Randall Sawyer
director
Years of admissions experience
14
Credentials Highlight
Former MBA Assistant Dean of Admissions, Johnson Cornell
As the former Assistant Dean of Admissions, Financial Aid and Inclusion at the Johnson School at Cornell University, Randall has reviewed and made decisions on more than 10,000 MBA applications. Beyond helping students produce great applications and memorable interviews, he delights in helping them to target the right schools that will change their lives and career trajectory.
At Cornell Randall recruited worldwide, managed a team of 17, built record-setting classes for the one and two year MBA programs and has keen insight into the Cornell culture. During his tenure, applications increased 50%, average GMAT stats increased by nearly 50 points, the proportion of women jumped to 39%, yield increased from 36% to 62% and selectivity improved from 36% to 19%.
Randall has been widely quoted in a variety of MBA publications and has spoken extensively on panels and at conferences about the MBA process, applications and what schools are looking for in prospective applicants. Randall has served on many MBA-related boards during his time in education including the GMAC School Advisory Board, The MBA Tour Board of Directors, The Consortium Board of Directors and The Johnson School’s MBA Rankings Committee.
Randall is a graduate of SUNY Geneseo with a BA in Political Science and SUNY Albany with a MA in Communications.
For more advice from Randall, read his articles on our blog.
Q & A
What’s your top piece of advice for admissions candidates?
I urge all candidates to be authentic on their applications. Applications provide a short story of who you are, what you have accomplished, what you bring to the table and what you are passionate about. Being authentic allows the Admissions Committee to get to know you “on paper” and be interested enough to offer an interview to meet you in person.
Why are you passionate about coaching?
Going to business school is a transformational experience. For me, helping a candidate get to the right school at the right time for the right reasons is a wonderful experience. It is very rewarding for me to know that I have played a role in helping someone achieve their dreams
Behind the MBA Admissions Curtain with The Committee from HBS, Cornell and LBS
Interested in working with Randall?
Although we cannot guarantee your preferred coach selection because of workload capacity, we will always do our best to match you up with the coach of your choice if you have a specific request. You may indicate your preference when you sign up for a free consultation.