Columbia: Small World in the Big Apple

Laurent Meurice, admitted to Columbia and LBS

by Will Toussaint

As a senior financial consultant for Murex, Laurent Meurice loved his job but discovered he needed a greater perspective to move forward. He found the perfect fit in New York City at Columbia Graduate School of Business. After visiting a two-day Open House event for admitted students earlier this year, Laurent is even more excited about his choice.



Thank you for speaking with us, please tell us about yourself?
I’m 29 and French. I’m currently a Senior Financial Consultant for Murex, a software company which provides financial institutions with a front-to-back-cross-assets application for their trading rooms. I’ve been with Murex for three years and, before joining Murex, worked three years for BNP Paribas on IT projects involving several countries in Europe.
I graduated from HEI, a general engineering “grande école” in Lille, in 2001, with a specialization in chemistry and bio-industry.
During my engineering studies, I did my last internship with Euroclear Bank in Brussels. This was a great experience both from a professional and personal standpoint – I got the opportunity to work on complex and abstract topics in a truly international and highly motivating setting. I thoroughly enjoyed living in Brussels, where I would interact with people from all over Europe. It was after this internship that I decided I wanted to work in IT in the financial services industry.

When and why did you start thinking about applying to business school?
I thought about it when I was working with BNP Paribas. On my last assignments, I worked with senior managers, many of whom had graduated from business schools. But the idea of business school wasn’t very articulated at the time. Then, after spending two years with Murex, I started to realize that I was getting too specialized and that, in the mid/long run, I would certainly want to do something else. I also met people who had just finished their MBA, that’s how it became very clear to me that it was the right time.

When and why did you decide to attend Columbia?
I decided Columbia Business School was my first choice during the application process. As I prepared applications for three schools I had selected, I completed an extensive Internet research on these three programs, I also talked to current students and alumni, attended schools’ events, etc. Doing all this, I realized CBS had all the qualities I was looking for: the high-quality and extensive courses offering, the diverse and talented student body, and an excellent reputation. But I also realized what doing an MBA in NY would add to this experience: unparalleled opportunities to reach out to the business community in finance and management consulting, as well as many other industries. Finally I realized what the “American perspective” could bring me, and Columbia will clearly bring this American perspective while remaining probably the most international MBA program in the US.

Did you have any prior experience with visiting the U.S.?
Yes, I had spent a few vacations there, and I had also spent a month learning English when I was just 18 years old. The program was held in New Haven, CT, and I was the only French person involved. I think this was a great experience because it really helped me speak English better and I was exposed to people from different international backgrounds: Germany, Italy, Asia, South America, and many other locations.

Would you encourage others to attend Columbia?
Definitely! I am just back from the two-day Open House for admitted students, and I can’t wait for the class to start! It was great to meet future classmates. The admissions’ staff is doing a fantastic job at selecting a very diverse pool of talented people from many countries. A great part of the MBA experience is the people you are going to study with, the more diverse and talented they are, the richer your experience will be… Having had a glimpse of my future classmates during this event, I am sure my MBA experience at Columbia will be fantastic.

So, what were the activities you participated in during Columbia’s Open House?
I really got a feel for what it would be like to go to school next year. We arrived on a Wednesday afternoon. They have two Open House sessions, the next one is held in spring. Wednesday afternoon was dedicated to the formal events and some club-related events like happy hour. On Thursday, we had some icebreaking events with a big breakfast and several smaller group events.
The smaller group events are excellent because they give you a chance to meet the people that you will be in school with the following year. Later, we had a reception at Bloomingdales (a department store in mid-town Manhattan) organized by a former Columbia alumnus, Michael Gould.
We also had many chances to meet the professors, current students, and potential employers. I had already had a good feeling, but Columbia exceeded my expectations.
We also listened to a speech from the CEO of Unilever, Charles Strauss – also a CBS alumnus. It was inspiring.

In what ways do you think Columbia is unique?
As I said previously, the quality and diversity of the students it attracts. Also, being American while also being strongly international; in both the students it attracts and the global perspective that the professors bring to their courses.
Also, CBS clearly makes the most of its New York location. Business practitioners actually give some of the classes, providing real-work cases to work on and feedback on how you did. Alumni working in the job that you want to get are just a tube-ride away and often willing to help you get the advantage in the recruiting process. I believe there are also more on-campus recruiting presentations, events, etc. than in any other school.

What was the most challenging part of the admissions process?
The essays! It really is a selling process where you have to market yourself! I didn’t really have that experience before because when you apply for a job, you generally send a resume and a CV that gives a picture of your professional career. I believe one can so easily go off-key, or focus on irrelevant points and miss important ones. With my application to business schools it was that you have to give them a whole picture of who you really are – not only your career but also what you do outside of that.

What advice can you give others who are interested in applying to Columbia?
Start early. I believe taking the GMAT 10 months before the first-round deadline is a good idea. This implies you start working on it around three months before the test date, depending on the amount of time you can devote to it – remember to work on hard questions; if you target 700+, you’ll be tested on hard questions only and have to be able to answer them very quickly. Select the programs you want to apply to and research them extensively. Attend their events (much more useful than global MBA fairs). Go on campus if you can. Talking to current students or alumni is a must. Think of your post-MBA career goals; speak with people doing the job you target.

On a personal level, what does getting an MBA mean to you?
It will be so different from a French engineering school! It will give me a completely different perspective. For me it really is time to stand back, meet people from everywhere, be curious, and get the business education, the global perspective and the network I need to get an interesting and challenging job not only right after business school but also throughout my career. That’s the advantage of a two-year program: you have the time to fully benefit from the experience both in and out of the classroom.