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Admission & Application Survey |
| Full-time MBA program |
In my opinion, the admissions process to any business school is
designed to weed out any people who are not entirely certain of their
decision to apply. There are many steps to take and it is very time
consuming. However, my experience was that the process helped me to
really define my professional and life goals and reiterate why I wanted
to attend b-school.
Speaking with admissions officers and other students during the
application process, it was clear what Columbia was looking for:
candidates who have a clear idea about their career path and can
articulate how they plan to get there. An applicant should be able to
demonstrate how her past experience has led her to business school and
how completion of the program will help her to acheive her future
career ambitions. If your resume is a bit scattered, take the
opportunity in standard "What is your career path and how will business
school help you to achieve your goals?" essay to pull the pieces
together for the admissions officers and explain how your varied
experiences have helped you develop your current ambition. The other
essays were meant to allow the applicant to talk about teamwork
experience, leadership experience, and how he or she deals with
adversity. Teamwork is EXTENSIVE during the first year, so really
focus on demonstrating the ability to effectively work in teams.
Additionally, the essays are there for you to show off your
achievements. If you have done something unique or off-the-wall, make
sure it is highlighted. And finally, if you aren't certain what your
career path is going to be, be assured that the kiss of death on any
application is to say, "I hope to use the opportunity that business
school provides to explore my career options." If you are not certain,
take your best guess and go with it, make yourself sound passionate
about it. No one is going to come back to you in a year and hold you
to your admissions essays.
On the topic of your resume and experience, keep in mind that the
average years of expereience is 4.5 for Columbia's class of 2005 is
4.5. The general thought is that this should be enough time for an
applicant to demonstrate their ability to emerge as leaders or leader-
material. Ensure that you resume reflects this in some fashion.
If you are selected for an interview based upon your application,
Columbia gives you a list of people to choose to interview with. In
general, it is wise to select someone with whom you have something in
common. Given that you are only given a name, class year and current
position, use the information to your best advantage. If you are
international and recognize someone else on the list being from your
same background, you may want to interview with them. Treat the
interview like you would an interview for a job. Come prepared with
questions for the person as well as examples from your resume which
highlight teamwork, focus, achievement, and uniqueness. Be certain to
follow up with a thank you letter after your interview!
GMAT scores matter of course, however you do not need a 780 to get in.
What is more important is how you present yourself on paper through
your essays, recommendation letters, and work experience. Know
yourself and exactly why you want to go to business school.
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Columbia Business School Admission & Application Surveys
