u/Secret_Raspberry_349

Any cheap, safe towns that are warm in the autumn months?

24f from Toronto. After grinding away at GMAT tests over a demanding job, and now delayed US MBA applications, I'm burnt out. Seriously thinking of using my savings over the past 3 years to travel somewhere in the US that's affordable, warm, though most importantly safe -- and full time study for this test and get applications together.

Any suggestions? Bonus points if there's some young people around to meet and socialize.

Is a strategist role at an advertising agency or brand consultancy eligible for TN visa?

Or would it have to be titled Consultant, Brand Strategy?

For context I’m a 24f, Canadian, 4 years in brand management at Fortune 500s and a behavioural science degree from McGill. Currently an ABM. Realizing I’d like to move into more strategic consulting brand work versus my current executional/P&L ownership scope — in parallel I want to do this in NYC. Is it possible?

Hey everyone, I’m a Canadian close to the hitting the one year mark as a brand manager at a global company. I’ve received very positive feedback from my managers that I’ve made significant changes of in my time at the desk so far, more than expected.

There’s 80 offices worldwide side, including HQs in NYC and Chicago, I’d really like to make a lateral move to one of these and move my career into a global brand house. I’ve heard of other people historically moving with my title so I know it’s possible. This has been a long time goal of mine to move and work in the US, honestly since I was a teenager. In parallel if it doesn’t work out…I’m looking to apply at US MBAs for start next September.

Wondering if anyone here had experience moving on an L1? How much time did you have to work before your company was down to transfer you? What was the visa process like? Share your stories!

asking as an ambitious, career-focused 24 year old canadian girl lol

When schools publish the class profile average GRE scores, does this include the essay score?

I often see the averages laid out as so: GRE Quant + Verbal - 320

Do they ever publish essay, and do they care? Wondering if they look at the essay score, as I'm writing it in a few weeks and pondering how much attention I should put into it. Merci!

Hello. I have the GRE booked in 2.5 weeks. I was grinding for the GMAT for about 5 months and just not improving, switched over to the GRE which after practice tests, I've learned I'm much more adept at about a month ago. I would love to stick to my plan for B-school applications this September, hence the time crunch I'm in (yay).

(I took all my work vacation days to see this through!!! Wish me luck y'all. Really want this!)

So I'm 6 of 12 modules through the GregMAT I'm Overwhelmed plan. Based on my study plan, I'll likely have to skim through 2 of the 12 modules and not deep dive like I've been doing.

What are the topics on the quant section that appear the least. AKA if you had to deprioritize geometry or data analysis (that's what's left for me), which would you say??

Many thanks in advance here!

Hey everyone 👋 Honest thoughts needed here, I would love to hear from people who've been in a similar spot.

A little about me: I'm a Canadian, about 4 years into a brand marketing career. I've worked my way up from intern to an associate brand manager role at a major global company. Lot’s of product and packaging launches, large-scale activations, sports sponsorships, influencer strategy, budget and finance management, agency rosters, innovation pipelines, people management, all the things. Before my current role I spent nearly 3 years as a brand exec at a Fortune 500. I have a Behavioural Science degree from one of Canada's top universities, a 3.6 GPA, and I was genuinely involved — honour societies (president of my chapter), sorority philanthropy work, and I write and perform music that's been played on the radio, which is very random but also part of who I am and shows up in my personal brand.

I've built what I think is a genuinely strong profile….at least the strongest I could’ve possibly built for myself at this point. Strong recs, clear story, good extracurriculars, and a real reason for wanting an MBA. I've consulted with an immigration lawyer — my only viable path to working in the US is a company transfer, which is all eggs in one basket and not a guarantee, or an O-1A which realistically takes 5-6 years to build toward at my level. The MBA solves that, gives me a new connected network, and genuinely teaches me things I need to learn to progress farther to a brand director level one day. It clicks on every level for me.

My dream school is NYU Stern… the brand management specialization, the NYC location, everything fits. Kellogg lives in the back of my mind too but I know that's a stretch. Open to other strong programs, ideally they’d be in real cities I can end up in though. And STEM designated for OPT extension is a must for me.

Here's my problem: the GMAT is destroying me.

I've been studying consistently for 6 months and I'm sitting in the 500s on the Focus Edition. My brain is wired for psychology, creativity, insight, and storytelling…not the specific logic traps the GMAT is built around. I can do math, did well in my stats and math courses in high school. I manage budgets and analyze market insights, but I'm not a daily or natural quant person and it shows. Studying on top of a full-time demanding job is brutal, between the two alone in my apartment as my friends move away or move forward in their lives, I'm just running out of steam knowing every other piece of this application is ready to go….I’m so ready for something new. This test is the last thing standing between me and moving forward.

My questions:

1. Would switching to the GRE hurt my chances at schools like NYU Stern or Fuqua? Stern's class profile shows 27% GRE admits…but I want to hear from real people, not just the brochure.

2. For anyone who made the switch — creative, humanities-brained, not a natural quant — did the GRE actually feel different? Did it click?

3. And if anyone has genuinely cracked the GMAT coming from a creative/social science background — how did you rewire your brain for it?

Not giving up, I just want to be smart about where I put my energy now that it’s almost summer. Any honest advice appreciated !!🙏

Have any Canadians had success getting a TN visa to work Brand Manager / Associate Brand Manager roles in the US?

I have a degree from a top Canadian uni and 4 years of prior brand management experience at multinational / recognizable companies. Would love to hear if this is possible and if so - any advice.