Calling all Columbia Applicants for 2009!

Is there a character limit for the resume section? Will I be able to write my responsibilities and the clients?

For each of my EC's, they followed this format:

Name of Organization
* [NAME]
Number of Members
* [#]
Dates of involvement
* [DATES]
Offices Held
* [POSITION]
About Organization and Actitvities
* [LINE ABOUT ORGANIZATION
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
* [MY RESPONSIBILITIES]
Hours/Month
* [HOURS]
Contact Information
* [PHONE]
* [WEB]

I definitely had more than 250 characters, is this a new thing?

Perhaps I didn't know how to work the Columbia app system (since we both applied 2007-2008), so you could be right. For the "My Responsibilities" section, I was only able to squeeze in the one line of ~250 characters uggghhh

dj,

It sounds like I might need to pay you to help me navigate these app forms. Haha

One other question - Columbia asks you to list both college and post-college ECs and work experience right?

If I remember correctly, yes. There is a separate section for college EC's, and a separate one for post-college EC's. I formatted each as I have illustrated before. For example, if you have 3 college EC's, do three sections in that format, within the college EC section.

For work experience, if I remember correctly, you add an employment record for each company. Within that employment record you fill in the necessary information, i.e. company name, salary, bonus, etc. At the bottom there should be a section to go through you roles and responsibilites. I used my resume as a guide to do this. I listed my roles and responsibilities in bullet form, but I was not as succinct as my resume. I would write a brief qualitative description of my for each job function, and I always tried to quantify them--or at least give an idea of the results of each job function. They do not want a copy of your resume in there, but they don't want another set of essays either.

Do they still have a section to upload your resume for merit-based scholarships?

Solaris already gave all of us at GMAT Club the scoop, but I wanted to let you all know that Christina, the Columbia adcom on the BW forums, official announced the Fall 09 essay questions and they are exactly what Solaris told us. First 3 are the same as J-Term, passion essay is dropped.

The EC form looks complicated. You actually have to list the contact information and website? What happens if the student organization is no longer there a year after you graduated? Eh... looks like lots of work.

I know for one of my school ECs, there's no one person who's a point person...I'm planning to put the school's Dept of Student Life contact info!

Give the best, most up-to-date information you possibly can. You don't have to hunt down your supervisor's contact info or anything like that. If you only have a website or one person's email, then that is fine. You can even write that it is no longer there; it won't affect your application.

Anyone been able to access the Columbia GSB website today? Seems to have been down since the early AM.

Maybe the 09 application is going live?

And is everyone keeping Essay 1 750 words or under? I understand that's just a "recommendation."

I still only see Spring 2009 application when is it suppose coming out?

End of this week, supposedly. I just assumed something was up since CBS' website was down for most of the day.

ok. Thank you solaris.

dj house is there a word limit on writing description for each EC and working experience?

750 words is tough....
Just describing a bit of the background already at over 400 words.....
This is not gonna be fun

No there isn't, but brevity is the key word. Don't be short like a resume where you are trying to fit in on one page, but you don't need a paragraph for each responsibility--adcoms don't want to read more essays than they have to. I would say a few lines per job responsibility at most. So, if one of your positions had 5 distinct responsibilities, then that would be 5 bullets with a few lines each at the most.

I am under the impression that Col's essay 1 is mainly focused on the future and that any previous experience should be kept under 100 words or less. what do you all think about this?

In terms of the EC, I think the best way is to work that portion into your essay one when you discuss about clubs and organizations when asnwering "How will Columbia help you achieve your goals".

And when will CBS release their damned Essay questions for Fall 2009?!!