FOCUS ON COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL
By Marian Dent, JD., Esquire
In November of this year, Emily Buckley, admissions
representative from Columbia Business School, came to speak to students
of Pericles American Business and Legal Education Project. Ms. Buckley
stressed the advantages of Columbia and explained what Columbia was
looking for in potential students from Russia. She then answered questions
over a wine and cheese reception.
Columbia is in the advantageous position of being
located in the heart of New York City, the financial capitol of the
United States. This, for a business student, gives some unique and strategic
advantages. First, Columbia has a built in pool of talent to enlist
in helping to teach students practical skills. Lets face it, the worlds
top financial professionals are located in New York, and many are willing
to come and speak, and even give courses at Columbia.
The second advantage to Columbias New York location
is the proximity of potential employers. Whereas students from less
well located schools have to wait until employers visit the campus,
at Columbia the employers are close enough that they are there all the
time. This gives Columbia students an edge in the employment process,
as well as a better chance at working during business school. Also,
Columbia has numerous alumni who have remained in the New York area
and who hire and support students from their alma mater.
Of course, there are some negatives about Columbia
and its New York location. First, you will face a higher cost of living
in New York than in, for instance, Michigan. You should be aware of
the high cost and prepare in advance. Also, housing is tight around
Columbia, its hard to keep and drive a car, and the pace of New
York can be frantic and overwhelming to some. But you have theater,
you have museums and some of the worlds top restaurants and clubs.
People of all nationalities and interests live in the city. There is
something for everyone. Definitely you wont be bored at
Columbia! Ms. Buckley emphasized.
Of course, this isnt to say that Columbia only
attracts students wanting to live and work in New York. Columbia is
one of the Ivy Leagues the oldest American colleges whose
alumni include some of the worlds leaders. Graduates of Columbia
business school can be found all over the world.
Applicants to Columbia also come from all over the
world. In fact, Columbia is one of the most popular business schools
to which Russian students apply. The Universitys strong departments
of international studies, and programs such as the Harriman Institute,
which has for years provided some of the United States top specialists
on Russia, have caused Columbias name to be especially well known
here. This causes a spill over effect of increased applications from
Russia.
So how do you get an edge above the other Russian
applicants to Columbia? As one student asked, What is it that
the admissions office wants to see from us? Ms. Buckley stressed
that a background with a prominent Western employer, while good, is
not as important to Columbia as is an application that shows that the
student is unique and talented. Make your essays interesting,
she stressed let us see who you really are. The admissions
staff reads through thousands of application essays, and those that
catch someones interest, that stand out as showing a student with
unique experience and talents, or that catch the readers eyes
as being from likeable, well rounded and interesting people, are more
likely to be accepted.
Columbia is seeking a cohesive group of good
students, with a range of talents and abilities, says Buckley.
I think our student body is one of our greatest assets.
Showing yourself as someone who will fit into the challenging learning
environment, as someone who will make friends and get along with classmates,
is of key importance to being admitted. You can be brilliant, but if
you cant get along with people or if you are boring, you wont
succeed in business, and you wont get into Columbia.
Marian Dent received her law degree from California
Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and the dean of Pericles ABLE (American Business
and Legal Education) in Moscow. Pericles offers a full MBA advising
program. In addition to being the dean she also teaches essay writing,
the Logic portion of the GMAT, Law Courses, Resume' Writing, Interviewing
Skills, and a host of other courses. For more information about theses
courses or any other course that we offer please contact Pericles ABLE
Project at: 292-5188/6463.