Skip to main content

Columbia Executives in Residence Program & citing them in MBA Fit Essay

The Executive in Residence program at Columbia Business School is a rare opportunity for students to gain one on one guidance from industry veterans and practitioners.

Industry Representation: Founded in 1971, the EIR program represents 28 industries covering Advertising, Art, BioTechnology, Capital Markets, Consulting, Consumer Goods, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Education, Entrepreneurship, Family Business Management, Family Owned-Businesses, Fashion, Finance, Govt. , Healthcare, Investment Banking, Investments, Luxury, Manufacturing, Media, Entertainment, Pharma, Private Equity, Publishing, Real Estate, Retail, and Technology & Software industries.

Functional Representation: Several of the Executives have multiple industry exposures with specializations in 25 functions – broad and niche covering general management, entrepreneurship, consulting, leadership, sustainability, marketing, writing/publishing, risk management, corporate governance, economics, negotiations, M&A, family business, customer service, international business, strategy, brand management, women and leadership, social responsibility, product development, decision making, people development, and operational transformation.

Diversity (Executives): Columbia has brought an interesting mix of executives, from executives attaining impressive feats in the industry to career switchers leaving a measurable impact in each industry. The scale of the achievements is also different, where some have impressive funds (billion-dollar AUM) and titles (CEO/MD/Chairman) while many have pioneered unique niches within established industries and functions.

New York (Strength): Another strength of the EIR team is that the industry representation at EIR strongly correlates with NYC’s strength in Investment Banking, Media/Entertainment, Healthcare, and Retail/Luxury.

EIR Program Structure: The EIR program is structured into two focus areas - advising students and contributing to the school's research and teaching. The advisory element of the EIR program includes career counseling, strategizing for new ventures, and perspective on personal and professional challenges in the industry.

The career perspective is especially useful for women leaders, candidates with entrepreneurial goals, and those entering the Investment Banking industry from other industries.

Learn how to quote EIR's USP for the Columbia MBA Fit Essay

 

 

F1GMAT's Columbia MBA Essay GuideShort Answer Question 1: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

Short Answer Question 2: How do you plan to spend the summer after the first year of the MBA? If in an internship, please include target industry(ies) and/or function(s). If you plan to work on your own venture, please indicate a focus of business. (50 characters maximum)

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)

Essay 2: Please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative, more inclusive or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization. (250 words)

Essay 3: We believe Columbia Business School is a special place with a collaborative learning environment in which students feel a sense of belonging, agency, and partnership--academically, culturally, and professionally.

How would you co-create your optimal MBA experience at CBS? Please be specific. (250 words)

Download F1GMAT's Columbia MBA Essay Guide

About the Author 

Atul Jose

I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.

 

For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.

 

My work covers the full MBA application deliverable: career planning and profile evaluation, application essay editing, recommendation letter editing, mock interviews and interview preparation, scholarship and fellowship essay editing, and cover letter editing for funding applications. Full bio with credentials and admit history is here.

 

I am the author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, the best-selling essay guide covering M7 MBA programs. I have written and updated the guide annually since 2013, which makes the 2026 edition the thirteenth.

 

The reason I still write and edit essays every cycle: a good MBA essay carries a real applicant's voice. Writing essays for F1GMAT's Books and Editing essays weekly is how I stay calibrated to what current admissions committees respond to.

 

Contact me for school selection, career planning, essay strategy, narrative development, essay editing, interview preparation, scholarship essay editing, or guidance documents for recommendation letters.