UCLA Anderson 2009-10 Essay Question Analyses and Deadlines

Deadlines are 21:00 Pacific time:

from the school website http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x5794.xml

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:  Please be introspective and authentic in your responses. We value the opportunity to learn about your life experiences, aspirations, and goals.

All responses to essays must be on double-spaced pages that are uploaded in document form, except for Essay 4 for first-time applicants, which may be submitted as an audio or video file instead. (Please note the word limits in parentheses.)

First-time applicants — 4 required essays:

1. Describe the ways in which your family and/or community have helped shape your development. (750 words)

This essay requires you to do a bit of self-reflection and self-analysis. You’ll need to think back and consider how your family and/or community impacted the person you are today – your personality, your values. Consider first the kind of person you are today. Are you someone who’s faced a lot of challenges but who’s always stayed strong before them? Do you have an unusually high ability to adapt? Do you have exceptional people skills and ability to understand others? Next, look back on your life and try to remember who and what had influenced the development of those characteristics and values. Many will write about their parents and/or other family members (grandparents, siblings). Others might want to write about a teacher, or a school or sports community. Perhaps you were influenced by a combination of people/groups. The important thing is to talk about how you were impacted by these early influences and then show examples of the person you’ve become.

2. Describe the biggest risk you have ever taken, the outcome, and what you learned in the process. (500 words)

The topic you choose for this essay could be personal or professional, but it should show your capacity for taking risks. Anderson focuses on entrepreneurship, and it will look for applicants who have the traits of an entrepreneur/innovator. Usually these people show higher levels of risk-taking than the general population.

When you write your story, remember that the focus is on what you did and what you learned. Don’t worry if the risk didn’t end up being a success (for example, you attempted to become an actor but you failed to get any parts); what UCLA is looking for is the mindset and courage that allowed you to try something new and to go outside your comfort zone.

3. Describe your short-term and long-term career goals.  What is your motivation for pursuing an MBA now and how will UCLA Anderson help you to achieve your goals? (750 words)

Another straightforward goals question. UCLA, too, has a distinctive MBA program so be sure you properly research the school before writing this essay. You want to make sure you can explain why Anderson’s collaborative and diverse community and innovation-based curriculum is a good match for you.

4. Select and respond to one of the two following questions. We would like you to respond to the question by recording an audio or video response, 1-2 minutes long (up to 5 MB maximum), for upload in the online application.  (Please note: The supported file types for audio files are:  .avi, .wav, .mp3, .wmv, .midi, .wma, .aiff, .au, .mp4; the supported file types for video files are:  .mov, .avi, .wmv, .mpeg). If you are unable to submit your response via audio or video, then please prepare a written response instead. (250 words)

While Anderson doesn’t require a spoken response, it is clear that they prefer it. Unless there is absolutely no way you can record your voice, you really should make the effort to send in a sound or video file. I suggest drafting a 250-word essay and then practicing reading it out loud before recording yourself. Have someone else listen to the recording to confirm that your pronunciation is clear and that your pace is appropriate.

a. Entrepreneurship is a mindset that embraces innovation and risk-taking within both established and new organizations.  Describe an instance in which you exhibited this mindset.

It is clear what UCLA cares about! Have you ever shown innovation or a risk-taking attitude? Talk about that time. You don’t need to have started your own business or organization to write this essay; any time that you created something new (even within an established organization), tried a new solution, etc. would qualify you as having an entrepreneurial mindset. They are mainly interested in how you think outside the box, beyond established norms.

b.  What is something people will find surprising about you?

This is an open-ended question and they’re giving you the chance to tell them something that they may not have thought to ask you about. When considering this topic, take a look at the rest of your essays, and see if there is something compelling or interesting about you that you have not been able to convey in your other stories. 

OPTIONAL: Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words)

Again, they’re giving you a chance to explain to them something that you feel they must know. As their essay set is pretty comprehensive, I would recommend using this essay only to discuss any areas of concern – e.g., lack of recommendation letter from a current supervisor, job gaps, low test scores and GPA, etc.

Reapplicants

Reapplicants who applied for the entering Fall 2008 or 2009 class have a different set of requirements than first-time applicants. Instead of submitting two letters of recommendation and the four regular essays, reapplicants are required to submit precisely one new letter of recommendation and the two essays below. The Admissions committee will refer to your previous application when considering your admission, but a complete new application must be submitted on-line. Begin your complete new application by creating a new PIN.

Reapplicants — 2 required essays:

1. Please describe your career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (750 words)

This is the reapplicants’ version of the goals essay. The only thing that is different is that you’d need to focus on the year that has passed since you applied. What have you been up to this past year? What did you accomplish at work? As instructed, you should also address your goals, to either confirm the same ones from last year or to discuss how they have evolved since last year. You should also talk again about why UCLA is the best fit for you and it would be nice if you could update them with further research you have conducted on the school. In other words, you don’t want to just copy and paste the same text from your past application but talk about how you took steps to continue learning about UCLA.

2. Describe the biggest risk you have ever taken, the outcome, and what you learned in the process. (500 words)

See above.

3. OPTIONAL: Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words)

See above.

Reapplicants should also note that all standardized test scores (GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, et cetera) remain on file for several years, so they should not be resent; we do indeed have them. Transcripts should only be resent if additional coursework has been completed since the first application has been submitted.

Researching LL.M. Programs II: Factors to Consider

Here is Part 2 of Matthew’s article on researching LLM programs:

After you’ve narrowed your search for U.S. LL.M. programs somewhat,
you’ll need to thoroughly examine the different schools and programs.
The following is a list of factors you might use to determine which
schools or programs offers the best fit with your background and
goals.

Admission requirements: The elite law schools all have similar
requirements for admission to their LL.M. programs, but slight
differences may be important (e.g., two schools might both require a
score of 100 on the TOEFL iBT, but one might require a minimum of 25
on each of the four test areas, and the other may have no such
restriction). Some schools may consider applicants whose TOEFL scores
are slightly lower than the standard, but require those applicants to
take a summer English course if accepted. Other schools will simply
not make such considerations.

Programs: In addition to LL.M.s, many schools are offering M.C.L.
(Master of Comparative Law) programs and other alternative degrees and
certificates. Some schools offer dual programs (such as Georgetown
University’s M.I.A./LL.M. – MIA stands for Master of International
Affairs -, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business and
Law Certificate).

Tracks and concentrations: Many schools offer only one LL.M. for
international students, and give students basically free reign to
decide which courses to take to to gain the required number of
credits. Other schools offer tracks or concentrations. A “track” can
mean a “course work only” track versus a “thesis” track, but it can
also mean “major”, i.e., a focus on a certain area of law like
corporate governance, environmental law, or taxation. If your purpose
in taking an LL.M. is to increase your knowledge in one specific area
of law, you may want a school that allows you to focus on that area
and that will recognize it as a concentration on your degree. Also, if
a school offers a concentration in a certain area, it is a good
indication that the program is strong in that area.

Research and writing: Most schools require a certain amount of
research and writing as part of the degree, but check that the
requirements and limits are compatible with your interests and goals.
In many programs you can choose a longer or a shorter research
project, or choose to omit the project. If there is a certain faculty
member you would like to work with on a research project, you will
need to check whether the school will allow this and whether the
professor is open to the idea.

Extra-curricular/co-curricular activities: Some schools offer LL.M.
students workshops (not for credit) on legal practice or law teaching
led by J.S.D. students or faculty. Some offer externships that can be
undertaken during the LL.M. (for example, Columbia offers externships
in arts law and to the United Nations). Some schools encourage LL.M.
students to work as research assistants to faculty members,
participate in community programs, or take part in student government.

Courses in other subjects: Do you have an interest in taking one or
more courses outside the law faculty during your LL.M.? Many schools
will allow this (e.g., Northwestern allows LL.M. students to take up
to two courses at Kellogg for credit toward the degree), but check the
limits and details.

Alternative formats: While most LL.M. programs require attendance on
campus on a full-time basis at least from September until April of the
following year, many schools are now offering different formats. The
University of California, Berkeley, offers a summer program where
international students may earn an LL.M. by attending two 10-week
summer sessions over two years. Northwestern offers an executive LL.M.
through its partnerships with universities in Seoul, Madrid and Tel
Aviv. In this 12 month course, classes are offered only in evenings
and on weekends to allow students in those locations to continue to
work full time while studying. NYU now offers an executive LL.M. in
taxation which can be taken almost entirely on-line, and which may
also be taken on a part-time basis over a maximum of 5 years.

-Matthew

Columbia Business School 2009-10 Essay Question Analyses and Deadlines

Here are Columbia’s deadlines and essay questions. Please note that Columbia is one of the few business schools that uses a rolling admissions system, meaning they make their selection decisions on pretty much a first-come, first-serve basis. This explains why they have a separate date for their “application review;” this is the date on which they begin reading applications, and they will continue to do so until the deadline. However, in between these two dates they will be making offers, wait list decisions, and rejections, meaning they are forming the class with each passing day. If Columbia is a top choice, please be sure to submit your application as early as you can within your target application review period.

*Candidates wishing to be considered for merit-based fellowships must submit their applications by 11:59 EST on this date.

Below I have cut and pasted their instructions and essay questions from their on-line application. As usual, my comments are included beneath each question.

http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/learnmore

**By the way, a word about the word limit: since Columbia provides a “recommended word limit,” I would take that to mean that you can write an essay that hovers around their given number. Their word limit is a target or guideline, and as long as you can come close to it, it’s fine.

Dual Degree applicants: Please address the following questions within your response to Essay 1: How will the Dual Degree enhance your short-term or long-term goals?

Reapplicants: If you have applied to Columbia Business School within the past year, you are required to submit only the reapplication essay [scroll down to the bottom of the list]. If your last application was more than one year ago, you must answer essays 1, 2, and 3.

Essay 1
What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 750 word limit)

This is the standard goals essay in which you have to explain your plans for the future (and, in the process, a bit about your career/career progression) and your reasons in choosing Columbia’s MBA program. Be sure to do thorough research of their program. Columbia prides itself on its innovative and hands-on curriculum and philosophy of teaching students how to respond to rapidly changing circumstances. You should be able to explain how this kind of curriculum and atmosphere fit in with your goals.

Essay 2
Master Classes are the epitome of bridging the gap between theory and practice at Columbia Business School. (View link below) Please provide an example from your own life in which practical experience taught you more than theory alone. (Recommended 500 word limit)

View with Real Player: http://merlin.gsb.columbia.edu:8080/ramgen/video1/faculty/MasterClass-promo.rm

A number of applicants have some trouble with this essay, mainly because they don’t quite grasp what the question is really asking. I would recommend (of course) that you first check the link that they have included, as it will explain more about what they mean by theory vs. practice. Once you have done that, try to think of an experience in which the reality of implementing something differed from what you had assumed from pure study alone. Had you learned something in the classroom, only to realize it didn’t work perfectly once you actually tried to do it? Did you believe something about business, only to see that it didn’t include certain critical factors once you tried to apply the concept in real life? Talk about that experience and what it taught you.

Essay 3
Please provide an example of a team failure of which you’ve been a part. If given a second chance, what would you do differently? (Recommended 500 word limit)

This is a twist on the traditional failure essay. Here you are asked to talk about a team failure, something that your group as a whole did not do well in. When talking about this story, though, be sure to discuss both the team failure and your contribution to that failure. What role did you play? Remember that you are the only person the admissions committee is interested in, so don’t dwell on the mistakes of others but rather analyze what you didn’t do. Even if other team members played a bigger role in the failure, think about what you could have done to have prevented the outcome. Perhaps you could have communicated better with your team mates, or have provided more training or support.

Optional Essay
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.)

If there is anything unusual or that may be of concern (no recommendation from a current supervisor, poor grades or test scores, employment gaps, etc.) to the admissions committee, be sure to explain that here. Otherwise, if you have a compelling story that you wish to share but were not able to include in the essay set, you may use this space to write your essay. For example, if you wrote only work-related stories above, you may want to use this essay to talk about something more personal.

Reapplication Essay

How have you enhanced your candidacy since your previous application? Please detail your progress since you last applied and reiterate your short-term and long-term goals. Explain how the tools of the Columbia MBA will help you to meet your goals and how you plan to participate in the Columbia community . (Recommended 750 word limit).

This is a straightforward question that wants to see how you have reflected on your growth and candidacy since your last application. Perhaps you took on more responsibility at work or improved your test scores. If you won any award or honors or promotion (etc.), be sure to discuss that too. Be sure you are not just copying and pasting last year’s goals essay, but take the time to write a new one based on who you are at this point in your career and life.

Researching LLM programs I: Some Web Resources

While we have been focusing almost entirely on MBA programs on our blog, we are hoping to publicize more information and resources for non-business school prospective applicants. One of our counselors Matthew has a special interest in legal issues although he also works with MBA applicants. He recently wrote an excellent article on how to research LLM programs and we will post it on our blog in two parts. The first part, “Web Resources,” is below and I will publish his second more detailed post next week.

Matthew is currently working as legal editor at one of the top law firms in Tokyo and has interests in international law (general), international transactions, intellectual property, and employment law. He has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and is currently in the middle of the Transnational LLM program at Temple University in Tokyo. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
The way you research different U.S. Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs for
international students will depend on your background,
your reasons for pursuing the degree, and other factors. The number of
schools and the variety of programs and courses can be overwhelming,
so in this post, I’ll get you started with some basic Internet
resources you can use to look at different schools and programs.

School websites
If you have a school or two in mind already, the obvious first step is
to read the schools’ websites, which will probably be able to answer
most of your questions. Make the most of this resource by registering
with the site and reading not only information about the specific
program you’re interested in, but also student blogs and any other
information that might give you a greater understanding of the school
and its programs.

If after reading the website you require more information, any school
will be happy to answer your questions sent by e-mail. Although
generally they do not interview LL.M. applicants, many schools
encourage prospective applicants to visit their campuses (see
Cecilia’s blog entry of August 5), and offer varying
degrees of support for this (e.g., providing student-led tours of the
law school, allowing visitors to observe classes). If your plans
include a thesis or other research project with a certain member of
the faculty, or if one or more professors are key in the area you wish
to specialize in, then it is a good idea to contact faculty members
individually with your questions.

Other websites
The International Law Institute (a Washington D.C.-based NPO)
maintains a list of all U.S. law schools offering LL.M. programs for
international students as well as a lot of other useful information on
the study of U.S. law from an international perspective:
http://www.ili.org/orientation/law_schools.html
You may be looking for the prestige that comes with an LL.M. from an
elite U.S. law school. The US News website
(http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/rankings)
ranks law schools according to a variety of factors, especially
post-graduation employment. An advantage of this site is that you can
adjust the ranking list according to factors like geographical
location and strength of certain program areas. The downside is that
most of the information (including tuition costs and employment rates)
is focused on J.D. programs not LL.M.
The LLM Guide website (http://www.llm-guide.com/usa) has a wealth of
information on LL.M. programs around the world, as well as articles,
discussion boards (get the inside scoop from students who have applied
to, been accepted/rejected by/graduated from various schools), and
tips.

In my next post, I’ll talk about factors to consider when looking
in more detail at the different schools and programs.

-Matthew

Columbia MBA Info Session in Tokyo

A Columbia representative will also be in Tokyo next week:

Tokyo Admissions Information Session and Reception
Please join Katie Lynch, Associate Director of Admissions, along with
local Alumni who will share information about the Columbia Business
School MBA program.

Friday, August 21st – 7:00pm
Tokyo Kaikan, Silver Room
3-2-1 Marunouchi
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0005
Japan

You can sign up the event from the link below:
http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/events/view?&main.id=74220&main.ctrl=eventmgr.detail&main.view=eventb.single&top.title=Tokyo+Admissions+Information+Session+and+Reception

Haas School of Business Info Session in Tokyo

One of our former students at Haas just passed along the following information:

Peter Johnson, the Director of Admissions (in charge of international applicants) will be in Tokyo next week for an information session:

Date and Time:  August 20^th, 7:30 pm

Location: Agos Japan, Ninomiya Bldg

18-4 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku

Tokyo 150-0031

Participants must RSVP to: https://ssl.haas.berkeley.edu/Admissions/Events/index.cfm?forum=4757

[Agos Japan is near the JR South and New South exits of Shibuya station.]

MBA versus MPP or MPA: How to Decide

Starting this month we will be introducing our team of counselors who will contribute to our blog from time to time.

Our first featured writer/counselor is Lucia, who has a strong background as well as interests in economics, public policy, international policy, social entrepreneurship, CSR, small business development, and media, among other fields. She is trilingual in English, Chinese and Japanese and has a BA from Wellesley College and an MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Would a degree in Public Policy or Public Administration suit me better than a degree in Business Administration?

This is a question many applicants are considering.

There are certainly similarities between MPP/MPA and MBAs. In both cases, students will be developing practical leadership, teambuilding and decision making skills. There will be statistical analysis, consulting projects and project evaluations.

Finding the right program for you requires thinking very clearly about what you plan to do after you graduate. You need to think, “What life and what career am I preparing for?”

Students in MPA and MPP/MPA programs are often aiming for careers in government or in public service management like education, healthcare, energy, or city planning. They also work in private consulting companies, non-profit and international organizations. They are found in private companies, especially those that develop services and products for the public such as water, energy, transport, and health.

MPP/MPA students concentrate on understanding the dynamics of effectively managing and providing public services. MPP/MPA students need to understand the complex dynamics between government, citizens and private sector stakeholders.

Let’s look at an example. Think about healthcare. An MBA student may look at an individual healthcare company’s financial statements; MPP/MPA students look at a city’s health budget or a vaccine project under the Ministry of Health. An MBA student may work on a new healthcare project and judge success by the amount of profit generated. An MPP/MPA student may work on a healthcare project and judge success by different indicators – how many patients reached, how many neighborhoods involved, how smoothly different government agencies work together.

In both cases, budgets, efficiency, communication, and management skills are essential. In many cases, however, public and private sectors work very closely together so the line between “Business Administration” and “Public Administration” is not always clear.

So the best thing to do is to think about your passions. Are you fascinated with politics and society? Do you want to understand how government policies affect immigrants in your country? Do you want to change the kind of education your schools focus on? Do you have ideas about how new energy sources could be used cheaply in your country? Or do you think government does not encourage creativity in corporations? Do you wonder why so few women are top managers in government? Do you wonder how Japan will deal with its shrinking labor pool and rising levels of “metabo”?

Then maybe you should be considering a degree in Public Policy or Public Administration. If, however, you want to learn how to launch and market a cell phone you have designed, expect to be the manager of the overseas branch of a domestic manufacturing company, or want to introduce new human resources programs to domestic trading companies, then maybe an MBA would be better for you after all.

In reality, at many larger universities, students in MPP/MPA and MBA programs can take classes within both schools. Talk to Reve counselors about schools that allow the flexibility to experience courses in both programs.

-Lucia

How to Make the Most of Your Campus Visits

You’ll be investing quite a bit of time and money when you travel to schools, so what can you do to make sure you get the maximum benefit out of your visits? Here are some of our tips:

• Research before you go

I know, you’re probably thinking, “But my whole purpose in visiting is to do research!” The whole point of spending several hundred or even thousand dollars on your trip(s) is so you can find out as much as possible about your schools; you don’t want to waste your time or money asking basic questions that you can find answers to in the comfort of your own home. If you do your basic research at home, you’ll be ready to research the specifics when you get to campus, asking pointed questions about things you couldn’t find out about on the school website. Also, even though your visit will not be evaluative, it is human nature to judge, so you want to make sure that you come across as mature and fairly focused when you talk with staff and students.

• Get a good idea of what your goals are

This is related to the above point about researching. If you have a fairly good sense of what you want to do after graduation and why you want an MBA or MPA or LLM (etc.), you’ll be able to narrow down your research while on campus. For example, if you know you want to go into marketing, you can focus your trip on finding out more about the school’s offerings in marketing. Likewise, when you talk to current students, they could also give you feedback or share experiences about good resources in your field of interest.

• Talk to a lot of people

Talk to non-admissions people

Don’t limit yourself to the admissions staff and students who volunteer with the admissions office. Admissions is  the sales department of a university – of course they’re going to tell you good things! Chat with a random student in the hallway or cafeteria. Visit the student affairs office, career services office, research centers, financial aid office, etc. since these will be offices with which you’ll be dealing if you were to enroll as a student. Do you have any questions for them? Do these other departments sound helpful and resourceful?

Talk to students outside of your ethnic or nationality group

Our Japanese students have a wonderful network at business schools around the world and are usually greeted with open arms when they arrive on campus. The only thing is, many interact only with Japanese students on the campus visit. Since you wouldn’t want to and cannot interact with only one group when you start graduate school, I really encourage all of you to talk to as many different types of people as possible during your visits. Of course someone from your country will be able to tell you best what it’s like to make the transition, but try to get a sense of what business school life will be like by socializing with a broad range of people. (Again, you never know if you might be making a positive impression in the process…)

Talk to faculty (if applicable)

If you have a deep interest in a particular academic area or if there are certain faculty with whom you’d be interested in working, see if you could talk to a department administrator or the professor him/herself. (Ideally you would contact this person in advance.) We had a student once who went to see a professor at Stanford Business School about his unique science-business background and interests, and that professor immediately got on the phone and called his colleague in the engineering faculty, and our student was able to talk to this second professor. Now, this usually works better if you are very strong academically and/or have a compelling specialty/expertise.

• Get involved

You might just be there for a day or two, but try and do something other than attending the activities prescribed by the admissions office. Find out from current students events like happy hours and parties and see if you can go! One of our students once attended 3 drinking parties while visiting Haas and another actually joined a game of hockey while visiting Tuck. He had made some contacts beforehand and was invited to play with the students. Needless to say, he made a great impression on the students and was able to show how well he fit in even as a visiting applicant. Now, these are great “extras” which will be a lot of fun for you and which certainly can’t hurt in the application process. BUT, do this using your best judgment. In both my examples our students either had or initiated contacts or otherwise were able to wisely use their interpersonal skills to slip into these activities very naturally. You don’t want to barge in uninvited to any activity.

As you can see from all these tips, the whole point of visiting a school is to find out enough to determine if you can see yourself at the school.