Columbia September 2101 MBA Essay Questions

Columbia has released its 2010 MBA essay questions, which are identical to last years; I've tweaked my comments (in red) a little.

In addition to learning about your professional aspirations, the Admissions Committee hopes to gain an understanding of your interests, values and motivations through these essays. How you answer these essays is at your discretion, there are no right answers and we encourage you to answer each question thoughtfully.

Dual Degree applicants: Please address the following questions within your response to Essay 1: How will the Dual Degree enhance your short-term or long-term goals?

Reapplicants: If you have applied to Columbia Business School within the past year, you are required to submit only the reapplication essay. If your last application was more than one year ago, you must answer essays 1, 2, and 3.

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)

This is a forward-looking goals question. While you should include events and experiences 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? Which of Columbia's strengths and programs are critical to your success? And be specific!

Essay 2

Master Classes are the epitome of bridging the gap between theory and practice at Columbia Business School. (View link below) Please provide an example from your own life in which practical experience taught you more than theory alone. (Recommended 500 word limit)

View with Real Player:  

I also recommend you read the section of CBS' web site about Columbia's Masters Classes.

To me, the masters classes are CBS's attempt to integrate the various business functions and add a real general management element to a program that tended to keep those business silos distinct. To respond to the question you need to bring an example from your life when you applied theory successfully. Ideally, you would want to use an example where you used management principles to guide your team, office, company, or club in solving a problem or completing a project.

Essay 3

Please provide an example of a team failure of which you've been a part. If given a second chance, what would you do differently? (Recommended 500 word limit)

When have you been part of a team that came in last. Or that came in second when it should have come in first? Or that failed to close the deal? Or did finish the project, but over budget and late so that your firm lost the client?

And more importantly, what have you learned from the experience? How would you attempt to change the outcome if you had the chance? When would you seize the initiative? When would you encourage others? When would you sit quietly and let someone with complementary strengths take center stage.

While the particular incident you choose should complement other elements of your application and ideally discuss some interest, activity, or experience not discussed in other essays, the key part of this question is the second one.

For more assistance, please see:

• Admissions Tip from Dr. Pausch 's Last Lecture (Part 2)
• Flaws Make You Real
• Personal Statement Tip: Our Response Defines Us
• Personal Statement Tip: Failure Questions

Optional Essay

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.

If you would like help with your Columbia MBA application, please consider Accepted.com's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or a Columbia Comprehensive Package. And if you purchase before July 31, 2009, you can save 15% on MBA comprehensive packages and essay editing services.

Columbia September 2010 MBA Deadlines

Columbia Business School uses a rolling admissions process. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received, and decisions can be rendered at any point during the review period. It is always to your benefit to apply before the posted deadline.

* Decision period begins when a complete application goes under review.

** Applicants who wish to be considered for a merit-based fellowship must submit a complete application by 11:59PM EST on January 6, 2009. Fellowship recipients for the September class are announced between January and May.

UPDATE- THE TIPS FOR NOTRE DAME MENDOZA'S 2010 MBA APPLICATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. PLEASE POST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE NEW POST.

Notre Dame Mendoza 2009 Deadlines

 *Applications completed or received after March 16 will be considered on a space-available basis.

**Applications completed or received after April 6 will be considered on a space available basis.

***The May 11 deadline is for two-year applicants only and applicants will be evaluated on a space available basis.

Notre Dame Mendoza 2009 MBA Essay Questions

My comments are below in red. Since this year's application is identical to last year's, my comments are virtually identical as well.

Your responses to the essay questions are extremely important in the selection process. Please use separate sheets of paper for each essay question and include your name on each sheet. Your essays should be typed and double-spaced.

Each essay should be no longer than 2 double-spaced pages each.

Please complete the following essay.

What are your career plans immediately after graduation? Explain how your past experiences prepare you for your desired position. What are your long-term career aspirations?

Translation: What are you short-term and long-term goals? How have your past experiences prepared you for your short-term goal?

Note: This question does not ask "Why Notre Dame?" You do not need to explicitly answer that question, but the excellent response to this question will reflect Notre Dame's four dimensions of leadership: An integrated mind, broad perspective, heart (a guiding set of core values), and tenacity (the role of communication, motivation and mobilization). In addition, the long-term objective will be much more plausible if it grows organically from the short-term one.

_______________________________________________________________________

Additionally, please complete any two of the following five essay questions.

Choose the two that will allow you to best present yourself as a multi-dimensional human being who shares Notre Dame's focus on ethical general management.

1. Each MBA student at the University of Notre Dame is given the opportunity to contribute to the MBA community. What will you bring to Notre Dame and the MBA family?

Do your homework on Notre Dame. Where will you participate? Where will you contribute? Will it be student government? Professional clubs? Extra-curricular activities? Family activities? Your intended areas of activity should relate both to what you have done in the past and what you intend to do in the future.

2. What inspires you outside of your work environment?

What do you like to do when you are not at work? Do you participate in your church? Do you run? Belong to a band? Are you active in politics?

3. How do you define leadership? Please give an example of someone you feel is a great leader and explain why.

"Leadership" claims many definitions and sub-categories. Connect your definition to a great leader either current or past. Again, keep in mind Notre Dame's focus on integrated leadership and broad perspective guided by a strong sense of right and wrong when you are choosing your example and explaining why you believe he or she is a great leader.

If you can also volunteer a brief example of when you have provided leadership as you define it and as your "great leader" practiced it -- perhaps in your case on a more modest scale -- you wil be using this essay fully to advance the idea that you are a thoughtful leader who belongs at Mendoza.

4. Of which accomplishments are you most proud and why?

If your accomplishment shows the kind of leadership that Notre Dame is interested in, so much the better. If you demonstrate measurable impact, again, your essay and application will be that much stronger.

5. Describe a failure or disappointing experience in your life. How did you react and what did you learn?

Don't fudge on this question. Write about a real failure or disappointment. You can use this essay to bring out another side of you, perhaps a teamwork experience or something that happened a few years ago. Frankly, your response to the situation is probably the most important part of the question. Please see:

• Flaws Make Your Real
  

• Admissions Tip from Dr. Pausch's Last Lecture (Part2)

If you would like help with your Notre Dame MBA application, please consider Accepted.com's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or one of our Notre Dame Medoza Comprehensive Packages.

(Don't forget to vote!)