搜索
ColumbiaMakenomistake,Columbiaisafinanceschoolaboveallelse.Studentsraveabouttheschool’sfinancefacultyandtheaccessthattheyhavetotopWallStreetexecutives.Thealumninetworkdoesn’thurteither–nearlyeveryWallStreetfirmisstackedwithColumbiaalumni.Theresultisthatmostfinance-mindedapplicantsconsiderColumbia.Ifyouareoneofthem,youwillneedtoespeciallyfocusondifferentiatingyourselffromalargepoolofsimilar-soundingapplicants.Therefore,startthinkingnowaboutwhatmakesyoudifferentfromtherestoftheinvestmentbankers(andaspiringbankers)whoapplytoColumbia.Asyoumightexpect,Columbia’scorecurriculumisheavyinfinanceandrelatedcourses.First-yearstakerequiredcoursesinFinancialAccounting,CorporateFinance,andGlobalEconomics.Amongothers.Non-financetopicssuchasMarketingandStrategy,however,arestudiedinhalf-termcourses.Whilethesecoursesarealsostrong,beawarethatmuchofyourtimewillbespentonfinance-relatedtopics.Ofcourse,youwillthereforeneedtodemonstrateanabilitytohandleaquantitativeworkload,ideallythroughyourGMATscoreandrelavantworkexperience.OneacademicareathatColumbiaemphasizesoutsideoffinanceisentrepreneurship.Someoftheschools’mostpopularelectivesinclude“IntroductionotVenturing”and“LaunchingNewVentures.”Entrepreneurshipisalsostudiedandpursuedoutsideoftheclassroom.Launchedin1996,theEugeneLandEntrepreneurialInitiativeFundprovidesseedcapitalotworthybusinessplanscraftedbyColumbiastudents.TheFundactslesslikeatraditionalbusinessplancompetitionandmorelikeaventurecapitalfirm,takinganequitystakeinanyColumbiastart-upwithpromiseForstudentslookingforamoreconventionalbusinessplancompetition,ColumbiahasjoinedforceswithUCBerkeley’sHassSchoolofBusinesstoruntheSocialVentureCompetition,whichprovidesseedmoneytopromisingstart-upswhosegoalistohaveapositivesocialimpact.ThebottomlineisthatifyouareinterestedinanMBAforentrepreneurialreasons,lettheColumbiaadmissionscommitteehearaboutitinyouressaysandyourinterview.Columbiaalsoemphasizesthatinternationalaspectofitscurriculum.Eachsemester,theschools’ChazenInstituteofInternationalBusinessoffersfellowshipstouptofourstudentsfortheirinadvancingColumbia’sglobalapproachbothinsideandoutsideoftheschool.TheChazenInstitutealsorunsanexchangeprogramthegivesstudentstheopportunitytostudyabroadatoneof22partnerschools,aswellasparticipateininternationalstudytours.KeepthisinmindasyoucraftyourstoryforwhyyouwillfitinatColumbia.Althoughtheyacknowledgethattheirpeersarecompetitive,studentsandgradsemphasizethatColumbiaisnotcutthroatenvironment.MostconsiderColumbiatobeacompetitivebutrespectfulandhelpfulcommunity.Studentsspendtheirentirefirstyearinthesameclusterof60students,takingtheircoreclassestogether.Likeotherschools,Columbiaencouragescooperationandtrustwithintheseclusters.Assuch,youwillneedtodemonstratetheabilitytogetalongwithyourpeers.Also,likeotherschoolsinbigcities,Columbiasometimeshastobattlethereputationthatitsstudentsspendlesstimeoncampuswitheachother.Demonstratingyourenthusiasmfortheprogramandawillingnesstogetinvolvedinextracurricularactivitieswillhelpshowthatyoudon’tfitthisstereotype.Columbia’sotherdepartmentsaren’taswellknownasitsfinancedepartment,andsomegradshavecommentedthattheseotherdepartmentstakeabackseattofinance.However,theschool’sadministrationhasareputationforgoingoutofitswaytorespondtostudents’concerns.Ifyouareinterestedinanareaoutsideoffinance,particularlysomethingasfarasremovedsuchasorganizationalbehaviorornonprofitmanagement,Columbiamaybeworthalook.Yourinterestoutsideoffinancealonewillhelpyoustandout,providedthatyoucanprovethatyouhavethequantitativeskillsandbusinessacumentolearnalongsidethefinancecrowd.2.TUCKThinkSmall.Thinkintimate.Thinkgreatoutdoors.That’sexactlywhatlifeatTuckisallabout.Thecountry’sfirstgraduateschoolofbusinessoffersoneofthesmallestprogramsamongthetop30schools,withfewerthan250studentsineachclass.Thesmallclasssize–coupledwiththeschool’slocationinruralHanover,NewHampshire–resultsinaclose-knitcommunityinwhicheveryoneknowseveryoneelse.Academically,Tuck’sMBAprogramfocusesonturningoutcompetentgeneralmanagers.Mostofthefirstyearcurriculumconsistsofcorecoursesinthemainmanagementdisciplines,withthesecondyearleftopenforelectives.Nospecificmajorsareoffered.Firstyearstudentscompletemostoftheircourseworkinthesamestudygroup,whichTuckemphasizesasawayforstudentstogrowcloseranddeveloptheirteamworkskills.Morethantheaveragetopprogram,Tuckislookingforstudentswhodemonstratestrongteamworkskills,somakesurethatthisisamainthemeinyourTuckapplication.Tuckisalsoseriousaboutleadership,andoneuniquepartofthefirstyearexperienceistheTuckLeadershipForum,whichrunsthroughoutthefirstyear.TheForumisaseriesofmini-coursesintopicssuchasmanagementcommunicationandentrepreneurialmanagement,aldesignedtohelpimprovestudents’leadershipskills.Studentsthencompleteateamproject,suchascreatingabusinessplanordoingconsultingworkforanexistingbusiness.TheprogramalsoprovidesstudentswithachancetoworkcloselywithfacultyandplugintoTuck’salumninetworkwhilestillinschool.Speakingofthealumni,whatTucklacksinsizeismadeupforindevotion.Tuck’salumnihavebeendescribedbysomeasf