Early November Catch-up: MBA Interviews

I’m back, after an extremely intense month of back-to-back R1 deadlines. R1 has been great and we have been receiving a number of interview invitations and even one admission offer already. I’ll soon continue with more essay question analyses but for my first catch-up post I thought I’d talk a bit about interviews.

Interviews

If you were a R1 applicant, you are probably either preparing for your interviews or getting anxious waiting for invitations or both. Each school is different but in general the invitations should start to go out anywhere between 2 weeks after a deadline and the week before the decision notification date. Here are some of my thoughts as someone who had directed the interview program at Harvard Medical School and as someone who has coached MBA applicants through the process.

My friend already received his invitation and I didn’t. Does the timing of when I receive my invitation mean anything?

Generally speaking, I will echo what all the admissions officers are saying: no. I do believe that the order in which committee members read and then make decisions on interview invitations is pretty random. In my experience on the admissions side, staff members would organize the applications, put them into folders, wait for remaining materials to come in, stack the completed applications, and randomly divide them into piles for the various committee readers. One reader might do all his or her reading in one sitting, while another might want to bring them home to read. In this process any number of people could be involved and an admissions office would have to be incredibly organized to maintain any particular order in which invitations go out. If there is anything to be gleaned from my little observation, it would be that the sooner you submit your application, the sooner your file would be set up, and the sooner it will go to committee to be read.

Having said that, you can also imagine that some applicants just jump off the page and that it would take all of 2 seconds for the committee to decide “Invite her!” There might be others that the admissions committee may want to think about and discuss some more.

In sum, I’d say that the process is systematic, random and human all at the same time. But don’t give up hope until the very end. I worked with someone once who did not receive an invitation from Wharton until literally the last day the invitations were going out. And he eventually got accepted, but he turned down the offer to go to Stanford instead.

 How can I best prepare for my interviews?

It goes without saying that you need actual practice to get ready, and this holds true whether you’re a native English speaker or an international applicant who has never experienced a western style interview.

Before I offer any tips, I should first mention what interviewers are looking for: personality, communication ability, and fit. They may also use the interview as a chance to get further information on something they may have questions or concerns about. But in general you don’t need to prove your leadership or work accomplishments any further since you already did this in your applications. The interview is a chance to get to know you better, to find out the things they can’t see from reading your application.

For that reason you need to practice enough to come across as someone poised and confident. You need to demonstrate that you’re a good fit with the program. This means that, for example, if you’re applying to Tuck, Haas and Kellogg that you seem like a person who loves teamwork and working collaboratively. If you’re applying to HBS, you need to show that you’ve got the confidence to thrive in a fast-paced, assertive 100% case-based environment.

Here are areas of content you should be thoroughly familiar with before you start your interview:

• You. You should know yourself thoroughly. What motivates you? What experiences have taught, challenged, frustrated, tested, interested, moved, changed, and impacted you the most? Why? How?
• Your future. What do you see yourself doing in the MBA program? Right after? 5 years after? 10 years after? 20 years after?
• The target school. What programs would you take? What are some classes you will join? What extracurricular activities will you like to participate in? Which students and/or alumni have you spoken with? What are their names? Do you have intelligent questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview?
• Your application. What is outstanding? What is unique? What makes you a good fit? What are weaknesses? What can you tell the interviewer to alleviate his/her concerns about your weaknesses? Are there any areas of concern that they should know about?

And here are some ways in which you can prepare:

• Run through sample questions and prepare your responses out loud. Some prep services like www.accepted.com post interview reports of former applicants. Find out their experiences and the questions they were asked. Write down notes, but avoid writing down entire answers. Force yourself to speak spontaneously and DO NOT rely on memorized responses.
• Conduct mock interviews with a professional counselor or other person whom you trust.
• Record your voice. Do you use a lot of fillers like “uh” or “like”?
• Videotape yourself. Do you have any distracting habits like looking away excessively or shaking your leg too much?
• Make a note of things you need to change. Then repeat until you get it right.
• Know exactly how to get to your interview destination. Do a test drive if you are not sure of the location.
• Eat well and rest/sleep well before the interview. Put yourself in the optimal physical condition for high level performance.
• Allow yourself plenty of time to get to your interview. Be prepared for traffic, train breakdowns, etc. I’m currently conducting interviews for my undergraduate alma mater and one of the most annoying things is when an interviewee arrives just in the nick of time or even late (and then doesn’t apologize).

Will my interview make or break my chances of admission?

It could, but it probably won’t. The interview, as they say, is just one piece of the application. However, the stronger you are or the weaker you are, the likelier it is that your performance will have some kind of direct impact on the final decision. Most people do “fine” – they’re nice, they’re pleasant, they’re articulate. This kind of interview will simply confirm an otherwise strong application and neither add nor detract significant value. However, there will be some applicants who will, in the words of one admissions officer I spoke with once, “blow [the interviewer] away” and there will be others who will perform so poorly that they raise new concerns that didn’t exist before.

In my experience, those who performed poorly were those who were too nervous and uncomfortable during an interview and those who couldn’t sound convincing enough as to why they wanted to attend the target school. Both are problems that can be easily remedied with sufficient preparation.

Tuck School of Business 2009-10 Essay Question Analyses and Deadlines

My apologies again for disappearing! I finally got caught up on most of my work for the first round and decided to work on the Tuck question analyses. Last year, Moto and I were invited as representatives from Japan to attend the international advisors conference at Tuck and we got to experience first-hand the very warm and close-knit atmosphere that former students had raved to us about. Tuck really is a unique environment in terms of how caring and nurturing everyone is. In your application, you’ll want to make sure that you come across as someone who would fit into and thrive in such an environment. Team players will make excellent applicants.

As usual, here are the deadlines, essay questions, and my comments:

Please refer to the school’s website for further details about scholarship deadlines, etc.

http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/admissions/dates/index.html

And, from their website:

Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay questions. Compose each of your
answers offline in separate document files and upload them individually in the appropriate
spaces below. Although there is no restriction on the length of your response, most applicants
use, on average, 500 words for each essay. There are no right or wrong answers.
Please double-space your responses.

1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is
Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please
explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)

This is the standard goals question. Be sure to add some discussion of your career and how it relates to your goals. And remember to do extensive research on Tuck so you can explain specifically why their program is a good fit for you.

2. Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish
great things.” We believe great things and great leadership can be accomplished in pursuit
of business and societal goals. Describe a time when you exercised such leadership.
Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped
you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better
leader?

Leadership can be interpreted quite broadly and here Tuck asks you to write a story of a leadership experience that captures their definition of leadership. Specifically, they would like to hear about a time in which you led, mentored, coached/and or guided team members to accomplish something great as a team. This means you should focus on not an independent achievement that you reached on your own efforts, but rather an experience in which the outcome resulted from the collected efforts of a team – a team which you helped inspire. As you write the essay be sure you describe how you guided your team members to deliver results. And don’t forget to conclude the essay by analyzing briefly your current developmental needs as a leader.

3. Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did
you address it? What have you learned from it?

In this essay you are asked to talk about a time when someone gave you negative feedback as an effort to educate or promote your growth. Had a boss or team member pointed out something that you could be doing better? If so, what was that “something” and how did you react and what did you learn from the experience of getting this feedback? The admissions committee wants to see how you respond when given constructive criticism. Some people get quite angry or defensive while others use the feedback as an opportunity to reflect and grow.

4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our
community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute
to the culture at Tuck?

This is a fairly open-ended question that is meant to find out more about who you are as an individual. Of course, if you wish, you may address your career here since that is part of who you are. But be sure that you  convey the personal-side in you as well. This is an appropriate place to discuss life experiences that have shaped you. Appropriate stories include personal background information (like your family or upbringing), community activities, hobbies, sports…anything that is important to you. And while it is great if you have something very unique to talk about like a childhood growing up in different international cities or major achievements in a hobby, very often what makes the difference in this essay is how you tell the story, rather than what you talk about. Write from your heart and allow your personality and values to show through, and you will have done a good job with this essay.

5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not
addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual
choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or
changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.

You may write an additional essay if you have another story that would add a valuable perspective to your essay set that you couldn’t include anywhere else. Otherwise, use this space only for explaining any potential areas of concern as listed above.

6. (To be completed by all reapplicants) How have you strengthened your candidacy since
you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally.

Tuck, like most business schools, doesn’t want you to just recycle your old application if you are reapplying. There is a reason they denied your admission last year, so they want to know that you have made efforts to improve your candidacy since. When writing this essay, reflect on the time since your last application and discuss the ways that you have improved. Did you take on additional responsibilities at work or perhaps got promoted? Did you continue to work on and improve your test scores? Did you talk to more people about Tuck and perhaps found more reasons why it is the perfect fit for you? At the same time, make sure you are reflecting on your growth rather than simply listing a string of new achievements.

How to Make the Most of an Information Session

Our guest blogger this week is Reve counselor Chelsea. Chelsea is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was formerly a recruiter for a New York-based hedge fund, private equity and technology development company. She holds a B.A. from Williams College. She is writing this week about how to best utilize information sessions. Take it away, Chelsea!

~~~

There are many steps applicants can take to ensure they make the most of a graduate school’s information session, which is an important part of the overall application process. While the following tips are geared towards information sessions given at the school campus, many recommendations can also apply to off campus events.

Before the information session:

· Do your research

Even though the information session itself provides a general overview of the school and its program(s), it is a good idea to do some preliminary research beforehand. For example, you can browse the school’s website and read recent articles in the school’s student newspaper. Not only will this give you an general sense of the school environment and the current issues taking place on campus, it will also help you identify specific areas you’d like to learn more about at the information session. For example, your background research might make you want to learn more about the school’s resources for international students, which is something you can make sure to ask about at the information session.

· Set up additional appointments

Most schools offer campus tours in addition to information sessions. If the school you’re visiting didn’t already provide you with information about taking a tour, you can call the admissions office to inquire about signing up for one. In addition, many admissions offices are able to arrange class visits and student lunches for prospective students. Again, if the admissions office hasn’t already provided you with information about these options, it is a good idea to call the office to see if you can arrange a time to meet with a current student and also to observe a class (ideally a class you might be interested in taking). Meeting with a current student before or after the information session will help you learn the unbiased, “inside scoop” about the school from a student’s perspective. Observing a course will expose you to sample classroom settings and teaching styles at the school.

· Get organized

Be ready to bring paper and pen to the information session so you can take notes on what is said. If you will be visiting many schools over a short period of time, it might also be helpful to bring a camera to take pictures of the campus (including the classrooms, the neighborhood, and some of the housing options). This will help you remember the details of the different schools after all of your visits. Lastly, I personally found it helpful when applying to graduate schools to create a spreadsheet on which I consolidated information about each school. I found this method helpful for comparing and contrasting the different schools as well as for keeping track of the various application deadlines.

· Prepare your “elevator pitch”

An “elevator pitch” is a brief, concise description all about you and your goals. The reason it’s wise to prepare this before the information session is because you might have an opportunity during your visit to speak one-on-one with an admissions representative or a faculty member. If this opportunity arises, you want to be prepared to take full advantage of it and use it as a chance to make an impression on the individuals who might be involved in your application process. Be careful not to sound overly rehearsed! It might be a good idea to do a few “role play” practice sessions with your Reve counselor (your counselor can pretend to be the admissions officer, for example, and ask you questions as though you were just meeting at the information session).

During the information session:

· Observe

The information session is an opportunity for a graduate program to describe and “sell” itself to prospective students. Therefore, it is wise to pay attention to what the school representative emphasizes and what he or she deemphasizes during the session. This will help you discover the school’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, if the presenter repeatedly highlights the program’s academic rigor but fails to mention anything about its career services resources, it may mean that the school is academically quite strong but doesn’t offer much career assistance. In this case, you may want to explicitly inquire about this during the question period. You could also make a note for yourself to stop by the career services office later to investigate or to ask current students their opinion of the school’s career services resources.

· Ask questions

The person hosting the information session will usually leave time for questions at the end. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! This is your chance to learn as much as you can about the school and the program you’re considering, and the school representative is there to answer your questions. Take advantage of it!

After the information session:

· Thank the host

The school representative who gave the presentation likely put a lot of time and effort into the session. It is a nice gesture to thank the representative before you leave. Taking the time to thank the host also gives you an opportunity to introduce yourself to someone who might be involved in your future application evaluation. If the conversation goes well, you might also consider giving your business card as a way to help the representative remember you. I’d personally recommend against handing over your resume (unless the representative explicitly asks for it), as it is more appropriate to include this in your official application. Lastly, if anyone affiliated with the school took extra time to speak with or assist you, it may be appropriate to send him or her a brief “thank you” note. A short email is usually sufficient.

· Check out the neighborhood

If you have time at the end of the day, you might consider exploring the neighborhood around the school. It is helpful to see whether the school is located in an area you’d feel comfortable living in during the duration of your program. Some things to consider may be the availability of public transportation and the general safety of the neighborhood.

-Chelsea

MBA Recommendations

Round 1 deadlines are heating up, so I apologize for the week long absence!

I’m going to talk a bit about recommendations today. There is a lot to say about recommendations, and I do write about the subject more extensively in an internal manual that I distribute to my workshop students. For the purposes of this post, though, I will highlight some FAQs which should give you enough information to get started.

Who should write my recommendations?

You will likely need 2 or 3 letters for business school. In selecting your recommenders, think of the balance and mix of perspectives that they will be showing. Will both or all 3 be commenting on the exact same projects from the same points of view? This usually happens if you ask your boss and then your boss’s boss to write for you. In this case, it might be a good idea to consider someone else for your 2nd or 3rd letter – for example, a client, a higher level person who worked with you on different projects, a former boss (but not from too long ago). If you have overseas experience or have worked with someone outside of your nationality, you could consider asking that person as well.

In the end, you should choose those who can speak very highly of you and who know you and your work intimately. Do not choose the job title of the recommender or MBA alum status over your personal relationship. In other words, don’t choose someone who doesn’t know you well simply because s/he is high ranking. Business schools are used to seeing letters from “famous” people and will get turned off if they believe you are trying to impress them with your recommenders’ job titles.

How should I approach my recommenders about writing for me?

You want to first show respect for your recommender’s time by giving him plenty of time to write your recommendations. If possible, ask 2 or more months in advance. Approach him first about your plans and politely ask if he would be willing to write for you. Once he agrees, give him whatever instructions  and details are necessary for him to understand the process (you will need to enter his contact information into your on-line application, at which point your recommender will receive an email from the b-school that explains how to access the recommendation form on-line…so you should explain this to him). Sit down with him and go over your plans and goals. It is possible, if your recommender is not American, European or Canadian, that you will need to coach him on how to write a proper recommendation. To be safe, though, don’t assume that even a westerner will know how to write an excellent letter. If he doesn’t have a history of successfully recommending candidates to b-school, go ahead and politely offer some pointers. In my experience even MBA alumni and partners have appreciated receiving guidance.

Finally, you may want to bring a resume or some notes of your strengths and achievements for your recommender, just to help him get started. (He may accept, alter or reject your ideas but any information would help.)

Are there any key points my recommender needs to know when writing my recommendations?

Yes. Very briefly, your recommendation needs to help you stand out among the 99% of recommendations that are very good. So you need to be more than good. Your recommender needs to show details, anecdotes, impact, and he needs to talk about how you compare against others in your rank, in your company, in the field, etc. Without this comparative language, it is difficult for admissions committees to judge just which consultant, i-banker, etc. is truly outstanding.

When talking about a weakness, your recommender needs to be careful. Safe examples are “real” but fixable, something that will not make the admissions committee worry about having you as a member of their community. (Bad temper? Nervous in group situations? That can singlehandedly destroy your chances of admission.)

Should I get letters written by alumni of the schools that I’m applying to?

You shouldn’t go out of your way to do this. In other words, this should not be your priority. Focus on who knows you best. If that person happens to have an MBA or even one from your target school, then great. Will having an MBA alum write for you give you an advantage? No. It’s a bonus if you happen to be a strong candidate and your recommender happens to love you and is a graduate of your target school. She can say things like, “Having gone through the program myself, I know that Maya would be a great fit.” That kind of statement can carry good credibility. But an alum cannot help boost an applicant who isn’t that strong to begin with. Remember, the majority of recommendations are written by people with no connection to the school.

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.]