I will teach you how to bring your life stories to essays faster with F1GMAT's essay guides. Download below or subscribe to F1GMAT's Service and work with me - Atul Jose, Author/Editor/Founding Consultant, F1GMAT(16 Years of helping applicants gain admissions to M7 and Top 30 schools) There is a broad set of literature on what it means to ‘belong’ from psychological development to cultural engagement to inclusive language to other niche inclusion and social psychology principles.
At its core, we feel a sense of belonging when the culture, team, or group makes us feel heard, connected, and supported.
We don’t feel a sense of belonging when there is a threat to our safety, identity and culture.
In this MBA essay writing advice series for Columbia MBA and how to capture a sense of belonging, I cover:
• Safety (Psychological and Physical)
• Identity
• Culture
Let us expand on each of these factors
1) Safety (Psychological and Physical)
As an older millennial, I studied the evolution of the use of ‘microaggression’ and ‘safe space’ in popular culture. These concepts are all tools to address a lack of psychological safety in our society.
Our sense of belonging is fundamentally driven by our psychological development.
If we have been marginalized or feel marginalized in our family- the first group where we should ideally feel we belong, our sensitivity to words, behaviors, and actions will be influenced by our past trauma.
If you are from a family where your requests and needs have been sensitively managed, moving to a community or group where individuals from disparate upbringing and sensitivity merge, you are likely to feel a lack of belonging.
Even a mismatch in your personal traits and the traits required to excel in a profession could also lead to a lack of psychological safety. Many of the narratives I have worked with clients, often involve dissecting such motivations and realizing that the person could be more impactful in another job function. A large percentage of applicants with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, pigeonholed into quant roles choose MBA and CBS MBA to move to Consulting.
In the past decade, women engineers working in the Oil and Gas were primarily driven to consulting roles to find physical and psychological safety from harsh terrains and systems that incentivize success in an antiquated paradigm.
Physical safety is fundamental to feeling a sense of belonging.
War and threats based on one’s identity connected to historical disputes, sects, tribes, and religion are the primary reasons for inequalities in developing and emerging economies. A large percentage of international applicants recognize the need to immigrate to the US after facing such discrimination.
Beyond the obvious threats to one’s safety in such regions, in a developed economy like the US, a sense of belonging is driven by one’s identity.
2) Identity
Identity is tricky.
A person’s identity changes with age, life experiences, and responsibilities.
You are unlikely to be the pop music-obsessed fan in your 30s as you were in your teens. That is your identity evolving on one interest – music.
I can guarantee you that you will not see the world in the same way as you are now when you cross your 30s, 40s, or even 50s.
Each decade of your life, brings wisdom and accentuates certain priorities in your life.
But there are universal experiences that are driven by identities on sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, religion, income, status, and age.
For example, a study by Coqual on college educated professionals in the US measured belonging score (10) and found that White Men, White women, Black men and Latinx women were in the top 4 demographic scoring in the 7.4 to 7.6 range, while Latinx men, Asian men, black women and Asian women occupied the bottom half of the ranking.
These findings were validated during the COVID crisis when Asian Americans faced physical threats.
When in a culture, a person who feels least belonging are faced with more threats and stressors, they are likely to feel disconnected from the culture. And these demographics doesn’t feel belonging from positive stereotypes on identity either.
The stereotype of the ‘hardworking’ Asian further pigeonholed Asian professionals to responsibilities and roles that were quant-heavy or required sacrificing personal time.
Using Identity – The Complexity and Current Mood
When you use ‘identity’ as a theme in your CBS create an optimal experience essay, be aware of how positive and negative stereotypes can affect your admission chances.
These identities are diverse.
From the Columbia Alumni Association Task Force on Belonging - Report and Recommendations, June 4, 2021, there is a feedback quoted from an alum who commented on the protagonists featured in Columbia Magazine, “I feel that many of the people featured in the Columbia Magazine are the superheroes and best and brightest. While I enjoy reading about them, it reminds me that I am made to feel ordinary and not one of those superheroes. I imagine many of us alumni are living our lives, doing our best, have good jobs that we are proud of but we don't invent things or write award‐winning books.
Maybe some of what is offered through the Alumni association could be to highlight alumni who are proud of their situation but are middle‐ class, everyday people...There is an elitism that was there when I attended Columbia and frankly, in those days, that eliteness was the reason to attend. But now it is suffocating.” ‐ Asian female, 45‐54, Long Island, NY
The feedback is a classic example of priorities shifting with age.
Another one is about belonging based on interests
“No community feeling at Columbia in general. It is not about ethnicity, it is about interests. I go to Journalism events and feel welcome.” ‐ Black female, 45‐54, NYC
Feedback on the politics of the school:
“Offer both sides of polarizing issues with equally qualified programming so that we can hear thoughtful perspectives ‐ 360 degrees ‐ around an issue.” ‐ White male, 45‐54, St. Louis, MO
Feedback on the language used in marketing
“I frequently question whether I am welcome at Columbia events even though I am absolutely devoted to Columbia. Something about the way it is marketed always feels like it is a closed club and I am intruding.” ‐ White female, 45‐54, Bronx, NY
One thing we must credit CBS is its openness to taking feedback and using data to interpret the current mood.
Perhaps all this feedback has encouraged the school to clarify what they mean by belonging in this Columbia’s University Page on Inclusion and belonging,” There are misconceptions that inclusion & belonging are only concerns of a small few in our community; this is simply untrue. While each of us has our own perspective on these values, people are often more – or less – effective in any environment depending on whether they feel like they belong, which is often determined by their interactions with others. For these reasons, inclusion & belonging are also community values and not solely personal ones.Another misconception about these values and the efforts to promote them across campus is that they only address the needs and concerns of people from historically marginalized communities. While the concerns of these communities are critical to any effort to promote greater inclusion, the concerns of everyone on this campus are central to this project and the skills (leadership, communication, etc.) gained through these efforts are essential for anyone’s success.”
Finding narratives that are relevant and specific to the evolution and growth of the identity acceptable in the current CBS culture is necessary to tone down or accentuate certain ‘emotions’ in your essay.
3) Culture
Psychological safety in a culture is far more complex than an individual’s feeling of safety growing up that are determined by the family dynamics.
There are universal qualities of freedom of speech, fairness, equity, diversity, and access that are propagated by cultures. And they are not propagated in equal measures.
Despite all the drawbacks, there is a reason why ‘America’ is still the #1 destination for all immigrants. It is not just the earning potential or the dominance of Technology, Consulting and Finance industries alone.
On innovation ranking, the US is consistently in the top 5.
The land of the ‘free’ is not just a concept. Imagine saying what ‘Bill Maher’ or ‘Colbert’ says on their shows in another country.
They would disappear or intimidated in any eastern countries or even in the UK, or Europe where libel laws are strong.
The ‘freedom of speech’ that is fundamental to American democracy allows progressive cultures to evolve on campuses.
This perspective needs to be validated and acknowledged before exploring gaps in current culture.
An optimistic action plan on the progress achieved with current gaps reads well over a negative narrative.
Balance is the key.
But there are certain narratives on identity that are negative in general. There is no way to redeem the tone as the marginalized are at inter-generational disadvantages that would take decades to mitigate.
You should be aware of belonging in such groups before narrating a cause in your CBS essay.
For example, the PPIL essay of a black consultant recommending unionization happened after extensive research on wage differences. And these differences were propagated by over 150 years of laws (land and labor) and regulations that limited opportunities to African American families and workers. In such an obvious lack of belonging, addressing the problem straight on is the best way to tackle the subject. But here identity matters. If you were not from an African American family, the motivation to pursue the cause should be clear.
A great example I have read was from an LGBTQ+ applicant with an Asian heritage pursuing a cause for black Americans. In the essay, he clearly highlighted why he cares about marginalized groups by sharing his feeling of not belonging to a culture that discriminates against gay persons.
Shared identity based on shared trauma works brilliantly in CBS essays. Choose your examples wisely.
