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Columbia Graduate School of Business Admissions Essay Requirements
Columbia Business School (GSB)
U.S. News Ranking: 9
BusinessWeek Ranking: 9
Financial Times Ranking: 7
The Columbia application is unique in the amount of text it puts in its essay prompts, particularly those for the last section of the essay section. You’ll need to spend a substantial amount of time reading – and rereading – each prompt before you can set about writing an excellent essay. Some of the biggest mistakes applicants make when writing on these prompts is simply not spending enough time making sure they know exactly what’s being asked of them. Don’t make that error yourself.
No matter which of the essay prompts you’re working on, EssayEdge has a detailed analysis of the 2011-2012 Columbia essay prompts. If you’re wondering how you can go about writing a great Columbia GSB admissions essay, scroll down the page to see our prompt-by-prompt breakdowns.
Short Question: What is your post-MBA professional goal?
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Approaching the prompt Be careful! Columbia is only giving you 200 characters (not words!) for this response. Succinctly respond with the industry and role you would like to see yourself in after you complete your Columbia GSB MBA. Columbia is asking you this because they are looking for candidates with a clear vision for their careers who understand exactly what function they want their Columbia education to play in taking them from where they are now to where they want to be. Demonstrate a strong sense of purpose in this response. Common pitfalls Writing about Columbia: You’ll have plenty of opportunity in the essays that follow to show why Columbia is the right environment for you. This response should be about you and your personal goals. Being too vague: The reason Columbia is only giving you a small space is because they want you to show that you know how to get the point quickly. Therefore, give them what they want. Don’t use the small space as an excuse to provide a superficial response. Even if you are planning to use your Columbia MBA experience to shape the direction of your future goals, show that you have a strong idea of where you would like to go after your MBA. |
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Essay 1: Considering your post-MBA and long term professional goals, why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? Additionally, why is Columbia Business School a good fit for you?
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Approaching the prompt In this essay, Columbia is asking you to build on the Short Question. The admissions officers want to understand why a Columbia MBA education is essential for you to be able to get where you want to go and succeed in what you want to do. Therefore, take this essay step-by-step. Begin with an overview of where you are right now in your career. Next, write about where you want to go. Have you reached a plateau in your career? Do you want to switch industries? Are there projects or roles you would like to obtain but cannot because of your current level of education and experience? Be very specific in explaining why now is the right time in your life and career for an MBA. After that, outline the reasons you have chosen to apply to Columbia. What specific offerings does the Columbia program have that you cannot get in other programs? Be sure to mention the importance of your Columbia classmates in shaping your point of view. Common pitfalls Citing generic reasons for choosing Columbia: Columbia knows it has a great reputation. Columbia knows it has a strong program. Columbia knows that it attracts excellent professors and students from every corner of the globe. However, all top programs can make the same claims. For this reason, providing any of the above as reasons for choosing Columbia is not going to be persuasive to the MBA admissions officers. Demonstrate that you have done your homework and can offer the names of specific classes, professors, and organizations that will help you achieve your post-MBA goals. Not Mentioning what you will bring to Columbia: First and foremost, Columbia wants to help students. However, they also want you to give your best to the program. When writing about why Columbia is a good ‘fit’ for you, be sure to mention the experiences, skills, and character traits that you will contribute to the program. |
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Essay 2: Describe a life experience that has shaped you. The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
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Approaching the prompt While it is perfectly fine to write about a workplace experience, this is the only opportunity within the Columbia MBA essay package to write about an experience in your personal life. Therefore, before settling on a workplace example, look closely at your travel, volunteer, and community service experiences. Focus on anecdotes that will convey a positive character trait such as leadership, resilience, or the ability to handle criticism. Most of all, demonstrate that you can integrate diverse experiences into a meaningful whole. Common pitfalls Not relating your experiences to your Columbia MBA application: Some of the experiences that most shape our lives happen outside of our realm of control: natural disasters, massive shifts in the economy, loss of a loved one, or the sudden end to a romantic relationship. Columbia isn’t asking you to necessarily provide the most pivotal experience of your life – just one that has had a major influence on who you are today. Regardless of the anecdote you choose, select one that highlights a trait that is related to excelling in an MBA program. Being Negative: While writing about a negative experience can make for a powerful and persuasive essay, the tone of the essay should always remain positive. Always show yourself taking responsibility and taking positive action regarding the situations in your life. If you are writing about a time in your life where the only thing in your control was to pull tight on the ropes and sail through the storm, emphasize that you never, ever let go until you saw the rays of the sun through the clouds. Show that you are wiser and more flexible because you successfully managed your way through a tough situation. |
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Essay 3, Option A: The annual A. Lorne Weil Outrageous Business Plan Competition is a student initiative managed and run by the Columbia Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO). The competition encourages Columbia MBA students to explore creative entrepreneurial ideas that are sufficiently ambitious in scope and scale to be considered "outrageous." Students explore these ideas while learning firsthand what goes into the development and presentation of a solid business proposal.
Develop your own "outrageous" business idea. In essay form, compose your "elevator pitch."
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Approaching the prompt This prompt is pretty straightforward. However, make sure that your elevator pitch clearly demonstrates that your idea is, in fact, outrageous. Will it make jaws drop? Will it bring rounds of applause? Show how the industry and the world will spin a little faster after your proposal is implemented on a grand scale. Common pitfalls Writing about something that is evolutionary rather than revolutionary: Don’t respond to this prompt with an idea that is the next step forward. It needs to be at least a big jump and preferably a quantum leap. Information about past winners is available online. |
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Essay 3, Option B: Columbia deeply values its vibrant student community, the building of which begins at orientation when admitted students are assigned to clusters of 65 to 70 fellow students who take most of the first-year core classes together. During the first weeks of school, each cluster selects a Cluster Chair. Further strengthening the student community are the nearly 100 active student organizations at Columbia Business School, ranging from cultural to professional to community service-oriented. Leadership positions within the cluster and/or clubs offer hands-on management and networking opportunities for students as they interact with fellow students, administrators, faculty members, alumni, and practitioners.
You are running for either Cluster Chair or a club leadership position of your choosing. Compose your campaign speech.
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Approaching the prompt Leadership is key here. Therefore, if you choose to use this prompt, plan the rest of your essays such that there is not too much overlap. Outline the skills you will bring to the position and show that you have a vision for your tenure. Common pitfalls Presenting a List of Past Accomplishments: Avoid making this simply a list of past leadership achievements. While you can use those as support, the focus of this essay is your plan for contributing to the Columbia environment. |
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Essay 3, Option C: Founded nearly three decades ago, the Executives in Residence Program at Columbia Business School integrates senior executives into the life of the School. Current executives in residence include more than a dozen experts in areas ranging from media and investment banking to private equity and management. A hallmark of the program is one-on-one counseling sessions in which executives advise students about their prospective career choices.
Select one of the current executives in residence with whom you would like to meet during your time at Columbia. Explain your selection and tell us how you would best utilize your half hour one-on-one session.
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Approaching the prompt Columbia is looking for you to be able to do two things here: identify the people who will add the most value to your network and maximize opportunities with those people. Demonstrate that you are a person who does their homework before important meetings and has a specific and transparent agenda. Common pitfalls Fawning over the Executive: Although it is important to show that you are deeply familiar with the executive with whom you will have your one-on-session, you need not sing their praises. Be specific about what intrigues and impresses you about this person. Then state why you feel you would greatly benefit from having had the time to ask the questions you want to ask and learn from their expertise. |
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