MBA Essay Consulting Event: Sunday, June 4, 2017

I will be hosting an event in Tokyo at 10am on June 4, 2017 in which I will be discussing the process of brainstorming and writing essays for the Columbia MBA set. If you are in Tokyo, please consider joining us. Details (in Japanese) can be found here.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

MBA Admissions Essays and Deadlines for 2016-17 are slowly rolling out

It may seem to some that this time of year is far removed from any approaching deadlines. And essay topics for the graduating class of 2019? A long ways off..  Well neither is true. Not only that but in particular, this year deadlines and essays are being released quickly. Here's some that are already out:

Harvard deadlines and essays
Columbia deadlines and essays
UNC Kenan-Flagler deadlines and essays

Stanford deadlines
Dartmouth Tuck deadlines
Indiana Kelley deadlines
HEC Paris (1/17 entry) deadlines
INSEAD (9/17, 1/18 entry) deadlines

So now you're caught up as far as I can tell. I source ClearAdmit on the majority of these, but I do also check the admissions websites of major MBA programs this time of year just to make sure I am on top of what is going on. I'd suggest that if you want to stay on top of the deadlines and essay topics for your top choice schools you subscribe to the ClearAdmit blog and/or bookmark the admissions site of your top schools to make sure you are getting the latest news.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

MBA Admissions Essay Event: Friday June 26 2015

I will be co-hosting an MBA admissions event with my colleague Eiki Satori at Affinity on Friday, June 26, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The event is free and you can register here. Please consider it should you have the time and inclination.

The topic will be the Columbia MBA essay set for the 2015-16 admissions season. It's a good one, as applicants need to choose carefully what to write about and (importantly) demonstrate a strong fit with the program. It also features 4 essays, including the optional one, and so is a good essay set for discussing overall balance. You can find the Columbia essays here.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

2015-16 MBA Admissions Deadlines and Essays: Harvard, Stanford, Yale, MIT, Wharton and Columbia

Thinking of submitting an MBA application later this fall? Top schools are releasing their deadlines and essay prompts earlier than ever, and even though we are only in mid-May, there's a lot of information out there:

MBA admissions deadlines:

Harvard, Stanford, MIT Sloan, Wharton, Columbia J-term, Yale



MBA admissions essay questions:

Harvard, Stanford, MIT Sloan, Columbia

This year, Harvard's deadline is September 9th. Time to get started on that application!

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Columbia MBA Essays for 2015-16 released

Columbia Business School is first to release their essay prompts for the class of 2018.

With the new questions there is a greater emphasis on the fit you perceive between your objectives and the program. The questions follow below, and they can be found on the CBS admissions website, along with other relevant details on applying to the program.


Essay questions:

Short Answer Question:
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

Essay 1:
Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals going forward, and how will the Columbia MBA help you achieve them? (Maximum 500 words)

Essay 2:
Columbia Business School’s location enables us to bridge theory and practice in multiple ways: through Master Classes, internships, the New York Immersion Seminars, and, most importantly, through a combination of distinguished research faculty and accomplished practitioners. How will you take advantage of being “at the very center of business”? (Maximum 250 words)

Essay 3:
CBS Matters, a key element of the School’s culture, allows the people in your Cluster to learn more about you on a personal level. What will your Clustermates be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (Maximum 250 words)

Optional Essay:
An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Columbia Business School's Advanced Venture for All Program is coming to Tokyo

Columbia Business School's Advanced Venture for All® Program is coming to Japan in March 2015.

This program will be held during March 21, 22, 28 and 29 in Tokyo and is geared towards senior managers and entrepreneurs.

Participants will get the chance to receive real feedback from CBS professors on a business idea and more to help them develop it further. This program is scheduled across weekends so that working professionals can join.

Read on here for more information on this program and how to apply. You can change the default language in the top right corner of the page (i.e. EN for English, JP for Japanese) if you need to.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

MBA Application Strategy: Adding 1-2 Schools is Easier than Ever

I have never endorsed the concept of applying to more programs than you might normally do so just for the sake of maximising your overall chances. Applying to 10 programs instead of 7, or to 5 programs instead of 3 has often meant, to me at least, greater risk of shoddy and underdeveloped work as a result of not spending enough time on each application. Rushing to complete a lot of work in a short amount of time never really works out for anyone.

However, today MBA applications are easier to complete than ever as recommendation letter prompts and essay topics are becoming more and more generic. 

Essays - 

More and more top MBA programs have been cutting their number of required essays (Wharton, Michigan, Stanford, Tuck) or eliminating mandatory essays entirely and leaving only one optional essay (Harvard). I don't agree with this trend, as I feel schools should be investing more time into choosing the right candidates for their program rather than cutting application requirements. However, the amount of time spent drafting and completing essays is going to be a bit less now that schools have less essays. What will stay the same though for most is the amount of time spent brainstorming contents. This, brainstorming and deciding essays approaches and strategies, is and will always remain a vital component of the process.

Recommendation letters - 

Recently several top MBA programs announced they’re requiring recommenders to respond to a standardised set of questions. Columbia, Yale, Wharton, Chicago, Virginia, and Kellogg are expected to participate. A Poets&Quants article on the topic can be read here. Stanford even made their famous peer recommender an optional part of this year's application - more on that here.

Overall, I feel the change is again a negative one in that schools are becoming more and more alike and less differentiated at the application level. But there’s no doubt that if you aim for 1-2 extra schools amongst those in this list, your recommenders won’t be greatly affected. 

So, if you have finished one application that is strong, and completed to your liking, and it cannot be improved anymore..  then adding an extra school or two might certainly be within reach. I don’t mean that you SHOULD apply to more programs, just that the OPPORTUNITY COST is lower than ever. 

Remember: application quality is most important, and should never be sacrificed. Don’t cut and paste blindly between applications. Research programs and be ready to show how you feel fit with a given program when asked to do so. These are important things to consider for every school to which you apply. But, at the same time, know that the days of saying “I don’t think I have the time to submit an HBS or Wharton app in R2” are likely gone for those who are well-prepared and keeping to a schedule.

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

2014-15 MBA Application Deadlines and Essay Topics

The past week has seen a LOT of releases of 2014-15 application deadlines, essay topics, and other interesting facts. Analysis will follow on this blog later in the spring and into the summer, but for now I wanted to get links out so you can start to reference this information.


Stanford:
application deadlines

essay topics
Stanford has reduced the number of essays they require in their application from 3 to 2. Their signature essay, "What matters most to you, and why?" remains. The link above goes to their admissions website, and it contains excellent advice from the GSB on how to approach the essays. Stanford shares useful advice on their own questions on their site and it is worth a read.

recommendation letter instructions
The peer recommender letter is now just an option as Stanford has dropped the number of required recommenders from 3 to 2.



Harvard:
essay topics and recommendation letter prompts
This link above is to an entry in the HBS "From the Admissions Director" blog, which I highly recommend to those aiming for or thinking of aiming for HBS. The entry also mentions the Round 1 deadline this year will be on 9/9/2014, one week earlier than last year's R1 deadline.)



Wharton:
application deadlines



Columbia:
application deadlines
essay topics
recommendation letters instructions



MIT:
application deadlines


I'll follow up with my analyses throughout the late spring and into the summer. But now is the time to start marking you calendars!

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

EMBA-Global Asia Program Event in Tokyo on September 12, 2013

I was just informed that staff members representing Columbia Business School and the University of Hong Kong will be in Tokyo and hosting an event on the EMBA-Global Asia program on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 19:00 at Tokyo Kaikan.

Registration and details can be found here.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Interview with Mary Miller on the EMBA-Global (Asia) Program offered by Columbia, HKU and London Business School

I am pleased to present the following interview with Mary Miller, Program Director of the EMBA-Global Asia program offered by Columbia Business School, HKU Business School and London Business School.  

Career Impact

1. Have any of your students attempted a career change (changing their function, or even moving to a new company) after completing the program?

Yes, many of our students don’t wait to graduate before they change positions in their current company, accepted a new position with a different company or started their own business.  EMBA-Global Asia gives students confidence in their ability to take on new challenges and opportunities in addition to the support, knowledge and skills to do so.  While our program is still young, it is difficult to keep track of all the employment changes that happen during and after the program. These individuals are truly global citizens who are talented and sought after by international companies.

Admissions

2. What kind of TOEFL or IELTS score are you hoping to see? Is there a minimum for either test?

An important component of the program is the lively discussions that occur in and out of the classroom, so English fluency is critical to get the most out of the program.  However, we have no minimum score for either test.  All of our candidates are interviewed, so this offers an additional opportunity to demonstrate their English language ability. If we think candidates need to improve their English language skills, we encourage them to obtain this in various ways prior to the beginning of the program.

3. In some countries like Japan only very senior employees get management experience. How do you factor this in when weighing the managerial experience of applicants to the program? 

We are aware that the countries have different business practices and we think it is important to have diversity in the classroom.  An individual’s management experience is important, but so is his or her attitude and reasons for pursuing an EMBA degree.  Even a candidate without a lot of management experience can be a leader and have much to share and contribute.

4. I assume that company support makes it easier for students in the program to manage the scheduling and travel. However is company support a necessary component of an application?

We want students to get the most out of the program and think it is important for them to have the support of their employer in terms of time out of the office, and so this is required.  While financial support by the company is also encouraged, it is not required.  When a company gives a candidate time away from the office, this demonstrates a commitment to the individual’s professional development and is a very positive influence.

5. The academic background of applicants is mentioned on the admissions website - how important is the undergraduate GPA? What can applicants do if their GPA is relatively low (for instance below 3.0 on a 4.0 scale)?

While the academic background is important, the GPA is also the only aspect of the application that can’t be changed.  Most people have matured 5+ years after they were undergraduates.  They are business managers and leaders and we’ve found that their attitude and commitment is a critical component to their success in the classroom.  That said, it is always helpful to prepare for the rigors of the course work by reviewing material that may have been forgotten or not used for a long time. We have a pre-MBA online course that we encourage candidates to complete once they are admitted. They can do this at their own pace and this helps them determine areas where they may need to expend extra effort.

6. What range of GMAT scores are represented in the current class?

The GMAT seems to be the requirement that causes the most anxiety for applicants. We have no minimum score and only ask that candidates do their best.  Many EMBA programs don’t require the GMAT, but we do.  One of the unique features of the EMBA-Global Asia program is that our students take electives courses with students in other MBA programs at all the three schools (CBS, LBS and HKU).  We hold all students to the same high standard.  While applicants don’t like taking the GMAT as part of the admission process, after they are admitted they are proud of their accomplishment and are glad that it was required.  As you might expect with such a diverse group of candidates, the scores also vary widely.

The EMBA-Global Experience

7. Is all learning conducted in the classroom? A lot of people have the impression that EMBA programs mix short bursts of in-class learning with online-based assignments. How about your program?

All courses are taught in the classroom with lively discussion and interaction, but learning takes place in and out of the classroom.  What is so wonderful about EMBA programs is that you learn something in the class that you can apply the next day in at work. Students learn from each other all the time – in and out of the classroom. Since our students come from all over the world and work in teams across time zones outside of class, a lot of team projects and assignments are completed using a variety of tools – email, Skype, video-conferencing. 

8. Can you give an example as to how students can grow their network by meeting students from other programs in elective courses? From what programs are these students coming from?

This is one of the unique aspects of the program. In July, three CBS faculty members (one being Dean Hubbard) taught an elective course in Hong Kong at HKU.  The class included some EMBA-Global Asia students, but full-time and other executive MBA students from CBS and LBS also enrolled.  It was amazing how easily they connected with each other, and by the end of the week they all had new friends and colleagues.

Thank you Mary for your time!

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Columbia MBA Program Essay Topics for 2013-14 Admissions Season

The Columbia MBA program is the first (to my knowledge) to release essay topics for admission to the class entering in the fall of 2014. 

Short Answer Question - What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (100 characters maximum)

Essay 1 - Given your individual background, why are you pursuing a Columbia MBA at this time? (Maximum 500 words)

Essay 2 - Columbia Business School is located in the heart of the world’s business capital – Manhattan. How do you anticipate that New York City will impact your experience at Columbia? (Maximum 250 words)

Please view the videos below:

 New York City – limitless possibilities

 New York City – fast paced and adaptable

Essay 3 - What will the people in your Cluster be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (Maximum 250 words)

Optional Essay - An optional third essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays.

For more information please see the admissions pages at the Columbia MBA program.

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Columbia MBA Deadlines for 2013-14 Application Season

The Columbia MBA program has updated their admissions website to reflect deadlines for those aiming to enter their program in January and August 2014.

January 2014 entry - 
deadline: 10/2/2013

August 2014 entry - 
Early Decision deadline: 10/2/2013
Merit Fellowship Consideration: 1/6/2014
Regular Decision deadline: 4/9/2014


Columbia employs a rolling admissions process. Read on (and verify all deadlines) at their admissions website.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

LLM Deadlines are Slowly Being Released

For LLM applicants anxious to get their schedule updated with this year's deadlines, a few schools - New York University Law School, Harvard Law School, Georgetown Law and Berkeley Law have released their information.  

New York University offers a deadline of 12/17/2012 for international students.

Harvard Law School has a deadline of 12/1/2012, however applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by 11/15/2012. 

Georgetown Law has announced an Early Action deadline of 11/15/2012, and a Regular Action for foreign-trained attorneys of 2/15/2013. 

Berkeley Law has announced that their deadline is 12/15/2012. 

As for other schools, including Columbia Law School, Chicago Law and Stanford Law School, as of this blog posting deadlines hadn't been released.  Be sure to keep checking each program's official admissions pages to get the most accurate and up to date information, rather than relying on other sites such as LSAC.org.  Over the next two weeks or so most schools will probably have released their deadlines.

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Columbia Business School Releases 2012-13 MBA Application Essays

Columbia Business School has released its essays for the 2012-13 application season.  These essay prompts can be found on the school's admissions website.  Essay 1B asks applicants to view a video about the CBS community, this video can be found here. Note as well that a few sample answers of their short answer question are available at their admissions page too.

Short Answer Question:

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (200 characters maximum)

Essay 1:

A. Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career, and how do you plan to achieve your immediate and long term post-MBA professional goals? (Maximum 500 words)

B. Please view this video, entitled Community at Columbia. Diverse, tight-knit clusters and carefully selected learning teams are defining features of the first year at Columbia Business School. Along with more than 100 student organizations and countless events each semester, the cluster system helps to create a supportive and devoted lifelong community. Describe why you are interested in becoming a part of the Columbia community. (Maximum 250 words)

Essay 2:

Describe a personal experience and how it has influenced who you are today. This essay should have a personal rather than a professional focus. (Maximum 500 words)

Optional Essay:

An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays.

As always, be sure to refer directly to the school's admissions website for up-to-date information on these essay topics and other elements of their application.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Columbia Business School Releases 2012-13 Application Deadlines

Columbia Business School has released its deadlines for the upcoming 2012-13 admissions season.

Deadlines for August 2013 entry:

Early Decision: 10/3/2012
Merit Fellowship Consideration: 1/9/2013
Regular Decision: 4/10/2013

Deadline for January 2013 entry: 10/3/2012

The school's website notes that "The August entry has two review periods — early decision and regular decision. Because the School uses a rolling admissions process, it is always to your advantage to apply well before the deadline."


As always, please refer to the school's own website for all official information.  


John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com