AIGAC in the News

As some readers of my blog know, I am a member of AIGAC, a professional association of graduate admissions counselors. AIGAC just received very favorable coverage in INSIDE HIGHER ED, the single best source for serious journalism on higher education. Here are some excerpts:
Should a private admissions counselor also be able to work for a school or college?
To many who work in college admissions, the obvious answer is No, while others say that the practice is more commonplace and less (or more) dangerous than others assume. The practice came to light because of a controversy over a University of Pennsylvania admissions officer’s various private counseling roles — and the realization that the main organizations of college admissions officers and private counselors didn’t have a specific ban on the practice. Partly as a result, the National Association for College Admission Counseling now has a special working group considering whether tougher standards on conflicts of interest are needed for the field.

It turns out, however, that there is one, relatively new association of private counselors — focused on professional school admissions — that does ban double dipping.

The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants
started accepting members only last year and has about 40 of them. But the association, whose members are private counselors, many of them focused on business school admissions, specifically bans them from simultaneously working for an institution of higher education...
Linda Abraham, president of the association and also of a private counseling business called Accepted.com, said that the group wants to be very clear about the philosophy behind its ban. “You can’t have two masters when their interests may be in conflict,” she said. “As an adviser to applicants, we have to try to have one employer, the applicant.”

As a member of AIGAC, I am proud to be a part of an organization that advocates purely on behalf of applicants. I wish that others operated with the same level of ethical clarity that we do.

Clearly there is significant work to be done to make educational institutions ethically accountable and transparent in their operations. PENN's administration, in particular, should be required to take a long hard look at itself and make the necessary changes to its admissions staff and/or policies. Given that Wharton has professors of business ethics on staff, one would hope that an internal ethical audit would be conducted.

While it is fine for professional associations like mine to set high standards, this would not even be an issue if the major national higher education associations like GMAC did so. All applicants should have their applications read by staff who do not have potential conflicts of interest and it is the responsibility of the universities themselves as well as GMAC and other similar authorities to guarantee that.

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
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Q&A with McCombs MBA Student Adcom Member & Blogger

Tatsuya Ishihara, who will be graduating from the MBA program at McCombs this spring, was kind enough to answer my questions regarding his experience. I have previously mentioned Tatsuya’s blog, which is a great source of information on his experience in Austin.

After graduating from Shimonoseki City University (he also studied as an exchange student at the University of Queensland, Australia), Tatsuya Ishihara worked for NEC Corporation as a strategist in its mobile phone division for four years. He started his MBA program at McCombs School of Business in University of Texas at Austin from Fall 2006 as a Rotary’s International Ambassadorial Scholar. He is a student member of the McCombs Admissions Committee.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Adam: What have you learned from studying at McCombs?

Tatsuya: Among a tremendous amount of learning at McCombs, I want to raise three major aspects below:
1. Solid financial literacy: As many of you may have already known, McCombs is one of the top Accounting schools in US. Not only accounting, but we also have great core/elective finance courses and real-world finance workshops taught by ex Wall Street investment bankers. During my internship period in summer 2007, I literally used many of those financial modeling techniques that I have learned through those courses, which differentiated me from other top MBAs and helped me getting the full-time offer. I had no background regarding accounting or finance prior to MBA. However, after one and half year of my concentration in learning Accounting and Finance here at McCombs, I strongly feel that I have a solid foundation to aim at a CFO/COO position in my mid-term future career.
2. Real-world international team leading skills: I served as a president in the International MBA Student Association (IMBASA) at McCombs. Again, I haven’t had an experience to lead an internationally diverse team using English. We formed 8 member officers group from different cultural backgrounds and organized several international events, including “International Night” which invited over 700 people living in Austin. This experience helped me understand which culture has what kind characteristics regarding how they approach businesses. Now, I am a much better leader who can plan a business/event, package each task so that each member can maximize her/his skills, and share the great feeling of the accomplishment with those diverse team members.
3. Work-life balance: Austin, where McCombs is located, is a great mid-sized city mixing the big-city-like convenience and small-city-like friendliness. Many of the students in UT-Austin, including me, have quite an influence from such a unique environment. I used to have one-sided view about how to live my life, just working and becoming smart. However, after I met really cool people here in Austin I really broadened my view about what kind of life I want to live and I literally imported some of their great personalities. I truly feel that I became a better person and now I have a clear vision of my future in 5-10 years. This is something that I could never have done without my experience at McCombs.

Adam: Can you compare yourself before attending McCombs and now? How have you changed?

Tatsuya: Firstly, before coming to McCombs I didn’t know what’s important in my life and wasted a lot of my time wondering what I really want to do. One of the most painful realities about preparing for and studying at the MBA program for me is that I had to sharpen up my life. It was all about compromising what it’s important to my life for what it’s REALLY important to my life. In fact, I have lost some of my good old friends and even my girl friend along the way. However, throughout the whole process, I could prioritize what is important in my life and spend less time on wondering what to do. Now I feel like I am 100% concentrating on what I want to do. Another less important thing, I have received a full-time offer as a financial analyst and could double my annual salary from that of previous job, being the top 5% of the total working population in Japan at my age of 28. That’ll give me some economic benefits. This is, however, something that does not guarantee my career after MBA.

Adam: I know you already have obtained a job from the company you interned at in the summer. What kind of internship did you do? What kind of job will you be doing?

Tatsuya: I worked at Eli Lilly Japan in Kobe as a summer finance intern. I was assigned a very ambiguous project, which was called “long-term investment optimization.” Not only myself, but also the other interns were assigned a very broad topic and Lilly’s management seemed to be watching the intern’s ability to break down the vague problems and make a significant tangible contribution to the organization within a limited time. Communication with the managers across different divisions was one of the key success factors during the internship.

I will be analyzing the company’s entire income statement, communicating the situation with headquarters in Indianapolis, creating a strategic framework, and implementing projects to increase the value of the firm from the financial side.

ROLE AS AN ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE MEMBER

Adam: I know you have served as student adcom member. Can you please explain how you were selected and what you do?

Tatsuya: I had to write a one page summary of why I want to become the adcom member and what I can bring to the McCombs Admission Committee (MAC) . I also had a brief interview with the 2nd year MAC member and one of the adcom members. MAC consists with the admission members and around 40 McCombs full-time MBA students to represent our MBA program. We were involved in the process of reading and evaluating the applications. We also assist campus visitors to attend our classes, have lunch with us together, and chat about our MBA program.

Adam: McCombs has a very unique to asking about leadership in the application: “The Texas MBA is built around four key pillars of leadership. Describe an experience that you have had that clearly demonstrates your leadership as it relates to one of our
Four pillars:
1) Responsibility/Integrity
2) Knowledge/Understanding
3) Collaborative/Communication
Or 4) Worldview of Business and Society”
How would you answer that question for each pillar based on your experience at McCombs?

Tatsuya:
1) Responsibility/Integrity; As one of the Japanese MBA students and MAC member, I was voluntarily involved with more than 10 campus visits from Japan. Even when I was extremely busy with my own school workload, I organized several dinner sessions with the current Japanese students.
2) Knowledge/Understanding; As a Rotary’s ambassadorial scholar, I have presented several times in the Rotary’s meetings to enhance our cultural understanding. I have communicated with the coordinator to prepare the best material for the event to transfer my knowledge, and had great feedback in every occasion.
3) Collaborative/Communication; Also, during the summer internship, I think I could show my collaborative leadership to proceed the project that I was assigned. I communicated with more than 50 employees to incorporate as many aspects as possible to implement the projects.
4) Worldview of Business and Society; As a president of IMBASA, our team organized “International Night” to enhance our worldview of Business and Society. We had to communicate with the sponsors of the event, faculty members, over 100 student volunteers for their food stands, and with 10 performance groups in the event. The event ended up great by attracting more than 700 participants.

Adam: I was wondering if you could explain a little bit about the role of the pillars in your education at McCombs.

Tatsuya: These are actually the concepts that have developed under the leadership of Dean Hirst from 2006. The faculty tried to re-identify our core values to further develop the Texas MBA programs. The four pillars now act like a compass in our MBA program. For instance, our 1) strict policy on cheating, 2) market-driven specializations, 3) cohort system, and 4) international study opportunities clearly shows towards which direction the school is going.

Adam: Lots of schools have contribution questions, but it always seemed to me that there was more of a sense of reality to it at McCombs (“At the McCombs School of Business, you will be part of an active and diverse community. Referencing your personal strengths and unique experience, how will you enrich the McCombs community during your two years in the program?”) because the application was actually being read by students. Care to comment on that?

Tatsuya: You’re right. First and foremost, we hate smart liars. Those applicants, who write great things in her/his contribution essay, but actually cram themselves for better grades, get a good job, and do nothing for our school and classmates will not fit our culture. Letting such people in our school will destroy our great collaborative environment. We just try to avoid such a thing.

Adam: What general advice do you have for those considering application to McCombs?

Tatsuya: I think they should definitely do a campus visit, ideally before sending the application. But, even visiting after being admitted will still be worthwhile. I was also one of them who would say “Where do I have such time as I’m busy with GMAT!?” However, there is so much information or feeling that we cannot really imagine without meeting the current MBA students and visiting the city. Most likely, the applicants have higher expectations than the reality is. It is important to fill the gap at least before actually getting into the MBA program.

Adam: Do you have any specific advice for Japanese and/or other international applicants?

Tatsuya: Related to the above question, there is so much information or feeling that we cannot really imagine without campus visits. Fit is an essential factor for choosing YOUR MBA program. For example, I was also attracted by the Georgetown’s MBA program, because of its “international” environment. I have nothing bad to say about the program, and Georgetown was a great school. But, it was not my fit. The school provides a great environment for International students to be comfortable with the program. The rate of international students is also high, and the school seemed to be very used to such environment. However, I felt I cannot really develop myself in that kind of environment. In contrast, to be honest, McCombs has less care to the international students. I mean this in a good way. For instance, in our study groups, there’s no discrimination or mercy for international students. We’re supposed to do the same quality of work as American students. Some people would say that’s too harsh. However, I felt this kind of surviving environment will really help me grow into a truly global business leader. Anyway, such decision processes could not have been developed if I was biased only by the general school information.

ROTARY SCHOLAR

Adam: I know you are a Rotary Scholar. Would you care to comment on how you obtained the scholarship?

Tatsuya: I knew that I cannot afford to the MBA tuition without getting some financial assistance. My family has slightly less household budget than the Japanese average, but has three kids including me, all of whom graduated bachelors/masters degree. My little brother was going to university at that time as well. So, at the very early stage of my application process (Dec-Jan 2004), I searched for several scholarship programs, and found Rotary’s would be the best option for me. The application process was similar to the MBA application process except for that you don’t need GMAT score. You need to have a reasonable TOEFL score, write essays both in English and Japanese, transcripts, and two recommendation letters (it was okay to have them from previous college professors). I went through one English test in both oral and written, and two interviews before being admitted. I remember there were around 80 applicants at the fist screening, and 4 of us were eventually selected as the scholars. I heard the process depends on which district they apply for, but it shouldn’t be that much different.

Adam: What kind of activities do you engage in as a Rotary Scholar?

Tatsuya: I’m engaged in attending and making presentation at the local Rotary Club meetings for a couple of times in a semester. Also, for a couple of times, I have been invited to do some volunteer work for local activities, such as making spaghetti for the high school football game in the same district. After graduating, I’ll be contributing the local club activities, including making presentations and doing volunteer works in the Yokohama 2590 District (http://rfd2590.blog48.fc2.com/). It’ll be my life-long fantastic opportunity/responsibility to give something back to the sponsor organization and local communities.

BLOGGER

Adam: You have been actively doing a blog in Japanese since you started at McCombs. What has motivated you to do that?

Tatsuya: Because I had hard time deciding my best fit school. I eventually went to the campus visiting after being admitted. I think I made a right decision visit campus, but still I hoped that I could have more visual images and real-life information about the MBA programs. Also, I just thought it’s a huge mistake if an applicant chooses her/his MBA program just based on the ranking or on biased information. I hoped my simple real-life pictures and messages will help the applicants have a clearer view about the Texas MBA life. Also, I am financing the MBA cost by myself, and have a couple of financial supporters including Rotary club. I wanted to keep them informed about how I am doing in US.

Adam: What is your favorite MBA application Japanese language blog?

Tatsuya: “こうすれば受かるMBA 2007.” Actually, Kousurebaukaru website has information from 2000. I referred to the information a lot for my own application and motivated myself with those “old mans’ words.” This was the only web resource for me to collect the information about MBA. There are other dodgy websites related to MBA, but thought they are not much reliable and found some of them had wrong/misleading information. However, this website is all about the applicant’s real-life experience, and more than 50 people wrote their experiences. I think we can learn a quite a bit from their stories.

===============================================
I want to thank Tatsuya for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope you found his perspective useful.

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
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ビジネススクール MBA留学

Georgetown University McDonough MBA Interviews

I reviewed the reports of Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business' MBA Full-Time Program interviews found at accepted.com. These reports reveal that there are five key things to consider when preparing for Georgetown interviews:

1. You need to know your resume completely as you will likely be asked about content in it. Review it carefully and consider what your interviewer might ask you to explain more thoroughly. If it is on your resume, it is fair game.

2. You need to be prepared to answer routine MBA questions. Most reported interviews simply consist of them. See my previous post on interviewing.

3. If you are interviewed by students, assume that they will ask you what you are passionate about and how you will contribute to the program.

4. Interviewers (students, adcom, or alum) are friendly and consistently try to create a very relaxed interview atmosphere. This is an interview about fit and your own potential, so make sure you can explain in depth why you want to attend Georgetown, how you will contribute to it, and what you intend to do afterwords. Previous contact with alum, visits to campus, and/or intensive school research are all great ways to prepare.

5. Interviews are scheduled for 30 minutes and usually last 30-45 minutes.


-Adam Markus

I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. 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. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.

Waitlisted? Now what?

You can find an updated version of this post here.

This seems to be a very tough year to get admitted. I think we can assume next year will be even worse because more Americans will be applying to graduate school in lieu of being unemployed or underemployed. When the US economy goes bad, applications rise and the reverse is also true. Like every year, applicants find themselves getting waitlisted. While this post will focus on MBA, it also applies in general to other kinds of graduate programs. Here are my suggestions for how to proceed if you are waitlisted at B-School:

1. Don't panic or become depressed. The reason you were waitlisted is because there were too many qualified applicants and adcom likes, but don't know that they love you yet. Now is the time to think clearly and act effectively.

2. There are many reasons for getting waitlisted, but one I would like to immediately mention is yield control. That is to say, waitlisting highly qualified candidates who are applying to other top schools, is one way to further maximize yield (the percentage of admitted applicants who attend). Adcom directors want higher yield rates, not lower ones. After all, a higher yield indicates that more admits are choosing their school over other schools the applicants were admitted to. Consider the following yield rates ("Admitted applicants who enrolled in the newest class") taken from Businessweek:
HBS 89%
Stanford GSB 80%
CBS 77%
Wharton 67%
NYU 57%
Chicago GSB ?????

What does this tell you? As we could expect HBS and Stanford have very high rates, probably with double admits declining one for the other. Columbia which typically loses admits to HBS and Stanford, comes next, but as I stated in an earlier post, their numbers are somewhat inflated because of Early Decision. Wharton is next and it loses to HBS and Stanford consistently, and sometimes to Columbia (LOCATION!). NYU is next and it clearly loses to the rest of these schools as well as some others I did not list. Chicago GSB does not indicate what their yield is. Do they have something to hide? In my experience, they do because they consistently lose to HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, and perhaps MIT as well. The University of Chicago, for all of its association with free markets, does not seem to believe that MBA applicants should be able to make purchasing decisions on the basis of good data.

Waitlisting is a highly reasonable tactic for admissions to take to see who really wants to attend after the 2nd round decisions come out. Therefore you may have been waitlisted because they think you will go elsewhere and they can afford to bet on it.

Keeping yield control in mind, one clear objective of communicating with adcom after you get waitlisted is to show your strong commitment to attend.

3. For those waitlisted from 1st round, you should, of course, know that adcom likes you, but they really wanted to see the main pool of applicants, before making any decisions. You might be waiting for a quite a while longer, but be patient.

4. Be proactive, but not aggressively annoying, with admissions. Adcom will let you know what additional materials they will accept and you should most certainly provide them. That said, the worst thing you can do is send a continuous stream of correspondence or otherwise annoy the admissions office. If you turn yourself into an annoying freak, you can assume you will not get admitted.

5. GMAT & TOEFL: If you can take it again, do it, if your score goes up report it. Higher scores always help.

6. Additional recommendation: If they will take one, provide it. Think very strategically about your selection. You don't want a recommendation that will not add something substantially different from what your previous recommendations stated. Try to use a recommender who will do one more of the following:
(a) A recommender who will provide support for any areas of professional weakness in your background.
(b) A recommender who will provide a perspective on different part of your background.
(c) A recommender who will provide support for earlier or more recent period of your life.
(d) If academic recommendations are acceptable and your GPA is not great, consider getting an academic recommendation if you can get a strong one.
(e) If your English ability maybe the issue, consider getting a recommendation from someone who can speak positively about your English communication skills.

Additionally, many schools will also take informal recommendations from alums, so if you can get one from someone who knows you, it can't hurt.

7. Waitlist essay. Write one! The typical components:
-Additional reasons why you want to attend to show your real commitment and passion for the school. Think classes, school's culture, or any other reason that would make the school ideal for you.
-Discussion of changes that have taken place in your professional career after your applied. If anything new and great has happened, you should most certainly write about it.
- New content that was not emphasized in your application. Use some combination of the following possible topics:
(a) If you did not sufficiently discuss your leadership or teamwork abilities, you should most certainly do so.
(b) Write about contributions you can make to the school based on your experience, background, personality, and network.
(c) If your academic potential was not obvious, you should try to demonstrate that.
(d) If you have SUBSTANTIAL personal or professional accomplishments that you did not discuss, you should do so.
(e) If you did not focus very much on non-professional content in your application, focus on it here.

If the length is not stated, I would try to keep it to between 500 and 1000 words. More is not inherently better, quality is, so don't write about everything you can think of. This essay is quite important, so make sure that the content is at least as good as that of your original application.

8. If you can visit the school, do so.

9. Get a fresh perspective on your application by rereading it now. By doing so, you will probably have a good idea about what kind of recommendation to get and waitlist essay to write.

10. Consider seeking the advice of an admissions consultant. If you have already worked with one, you can go back to that person if you are otherwise pleased with their work. They know you and they could help you put something together that caught admissions' eye. On the other hand, you might want to pay for a fresh perspective. I offer both waitlist and reapplication counseling in addition to interview and comprehensive consulting services.

11. Do you need a PLAN B? If you are waitlisted and/or dinged everywhere you applied, it is now time to start thinking about whether you are going to apply for more schools for Fall 2008, reapply for 2009, or give up. Whichever the case, you need Plan B in place. See my earlier post on getting dinged first round for some suggestions on how to proceed as what I wrote there applies to your situation.

Best of luck and may your wait be short and culminate in admission!

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
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ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 MBA留学

Legacy Admissions Versus Merit-based Admissions

I strongly suggest reading Shikha Dalmia's excellent essay, "Legacies of Injustice: Alumni preferences threaten educational equity--and no one seems to care." As someone who believes that university admissions at both the undergraduate and graduate level should be based on the merits of the applicant, I hope that the preferential admissions of applicants who are the children of alums is ended. This unfair practice was eliminated by the University of California in 2000 and I hope that we see it happen elsewhere. All applicants deserve a fair shot at the admissions process.

World-class institutions of higher learning should be required to operate transparently when it comes to all administrative processes, but especially those concerning admissions. These institutions play a core role in a world increasingly based on merit, not inherited position. We should demand of them at least the same level of accountability we expect from publicly traded corporations and the government. If the Ivy's, in particular, don't regulate themselves, expect to see American politicians doing it. I think the day is not far away when the educational equivalent of the Securities and Exchange Commission is established to regulate university admissions and financial aid practices. If these schools can't regulate themselves, they should be regulated by the state or lose all US government funding.

Access to institutions of higher learning should not be subject to outmoded old boy networks and the dead weight of tradition. No doubt some will claim that is this will impact alumni giving, but I sincerely doubt it will have any significant impact on major contributors who expect no such quid pro quo arrangements. Ultimately the alums who really give over the long term will do so anyway. Alums who have deep pockets can take care of their children. We should have institutions that establish a legacy of fairness, not ones that offer legacies a back door into institutions for which they would otherwise not qualify for.

Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
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MBA Interview Preparation: Special Offer to My Readers

If you have appreciated my blog posts on MBA interview preparation, you can now get get even more comprehensive advice from me. To thank readers of my blog, I am happy to offer a comprehensive interview preparation consulting session service. This special offer is available only for those seeking interview preparation and consists of the following:

1. We will have a one-hour session consisting of a mock session and
feedback. Alternatively for those who want a pure strategy session, the mock session will be omitted.

2. Face-to-face sessions are available in Tokyo, but otherwise the session will be conducted via Skype or, at your expense, by telephone.

3. I will review your complete application for one school in order to give you detailed personalized advice on how to prepare for and succeed at even the toughest interviews.

4. If you are interviewing for a school where the questions are likely to based on your application, I will formulate a list of questions specific to you.

The total cost will be $200 or 20,000 yen per session (you choose the currency). Additional sessions maybe scheduled as well. Contact me for details regarding bulk session discounts.

For information about my other services, see adammarkus.com, but note that the website will not mention this special offer.

If you are interested in preparing thoroughly for your interviews, please email me at adammarkus@gmail.com to arrange for payment and scheduling of your session.

Please Note: This offer expires on April 1, 2008, but maybe withdrawn without prior notice due to my limited availability.

-Adam Markus
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ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 MBA留学

Additional Comments Regarding "The 98"

Click here for all of my rankings tables together in one post.

In regards to "The 98," my MBA program ranking by salary, I wanted to make some additional comments.

One advantage of a salary-based list of programs worldwide is that it helps to see the rising market value of MBA programs. It also means that those of us who help applicants considering worldwide application, start to pay more attention to such national leaders as the Indian School of Business, China Europe International Business School, Cranfield School of Management, and Australian Graduate School of Management. I will certainly begin coverage of these schools.

For those with a US MBA bias, this ranking should be humbling because so many of what are usually ranked quite highly in the US, don't, at least at the salary level, look as attractive as a FT, Businessweek or other such ranking might suggest.

Canada's top MBA programs don't rate very well at all. With the highest ranked coming in at 50 and a disproportionate number coming at the bottom of the list, it appears that the initial market value of these degrees is not spectacular.

From a school selection perspective, I think looking at the stark reality of the expected financial outcome is critical. Looking at this solely helps to put the outcome into focus. "The 98" is only one possible way of doing this.

I am well aware that applicants don't simply make selection choices on the basis of salary, but I think evaluating programs on this basis is one important consideration. In a subsequent post of rather large size, I will provide a more complete list of selection criteria.

Comments? Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス

ビジネススクール MBA留学

Q&A with RSM MBA Director of Admissions

As I discussed in a previous post focused on my analysis of essay questions, RSM Erasmus University's International Full-Time MBA Program is a truly international program offering great ROI to graduates. Kirt Wood, the Director of Marketing and Admissions at RSM was kind enough to provide some really great advice for applicants.
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Kirt was kind enough to provide the following profile (Always good to know who the admissions director is!):
Kirt Wood is an American (with a Chilean father) who has lived and worked in Europe since 2000. Kirt joined the RSM Erasmus University as the Director of Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programmes in 2006. Kirt has spent 17 years working with institutions of higher learning in the U.S., Asia, and France in a variety of capacities: as student services coordinator, teacher, director of studies, development manager, and director. His years at UC Berkeley set the stage for a lifetime dedicated to quality education, diversity in a learning environment and personalized counseling. Kirt holds a Master’s degree in Consulting in Education from Paris V, Rene Descartes – La Sorbonne, an RSA Cambridge teaching credential and completed his Bachelor’s at U.C.Davis in International Relations. Kirt, his French wife, and three year old daughter truly enjoy living in the Netherlands and spend as much time as possible on bicycles!
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Now for the interview:

Adam: Are there any common characteristics among those who best fit RSM?

Kirt: RSM Erasmus MBA participants are highly motivated and determined to attain satisfying management positions, often with major companies and organizations. What makes them unique is their sense of adventure and global scope. As RSM is 96% international, our participants come from all over the world. They are risk takers and are taking steps to reposition themselves in a truly diverse global marketplace. They will leverage their professional and life experiences, language skills, hard and complex skills as well as their sense of ethics and creativity. All of these areas are emphasized on the RSM MBA.
Adam: Can someone with very little international experience get into RSM?

Kirt: Having “international experience” is not a requirement for admission. However, openness to total diversity and global business practices is essential. A candidate who acknowledges that they wish to undertake the RSM Erasmus MBA Programme because they desire to increase their understanding of global business practices and “manage in a diverse world, as well as demonstrate strong motivation and career plans in this direction, is always welcome on our programme.

Adam: What is campus life like at RSM?

Kirt: Rare in Europe is the “American-style” campus. Here at RSM Erasmus, however, we enjoy an enormous campus with more than 25 buildings (most of them modern and attractive), many student restaurants, high-tech plug ins and wi-fi, a fabulous sports/fitness center, tennis courts and, yes, a pub on campus! The library, however, is a bit disappointing. Available during the days – closed for the most part on weekends. There are many campus magazines, clubs and organizations. Many cultural and sporting events are organized as well. MBA’s tend to set themselves apart (like in most major universities I think) and create their own clubs, events and parties. This has, over the years, been the resounding success of the RSM when speaking with alumni all over the world. They have cherished memories of student life and the collegial “family-like” atmosphere of the “J Building” (MBA Building).

Adam: What is Rotterdam like? Why would I want to spend 15 months there?

Kirt: I think it key to remember that our participants are, like other top MBA participants, seeking career growth opportunities. This means 15 months goes very quickly and the programme is action-packed. On top of study and preparation of projects, students are networking and job seeking. 4 months of the programme is spent working with a major company in an associateship position. (11 months + 4 months associateship). In short, time flies!

Rotterdam is, however, a lovely European city. Honestly, not too big, not too small. It has an impeccable transport system, bike paths everywhere and a charming and sophisticated downtown. It is key to understand that, in addition to being the largest port in Europe (2nd largest in the world), Rotterdam is located on the Southern end of a strip that runs from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. The Netherlands is the only European country to offer “expat status” to companies as well as individuals.

Adam: Since you don’t require an English test like TOEFL, how do you measure English language ability for those who are not native English speakers?

Kirt: At RSM, we do not require a TOEFL,TOEIC or IELTS exam. (although
we reserve the right to do so if we are concerned.) We use the GMAT score to gain some insight into language skills. However, we have a very rigorous interviewing process. Candidates that cannot effectively express their ideas and demonstrate that they can function at an MBA level in team situations, will, most likely, not be admitted. Candidates targeting the RSM MBA need to really concentrate on writing a good application (their own writing, of course!) and prepare thoroughly for their interview. (I have been known to “spot check” a candidate by calling them at an unannounced time on their mobile phone!)

Adam: What kind of GMAT score is usually required for admission and how flexible are you about admitting applicants with scores below the 80% range?

Kirt: A GMAT is only one small part of the entire application. Our average is 640 and we believe that candidates who drop below 60% in the quantitative area may struggle with the analytical aspects of the MBA. We need them to be able to “hit the ground running”. We publish no minimum score. Naturally, for non-native speakers of English, the verbal and written sections are going to factor in most heavily during the application evaluation process. Also, we will examine transcripts to see how a candidate performed in various subject areas. Great transcripts, however, cannot be accepted in place of a poor GMAT score. We will, however, attempt to view the GMAT in the context of the complete application including essays and interviews.

Adam: If an applicant’s GPA is lower than 3.0 on the 4.0 scale, what do you suggest they do to demonstrate their academic potential to succeed at RSM?
Kirt: European systems generally are pass/fail systems. Although we do look at GPA, we do not view grades the same way U.S. institutions do. GPA is a very North American term. We will of course, carefully examine academic performance. Our candidates, however, come from all over the world and, frankly, they each have their own grading systems and standards. (Our true challenge! If only it were so easy to have an international standard GPA!)

However, grades must also be considered in the context of both the years of professional experience and the quality of that professional experience (bolstered of course by very strong professional letters of recommendation.) Sometimes, post Bachelor’s degree, people begin to blossom and thrive. (Results are no longer measured with “grades” but with goals and targets that feel more tangible) This means that the academic arena may not have been the best environment for growth for the individual – or they thrive when learning becomes applied. Because an MBA offers a nice balance between academic and practical aspects, we will look to admit those who, though maybe not a valedictorian, have demonstrated clear professional progress since graduating college. Naturally, good grades enhance an application and are valued at RSM.

Adam: How important are recommendations? What constitutes a great recommendation?

Kirt: Recommendation letters are very important to the RSM MBA application. I highly recommend that potential MBA candidates spend time speaking with their recommenders and encouraging them to be as complete (concise is ok) and precise as possible regarding the candidates performance. A great recommendation letter will come from the highest person within the candidate’s organization who can accurately discuss the candidate’s job performance and progression within the company. A recommendation from a professor the candidate had 5 years ago has minimal impact on a strong MBA candidate’s application. Occasionally, MBA candidates are unable to ask for recommendations from their direct supervisor. In this case, again, I recommend a candidate finds a professional with whom they work (senior to them) who will be able to accurately describe their performance in the workplace.

Adam: How important is the interview?

Kirt: The interview at RSM is assuredly the most critical factor in the MBA application. Only a candidate who has been pre-selected can be interviewed. This means, if a candidate is offered an interview, we clearly see strength in their application. We will attempt to “affirm” what we have found in the application. But the interview truly becomes the opportunity for an MBA candidate to “shine” - to discuss themselves in detail and to engage in conversation giving a more well-rounded impression of their goals and potential.

Adam: How would you differentiate RSM from internationally focused MBA programs like Georgetown and Thunderbird in the US?

Kirt: Georgetown and Thunderbird are good schools, clearly and have done a very effective job of marketing their international focus. I think that, in spite of their strong desires to create internationally-focused programmes within the U.S., these schools still remain very rooted in U.S. best practices and draw the large part of their students and faculty from the U.S. This is not the case for the RSM Erasmus University that, although located in the Netherlands, draws its faculty and student base from all around the world. The Dutch have never been a majority at RSM within our full-time MBA Programme and our faculty, the Dean and corporate umbrella all reflect our multinational nature. We not only, however, claim to be international, we claim to be about total diversity…which, you surely know, goes beyond a mere passport to issues of religion, race, gender…

Adam: How do you compare your program to other top European programs?

Kirt: We are happy to be among them. Like Europe itself, European MBA’s each have their own cultures and driving forces…each unique, each worth exploring. RSM is about quality general management in an inspiring and collegial environment. We create a space where young managers can safely experiment, learn and grow while building personal and professional networks that they will keep for the rest of their careers and lives. Because of our size, I think we are able to offer a truly quality MBA experience. I think what has been created at RSM is absolutely unique!

Adam: How important are campus visits? Do you keep track of who visits? Does a visit impact an applicant’s chance for admission?

Kirt: Undertaking an MBA is like getting married. A campus visit is part of the dating process. This can happen in reality as well as virtually. Naturally, the most intense period of “getting to know each other” happens face to face, so we recommend the visit. It is not possible for everyone, so it is not a requirement. Those who do not come for a visit, however, have a greater “leap of faith” to make when ultimately deciding on the right MBA programme for them.

We do believe that campus visits help manage expectations of our MBA candidates and ensures that the marriage, in the long term, will be beneficial to both parties.

Hospitality in the Netherlands is an art form. All of our visitors are important to us and will, of course, be remembered. However, we strive to maintain close relationships with all those who contact us, regardless of the means by which they do so.

Adam: How often does RSM waitlist applicants? Can you provide some information about that?

Kirt: RSM uses wait-listing occasionally. Because we seek balance in all areas, if we see that our MBA class is losing that balance of diversity, we will employ a wait-list. During these times, however, we give strong feedback to candidates and communicate regularly with them with respect to their admission status. We know how stressful the application process can be.

Adam: Can applicants get in touch with alums and current students? How?

Kirt: Absolutely! RSM is all about transparency. How could anyone be expected to commit to an MBA without knowing who they will be involved with? Since we take a one-to-one counseling-based approach to admissions, candidates who wish to communicate with our participants and alumni need to, of course, share a little about themselves and their interest in doing an MBA at RSM. At which point, our Marketing and Admissions Managers are prepared to guide them to key people who can give them the information they require. This can include participants, partners, alumni, faculty or staff. mba.info@rsm.nl

Adam: Can applicants get in touch with faculty members who they have a strong desire to work with?

Kirt: Again, once candidates have a well-established relationship with our Marketing and Admissions Managers, we guide them to the appropriate person to answer their questions and deal with their concerns. For many participants, meeting faculty is key. We travel around the world and offer info sessions (as you have already attended one!), offer open days and campus visits and, many of the professors have blog spaces to help give more access to the general public.

Adam: What is the age cutoff for the International Full-time MBA?

Kirt: We have no age cut-off. We are committed to “total diversity” (and this includes age). Our average age range is between 26 and 34 years old. (we’ve had 40 year olds and 22 year olds exceptionally!) However, we are concerned about how maturity will fit in with the fit of the overall class. I recommend candidates communicate with us throughout the admissions process and they can expect honesty on our part regarding their age and how this will affect any admissions decision.

Adam: What changes to do you expect to see at RSM in the coming years?

Kirt: The RSM Erasmus University has recently taken on a new Dean, George Yip, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the international educational arena. We await big changes under his stewardship!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are interested in RSM’s Full-Time or other MBA offerings, please see their site for more information. For Fall 2008, you need to apply by July 15th. If you have the opportunity to attend an information session or, better yet, visit the campus, I strongly suggest doing so.

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.


-Adam Markus

ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学 エッセイ

"Real" Global MBA Rankings for 2008: "The 98"

June, 19, 2008 Update: Please also see my comparison and averaged ranking of "Top 20" MBA rankings in Businessweek, US News and World Report, FT, Wall Street Journal, EIU, and Forbes. See also my ranking of "Top 20" programs by acceptance rate.
Click here for all of my rankings tables together in one post.

The "Real" Global MBA Rankings for 2008: FT MBA Rankings in Salary Order

The rankings below should hopefully be of value for both those engaged in initial school application selection and for admitted applicants who have been accepted to multiple programs and need to determine where to go.

“Methodology”: All FT 2008 Data was ranked in order of “Salary Today (US$).” No other methods were employed.

Justification #1: Whatever they pay you when you graduate is the market value of your degree, all other factors are mere conjecture.

Justification #2: One may very well value an MBA beyond mere salary calculations, but it will certainly be a factor for almost everyone.

Justification #3: Since each school reports its own data, assuming that data is good, the ranking is based on an objective criterion that all programs have in common.

Disclaimer #1: I could use some other accumulation of salaries for this same purpose, but since FT has just been released, I decided to use it. If your school is not included on this list of the top 98, please don’t be offended. Given more data, I would make a bigger list.

Disclaimer #2: Actual market value will very much depend on your situation. The numbers below are only averages.

Disclaimer #3: Salary is but one measure of ROI. This survey does not account for relative increase in salary, opportunity costs, or other less tangible, but important factors.

Disclaimer #4: These rankings in no way measure the value of the educational experience at any of these programs, merely the likely post-MBA salary outcome.

School Selection Strategy for Those Admitted to Multiple Programs: Go to the highest ranked program if you want to obtain the most market value.

School Application Selection Strategy Based on Salary Approach.
Simply compare salaries to rates of admission (Sorry, admissions rates are not below, but you can get them (except for those schools that don't report such information) on BusinessWeek or US News and World Report or directly from the schools):
1. Apply to the highest ranked programs you think you can get it into.
2. Find bargains: Schools with a high salary and a high rate of admission.
3. Avoid application to schools with a relatively low admissions rates and lower salaries.
4. Caveat emptor.

"THE 98"

1. Stanford University GSB, US, $175,766
2. Columbia Business School, US, $169,730
3. University of Pennsylvania: Wharton, US, $166,032
4. Harvard Business School, US, $163,493
5. Indian School of Business, India, $155,938
6. University of Chicago GSB, US, $155,484
7. MIT: Sloan, US, $155,316
8. CEIBS, China, $154,144
9. Dartmouth College: Tuck, US, $152,580
10. UCLA: Anderson, US, $148,615
11. INSEAD, France/Singapore, $147,763
12. IMD, Switzerland, $147,172
13. London Business School, UK, $145,918
14. New York University: Stern, US, $141,554
15. University of Oxford: Saïd, UK, $141,170
16. Yale School of Management, US, $140,576
17. Northwestern University: Kellogg, US, $136,674
18. University of Cambridge: Judge, UK, $133,480
19. UC Berkeley: Haas, US, $131,688
20. Cranfield School of Management, UK, $129,785
21. University of Virginia: Darden, US, $129,389
22. Cornell University: Johnson, US, $126,829
23. University of Michigan: Ross, US, $125,839
24. Emory University: Goizueta, US, $ 123,569
25. Duke University: Fuqua, US, $ 122,811
26. Australian Graduate School of Management, Australia, $122,349
27. Georgetown University: McDonough, US, $120,346
28. Imperial College London: Tanaka, UK, $120,207
29. IE Business School, Spain, $120,190
30. IESE Business School, Spain, $119,890
31. HEC Paris France, $118,562
32. University of North Carolina: Kenan-Flagler, US, $115,519
33. University of Southern California: Marshall, US, $114,582
34. University of Rochester: Simon, US, $113,983
35. University of Bath School of Management, UK, $113,727
36. University of Strathclyde Business School, UK, $113,071
37. Manchester Business School, UK, $112,625
38. Warwick Business School, UK, $112,586
39. Carnegie Mellon: Tepper, US, $112,536
40. City University: Cass, $111,615
41. University of California: Davis, U.S.A., $109,189
42. University of Texas at Austin: McCombs, U.S.A., $108,268
43. ESADE Business School, Spain, $108,166
44. Edinburgh University Management School UK, $107,956
45. Vanderbilt University: Owen U.S.A., $107,328
46. Rice University: Jones U.S.A. 2008, $107,180
47. Melbourne Business School Australia, $106,978
48. Babson College: Olin US, $106,849
49. University of Maryland: Smith US, $106,636
50. University of Western Ontario: Ivey Canada, $106,073
51. University of Notre Dame: Mendoza U.S.A., $105,783
52.Boston College: Carroll U.S.A. 2007, $105,659
53.Boston University School of Management US, $105,586
54. University of Washington Business School US, $105,554
55. Indiana University: Kelley US, $105,547
56. Lancaster University Management School UK, $104,609
57. RSM Erasmus University Netherlands, $104,211
58. Leeds University Business School UK, $104,165
59. Pennsylvania State University: Smeal US, $103,764
60. George Washington University US, $102,852
61. Michigan State University: Broad US, $102,202
62. University College Dublin: Smurfit Ireland, $101,730
63. Washington University: Olin US, $100,808
64. Nottingham University Business School UK, $100,277
65. University of California at Irvine: Merage US, $100,030
66. Bradford School of Management/TiasNimbas Business School UK/Netherlands/Germany, $99,202
67. Thunderbird School of Global Management US, $99,099
68. University of Toronto: Rotman Canada, $98,940
69. Purdue University: Krannert US, $98,554
70. Arizona State University: Carey US, $98,060
71. Hong Kong UST Business School China, $97,235
72. University of Wisconsin-Madison US, $96,866
73. SDA Bocconi Italy, $96,824
74. Vlerick Leuven Gent, Belgium, $95,754
75. College of William and Mary: Mason, US, $96,717
76. Brigham Young University: Marriott, US, $96,702
77. University of South Carolina: Moore, US, $95,417
78. Tulane University: Freeman, US, $95,384
79. Case Western Reserve: Weatherhead, US, $95,283
80. University of Arizona: Eller, US, $95,225
81. University of Georgia: Terry, US, $94,930
82. University of Pittsburgh: Katz, US, $94,641
83. University of Minnesota: Carlson, US, $94,246
84. University of Florida, US, $93,077
85. Ohio State University: Fisher, US, $92,788
86. Texas A & M University: Mays, US, $91,656
87. McGill University: Desautels, Canada, $91,551
88. Shanghai Jiao Tong University, ACEM, China, $91,346
89. EM Lyon, France, $90,532
90. Nanyang Business School Singapore, $89,836
91. Nyenrode Business Universiteit Netherlands, $89,223
92. University of Iowa: Tippie, US, $88,972
93. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US, $87,318
94. EADA Spain, $85,811
95. York University: Schulich, Canada, $84,388
96. University of British Columbia: Sauder, Canada, $81,997
97. Temple University: Fox, US, $75,458
98. University of Alberta, Canada, $74,250

I have made some additional comments regarding my ranking in a subsequent post.

Finally, I would like to thank "my team" at FT for doing all of the hard work.

Comments? Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス

ビジネススクール MBA留学

Admissions Director & Consultant Simultaneously?

To a few readers who asked about this recent controversy, I would direct your attention to the AIGAC blog (Specific post quoted in full below). As the first member of AIGAC residing in Japan, I fully endorse my organization's position:

"Admissions Director & Consultant– Simultaneously?

In recent days articles have appeared in the press about three admissions directors who serve or have served on an advisory board at a private admissions consultancy in Japan. One advisor has since resigned from her position with the consultancy, which is not an AIGAC member. The arrangement is being questioned and in many cases condemned if not as an ethical breach than at least as an example of extremely poor judgment.

What is AIGAC’s position? An arrangement where a consultant or a member of the consultant’s staff is also working for a graduate school violates AIGAC’s Principles of Good Practice (“PGP”). The Principles state, regarding consultant relations with schools, that members agree to “Maintain independence of thought and action.” That independence could be compromised if a consultant (or one of its staff members) is receiving payment from a school.

Furthermore, one of the articles quotes one of the three as saying that to avoid any conflict she arranged to receive from the consultancy a list of applicants to her school and intended to recuse herself from consideration of these applications. The consultancy’s release of client names would also violate AIGAC’s PGP. AIGAC members agree to “Maintain client confidentiality” and providing a list of client names (presumably without clients’ permission) to someone who is an associate director of admissions at the school to which the clients are applying conflicts with that principle.

AIGAC encourages and values communication with the graduate schools. However, that communication must maintain client confidentiality and come without strings attached. And the ties that bind most tightly are compensation and payment.

We look forward to enhanced communication with graduate schools as we represent applicants, our exclusive clients."

Clear Admit has done an excellent job covering this story.

Finally, I have added an additional comment on my analysis of Wharton's MBA essay questions for Fall 2008 admission to reflect these recent events.

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス

ビジネススクール MBA留学

Financial Times Global MBA 2008 rankings

You can view all of the glorious FT Rankings for 2008! So exciting... I don't generally blog about rankings because lots of other people do and I find the topic basically pointless. At the end of the day, I look at starting salaries for grads and don't worry about the rest of it. To their credit, FT gives their ranking away unlike Businesweek and US News and World Report, but I guess that probably means something about the market value of FT's rankings.

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.


-Adam Markus

ビジネススクール MBA留学

Columbia Business School Fall 2008 Admission Essays

File this one in the better late than never category. I have been busy with clients and thus not able to cover all the topics I had wanted to last year. For those who have not applied yet, I thought I would post my analysis of Columbia Business School's very odd set of questions. If you find the beginning of my analysis somewhat cynical and mean spirited than chances are you don't belong in New York City anyway. That said, the first few paragraphs below are as much for amusement as for utility. After that I get more practical (mostly).

I say this is a very odd set because this is the only essay set I know where students are being specifically asked to analyze themselves in relationship to the perspective of the Dean of the Business School. By the way, I suggest watching this little video the students at CBS put together for the CBS Follies about the Dean's failed candidacy for Chairman of the US Federal Reserve (for the full story behind the video, see here).

Another aspect that is odd about this essay set is that the first two questions are likely to generate overlapping answers because in both cases one is being asked to assess the value of an MBA to your future. What is worse is that because essay 2 and 3 both reflect the Dean's views on entrepreneurship, there is also potential overlap between these two questions. I will discuss how to handle these problems below. Frankly, I consider this to be a badly formed set of questions as a result. One hopes that next year the Dean will let admissions ask distinct questions that are better designed not to blend into one another. It is their choice of course, but I will be very surprised to see them do this same set again. In the increasingly unlikely event that the Dean gets some great political appointment (in lieu of the Chairmanship of the Federal Reserve that he lost out on) from President Bush than he likely wouldn't be the Dean next year. I am guessing that supporting Mitt Romney for President will not have been one of the Dean's better moves, so he might be the Dean at Columbia for a good long time. In that case, the questions might get even more focused on his perspective.

The Columbia Business School Essays for Fall 2008 are available in the online application. My analysis follows after each question. Unlike other schools, Columbia does not number its questions in the application, but I have taken the liberty of doing so below:

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)?
Over the years, Columbia has been very consistent in the way they ask this question. At first glance, it does seem pretty routine, but notice that something is missing from it? Compare it to NYU Stern or Chicago GSB or Wharton and you will see that there is no reference to the past. While one must certainly address one's past when answering this question, there should be no extended analysis of your career progress to date and you need not emphasize how your past experience will contribute to your future goals. Instead focus this on showing how Columbia will help you achieve your goals. 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 is changing its core curriculum.

Columbia wants to be loved. CBS has an institutional inferiority complex in regards to Harvard Business School and Stanford. After all, when you are frequently second choice, it hurts. What do I base this cruel allegation on? Two things. First, alumni interviews where demonstrating that Columbia really is the interviewees first choice seems to be a very common question and carries greater weight than at other top schools. Also (and more objectively), I look at the yield rates from Businessweek:
HBS 89%
Stanford GSB 80%
CBS 77%

Now Columbia's yield is certainly solid. That said, the good old early decision round helps to keep it that way and hence given the unique nature of that round, comparing the rates of CBS to other programs is somewhat problematic because by comparison the other schools are at a disadvantage. Which is to say if Columbia did not use the mandatory $6000 deposit and ethical stranglehold approach it takes to those who are accepted for the early decision, its yield would easily fall. How far, I am not sure.

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. After all, you want to show them you love and need them! If your goals are hot, that will making this essay even better. For learning about what is hot at Columbia, I suggest taking a look at their new blog: Public Offering.

2. In a recent speech delivered to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Dean Glenn Hubbard discussed the new, essential elements of the 21st century MBA: http://www.gsb.columbia.edu/admissions/21st_century_MBA.pdf. How will your MBA prepare you for a rapidly changing business environment (Recommended 500 word limit)?
I will NOT be providing you with an analysis of the Dean's speech. Read and reflect on it yourself. Here I will focus on how to answer the question. As mentioned above, Question 2 overlaps with question 1 and since Question 2 is partially focused on the role of entrepreneurial education, there is also some significant overlap between this question and Question 3. My suggestion is actually draft your answers to Questions 1 and 3 before answering Question 2 so that you fully differentiate between the essays and because if you have completed other school's essays already, you are likely to have a good start on Questions 1 and 3.

A number of my clients have asked me what the difference is between Questions 1 and 3. I think one huge difference is that 1 is specifically about your goals and about why CBS is the right place to achieve them, while 2 is about how you will use an MBA to adopt to a changing world. Thus I would suggest using 1 as a space to provide a very specific career goal oriented essay and 2 as a space to write more thoughtfully about the kind of very significant challenges taking place in your imagined future that an MBA will help you with. My clients have also asked to what extent reference should be made to Hubbard's speech and my general answer is that it should be clear that you read it, but DON'T WRITE A 500 WORD ANALYSIS OF HIS SPEECH. Mention ideas from his speech that are relevant to your answer, but don't feel obligated to write about the speech at any great length. Use Hubbard's speech as a springboard for writing your own essay, not as the core of tour essay.

3. The entrepreneurial mindset is an integral component of the Columbia Business School MBA. Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity (Recommended 500 word limit)

Question 3 was previously Hubbard's question and identified in previous years as such. It reflects his focus on entrepreneurial education, but is actually a very open-ended question. For a story to fit, it essentially needs to consist of both a clear demonstration of your ability to identify an opportunity and to get it implemented. Let's discuss each step in turn.

The identification of the opportunity is really critical. If you are about to write a leadership essay about how you lead a team successfully by carrying out someone else's plan, you don't have the right topic for Question 3. The key part of this essay is that you identify something that other people can't see or don't see, that you initiate a positive change that adds value. I think the add value test is really important. A story where you identify a potential problem and simply prevent it from taking away value is not going to work here.

Capturing an opportunity means to get it implemented. To what extent you you do the actual implementation yourself is less important than your ability to go from having a good idea to making into a reality. If you do actually handle all the implementation then to the extent possible, explain what you did. In this sense, this essay could be like a leadership essay. Capturing an opportunity is ultimately about results, so describe the results very clearly. Obviously a situation where your are in the midst of implementing something will not likely work well here. You should be writing about a situation with a clear positive outcome where you added value.

While the story need not be on a professional topic, it should be on a topic where the outcome is clear and that best showcases your ability to find and realize opportunities. I think applicants with only two to three years of professional experience can more reasonably write on a non-professional topic than those with five or more years of experience.

4. Please tell us about what you feel most passionate in life (Recommended 250 word limit)

Passion is about emotion, it is about motivation. It is not rational and hence is in contrast to the very rational questions that make up the rest of the CBS application. In past years, I have seen successful essays on this topic on a variety of subjects, but the only common thing was that no one wrote about work. For those who write about work in Question 3, Question 4 is the main place in the essay set to write at length about something other than work. Whether it is your committed involvement in an organization, an issue that you care deeply about, or a hobby/interest that you have long been engaged, provide Columbia with some further insight into who you are as a person through this essay. If you have chosen to discuss a non-professional topic in Question 3, I think it is possible to write about a professional topic here, but be really certain that you are focused on passion. Whatever it is that you do write about, passion has to be there.


5. Optional) 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. [ADAM: Length not specified, 600,000 characters maximum, BUT KEEP IT BRIEF]
As with other school's optional questions, do not put an obvious essay for another school here. This is bad in general, but especially bad for CBS, given my comments above about their sensitivity. If you have negative issues of concern, see my post on the Chicago optional question. You can certainly write on something positive here, but before you do, ask yourself these questions:
1. If they did not ask it, do they really need to know it anyway?
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, but my suggestion is to keep it brief so as to be consistent with the length for the other essays, ideally around 100-500 words.

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
MBA留学 ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング

あなたはMBAを必要としていますか？

(English Version)

僕の仕事は熱心な出願者の入学を助けることであって、MBAの必要性を説くことではない。率直に言って、僕のMBA入学コンサルタントとしての長所は、この質問にとてもニュートラルであるということだ。なぜなら、MBAがいつも価値あるものであるとか、大学院においてそれがベストな選択だとは信じていないからだ。

もし誰かが「私はMBAを取得するべきなのでしょうか？」と質問してきたら、僕は大体こういう風に答えている。「僕がその質問に答えることはできませんが、あなたはあなた自身に次の質問をする必要があります。

1. MBAを取得したら、個人的に、また仕事上において、どのような影響がありますか？

2. どうしてあなたのプロフェッショナルなゴールにMBAが必要なのですか？

3. あなたは本当に1年から2年間、学校に戻りたいと思いますか？

4. MBAの費用はどうしますか？

5. 出願手続きをコミットする準備はできていますか？

6. 「機会費用」について考えましたか？経費だけではなく、時間についても。

7. ROI（投資利益率）を計算しましたか？(Click here for the Businessweek MBA ROI calculator.)

8. この学位はあなたに適切なものですか？他の学位やトレーニングについても考えてみましたか？

9. MBAプログラムについてどのくらい知っていますか？

10. どの学校に出願しますか？それはなぜ？

あなたにとってMBAが本当に必要かどうかを見極めるためにも、上記の質問に答えなければいけません。加えて、一度これらの質問に答えることは、MBAエッセイとインタビューへの良い初期対策となるでしょう。もし自分の答えに満足いかないときは、もっと深く考えて、より調査することが必要です。

僕の経験から言うと、自分の選択肢をよく考えるために時間を割く人は良い決断をします。もしその人たちがMBAを取得する決定をしたなら、それは優位な立場から決定したと言えるのです。

何かご質問は？　コメントを僕に直接送ってください。お気軽にadammarkus@gmail.comへ英語でご連絡ください。
-アダム マーカス,
Adam Markus のカウンセリングサービス



MBA留学

University of Chicago GSB's Top Ten Myths of the Admissions Process

As usual, the University GSB provides great information related both to its own and other top MBA programs. Their just released "Admissions Insider: Top 10 Myths" is really worth looking at, so I have reproduced it in italics and added my own additional comments to it below:

In monitoring the discussion forum, talking with GSB applicants on the road, and meeting prospective students here on campus, the Admissions team is often reminded of the strange ideas and misconceptions prospective students have about the Chicago GSB admissions process. Adcoms finally attempt to de-bunk the top 10 myths.

Myth 1: The GMAT is the most important part of the application. There is no one admissions requirement that is more important than the other. While the results of your GMAT exam are important to us, they are by no means the only tool we use to make an admissions decision. The GMAT score is not a "make or break" item. At Chicago GSB, our application process is a holistic one in which the Admissions Committee attempts to learn all about you in order to determine a fit between you and the GSB. And that goes above and beyond your GMAT score.

See my post last month on this very issue. The higher the school ranking, the more generally it is the case that the GMAT is just one aspect of the process.
Myth 2: A campus visit is a must if you expect to be admitted. While we'd love to get everyone who applies to see Chicago GSB in person, we realize it's just not possible for everyone to make their way to Chicago. We do strongly encourage applicants to visit campus at some point, but not visiting won't negatively affect your application. Visit our website for more information about planning a campus visit.
In my experience, whether or not my client has visited GSB or not is not a real factor in their results. For some applicants, especially those with weak English language speaking skills, it might be better not to visit ahead of time. Also if you do attend an admissions information session at Chicago, at least based on the session I attended, you should be prepared to briefly introduce yourself to the other attendees and the admissions officer conducting the session.
Myth 3: It's impossible to be admitted during Round 3. While Round 2 sees the greatest number of applications, Round 3 is truly no more or less competitive than Rounds 1 or 2. It's just that fewer spots are available by Round 3. The best advice is to apply when you believe that you can turn in the application that you're most proud of and that best reflects your strengths and talents. However, we do encourage our international students to consider Round 1 or 2 in an attempt to avoid potential difficulties in obtaining a student visa prior to the start of classes in late August.
For international applicants: If the visa processing issue is a problem in your country, applying to the 3rd round might be problematic. At least here in Japan, it is not an issue at all. It is not so uncommon for applicants to gain admission in either the 3rd round or even later if they are waitlisted.

Myth 4: You must attain a minimum GPA or GMAT score and have at least 5 years of work experience to be considered for admission. This is an easy one; there are no minimums for these factors! Anyone who has or will obtain a bachelor's degree and can report a GMAT score is eligible to apply for admission to Chicago GSB. You can view our class profile online to see some statistics for the class of 2008.

Whether it is Chicago GSB, Wharton, Stanford GSB, Kellogg, or Harvard Business School, I have seen clients with a variety of profiles admitted. If anything, the overall trend at top programs is to have less rather than more stated minimums. The minimum work experience issue just does not apply to most programs anymore.

Myth 5: Being interviewed by a staff member will increase your chance of getting admitted more than an interview with a student or an alum. Each year, we rely heavily on our alumni all over the world to conduct interviews with applicants. The same holds true for students here at the Hyde Park Center and those who may be studying abroad. These two groups, each member of which has been carefully trained, conduct the vast majority of interviews. At times, the Admissions staff will also conduct interviews in certain locations. Regardless of who your interviewer may be, the feedback is valuable and is weighed equally in each and every case.

See my comments above regarding visits. If you are an international applicant, you may find it more strategically useful to be interviewed by an alum from your own country, depending on what your English ability is. That said, when it comes to overall fairness, I would take an admissions officer from an top program over either students or alums, after all admissions officers are trained to value diversity and measure people across a variety of factors. The worst MBA interviews, not necessarily involving Chicago GSB, that I have heard about all involved either a student or an alum. Sometimes the student training (again not GSB in particular) is not sufficient to provide applicants with someone who is professional or fair enough. I have heard reports of older alum interviewers (not necessarily at GSB) with very fixed, out of date, and preconceived notions of what their alma mater is and this can impact applicants who don't fit into the interviewer's mold.

Myth 6: The earlier you submit your application before the deadline, the earlier your interview invitation will come. The interview invitation process lasts a few weeks for each round as our staff and graduate assistants read and review thousands of applications. The process of inviting applicants to interview is entirely random, and the point at which you hear from us is not a reflection on the strength of your application or the timeframe in which you submitted it - we promise! And we really do extend interview invitations all the way up until 9:00 am on the mid-decision date!

This invitation-selection method specific to GSB, but the advice above applies to most other programs as well. Don't fixate on these dates more than you have to and when in doubt about the process, look over the school's website. Each school has its on method for choosing candidates to interview and a unexpected increase in applications, staffing, and/or technical issues may result in the process not proceeding as initially stated.

Myth 7: If you were not a Business major, you are at a great disadvantage during the admissions process. Students who apply to and enroll at Chicago GSB come from a variety of backgrounds with respect to their undergraduate studies. In fact, 34% of the class of 2009 had liberal arts backgrounds. We are always excited by the unique experiences that each student's education brings to the community at the GSB.

I was not aware that anyone actually believed this. All I can say is that any good MBA program is trying to build a diverse class and the last thing they would do is fill it with business majors.
Myth 8: Chicago GSB prefers applicants from finance and consulting backgrounds. At Chicago GSB, we value diversity in all its forms, including career industry. Many of our applicants come from finance or consulting backgrounds; but many more have work experience in other industries, including military service, marketing, education, retail, and non-profit work, just to name a few. It's not what you do that matters - it's how you do it and the experience you'll bring to the classroom and study groups.
Based on my experience with Chicago GSB, I can say that is certainly true. It is also true at other top programs. Many may go to Chicago GSB to acquire advanced skills in finance or consulting, but not necessarily have a background in it.
Myth 9: The Admissions Committee members only read the first essay in the application - they disregard the rest. Those of us who read applications night and day for weeks on end sometimes wish this was true! Our staff, including our Graduate Assistants, reads each and every essay, recommendation letter and transcript that crosses our desks. This makes for a great deal of work; but we're committed to putting together the best possible class and to do so, we feel we need to get to know each applicant well. This process is a part of what makes Chicago GSB a unique place. You've worked hard to submit your application, and we appreciate that effort.
The reason they have you write the essays is so that they can read them. With schools that specifically state they have use a holistic process of evaluation and have no absolute minimums, assume a full review of your application.

Myth 10: A letter of recommendation from the CEO of my company/a GSB alum I met once/the Governor/the President of the United States is better than getting one from a supervisor or another colleague who knows me well. Choose your recommenders carefully! Letters of recommendation are a crucial part of the admissions process and while you may be tempted to impress the admissions committee with the connections you've made, you'll want to work with someone who knows you and your accomplishments, talents and skills well. Your current or former supervisor and a colleague or client who can speak at length about your value to your company or organization is a much better choice than someone who may have an impressive title, but little insight into you as a person or future Chicago GSB student.

This myth is one of my favorites. Admissions officers frequently make the same point as GSB does and yet there will always be some fools who get the "power recommendation" and then get dinged. The more common form of this would be selecting a senior level executive over someone who knows you well. The reality is that you should get recs from people who actually have something to say about you.
Anyway, I have to get back to admissions consulting with my clients. I hope you have a great 2008!

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.

-Adam Markus
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MBA留学 ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング