Matt McDonnell, MBA Admissions Consultant
Matt McDonnell has wide-ranging experience as an MBA admissions consultant, a nonprofit and corporate executive, and a Tuck MBA interviewer. Perhaps even more impressive: he submitted 37 graduate school applications and was interviewed 52 times by MBA and PhD programs.
As an MBA admissions consultant, Matt’s magic comes from the fact that he knows EXACTLY what it feels like to suffer through the graduate school application process. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Denver, Matt worked at a successful nonprofit startup and ran his own real estate investment firm before embarking on an MBA application process that spanned three admissions seasons and 14 applications. Matt was admitted to several top-tier programs, and ultimately earned his MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business after briefly attending Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
While at Tuck, Matt conducted nearly 50 admissions interviews as an Admissions Associate. During that process, he met plenty of marginal candidates who were admitted thanks to their ability to clearly communicate a compelling personal story – and he met plenty of “better” candidates who were rejected because they failed to deliver a compelling reason for applying to a specific MBA program. As he interviewed Tuck applicants, he also quickly became an expert in helping candidates understand what NOT to do in an MBA interview.
While at Tuck, Matt recruited successfully for post-MBA roles in management consulting, asset management, and brand marketing. After working for a pair of Fortune 500 companies and an asset management firm, Matt decided to torment himself with more business school applications. This time, he applied to over 20 PhD programs and interviewed dozens of times, gaining admission to several Ivy League programs.
The final score: in four different admissions cycles, Matt applied to 37 MBA and PhD programs, and was interviewed 52 times.
Matt has served as an MBA admissions consultant since 2018. In addition to his one-of-a-kind understanding of what it truly feels like to be an MBA applicant, Matt’s wide-ranging professional experience makes him a particularly outstanding guide for students who are struggling to articulate their post-MBA career goals.
When he isn’t busy helping his clients land admissions letters and fat scholarship packages, Matt works in financial planning and portfolio construction. He is an avid reader of historical nonfiction, watcher of football and hockey, player of a wicked air guitar, and taxi-driver for his two grade-school kids. Although he works with clients from around the globe, Matt and his family call the Denver, Colorado area home.