Cornell (Johnson) MBA Program

Johnson Graduate School of Management

Johnson is a quintessential small MBA program. With less than 300 members in each class, students receive a high degree of attention from faculty and from the dean. Perhaps no other top business school program emphasizes professor accessibility as much as Johnson does. Professors at Johnson literally open their homes to students and go the extra mile to ensure that opportunities to learn course concepts extend beyond the classroom. Indeed, joining the Johnson program is more like joining the Johnson family. Your application should echo that sentiment in addition to reflecting the core values upon which the Johnson program has built its reputation.

The values that are central to the Johnson program include: a dedication to analytical rigor, an action-oriented approach to learning, and a collaborative learning environment. Your application should highlight your ability to think in an analytical manner. This could manifest itself through a discussion of how you focus on developing solutions, your approach to analyzing problems, or an analytically driven business idea that you have. Analytical in this sense doesn’t purely mean numbers oriented (although Johnson will take a close look at your quantitative GMAT score), but rather it means based on rational and in-depth thought and examination. Examples you can provide along those lines will help you establish fit with the analytical strength Johnson values in addition to its application-focused learning model. As a member of the Johnson family, you will be expected to contribute to your classmates’ learning and to the school as a whole. Said in another way, Johnson is looking for applicants who are team players. While you definitely shouldn’t shy away from publicizing your accomplishments, be careful not to come across as arrogant in tone and be sure that your recommenders reflect positively upon your teamwork skills.

Although Johnson is a general management program in that there are no majors and a majority of courses that students take are electives, the program’s strength lies in its finance curriculum. Johnson even offers a financial engineering program that focuses on subjects such as: derivatives, portfolio analysis, stochastic processes, and computer-based modeling. Another alternative for those who are interested in technical training is the Twelve Month Option MBA program. This program requires an advanced scientific or technical degree and is perfect for those applicants who don’t want to be out of the workforce for two years.

Like many other b-schools, Johnson has jumped on the “leadership bandwagon.” However, leadership potential is not merely a criterion listed in brochure material; it is one of the most important applicant characteristics by which you will be evaluated. In fact, Johnson offers up to 30 two-year full-tuition scholarships to students who have demonstrated exemplary performance in the area of leadership. The admissions committee will look to see whether you take initiative on a regular basis and will specifically assess how you have an impact on your professional and personal environments. Writing about leadership roles that you’ve taken on and how those roles have progressively increased in level of responsibility is a great way to implicitly state your further leadership potential. Your interview is another proving ground on which leadership will be discussed. You should anticipate that you will receive several questions on leadership, especially questions asking you to provide examples of displayed leadership. You should also anticipate being asked a question on current business events, so make sure you have a decent understanding of what’s going on in the business world before your interview. Respond to “situation” questions using the SAR interview framework discussed in Chapter 4. Chapter 4 also contains a comprehensive set of interview questions on leadership that will serve as great preparation.

The emphasis of your application should be on the leadership and innovation dimensions. Your ability to establish fit along these lines will help grant you entry into the Johnson family.

The Immersion Learning curriculum is probably the best example of Johnson’s action-oriented approach to learning. Immersion Learning, also referred to as “the semester in reality,” is an experiential method that allows students to take a hands-on approach to functions such as: Managerial Finance, Investment Banking, Brand Management, Manufacturing, and e-business. Students visit companies, work on actual business challenges, and are evaluated based on the solutions that they develop in response to those challenges. Discussion of Immersion Learning can be a great way to display your knowledge of the Johnson learning model.

• Dartmouth College (Tuck)
• University of Michigan Business School
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)
• University of Virginia (Darden)

1. Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization. (400 word limit)


2. What career do you plan to pursue upon completion of an MBA degree and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? (400 word limit)


3. (Optional) Complete this essay if there is other information you would like to add regarding your candidacy. For instance, if you believe one or more aspects of your application (e.g., undergraduate GPA or test scores) does not accurately reflect your potential for success at the Johnson School. (400 word limit)

This and dozens of other top business schools are covered in detail in Your MBA Game Plan, the definitive guide on MBA admissions, now in its second edition.