LBS MBA Essay: What makes you unique? (200 words)

Background Information: An entrepreneurial applicant narrates the circumstances that led to his education without any structure. 

The confidence to learn anything and tackle problems became a behavior that led him to entrepreneurship. 

Theme: Entrepreneurship, Resilience

Theme (Explained): Self-learning and Resilience as a prerequisite to entrepreneurship is not a theme that many applicants cover. 

LBS MBA Essay: What makes you unique? (200 words)

Background Information: Partisan media or editorial has been an accepted norm in publishing for the past 150 years in the US. The only difference now is that we are aware of the biases. Under such open ideological positioning, democracy is at risk of making fatal decisions that negatively impact the federal structure and welfare of US citizens.

Theme: Bipartisanship

• Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped how you invest in others and how you lead? (up to 250 words)

Background Information: Through the changing economic and family dynamics of her father's mining business, the applicant finds her voice in a unique way, initially to find an audience for her underappreciated voice, and later as one of the youngest subject-matter experts in mining and commodities.  

Leadership Traits: Resilience, Authenticity  

• Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your choices have influenced your career path and aspirations. (up to 300 words)

Background Information:  An applicant who has grown in her PE career is facing a dilemma: whether to continue in her finance career or pivot into her creative career, where she has over 50,000 loyal YouTube subscribers, and her videos have captured over 10 million views. 

Theme: Passion, Talent

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): Journalism to New Media (Venture)

Post-MBA Goal (Long-term): New Media (Venture)

Knowledge Gap: Entrepreneurship, Leadership to motivate and lead teams in a new venture

Tuck MBA Essay: Tell us who you are. How have your values and experiences shaped your identity and character? How will your background contribute to the diverse Tuck culture and community?

Background Information: An applicant caught in the battle of his analytical and creative brain finds a match at Teach for America, where he is entrusted to apply his editing skills to keep Grade 1 to Grade 3 students engaged in online study sessions. 

Theme: Creativity

Tuck MBA Essay: Tell us who you are. How have your values and experiences shaped your identity and character? How will your background contribute to the diverse Tuck culture and community?

Background Information: An entrepreneur musician shares the power of music in improving the mood of distressed children, her mentorship, and the agency she started to help upcoming artists. 

Theme: Music, Education, Job Security

Tuck MBA Essay: Describe a time you meaningfully contributed to someone else’s sense of inclusion in your professional or personal community. (290 words)

Background Information: A leading YouTube creator in the ‘editing for educational video’ niche narrates a peer’s bout with depression after he faced a stagnation in viewership. The applicant’s encouraging mindset with video collaboration helped the peer feel a sense of inclusion among the creator community.

Theme: Inclusion

NYU Stern MBA Essay 1: Change: _________ it (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples:

Stanford GSB MBA Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (650 Words)

Background Information: Partisan media or editorial has been an accepted norm in publishing for the past 150 years. The only difference now is that we are aware of the biases. Under such open ideological positioning, democracy is at risk of making fatal decisions that negatively impact the federal structure and welfare of US citizens.

Theme: Bipartisanship

Columbia MBA Essay Question

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)