Culture at Various US B-Schools

[nagpalkunal]

We have had a lot of details on choosing schools as per our plans and requirements. Maybe we could all pool in together our research and make a database on what we think these schools look for and what they stand for. I This would a go a long way in helping people following in the GMAT path:
for eg: Ross looks for social activities/community service, ethics, strong work-ex. looks for teamwork and has a great facility for entrepreneurs.

[Crash_test_dummy]

nice thread.

Emory looks for compliance with their 7 core values. As in, if you can show them examples of your work experience that coincides strongly with their core values, they`ll be pretty happy. lookup the 7 values on their website. On any and every interview etc, i always hear this ramble about how important their core values are to them.

on an unrelated note, i must say, dont ALL schools look for everything? i mean, the things you mentioned for Ross pretty much cover all aspects of a person`s life: strong work ex, social activities, leadership etc. Same is the case with the 7 core values of emory. So how do we identify concrete signs of what a school`s culture is? i think a closer look at who and what kind of students it admits tells a lot more about the school`s culture.

For example, Tepper has up to 50% engineers, and it`s average gmat score is inching towards 700....that says a lot about how it`s culture would be. The parent university CMU is strong on technology. so i see it`s culture as a very quant oriented, engineer friendly, raw intellectual power, low on frills, very rigorous and serious types...probably reminiscent of our own engineering days! Am i on the right track here?

[nagpalkunal]

Originally Posted by Crash_test_dummy

nice thread.

Emory looks for compliance with their 7 core values. As in, if you can show them examples of your work experience that coincides strongly with their core values, they`ll be pretty happy. lookup the 7 values on their website. On any and every interview etc, i always hear this ramble about how important their core values are to them.

on an unrelated note, i must say, dont ALL schools look for everything? i mean, the things you mentioned for Ross pretty much cover all aspects of a person`s life: strong work ex, social activities, leadership etc. Same is the case with the 7 core values of emory. So how do we identify concrete signs of what a school`s culture is? i think a closer look at who and what kind of students it admits tells a lot more about the school`s culture.

For example, Tepper has up to 50% engineers, and it`s average gmat score is inching towards 700....that says a lot about how it`s culture would be. The parent university CMU is strong on technology. so i see it`s culture as a very quant oriented, engineer friendly, raw intellectual power, low on frills, very rigorous and serious types...probably reminiscent of our own engineering days! Am i on the right track here?

Well the reason I started this thread is because there is ever so a subtle variation b/w the schools.
I meantioned specifically for Ross becausde this is what their Dean (old and new both) and their brochure mentions. every schools stands by its own 2-3 core set of values. (all other values are of course repeated across the school spectrum) and it is these values that can help you out in writing essays.
to further the eg, some other school would be having leadership and extra-curr as its core value. that is to say, they are looking very sharply at these qualities while also taking care that you have a gud work ex. (hypothetical situation please )

Hope it clarifies

Kunal

[columbia10admit]

Originally Posted by nagpalkunal

We have had a lot of details on choosing schools as per our plans and requirements. Maybe we could all pool in together our research and make a database on what we think these schools look for and what they stand for.

this is such a great idea! wish this database had more posts - wdve helped me when i was busy going crazy trying to figure out the fit factor!
i'd like to add my two-penny bit worth here, about schools i apped to.
caveat: i got admits from columbia, cornell but i'm not an authority on them
also, this judgement will be fairly superficial, anyone can use this as a starting point but please also do your own research!

Columbia
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.
in an essay where i talked about my community service, i chose an instance where Action could be seen: not just feelings. basically use the word limit to show that you are diverse, focussed, driven. you have other softer interests but your approach is to "get things done". a lil aggression may not be amiss 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!

Cornell
a completely different school. here the key words are "competitive but collaborative" .. you shoudl show that you are driven, but you take other people along with you;you recognise the importance of a team. this 'team' thing is cornell's USP.. ithaca is a small town so everyone is very pally. talk about loving the intimacy of a small community; the strength of networks. so no aggression here : this school is about contributions.

btw - read between the lines of the essays : the kind of questions a school asks says a lot about what it needs!

good luck!