2006 MBA essay - COLUMBIA

[micki]

COLUMBIA

1. What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 1000 word limit)

2. For January 2006: Discuss what led you to apply for the accelerated MBA at Columbia, and how it best fits your needs?
For September 2006: What has been the greatest challenge to your value system that you've faced and how did you handle it? (Recommended 500 word limit)

3. In discussing Columbia Business School, Dean R. Glenn Hubbard remarked, "We have established the mind-set that entrepreneurship is about everything you do." Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity. (Recommended 500 word limit)

4. Please select and answer one of the following essay questions. (Recommended 250 word limit)

a. Please tell us what you feel most passionate about in life.
b. If you were given a free day and could spend it anywhere, in any way you choose, what would you do?

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.)

[stupidgirl]

不知道有沒有同好準備申請哥大呢?
雖然這家是我高攀了
不過還是想試一下...

第三題的entrepreneurship看了實在很頭大
"We have established the mind-set that entrepreneurship is about everything you do." 光這句就看不太懂勒orz
是說創業精神是無所不在的嗎?
從自己的任何行為中發掘創業精神嗎?
百思不得其解
有沒有人能指引我一盞明燈?

[Behemoth]

我的想法與你相同
本題重點抓住最後一句來發揮囉~

[stupidgirl]

thanks~B爺(沒叫錯吧^^)
最後一句話我還是不太理解orz~~所謂的機會到底是什麼?
剛剛在網路上找到一個說法~這個機會有點"洞燭先機"的感覺
我再體會一下
大家姑且先看看

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 are 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.

[agape0417]

以下來自chasedram:
http://forum.chasedream.com/dispbbs.asp ... 615&page=1
擷取自 "Your MBA Game Plan"：Omari Bouknight & Scott Shrum
Columbia



Make no mistake, Columbia is a finance school above all else. Students rave about the school’s finance faculty and the access that they have to top Wall Street executives. The alumni network doesn’t hurt either – nearly every Wall Street firm is stacked with Columbia alumni. The result is that most finance-minded applicants consider Columbia. If you are one of them, you will need to especially focus on differentiating yourself from a large pool of similar-sounding applicants. Therefore, start thinking now about what makes you different from the rest of the investment bankers (and aspiring bankers) who apply to Columbia.




As you might expect, Columbia’s core curriculum is heavy in finance and related courses. First-years take required courses in Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, and Global Economics. Among others. Non-finance topics such as Marketing and Strategy, however, are studied in half-term courses. While these courses are also strong, be aware that much of your time will be spent on finance-related topics. Of course, you will there fore need to demonstrate an ability to handle a quantitative workload, ideally through your GMAT score and relavant work experience.




One academic area that Columbia emphasizes outside of finance is entrepreneurship. Some of the schools’ most popular electives include “Introduction ot Venturing” and “Launching New Ventures.” Entrepreneurship is also studied and pursued outside of the classroom. Launched in 1996, the Eugene Land Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund provides seed capital ot worthy business plans crafted by Columbia students. The Fund acts less like a traditional business plan competition and more like a venture capital firm, taking an equity stake in any Columbia start-up with promise For students looking for a more conventional business plan competition, Columbia has joined forces with UC Berkeley’s Hass School of Business to run the Social Venture Competition, which provides seed money to promising start-ups whose goal is to have a positive social impact. The bottom line is that if you are interested in an MBA for entrepreneurial reasons, let the Columbia admissions committee hear about it in your essays and your interview.




Columbia also emphasizes that international aspect of its curriculum. Each semester, the schools’ Chazen Institute of International Business offers fellowships to up to four students for their in advancing Columbia’s global approach both inside and outside of the school. The Chazen Institute also runs an exchange program the gives students the opportunity to study abroad at one of 22 partner schools, as well as participate in international study tours. Keep this in mind as you craft your story for why you will fit in at Columbia.




Although they acknowledge that their peers are competitive, students and grads emphasize that Columbia is not cutthroat environment. Most consider Columbia to be a competitive but respectful and helpful community. Students spend their entire first year in the same cluster of 6 0students, taking their core classes together. Like other schools, Columbia encourages cooperation and trust within these clusters. As such, you will need to demonstrate the ability to get along with your peers. Also, like other schools in big cities, Columbia sometimes has to battle the reputation that its students spend less time on campus with each other. Demonstrating your enthusiasm for the program and a willingness to get involved in extracurricular activities will help show that you don’t fit this stereotype.




Columbia’s other departments aren’t as well known as its finance department, and some grads have commented that these other departments take a backseat to finance. However, the school’s administration has a reputation for going out of its way to respond to students’ concerns. If you are interested in an area outside of finance, particularly something as far as removed such as organizational behavior or nonprofit management, Columbia may be worth a look. Your interest outside of finance alone will help you stand out, provided that you can prove that you have the quantitative skills and business acumen to learn alongside the finance crowd.

[Behemoth]

thanks~B爺(沒叫錯吧^^)
最後一句話我還是不太理解orz~~所謂的機會到底是什麼?
剛剛在網路上找到一個說法~這個機會有點"洞燭先機"的感覺
我再體會一下
大家姑且先看看

的確可以這麼說...
請看 identified 與 captured 二字...
就是洞燭機先的味道...
所以才可以掌握住機會呀

[stupidgirl]

感謝agape跟B爺~~這題真的得好好想一下~
想了一整天, 總覺得自己沒啥了不起的事好寫= =

"Your MBA Game Plan"~是專門講學校的書嗎~agape你知道嗎^^

[polarbear]

感謝agape跟B爺~~這題真的得好好想一下~
想了一整天, 總覺得自己沒啥了不起的事好寫= =

"Your MBA Game Plan"~是專門講學校的書嗎~agape你知道嗎^^

這本amazon有賣^^
可以去看看.

[agk99]

這和05年的題目幾乎一樣耶
真是怪

[stupidgirl]

這和05年的題目幾乎一樣耶
真是怪

比較了一下
的確差不多
只有一題personal value變成value system
覺得今年的比較好下筆

[micki]

嚇我一跳 歐.... 還以為我搞錯了說