UPDATE- THE TIPS FOR COLUMBIA'S GSB 2009 MBA APPLICATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. PLEASE POST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE NEW POST.

Columbia has made changes to it application for the class entering in September 2008. Specifically #2 is an entirely new question. In addition, #4 last year allowed you to choose one of two questions to answer. This year they just ask you to answer one question, what was last year's 4a.

First the 2008 Columbia MBA Calendar is short and sweet, because Columbia uses rolling admissions. No rounds. Applicants receive an answer within ten (for ED) or twelve weeks (for RD) after submission or after the beginning of the application review period, whichever is later

Review Period Begins Deadline

Early Decision          August 15, 2007  October 10, 2007

Regular Decision      January 9, 2008  March 3, 2008 (international applicants)

                                    January 9, 2008       April 16, 2008 (domestic applicants)

Columbia's September 2008 MBA Essay Questions

My comments are in red.

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)?

This is a forward-looking goals question. While you shouldn't ignore the factors that contributed to the development of your goals, the bulk of the essay should be about the future. What do you want to do immediately after completing your MBA? 5 years later? How will Columbia's program help you achieve your goals? And be specific!

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: http://www.gsb.columbia.edu/admissions/21st_century_MBA.pdf. How will your MBA prepare you for a rapidly changing business environment (Recommended 500 word limit)?

Dr. Hubbard's article is a survey of business education today, its successes and failures. In this article he discusses the global, entrepreneurial, and social nature of the business world today. He emphasizes how business schools teach people through experiential learning "to recognize opportunity -- and capture it." He also points out that today "business is social development." and that the ethos of business as a means of poverty reduction permeates top MBA programs.

In terms of your response to the question, don't rely on my short and superficial synopsis. Dr Hubbard's article is a stimulating, insider's view of management education, and that's what you are pursuing. Read it. Choose no more than 3 elements that Dr. Hubbard believes are critical to success in today's fluid business world and analyze how your MBA at Columbia will help you achieve your goals in this dynamic environment. Include an example from your activities that shows you have experienced this phenomenon or  have already in a some way taken advantage of it.

Your challenge in responding to his question will be ensuring that the response on one hand doesn't become too theoretical and on the other complements your answer to #1 and #3.

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).
When have you taken a risk, assumed responsibility, and initiated a project in order to seize the moment and an opportunity? Again, this essay could reflect professional, college, or extra-curricular activities because you want each essay to reveal a different facet of your experience. Make sure you application has non-professional as well as professional aspects to it. I recommend as a guideline 2:1 professional to non-professional, but that ratio is not set in concrete. It varies based on individuals.

4. Please tell us about what you feel most passionate in life (Recommended 250 word limit).
Demonstrate your enthusiasm for whatever you choose and include the reasons why you are so passionate about your topic. Finally, if you are "passionate" about Subject X, make sure Subject X is an active and significant part of your life, something you devote time to. Writing checks or having strong feelings won't cut it.

5. (Optional) Is there any further information that you wish to provide to the Admissions Committee? Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history.

Obviously you could use this optional essay question to address a weakness in your application, but in my mind, it is also open-ended enough to allow you to discuss a diversity element in your personal background or simply some unique area of interest. Also, tucking a weakness explanation somewhere else would allow you to end the application with a strength and not a flaw.

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