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Sample MBA Essays and School Specific Tips

Columbia MBA Goals Essay Example: Scaling PE Firm

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

Columbia MBA Goals Essay Example: IMPACT Investing (490 Words)

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

Sample Columbia MBA Goals Essay: Product Management to Consulting

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 

Sample Columbia MBA Goals Essay: Healthcare (Finance to Consulting) (499 Words)

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

Columbia MBA Career Goals Essay Example: Enterprise Tech to Consumer Marketing

Columbia MBA 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) .” (Common for both January and August entering class)

Post-MBA Goal (Short-term): Enterprise to Consumer Marketing

Post-MBA Goal (Long-term): Marketing leadership role (CMO/VP) in the non-profit sector

Berkeley Haas MBA Goals Essay Example: Corporate Finance to Consulting

Haas MBA Career Goals Essay: What are your short-term and long-term career goals, and how will an MBA from Haas help you achieve those goals? (3-5 years short; a decade or more long-term goals) (300 words max)

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

Haas MBA Defining Leadership Principles Video Essay Example (Commitment)

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.