24 MBA Applications. 19 Dings In A Row. Then He Graduated First In His Class & A Job At BCG

After 19 rejections in a row, Ed Luggen got into Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business and graduated top of class

“I wrote 24 applications over two years and was turned down nineteen times in a row before anyone said yes, and all said-and-done I received only two “yesses.”  Hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars I spent trying to get in, and was rejected over and over,” shares Ed Luggen.

When Luggen signed up with an MBA admissions consulting firm, Stacy Blackman Consulting in 2015, he had received more rejections than almost anyone we had ever worked with. The fact that he wanted to persevere was a true testament to his character, his resilience, drive and problem-solving abilities.

Ed Luggen

Recently, Luggen received his MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School, graduating #1 in the class. He was on the dean’s list for four semesters at Goizueta, receiving the most outstanding academic achievement award. Before going to Emory, Luggen was an associate attorney at Kurtz & Blum in the Raleigh-Durham area for just over three years. He had graduated summa cum laude with his law degree from Michigan State University in 2012 and earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Miami University. He did his MBA internship at Ford Motor Co. in global strategy before starting a career with The Boston Consulting Group in July.

This accomplishment was a test of character. Throughout his long journey, Luggen leveraged the challenges he faced and the wisdom he acquired through the admissions cycles to gain an admit to Emory GBS, even with a low undergrad GPA and a career that MBA admissions likely viewed as unfocused.

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.