Columbia MBA Essays

Essay Writing Tips and Application Deadlines

Short Answer Question: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

From Columbia website:

"Examples of possible responses: “Work in business development for a media company.” “Join a strategy consulting firm.” “Launch a data-management start-up.”

Essay 1: Through your resume 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)

EssayLever Suggestions:

Logically connect your past experience with the short-term goals and the short-term goals with long-term goals. Show how your professional strengths, abilities and interests are ideally suited for the path you have chosen.

Essays 2 and 3: Respond to two of the three essay questions below:

A. 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 five essential diversity, equity, and inclusion skills: Creating an Inclusive Environment, Mitigating Bias, Communicating Across Identities, Addressing Systemic Inequity, and Managing Difficult Conversations. 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)

EssayLever Suggestions:

If you have had exposure to living or working in diverse environments and had a good positive experience overcoming associated challenges, this is the essay you should choose to write.

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

EssayLever Suggestions:

Identify the skills and experiences you need to build in order to achieve the goals shared in the previous essay and show how Columbia will help you acquire them. Learn about master classes, internships, and school faculty. Show how they will help you achieve specific learning objectives necessary to accomplish your career plans as described in essay 1.

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

EssayLever Suggestions:

A book, movie or song that can reveal your values or motivations - What would it be? Bring out the value or motivation through the essay.

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)