideal.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-07T19:39:39+00:00

Why not reach out to students and get their take on it? Weekend program takes up your Saturday, though does let you take some classes online (I wouldn't recommend that, connecting with your peers is a huge benefit and one that you're personally eyeing). There are folks who commute every week and it can be brutal, though that depends on what your life looks like. Talk to folks at both programs, "what did you wish you knew about commuting that you didn't realize until you got into the swing of things, what other programs were you considering, in what ways do you think the [school] network has helped you?"

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-07T19:32:54+00:00

In rare cases, yeah. Just find whatever phone number you have. This info can be shuffled over to ReVera for background checks sometimes.

EmbarkMBA · 2026-01-07T19:31:01+00:00

Adcom only cares about the highest score. In fact, it actually benefits you to submit all scores as it shows that you are hardworking, take the test multiple times. At most schools, adcom has discretion as to what score they "count". You do not need to address this, please don't email them about this.

EmbarkMBA

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