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Sep 1609:00 AM PDT
-10:00 AM PDT
What’s in it for you - Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with Jenifer Turtschanow, CEO, ARINGO. Come with your details prepared and ARINGO will share insights! Pre-MBA Role/Industry, YOE, Exam Score, C/GPA, ECs Post-MBA Role/ Industry & School List.
Sep 1612:00 PM PDT
-01:00 PM PDT
Grab your favorite beverage and spend time chatting with Melissa Rapp, Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions, and Brian Mitchell, Associate Dean of the Full-Time MBA Program. The topic for this Coffee Chat is Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Sep 1710:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Relationships Matter Here and Careers With Purpose kept their 200-word prompts unchanged. Susan Berishaj, founder of Sia Admissions, breaks down what the shift reveals about this cycle's evaluation priorities on Thursday, September 17th
Sep 1712:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
Virtual Roundtable Discussions connect you with prospective students, admissions team members, and student ambassadors. Ask questions, explore the student experience and life in Bloomington, and learn about the MBA program, Kelley culture, and admissions.
Sep 1708:30 PM UTC -05:30
-09:30 PM UTC -05:30
We’ll discuss how top programs in these regions differ in terms of career opportunities, international exposure, location, and post-MBA prospects, and what applicants should consider when building a well-balanced global MBA shortlist.
Sep 1806:00 PM PDT
-07:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
Starting something while holding a full-time job, watching it fail, and then wondering whether any of it counts: that tension is exactly what makes this experience worth surfacing, not hiding.
- The core question is not "did I own it legally" but "did I build it, run it, make decisions in it." Adcoms are reading for evidence of founder-level thinking: what you built, what broke, what you learned. The C Corp being in your father's name is a structural detail, not a disqualifier, as long as your description of the role is accurate and you can speak to the substance in an interview.
- Be precise about how you describe yourself. "Co-founder" or "operator" is defensible if that reflects your actual involvement; "founder" requires that you can explain the legal structure honestly if asked. The risk is not the structure itself but any description that overstates ownership if the verification process surfaces it.
- On verification: Kellogg, like most programs, relies primarily on what you submit, employment records, and what emerges in the interview. They do not typically run independent company-registry checks, but anything you state should hold up if a sharp interviewer asks "walk me through who owned the equity and why."
- The failure is an asset here. A startup that ran, hit a wall, and shut down cleanly in under two years is a credible entrepreneurial data point, particularly if you can name what broke and what you would change.
One thing to do today: write three sentences explaining what the startup did, what your actual weekly responsibilities were, and what caused it to close. That draft will tell you immediately whether you have a "founder" story or a "key operator" story, and that distinction should drive how you frame it.
DM us for any further queries
_________________
- The core question is not "did I own it legally" but "did I build it, run it, make decisions in it." Adcoms are reading for evidence of founder-level thinking: what you built, what broke, what you learned. The C Corp being in your father's name is a structural detail, not a disqualifier, as long as your description of the role is accurate and you can speak to the substance in an interview.
- Be precise about how you describe yourself. "Co-founder" or "operator" is defensible if that reflects your actual involvement; "founder" requires that you can explain the legal structure honestly if asked. The risk is not the structure itself but any description that overstates ownership if the verification process surfaces it.
- On verification: Kellogg, like most programs, relies primarily on what you submit, employment records, and what emerges in the interview. They do not typically run independent company-registry checks, but anything you state should hold up if a sharp interviewer asks "walk me through who owned the equity and why."
- The failure is an asset here. A startup that ran, hit a wall, and shut down cleanly in under two years is a credible entrepreneurial data point, particularly if you can name what broke and what you would change.
One thing to do today: write three sentences explaining what the startup did, what your actual weekly responsibilities were, and what caused it to close. That draft will tell you immediately whether you have a "founder" story or a "key operator" story, and that distinction should drive how you frame it.
DM us for any further queries
Sunny3897
_________________
Poets&Quants Global Top 10 MBA Admissions Consultant (2023, 2024, 2025) | M7, INSEAD, LBS & ISB Expert | 18+ Years in MBA Admissions | 15 Years of helping applicants on GMAT Club
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
Schools: Alberta'26 (S)
Posts: 5
I wanted to understand, if the work experience is counted at the time of application or at the time of joining, also how is it ensured that the after receiving the offer the candidate was still employed ?
at the time of joining
background check post u get admitted
background check post u get admitted
Schools: Alberta'26 (S)
Posts: 5
Quote:
What other things are covered in the background check?
And is the candidate required to bring these proofs, or they run their own checks
Quote:
u submit then ur company’s HR also supports in verifying for the school
so dont do anything funny/crazy
Posts: 9
Quote:
Hey I have a question. If I left a job to build my own service business, will the school reach out to my clients as part of background check?
Quote:
Have replied on DM.
Hi. Since I work for my family business—more like a solo entrepreneur alongside my parents not a registered company, how would they verify it?
Quote:
Verification depends from school to school, so I can’t speak for every school’s process. But from what I know from the last cycle, a T12 reached out to the previous HR team of a candidate’s company and also verified the work details through one of their clients.
The exact method may vary by school, but what I can say with confidence is that schools do verify the information in one way or another. So it is always better to be accurate and consistent with whatever you mention in your application.
Hello everyone,
Please join me in welcoming WA@olo7248 as the forum moderator for Kellogg.
They will be your go-to person for queries related to Kellogg admissions process, application updates, essays, deadlines, interview experiences, and general applicant discussions.
They will also help moderate this forum by keeping discussions organized, removing spam, warning troublemakers when needed, and ensuring that this space remains useful, respectful, and focused for all applicants.
Please feel free to tag or reach out whenever you need help, guidance, or support during your Kellogg application journey.
Please join me in welcoming WA@olo7248 as the forum moderator for Kellogg.
They will be your go-to person for queries related to Kellogg admissions process, application updates, essays, deadlines, interview experiences, and general applicant discussions.
They will also help moderate this forum by keeping discussions organized, removing spam, warning troublemakers when needed, and ensuring that this space remains useful, respectful, and focused for all applicants.
Please feel free to tag or reach out whenever you need help, guidance, or support during your Kellogg application journey.
Posts: 41,614
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Posts: 3,048
kaelafinegan
You will get the Kira Video link after you submit the application
Kellogg has been asking students to videos for many years. Earlier it used to be a set of pre-defined 3 questions mainly about why MBA, why Kellogg, career goals etc. Then they made questions appear only at the time of starting videos, to bring out more spontaneous answers. Till last year there were 3 videos. This year main change is increase in the number of video questions. So you can expect more questions about leadership, teamwork, achievements, strengths/weakness and more questions that are usually asked in the MBA interviews. The timed videos also check your mental clarity and ability to communicate succinctly but impactfully. The skills greatly needed in an MBA classroom!
Here our expert tips on recording your videos
https://vibranture.com/articles/mba-app ... o-tips.htm
For personal guidance for your MBA application, connect with me here
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shea-rai-vibranture
Here our expert tips on recording your videos
https://vibranture.com/articles/mba-app ... o-tips.htm
For personal guidance for your MBA application, connect with me here
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shea-rai-vibranture
Posts: 41,614
This post came through our private GMAT Club WhatsApp Group.
Join the WhatsApp Community or Log in to view the full message.
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Quote:
Hey! So quick answer it's the **same application portal** for all Kellogg's full-time programs, but you can only apply to **one program per year**
For MBAi specifically, you just pick it as your program when applying, and there's one extra essay required:
Describe firsthand experience with the disconnect between business and tech and how MBAi will prepare you 450 words
You can also name an alternate program if you want, just needs a short paragraph explaining why.
Quick note on what MBAi actually is - it's a joint degree with McCormick (Northwestern's engineering school), 1.5 years, mixes AI/tech courses with business core, ends with a summer internship + industry capstone. Great fit if you're already technical and want to lean into AI/product roles.
Class profile (Class of 2027, most recent):
• GPA avg: 3.68 (range 2.7–4.0)
• GMAT avg: 733 / GMAT Focus: 687
• GRE: 162 Q / 162 V
• Work ex: ~5.1 yrs avg
• Background: 49% econ/business, 41% STEM, 21% humanities
• Industries: 32% consulting, 24% fin services, 15% tech, 6% health, 5% military
• 37% international
Also the MBAi-specific cohort stats separately, they don't always publish those as broadly as the overall MBA numbers 🙂
The worry underneath your question is a fair one: because the business is unregistered and you run it alongside your parents rather than holding a formal title, you are afraid an adcom will either doubt it or be unable to confirm it. The verification piece is the smaller half of that, and the piece you did not ask about is the one that actually decides how you read.
- On the mechanics: most schools run employment checks through third-party verifiers, and for self-employed or family-business candidates they expect alternative proof rather than an HR letter, so start assembling tax filings, bank statements, any GST or local registration, and a letter from your accountant now.
_________________
- On the mechanics: most schools run employment checks through third-party verifiers, and for self-employed or family-business candidates they expect alternative proof rather than an HR letter, so start assembling tax filings, bank statements, any GST or local registration, and a letter from your accountant now.
Fluffyyyy
_________________
Poets&Quants Global Top 10 MBA Admissions Consultant (2023, 2024, 2025) | M7, INSEAD, LBS & ISB Expert | 18+ Years in MBA Admissions | 15 Years of helping applicants on GMAT Club
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
Good question to ask early, because the MBAi is not just the regular Kellogg MBA with an AI elective bolted on, and treating it that way is where most people go wrong.
- The MBAi is a dedicated full-time program co-created by Kellogg and Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, so you are getting genuine engineering and machine-learning coursework woven into the core MBA, not a business degree that merely talks about AI from a distance.
- On your first question: it runs as its own distinct program with its own application inside Kellogg's system, so you apply to the MBAi directly rather than routing through the standard two-year Full-Time MBA app; since these details do shift, we would confirm the current format and requirements on Kellogg's official MBAi admissions page before you build your plan around it.
- What tends to matter most for MBAi is a credible reason you sit at the business-plus-technical seam, so a data, product, engineering, or analytics thread in your background carries real weight here.
_________________
- The MBAi is a dedicated full-time program co-created by Kellogg and Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, so you are getting genuine engineering and machine-learning coursework woven into the core MBA, not a business degree that merely talks about AI from a distance.
- On your first question: it runs as its own distinct program with its own application inside Kellogg's system, so you apply to the MBAi directly rather than routing through the standard two-year Full-Time MBA app; since these details do shift, we would confirm the current format and requirements on Kellogg's official MBAi admissions page before you build your plan around it.
- What tends to matter most for MBAi is a credible reason you sit at the business-plus-technical seam, so a data, product, engineering, or analytics thread in your background carries real weight here.
WA@njx7727
_________________
Poets&Quants Global Top 10 MBA Admissions Consultant (2023, 2024, 2025) | M7, INSEAD, LBS & ISB Expert | 18+ Years in MBA Admissions | 15 Years of helping applicants on GMAT Club
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
The question you asked is whether an admissions office will phone your clients; the sharper one, and the one worth solving now, is whether the stretch you spent building this service business will verify cleanly and read as a genuine venture rather than a gap someone is papering over.
- Most schools hand verification to a third-party firm, and for a self-employed founder those firms lean on documents (business registration, tax or bank proof that the business actually traded, a couple of contracts or invoices) far more than on cold-calling the people you served, so the client phone call you are picturing is the less likely path.
- Where clients tend to enter is as references you nominate, which means you stay in control of who speaks to your work rather than a stranger dialing your customer list.
- Do this within the week, while records are fresh: build a small verification folder (incorporation papers, one or two client engagement letters, proof of revenue) so that if a check comes you hand it over in a day instead of scrambling.
Handle the paperwork calmly and put your energy into the story: told well, leaving a job to build something is a strength.
_________________
- Most schools hand verification to a third-party firm, and for a self-employed founder those firms lean on documents (business registration, tax or bank proof that the business actually traded, a couple of contracts or invoices) far more than on cold-calling the people you served, so the client phone call you are picturing is the less likely path.
- Where clients tend to enter is as references you nominate, which means you stay in control of who speaks to your work rather than a stranger dialing your customer list.
- Do this within the week, while records are fresh: build a small verification folder (incorporation papers, one or two client engagement letters, proof of revenue) so that if a check comes you hand it over in a day instead of scrambling.
Handle the paperwork calmly and put your energy into the story: told well, leaving a job to build something is a strength.
ishikamadaan
_________________
Poets&Quants Global Top 10 MBA Admissions Consultant (2023, 2024, 2025) | M7, INSEAD, LBS & ISB Expert | 18+ Years in MBA Admissions | 15 Years of helping applicants on GMAT Club
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
Get a Free MBA Profile Evaluation: http://www.gyanone.com/registration/
If you’re applying to Kellogg this Round 1, remember that the Round 1 deadline is September 9, 2026.
The weeks leading up to the deadline are a great time to focus on more than just your test score. Refine your resume, start drafting your essays, connect with your recommenders, and make sure your application presents a clear and consistent story.
We’re hosting a Live Session on, "How to Prepare a Perfect Application for Round 1 in 50 Days," where we’ll share a practical roadmap to help applicants stay organized and make the most of the time before the deadline.
Date: 17th July 2026
Time: 08:30 PM IST | 08:00 AM PDT
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE SESSION
_________________
The weeks leading up to the deadline are a great time to focus on more than just your test score. Refine your resume, start drafting your essays, connect with your recommenders, and make sure your application presents a clear and consistent story.
We’re hosting a Live Session on, "How to Prepare a Perfect Application for Round 1 in 50 Days," where we’ll share a practical roadmap to help applicants stay organized and make the most of the time before the deadline.
Date: 17th July 2026
Time: 08:30 PM IST | 08:00 AM PDT
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE SESSION
_________________
Posts: 41,614
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Join the WhatsApp Community or Log in to view the full message.
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