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Pitfalls of Quoting Songs in Columbia MBA Essay

I had just moved with 4 housemates as a fresher in college. This was way back in 2001.

We were getting used to understanding each other's musical tastes.

One of my friends was really into Michael Jackson and was raving about the transition in "you rock my world" - the album MJ released after a big hiatus.

He was playing the song on an infinite loop.

Others found their own sacred playlist.

I interrupted everyone with a loud proclamation - this is nothing.

You should hear, "The Rhythm of the Rain" by the Cascades

This was a 1966 song.

I put on the cassette and played the song.

They were unimpressed.

I assumed that they missed the melody. I repeated the song.

"It is alright," said one.

My frustration turned into anger.

I thought, "they don't get it."

This should not happen to you when you quote your favorite song for the Columbia MBA Essay.

Think about your audience.

Tips on Writing Columbia MBA Song, Movie or Book Essay + 14 Sample Essays

Atul Jose, MBA Admissions Consultant and Founding Editor at F1GMAT, shares his top 8 Books for the Columbia MBA Song, Movie, or Book Essay and the pitfalls of quoting your favorite song.


Atul's Top 8 Books




1. Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want - by Nicholas Epley

2. Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now by Gordon Livingston and Elizabeth Edwards
3. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl
4. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
5. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
6. When Cultures Collide by Richard D. Lewis

7. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
8. The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy

Need help converting your connection with the book to a meaningful narrative?

Sample Columbia Favorite Book, Movie or Song Essay: Man’s Search for Meaning (Viktor E Frankl) (247 Words)
Sample Columbia Favorite Book, Movie or Song Essay: Impro (Keith Johnstone) (246 Words)
Sample Columbia Favorite Book, Movie or Song Essay: The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster (Darren Hardy) (247 Words)

 

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

Atul Jose F1GMAT's FounderAbout the Author 

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.