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) (Common for both January and August entering class)
Post-MBA Goal (Short-term): Senior Associate (Leadership responsibilities)
Build strategic decision-making, communication, and marketing skills to improve the service offering of the PE firm
Post-MBA Goal (Long-term): Scale the PE firm
Knowledge Gap: Leadership to transform the culture and build new allies in North America
Career Pathways: Leadership, Strategy, Private Equity
Post-MBA Goal (Short-term): Accounting with diverse M&A and Due Diligence experience to IMPACT investing
Post-MBA Goal (Long-term): Start a fund with two focus areas - clean energy, and education
Knowledge Gap: IMPACT investing, Climate, and Venture capital
Career Pathways: Venture Capital, Climate
Post-MBA Goal (Short-term): Product Management to Strategy (FinTech in Consumer Finance)
Post-MBA Goal (Long-term/Dream Job): Start a Consulting Company specializing in Consumer Finance solutions
Problem (Narrative): For this Sample MBA Essay, I had to focus on the healthcare niches in the Columbia MBA curriculum and connect with the applicant’s exposure and experiences.
Knowledge Gap: Strategy, Entrepreneurial Leadership and Consulting
Post-MBA Goal (Short-term): Valuation Analyst to Consulting
Post-MBA Goal (Long-term): Start a boutique Consulting firm specializing in the Healthcare industry
Problem (Narrative): For this Sample MBA Essay, I had to focus on the healthcare niches in the Columbia MBA curriculum and connect with the applicant’s exposure and experiences.
Knowledge Gap: Healthcare Strategy, Entrepreneurial leadership and Consulting
Career Pathways: Healthcare, Entrepreneurship
Post-MBA Goal (Short-term): Enterprise to Consumer Marketing
Post-MBA Goal (Long-term): Marketing leadership role (CMO/VP) in the non-profit sector
Most top Business Schools have picked Finance or Consulting as a popular specialization based on their close network with recruiters. At Berkeley Haas School of Business also, Consulting was the clear winner (28.1%).
Pre-MBA Employer: Wells Fargo Securities
Pre-MBA Title: Associate
Traditional Leadership, where the goal is to establish authority and, through posturing, enforce compliance, works in a large organization with systems, structure, and a clearly defined chain of commands. Although the style works in an environment where the margin for error is high, and the company can absorb losses in the short-term, in a start-up, openness and aligning the team’s incentives with the company’s milestones are crucial for gaining traction. This could be in the form of a vesting period and other bonus structures. The hours are different, and so is the commitment.