Columbia '10 admit taking questions

MBA GMAT
1

Hi, I have an admit to Columbia from ED this yr, for the September class of 2010. if you have questions on columbia or any of the other colleges please post me msgs here or pm me,and i’ll try my best to help. good luck!! - IMPORTAN…

2
Hi, I have an admit to Columbia from ED this yr, for the September class of 2010.


if you have questions on columbia or any of the other colleges please post me msgs here or pm me,and i'll try my best to help.
good luck!!
- IMPORTANT : please post your questions on this thread.. that way it will help everyone.. if you have personal specific questions, send me PMs, I will censor them to cut out too many personal details that could identify you, and put them on this thread for everyone to use. after all, thats what a forum is for, right.
3

got this email so putting this up for everybody to use... the emailed questions in balck and my answers in blue.





I am plannin to give GMAT by June this year for Fall 2009 Admits.I will have 3 year work ex by that time.Now my main concerns are following:

1.I am passout in Electronics from a Good College Currently working in IT MNC.I want to work for Consulting company after my MBA.So is it advisable that I Chnage my Job from IT to lets say a Company Involved in Analytics like Inductis,Evalueserve.I want to do this coz I can be more convincing about my passion for Consulting if I can atleast show the MBA colleges a Background in Consulting.Basically my point of Concern is Will an IT experience be enough for getting me an admit from a GOOD MBA College coz i heard they demand relevant experience for Investment Banks and Consulting atleast.

see you can get into a good college with 3yrs in IT, or you can do 5yrs in consulting and still not get in. the most important thing to remember is that your app is looked at holistically. every number (wk exp, gmat, gpa, age) i have is under columbia's average. but u can compensate in other areas.
see career wise you need a clear STORY.
very a +b = c; you need to tell them CLEARLY that A is what you have done; you want to do B; this is how A is connected to B or better still, leads to it; and you need an MBA to get from A to B.
simple. you dont need to have chosen consulting or banking; you need to fix on one to tell ur story, and lie very convincingly 😃 say if you pick consulting, tell them tht everything in your life is consulting. think like a consultant; believe your story, then you can tell it properly.




2.Also How Important are the Extra Curriculars and Contributions to the Society for Colleges after the IVY League.I understand they definitely add diversity to your profile but is there a chance for an admit with less significant contributions in these 2 areas.

again - there is a make-or-break thing, its not CAT that you get a certain number then youre in or youre out. its Subjective and Holistic. if you have it. great. if you dont, do something you believe in, that you can write abt, in the yr you still have; and compensate for your lack here by doing well in other areas.

3.Also how often do the Colleges in US give weightage to International Exposure.Is it really Important or is it just an icing on the cake by adding a rich diversity to your profile.
yaar 😃 again - not make or break. they look for an international outlook, and open mind- if you can show you have it without exposure, great.i have zero intnl wk exp.
some schools are more hung up on international expore than others - you need to look at the schools you app to very carefully. the london business school has a Whole Question asking specifically abt your learning from your international experiences (this question put a roadblock in my plans to apply there!). columbia for example talks a lot abt its international focus, but you can get in if you display it in some way, not necessarily with tons of assignments abroad. sometimes you can get away with just talking abt experiences you've had with your company's offices in other countries, for example, or your holidays abroad. So u need to research each school a little bit.

see look at it this way - imagine a really big shot business man. (consultant if you want) and think that you have the company a whether you will make this guy CEO of it. then make a list of attributes he shd have:
smart, bright, good with numbers (if youre looking at fin/consulting) , the guy has to have a track record of having done good stuff, he needs to have potential, an international outlook...
be that guy, atleast try. adcoms dont want that guy, they want you to be the sort who will Become that guy.
see?



4.Also I am aiming at 750 in GMAT.Suppose i land somewhere close to 750 like 730,740.Is that score enough to guarantee me an admit from MBA colleges apart from IVY league ofcorse.
ppl with 780 get rejected, ppl with 680 get taken. its subjective.
see... the gmat score is only One data point in your app.. sure its important.. but the diff b/w 680-700 or 730-750 isnt so much that you need to stress over every 10points..



5.Do you have any idea how good are Financial Courses in US apart from MBA like MS in Finance.Suppose I do them.Ne idea about the Job Profiles we can expect after completing the Course.Pardon me asking this but i am still not decided between Finance and Consulting.So I am looking at all avenues.

no idea... look at some websites and check employment reports on the school websites.
- what any school is looking for, are essentially these 3 basic things:
1. are you academically capable of handling the very intensive MBA course?
schools pride themselves on their rigourous academics and wdnt want a dullard... so u have two data points to prove yourself here: your undergrad GPA and GMAT. if (like me) you have a terrible gpa, you need a higher-end gmat (for indians 720+ ;for women it can be 700+)
other things like whether you have a great masters degree, or have done several other courses can mitigate it. basically u need to prove yourself academically; you can do it with one stellar score or many high-end scores. up to u.
2. are u capable of gettnig a job post your mba?
this is where your pre-mba work comes in. are your goals realistic? how many IT guys can they put into investment banking? can you deal with competing with 30yr olds in your class with twice the wkexp in the field you want to enter? your pre-mba work (basically resume) and how effectively you show (thru your essays) that you have realistically acheivable goals and are driven and ambitious - thats your score here.
3. are u an interesting person - would someone want u in their class?
what do you do outside of work? do u do unusual things like, say, pottery or.. i dont know.. play some instruments..
please dont get stuck with community work here 😃 great if you have it, awesome, but dont stuff it in just like that - they can see thru that, i mean u apply in october and start working at an NGO in jan... anyone can see thats bullshit 😃 ..and in rthe interview they'll take your case...spend your time on something you enjoy and can talk abt enthusiastically.. my 2-penny advice :)
good luck!!

4

Congrats on your Columbia admission!!!!

I am applying to one of the schools you've been accepted to, specifically, Cornell. Can you please share with us some of the interview questions, espeically those that you deemed difficult/unique. Thanks.


GMAK80

5
Hi, I have an admit to Columbia from ED this yr, for the September class of 2010.
My other applications were to ISB (admit), Cornell (admit), Stern (Ding without interview), Yale (Ding without interview), Emory (50% of tuition schol), Vanderbilt (100% schol)

good luck!!


Hi,

Many congratulations on your wonderful results!

Just one very small request. Please let ISB know that you will not be joining them- if you have not done so already. That may help some waitlisted candidate.

Thanks a ton!
6

i understand 😃 dont worry, I've already told ISB that! 😃 good luck with your apps!

7
Congrats on your Columbia admission!!!!

I am applying to one of the schools you've been accepted to, specifically, Cornell. Can you please share with us some of the interview questions, espeically those that you deemed difficult/unique. Thanks.


GMAK80

sure, I'll do that, yes! um im new here tho, so tell me, is there a specific thread i should go to, or will this one do?
8
got an email i want to put up here for everyone, its a relevant question that may help ppl...
question in black, my answers in blue.


i want to do consulting. Though Columbia ia good for Fin,but its location and name can get me anywhere:).
columbia is good but it shdnt be your first choice for consulting: look at harvard, stan and kellogg, tuck and columbia :)
but yeah, columbia can get you a good shot at some great firms! its a brilliant school :)

Please do tell me how did you research about school,means did you contact alum and in which round did you apply..

i applied in ED.
ok... the primary way to get to know a school is to look at the website! thoroughly! read the bottom line regularly.. thats the CBS newsletter.. look at blog.clearadmit.com and blog.accepted.com
and YES - the best way to understand the school is to get in touch with as many students and alums as you can!! i didnt know anybody before the app process so had to do a lot of jugaad 😃 if youre into consulting, go find the consulting club website: there shd be a link on the bschool website somewhere. look at the contacts they have put out there: contact the AVPs, the VPs and the president. ask abt columbia's strengths in consulting, why they chose columbia, and what they have gained from the shcool; ask what kind of stuff they do besides academics, look for small details abt what they like abt the school. dont expect replies from too many ppl 😃 i got replies form abt a third of the ppl i wrote to, and thorough replies were abt 2 out of so many ppl! even if you get one person who's willing to hear you out repeatedly and answer questions, youre lucky.
Columbia has this thing called the Hermes society, to help prospective students. they have a huge long list of ppl you can contact. you shd find this list on the website. if you have an issue, let me know and i'll dig it out for you.
i also contacted the india alums thru the alum website, to find out abt columbia's network in india (cos i want to work here, long term) maybe you'd like to do that too.
go for EVERY event columbia (or any other school youre interested in) has in India. you'll meet students, do your homework so you dont sound stupid! and then they will pay attention to u, too 😃 meet other applicants: sometimes they can tell u things that you wdnt have otherwise known. pay attention to detail : adcoms like essays that have small things abt the school that many ppl dont know; shows youve done your research.
anther thing: google everyone you email, Before you send them emails - find out abt their profiles. thats useful so that you ask them relevant questions and dont waste their time, or your own. for example, if someone asks me abt a school i never applied to, they'll only waste their own time and mine :)
9

another email posted...




Kindly evaluate my profile for Columbia - it's my dream school.
B.Tech: IIT, CGPA: 8 +
GMAT: 710
Pursuing CFA, L3 Candidate
Workex: Currently 2 year 9 months, Business Research/ Equity Research - Leading a team of 8-10 analysts. Have had loads of client interactions, team management. Moving to the LATAM office of my current employer to set-up Business Research/ Equity Research service line.
your profile on paper looks great! you have acads, a decent GMAT score, and a great undergrad school; and your wkexp looks just fine.. wkexp a lil under the avg (which hovers around 5yrs) but you can show that youre mature and driven and successful, using your leadership experiences and the fact that youre setting up this office for them. and hey, the international experience is that much value in your profile!
so on paper youre off to a good start, you'll need to look at building a good strategy - a "story" to sell yourself on, so to speak - and some other interesting stuff abt yourself (extra currics etc)
Extra-currics - average
Community service - zero
hmm about this. now im assuming you're atleast 23? in 23 years.. you must have done Somethiing interesting. forget community service. did you ever play cricket, football? even if it was in your colony? do you watch a lot of movies? do you know more stats about amitabh bacchan than anyone ever? see anything even as random as this can make you interesting. think of it as a blind date. what would you tell a girl that wd make her think "oh cool, this guy's from IIT but he's not a nerd, he's also fun to hang out with! im going to call him again"
:D i know its cheesy, but just think of anything you feel strongly abt. i for example am a boring person really 😃 but i love to read, and thats something thats special to me; i dont just read booker / nobel prize winning books tho! but books mean a lot to me. i wrote my whole passion essay (250 words, columbia's last essay) on my fondness for reading and writing. my other essays were pretty geeky; work and all. this was a light essay. you just need to sound like a Person, not this rockstar who's so geeky you cant identify with him, or like him.
Ideally, I would like to apply for the class of 2009-11; however, if I do so, I will have to compromise either on essays or GMAT score (till May I will remain engaged in L3 CFA preparation; after that only I can start working on GMAT or essays). I want to retake GMAT (was scoring around 750 in all my GMAC mocks) as I have heard that Columbia is a GMAT crazy school - ok, you might say you had only 700, but every case is different. Hence, I think if I apply for 2010-12 class, I would be better placed (with close to 5 years workex, with 2 years international workex, probably a better GMAT score, CFA charter, one more language - Spanish). And if I wait till 2010, I would probably apply to all the top 10 colleges.
Having said all that, I would definitely like to apply to Columbia ED (2009-11) even if I stand a shred of chance. Please suggest.
alright... from what i can see there are two basic things:
- your GMAT score and if you need to take it again:
honestly - your GMAT score looks fine to me!! are u above 80%ile in both sections? then you're home clear. i can understand that with 750s in your mocks u may think u can do better. but do u really need to? columbia doesnt seem like a GMAT crazy school to me 😃 none of them are!! if youre near their abg (710 is the avg) - youre fine! this process is holistic! they see a high GPA from a good school (i mean the IIT brand :D) and a 710..... you are almost thru the CFA.. you're fine 😃 but ofcourse, this is my opinion only! :)
- applying now or a yr later
ok well. i think you have an interesting profile and you can apply now. but you need to look at 3 things:
- will you significantly increase your chances?
you will increase your chances obviously. but i cant see why you shdnt app right now At All. columbia is a notoriously re-applicant friendly school; you increase your chances if you reapply.
if you app ED right now, i think you have a decent shot. if you dont get in, you can imporove your chances and take a shot later, also showing columbia your better profile, and your passion for the school.
- are you going to gain more professionally now then post-mba?
clearly, your profile is improving. if you want to stay in the sector you are in right now, maybe the experience you will gain will help you increase your shot at some awesome schools; and you will get a better job post-mba.
on the other hand, if you want to switch fields, now may be a better time for you to start afresh.
- whatever personal reason u may have to wait or not wait.
bottom line: app now - you have a good shot. if you dont get in, what the hell - you'll still have increased your shot at it next time.

10
columbia10admit Says
sure, I'll do that, yes! um im new here tho, so tell me, is there a specific thread i should go to, or will this one do?



Columbia '10 admit,

I think this thread will do. Thanks again!!!


GMAK80
11
Congrats on your Columbia admission!!!!

I am applying to one of the schools you've been accepted to, specifically, Cornell. Can you please share with us some of the interview questions, espeically those that you deemed difficult/unique. Thanks.


GMAK80

I applied to cornell in the november deadline, its second.
my cornell interview came very late in the day, when I had almost given up on it: exactly 3 days before the final decision deadline. in hindsight, i think it was because cornell's apps grew by almost 33% (dont quote me on this! just read it around somewhere) in the first round in october. i do know for a fact that the first round decisions came much later than the deadline.

in the interview, they asked me to come to the campus in ithaca to meet them. i completely freaked out because i did not have the money or the time to do this 😃 so i wrote them a very polite email asking them if it was possible that i meet an alum. they were very friendly; responded immediately with the name of an alum in my city. the alum however could not interview me, he was travelling and there was a very short time frame. so the adcom was nice enough to do my interview on the phone; i was interviewed by an adcom member.

it was a short 30 minute session, very relaxed. very obvious questions - why mba, why now, why cornell. he got a little fixated on 'why mba now' and grilled me on why cornell as well.. i mentioned something about teamwork so he asked me if i thought i was good in a team, what role i played in a team and to give him an instance where i exhibited teamwork.. that one led to more questions about my work..
one interesting question was, he didnt ask me directly which other schools i apped to - but he asked me if i thought i was competitive enough for cornell in this very app-heavy year, with such little wkexp (i had about 2yrs 10months) .. this question threw me off a little.. i think i went awkward there for a bit! but then i covered it up saying something about having confidence in what i have done, reiterating why this was the best time for me.. and i said that i wdnt have applied if i thought i cdnt hold my own against the other applicants 😛 ..that got a smile out of him i think!

the tone of the interview is very friendly, like they genuinely want to get to know you.. but this can be misleading.. you tend to forget that you're in an Interview (atleast i did!! sometimes i talk too much!! :D) .. so dont let your guard down!
also, do make a list of qualities you want to highlight in the interview, but dont go with a list of things you want to talk about - hat makes for awkward conversation. also, since the essays are tiny (400 words!! i can never get everything to fit in that) i tried to emphasise my fit all the time. cornell has a bit of a complex as the only ivy-league (ok im not counting yale here!) without a top 10 mba. but its a great school with its own strengths and character; you just need to show your understanding of it.


good luck!! and let me know if you need any more info :)
12

I put this on another thread but i think its also relevant here.
mods : hope this is ok!


Columbia: Culture
this is supposed to be Such a snooty school, when its not really! and for a finance-crazy applicant pool like ours, its surprisingly sidelined. but columbia doesnt make much of an effort to get indian attention, and thats completely their loss.
when you think of columbia, think of new york (or in the indian context - think of bombay) lots of colour and diversity (columbia has one of highest percentages of women and internationals) but also a very individualistic culture. columbia gives you opportunities, but its up to you to take advantage. ppl here dont like to waste time; if you call them with a question, make sure its relevant and to the point. no faff here!

now how do we use this information?
in your career goals essay, dont be wishy-washy; more than most places, you have to say up front "i like this, and x/y/z reasons is why i like it" ...columbia says that they give so much to choose from on campus that you will just go mad if you're not focussed. you shd show Focus in your essays: clarity of thought. and this comes across best in your career goals essay.
in an essay where i talked about my community service, i chose an instance where Action could be seen: not just feelings. thie thing to show is that you have other softer interests but your approach is to "get things done".
basically use the word limit to show that you are diverse, focussed, driven. a lil aggression may not be amiss :smile: show you have a softer side, but the A-type is your predominant side.
oh and columbia has a lil complex with h/w/s so show that you're crazy abt the school - and NYC!

13

Originally Posted by IIMblacki07
Quote:
Originally Posted by columbia10admit
i am planning to gv GMAT this june and only aiming for top 10 US bskools or top 15 global b skools..
apart frm a 700+ score wht kinda profile do u need to attract the interview panel of these skools.

my profile:
skool:grin:PS RKP,grades:not gr8-->80s in 10th,70s in 12th

school is very irrelevant.. unless you have an extra curricular that stood out then and you are still involved in it; for example if you were a state/national level swimmer and you still swim.. then you can use it to show another side of yourself. otherwise - forget about school.. its ancient history.
grad:frm one of the top 25 tech schools in india,grade:First class with distinction
work exp:2 yrs in infosys,team leader
extracirricular: decent,have been a member of students council in skool,cultural head in college,vice head of self gov team in infosys and quite a lot of social service thruout my career.
achievements:blue coat nd blue bladge for academic excellence in skool,JSTE and NTSE scholar,bronze medal in zonal karate,on the spot award in infy.

what else do u think is needed in the profile?i know i cnt change my 10th 12th marx or get into the IITs:satisfie:..what i can do is probably gain more exp or try for onsite exp or change company..
wht do u think wud be appropriate??

its not like everyone who gets into the top 10 is from IIT or got 95% all their lives - i for one did neither of these things :smile:
you sound like you have interesting stories to talk about. i suppose the only things you can do now is make the best of what you have :smile: in teh 1yr you have:
- build a strategy: what are you going to tell the schools? make a clear plan of what you want to do post mba; draw a link between what you do now and what you want to do later. if there are gaps, you have the next year to fill them!
- do the best you can at work: get tangible results: a big deal you can show on your resume; improve your relationship with your recommenders.. get an award / promotion..
- changing your company.. thats a whole diff question... you'll have to give me more details for that :smile:
- build stories about what you're going to say about the rest of your life: who you are as a person..
- Most Importantly... please Research the schools!!! find out which schools suit you and your goals... this is THE most important thing :smile:
good luck!! let me know if you need more help.


Thanx a lot for all the info,its really of a gr8 help to me and I will definetely keep in mind while moving fwd for gmat.
As far as my ambition is concerned i wish to be an entrepreneur and start my own consultancy firm.After doing an mba frm US, i wish to work in one of the top consultancy firms which will be gv me the right exposure and experience to start my own venture.
i really have no clue as to which skool will help me achieve my goal.how did u start ur journey?whr all did u search and whom all did u get in touch with?
im trying real hard to get an onsite frm infy so that i can have a chance to go to these skools and have a chat with the adcom members and the students there,i blv that wud definetely gv me a brighter picture.

what are ur thots on the same?i wish to get into a b skool as soon as possible but only when my profile bcms attractive and it wud be really easy to sell my self..
I can see u getting admits frm couple of brilliant skools.ur profile really helped me blvg that one can crack the top skools even with 3 yrs of work ex which was considered as a myth;-)

Is it possible to share ur gtalk id or ur mail id so that we can have frequent chats(only if ur comfortable with it)

P.S really sorry to make dat blunder(got confused b/w GSB chicago and columbia) :-x

thanx and regards,

14

FIrst thing you can do to improve your profile is try to be a bit more professional in communication. For example, you have used sms lingo in your post. This is unacceptable at any professional environment. This makes the post difficult to read. Moresoever, if you are asking for help from someone, then you should try to see how has the mentor responded to other queries. Just have a look at other posts and you will get the drift.

Originally Posted by IIMblacki07
Quote:
Originally Posted by columbia10admit
i am planning to gv GMAT this june and only aiming for top 10 US bskools or top 15 global b skools..
apart frm a 700+ score wht kinda profile do u need to attract the interview panel of these skools.
my profile:
skool:grin:PS RKP,grades:not gr8-->80s in 10th,70s in 12th
grad:frm one of the top 25 tech schools in india,grade:First class with distinction
work exp:2 yrs in infosys,team leader
extracirricular: decent,have been a member of students council in skool,cultural head in college,vice head of self gov team in infosys and quite a lot of social service thruout my career.
achievements:blue coat nd blue bladge for academic excellence in skool,JSTE and NTSE scholar,bronze medal in zonal karate,on the spot award in infy.

thanx and regards,
15
Originally Posted by IIMblacki07
Quote:
As far as my ambition is concerned i wish to be an entrepreneur and start my own consultancy firm.After doing an mba frm US, i wish to work in one of the top consultancy firms which will be gv me the right exposure and experience to start my own venture.
i really have no clue as to which skool will help me achieve my goal.how did u start ur journey?whr all did u search and whom all did u get in touch with?
im trying real hard to get an onsite frm infy so that i can have a chance to go to these skools and have a chat with the adcom members and the students there,i blv that wud definetely gv me a brighter picture.
what are ur thots on the same?i wish to get into a b skool as soon as possible but only when my profile bcms attractive and it wud be really easy to sell my self..
P.S really sorry to make dat blunder(got confused b/w GSB chicago and columbia) :-x



glad i could help!
no worries abt the blunder.. i just got a good laugh at your expense 😉 and yeah... its not difficult to get in with 3yrs... you just need to selll yourself a little :smile:

to answer your questions:

- i dont know much abt entrepreneurship or consulting, but i can tell you that the schools you can look at would be harvard/stan/wharton (in that order i think) .. tuck.. and chicago is awesome for this i hear, and ross.. darden too. and kellogg!
columbia is more of a fin school.
the way to research is by hounding forums like this :smile: look at the top 15 list (look at the rankings and form your own idea) go to the recruitment sections on their websites.. figure out where your target firms recruit from, talk to some ppl from there if you can. talk to as many people as you can from each school! (i have another post on that)..yeah and nothing like a visit, ofcourse! for a better picture.. and brownie points with the adcom :smile:

- i cant judge when your profile is right.. you're the best judge of that :smile:

good luck! mail / post if you have more questions!
16

hola!!

congrats on the columbia admit...m kinda stumped on essay 2 in the columbia application..any insights on how u approached this essay?and did u get a fellowship/schol in columbia?

Regards

17
I applied to cornell in the november deadline, its second.
my cornell interview came very late in the day, when I had almost given up on it: exactly 3 days before the final decision deadline. in hindsight, i think it was because cornell's apps grew by almost 33% (dont quote me on this! just read it around somewhere) in the first round in october. i do know for a fact that the first round decisions came much later than the deadline.
in the interview, they asked me to come to the campus in ithaca to meet them. i completely freaked out because i did not have the money or the time to do this 😃 so i wrote them a very polite email asking them if it was possible that i meet an alum. they were very friendly; responded immediately with the name of an alum in my city. the alum however could not interview me, he was travelling and there was a very short time frame. so the adcom was nice enough to do my interview on the phone; i was interviewed by an adcom member.
it was a short 30 minute session, very relaxed. very obvious questions - why mba, why now, why cornell. he got a little fixated on 'why mba now' and grilled me on why cornell as well.. i mentioned something about teamwork so he asked me if i thought i was good in a team, what role i played in a team and to give him an instance where i exhibited teamwork.. that one led to more questions about my work..
one interesting question was, he didnt ask me directly which other schools i apped to - but he asked me if i thought i was competitive enough for cornell in this very app-heavy year, with such little wkexp (i had about 2yrs 10months) .. this question threw me off a little.. i think i went awkward there for a bit! but then i covered it up saying something about having confidence in what i have done, reiterating why this was the best time for me.. and i said that i wdnt have applied if i thought i cdnt hold my own against the other applicants 😛 ..that got a smile out of him i think!
the tone of the interview is very friendly, like they genuinely want to get to know you.. but this can be misleading.. you tend to forget that you're in an Interview (atleast i did!! sometimes i talk too much!! :D) .. so dont let your guard down!
also, do make a list of qualities you want to highlight in the interview, but dont go with a list of things you want to talk about - hat makes for awkward conversation. also, since the essays are tiny (400 words!! i can never get everything to fit in that) i tried to emphasise my fit all the time. cornell has a bit of a complex as the only ivy-league (ok im not counting yale here!) without a top 10 mba. but its a great school with its own strengths and character; you just need to show your understanding of it.
good luck!! and let me know if you need any more info :)



Thank yo Columbia '10 admit!!!! I am feeling a little better now. I am a R3 applicant and I haven't heard a word from Cornell. Its self imposed deadline is 3/5/2008. Every day I wait for the little rejection letter in the mail and its becoming frustrating to not hear from them and at the same time other schools are offering me fellowships. Thanks and for your help and the slight hope that I still have for attending Cornell (my 1st choice).


GMAK80
18

Hi There!

First Congratulations on a cracko of an admit!

I need to know, if it is possible for someone from Sales and Marketing Background to fall in love with Finance and now wanting to switch over to finance for various reasons like interest in subject, clarity of subject, need of it as an enabler for future growth?

My Profile: MBA from top 15B Schools in India. Working with a top Consumer Goods organization and making decent money with 2 years of work ex. GMAT is 750. Computer Engineering grad with heavy Extra curriculars and Community service.

The problem is, Sales and marketing though dynamic in nature has not as much vastness as finance and coming into business has made me appreciate the value of Finance and the value it adds to an organizaion.

I intend to move to Finance for roles in Private Equity and I-Banking.

Two question based on this:
1. Does Applying to columbia makes a sense, as in will they consider my profile?
2. How good is Columbia for I-BAnking and PE Careers?

Thanks and Regards

19
hola!!

congrats on the columbia admit...m kinda stumped on essay 2 in the columbia application..any insights on how u approached this essay?and did u get a fellowship/schol in columbia?

Regards

fellowship/ schol: not so far.. :)
columbia has need-based schols only for american citizens (which i am not). merit-based fellowships are few and far between - so dont expect aid from columbia! it does have a decent loan policy, which i am planning to take advantage of. i've done some cost analysis.. to see how long it will take to pay back. turns out, not so long! if you have more questions on that, just ask.
the second essay! that was my bugbear too 😃 what an annoying question, haina? took me a long while to figure it out, and i still think that was the weakest in my app pack. still, let me try and help you, now that i've added that caveat :)
as i see it, there are 2 aspects to this question. firstly, there is the generic question - is an mba useful in the long run? will it be relevant 20yrs down the line?
this is an important question, and one you shd ask yourself. the mba is a huge investment - you need to show that you are doing an mba with your eyes wide open. in my opinion columbia looks for clarity of thought here - looking for whether you have thought through this decision (to apply) properly. the attached speech with the essay shd give you some direction.
secondly - the keyword here is YOUR mba. this aspect is an almost-continuation of the first essay. what is your career goal? how is the mba relevant to that? will your mba still be relevant in it 20yrs down?
then relate it to what the columbia mba offers - after all thats what you hope to make Your mba! for example, i am looking to make my career in an emerging industry, which by nature is constantly changing - today and for many years to come. columbia has some courses on how to deal with change : thats what i said the columbia mba will give me, which i can use forever..
i hope you get my drift!
also, a little tip: columbia allows alums to audit classes, with the professor's permission. this means that as an alum, you can attend any bschool class u want! columbia's mantra is 'lifelong learning'... use that :)
hope this has given you some food for thought! good luck :)
20
fellowship/ schol: not so far.. :)
columbia has need-based schols only for american citizens (which i am not). merit-based fellowships are few and far between - so dont expect aid from columbia! it does have a decent loan policy, which i am planning to take advantage of. i've done some cost analysis.. to see how long it will take to pay back. turns out, not so long! if you have more questions on that, just ask.
the second essay! that was my bugbear too 😃 what an annoying question, haina? too me a long while to figure it out, and i still think that was the weakest in my app pack. still, let me try and help you, now that i've added that caveat :)
as i see it, there are 2 aspects to this question. firstly, there is the generic question - is an mba useful in the long run? will it be relevant 20yrs down the line?
this is an important question, and one you shd ask yourself. the mba is a huge investment - you need to show that you are doing an mba with your eyes wide open. in my eyes columbia looks for clarity of thought here - looking for whether you have thought through this decision (to apply) properly. the attached speech with the essay shd give you some direction.
secondly - the keyword here is YOUR mba. this aspect is an almost-continuation of the first essay. what is your career goal? how is the mba relevant to that? will your mba still be relevant in it 20yrs down?
then relate it to what the columbia mba offers - after all thats what you hope to make Your mba! for example, i am looking to make my career in an emerging industry, which by nature is constantly changing - today and for many years to come. columbia has some courses on how to deal with change : thats what i said the columbia mba will give me, which i can use forever..
i hope you get my drift!
also, a little tip: columbia allows alums to audit classes, with the professor's permission. this means that as an alum, you can attend any bschool class u want! columbia's mantra is 'lifelong learning'... use that :)
hope this has given you some food for thought! good luck :)



hey thanks!!!saw that u got thru cornell ...good going!!did u apply to wharton also?