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ChaseDream独家专访:哥伦比亚商学院(CBS) MBA招生副主任Matthew Moll

[日期:2014-08-21] 来源:ChaseDream论坛 作者:steven [字体: ]

ChaseDream’s Exclusive Interview with Matthew Moll,
Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School

Recently, we were pleased to have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Matthew Moll, Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS), in Beijing. During the conversation, Matthew shared some valuable insights on the following topics:

  • The kinds of student CBS is looking for
  • Being an MBA student in New York City
  • Making a plan for post MBA career goals
  • CBS’s exciting new development

Karen: Hi Matthew, thanks so much for joining us. Today I am going to mainly focus on the admission aspects of the Columbia MBA. I learned that you have been in MBA admissions for seven years, so what trends have you seen in the applications?

Matthew: We have seen growing interest in entrepreneurship , social enterprise , and health care. Specifically for entrepreneurship, social enterprise, students express interest not only immediately after their MBA, but we also see students starting their own ventures or going into social enterprise a few years after they graduate; some even start companies with their classmates or other alumni. These interests add great diversity to our class.

Karen: That’s helpful to know that. Speaking about changes, in the past two years, many business schools have changed their admission requirements, such as reducing the number of essays. But it seems CBS didn’t change that much. Does it mean that the current three essay questions demonstrate what you think matters most to you?

Matthew: Yes, our essay questions get at the subjects we think are important for applicants to share with the admission committee. This year’s questions are similar to last year’s, but we have reduced the overall word limit, which means applicants have  less space than in the past to tell us about their goals and about themselves. While that can be a challenge, we want the candidates to be able to be concise, direct, and specific in answering the questions we’ve posed.

Karen: Does it mean that the resumes and recommendations will be more important than before?

Matthew: Our process is holistic, so we are looking at the entire package when we are reviewing applications. Resumes, recommendations, and essays are all very important, but no part of the application is given a specific “weight”. As an applicant, you need to be clear in telling your story, and make your own decisions as to what content will best get that across. It’s a parallel to business school in some ways – you will have a seemingly endless number of opportunities and resources, but only enough time to take advantage of some. It is important to be able to prioritize and to be able to communicate your story efficiently and effectively.

Karen: So candidates are being trained to be “like an MBA student” before they actually step on campus.

Matthew: Yes, I think that’s a great point. We want the candidates to start thinking about what it will be like to be a student at Columbia Business School before they hit ‘submit’. And, of course, we want them to learn about our School and community to ensure it is a good fit for them. Talking with current students, visiting campus if possible, or attending some of our virtual events are all good ways to go about this. It is important to understand not only what it might be like to be part of our wonderful community, but also what it takes to get the most out of a Columbia MBA education and advance their careers.

Karen: CBS is one of the few schools that have a “career goal” essay. How do you assess whether candidates’ goals are reasonable? Do you consult with the career services office when evaluating candidates?

Matthew: We have open communications with our Career Management Center. They are a wonderful group of very knowledgeable and experienced people, and are dedicated to the success of our students. We will sometimes ask for their advice in evaluating career goal feasibility, but most often we are able to make these judgments ourselves, in large part due to the educations we have received from our colleagues in Career Management. We ask about goals in our applications because we want students to arrive on campus able to hit the ground running and immediately take advantage of the potentially overwhelming resources of Columbia Business School, at the very center of business, can provide. Without that level of focus, students can flounder. Of course, we also understand that students may change their minds, but we find that those who really thought through where they are headed are better able to shift gear should they discover and pursue something new while in School. When candidates put in that effort on the front end, they will be better prepared to have a fulfilling MBA experience, no matter the school they end up choosing.

Karen: It’s good to have a plan.

Matthew: Yes. And if not, you are going to be overwhelmed. Business schools can be overwhelming and particularly with the resources we are able to draw upon in New York City, you have even more decisions to make. I am looking forward to this great opportunity myself as a student in Columbia’s Executive MBA (EMBA) program. I recently started the EMBA-New York Friday/Saturday program and look forward to being back in the classroom!

Karen: That’s great! So what types of student do you think may thrive at CBS? I mean, from your three essay questions, can I summarize the key words like goal-oriented, employable, sociable, engaging and interesting?

Matthew: We want to bring in students with a lot of potential for future success and who have already demonstrated success academically and professionally. In addition, we seek students who are excited about collaborating with their fellow classmates and about contributing to the strength of the Columbia Business School community. Of course, we also seek students who are ready to thrive in New York City, prepared to take advantage of all the benefits that come with pursuing a business education in NYC, and have a plan for moving forward in their careers.

Karen: Definitely. And you also have the tradition of alumni interview. Do you believe this can make sure you have consistent criteria of selecting the right candidates?

Matthew: We value the unique perspective each of our alumni can provide. They have been applicants, students, and alumni, so they have seen sides of MBA experience. We greatly value their perception of the candidate’s fit with Columbia Business School and their potential they see in the applicant to contribute to the CBS community, as a student and as a future alumnus/a. We want to know, is this a person you would want to be on a learning team with or in the classroom with? Is this someone you would like to be a part of your alumni network? Their insight in this regard in incredibly helpful to us.

Karen: What kind of student do you think might NOT be such a good fit to CBS? I mean, when reviewing applications, any read flag that really says to you, “Maybe this isn’t the right candidate for us”?

Matthew: Ultimately I think candidates should decide for themselves if they fit, asking themselves: Do I want to be part of this community? Am I inspired by the people I meet? We are bringing in a students from a variety of backgrounds and everyone has their own unique stories and experiences. It is really wonderful to see a group of very diverse and different individuals come together, learn from each other, and become a class and a community. I don’t think there is anyone I would discourage from applying to Columbia, as that is a decision only a prospective student can make for himself or herself.

Karen: Many schools are further expanding their advantages like connecting with industries in the west coast, so what’s the most exciting development at CBS in the recent years?

Matthew: We continue to evolve in both leadership and entrepreneurship.

Our students now take a course called Lead: People, Teams, and Organizations during orientation to kick of the core curriculum. This course has proven an invaluable asset to our students in helping them define and work to develop their leadership and team skills right at the start of their MBA educations. Of course, these are skills that continue to develop throughout their four semesters on campus, and Lead provides an excellent base on which to continue growing and learning.

Our students continue to show more interest in entrepreneurship and the School continues to add resources to help our students succeed as entrepreneurs. The School started The Lion’s Lab which links first year MBA students with a variety of resources to help them launch their ventures before they leave business school. The University has also open the Columbia Startup Lab (CSL), a co-working and incubator space for University alumni located in downtown Manhattan.

Karen: Great! Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.

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