This is another post from Taichi Kono, author of two textbooks on TOEFL and one on TOEIC and a highly experienced TOEFL, TOEIC, and GMAT instructor. Most of his posts will be in Japanese. This post is on GMAT sentence correction. His other posts can be found here. -Adam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 河野塾代表の河野太一です。年来の友人であるAdam Markusさんのご厚意で、"The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 12th Edition"の解説ブログの内容の一部をこちらにアップさせていただくことになりました。オリジナルは河野太一のGMAT OG12解説でご覧いただけます。なお、オリジナルのほうは予告なく内容を変更することがあり、ここに上げたものと相違があることがありますのでご了承ください。私のこれまでの記事やGMAT以外の話題についてはこちらをご覧ください。
前置詞句がカンマまで。dioxin (S) induces (V) the production ... (O)で、関係代名詞that節は、後ろの動詞がareであることと内容から、enzymesにかかるとわかる。
(A) SCにおいてS is N’s doingという形はダメ。「・・・が～すること」と日本語訳してしまえばなぜダメかわからなくなるが、英語ではawkwardとしかいいようがない。GMATはこれを撲滅したいらしい。したがって(A)(B)はアウト。
(C) カンマが2つあってorがあるので、A, B, or Cの並列かと一瞬思う。しかし(C)(D)(E)のどれを見てもorが真ん中に来ているし、同じ品詞を並べたものはない。
or の後ろがrenderという動詞であることから、これはどうやらmetabolizeと並列されているようだ。次のカンマの後ろは、such aがついた名詞句。ここで気づくことは、metabolizeは他動詞で、such a chemical irritantはその目的語ではないかということ。動詞と目的語の間に何かを挟むことはよくあるが、動詞をもうひとつ挟んで、どちらの動詞も目的語につ ながるという形もさほど珍しくない。
見るとrenderの後ろにも目的語がないので、どちらの動詞もsuch a ...につながる可能性は高まった。harmlessは形容詞であるから、これはrender O Cという形をもとに、render Cを先に出してOを後に持ってきたと解釈できる。Oを後回しにした理由は、renderの直後に置いたのではmetabolizeともつながることが見え にくくなるし、renderはどちらかと言えば挿入的で、本筋はmetabolize such a ...であるからだ。
(D)はthe chemical irritating itがアウト。「今現在irritateしている」というのが意味的におかしいし、itの指すものが不明。慣れた人なら理屈の前に見た目でダメと判断できるだろう。
(E)を見て気づくことがある。(C)(D)のattempt to tryはredundantだということ。これでほぼ(E)に決まり。後ろを見るとsuch aもなく、これが一番シンプル。
renderはrender O Cという文型を取り、「・・・を～にする」という意味になる。make O Cと同じ用法・意味だが、辞書によれば文語的。たまに見かけるので覚えておいて損はない。
予 備校の授業では、(C)(D)はattempt to tryのredundantでサクっと切られるだろうが、それは結果論。本番でパッと気づく人がどれだけいるだろう。サクっと切れるのは、講師は予習をしているし、何度も解説しているからではないのか。本番では(E)との比較で初めて気づく人が多いだろうし、それでよいのだ。他の解説同様、ここもあえて本番の意識の流れで解説しておいた。
Columbia Business School has again changed their essay set. This year, applicants applying for 2012 admission will need to write three essays and answer one short question.
You can find testimonials from my clients admitted for CBS here (including one client admitted for J-Term 2012!).
Before discussing the essays, I will discuss who J-Term is for and differences between Early and Regular Decision.
JANUARY 2012 ADMISSIONS
The Accelerated MBA, J-Term, can be great program for those who don't need an internship. All my admitted J-term clients have one thing in common: Real clarity about their goals and strong track records in their professions. J-term is not for career changers, it is those looking to enhance their position within their present career trajectory and/or entrepreneurs. It is critical that you explain why the January Term program is right for you. According to the Columbia website:
The Accelerated MBA is ideal for you if
you are an entrepreneur;
you want to join your family business;
you plan to return to your current employer;
you are sponsored by your company;
you want to remain in the same industry;
you have built a strong professional network in the industry of your choice.
The program is designed for those students who do not want or need an internship. The principal advantage of the 16-month program is its accelerated format, which allows members of the smaller January class to network quickly and effectively and return to the workplace sooner.
Obviously you need to make the case in Essay 1 (The Goals/Why Columbia? Essay) that you meet the special criteria for this program and that an internship is not something critical for you. For those who don't need an internship, this is really a great program.
AUGUST: EARLY VERSUS REGULAR DECISION Applying for Early Decision is ideal for anyone who considers Columbia to be their first choice and is ready by the application deadline. Columbia takes Early Decision very seriously, so I suggest you do as well. CBS ED really is unique among top MBA programs and the decision to commit to it should not be taken lightly. For my most complete discussion of this issue, please an earlier post, which I will update some year. If you decide to apply for Regular Decision, it is in your interest to apply as early as you can because like the best Broadway Shows, the seats will fill up early.
THE ESSAY QUESTIONS Given significant changes to the questions, I have again had to rethink some of the strategies I used successfully with clients who were admitted in 2009, 2010, and 2011. You find testimonials from some of them here. All questions are taken from the online application.
SHORT, BUT CRITICAL QUESTION ON GOALS: What is your post-MBA professional goal? (200 characters) Take this very short statement seriously. While some schools have included such statements as a part of the application, it is not usually the case that such a short statement would be included among the essays.
Remember this is 200 Characters, not words. This would be about 40-50 words.
CBS actually provides examples of possible responses in the online application Essay page:
Example 1: “After my MBA I want to build my expertise in the energy sector and learn more about strategy and decision making by joining a consulting firm specializing in renewable energy and power companies.”
Example 2: “After my MBA I hope to work in business development for a media company that is expanding its market share in Asia.”
Example 3: “My short term goal is to work with an investment firm that utilizes public private partnerships to invest in community development projects.”
As you can see from the above examples, CBS is looking for a short, but a very clear statement of what you intend to do after your MBA. If you have difficulty explaining your immediate post-MBA plans in the space given, I think that is likely an indication that your plans are too complex. Think of this has the briefest possible elevator pitch (see below for more about elevator pitches) you will make for yourself. Obviously what you state here should be backed up by what you discuss in Essay 1 (or the reapplicant essay for reapplicants).
ESSAY 1: THE EXTENDED ELEVATOR PITCH
I think it is best to conceptualize this as an extended elevator pitch because 750 words is too long to be deliver in 1-2 minutes, but could be delivered in 5 minutes. Your job is to convince admissions that your goals fit what Columbia offers.
Considering your post-MBA and long term professional goals, why you are pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? Additionally, why is Columbia Business School a good fit for you? (Maximum 750 words) This a somewhat revised version of Columbia’s standard question. The big change is that this year, Columbia is specifically asking why now in reference to your present career. As result, you will need to explain “Why an MBA now?” in relationship to the work you have done so far. The balance of this question is still focused on the future so don’t let your explanation of your past experience crowd out answering the primary parts of this question: Your goals and fit for Columbia. CAUTION: DO NOT OVER-FOCUS ON YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE, I AM SUGGESTING YOU DISCUSS SUCH EXPERIENCES ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ARGUMENT ABOUT WHY YOU NEED AN MBA AT THIS STAGE OF YOUR CAREER.
WHY COLUMBIA? The resources available at CBS and Columbia University are vast, so figure out specifically what you want from the school. The program is flexible, so identify your needs from Columbia as specifically as possible. Also keep in mind that CBS recently changed its core curriculum. After all, you want to show them you love and need them For learning about what is hot at Columbia, I suggest taking a look at their blog: Public Offering. Also look at Hermes which provides news on the Columbia community. You will likely want to write about taking a Master Class. Japanese applicants should most certainly visit http://columbiamba.jimdo.com/index.php.
Making a clear case why your goals are best achieved at CBS should be at the core of the essay. To make sure that they can see that, be very specific about what you need to learn at CBS to achieve your goals. I suggest reviewing some of the full course descriptions that you can find on their website.
If you are having problems clearly articulating your goals, I suggest using my GAP, SWOT, AND ROI TABLE FOR FORMULATING GRADUATE DEGREE GOALS f (see below). I think Gap, SWOT, and ROIanalysis are great ways for understanding what your goals are, why you want a degree, and how you will use it. (Click here for a GMAC report on MBA ROI. )
(To best view the following table, click on it.)
How to use this table:
Step 1. Begin by analyzing your "Present Situation." What job(s) have you held? What was/is your functional role(s)? What was/are your responsibilities?
Next, analyze your present strengths and weaknesses for succeeding in your present career. REMEMBER:WHEN YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS DON'T ONLY THINK ABOUT WORK, THINK ABOUT OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE. In particular, some of your greatest strengths may have been demonstrated outside of work, so make sure you are accounting for them. Strengths: What are you good at? Where do you add value? What are you praised for? What are you proud of? Weakness:What are you bad at? What are you criticized for? What do you try to avoid due to your own limitations? What do you fear?
Next, analyze the environment you work in right now. What opportunities exist for your growth and success? What threats could limit your career growth?
Step 2. Now, do the same thing in Step 1 for your "Post-Degree" future after you have earned your graduate degree. IF YOU CANNOT COMPLETE STEP 2, YOU HAVE NOT SUFFICIENTLY PLANNED FOR YOUR FUTURE and therefore you need to do more research and need to think more about it.
Step 3. If you could complete step 2, than you should see the "Gap" between your present and your future. What skills, knowledge, and other resources do you need to close the gap between your present and future responsibilities, strengths, and opportunities?
Step 4. After completing Step 3, you now need to determine how an MBA will add value to you. It is possible that an increased salary as a result of job change will be sufficient "ROI" for the degree to justify itself, but you should show how a degree will allow you to reach your career goals. How will the degree enhance your skills and opportunities and help you overcome your weaknesses and external threats? If you can complete Step 4 than you should be ready to explain what your goals are, why you want a degree, and the relationship between your past and future career, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.
The above table will also help you answer such common interview questions as: Where do you want to work after you finish your degree? Why do you want an MBA (or other degree)? What are you strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your goals? Thinking about these issues now will help you to develop a fully worked-out strategy for how you will best present yourself both in the application and in an interview. ARE YOUR GOALS HOT?
Making career goals exciting requires thinking about whether your goals are compelling. Admissions committees ask applicants to write about their goals after graduate school, but can applicants actually know what will be on the cutting-edge in two or three years? While many applicants will be able to successfully apply with relatively standard goals ("I want to be a consultant because..."), communicating aspirations requires going beyond the typical.
Be informed. Columbia Admissions needs to believe you know what you are talking about. If you are changing careers, no one expects you to be an expert, but you should come across as having a clear plan based on real research into your future. If you are planning on staying in your present industry, you should be well informed not only about the companies you have worked for, but about the industry as a whole. If you are not already doing so, read industry related publications and network.
Those August ED and RD applicants who are changing fields should most certainly read industry related publications in their intended field.Additionally I suggest conductinginformational interviews with at least one peer level and one senior level person in that field. Conduct a peer level interview to get a good idea of what it would be like to actually work in that industry. Conduct a senior level interview to get the perspective of someone who can see the big picture and all the little details as well. Don't know anyone in your intended field? Network! One great way to start is through LinkedIn. Another is by making use of your undergraduate alumni network and/or career center.
LinkedIn Answers: Also consider joining LinkedIn and make use of LinkedIn Answers. LinkedIn Answers is a great way to tap into cutting edge expertise (including my admissions advice!). Follow LinkedIn's rules and you will often be able to obtain excellent information.
Hoovers: For information about specific companies, Hoovers is just a great way to learn about key facts including competitors (a very useful way of knowing who else you might want to work for and to learn about an industry). While primarily focused on the US, Hoovers does have listings for companies worldwide.
Vault: For scope of coverage, this site is a must. Vault includes both career and admissions information. It includes both company specific and industry-wide information.
Other sources: Read magazines, websites, and books that relate to your intended field.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Essay 2 Describe a life experience that has shaped you. The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. (Maximum 500 words) This a significant modification from the personality question that was asked last year. The one constant is that CBS is looking to learn about you as person rather than to have a professional accomplishment essay.
Bad answers to this question will likely to do the following:
Focus too much on action and context and not enough on providing an interpretation of who you are.
Focus on a professional accomplishment.
Focus on an important life experience that does not really have any clear selling points about who you are.
I mention the above because I view these as typical problems I see with ineffective answers to this type of question.
An Experience which has shaped you: UCLA has actually been asking about such topics for many years. What is nice about the CBS version is that it is rather open ended. Some possibilities that I can suggest:
A critical academic experience that determined your career direction.
Overcoming an obstacle that improved your leadership, teamwork, communication, or other MBA-program and/or career goal relevant skill(s).
An experience that taught you very important life lessons that you have applied.
An experience that has played a critical role in the decisions you have made in your life.
My suggestion that you try to come up with at least a few options before focusing on one personal story. Some questions to ask yourself:
Is the story one that is so obvious from other aspects of my application that much of it is redundant? If so, you need another topic.
Is the story one that might actually say something negative about me? If so, you need to either modify the story or find a different one.
Is the story one that helps CBS see why I have the characteristics of someone who can succeed academically and/or professionally? If not, you really need to think whether the story is worth telling CBS.
THREE CHOICES: Essay 3 Essay 3 is completely new for this year. You have to pick one of three options. Each option is quite different. While all three are only 250 words long, you may easily spend much more time writing this essay than Essays 1 or 2. Especially Options A and B are likely to require significant thinking and research. The only option that I recommend for those with very limited time is Option C as it will likely require significantly less to conceptualize and/or research than Options A and B. THE ELEVATOR PITCH FOR ENTREPRENEURS: Option A: The annual A. Lorne Weil Outrageous Business Plan Competition is a student initiative managed and run by the Columbia Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO). The competition encourages Columbia MBA students to explore creative entrepreneurial ideas that are sufficiently ambitious in scope and scale to be considered "outrageous." Students explore these ideas while learning firsthand what goes into the development and presentation of a solid business proposal.Develop your own "outrageous" business idea. In essay form, compose your "elevator pitch." (Maximum 250 words) While I think this question really is mainly for those who have entrepreneurial objectives, it could also be used by those who want to highlight their creativity. I think anyone whose stated goals to CBS are entrepreneurial has a real obligation to write on this topic. For everyone else, it is just an option that should be exercised if you have a good idea.
I think it is a very good idea to look at the winners of the Weil Competition to get a sense of what Columbia perceives as outrageous in order to realize the following:
1. You should actually be coming up with something that is practical in terms of its implementation, not something so outrageous as to be absurd. 2. The winners of this prize have been actual scalable businesses that serve a real need. Some are very standard in terms of their function, such as retail products, while others serve more of a social entrepreneurial purpose. 3. They might be rather niche products or services, but alternatively (like 2011's 1st Place winner, PoWaSol) have the possibility of serving a very number of consumers. 4. To get a sense of what kind of elevator pitch is actually used, I suggest watching some of them on Youtube. I watched 2011 1st Prize winner Srikanth Nimmagadda's pitch for PoWaSol and 2011 2nd Prize winner Andres Small ’12 and Alex Nobel's pitch for Flipper (I WANT ONE!). While you should not drive yourself crazy making sure no one has ever come up with your idea before, please try to make sure that are not reinventing some obvious wheel: Google is your friend!
SELLING YOUR POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE CBS COMMUNITY: Option B: Columbia deeply values its vibrant student community, the building of which begins at orientation when admitted students are assigned to clusters of 65 to 70 fellow students who take most of the first-year core classes together. During the first weeks of school, each cluster selects a Cluster Chair. Further strengthening the student community are the nearly 100 active student organizations at Columbia Business School, ranging from cultural to professional to community service-oriented. Leadership positions within the cluster and/or clubs offer hands-on management and networking opportunities for students as they interact with fellow students, administrators, faculty members, alumni, and practitioners. You are running for either Cluster Chair or a club leadership position of your choosing. Compose your campaign speech. (Maximum 250 words)
Just as in Option A, you are being tested on your ability to effectively sell something to someone in a very limited amount of space. Instead of selling a business plan, you are now selling your potential to contribute as Cluster Chair or as a club leader.
London Business School has for years been asking applicants to explain how they would specifically contribute to particular clubs and activities, but CBS is taking that a bit further in as much as you actually have to write an actual speech designed to convince your fellow students. A successful answer here will do the following:
Demonstrate your knowledge of what a Cluster Chair does or of the specific club you are interested in. Therefore, to successfully write an answer to this question, you actually need to know quite a lot about being a Cluster Chair or the club you are interested in. Beyond reviewing the CBS website, I strongly recommend making contact with current students or recent graduates (See Essay 1 for links to CBS resources). In particular, if you are interested in a club, you should make a specific attempt to learn about that club. Gold stars will go to those who are not shy and get actual information from students.
Show clearly why you are the right woman or man for the job. Your selling points, whether based on past experience, personality, or particular skills should be clear.
Show clearly what you would do if you held the position. It is not enough to say elect me, explain what you agenda would be.
Communicate this in a compelling fashion. You are making speech to get elected, so you need to engage your audience and convince them.
After you have written your speech, actually deliver it in order to revise it.
A GIFT: Option C:Founded nearly three decades ago, the Executives in Residence Program at Columbia Business School integrates senior executives into the life of the School. Current executives in residence include more than a dozen experts in areas ranging from media and investment banking to private equity and management. A hallmark of the program is one-on-one counseling sessions in which executives advise students about their prospective career choices. Select one of the current executives in residence with whom you would like to meet during your time at Columbia. Explain your selection and tell us how you would best utilize your half hour one-on-one session. (Maximum 250 words)
ANYONE CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION! Unlike Options A&;B, which I would consider to be hard, Option C is much easier to write. I am betting that CBS gets more Option C answers than Option A or B answers. A good answer would do the following:
Show you understand enough about a particular executive in residence to select him or her. The question above includes program links. You should read the bios of each executive to select who best meets your needs.
Align with your career goals and reasons for pursuing an MBA. I think this might be too obvious to state, but I am doing it anyway. You should be able to justify why a particular executive in residence would best meet your needs.
Explain what you would hope to learn.
I call this a gift, not only because it is a relatively easy question to answer, but because you are being presented with a great opportunity. The opportunity to speak a senior industry professional might very be the best half hour of your CBS experience. How will you make the make most of it?
ANY CONCERNS?: Optional Essay Is there any further information that you wish to provide the Admissions Committee? Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history. (Maximum 500 words)
As with other school's optional questions, do not put an obvious essay for another school here. If you read the above, it should be clear enough that this is the place to explain anything negative or potentially negative in your background. If you have no explanation for something negative, don't bother writing about it. For example if your GPA is 2.9 and you have no good explanation for why it is 2.9, don't bother writing something that looks like a lame excuse. This is more likely to hurt than help you. In the same vein, don't waste the committee's time telling them that your GMAT is a much better indicator than your GPA (the opposite is also true). They have heard it before and they will look at both scores and can draw their own conclusions without you stating the obvious. That said, if you have a good explanation for a bad GPA, you should most certainly write about it.
You can certainly write on something positive here if you think its omission will be negative for you, but before you do, ask yourself these questions:
1. If they did not ask it, do they really need to know it?
2. Will the topic I want to discuss significantly improve my overall essay set?
3. Is the topic one that would not be covered from looking at other parts of my application?
4. Is the essay likely to be read as being a specific answer for Columbia and not an obvious essay for another school?
If you can answer "Yes!" to all four questions, it might be a good topic to write about. FOR REAPPLICANTS: The online instructions: Reapplicants: If you have applied to Columbia Business School within the past year, you are required to answer the "What is your post-MBA professional goal? " question and submit the reapplication essay. If your last application was more than one year ago, you must answer Essays 1, 2 and 3.
REAPPLICATION ESSAY: How have you enhanced your candidacy since your previous application? Please detail your progress since you last applied, reiterate your post-MBA and long-term professional goals, and address why Columbia Business School is a good fit for you. (Maximum 750 words).
The period of Reapplication at Columbia is rather limited, 12 months from the time of the initial application. If apply to Columbia more than 12 months after an initial application, you should apply as a new applicant. Columbia's Reapplication Checklist can be found here. You will not be able to submit new answers to essays 1-3, but will have to use only the reapplicant essay.
When judging reapplicants, Columbia makes it perfectly clear what they are expecting. See here for their criteria.
Clearly this essay gives you the opportunity to:
1. Showcase what has changed since your last application that now makes you a better candidate.
2. Refine your goals. I think it is reasonable that they may have altered since your last application, but if the change is extreme, you had better explain why.
3. Make a better case for why Columbia is right for you.
For more about my many posts on reapplication, please see here.
CONCLUSION: Columbia Loves to Be Loved
One thing that is consistent about Columbia Business School is that they want to know that their school is your first choice. If you have an alumni interview you can be expected to be asked about that very directly. See here for my advice on Columbia interviews.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
If you would like to arrange an initial consultation for my counseling services, please complete my intake form, which is publicly available on google docs here, and then send your completed form to adammarkus@gmail.com. You can also send me your resume if it is convenient for you. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. See here for why.
One of my former clients asked that I post information about this unofficial LBS information session to be held in Tokyo on September 4, 2011. It will be in Japanese.
-Adam
在校生・卒業生によるLondon Business School MBAプログラムを2011年9月4日(日)に開催致します。MBAプログラムにフォーカスし、プログラムの説明、卒業生によるキーノートスピーチ、パネルディスカッション、ネットワーキングなど、London Business Schoolの魅力を皆様により深く伝えられるようなセッションを計画しております。
Here I discuss INSEAD's essays for the January (Class of December 2012) and September (Class of July 2013) 2012 intakes. The questions are taken from the PDF.
Over the years, I have had an opportunity to work with a large number of clients admitted to INSEAD. I have had 5 client admitted for the January and September 2012 intakes so far, 6 clients admitted for 2011, 3 for 2010, 2 for 2009, and 2 for 2008. Testimonials from clients admitted to INSEAD can also be found here.
In September 2011, I visited the Singapore campus. My report can be found here.
The INSEAD application, which a PDF based thing is a bit different from most other business school's online applications. No resume is required, so providing as complete an answer to all application form questions is especially important.
Job Related Essays
A core substitute for the resume are the job related essays, which give applicants an opportunity to explain and analyze their professional experience. As the questions are concerned with the applicant's professional experience, I think the following from my interview with a prior INSEAD MBA Programme's Assistant Director of Marketing should be kept in mind:
"ADAM: Regarding professional experience, what to do you look for in younger (very early twenties) and older (late twenties or thirties) applicants?
DEBORAH: For all applicants we want to see a track record of professional accomplishments that sets them apart from their peers. For those with only 1-2 years of professional experience, they must demonstrate something distinctive in their profile, perhaps they have started their own company. I would suggest, it is in the benefit of all younger applicants to work for a minimum of two years before applying to business school as they will get more out of the programme if they have experiences to reflect back on. For older applicants, we are looking for a strong professional track record and clear goals toward career change or advancement. If an older applicant has been in the same role for five years that might not demonstrate potential for growth, overall ambition or success relative to his/her peers."
Based on my experience with INSEAD applicants, the above statement from Deborah seems completely accurate. INSEAD is relatively forgiving of those with limited (1-2 years) of professional experience as long as there is something distinctive about their background, but for most applicants, INSEAD is expecting to see a clear pattern of career growth. While INSEAD can actually be quite flexible about the level of international experience that an applicant has, when it comes to those with 3-10+ years of experience, career growth really matters. Deborah's comment about applicants in the same position for five years is also really telling as it points to the fact that INSEAD is looking for applicants who are not complacent. Keep in mind that an INSEAD admission committee consists of faculty and alumni and the later, in particular, are likely to have clear expectations of what good career growth looks like.
I think it is also important to keep in mind that a business background is not a necessity for admission to INSEAD, but that good professional experience is. See here. Based on my experience working with clients coming from a variety of professions, I can say that having a non-business, but solid professional career, can be a real advantage.
As I already mentioned, keep in mind that INSEAD does not require a CV or resume. Therefore these job essays below are critical pieces of the application. As you will see, the INSEAD application has relatively limited space to discuss your past experience in typical resume style. You should consider that these essays will really provide INSEAD with their primary interpretation of your career.
1.
Briefly summarise your current (or most recent) job, including the nature of work, major responsibilities, and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, clients/ products and results achieved. (250 words maximum)
This is a very straightforward question for most applicants. For those who are unemployed, I suggest you write about your last position held.
You want to focus on both major responsibilities and major results. Since results (accomplishments) are likely to be specifically connected to responsibilities, I would prioritize them in your description. I think for many applicants, the easiest way to organize this essay will be in terms of discussing their 2-4 most important results and/or responsibilities. Here is one possible organizational scheme.
1. Brief introduction indicating the nature of the position and employer. 50 words.
2. Most important responsibility that lead to a result. 50-100 words.
The Details: If you don't have employees working during under your supervision, you should still indicate any project-based and/or team-based leadership. As with a resume or CV include any numbers that will help INSEAD understand the extent of your results or responsibilities. Even approximate quantification is better than no quantification if it helps to positively showcase your career.
Keep in mind that you should be focused on your job, not on your personality. Interpret your job, don't just summarize it. Explain why the work you do is significant.
2. Please give us a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250 words)
This essay should be a growth story. If it is not a story that shows how your career has positively evolved, it is unlikely to be very effective. You might be unemployed at the moment, but what has been the trajectory so far? Did you take a big risk along the way? Point that out. We each have our career ups and downs, especially anyone who has taken risks. Don't shy away from discussing the risks, but the overall focus of this essay should be positive. In my experience, INSEAD rewards those who take risks and does not look kindly on those that stay in the same position for five years or more. Change or become boring! If you have been working in the same position for five years or more, you will need to really show how you have demonstrated growth in terms of results or responsibilities, which would have been primarily discussed in Job Essay 1.
In terms of organizing this essay, think about the key turning points in your career. Help INSEAD understand how you have evolved professionally. Assume that you are being judged critically and consider how to both effectively and honestly present your career.
The final part of this question is what I would call an "opportunity cost" question, in other words, by going to INSEAD, you will be sacrificing the opportunity to take the next step at your current employer. If you are unemployed, the way to handle this question is to discuss the kind of position you would obtain if you were not seeking an MBA. For everyone else, I think you should be realistic, but also present the best possible version of your next position, which will show that you are seeking an MBA to move beyond what would follow without it. A bad answer to this question would involve identifying a next step that is the same as the short term goal you discuss later in Essay 4 because this would undermine much of the value of obtaining an MBA. I think INSEAD asks this question not only to determine whether you have a clear sense of your career trajectory, but also to confirm that you have thought deeply about what you are sacrificing by pursuing an MBA. Given the need to analyze your entire career development, for most applicants, I would suggest providing a brief (50 words or less) answer to this part of the question.
3. If you are currently not working, what are you doing and what do you plan to do until you start the MBA programme? (250 words maximum)
This is the only completely new question on the INSEAD application. It is a good addition as there was no place other than optional essay for applicants who are not working to discuss their situation. I think it is critical to provide a honest answer to the question and one that hopefully shows that you are using your time well. Possible topics to discuss:
1. Learning activities (NOT APPLICATION PREP PLEASE! That would be really weak)
2. Language learning
3. Internships
4. Volunteer activities
5. Travel
The Essays
THE WORD COUNTS ARE NOW LISTED WITH MAXIMUMS. This a change from prior years were approximate counts were given.
1. Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors, which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (600 words maximum)
With a question like this I think it is important to understand that you are actually being asked to think about your strengths and weaknesses in terms of your overall personality and development. What is important here is provide both an analysis about specific characteristics of yourself and something memorable about your background.
Obviously the strengths and weaknesses should be ones that relate to your character, not to a skill set. Given the word count, I suggest focusing on no more than about two strengths and two weaknesses. I would try to give fairly equal consideration to both weaknesses and strengths.
EMBRACE WEAKNESS!
I find that many applicants resist writing about their own weaknesses, yet to do so reveals self-awareness and maturity. While I think it is necessary to practice good judgment when writing about weakness, I think it is also important that you provide something beyond the routine.
One standard defensive strategy that many applicants seem drawn to is to write about knowledge or skill areas where they are weak, but this is not suitable for INSEAD's question because they want you to stress personal characteristics.
STRENGTHS
Compared to weaknesses, strengths are easier for most people to write about. Given the limited space here, you might find it helpful to write about a topic here that is discussed in greater detail in another essay.
IS IT A GOOD STRENGTH OR WEAKNESS?
Some questions to ask yourself:
1. Does the strength demonstrate one's potential for future academic and/or professional success? If so it is a probably a good topic. If not, why does INSEAD need to know about it?
2. Is a weakness fixable? If you are writing about a weakness that cannot be improved upon through your program at INSEAD, why do they need to know about it?
3. If your strength or weakness is not related to leadership, why does INSEAD need to know about it?
Finally, if you are having difficulty thinking about your strengths and weaknesses in relation to your future academic and professional goals, please see my analysis of Essay 5 because in it I discuss how to think about strengths and weaknesses in relation to goals.
2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments (if possible specify one personal and one professional, to date, explaining whyyou view them as such. (400 words maximum) Since INSEAD is now asking that, if possible, you make one of your accomplishments one personal and one professional, I strongly advise that you do that.
Some key things to keep in mind when answering this question:
-Accomplishments reveal your potential to succeed at INSEAD and afterwords.
-Accomplishments reveal your potential for contributing to your classmates.
-Everyone has had accomplishments, so it is easy to compare applicants.
-What you consider to be an accomplishment are real tests of your self-awareness and judgment.
The following grid is the kind I have used successfully with applicants preparing this question:
(CLICK TO ENLARGE. )
How to use this grid for outlining your answer to Question 1:
Row 1: "Stories." The first thing you need to do is think of the accomplishments. These will eventually take the form of stories, so that is what I call them.A few things to keep in mind:
Your accomplishments maybe personal, professional, or academic.
While it is very important that your accomplishments be distinct so as to reveal different things about you, there is no single formula for what their content must be. It is quite possible that you might have three professional accomplishments or one personal/one professional/one academic or two academic/one personal. It will really depend on your background.
The key consideration is that each accomplishment must be substantial and that you can explain why that is the case.
Row 2: "What skill, value, or unique experience is being showcased?" Your accomplishments need to reveal valuable things about you. Some will call these selling points, but more specifically they consist of skills, values, or unique experiences. One might use a specific accomplishment to emphasize one's leadership skills, another to show one's ethical values, and another to explain a significant barrier that was overcome. The point is that each accomplishment must at its core reveal something key to understanding who you are.
Row 3: "What potential for success in the MBA program or afterwords is demonstrated?" You may or may not be directly statingthis in the essay, but you should think about what each accomplishment reveals in terms of your potential. INSEAD Adcom will most certainly be considering how your accomplishments demonstrate your potential to succeed at INSEAD and afterwords, so you should as well. One key way of thinking about the MBA application process is to see it as a test of potential. Potential itself can mean different things at different schools and so you must keep in mind differences between schools and in particular must pay close attention to what schools say really matters when they assess applicants. Please click here to read about what INSEAD values in applicants. Please keep in mind that a core part of your own application strategy should be determining which parts of you to emphasize both overall and for a particular school.
Row 4: "Will this be a contribution to others in the MBA program? How?" Just as with potential, think about whether your accomplishments demonstrate your ability to add value to other students at INSEAD. Given space limitations, it is not likely that you will be explaining how one or more of your accomplishments will be contribution, but rather this is a strategic consideration. The dynamic nature of study groups at INSEAD is very much based on what each student contributes. Think about whether any of your accomplishments demonstrate how you will likely add value to other students INSEAD experience. Not all substantial accomplishments will have this quality, but many will.
Row 5: "Why does Adcom need to know about this?" If your accomplishment has made it this far, chances are it is substantial. That said, I have two simple tests for determining whether an accomplishment really belongs in this essay. The first is whether INSEAD really needs to know about this accomplishment. After all, you might consider getting the love of your life to marry you to be one of your most substantial accomplishments, but will Adcom care? If an accomplishment does not reveal (whether stated or implied) potential and/or contribution, chances are likely that it is not significant enough.
Row 6: "Is this something Adcom could learn about you elsewhere? (If "YES," find another accomplishment)" The second and final simple test I have for determining whether an accomplishment really belongs in this essay is based on the idea that something that is totally obvious about you to anyone looking at your resume and transcript is probably not worth mentioning. If you were a CPA, having an accomplishment that merely demonstrated you were good at accounting would not be worth writing about. Instead it would be important to show something more specific that reveals something that is not obvious by a mere examination of the basic facts of your application.
Finally, as I mentioned above what you include here is a real test of your judgment, so don't just write about your obvious accomplishments. Think deeply and come up with a set of unique accomplishments that reveal distinct, interesting, and the most important things about you that will compel admissions to want to interview you.
3. Describe a situation taken from your personal or professional life where you failed. Discuss what you learned (400 words maximum)
This is a fairly standard failure question. It is important to remember that you might very well succeed from the perspective of others, but fail from your own perspective. It is critical that you learned something meaningful about yourself.
The basic components of an answer:
1. Clearly state what the failure was.
2. Clearly state your role.
3. Clearly state the result.
4. Explain the effect in terms of what you learned and perhaps also how you applied what you learned.
If possible, show how you applied what you learned to a new situation because the application of abstract learning to a new situation is a key indicator of real learning.
4. a) Discuss your short and long term career goals. (300 words maximum) and b) How will studying at INSEAD help you achieve your vision? (250 words maximum)
THESE ARE FUTURE DIRECTED QUESTIONS Unlike some other "Why MBA" questions, INSEAD is not asking about the past. You will write about that in the other essays. Instead focus on your goals and the skills that you will obtain at INSEAD that will help you accomplish those goals. You must offer both a short term-plan and long-term vision for your intended future. Given the short length of the INSEAD program, it really is quite important that you give them a clear future post-MBA plan. a) Discuss your short and long term career goals. (300 words maximum)
Given the intensive nature of the INSEAD experience, you need to go into the program with a clear idea of what you want to do after your MBA. Of course, this might change, but given the program length and the reality that you will need to begin recruiting/internship hunting soon after entry, you will need a clear plan for your future. If you are having difficulty articulating such a plan, I suggest you go through the following formal analysis:
You can use my GAP, SWOT, AND ROI TABLE FOR FORMULATING GRADUATE DEGREE GOALSfor this purpose (see below). I think Gap, SWOT, and ROIanalysis are great ways for understanding what your goals are, why you want a degree, and how you will use it. (Click here for a GMAC report on MBA ROI.)
(To best view the following table, click on it. )
How to use this table:
Step 1. Begin by analyzing your "Present Situation." What job(s) have you held? What was/is your functional role(s)? What was/are your responsibilities?
Next, analyze your present strengths and weaknesses for succeeding in your present career. REMEMBER: WHEN YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS DON'T ONLY THINK ABOUT WORK, THINK ABOUT OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE. In particular, some of your greatest strengths may have been demonstrated outside of work, so make sure you are accounting for them. Strengths: What are you good at? Where do you add value? What are you praised for? What are you proud of? Weakness:What are you bad at? What are you criticized for? What do you try to avoid due to your own limitations? What do you fear?
Next, analyze the environment you work in right now. What opportunities exist for your growth and success? What threats could limit your career growth?
Step 2. Now, do the same thing in Step 1 for your "Post-Degree" future after you have earned your graduate degree. IF YOU CANNOT COMPLETE STEP 2, YOU HAVE NOT SUFFICIENTLY PLANNED FOR YOUR FUTURE and therefore you need to do more research and need to think more about it.
Step 3. If you could complete step 2, than you should see the "Gap" between your present and your future. What skills, knowledge, and other resources do you need to close the gap between your present and future responsibilities, strengths, and opportunities?
Step 4. After completing Step 3, you now need to determine how an MBA will add value to you. It is possible that an increased salary as a result of job change will be sufficient "ROI" for the degree to justify itself, but you should show how a degree will allow you to reach your career goals. How will the degree enhance your skills and opportunities and help you overcome your weaknesses and external threats? If you can complete Step 4, then you should be ready to explain what your goals are, why you want a degree, and the relationship between your past and future career, as well as your strengths and weaknesses. If you know about INSEAD, you are ready to write about your goals, whether in Question 3-4 or elsewhere in the essay set.
The above table will also help you answer such common interview questions as: Where do you want to work after you finish your degree? Why do you want an MBA (or other degree)? What are you strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your goals?
b) How will studying at INSEAD help you achieve your vision? (250 words maximum)
As with other schools, I strongly recommend becoming informed about INSEAD. Attending admission events, meeting alum, and making full use of INSEAD's online resources is critical for making the strongest possible case for why your goals require an INSEAD education. You should most certainly look at INSEAD KNOWLEDGE and listen to some INSEAD Knowledgecasts. Finally, keep in mind that INSEAD is a fun school, so express your personality in terms of why you want to attend it. Perhaps this video will inspire you:
5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics:a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What insights did you gain? (250 words maximum), orb) Describe the ways in which a foreigner in your country might experience culture shock (250 words maximum)
One core characteristic of those who are admitted to INSEAD is that they are international in their perspective and experience:
I have found that it is usually those with extensive international experience that have the greatest likelihood for admission. That said, in my interview with Deborah Riger, I asked her about this issue:
"ADAM: Is it possible to be accepted to INSEAD without having international experience?
DEBORAH: Yes, it is possible to be admitted without significant experience outside of your home country. While it is important for all applicants to show their international motivations in their essays, it is especially critical for those who lack international exposure to do so. Applicants need to share how they are comfortable and confident in their own culture, why they are seeking out the international exposure in the MBA and sharing perhaps how the world has come to them at home."
Both options for Question 5 are really great ways for INSEAD to gauge your global perspective.
a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What insights did you gain? This is a very standard question that frequently gets asked in interviews and has appeared on a number of MBA applications. It is also a question with significant room for saying something stupid and potentially fatal to your application. Some topics to avoid:
1. Topics where you negatively stereotype another nation: Martians are argumentative, so I was surprised to learn that some of them are not.
2. Topics where you are the victim: The Martians lied to me and as a result I lost the contract to a local provider.
3. Topics where you don't actually learn anything: This situation taught me the importance of human communication.
Successful versions of this topic almost always involve real learning. I suppose it is possible for something to mean much to you without learning something important, but I can't recall a successful version of this essay that did that. After all to be shocked is to experience something outside of your previous understanding. Getting shocked teaches something important that changes your perspective. This may lead to a new career decision, a new way of looking at oneself, a new way of interacting with other people, or a myriad of other possibilities.
b) Describe the ways in which a foreigner in your country might experience culture shock American Adam's bad answer: Those traveling to America might be shocked by the need to tip.
Why is that answer bad? It certainly is useful to know how to tip. I can think of almost nothing more annoying in the US than our system of tipping and how it would be a bit of a culture shock to someone not used to doing it. Every time I go back to the US, I am at a loss. Doesn't this make for a good topic? NO, BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUS, IS COVERED IN EVERY TRAVEL GUIDE, AND WOULD GIVE ADMISSIONS NO REAL INSIGHT INTO YOUR ABILITY TO HAVE INTERESTING AND USEFUL THINGS TO SAY ABOUT YOUR OWN COUNTRY. Uppercase is used here in the hope that I don't have to read another version of this essay where the writer says commonplace things about their own country that any tourist would know and probably would not be shocked by.
If you write on option b), think deeply about how your knowledge of your country will contribute to your fellow classmates at INSEAD. INSEAD is a place were students really have the option of getting to know (and drink with) people from all over the world. It is truly international in a way that no American program could ever claim. This question directly relates to your own self-consciousness about what is different about your country. They will, to some extent, depend on you for their knowledge of your home country. Don't tell them the easy stuff they can get by flipping through the first few pages of a Lonely Planet travel guide to your country. Give them real insight. The kind of insight they could use if they were going to move there.
Now while the question is not in regards to your classmates, I think it is useful to think of it that way so that you focus on writing something that would actually be interesting and useful to someone who visits your country. You don't have to write on a business related topic, but if you have a good one, do so. The following questions should help you:
1. What kind of problems have you seen foreigners have when communicating with people in your country?
2. What do people say in your country about foreigners? Do they have a bias against them or even a bias for them?
3. What most annoys you about your own country that would be something that someone coming from outside of it is likely to experience?
4. What aspects of your country's culture seem hard for foreigners to handle (Not just the language as that is too obvious)?
6. Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (350 words maximum) This essay is optional.
While this question is optional, I have every client write about something here. There has to be an explanation for an application problem, extracurricular activity, professional experience, personal experience, and/or other matter that you can add here to provide another positive perspective about you.
This is a completely open question. While you might very well need to tell the Admissions Committee something negative, such as an explanation for a low GPA, I would suggest using at least part of it to tell them something positive about you. Feel free to write on any topic that will add another dimension to Admissions' perception of who you are. I would not treat it as optional unless you truly feel that the rest of your essays have fully expressed everything you want INSEAD to know about you. I don't suggest writing about something that would be obvious from reviewing your application, instead tell INSEAD that one or two additional key points that will give them another reason to admit you.
7. In case of reapplication, please provide an update on any new aspects of your professional, international, academic or personal profile that would not have been included in your previous application. Please also explain your motivation for re-applying to INSEAD. (400 words maximum)
For reapplicants, it is critical that you provide clearly stated updates that show growth since the last application. Whatever form(s) this growth takes, please provide a summary of it here, even if you have addressed the topic elsewhere in the application. In addition, beyond what you write about INSEAD in Essay 4b, please provide a clear explanation of why INSEAD is your first choice. I think it is especially useful to show what steps you have taken to learn more about the program.
If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form, which is publicly available on google docs here, and then send your completed form to adammarkus@gmail.com. You can also send me your resume if it is convenient for you. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. See here for why.
