How to Write Columbia MBA Essays in 2024?

Columbia University is among the six Ivy League private research universities. Its test essay should therefore be strong enough to get admitted to its coveted Columbia Business School (CBS).

To apply for MBA at CBS, students need to fill out Columbia University application that consists of one short question and three essays. There is also an optional essay to provide justification or any additional information. In this article we will explain each prompt thoroughly, to help you get these essays right. While addressing any of the Columbia University essay prompts for their MBA program, it is important to pay heed to the word limit. The word limit for Columbia MBA Essays is an maximum of 500 words. Even if you have a lot of content to write for your application - make sure that you have addressed the prompt and answered accordingly within the stipulated word limit. 

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How to Write Columbia MBA Essays?

Columbia MBA Admissions committees do not just seek academically strong individuals but also those who demonstrate clear- motivated intentions for their future careers. CBS MBA application includes a short-answer goal statement and three detailed essays. This essay requires candidates to articulate their envisioned professional landscape over the next three to five years. n the second essay should explain why an MBA is critical for their advancement and at last the third essay should give specific details on how a degree from CBS will facilitate their career goals. 

Candidates must ensure that their aspirations are not just ambitious but also realistic and grounded in their past experiences. Following are the prompts and their explanations to simplify the process of writing a Columbia essay for the MBA program.  applicants are expected to submit a short answer question and three essays.

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

Outline

For an MBA applicant- goals play a major role. You need to articulate your response in a manner that it gives a clear vision of your short-term plans. CBS has also given certain examples of what you can write for this answer- which are as follows-

1. ‘Work in business development for a media company’.
2. ‘Join a strategy consulting firm’.
3. ‘Launch a data-management start-up’.

You can choose to write your unique plans; however- the intent to lead and achieve big should be apparent from your response. You can show leadership or entrepreneurial spirit but your answer should be backed by logic. For instance- if you talk about establishing a start-up- after your MBA- then you should have the resources and the experience to do so.  answer has a 50-character word limit- which is about 5-6 words only- so think and write these carefully- because you will need to elaborate upon them in another Columbia University essay.

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• Application Deadline for Columbia University
• Study Executive MBA at Columbia University

Essay 1- Through your resume and recommendation- we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next three to five years and what is your long-term dream job? (500 words)

Outline

Read the opening statement of this Columbia University essay prompt carefully. It is clear that they do not want you to repeat your resume or letter of recommendation here.  Ad Com is well-aware of your professional trajectory and achievements to date; therefore- you need to focus just on your post-program goals- in this 500-word essay. To answer this prompt- begin with your short-term goal – what do you plan to do after your MBA. Mention your desired company/companies and the kind of designation you wish to target. Focus more on the responsibilities that you want to handle and the contributions you wish to make to an organization- in the first half of the essay. Highlight how you shall kickstart your career after completing your MBA.

Note- Your immediate plans should align with your past experiences; else- if you will be diverting your career to a different domain; then- you will need to justify why you have decided to make the switch.

In another half of the essay- elaborate how your short-term plans will lead you towards your ultimate goal. Focus on where you see yourself in the next 10-15 years. As MBA aspirants should have the intent to lead- you should mention about becoming a leader or entrepreneur in this Columbia University MBA essay. Mention the sector or industry in which you wish to be involved and how you plan to contribute and make a difference- as a leader- by utilising your acquired expertise and experiences.

Essay 2-  Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL)- is a co-curricular program- designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders.  Through various resources and programming- the goal is for students to explore and reflect during their educational journey- on the following five inclusive leadership skills, Mitigating Bias and Prejudice- Managing Intercultural Dialogue- Addressing Systemic Inequity- Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking and Creating an Inclusive Environment. 

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilise one or more of these five skills and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)

Outline

In this Columbia University essay prompt- you need to reflect on your experiences and choose an instance where you demonstrated one or more of the five leadership skills mentioned in the prompt. All of these traits can be best explained in a professional setting- where you were the leader or in-charge of a multi-cultural/cross-disciplinary team. Talk about how you encouraged dialogue and cooperation- the difficulties you faced and the steps you took to address them. You also need to state the result of your efforts and how well you managed the situation.

 ideal way to approach this essay is to divide the sections equally- as per the word limit. Utilise about 50 words to explain the timeline and the situation; a professional and recent incident is preferable. In the next 100-150 words- show your actions and highlight the leadership skills that you applied.  remaining word limit should be utilised to highlight the outcome of your actions.

Essay 3- We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our clusters and learning teams and career mentorship opportunities like our Executives-in-Residence program.

Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically- culturally and professionally? Please be specific. (250 words)

Outline

To answer this Columbia University essay prompt- you will need to browse through the university’s page thoroughly. Read about your program- the facilities provided and the opportunities offered. reafter- pick out those factors that are aligned with your academic and personal objectives- as well as your professional goals. Now- divide your answer in three parts- academic, cultural and professional.

• Academic- Begin your essay with the factors that will help you progress academically. Here- you can write about certain modules and team-based projects or activities that are a part of the curriculum.
• Cultural- talk about cultural factors- which will include clubs- memberships and some other program that will allow you to collaborate with a diverse group of students. As you need to be specific- you should mention the name of the club or the program that you wish to join and why. What will you learn from it and how will you contribute to it?
• Professional- highlight the collaborations and internship opportunities that will help you build a strong profile. Mention how these experiences will add to your professional growth.

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Optional Essay- If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee- please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

Outline

While all other Columbia University essays are mandatory- this optional essay gives you the flexibility to explain weak areas/gaps in your profile- if any. For instance- if you have a professional gap, an academic gap or have had a significant slump in your grades- you can provide an explanation for the same here. Please ensure that you are honest about your profile and that your reasons are genuine and convincing. Also- do not exhaust the entire word limit for a single explanation. Maximum limit is there if you have multiple concerns to explain. Be precise about your weak areas and explain the concerned reasons.

By now- you must have understood the approach behind writing the Columbia University MBA essay. Use anecdotes to highlight your qualities and always be specific in your answers. Your essays play a deciding role in your application and hence- dedicate enough time and thought in preparing them. As Columbia University essays can be a bit tricky to write because of their specific requirements and stringent word limits- you can always take help from an expert- to help you draft impressive answers. Reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns regarding your MBA applications. 

Candidates looking for assistance with university admissions can get in touch with our Shiksha Topper Counselling services on our website. For other queries feel free to get in touch with us in the comments below. To read more about MBA Essays from top universities- visit our website.