The Johnson 2013-2014 Application

Posted By SWatts on Jan 4, 2014 |


From The Staff of MBA Admit.com

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The Johnson 2013-2014 Application

Johnson School of Management at Cornell University has opened its live online application for the Class of 2016. Below, we will take a look at application deadlines, changes in admission essays, and other required application information.

2013-2014 Application Deadlines

The application deadlines for both the traditional 2-year full-time program as well as the accelerated one-year program at Johnson will be as follows:

Round 1: Applications due October 2, 2013

Round 2: Applications due December 4, 2013

Round 3: Applications due February 12, 2014

Application Essays

This year, we see a mix and mash of essay questions – one repeat question from last year, and one completely new to the Johnson application for a total of two mandatory questions (the second, though, has three separate parts to it). The required essays will appear on the Johnson application exactly as they do below.

1. “Who you are” 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. (300-word limit)

2. “Who you turned out to be”

– When did you decide that business school was the next step for you? (Was this an epiphany or an evolutionary process?  What was the catalyst that caused you to consider this next step?) (150-word limit)

– Johnson values people that make things happen for themselves.  Give an example of how you have initiated this for yourself. (150-word limit)

– Please describe your immediate post-MBA career goals. (150-word limit)

The first essay question, “Who you are”, has become a trademark question of Johnson’s. This will be the sixth year in a row that the prompt makes an appearance on the application. The admissions committee has commented that this prompt allows them to get greater insight into a person that is not seen anywhere else in the admissions process, including the interview. They have also stated that the admire creativity when reading this essay. One major change in this essay question, however, is that the committee has lowered the number of allowable words from 400 last year to 300 this year. This seems to follow the general trend we see with top B-schools this year, following the “less is more” mentality.

The second essay question, “Who you turned out to be”, is completely new this year. Note that there are three parts to this question, each of which must be answered in 150 words or less. The admissions committee stated that the purpose of this question was to gain insight into applicant’s goals and motivations through questions that would normally not be asked until the interview stage. By combining career goals and leadership, applicants have the obligation to answer three main points: (1) What are you personal and professional aspirations in the longer term, when did you decide to take this path, and what drove you to this decision? (2) How have you demonstrated leadership and made a lasting impact? (3) What are your short-term goals? Because of the short word limit for each of the three prompts, applicants should choose their words and content with extreme care.

Other Required Materials

In addition to the above material, all applicants must also submit a current GRE or GMAT score, official transcripts from all previously matriculated coursework, two letters of recommendation (although the admissions committee will accept three as well), a current resume, a valid TOEFL score for applicants whose first language is not English, and a $200 application fee.