Do you have any general advice for applicants considering Columbia's MBA
program?
First: Do your homework! Look at the program, look at what it offers, and
consider the fit. Is it what you are looking for? Columbia is about seizing
choices and opportunities. It is not a place to sit back and reflect. Are
you this type of person? Can you demonstrate this in your application?
I encourage everyone interested in Columbia to visit our campus so you can
see firsthand how gorgeous it is, and how vibrant our students are! See the
community firsthand. It is very much a warm fuzzy environment, although also
very fast-paced.
Obviously our location is a key advantage. But I also want to point to our
incredible alumni network, which today is second to that of no other
institution in the world. In 1993, when I got here, I would not have said
that, because it did not work then the way it works today. Now, everything
is just a phone call away.
Second: Look at who you are. Recognize that we are looking to admit people,
not pieces of paper -- and not someone that has been crafted by someone
else. Craft yourself. Obviously you should seek advice and counseling about
who you are, what skills you have, and how to present those in the
application.
We go to a great deal of effort in crafting our essay questions
because we are trying to get to know you, who you are, what kind of skill
set you have, what types of leadership abilities you have, and how you may
have demonstrated those. We are looking for bright, motivated people who can
articulate their past experience and future goals.
Obviously, having an
interesting application is going to be much more to your benefit than a
mundane, boring representation of who you are and what you have done. But
represent yourself honestly! We want to know you.
What are you looking for in an applicant beyond that, especially in terms of
the amount of work experience?
Basically, we want people to know that we are looking to admit people who
are ready to apply to an MBA program – specifically ours.
We publish a
profile. People may look at it and say, “Oh, I have only one year of work
experience,” or “I don’t have any work experience, but I am ready to start a
program. I know who I am, what I want to do, and how I want to accomplish
it.” Those people are every bit as viable in our applicant pool as the
person who has 3, 4, or even more years of experience.
What we are looking
for depends on the applicant, not an average profile. Are you ready? Are you
mature enough? Are you somewhat focused? Do you understand who you are and
what skill set are you bringing to the program and to future interviews? And
do you understand how Columbia Business School will help you?
What is the best time for an applicant to visit campus in terms of the
application process?
Please take note of the academic calendar. You do not want to come right
before or during exams, or during holidays. One of the favorite times for
people to visit us is over Winter Break -- but our students are not here! We
want you to attend classes and talk to students. Admissions staff are here
during the break, and while we can give good information, you really should
talk to students.
Also, Fridays are not the best day to visit, as we have few classes. I
recommend Thursdays. We have happy hour around 6 p.m., and you have much
more opportunity to talk with students informally and get a feel for the
student body.
You really need to get a good feeling for the school! This is something I
recommend for any school visit: Sit in the hallway by yourself, not with
someone from admissions or even with a student. Just sit in the hallway and
close your eyes. You might be looked at strangely, but you can hear what
people are talking about and how they are talking to each other. You will
hear different languages, and you will get a sense of the vitality of an
institution and a gut feeling for the place.
I know how people feel when they do this at Columbia – they feel energized!
What if an applicant can’t visit before applying? Should they wait to see if
there is an invitation to interview?
If you can’t get to campus, visit us when we travel. We travel all over the
world for information sessions. I have already been to Buenos Aires,
Monterey, Sao Paulo, and Santiago, and am leaving soon for Brussels,
Copenhagen, Paris, and Madrid. Another staff member is in California right
now. We will in the rest of the U.S. soon -- also, Moscow, Athens….I can’t
even name them all. You should be able to find us almost wherever you are!
There is no need to save a campus visit for an interview. Interviews are by
invitation only, and applicants are interviewed in their home areas by
alumni – and we have 35,000 alumni all over the world! We rarely – and I
mean rarely – do phone interviews. But if you are in a very remote location,
we will certainly work to accommodate you.
Do you have any programs targeted to specific population groups, such as
women?
We recognize that there are different issues for different applicants. We
want to try and address them and help people understand what to do and how
to do it.
We are a founding member of the Forté Foundation as well as an active board
member. We believe very strongly in empowering women to pursue an MBA and to
develop long-term careers in business. This is the only way that women are
ever going to have equal opportunity in running businesses. We are
passionate about this. We have consistently been the number 1 or number 2
school in enrolling the highest percentage of women, and we take great pride
in this.
Our students are also very involved. Columbia Women in Business hosts
several events for prospective students to talk with members about women’s
issues and the Columbia MBA specifically. See their web page for details.
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