In this article, I will discuss the Columbia MBA program. If you’re looking at applying to Columbia this year, 2017-2018, you will find this article useful as I am going to discuss the school, and the application essays.
When people talk about Columbia, the first thing that comes to mind is Finance. Yes, it’s very strong for finance and if you look at it, it’s a virtual cycle. Often, when people at Wall street want to take a break, they end up coming to Columbia. They do their MBA and get back to Wall street, and after a few years, when they want to recruit, guess where they come? Columbia again! So it’s a nice symbiotic relationship they have with Wall Street.
You must have a heard of Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing. He taught at Columbia. So in terms of its reputation and finance, Columbia is very strong. It’s known as a very strong finance school.
The second thing is the New York City location. The fact that you’re right there in Downtown New York, Manhattan, where there is a melting pot of culture. So many diverse things, so many people. I think very few schools can boast of a location like that. That’s a huge plus that Columbia has. If you look at their website and application, you’ll see that they also exploit this aspect. They also say “Hey, it’s our location and nobody can offer you this location!” You may have all the money in the world but you can’t be in the heart of New York. In terms of not just culture but also the kind of connection that you have with companies, the Who’s who is headquartered in New York. I think that plays a huge role.
Now let’s look at the deadlines.
Columbia MBA Deadlines for 2017-2018
August Entry
Early Decision Deadline: October 4, 2017
Merit Fellowship Consideration Deadline: January 5, 2018
Regular Decision Deadline: April 11, 2018
J-Term
Application Deadline: October 4, 2017
Columbia Business School MBA Essay Analysis 2017-2018
So now let’s look at the essay questions that we have. Essentially, we have three essays. Over the years it has been constant, and we’ve had students applying and getting into Columbia and what I am saying is based on the discussions we’ve had internally with them.
Essay #1
Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3 – 5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)
First off, they are saying “I know what you have done; don’t bore me with that. That’s the information I will find elsewhere in this application.” 500 words to talk about your goals. That’sa lot of words if you think about. They require you to be very clear about the function you want to be in, the industry you want to be in, and the geography you want to be in. Usually, if you’re trying to change your career, you want to make sure that you’re not changing all three. You’re probably changing two out of the three which means if you’re coming from India as an applicant, your geography anyways gets changed. You’re left with industry and function. You need to make sure that you’re at least sticking to the same industry. If you have come from the financial sector industry, you’d want to stick to the financial sector industry. Maybe your function changes, or maybe it remains the same, but you want to be in a different industry.
Another thing is that in a place like Columbia, it’s not necessary that only finance professionals go. Think about it! If you’re Columbia, you aspire to be a Harvard or a Stanford, and nobody even asks you what your specialization in Harvard or Stanford is. That’s a general management program. Even in Columbia, it’s is not a Masters in Finance program. You’re going for an MBA program. You can go for consulting, or you can go for product management. Even tech companies are headquartered in New York.
Whatever you want to pick, make sure that you’re able to clearly articulate what you’re going to be doing. If you’ve not already done so, here is a tip: Make sure you go to LinkedIn, and look for people who have graduated from Columbia. People who are in a similar industry. Try to connect with them, and understand more about what it takes to get that job. The school is also looking for employability. They don’t want this guy saying, “I want to change everything about me. I was a software programmer working in Bangalore and suddenly I want to become an investment banker without even having an idea of what it takes.”
The second part of the question says, “…in your imagination, what would be your long-term dream job?” Let your thoughts come out freely. Nobody is going to judge you. I would say they would judge you only through your short-term goals and they are not going to judge you through your long-term goals. They are really looking at, “What is your passion?” In my short-term goal, yes I would like to look at employability and a little bit of passion but if you were to take all of this away, ‘Who is it that I really am?” What is it that I really want to do with this canvas called Life?” How would I like to paint it?” That’s what they really want to know, and I think you should dedicate at least a good 150 to 200 words for your long term goal; it gives a great opportunity to express who you are. Dedicate about 250 to300 words for your short-term goals. Be very specific in the short-term. For the long-term goal, you can be slightly imaginative, expressing your own personal choices of what you want to do in life, for the next 200 words or so. That’s how 500 words can be played out for the first essay.
Essay #2
The full-time MBA experience includes academics, recruiting and networking. What are your personal priorities and how do you anticipate allocating your time at Columbia Business School? (250 Words)
The whole idea about this is essay is about the business school experience. Two years of staying in a place like New York can be overwhelming for a lot of people. They just don’t know what to do, and they go berserk. They go to B-School, they want to do a little of this, and a little bit of that, plus there is a huge opportunity cost, and there the cost of an MBA. All of this playing in your mind, and you really can get lost.
What this essay is really saying is, “What is it that you want to do?”There is really nothing like a right answer or a wrong answer for this. You could say, “My priorities are really to experience the student life.” You don’t need to talk about academics. It’s okay. You can say, “I want to use this opportunity to network with people. I want to bring my Columbia credentials and go out into the city, and meet people.” If that’s what you wanted to do, make sure you say so. There is really no harm in saying that, or if you feel that you are really there for the knowledge, and your priority is to sit in class, attend lectures, and learn from the faculty, learn from the kind of resources you’re going to have in the B-School, that could be your answer.
There is nothing such as right or wrong. Pick your priority. 250 words, a very little leeway for you, so you need to stick to the story. You need to get directly to what you have to say.
Essay #3
Please select and answer one of the following essay questions: (250 words)
a: Please tell us what you feel most passionate about in life.
b: If you were given a free day and could spend it anywhere, in any way you choose, what would you do?
Firstly, neither of the two essays has an edge over the other. I have had students coming and asking me, “ Which one should I pick to maximise my chances?” In Columbia, 50% of the incoming class is going to pick one essay and the other 50% is going to pick the other essay. There is really nothing that discriminates one essay over the other. Let’s look at these essays
A.Remember what you’re passionate about in life. If you remember, in the first essay, we spoke about what your career goals, long-term goals are, and what you really want to do. I would imagine that this has to somewhere connect with that. You cannot have a long-term career goal not involving your passion. You need to make sure that you kind of tie that. You don’t want to talk about your career in this essay, but keep the generic theme.
- Pretty much whatever you want to express, express it here. They are just trying to see “Is this person interesting?, would I like to meet this person? Is he the person I would like to see in my class for the next two years?” Be imaginative and creative. I have noticed that students who are expressive may sometimes write weird things. I am using the word “Weird” but they end up really popping out of the paper. They just come out of the application paper. That will compel the reader to say, “This guy is interesting and I would like to meet him.”
These are the points I would like you to keep in mind for the third essay.
Optional Essay
Is there any further information that you wish to provide the Admissions Committee? If so, please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 words)
You can talk about your academic gaps or work experience gaps if you have any to talk about. Otherwise, stay clear. Don’t try to retrofit a story that did not find a space for anywhere else.
Columbia Business School is one of the schools for which you have to write a lot. If you compare it with other schools, they don’t require much writing, but this one has a lot to write. Make sure you get your application form done as soon as possible. Don’t prolong it, the essays can take a long time to write.
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Have you made up your mind to do an MBA from a business school in the heart of New York? That too, from an Ivy League School? If so, you have come to the right place. Here we will discuss how you should go about drafting the MBA application essays that you need to submit to Columbia Business School in New York City.
When people talk about Columbia, the one thing that immediately comes to mind is Finance. Yes, it’s very strong for finance and if you look at it, it’s a virtual cycle. Often, when people at Wall street want to take a break from work, they end up coming to Columbia. They do their MBA and get back to Wall Street, and after a few years, when they want to recruit, guess where they come? Columbia again! So it’s a nice symbiotic relationship they have with Wall Street.
You must have heard of Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing. He taught at Columbia. So in terms of its reputation and finance, Columbia is very strong. It’s known as a very strong finance school.
Getting things straight
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Box” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#0d8fdb” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” custom_padding=”50px|10px|50px|10px|false|false”]Columbia Business School is one of the six Ivy League Schools and is one of the oldest business schools. Located in the heart of New York, the students at Columbia have access to numerous industry leaders and conglomerates.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]Imparting knowledge the right way
The MBA course at Columbia is structured in a way that the candidates get to learn theory and then put them into practice at trading floors, retail stores and even board rooms in New York. The MBA curriculum at Columbia is said to follow a case-based and collaborative learning pattern.
The pattern is said to lay the foundation for business knowledge. The students can also choose electives and these electives will help them understand the speciality areas or fields in detail.
What Columbia Business School is looking for
While the business school might be focusing on finance and numbers, they do not fail to look for candidates from diverse backgrounds to join their MBA programs. And by diversity, it could be with respect to education, economy, geography or even culture.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Box” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#0d8fdb” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” custom_padding=”50px|10px|50px|10px|false|false”]Just like a lot of other top schools, Columbia also looks out for candidates who are intellectually driven and showcase clear leadership abilities. They are looking for candidates who can work in teams and make great contributions.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]What’s in it for you
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Columbia is known for Finance. And the candidates benefit from the B-school’s long and on-going relationship with Wall Street. It is a virtual cycle. If you are someone looking to get on the trading floors in New York or someone who is looking to get their business kickstarter, Columbia is the place.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Box” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#0d8fdb” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” custom_padding=”50px|10px|50px|10px|false|false”]The second thing is the New York City location. The fact that you’re right there in Downtown New York, Manhattan, where there is a melting pot of culture. So many diverse things, so many people. Honestly, very few schools can boast of a location like that. That’s a huge plus that Columbia has.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]If you look at their website and application, you’ll see that they also exploit this aspect. They also say “Hey, it’s our location and nobody can offer you this location!” You may have all the money in the world but you can’t be in the heart of New York. In terms of not just culture but also the kind of connection that you have with companies, the Who’s who is headquartered in New York. That might play a huge role.
Columbia Business School MBA Essay Analysis 2020-21
There are one short answer question and three long essay questions that you need to answer if you need to complete your Columbia Business School’s application. Through these written components, they will get to know you better and understand different aspects. You will get to know more about it as you actually go through the questions below.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial _builder_version=”4.3.2″]Columbia Business School Short Answer Question
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal?
Character limit: 50
[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]If you check out this question on the website, you will see that they have given examples of the answers that you can possibly give. The examples they have given are:
i. “Work in business development for a media company.”
ii. “Join a strategy consulting firm.”
iii. “Launch a data-management start-up.”
You need to remember that you can use only 50 characters to answer this question. And fifty characters are only as long as this line. Be clear about your goal first and then make sure that you use the right words to answer the question.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial _builder_version=”4.3.2″]Columbia Business School Essay Question 1
Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job?
Word limit: 500 words
[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]Do you have a career plan? If you do, all you need to do is to convince them about your career plan through this essay. That is all they are asking for.
If you look closer at the question, they haven’t really asked you what your immediate post-MBA career goals are. They are asking you for your career goals over the next three to five years. This is enough time to reach your mid-career goals, right? And that is what you need to tell them using 500 words.
Let us say that you want to be a product manager in an up and coming startup. This could probably because you have an entrepreneurial spirit in you and probably because you also need that experience and learning.
The one thing you will understand once you tell them about such a goal is that you need a larger vision of your life goal. That will define the purpose and this will be your long-term dream job.
The COVID-19 situation across the globe has shaken up a lot of things. It has changed the way we work and more importantly it has brought a lot of things, for example, technology, to the forefront. So, if you think that technology has the answer to solving problems and you want to be in that space or if you think you are a problem-solver or if you want to tell a really great story as a marketer, it could be your answer to the question. You need to clearly tell them about that one calling you to have in life.
In order to structure this essay, you need to first give them a sense of your journey. They have clearly mentioned that they are aware of what you have done so far. But you need to show your progression. How have you grown? So, give them a sense of who you are and then give them a sense of the larger goal you are aiming to achieve.
In the second part, you can talk about your career plan, how you will be operating in that particular industry and function. You also need to mention the companies that you are looking to work with and the kind of impact your role will create. It has to be very detailed. This is how you need to split this essay question.
You can utilize approximately 100 words to give them a sense of your background and your progression over the years. Then use around 150 words to tell them your long-term vision and convince them. You can use the rest of the 250 words to give them the details of all the transferable skills that you have.
Just like we say always, there is no one way to draft the essays. You can choose the number of words for each section based on what you feel is right. The structure we have given above is something we suggest.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial _builder_version=”4.3.2″]Columbia Business School Essay Question 2
Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you?
Word limit: 250 words
[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]You might find it hard to answer the question in just 250 words. But well…you have to.
Here’s the trick: You just need to get to the point real quick.
You need to mention how being a part of Columbia’s MBA program will help you professionally. You can speak about how it is advantageous to stay and study in New York and how it might have a great impact on your industry. You can also tell them how you will benefit from the finance classes at Columbia. You need to look at the program from a professional perspective and give this part of the answer.
But you also need to tell them how the B-school will be a good fit for you personally. It could be about the vibe of New York City or about someone you know there. Give them enough details to be convinced. It will be great if you can bring in this personal aspect as well.
You can use about 200 hundred words to describe the professional and personal reasons and then the 50 words for the introduction and conclusion.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial _builder_version=”4.3.2″]Columbia Business School Essay Question 3
Tell us about your favorite book, movie or song and why it resonates with you.
Word limit: 250
[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]While the question seems very simple, it is a really tricky question. The reason why it is tricky is that once people start writing about the book they like, they just go on writing the story of the book, about the author, and so on.
But you just have 250 words!
Even if it is a movie or a song, describe them in a single sentence. That too, if you think it requires a description. You can just give the name of the book, the author’s name. And then you need to start telling them about how the book has influenced you.
If it is a book, you could probably say that when you first read the book, you were going through a phase when you lacked clarity. And the book helped you gain clarity. This something you can tell them.
If it is a movie, you could tell them how it inspires you. And if you choose to tell them about your favorite song, tell them how it cheers you up or inspires you. You need to use the 250 words to tell them how you resonate with the book, the movie, or the song. And with this, you are telling them who you are.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial _builder_version=”4.3.2″]Columbia Business School Optional Essay Question
Is there any further information that you wish to provide the Admissions Committee? If so, use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points.
Word limit: 500 words
[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″]As we always say, take up the question only if you have a gap in your academics or anything of that sort. You can use the space to explain that. You don’t have to explain why you left a company after one and a half years or why you did not score well in a particular subject. These are not very relevant.
Use this space if you feel that there is something that you need to explain.
Columbia Business School MBA Application Deadlines
If you really want to get into Columbia Business School, you might want to keep these deadlines in mind. Moreover, with these deadlines, you can now plan your MBA application process better.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″ custom_padding=”|10px||10px|false|false” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#7CDA24″]Columbia Business School MBA Application Deadlines
Early: October 2, 2020
Merit Fellowship Deadline: January 6, 2021
Final: April 9, 2021
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.3.2″ hover_enabled=”0″]So, here we leave you with the most important points and dates that will help you get into the Columbia Business School. This is one of the schools for which you have to write a lot. If you compare it with other schools, they don’t require much writing, but this one has a lot to write. Make sure you get your application form done as soon as possible. Don’t prolong it, the essays can take a long time to write.
Want to know what advice our GMAT Expert, Arun Jagannathan, has to share with you? Watch the video to make notes of all the relevant points you need to keep in mind while drafting your Columbia MBA application essays.
And, if you feel that you need more help in drafting your essays or reviewing your application or let’s say, even brainstorming your ideas, you can always reach out to us.
You can click on the image below and get in touch with our expert.
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