Columbia '10 admit taking questions

[columbia10admit]

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)
I also applied to Chicago GSB and got an interview which i did not go for, because I had accepted Columbia's offer by then.

I am 23 yrs old, female and Indian. I have 15yrs of education with an economics degree from a good DU college but a very average-to-bad GPA. My GMAT score was 700 (71%ile in quant and 95%ile in english). I have almost 3 yrs of wk exp in a good financial services firm.

so u see i have very average stats
ppl here dont seem to be very interested in columbia, but 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.

[columbia10admit]

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

<made an edit in green>



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!!

[GMAK80]

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

[whoisit]

Originally Posted by columbia10admit

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!

[columbia10admit]

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

[columbia10admit]

Originally Posted by GMAK80

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?

[columbia10admit]

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

[columbia10admit]

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"
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 ) 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.

[GMAK80]

Originally Posted by columbia10admit

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

[columbia10admit]

Originally Posted by GMAK80

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 :P ..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!! ) .. 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