My interview is early next week so I could use some help from the Columbia experts at GMATClub. My sense is that the "Why Columbia" question is extremely important during the interview since the school does not want to be viewed as a back up for other m7 schools. Columbia is definitely NOT my backup, but I want to make sure I can convince them of that. I am hoping that someone familiar with the process will be able to critique my why Columbia answers.
I want to attend Columbia for three reasons: Location, finance reputation and the school's social enterprise electives.
Location: My short-term goal after completing an MBA program is to gain employment as a portfolio manager at a non-profit endowment (investing capital and investing the returns into social programs). My long-term goal is to become the Chief Investment Officer of a non-profit endowment. Given that NYC is home to the majority of the large non-profit endowments in the U.S., attending Columbia makes sense. Attending school in NYC will allow me to network with prospective employers during my MBA, which will be a huge benefit to me since I am a non-traditional candidate (I have finance + non-profit experience) seeking employment in a non-traditional field.
Finance Reputation: Everyone knows that Columbia is a top-notch finance school. What I like about Columbia more than some other top-notch finance schools is the breadth and depth of the school's finance offerings (it has the most finance electives of any top program). Specifically, I am interested in the Practitioner's Seminars, which allow students with strong finance backgrounds (such as myself) to move beyond the introductory theory they may have learned elsewhere (in my case, through the CFA program, which I hope to complete prior to matriculation) and get into real life applicability by studying under practicing finance professionals. Taking courses such as Applied Equity Analysis, Applied Portfolio Management and Seminar in Applied Value Investing will allow me to learn from people who have been successful in my intended career field -- a valuable experience that is offered to a greater extent at Columbia than any other finance school.
Social Enterprise: I am interested in several of the social enterprise electives offered at Columbia. Courses such as Finance and Sustainability, Board and Executive Management of Nonprofits, and Social Entrepreneurship will help me round out my knowledge of endowment management (I have managed a $1MM endowment for the last two years) by providing the theorhetical background on issues that I will likely face in my career. Since my future career will demand knowledge of both finance and non-profit issues, it makes sense that I should attend a school that offers a deep curriculum in both areas, and Columbia does so.
I would appreciate feedback on this post and any other issues you guys think I should be aware of in relation to an interview at Columbia. Please feel free to be brutally honest -- after multiple dings, I have thick skin.
Thanks!