One of my clients dared me to write this. Since it is 1:49am right now and I am bit tired from doing a significant amount of interview prep with a number of clients today, I thought it might be nice to write this. Warning: There is a high likelihood that what follows will not help you gain admission to the MBA program of your choice.
Are good MBA application essays like maple syrup?
It depends on what you think about about maple syrup.
For those of us raised on artificially flavored quasi-maple pancake syrup, the real stuff can seem, well, not that sweet. Even, and this makes me sad to admit, somewhat bland. Good essays should certainly not be bland. They need to standout and have impact. If your reader can't easily distinguish between the subtle, but authentic taste of something really good, you clearly have no room for being overly subtle. In this sense, good MBA application essays are not like good maple syrup. Instead, a better comparison would be a great bottle of wine. Good essays are certainly like that. A truly great of wine will be memorable. The odor and taste will leave you wanting more. This is an ideal image for what one wants from great MBA essays because they leave the reader wanting more so that the reader is left with only one choice, interviewing the applicant.
However, maple syrup is authentic and authenticity is something that the best MBA application essays must have. Those who really know the real stuff become unable to enjoy the fake stuff. Put simply, real maple syrup lacks that extreme sweetness of the artificial buttery sweet pancake syrup. Consider that essays that are sickeningly sweet have a high likelihood of leaving the reader with a bad taste in his or her mouth. Real maple's subtle taste is what makes it such an expensive sweetener. Good MBA essays certainly have a taste of their own. The applicant's ability to communicate their own story as effectively as possible and in a manner that convinces the reader is quite similar to the impact that maple syrup can have on those who appreciate it.
It is times like these when I wish that I had some pancakes. Instead, I will simply end this post now.
-Adam
アダム
MBA留学 メープルシロップ
November 09, 2009
October 30, 2009
MIT Sloan MBA Interviews
My analysis of MIT Sloan's MBA essays can be found here.
This post has remained relatively unchanged from the one I put up last year.
My colleague, Steve Green, has put together a list of common MIT Sloan interview questions, it can be found here.
My colleague, Steve Green, has put together a list of common MIT Sloan interview questions, it can be found here.
Before reading the rest of this post, I strongly suggest downloading a copy of MIT's guide to behavioral interviews, The MIT Sloan Interview Guide, because reading it first will maximize the value of my comments below.
The behavioral interview method is not old:
In fact, the STAR technique outlined in MIT’s guide was developed by Byham as THE WAY to answer behavioral questions:
Byham calls an example of past behavior a STAR, because a complete example consists of a situation or task, the specific action you took and the result of your action. The result you describe doesn't have to be positive; it could be that you learned a valuable lesson from doing something the wrong way.
In his book "Landing the Job You Want: How to Have the Best Job Interview of Your Life" (Three Rivers Press, 1997), Byham tells candidates how to identify the skills for a job; explore their own "behavioral dimensions" (the behaviors they use every day to get things done); and recognize and present a STAR with positive impact in an interview.
In his book "Landing the Job You Want: How to Have the Best Job Interview of Your Life" (Three Rivers Press, 1997), Byham tells candidates how to identify the skills for a job; explore their own "behavioral dimensions" (the behaviors they use every day to get things done); and recognize and present a STAR with positive impact in an interview.
In addition to the MIT SLOAN Guide, I suggest also taking a look at the slightly different guide to the Star Technique that MIT Career Services provides.
The STAR technique is really the core method you need to use for answering behavioral questions in MIT essays. It is simply this (taken from the MIT Sloan Guide):
• Situation: define the situation or “set the stage.”
• Task: identify the task/project performed.
• Action: describe the action you took.
• Result: summarize the outcome
Just keep in mind that you need to be introspective as well, so in an interview say what you thought as well as what you did. Don’t just present “the facts” but actively interpret your actions. There is really nothing overly complicated about this as long as you understand that you need to tell a DETAILED story. Pure abstractions disconnected from a concrete set of action steps are highly likely to result in a weak answer. Similarly, grand actions not told in any depth are also likely to be weak. Identify specific actions that contributed to the result so as to establish a clear link between cause and effect.
As when answering any kind of question, another important consideration is to think very critically about what your story selection, understanding of the task, actions taken, and results say about you. Keep in mind that the whole point of asking behavioral questions is to determine how someone acts and thinks as a basis for selecting or rejecting that person. It is obviously critical to be aware of your own message. Specifically think of examples you can use to highlight your intelligence, creativity, leadership skills, interpersonal communication skills, and conflict resolution skills.
Since your interviewer will know your file well, you need to have alternative stories for answering behavioral questions. Unlike MIT's behavioral essays, you need not limit your answers to topics from the last three years. My suggestion is to have a mix of stories ready to deliver from different times in your life.
Please see my more recent post which consists of common MIT interview questions. You can find behavioral questions in the interview reports found at accepted.com and clearadmit.com. In addition, the list of behavioral questions found at MIT Career Services site is actually quite good for preparing for answers to wide variety of questions.
Since your interviewer will know your file well, you need to have alternative stories for answering behavioral questions. Unlike MIT's behavioral essays, you need not limit your answers to topics from the last three years. My suggestion is to have a mix of stories ready to deliver from different times in your life.
Please see my more recent post which consists of common MIT interview questions. You can find behavioral questions in the interview reports found at accepted.com and clearadmit.com. In addition, the list of behavioral questions found at MIT Career Services site is actually quite good for preparing for answers to wide variety of questions.
Beyond answering, behavioral questions, you need to know your own application completely as you will likely be asked about content in it. Re-read your essays and consider what your interviewer might ask you to explain more thoroughly.
You need to be prepared to answer routine MBA questions as well. While the answers may be analyzed using behavioral analysis, don't be surprised if you get asked questions like "What do you want to after your MBA?" or "Why Sloan." See my previous post on basic MBA interview strategy.
The interviewers, all admissions staff, are generally reported to be friendly. They are the only ones who conduct interviews.
Based on reports, interview length could be from 30 to 60 minutes with 45 minutes to 60 minutes being most common.
For more insight into MIT, please see here.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant."
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 インタビュー 面接
Columbia Business School Alumni Interviews
This is updated from last year. No major changes. You can find my analysis of Columbia's essays for Fall 2010 here.
Columbia Business School offers only one flavor of admissions interview: "Columbia Business School Ambassador" alumni invitation-only interviews. You will get to select from multiple interviewers, so try to figure out who they are first before contacting them. I suggest using Google searches, LinkedIn, and perhaps your own network to do so. Select someone who you think you will be compatible with. Think about this strategically.
While this interview is certainly important, it is not unheard of for Linda Meehan to admit someone the alumni did not recommend or ding someone the interviewer did recommend. She and her team have ultimate discretion over this issue and clearly see the interview as only one factor for determining the ultimate result. That said, the interview is certainly quite important. In my experience, clients who report not having a great Columbia interview rarely are admitted, so you as an applicant should assume that like with any interview, it is very important to do well.
Columbia alumni seem to be particularly effective gatekeepers for the program. They are well known for relentlessly determining whether Columbia really is the applicant's first choice. They are clearly told to do this as it is a consistent feature of interview reports. Not only should you be able to explain why Columbia is your first choice, but you had better explain why HBS, Stanford, and/or Wharton is not. Less then clear answers to the why is CBS your first choice question can prove fatal. Beyond that, I think alumni are really looking to make sure that you possess sufficient mental strength, personal drive (aggression), and career focus to become a part of their "club."
Some of the most common question topics you would encounter in a Columbia interview (Based on my own information and a review of reports at at accepted.com and clearadmit.com):
-Why MBA? Why now?
-What are you goals? Why do you need an MBA for them?
-Leadership related questions focused directly on your experience or perhaps stated more generally.
-Team focused questions about leading a team, contributing to a team, and/or overcoming team conflict are all common.
-Why Columbia? Where else are you applying? What clubs or activities would you join at Columbia? What can you contribute to Columbia?
-Either walk me through your resume or questions that amount to the same thing are always asked. Expect to be asked one way or another about how you standout professionally. Be honest, but very direct and sell your experience emphasizing your ability to make an impact. A common question is "What improvements have you made at work?"
- Ethical dilemma questions, especially related to work experiences are common. So lets go over them briefly here. Ethical dilemma questions are all about decision making and learning:
1. Define the situation, such that it involves clearly identifiable options that are in conflict.
2. The options have to be real. They each have to have clear "goods" associated with them.
3. Justify the basis for the decision you made.
4. If your decision was right, focus on the result.
5. If your decision was wrong, focus on what you learned and hopefully applied to a more recent situation.
-Be ready to ask questions to the alum. Prepare them ahead of time. Assume that unless the alum is a very recent graduate, they should not be asked about recent developments on the campus. This is a good opportunity to ask them about their Columbia experience and about the alumni network.
-If there is anything you wanted to mention that was not covered in your application that you want to bring to the admission committee's attention, you will possibly have the opportunity to do so because interviewers frequently ask about this.
You probably will not be asked any weird hypothetical questions, but rather expect to cover some variation of the above questions in a great deal of depth.
Reported interview length is typically 60-75 minutes, but some interviews are shorter and some go for 90 minutes.
If you are interested in my interview preparation or other graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant."
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 インタビュー 面接
Columbia Business School offers only one flavor of admissions interview: "Columbia Business School Ambassador" alumni invitation-only interviews. You will get to select from multiple interviewers, so try to figure out who they are first before contacting them. I suggest using Google searches, LinkedIn, and perhaps your own network to do so. Select someone who you think you will be compatible with. Think about this strategically.
While this interview is certainly important, it is not unheard of for Linda Meehan to admit someone the alumni did not recommend or ding someone the interviewer did recommend. She and her team have ultimate discretion over this issue and clearly see the interview as only one factor for determining the ultimate result. That said, the interview is certainly quite important. In my experience, clients who report not having a great Columbia interview rarely are admitted, so you as an applicant should assume that like with any interview, it is very important to do well.
Columbia alumni seem to be particularly effective gatekeepers for the program. They are well known for relentlessly determining whether Columbia really is the applicant's first choice. They are clearly told to do this as it is a consistent feature of interview reports. Not only should you be able to explain why Columbia is your first choice, but you had better explain why HBS, Stanford, and/or Wharton is not. Less then clear answers to the why is CBS your first choice question can prove fatal. Beyond that, I think alumni are really looking to make sure that you possess sufficient mental strength, personal drive (aggression), and career focus to become a part of their "club."
Some of the most common question topics you would encounter in a Columbia interview (Based on my own information and a review of reports at at accepted.com and clearadmit.com):
-Why MBA? Why now?
-What are you goals? Why do you need an MBA for them?
-Leadership related questions focused directly on your experience or perhaps stated more generally.
-Team focused questions about leading a team, contributing to a team, and/or overcoming team conflict are all common.
-Why Columbia? Where else are you applying? What clubs or activities would you join at Columbia? What can you contribute to Columbia?
-Either walk me through your resume or questions that amount to the same thing are always asked. Expect to be asked one way or another about how you standout professionally. Be honest, but very direct and sell your experience emphasizing your ability to make an impact. A common question is "What improvements have you made at work?"
- Ethical dilemma questions, especially related to work experiences are common. So lets go over them briefly here. Ethical dilemma questions are all about decision making and learning:
1. Define the situation, such that it involves clearly identifiable options that are in conflict.
2. The options have to be real. They each have to have clear "goods" associated with them.
3. Justify the basis for the decision you made.
4. If your decision was right, focus on the result.
5. If your decision was wrong, focus on what you learned and hopefully applied to a more recent situation.
-Be ready to ask questions to the alum. Prepare them ahead of time. Assume that unless the alum is a very recent graduate, they should not be asked about recent developments on the campus. This is a good opportunity to ask them about their Columbia experience and about the alumni network.
-If there is anything you wanted to mention that was not covered in your application that you want to bring to the admission committee's attention, you will possibly have the opportunity to do so because interviewers frequently ask about this.
You probably will not be asked any weird hypothetical questions, but rather expect to cover some variation of the above questions in a great deal of depth.
Reported interview length is typically 60-75 minutes, but some interviews are shorter and some go for 90 minutes.
If you are interested in my interview preparation or other graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant."
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 インタビュー 面接
October 24, 2009
"I'm at Sloan (ft. D-Pain) - MIT Sloan MBA Rap Song"
Take a break between writing essays and studying GMAT:
MIT Sloan MBA Rap Song - Wanna know what life at MIT Sloan is like - check this out.
Directed and Edited by Ash Martin
Lyrics by James Blair and Ash Martin, Song performed by James Blair and Ash Martin Starring Dapo Bakare, James Blair, Ash Martin, and Tyler Spalding
Just another reason to love MIT Sloan. Foul language follows. Rod must be so proud.
These guys are pretty good.
-Adam アダム
MIT Sloan MBA Rap Song - Wanna know what life at MIT Sloan is like - check this out.
Directed and Edited by Ash Martin
Lyrics by James Blair and Ash Martin, Song performed by James Blair and Ash Martin Starring Dapo Bakare, James Blair, Ash Martin, and Tyler Spalding
Just another reason to love MIT Sloan. Foul language follows. Rod must be so proud.
These guys are pretty good.
-Adam アダム
October 09, 2009
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School 日本人受験生向けオンラインチャット（日本語）開催のお知らせ
The Japanese students at UNC Kenan-Flagler asked me to post this notice regarding an online chat that they will be doing for applicants..
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
日本人受験生向けオンラインチャット（日本語）
開催のお知らせ
MBA受験生の皆様
拝啓
秋晴れの候、ますます御健勝のこととお慶び申し上げます。MBA受験生の皆様におかれましては、受験準備でお忙しい毎日を送られていることと存じます。
さてこの度、UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School日本人在校生一同、 インターネットを通じた日本語によるオンライン・ライブチャットを下記の通り開催することといたしました。日本人在校生が、アプリケーション・インタ ビュー・チャペルヒルでの生活や卒業後の進路などについて、広く皆様のご質問にお答えいたします。当校へ出願を検討されている方を対象としておりますが、2010年以降に出願を予定されている方のご参加も大歓迎です。
インターネットに接続可能な環境がある方でしたら、どなたでも参加可能です。また事前登録も不要です。
受験仲間をお誘い合わせの上、ぜひご参加ください。皆様とチャットでお会いできることを楽しみにしております。
敬具
記
- 日時
日本時間2009年11月7日（土曜日） 午後11時～午前0時
アメリカ東部時間2009年11月7日（土曜日） 午前9時～午前10時
- アクセス方法
- UNC at CH MBA日本語HPにアクセス
http://public.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/mba/JapaneseAPP/ - 近日中にアップ予定のチャット専用URL（トップ画面をご参照ください）をクリック
- 新しいウインドウが現れ、Please enter your full nameと表示されるので、その下に表示されるブランクに参加者名（ハンドルネームで結構です）を記入
- Sign Inボタンをクリック
- チャットルームへの入室ができます
- チャット画面の下にメッセージボックスがありますので、メッセージを記入の上、Send Messageボタンをクリックし、ご参加ください
- 参加後、アンケートにご協力ください
（今後のクオリティ改善のために実施するものであり、合否には何ら関係ありません）
- お問い合わせ先 UNC_MBA@hotmail.com
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
日本人MBA在校生一同
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