Essay 1
A. Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career, and how do you plan to achieve your immediate and long term post-MBA professional goals? (Maximum 500 words)
This question is the standard motivation for MBA question. List your short-term and long-term goals. Construct your answers after you have researched about various Columbia MBA courses, extra-curricular and curriculum structure. You should convince the AdCom about your motivation for doing an MBA. It can be switching careers, promotions, more challenging job opportunities or to learn about various management topics. The AdCom also wants to see how you have followed through a plan in the past. Admissions team will see your past performance as an indicator for future performance. If you can convince how you have reached your current job position by persisting through obstacles, then the AdCom will be convinced that you have the drive to reach your immediate and long-term professional goals.
B. Please view this video, entitled Community at Columbia. Diverse, tight-knit clusters and carefully selected learning teams are defining features of the first year at Columbia Business School.
Community at Columbia
Along with more than 100 student organizations and countless events each semester, the cluster system helps to create a supportive and devoted lifelong community. Describe why you are interested in becoming a part of the Columbia community. (Maximum 250 words)
The video highlights Clusters and the learning team in Columbia MBA program. As an MBA student, you will be part of clusters, which are groups of 65 to 70 students. The clusters are divided into learning teams with diverse backgrounds who complete the required assignments together for the core courses. MBA students are handpicked and assigned to learning teams.
You have to demonstrate how you can work well within a diverse team and contribute. Mention your interactions from the project team that you were part of in your work, the student’s club in your undergraduate years or the volunteer team in your neighbourhood.
Essay 2:
Describe a personal experience and how it has influenced who you are today. This essay should have a personal rather than a professional focus. (Maximum 500 words)
If you have trouble coming up with a personal experience that influenced you the most, start the brainstorming exercise. List all the personal experiences outside of your work right from your childhood. Once you have listed them out, select experiences that show traits that would be relevant for your essays like leadership, teamwork, empathy, communication and maturity. Give a background story about the influencers, events and activities that motivated you to pursue your current career path.
Optional Essay
An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays..
This is the space to mention weaknesses in your academics or career path. Don’t make any excuses but try to mention your shortcomings with corrective course of actions that you have taken.
For Essay Tips download Columbia MBA Essay Guide and for Interview Tips download Columbia MBA Interview Guide