Columbia Essay Topic Analysis 2007-2008 » Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Consultants Blog

APPLICANT RESOURCES

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Clear Admit School Guides
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Application Deadlines
Below are the upcoming deadlines for Fall 2008 entry to top-tier schools.
Apr. 1: UT Austin McCombs R3
Apr. 2: Dartmouth / Tuck R4
Apr. 3: INSEAD R4
Apr. 4: Oxford / Said R3
Apr. 23: UCLA / Anderson R4
Apr. 28: CMU / Tepper R4
May 2: LBS R4
Jun. 6: Oxford / Said R4

Essay Topic Analysis
Below are links to our comments on some of the top programs' essay topics for the 2007-2008 admissions season.
The Career Goals Essay
Berkeley / Haas
Chicago GSB
CMU / Tepper *
Columbia
Cornell / Johnson
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
Harvard
IESE *
INSEAD
London Business School
MIT / Sloan
Michigan / Ross
Northwestern / Kellogg
NYU / Stern
Oxford / Said *
Penn / Wharton
Stanford GSB
UCLA / Anderson
UNC / Kenan-Flagler
UT Austin / McCombs *
UVA / Darden
Yale SOM
* denotes last year's commentary

Categories
Use categories to access all that has been written on each of the topics. We have categorized by school and by subject matter.

Interview Reports
A selection of interview field reports from fellow applicants posted to the MBA Admissions Wiki. Add your reports when you are finished with your interviews.
Chicago
Columbia
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
Harvard
Kellogg
Michigan / Ross
MIT / Sloan
Stanford
UNC / Chapel Hill
Virginia / Darden
Wharton
London Business School

GMAT Resources
GMAC
Manhattan GMAT
GMAT Club
Princeton Review
Test Prep New York
Kaplan
Beat The GMAT

Writing Resources
Guide to Grammar and Writing
The Internet Grammar of English
English Usage, Style and Composition
The Economist Style Guide
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

School Rankings
Rankings are a good way to start your research on various MBA Programs. Keep in mind each uses a different methodology.
Business Week
Economist
Financial Times
Forbes
USNews
Wall Street Journal

Career Guides
The following resources should be useful to those who want to research the careers open to them after (or before) earning an MBA.
Vault.com
Wetfeet

Business School Resources
The following are business resources offered by a variety of leading Business Schools. It's useful to subscribe to these resources, especially for the schools to which you are applying.

MBA Programs: North America
If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
Berkeley / Haas
Carnegie Mellon / Tepper
Chicago
Columbia
Cornell / Johnson
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
Emory / Goizueta
Harvard
HEC Montreal
Indiana / Kelley
Michigan
MIT / Sloan
Northwestern / Kellogg
New York / Stern
North Carolina / Kenan Flagler
Pennsylvania / Wharton
Queens
Stanford
Texas / McCombs
Thunderbird
Toronto
UCLA / Anderson
Virginia / Darden
Western Ontario / Ivey
Yale

MBA Programs: Rest of the World
As there is some variety in the length of international MBA programs, we have denoted the length of the program next to its name (1 = one year; 2 = 2 years). If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
AGSM (Australia) 2
Cambridge / Judge (UK) 1
CIEBS (China) 2
Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (China) 1
ESADE (Spain) 1 or 2
HEC (France) 2
IESE (Spain) 2
IMD (Switzerland) 1
INSEAD (France) 1
IPADE (Mexico)
ISB (India) 1
London Business School (UK) 2
Oxford / Said (UK) 1
Rotterdam (Netherlands) 2
University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) 1

Additional Resources
Here we link a host of additional resources available across the web. E-mail info@clearadmit.com to have resources added to this list.
AACSB International
Association of MBAs
Beyond Grey Pinstripes
EFMD
gradschools.com (worldwide)
Infozee
mba.com (GMAT Scores)
MBAInfo
mbaleague.blogspot.com
MBAzone
MBA Jungle
TOEFL
Top MBA

MBA Tipline
We encourage admissions officers, students and applicants to alert us of interesting news and developments, please send an email to news@clearadmit.com so we can blog it.

Blog Archive

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Columbia Essay Topic Analysis 2007-2008

Following up on Monday’s announcement of Columbia’s essay questions for the 2007-2008 admissions season, we wanted to offer our thoughts on each of this year’s topics.

Columbia’s made a few interesting changes from last year’s set of questions. The school has retained its question about entrepreneurship - a telling signal of the program’s self-image and priorities - but it is no longer posed in the context of a quote from the dean. Instead, the school has swapped out last season’s question about a manager under whom the applicant has worked in favor of asking readers to respond to a speech Dean Hubbard recently delivered on the subject of the value of an MBA education in today’s business world. Meanwhile, Columbia has eliminated the “how would you spend a free day” question that it has posed as an option in Essay 4 for the past few years, leaving candidates with a required response about their primary passion.

Essay 1: What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 750 word limit)

The general advice we’ve offered in the past on how to tackle this sort of question applies here. Because Columbia is very sensitive to the fact that it is often treated as a backup for Wharton and other leading programs, it’s especially important to convince the adcom of your interest in the program by packing your essay full of school-specific details about classes and clubs.

Essay 2: In a recent speech delivered to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Dean Glenn Hubbard discussed the new, essential elements of the 21st century MBA. How will your MBA prepare you for a rapidly changing business environment? (Recommended 500 word limit)

In a way, this question is similar to last year’s Harvard question about the sorts of ethical dilemmas that the applicant would face in the future; both invite reflection on future considerations and challenges. Though not explicitly stated in Columbia’s question, it would make sense to personalize your response by touching upon some of the points raised in Dean Hubbard’s speech and commenting on how an MBA education would come to bear in one’s future career as set forth in the first essay. While you’ll want to show that you’ve read the dean’s comments (Columbia provides that URL for a reason), don’t be afraid to introduce some ideas of your own as well. This essay could also be a great place to name some courses or curricular features that apply to one’s goals and/or anticipated changes in the global business landscape.

Essay 3: The entrepreneurial mindset is an integral component of the Columbia Business School MBA. Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity (Recommended 500 word limit).

The adcom is obviously looking for a success story here, but this is a bit more nuanced - in responding to this question, it’s important that applicants highlight their initiative and resourcefulness in identifying and capitalizing on an opportunity that others missed. You might also need to explain the process of getting those others behind your plan (a great way to highlight your interpersonal skills). Remember that specific anecdotes will make a stronger impression on the reader than generalizations, and that an account of the steps you took to implement your idea is just as interesting as the results. While it’s a great idea to write about a positive impact you made in the workplace, you need not limit yourself to a discussion of your professional accomplishments. Think broadly about your activities and experiences to date in order to arrive at an example of a time when your entrepreneurial spirit really came through.

Essay 4: Please tell us about what you feel most passionate in life (Recommended 250 word limit).

This question is nothing new for Columbia, though in the past applicants have had the option to answer a question about how they would spend a free day instead. Both questions provide the chance for the candidate to share information about his or her interests and priorities, but this one is notably narrower, requesting a discussion of the applicant’s greatest passion. It’s possible that a dual focus could be introduced, but this could prove difficult given the 250 word limit.

While it’s important to write about something that you are truly passionate about, it’s also important to approach this essay from a strategic standpoint and write about something that is relevant to your business school candidacy. While your hobbies and interests are certainly of interest to the adcom, it’s important to avoid getting too personal. For instance, writing about one’s family can make an applicant sound immature (as though he or she hasn’t fully left the nest), and it’s difficult to predict how a reader will react to comments on potentially sensitive topics like politics or religion.

The best topics for this essay are activities and interests that you can connect to some contribution you would make to the school community, ideally those in which you are currently active and to which you have a long-standing commitment. Although it is good to keep in mind that more unusual activities are advantageous, you don’t need to have something that is really rare for this essay to succeed. It is more important to discuss what you do in a compelling and personal manner that conveys the depth of your enthusiasm for your topic by exploring your individual experiences. Finally, remember that specific anecdotes will make a greater impression on your reader than a broad discussion.

For more information about Clear Admit’s one-on-one counseling for Columbia applicants, simply email your resume to info@clearadmit.com to set up a free session with one of our admissions counselors.

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Bloggers by School

The following are links to bloggers at each of the schools listed.
Chicago
Columbia
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
Harvard
Kellogg
Michigan
MIT / Sloan
New York / Stern
North Carolina / Chapel Hill
Stanford
Virginia / Darden
Wharton
Yale
ESADE
IESE
INSEAD
London Business School

Community Blogs

Bshoolers.com
Community blog with MBA student and alum contributors.

Forté Foundation MBA Diaries
Video blog entries posted by women MBA students.

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Independent blog with content by Vanderbilt MBA students.

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