Columbia Business School

Columbia Business School MBA Essay Analysis

(Application cycle 2021-22)

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Columbia MBA Short Answer Question

 

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters)

 

A straightforward one-line answer discussing your immediate plan upon graduation. Think of it as the subject line to the 500 words elaborate career goals essay that follows. 

 

Within the scope of the 50 characters limit, provide a short yet descriptive answer to give them a summary of your target role, industry, type of firm, domain of work, or interests.  

 

The Columbia Business School admissions committee has offered a few example responses to this answer, such as: 

• “Work in business development for a media company” 

• “Join a strategy consulting firm” 

• “Launch a data-management start-up” 

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Columbia MBA Essay Question 1

 

Through your résumé and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long term dream job? (500 words)

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This question wants an action plan from you as a candidate. It need not be set in stone, but provide details about your high-level career plans. Expand upon the role, industry, geography, interests mentioned in the 50 characters essay above. 

 

Discuss how you’re planning to achieve these goals, specify the milestones, and how you think this will lead you to your dream job. 

 

If you’re making a switch, give your reasons and why you believe this is the best path for you. 

 

Align this further with the opportunities that Columbia Business School offers. Correlate the placement opportunities, extracurricular activities, clubs, specializations and electives with your goals and show that you can create impact. 

 

Columbia MBA Essay Questions 2 and 3

 

Please respond to two (2) of the three (3) essay questions listed below:

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The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a new co-curricular program designed to ensure that every CBS student develops the skills to become an ethical and inclusive leader. Through PPIL, students attend programming focused on essential diversity, equity, and inclusion skills: Creating an Inclusive Environment, Mitigating Bias, Communicating Across Identities, Addressing Systemic Inequality, and Managing Difficult Conversations. 

1. Tell us about a time you were challenged around one of these five skills. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome. (250 words)

2. Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you? (250 words)

3. Tell us about your favourite book, movie, or song and why it resonates with you? (250 words)

 

Option 1

 

Tell us about a time you were challenged around one of these five skills. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome. (250 words)

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Columbia Business School has included this PPIL leadership program to build diversity, equity and inclusion skills within their MBA graduates. They want to nurture candidates who are inclusive, unbiased, and self-aware leaders, who can manage challenging situations strategically. 

 

To answer this optional question, delve into your past experiences to find an instance where you were challenged around one of the five skills mentioned above. 

 

Structure the story part of your your answer using the SCAR format (Situation, Challenge, Action and Result) to describe the situation, a challenge you faced, how you overcame the challenge, and the result of the story.  A well-written story will demonstrate how it improved your decision-making, and give insight into how you’ll tackle such challenges post MBA in future. 

 

Option 2

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Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you? (250 words)

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Business schools are aware that candidates apply to multiple schools at the same time. Frankly, you'd be stupid not to do so.

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But through the multiple stages of the application process, Columbia wants to choose the candidates who are genuinely invested in their school. A major reason for this is the school's focus on "yield" - the percentage of offers that are taken up by candidates. One client last year was told by the adcom "we can offer you a spot if you promise to accept it". Therefore, it is important that you show them specific reasons that you’re keen to join their program.

 

Try to create a logical, step-by-step flow in this answer. Write about the b-school’s curriculum and specializations, clubs and societies, values and alignment with their objective. Explain why these interest you, and how you think they align with your future goals. Describe your plans to engage with the available opportunities, especially how you’ll contribute. 

 

The 250-word limit is tight, so make use of each and every word. Repeatedly scan through the essay to eliminate any information repeated in other essays or superfluous to the core of the story. Be as concise and crisp as possible. Don’t be afraid of short sentences.

 

Option 3 

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Tell us about your favourite book, movie or song and why it resonates with you. (250 words)

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Not your typical b-school essay question. Here, the adcom is looking to get to know you better - not as a working professional but as a human being. What you choose to write about will reveal more about your personality and interests.  

 

First and foremost, understand that you’re not applying to Book Club, and they don’t care about the book itself. This essay is a way for you to talk about yourself.

 

Write about a movie that impacted you, shook your values or touched you emotionally, and how it impacted you. 

 

Or how the values of a character in a book resonate with your own. Or perhaps a book provided comfort during a stint in hospital or family turmoil.

 

Maybe listening to a particular song brings up some childhood memories of emotional significance. Perhaps the lyrics resonate with you.

 

Don’t feel the need to “WOW” the ad com here. Be humble and honest, and give them a glimpse into your life. Help them understand how you think and feel. 

 

Columbia MBA Optional Essay

 

Is there any further information that you wish to provide the Admissions Committee?  If so, use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

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Most business school applications have an optional essay. It is NOT the space for a deathbed confession! Just an objective explanation of any gaps in your profile, such as low grades, overlapping experiences, job gaps, etc.

 

Keep your answer short, concise and focused on addressing the issue and reestablishing why it wouldn’t hamper your performance in the future.  In other essays, you may use stories and interesting structures. Not here. Ideally, you’ll only use 100 of the words available.

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