MBA Crystal Ball in the News
The global recognition and reputation enjoyed by MBA Crystal Ball (MCB) as the world’s best MBA admissions consultants goes beyond our client success stories. For many years, we have been featured in the most prestigious publications and referenced by the elite universities and business schools.
Since 2010, we continue to be quoted by respected media outlets showcasing our deep insights and analysis of global trends in higher education. And it’s all editorial content, as opposed to paid promotion. No other MBA admissions consulting team in India has achieved as much media exposure, credit and respect from neutral, independent journalists and industry observers.
As it would be impractical to cover them all, we’re listing a few notable media mentions, with links to the original article and short snippets from it.
MCB in the international media
Poets & Quants | November 25, 2014
Consultants Hype MBA Scholarship Cash
By Ethan Baron
Sameer Kamat, founder of admissions consulting firm MBA Crystal Ball and author of Beyond the MBA Hype: A Guide to Understanding and Surviving B-Schools, took a client’s success story and combined it with a photo of the fortunate man in front of the Statue of Liberty, to market Crystal Ball’s scholarship-facilitation services. “The green lady you see in the background has been trying hard to woo Abinesh,” says Kamat’s text below the photo of Abinesh Nimalan. “She made multiple offers he couldn’t resist. One was worth $40,000 and another that was over $100,000.”
Kamat’s introduction of Nimalan is followed by a blog post by the MBA candidate himself, who explains that Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business had offered him the $40,000 scholarship, but he also received a full-tuition offer from The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. “After discussing with Sameer I eventually decided to take up the Kenan-Flagler admit,” Nimalan writes.
Forbes | April 03, 2018
Why Simone Biles Chose An Online College Over UCLA
By Dr. Aviva Legatt
While recognizing the role of online programs in increasing access, Sameer Kamat, Founder of MBA Crystal Ball takes a conservative view in recommending them, particularly for those who are looking for a career change. “It’s important for universities to be transparent and honest about the limitations of online degrees.” Kamat notes MBA applicants value employability more so than any other factor when choosing an MBA program, followed by an elite brand.
BusinessBecause by GMAC | July 29, 2019
5 Reasons Why You Should Consider An MBA In India
By Cara Skikne
Manish Gupta, Chief Consulting Officer at MBA Crystal Ball, notes that international students have an opportunity to access world-class education in India and a competitive advantage in the application process.
MBA Crystal Ball’s Manish, however, warns students from outside of India that they’ll have to be proactive. “There are not established career paths available for international candidates,” Manish says. “Traditionally, these candidates need to create their own path. The corporate companies are not very cosmopolitan when it comes to hiring international candidates out of business schools.
“However, the cultural and learning experience is phenomenal,” he continues. “The question is how you will leverage your experience in India or back home.”
mba.com by GMAC | March 26, 2021
What Do Biden’s Immigration Changes Mean for Indian MBA Applicants?
By Simon Lovick
Manish Gupta, chief consulting officer at MBA Crystal Ball, expects the most likely policy will see a reinstatement of the H-1B, without granting work authorization for spouses—”A move that is highly cheered and valued by prospective Indian applicants,” he says.
Fortune | April 24, 2021
How to craft your B-school application essays
By Preston Fore, Mary Lowengard and Jasmine Suarez
Sameer Kamat, the founder of MBA Crystal Ball, says if prospective students follow five best practices, they will be able to craft a successful application:
- Introspection: Understand yourself first: who you are, what you stand for, what your goals are, what you lack, what you are good at.
- Understand the essay prompts: Even if you write an impressive essay, if you miss what the prompt is asking, that can be a major turnoff to admission officers.
- Demonstrate the fit with the MBA program: Find what makes each business school unique and how you can contribute to that.
- Stick to the word count: Do more with less. It’ll make you more memorable. Short stories are remembered more easily than long ones.
- Add a little X factor to it: This could be an interesting or unusual accomplishment from your career. Or an event from your life that contributed to who you are today.
Fortune | April 28, 2021
Does it matter to employers where I earned my MBA?
By Preston Fore, Sydney Lake and Jasmine Suarez
“There are MBA roles in some industries where pedigree is a non-negotiable factor,” says Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, an MBA admissions consulting firm. “Think elite management consulting, investment banking, private equity. This is why these industries have their favorite hunting grounds to recruit fresh talent.”
In management consulting, a student’s alma mater may matter even greater than a student’s experience prior to their MBA, Kamat adds.
Poets & Quants | May 19, 2021
GMAT Versus GRE: Don’t Stick A Fork In The GMAT Just Yet
By Marc Ethier
In MBA Crystal Ball’s LinkedIn and YouTube poll of more than 3,000 respondents, 21.2% voted in favor of GRE, while 78.7% gave GMAT the thumbs up. In other words, 4 out of 5 applicants expressed a preference for GMAT over GRE.
“I was a bit surprised,” Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, tells P&Q. “I was expecting a bigger share for GRE, possibly in the 30%-40% range.”
yahoo!finance | July 2, 2021
More Evidence That The MBA’s Future Remains Bright
By Marc Ethier
In its latest online poll, consultancy MBA Crystal Ball found overwhelming preference for the MBA over specialized master’s alternatives. Asking simply, “In the post-Covid-19 world, which degree will be the most valued?” the admissions consulting firm found 59% support for the MBA compared to just 31% support for other business master’s degrees out of more than 3,300 responses on LinkedIn and YouTube.
Fortune | July 16, 2021
Is it possible to transfer to a top MBA program?
By Sydney Lake and Jasmine Suarez
Most schools, including the M7 (Harvard Business School, Stanford University, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Columbia University), will not accept credit transfers, says Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, an admissions consultancy. For example, at Kellogg, all MBA candidates (even those who are attempting to transfer) must go through the normal application process.
“While I know folks who’ve done this, it’s still pretty uncommon,” says Kamat, who also authored Beyond the MBA Hype. “Jumping ship means you lose out on all that you’ve invested, built, and earned.” This includes time, fees, friendships, credits, and student club positions, he adds.
Fortune | November 17, 2021
Employability, job security, and hefty paychecks. Does an MBA still guarantee that?
By Sydney Lake and Jasmine Suarez
GMAC’s study shows that 87% of business school alumni agree that their degree increased their employability, which Sameer Kamat says reflects employment data from top business schools. He’s the author of Beyond the MBA Hype and founder of MBA Crystal Ball, an admissions consulting firm.
To prepare students for any blips, Kamat spends time challenging his admissions consulting clients’ post-MBA goals and long-term career plans, he says. “This has less to do with impressing admission officers and more to ensure that the candidates don’t end up disappointed later,” he adds.
mba.com by GMAC | February 7, 2022
Why Top Business Schools Admit Mostly GMAT™ Applicants
By Shannon Cook
Candidates, by and large, prefer to submit a GMAT score when applying to business school. A recent poll by admissions consultancy MBA Crystal Ball found that 4 in 5 business school candidates think the GMAT exam is the better choice for business school admissions.
Fortune | March 14, 2022
The shocking salary packages getting hauled in by Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton MBAs
By Sydney Lake and Jasmine Suarez
“As a general rule of thumb, the compensation at the elite schools tends to be higher than the lower-tier schools,” Sameer Kamat, author of Beyond the MBA Hype and founder of MBA Crystal Ball, tells Fortune. “This trend has been consistent over the years.”
Kamat reminds prospective business school candidates that these high salary figures are heavily influenced by industries and companies that recruit from top business schools.
“Finance—in its myriad flavors including investment banking, [private equity], [venture capital], etc—and consulting take up the lion’s share at the elite programs,” he says. “This skews the median salary numbers quite a bit. It sure helps to graduate from a feeder program if the MBA student is keen to enter these sectors.”
While salaries at Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton may appear to be high, Kamat also reminds business school hopefuls to compare their pre-MBA salary to what they could be earning after their degree.
“Students at the super-elite programs were already earning pretty good salaries before heading to school,” he says. “So their median salary after graduation may seem impressive in absolute terms, but in relative terms, not so much.”
“For MBA candidates who aren’t able to get the high-paying jobs, it may get difficult to justify the school’s high fees,” Kamat adds.
Fortune | May 17, 2022
Best MBA programs if you want to get poached by Apple or Google
By Sydney Lake and Jasmine Suarez
“When it comes to tech recruitment, today’s market leaders in tech—including Apple and Google—have designed grueling recruitment processes to filter out the best of the breed,” Sameer Kamat, author of Beyond the MBA Hype and founder of MBA Crystal Ball, tells Fortune. “In fact, the selectivity rates at these firms could rival and surpass the top universities.”
“Many might assume that MBA grads only get into tech-oriented roles such as product management in tech companies such as Google and Apple,” Kamat says. “Leading tech companies recruit MBA grads for the entire gamut of internal- and external-facing roles such as marketing, strategy, accounting, finance, recruitment, operations, and partnerships.”
Poets & Quants | October 11, 2022
Are MBAs Arrogant, Overpaid, and Worthless?
By Greg Yang
Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, recently delved into some of these stereotypes and asked experts for their thoughts on whether they think MBAs are arrogant, worthless, and overpaid.
“Some wonder how MBAs, who have huge loan burdens, can be arrogant and annoying instead of being humble and pleasing,” Kamat says. “Some others feel that MBAs ‘have no idea what they are talking about, most of the time.’ MBAs’ most bitter critics believe b-school graduates are colder than most people, and carry an attitude of ‘That’s business, like it or lump it,’ to justify themselves.”
mba.com by GMAC | May 4, 2023
How To Get a Letter Of Recommendation For Business School
By Shannon Cook
Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, says: “Instead of looking at the resume, essays and reference letters as standalone components, thinking of them as pieces of a bigger jigsaw puzzle can help. This would help the applicant plan the entire application in advance, instead of assuming that a sharp and coherent picture will appear magically at the end.”
Forbes | Nov 27, 2023
UK Visa Shift Creates Rare Chance For MBA Hopefuls Without Dependents
By Dr. Marlena Corcoran
This point is confirmed by Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball in Mumbai, in email correspondence. “Among our clients,” he said, “the majority are single and not affected by the change. However, the married ones who had planned to take their families along are disappointed. Some change their plans and decide to explore business schools in their home country.”
Kamat recalls his own experience: “As an older, married MBA applicant, I chose the U.K. over other countries as it was not just mature-student friendly, but also family-friendly. The gruelling Cambridge MBA experience remains etched in memory thanks to the moral and emotional support I got from my wife and daughter.”
Kamat hopes for a more nuanced solution. “Instead of forcing strong applicants to choose between education and family,” he said, “I hope the U.K. reconsiders the decision and looks at less punitive alternatives to attract international talent, while ensuring that the visa process isn’t abused.”
Fortune | Updated July 24, 2024
MBA versus master’s in finance: What’s the difference?
By Preston Fore
For those people seeking to further their career in finance through graduate school, there are plenty of options. Prospective students who’ve narrowed their choice to an MBA or a master’s in finance (sometimes referred to as MFin) might wonder: “Which is better?”
“In short, one is a Swiss knife while the other is a highly sharpened ax. Both have their utility, so one isn’t necessarily better than the other,” says Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, an MBA admissions consulting firm.
“The MBA goes a mile wide and an inch deep for students who are hoping to get into management roles. In contrast, the MFin goes an inch wide and a mile deep,” Kamat adds. “It’s an excellent option for professionals who view finance as a long-term career option.”
BusinessBecause by GMAC | September 6, 2024
Indian Business Schools Impress In Expanded LinkedIn MBA Ranking
By Fay Nyberg
Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, author of Beyond The MBA Hype, and creator of the Mini MBA, gave his thoughts LinkedIn’s Top MBA ranking.
“My first reaction, when LinkedIn came out with its first ranking last year, was—do we really need another ranking? It was only focused on American programs then, limiting its utility for folks who were hoping to use it to discover good programs in other countries.”
Fortune | Updated September 30, 2024
4 MBA admissions trends programs are experiencing right now
By Preston Fore
“The silver lining is that companies haven’t been taken over by AI and robots, so we can expect traditional MBA recruiters to continue hiring capable human-managers to keep the wheels of the juggernaut turning. But regardless of whether students choose the traditional degree or its online avatar, it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on the (return on investment),” says Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, an MBA admissions consulting firm.
yahoo!finance | September 21, 2025
The $100K Visa Fee That Could Redefine U.S. Business Education
By Marc Ethier
“This just dropped from the skies when we were sleeping,” writes Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, in a LinkedIn post reacting to the news. “Here’s what it means, and what you can do about it: The company applying for your H‑1B will have to shell out an additional 88 lakhs [in Indian rupees], and then there are legal costs, procedural hassles.”
BusinessBecause by GMAC | August 8, 2025
How Do I Start My Business School Application?
By Molly Baker
“Having career and goal clarity is step zero,” says Manish Gupta, chief consulting officer at admissions consulting firm, MBA Crystal Ball. “You cannot board a flight without deciding on the destination. Many candidates apply with a vague idea of their career goals and end up having to hustle when they end up at b-school.”
MCB in the Indian media
A quick search will bring up articles published by mainstream Indian newspapers and business publications, including the following.
If you are a journalist or media representative looking for quotes for MBA or business education related articles, reach out to us: contact@mbacrystalball.com