Latest / Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast / Episode 517: Admissions Director Q&A with Willie Green of UVA Darden

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Episode 517: Admissions Director Q&A with Willie Green of UVA Darden · Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

• 0:16
  Speaker A: Welcome to the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. I'm your host, Graham Richmond, and this special episode is part of our Admissions Director Q and A series today. I'm delighted to welcome Willie Green, the Senior Assistant Dean for Admissions at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Willie joined Darden in May of this year and in his role he manages a team of admissions officers and staff for the full time, part time and executive mba, the Future Year Scholars Program, the Master of Science in business analytics, and PhD programs in both Charlottesville and Rosslyn, Virginia. Willy has over 15 years of experience in leadership roles at the University of Virginia, Duke University, Amazon and Google, and he brings a unique blend of experience across talent recruitment, higher education and technology. Willie has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Welcome to the Clear Admit podcast. Willie, it's great to have you.
• 1:12
  Speaker B: I'm very, very excited to be here. Graham. Great. Great to be here.
• 1:16
  Speaker A: Yeah. So I gave a little bit of a bio, but as I always like to do, just if you would like tell me a little bit about the path that led you to this current role and yeah, if you would shed some light on that, I'm happy to
• 1:27
  Speaker B: because there's a lot more color behind that bio. That sounds great, but as you know, there's always a story and some pivots.
• 1:36
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 1:36
  Speaker B: And so I'm from New York and New Jersey and so I grew up through birth to middle school in good old New York City up in Washington Heights and Inwood at the very top of Manhattan.
• 1:48
  Speaker A: Nice.
• 1:49
  Speaker B: And then we moved to Union County, New Jersey, where I went to middle school and high school and then went to college at Michigan where I wanted to get a little bit far away from home and really dive into psychology and enjoyed my time there a great deal. Returned to New Jersey at the time trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I thought it was going to be health management policy. So I joined insurance company doing disability claims insurance. Quickly learned I didn't love insurance, but I loved the evaluation part of the work and doing claims. And so that kind of sat in the back of my head. But at the time I really was thinking like, I need something that be more fulfilling to me. And so at the time I thought that was athletics. And so I returned to Michigan and was a rotating intern in the athletic department at Michigan for a year. And I liked it, but I still was thinking about more and I had a friend say, hey Willie, you're a Good public speaker. You have this evaluation experience, you should think about admissions. And I was like, huh, maybe I think I could do that. I think I could walk and talk about Michigan. I love my time there. And so I pursued an admissions officer role, talked to the leader of admissions there for a long time, Ted Spencer. And then I got connected with my soon to be supervisor, Erica Sanders. And I loved it. I loved every second of it. I was traveling around the middle of Michigan, connecting with people and really understanding the real motivation behind higher education and how we'll help people reach their goals. And that stuck with me as I was going around these places, like traveling to Georgia for my out of state territory, traveling to Long island for my out of state territory, and driving around places in Michigan none of my friends had ever even seen and only heard about, and understanding how important and how motivating it was for somebody to have access to education like that and what it meant for them, what it meant for their families and how it changed things for them. And so it became a bit of a calling. And at the time I'm working to figure out like, what do I want to do next? And so I joined the Fuqua School of Business at Duke. I've never been to Durham before and the environment was so welcoming. And seeing how individuals thought about business and using business to not only uplift themselves and have great careers, but really thinking about the impact that they wanted to have on other things. Life. Social entrepreneurship was a big deal then and now, but also all the other areas about where people will come from and decide, like, I want to dig into business and really have this path to have a different level of impact. And so I loved it so much. So I got my MBA there and had a couple of other roles post. And then I met my now wife and she was becoming a professor at uva. So I decided to follow her up there. And so I was with corporate relations for a good amount of time. And then the pandemic hit and for many it was time to recalibrate. And so part of that recalibration for me was what else can I do? What other kind of impact can I have in this life with this work? And I was talking to a mentor of mine who really challenged me to think about it a little differently. And I landed on talent acquisition and tech. I wanted to see if I could hack it in tech. I wanted to see what that type of organization would have in terms of what many individuals see as unlimited funds can do with this talent piece. How can it connect people Opportunity for the jobs themselves at these big sexy companies. And so I joined Amazon first working on A K through 12 program called Ahead. It was great. And then I went on to lead a talent acquisition team that touched on ads, devices and services and global media entertainment organizations and enjoyed that immensely. But during that time had a call with individual who had interviewed me for another tech company at the time about joining my dream company, Google. I thought about joining Google for more than a decade by that point and had the opportunity to lead campus outreach there. So it was merging my campus background and higher ed background with tel acquisition in tech and so had to do it. So had some great years there. Love the team. My co workers have an immense respect for all that was created there. But throughout this whole time, higher ed was kind of tugging at me still. And so I would go back to my undergrad, I'm a modern Michigan, and see people and they would kind of pull me back. I would go back to Fuqua and talk to people and do the annual events that I led in the past and had this pull keep coming back to me. And so this past fall, it rang really, really loud. And thinking about how do I want to have an impact as I continue to get older and how do I want to lead? And the opportunity to look at Darden and lead the admissions office at Darden showed itself. And it's been exciting. It was exciting to have the initial discussions about what was possible for a school with such a tremendous reputation that has had such a great impact in so many different areas and whose culture is so palpable and one that I've known because I've gotten to know many of the faculty members here and they've become friends over the years. And so being a part of this and leading and knowing that I had a great team and what was going on and the desires for where it wants to go, I was like, yeah, I want to join that. I want to be a part of that. I want to see how I can have that tremendous impact as I continue on in this life and really continuing to connect individuals and great people to opportunity to continue to make the world as a greater place as it can be.
• 8:15
  Speaker A: Yeah. So I, you know, it's funny, you talked about how behind the bio there's always a lot of, you know, pivots and turns and. But what's so interesting to me is that all these different steps that you've described, I mean, they have this threat running through them of talent, you know, evaluation and acquisition. And it's got to be at some point, I'd love to talk to you, you know, probably when we're not on the podcast here, but I'd love to know more about what that's like at Amazon and Google and in the tech world. But, you know, here you are back, you know, in higher ed and at Darden, and I'm kind of wondering, like, what is it about admissions specifically for higher ed that keeps you excited about it even today? Because, I mean, you had that early career experience with Michigan, and now you're back in with Darden. So what is it that you love about it?
• 8:57
  Speaker B: There are two parts that stand out about being in this field. It's very unique because I think you'll hear from many peers, like, yeah, nobody dreams about being in admissions. And I can arguably say that's true. But for me, I think the things that are most important is it's rare in a role to have the ability to curate a community in one place of individuals that can connect with one another and have the ability to really shape that and see what that looks like, while also working arguably, to help individuals achieve their goals. For most places, you either do on one, so counselor, therapist, leadership coach, or you're doing the other. You're building a team, you're building the organization, but you're thinking about it in very different context. And for me, the exciting part as an admissions leader is being able to do those two things at the same time. And so you can see it in the short term, and then you get to see it in the long term, too. And those things are both extremely fulfilling for me. Like, I get. And I'm very excited to do both those things, because when I walk around and see the community and how they gel with one another, it's a wonderful thing. And then when you see individuals go out and achieve their goals of becoming a CEO of an organization, of becoming a partner at a consulting firm, of going out on their own and starting their own business, of coming back and talking about the great experiences they've had about what they built, and knowing that you just had a small part in that. Those two things together are something that lights me up.
• 10:50
  Speaker A: Wow. Well said. Yeah, I think I always would marvel at the fact that at these admitted students, weekends or at orientation, you always see the admissions director or members of the admissions team hanging out. And on the one hand, you're kind of like, oh, these are the people who decided that I got into the program. But they're also there because they just want to see how it's all working and how bringing all these people together, you just articulated. So that makes a lot of sense, I guess. While we're talking about what you love and about admissions officers, what is a misconception that you think applicants have about admissions officers?
• 11:29
  Speaker B: I think they believe we have all the power and we're making these decisions in drastic isolation. And there are so many other contextual factors that are at play that are difficult to describe. And so being behind the curtain, I can share a little bit that it's timing, its profile, its personality. It could be that day of the week. It could be the market forces at play. It's so many other things that have influence. So it's not just one person saying, yes, this person is great, not great, and they hold all this power to wield and so on. There's so many other things that are influenced. And I think that goes with other aspects of what goes on in the world. It's never one thing in isolation, as I learned that and learned that about just social science in general. But it's a holistic thing. And I know people have heard that many times from admissions officers, but it's not just one thing. And so I say that to hopefully take some of the pressure off of individuals, of trying to isolate to one thing that'll get you in or get you out.
• 12:52
  Speaker A: Right.
• 12:54
  Speaker B: But understand that there is some uncertainty there on all parts, and that is part of the beauty of it.
• 13:00
  Speaker A: Yeah. I think sometimes we talk on this show a little bit about how, if you're a candidate, I think it can be helpful to think about the role of the admissions reader and the pressures that they're facing. I mean, they need to admit a class that you guys have to bring in. People who can do well in class, can survive and thrive in the curriculum. But I also think of you need to go and maybe sit down at the lunch table on campus, and maybe the head of Career services is there. So you gotta bring in students that have goals that seem like the sort of stuff that Darden can help them achieve. Right. So there are all these pressures, I think, on admissions, and sometimes candidates maybe don't take all that into account, but hopefully that helps if they can put themselves in your shoes as they think about their candidacy. You've been in this space for a while. I mean, I know you took a break kind of to go into tech and talent acquisition there. But if you look back over your time in admissions, has your thinking about admissions changed over the years? And if so, how the greater goal
• 13:57
  Speaker B: has not changed and why I came back to admissions maintains my view of it, of how important it is, has increased. The sophistication of what's going on and how dynamic it is has definitely changed. And so the view and thinking about individuals and connecting to their own goals and having a view of what that looks like for their careers is different. The way we've evaluated, some things have changed, some things have maintained. I think for us, incorporating the video essay is an example of some of the things that have changed. One of the things I'm excited about to really work to modernize this and really how people communicate, how they share, but also get a flavor of individuals as authentically as we can. So I think that's a new thing that if you told me back when I was doing admissions in 2012, we would have video essays, I thought you were crazy. But here we are 14 years later, and it's becoming more and more of a norm. And the other parts, I think, are the savviness of the applicants has changed. And I think part of that, and I give you credit in a very, very good way of providing the form of transparency, of a clear admit, to really showcase really what this thing is like. And I think that's helped applicants get a better understanding. But that does make a difference on the admissions process of being able to have that understanding that, yeah, you're dealing with some savvy applicants. So we have to present different. We have to present transparently. And I take joy in that. I think that's the thing that we should always have been doing from the beginning. And so being able to align and showcase, that has been a big difference that I'm excited about.
• 15:47
  Speaker A: Yeah. And I think, you know, it's interesting because, you know, you talk about video essays, and we recently did a series of webinars, and Christian west from your team joined us, and he was talking about the video essay. And, yeah, I think it's really fascinating how things are moving in that direction. And I have to think some of it is, you know, you guys really want to get to know. Technology allows you now to have a glimpse of each candidate and to hear them speak and, you know, to go through this. But I also think AI is kind of probably playing a role too, because it allows you to get a really authentic glimpse at the candidate when you're having them just, you know, they get a question, they got to answer it. They can't spend all this time doing some prompt engineering with their AI tool or anything else. It's just a direct answer. So, yeah, I'll be curious to talk to you at the end of the cycle this coming year and see how that all pans out. It's probably going to be fun for your team to watch those, though, I think.
• 16:39
  Speaker B: I agree. I'm looking forward to it.
• 16:41
  Speaker A: Yeah. So what is. So what is something that applicants tend to worry about far more than they
• 16:46
  Speaker B: should in going on some of the trips Most recently, I was reminded the level of anxiety about being perfect or presenting perfectly in every single circumstance. And I think there is a level of expectation because this is something that's serious and it is something that's pretty professional. But I do think there's a nice line or a nice mix or blend that we want to have and want to present. We want individuals to be their most authentic, yet still best professional self. And so thinking about creating a community is that thing that we have in the back of our mind, because I think you said it clearly. We're thinking about all the different lenses of an individual and how they will present in our community. How will you manage and act as a community member amongst your peers and what does that look like? How will you lead in the business world? Because that's what the employers that are coming and hiring the students, that's the lens that they're looking for. And then how will you be just in general in the classroom, engaging intellectually and be prepared for that? And just in general, how do you manage and how you go out into the world? And so working to get a view of all those things in one piece? We know no one is perfect. And I want applicants to understand we don't expect you to be perfect. We want you to be. You still say nothing crazy, but still be yourself. Because that's ultimately the thing that we know is what you're going to be when you get to school. And so if there's any advice I can give individuals like, do your best to be yourself throughout all this, because if you contort now, you're going to have to contort for eternity. And I'm not saying that there's not growth. I'm not saying that, you know, there's different ways to maneuver in different contexts. But ultimately, being your authentic self in these circumstances is going to be the thing that's most important for us as admissions individuals and who are bringing us to and for the applicant to be able to be themselves and not have that pressure to be somebody else in these environments once you get there. Because once you start this being somebody else thing, sometimes it's hard because you might have to keep it up that in itself can be a challenging circumstance. So I encourage applicants to work to be themselves in these circumstances. Prepare, but be yourself.
• 19:41
  Speaker A: Okay, I know, you know, we were talking earlier, you're kind of 90 days into this role, but I'm curious, you know, you've been in MBA admissions and you know, in higher ed for a while, and I'm just kind of curious for you, like, what are the qualities that tend to distinguish those who make the most of the mba? So, you know, not who are you guys admitting, but who are the people that when they show up, they really get a lot out of the mba?
• 20:07
  Speaker B: The students that and alumni that I have met that have really taken advantage of the experience have a few things in common that you probably won't be surprised about based on what I've shared with you thus far. So I'll start with the one that is the word I haven't said the most. And so the one I think is first is self. Aware. They're the students that have done the reflection, they've done the understanding. They've had enough experience where they're like, you know what? I think it's this and not necessarily do they find out it's that exact thing. Because I do think if you go into a business school environment and don't learn or don't change some things that you know or have seen, I don't know if you've gone to the right place or taken of the advantage of this experience fully. But they do have the ability to say, okay, this is what I'm thinking. This is where I desire to go. This is how I think I can get there and be able to share that in a way and have that knowledge when they go into these circumstances where it can be heard mentality for some things. So that self awareness is big. The next is resilience. Some of this stuff and some of the parts of this journey before school, during school, after school can be hard. I mean, people go through the school part, but they still go through the life part. And the ones I've seen do that have been the ones who really manage. I'm thinking about a couple alumni I know pretty well who've gone through some similar significant things with family members, their own personal health throughout school and throughout their journeys. And they showed an immense amount of resilience. But also I think that self awareness helped them also. The last is authenticity. I think the individuals who come in and been themselves usually have the people gravitate and accept them for who they are. And it's amazing to See what that's like in the community when individuals get to know each other in that way and being able to support each other in that way. And I think both, I mean, all the institutions I've been affiliated with, but definitely Darden has that community glue where people support each other in a very, very unique way from the deans. And I've seen Yael do it before she became dean and doing it now throughout the faculty, staff and students and alumni. And so that authenticity allows individuals to be able to support one another within the community. And so those are three things I've seen be extremely important in individuals. Being able to take advantage of the experience, but then continue that as they go along in life.
• 23:02
  Speaker A: Yeah, and I guess along the same lines, I mean, this is, I think it's really a related question, but you know, you get a chance to interact with alums. I mean, again, you're kind of more recently in this role, but I'm sure you've had plenty of opportunities to interact with Darden alumni. And I wonder what is something they often talk to you about that maybe they didn't fully appreciate when they were a student, but that they really resonate with kind of after the fact as alumni.
• 23:25
  Speaker B: I love talking to alumni about this because invariably the answer is almost always the same. Oh, wow. And so the three things that come to mind are taking a breath and enjoying the day to day more. They were in a rush. They were preparing for a case. They were rushing to go to New York to have a visit for that investment bank that they were looking at. And. And do they feel like they did not stop and take a break to have a breath as often as they think they would do now if they could do that part over? The other is connecting with more of their classmates and faculty, specifically maybe ones that they did not get to know while they were in school and doing that with a little bit more intention. I've heard that from Darden alumni, I've heard that from alumni at other schools. I can say that for myself as a NBA alumnus, that that's one of the things that is still something I think about as being able to take that opportunity to really connect with individuals, specifically those that are very different from me, and learn more about their path, what they want to do. And so I encourage individuals to do that or even go back and do that with fellow alumni that you may not have talked to in a while. And then the last part, specifically for being on grounds here, is engaging with other parts of the university. Coming to a place like The University of Virginia. It is an amazing global university in a place that's not that big, so nothing's really that far away. And so being able to engage in things that are going on on the rest of grounds is something that I've heard many say. Like there was a lot of stuff going on over here. My folks I met at the law school and other pieces. And I didn't really do that with the rest of the university or with the rest of the city of Charlottesville. Like getting out and doing more within Charlottesville because it's such a nice and cool place. So just taking the time to do a hike, get down to the downtown mall and eat some place a little different, go to some little wide country that's out here and just hang out. They do it some. But I've always heard many say, I wish I had done that more, made it a point to put that on the calendar on a consistent basis.
• 26:11
  Speaker A: So it sounds like great advice for anyone coming to Darden. They can like sort of note this and make sure that they, you know, really make the most of it. Your comments about alumni really resonate with me. I, you know, I, I also have an MBA and recently attended my 25th reunion. And you know, it was, yeah, I will say I had great conversations with the people that I was close with during the program, but I had some really interesting conversations with people that I didn't even know very well who are in my class. Right. But who just, you know. So that point about really making time to connect with people, even those who are may a little different than you are, working in different fields, coming from different places. I mean that, yeah, it's really, it's super valuable. I have to ask you, you know, I've been given everyone a chance to do this, but give me a stereotype about Darden that you want to debunk.
• 26:57
  Speaker B: I definitely want to debunk. You can only do consulting and finance. Said darn. Yeah, Darden has had tremendous success in those areas over the long term and definitely most recently. And we don't shy away from that success because I think it says a lot about the education and the sort of student outcomes that come from a place like Darden. But I also think that makes individuals go like, if it's just that, can I do marketing there, can I do tech there? I really want to do health care. Can I do that there? And the answer to that is a resounding yes to all those things. But I think if individual will just stare at an employment report, they won't get that. And so I definitely want to debunk that stereotype. Like, you can come here. And because of the way our faculty teach, because of the way our students engage, you will learn the fundamentals of business arguably better than anywhere else. And that will allow you the first flexibility to go into really anything that you really want to go into, let alone our concentrations and just the overall employment success that we've had in a number of different industries, including marketing, tech and healthcare.
• 28:15
  Speaker A: Yeah. And you've been on the other side, too. So I guess you, you know, you would know what a company like Google thinks about University of Virginia and Darden in particular. So, yeah, if you're saying, you know, it's definitely.
• 28:25
  Speaker B: I do.
• 28:26
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 28:27
  Speaker B: We like the Darden alumni a lot.
• 28:29
  Speaker A: Yeah. So one thing, you kind of touched on this earlier, but I want to just put a fine point on it, and that is, you know, what role does Charlottesville or, you know, even the kind of greater region that the school is in play in the student experience?
• 28:44
  Speaker B: Charlottesville is the type of city that allows you to. For those who have hair, thankfully, people won't see me, and no, I don't have any. But allows you to let your hair down and really be yourself and connect with individuals versus managing the hustle and bustle a little bit differently than in a larger city. And I want to make clear I'm not downing a larger city. I am still very much a New Yorker at heart. But I think for things like connecting with your classmates, walking by and having a cup of coffee at first, coffee or out in one of the coffee shops in the neighborhood, having a partner here, connecting, having the kids walk around the park, those aspects, and having more of that closeness. Charlottesville allows for a lot of that in a very, very comfortable way. And I think it's a unique community feel that we have that Charlottesville allows to make sure that, hey, you're taken care of, you feel the warmth. You can connect with anybody that you want to. Nobody's too far away. And I think that's a unique entity that our darn students love. And I can tell you, the alumni love it when they come back. They love coming back to grounds when they come to reunion. Like the huge smiles in their face and quietly. It's someplace that so many of them have come to retire to. Oh, wow. Which has been very, very cool to watch. Like, you see how many people are saying, I'm coming back in my later years, even if it's the end of their career once they retire, because, like, that was the place I know I want to live. That's how I want to feel. And so I think even for those that may be earlier in their career, it's a great place to be, to be able to connect and do that and then go off to wherever you like to go off to, knowing that you have this community style home whenever you want it while you're here as a student or many years after you've gone.
• 31:05
  Speaker A: Yeah, it sounds like a nice community to be a part of. The last thing I wanted to do, Willie, before we let you go and get back to, you know, whatever you're up to, recruiting or, you know, assessing is a lot. A lot of stuff on your plate, I'm sure. But I wanted to ask you these lightning round questions. And I don't know if I had a chance to mention this to you, but these are just for fun, so that candidates can realize that, you know, you're a regular guy and not some mystical gatekeeper deciding who, you know, gets in and out. I mean, it's a much more as. As we discussed, it's a much more holistic process than that. So I'm just going to give them to you rapid fire and. Yeah, just, you know, whatever, you know, say the first thing that comes to mind.
• 31:42
  Speaker B: I'm in.
• 31:43
  Speaker A: All right, I'm in. So the first one's coffee or tea?
• 31:46
  Speaker B: Definitely tea.
• 31:48
  Speaker A: Okay, nice. You know, it's funny, I love tea, and there are very few people who say tea to this question, so I'm. Yeah, all right, we'll have to talk about that someday. Beach or mountains?
• 31:57
  Speaker B: I'm split. But for this and because of where I am, Charlottesville and mountain.
• 32:03
  Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, makes sense. Are you a morning person or more of a night owl?
• 32:07
  Speaker B: I am definitely a morning person. But I will say to go back to your tea. Coffee. Working out in the morning is my coffee. But I drink tea. I can't drink coffee at all.
• 32:18
  Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, got it. What about a pet peeve that you have?
• 32:25
  Speaker B: Ooh, a pet peeve that I have. There's not one that's coming to mind right now.
• 32:34
  Speaker A: All right, we can always circle back to it. It could be something very one time. I've been done, done a lot of these and someone at some point, I can't remember who it was, but a few years ago said that, you know, bad parallel parker. So this could be something very, you know, kind of specific and silly.
• 32:46
  Speaker B: We'll come back.
• 32:47
  Speaker A: We'll come back to it. How about a comfort food?
• 32:50
  Speaker B: I love lasagna. Like Back in the day. For those who remember Garfield and lasagna like he was my spirit animal. Cause I love lasagna as much as he does.
• 33:02
  Speaker A: All right, excellent. What is a guilty pleasure that you have?
• 33:06
  Speaker B: A guilty pleasure that I rarely admit to. I love peanut M and Ms. Oh, okay. So I'm not a candy person in general, but literally, if there's peanut candy M and Ms. Around, I'm having at least those fun size bags. I'm having at least two or three.
• 33:27
  Speaker A: Excellent. All right, what is the best advice that you've ever received?
• 33:32
  Speaker B: The best advice I've ever received is from my mentor. He's passed a couple years ago. Greg Harden, focus on controlling the controllables.
• 33:42
  Speaker A: Yeah, that's great advice. What about one thing that applicants should stop doing immediately?
• 33:51
  Speaker B: There's a couple things that come to mind, but the one that's first is coming to tables or fairs and saying, all right, so what's the one thing I need to do to get in? The whole application process is the way you submit and get in. So there's not going to be one thing. You got to fill out the whole thing. Right?
• 34:16
  Speaker A: Yeah, that's a. Yeah. I mean, I think. I mean, in fairness to candidates, I guess, you know, when you look at some other professional degrees, whether it's like law school or medical school, some of them are. They're pretty binary, and it's sort of like, oh, you need these numbers, and then you're cut off, if not. And. And MBA admissions, I say this over and over again on the podcast, but MBA admissions is so wonderfully holistic and fair. And, you know, people really spend time with your file. So it just. Yeah, but I could see where they're coming from. But. Yeah. Okay, what is the best thing that you've read, watched, or listened to recently read?
• 34:51
  Speaker B: And I read a decent amount. I read the biography by Jeff Pearlman on Bo Jackson as the last real sports folk hero.
• 35:02
  Speaker A: Oh, wow.
• 35:03
  Speaker B: And so that was funny because Bo was one of those athletes that was just kind of mystical to me that could play as two sports. And so I wanted to know more about him and his upbringing and what that was like. So it was cool seeing behind the curtain on somebody. Like, I loved his commercials back in the day. Bo knows has got the airbag and. Yeah, so that was fun. I am reading the First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. And so I tell anybody that is starting a new job, and I read it every time I start a new job, but that is the book to have. So I'm a Prime. Prime supporter of that.
• 35:43
  Speaker A: Wow.
• 35:43
  Speaker B: In terms of watched, it's been a while since I've watched something, but I'll throw something out there I liked because I am a romantic comedy person. And just overall, some of these movies have been coming out. Kind of been a nod to the 20 years ago. I really liked Devil Wears Prada too. Oh, wow. To go see it. And I liked it way more than I expected to.
• 36:08
  Speaker A: Okay.
• 36:09
  Speaker B: And so that's one of the things I've watched. And then I have to give a shout out to the last. The fourth quarter of the Knicks winning championship. That was a gift. Yeah.
• 36:24
  Speaker A: That sounds good. So we can come back to it. I don't know if you've come up with anything, but do you. Do you could be a person without pet peeves, which, you know, I mean, that. That would be. You be walking through life without a lot of frust.
• 36:36
  Speaker B: So it's. It's a food one. Ah. I don't like bad bagels.
• 36:48
  Speaker A: Oh, well, that. Okay. Yeah. Well, you're from New York. I mean. Yeah. You have a right to not like bad bagels.
• 36:52
  Speaker B: I just. That's the. Like every time I've tried and had a bad bagel.
• 36:58
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 36:59
  Speaker B: It's just tough.
• 37:00
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 37:00
  Speaker B: Real tough.
• 37:01
  Speaker A: That's fair. You know, it's funny, I. I live. You know that I live in Paris and one of the things that just. And I'm from Philly originally and the bagel game in Paris is terrible recommend. I mean, obviously most people say, well, why on earth would you eat a bagel in Paris? You know, you should eat a croissant or a baguette or something. But still, I mean, the. Yeah. That you. You would think they would have better bagels, but they do not. So there's a business opportunity in there maybe somewhere. Anyway, Willie, I really appreciate your time. Thanks so much for joining us. This has been so insightful. So appreciate you shedding light on all things Darden and your background and how you look at admissions.
• 37:38
  Speaker B: Oh, my pleasure, Graham. It's been fun. And thanks for doing this. I think it's a wonderful service to those out there and you working to provide that level of transparency about what's going on and for a decision that is an important one for people, it could be a hard one for people. And I think this platform and being on this platform has been great to be able to showcase a bit of that. So thank you.
• 38:00
  Speaker A: Oh, thanks for saying that. Well, that's going to do it for this episode of the show. Thanks for tuning in to the ClearAdmit MBA admissions podcast, and please remember to subscribe, rate and review the show wherever you listen. We'll be back with more Admissions Director Q&As all summer long, as well as our regular weekly episodes that air on Mondays.
• 38:26
  Speaker B: Sam.