News, Advice and Resources for Cornell Johnson Applicants

Information is subject to change. Please verify all data with the schools.

CORNELL JOHNSON 

 
also known as 
  • Johnson at Cornell
  • Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
 

DEADLINES

 
Round 1
12 Oct 2011: Cornell R1 (decision released 20 Dec 2011)

Round 2
30 Nov 2011: Cornell R2 (decision released 28 Feb 2012)

Round 3
25 Jan 2012: Cornell R3 (decision released 27 March 2012)

Round 4
14 March 2012: Cornell R4 (decision released 24 April 2012)

(found at http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/Academic-Programs/Full-Time-MBA/Admissions/Important-Dates.aspx; accessed 2011/07)

 

 
 

ESSAYS

 
 
1) What career do you plan to pursue upon completion of an MBA degree and why?
 
We are obviously looking at your career pathing and focus. 
The adcom wants to see that you have done your due diligence on your career trajectory and what is it about b-school (hint: why Johnson) is the right fit and time in your life.

2) You are the author for the book of Your Life Story.  Please write the table of contents for the book. 
 
Note: Approach this essay with your unique style. 
We value creativity and authenticity.
We have been asking this essay question for the last two years. 
It is a favorite to read and to write for our applicants. 
Keep the creativity and personality because we enjoy learning more about who our applicants are!

3) What legacy would you hope to leave as a Johnson graduate?
 
The adcom wants you to really evaluate what "fit" means to you for Johnson. 
"Fit" is different for everyone, so we want to see how authentic and purposeful you are about applying.

 

VINCE HINTS

ESSAY 1
 
1) What career do you plan to pursue upon completion of an MBA degree and why?
 
We are obviously looking at your career pathing and focus. 

The adcom wants to see that you have done your due diligence on your career trajectory and what is it about b-school (hint: why Johnson) is the right fit and time in your life.

 

 

First, break the question into components.

PART ONE: What is your career objective?

 
What do you want to do with your degree, in the short and long term?
 
The admissions committee is looking for an organized career strategy that rests on solid self-understanding. They want to know why you have made the decisions you made, how they have brought you to this point in your life, and where you are going from here. Goals can include broader, non-career and personal or community aspirations – but your first priority is to establish a clear professional path.
 
  • a. Dream and be real: You have to walk a fine line here. On the one hand you must think big. Whether you want to manage a billion dollars, or create new brain technology industries, or fix Africa – whatever it is, you should communicate high aspirations and a potential career worthy of an MBA graduate in 20 years time. On the other hand you must demonstrate career-path realism: your dreams will take a lifetime to mature, and even then they may not. You should sound like you understand how careers evolve in your field and the ways you might have to “do your time” (even if highly paid) before you become a true titan of your industry.
  • b. Show first steps: The best don’t wait for acceptance of their b-school application before getting on with their dreams. You raise you stock immeasurably if you can show you have already taken steps towards the goal you claim to aspire to. Have you done the certifications you need for your career move? Do you have a plan for attracting investors to the business you hope to set up? Convince the committee that you will make it happen no matter what – even if you don’t get into their school, or any school.  
  • c. Have a worthwhile future: Faced with applicants who have equivalent grades and GMATs, the admissions committee will promote those who are on a unique, interesting, worthwhile career mission. You may have to work hard to polish up whatever dullness or omissions lurk in your past, but your aspirations are safely ahead of you where no committee can verify them. So don’t hesitate to project yourself into valuable, distinctive roles.
 
(found at http://www.topmba.com/articles/admissions/what-do-admissions-directors-look-application; accessed 2011/09)
 
 

Short-term goals

 
The cornerstone to this essay is your “Short-Term Goal” because it guides what information you should include in your “Career Review” and highlights what you still lack to achieve your goals. Having a detailed short-term goal is also crucial to explain how this school best prepares you to achieve your goals.
 
Start with your direct goal on graduation.
 
Your readers (admissions committee members, aka AdComs) want to confirm the following:
 
Are you qualified (credible)?
Are you competitive (ambitious)?
Are you a good fit for their program (aware of how your own strengths and weaknesses relate to those of their program)?
 
AdComs want to see a goal that is both believable and ambitious.
 
If your goal is simply to continue what you are doing now, that is too realistic. It is a waste of an MBA. If your goal, however, is to do something radically different from what you are doing now, and there is not a clear sense of how you are going to get there, that is too ambitious.  Many of my clients use MBA to change careers. Others want to lead their current industry.
 
Most goals fit into one or more of these three categories
 
Most goals fit into one or more of these three categories
 
1. Vertical move
2. Change career
 
Go into financial services
Go into consulting
Go into consumer goods / marketing
Go into technology
Go into media / entertainment
Go into non-profit / social ventures
 
3. Join or launch start-up (entrepreneur)
 
 
Which of these three are you pursuing?
Are you ambitious yet realistic?
What problem are you trying to solve?
 
 

Long-term goals

 
Outline your long term goal. This is your mission in life. Try to show that you are confident to achieve these goals with or without business school (though earning your MBA from their school certainly increases the scale and scope of your future success)
 
Your long term goal can be general, but should still express your visions and insights about the industry you would like to work in, perhaps in 10 years.
 
A good LTG = the logical next step after your STG
 
For example: "After growing Tokyo operations to 200-300 staff within 5-10 years, I will expand my service into other parts of Asia."
 
 
 

PART TWO: Why MBA?

Why an MBA at all? (Why not another kind of Masters, or a PhD?)
 
First - identify what skills you need from your MBA:
 
I need technical skills such as: finance and accounting
I need analytical skills: corporate strategy, strategic planning (long-term thinking)
I need interpersonal skills: to lead cross-cultural and cross-functional team (organizational behavior) to motivate experts in finance, accounting, sales, marketing, engineering, and operations....
 
 
Second - chose majors / focus areas at your target schools by studying actual MBA curriculum at the programs to which you plan apply
 
Can you create a skills-based argument?
 
For example
 
Still, I need an MBA from X to create the right partnership model, secure and manage the JV funding and scale my new venture to cover demand in Japan and eventually other parts of Asia. To capitalize on my idea, I plan to use my time at X to explore the right JV partnership, funding and profit sharing schemes, and develop supply-demand optimizing models.
 
 
[VINCE HINTS]
 
A client recently asked me to explain the difference between technical skills and analytical skills.
 
Technical skills can be tested (CPA, CMA, language certifications) because they involve facts and formulas that one can memorize.
Analytical skills can also be tested (GMAT critical reasoning) and they involve technical skills (finance and and accounting knowledge) but they are more complex. Sometimes, they involve creativity and intuition. For example, strategy consultants display analytical skills when they form (and test) a business hypothesis.
 
Business schools teach technical skills like finance and accounting so that students can apply these skills when analyzing business cases.
 
 

PART THREE: Why this MBA program?

  • Why THIS SCHOOL?
  • Why an MBA from this school particularly?
 
Clients often ask me, “How can I differentiate between all these top schools that seem similar?”
 
I encourage you to use a process of elimination. Start by making a complete list of all the things that can help you achieve your short and long-term goals. Many MBA programs offer the same things (classes, internships, connections, consulting projects, etc.), so only by being specific in your goals can you connect with what the school offers.
 
Pick the best 3-5 points from your chart above and explain in your essay:
 
1. Curriculum / professor (1 or 2)
2. Special programs (1 or 2)
3. Network / student culture (1 or 2)
 
Use "BEST / ONLY" logic: "I could confirm my interest in School X through my ongoing conversations with Mr. FirstName LastName (Class of '07), who told me about (specific aspect of school). This perfectly fits my (specific goal /learning objective) because..."
 
Use a combination of logic and emotion to convince them of your “fit” with the school
Passion is SHOWN through detailed examples that prove you have done your homework.
 
X’s unique combination of
 
  • Curriculum / professor(s)
  • Special programs
  • People
 
 
...best prepares me to (restate goals)...
 
I suggest you focus on “people", such as a particular professor, current students and/or alumni. For example: "I have known Mr. A before, during, and after he attending School X's MBA program. I saw how it impacted him in terms of (specific hard and soft skills). I have also seen how he applied those new skills and perspectives in his career. I hope to have a similar transformative experience that only (this program) can provide."
 
Next, be sure to show that you have done your homework by reaching out to current students and alumni. Just be careful not to waste their time. They are busy and receive many such inquiries. Instead, ask if they agree with an idea you have, and ask for any suggestions or tips to help you make your idea better.
 
Finally, synthesize your findings into a few sentences that prove your “fit” with your target program.
 
For example
 

(SAMPLE A) I could confirm my interest in THIS SCHOOL through my ongoing conversations with Mr. FirstName LastName (Class of '07), who told me about (specific aspect of school). This perfectly fits my (specific goal /learning objective) because...

 

(SAMPLE B) Through my recent campus visit and ongoing networking with X (‘09) and Y (‘11), I am convinced that only THIS SCHOOL gives me the skills necessary to break through my company’s silo-based organizational structure. To persuade 40,000 professionals across different functions and cultures, I need to introduce new goal-based teamwork models to persuade entrenched opinion leaders to embrace changes that will yield new opportunities. I also recently participated in THIS SCHOOL Club of Japan’s Business Awards Ceremony and realized the strong bond of alumni to continue to grow together regardless of age or title. After graduating from THIS SCHOOL, I plan to work with the executive director of The THIS SCHOOL Japan Research Center to transform my company into the world’s most innovative SCM service provider.

 

(SAMPLE C) The flexibility of THIS SCHOOL’s curriculum will allow me to focus on necessary courses, especially in Entrepreneurship. THIS SCHOOL'S Entrepreneurship courses, such as “Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity” (Kaplan) and “Building the New Venture” (Deutsch), support not only basic framework but also practical Finance issues through case study oriented approach with demanding assignments. I also expect to participate in “New Venture and Small Enterprise Lab” which will give me hands-on learning opportunity to work directly with managers in X-area ventures. Participating in THIS SCHOOL-sponsored contests such as the Edward L. Kaplan New Venture Challenge will test and crystallize my business plan.

 
 

PART FOUR: Why now?

  • Why an MBA right now, at this point in your career?
  • Why do you need an MBA now? Why is this the ideal timing to pursue formal management training in a full-time program?
 
You need to answer this question directly, but your answer can be short (two sentences).
 
Think about:
  • Internal factors (pushing you to get an MBA now): I have mastered certain technical, analytical and/or interpersonal skills; I am now ready to develop my skills and knowledge in new (specific) areas as stated above
  • External factors (pulling you to get an MBA now): what makes this the ideal market timing for implementing your great business idea after you earn your MBA from this particular school?

 

 

VINCE HINTS

ESSAY 2
 
2) You are the author for the book of Your Life Story.  Please write the table of contents for the book. 
 
Note: Approach this essay with your unique style. 
We value creativity and authenticity.
We have been asking this essay question for the last two years. 
It is a favorite to read and to write for our applicants. 
Keep the creativity and personality because we enjoy learning more about who our applicants are!

 

HOW TO WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY 

 

Thanks to Diane Burns for this idea.

 
Here are some tips and writing exercises to help you explain your life story.

First, list 10 or more topics you might cover. Where to start? Here are some general tips.
  • List as many life events as you can. Cover the page with more ideas than you could ever use.
  • Revisit the ones that catch and hold your attention.
  • As long as you are enjoying telling the story, your reader will be able to find some spark of life in it.
  • Review you work, but do not look back to fix anything. Just plow forward, day after day.
  • When you are felling reflective (and not merely procrastinating), go back and see what you wrote.
  • Select the stories that still make you smile or think.
  • Add spice and details.
  • Write something you could show to your grandchildren some day. I do not mean the grammar. Tell the stories that will survive after you are gone.
 
Think about any of these topics when you get stuck:
  1. First memories
  2. Childhood memories
  3. Birthdays
  4. New Years
  5. Holidays
  6. Hard times and difficulties
  7. Festivals and celebrations
  8. Friends and neighbors
  9. Family members
  10. Chores
  11. Illnesses
  12. Entertainment
  13. Things you built with your hands
  14. Things you created with friends
  15. Homes
  16. Schools
  17. Sport
  18. Travel / international experience
  19. Love and marriage
  20. Why you chose your major at university
  21. Why you chose your industry
  22. Why you chose your company
  23. What you learned from your first assignment / career phase
  24. What you are doing and learning now
  25. What you want to do next (if it comes naturally)
 
 
RECORD YOUR OWN VOICE
 
 
  • The most efficient way to generate large amounts of content is to record your counseling conversations, then listen to them later (this activity also helps TOEFL listening). In that way, you can write more each week. By the time you begin to work on essays (no latter than July for October deadlines, and September for January deadlines) you will already have solid content ("story seeds") from which to create full essays.

 
GO BEYOND LINEAR NARRATIVE
 
 
  • Many of you will want to frame your story chronologically. Be careful. That method is not always the easiest. It may be better to divide your thoughts into groups of memories, or life stages. Writing in this “honeycomb” style pays off big time once you get close to deadlines. Now that Stanford imposes word limits, you will probably never get to submit your final life story to any MBA program, but you can treasure it and add to it for years to come.

 
METHOD
 
  • Write in stages, and write something every day. Any method works as long as you are filling pages and pages with readable stories about who you are and what made you this way. If you want to secure the best professional advice, share them early and share them often. Just be sure to ask first. Not all counselors want to read your life story before you pay them. I do, if you are comfortable sharing.

 

READ
 
  • I encourage writers to read extensively, much in the same way that musicians should be listening to a lot of music they love. Inspired writers should be reading as much as possible all the time.

     
 
VOCAB
 
  • As one reads, it is fun to learn new words. One’s application essays can and probably should contain some sophisticated vocabulary. Just be sure not to use words that you do not yet understand. Vince’s rule of thumb: use a fancy word at least five times in public without people snickering. Then and only then, add the newly mastered word to your final essay.  
     

 
JOURNAL
 
  • Many professional writers keep a diary. Sometimes, I find the act of writing is physically painful. Personally, when I take a break from writing, I want to get away from the keyboard. Rather, I speak into Dragon voice recording software. In fact, I spoke this post and cleaned it up a bit before posting today. Please forgive the mistakes.
 
 
POETRY
 
  • I listen to spoken word poetry (mostly Bukowski, plus Aesop Rock when I need a beat). I listen to poets reading their work in order to study pacing and phrasing. Then, I read written poetry aloud, or in my mind. Thankfully, some good friends of mine are professional poets. I think poetry is fantastic when done with restraint. I have a great deal of respect for people that can apply concision to their wit. Have you read any poetry lately? Nice study break.

 
IMPROV
 
  • I was raised on spontaneous theater. My best and favorite professor, Patricia Ryan Madson, created Stanford’s widely recognized Improv Program, which includes adult classes taken by Google founders, systems designers, and venture capitalists. Patricia’s useful little book has been translated into German, Korean, and Japanese. By the way, the best Improvisers I know run Kasper Hauser - true mad comic genius.  
     

 
 
STORYTELLING
 
  • Last, and most importantly, please never forget that you are a storyteller. I mean that as the highest possible praise. If business schools want to teach sales, they should require all students to practice public storytelling. I am talking about simple human narrative that transcends time and culture. 

 

 

LIFE STORY TEMPLATE

 

“Title of Your Book”
Table of Contents
 


Foreword by SOME FAMOUS PERSON IN YOUR INDUSTRY
“Title of his speech / introduction to your life”
 


Chapter 1: Early Childhood

  • Drive and Hope
  • Influence of where you were born and raised
  • Special memory (e.g. caring for your uncle)
  • Family and Friends
    • tory: "Saving Sue"


 

Chapter 2: Teen years

  • Sports?
  • Arts?
  • Play with Purpose
  • Animal Friends?
    • Story: "Our Dog Spot"

 


Chapter 3: University

  • Why you chose your major
  • Social / sports / community activities
  • First love?


 

Chapter 4: Study abroad or international experience

  • Courage to venture out into the world
  • Moments of Awakening
  • Story: "My Life-Changing Experience"
    • What I learned
    • How it changed me

 

 
Chapter 5: Why you chose your industry and company

  • People Who Inspired Me


 

Chapter 6: Career phase 1

  • milestone 1
  • milestone 2

 

 

Chapter 7: Career phase 2

  • Caring for others in workplace, community and family


 

Chapter 8: Johnson Life / Ithaca

  • Contribution 1
  • Contribution 2


 

Chapter 9: Short-term goal (job in 2014)

  • career milestone: VP?
  • personal milestone: marriage?

 
 
Chapter 10: Mid-term goal (job in 2017)
  • career milestone: Senior VP?
  • personal milestone: children?
 
 
Chapter 11: Long-term goal (job in 2020 and beyond)
  • career milestone: CEO?
  • personal milestone: Wisdom

 
Chapter 12: Impact and legacy / Retirement
  • How you want to spend your time
  • Something significant for your community
    • Honoring a special person
  • Something fun just for your family

 
Epilogue: Letter to Future Generations
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
New this year, we are changing essay questions and now accepting the GRE (or the GMAT) as part of the application process for the full-time 2YR and AMBA programs!  
 
 
 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 
Johnson School Admissions Recommendation Questions
 
  1. How long have you known the applicant? (20 characters)
  2. In what capacity have you known the applicant? Be specific. (100 characters)
  3. What are the applicant's most outstanding abilities or characteristics? (1500 characters)
  4. What are the applicant's most noticeable weaknesses? (1500 characters)
  5. What impact has the applicant had on the organization in which he/she works? (1500 characters)
  6. Please comment on the applicant's personal and professional integrity. (1500 characters)
  7. Please give examples of the applicant's performance for any Top 2% rating from the table. (1500 characters)
  8. Please provide us with any additional information you may have about the applicant. (1500 characters)

(found at http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/Academic-Programs/Full-Time-MBA/Admissions/Application-Guide.aspx#q7; accessed 2011/10)
 
 

THE NUMBERS

Entering Full-Time MBA Students: 275 Students
 
23.4% accepted = 17th most selective program*
58.6% yield = 15th highest yield rate*
2,001 applicants
469 accepted 
275 enrolled
*among 50 US MBA programs with lowest admit rate
 
(found at http://poetsandquants.com/2011/04/22/the-50-most-selective-mba-programs-in-the-u-s; accessed 2011/08) 

Average GMAT: 687
Median GMAT: 700

Average Age: 27
Average Work Experience: 56 Months

% Students who are Women: 29%
% Students who are International: 32%

Rankings
Bloomberg Businessweek: 13
U.S. News & World Report: 16
Financial Times: 36

Employment
Average Base Salary: $98,140
Median Base Salary: $96,000

(found at http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/school/s-c-johnson-graduate-school-of-management-cornell-university/a/info; accessed 2011/07)

 

 

PROFILE

 
The two-year MBA program at the S.C. Johnson Graduate School spans 21 months, including a summer internship between the two academic years. The program begins in August, with two weeks of orientation activities that provide a foundation of concepts and skills, as well as an introduction to classmates, faculty, and staff. After orientation, the first year core curriculum provides the building blocks of management education, integrating knowledge in the various management disciplines with hands-on practice in applying it.
 
During the second year, students choose from at least eighty Johnson electives and they are encouraged to make use of the other colleges, schools, and multidisciplinary centers at Cornell. Johnson students can choose courses not only from the MBA roster but from some 4000 courses offered across the university.
 
 
MBA Program Consideration Set:
 
Stretch Schools:  MIT Sloan, Berkeley, Duke
Match Schools:  Virginia, New York University, Michigan, Yale, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA
Safe Schools: North Carolina, Texas at Austin, Emory, Indiana
 
(found at http://poetsandquants.com/2010/12/14/cornells-johnson-school-of-management; accessed 2011/08)

 

 

FAQ 

 

 

LINKS

 

 
 
 
 

 

-Updated by Vince on 22 Jan 2012

 
  • 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.
 

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