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Columbia MBA Essay Questions, Tips & Advice for 2024-2025

After some major changes to its admissions process last year, Columbia Business School seems to have settled into a new groove for the 2024-2025 application cycle. The Columbia MBA essay prompts reflect very little change from the prior year. Columbia still requires one of the longest essay sets (in terms of word count). This offers a tremendous opportunity for applicants to prove their fit for this M7 program .

If you’re applying to Columbia Business School, read on for our guidance on how to approach the essay prompts . 

Columbia MBA Essay Questions

Short Answer Question:  What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

Examples of possible responses:

• “Work in business development for a media company.”
• “Join a strategy consulting firm.”
• “Launch a data-management start-up.”

January-Term Short Answer Question:  Why do you prefer the January-entry term? (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: The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Through various resources and programming, the goal is for students to explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills:  Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

D escribe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of more of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (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)

Columbia MBA Essay Advice

You can learn a lot about a school by looking at the essay questions they ask. Columbia’s MBA essay questions show they want students with clear, well-researched career goals. This is why Essay 1 has a generous word count and there’s a direct short answer question. CBS also values diversity—not just in background, but also in thought. They value collaboration and developing leaders who embrace these core values. Essays 2 and 3 ask you to show how your values and goals align with what CBS offers and what unique perspective you bring. Keep these points in mind as you write your answers.

The ‘Why’ is as Important as the ‘What’ in Essay 1

If you haven’t spent much time reflecting on your career goals, Columbia’s first MBA essay question may seem daunting. And that is precisely the point. Columbia is looking to admit individuals who have given a lot of thought to their career, what they want to do and why, and how a Columbia MBA will help them achieve their goals. This does not mean that you must have complete clarity over your future, but rather you’ve taken the time to think about it and have a strong perspective.

There are three parts of this essay question to pay attention to:

1. Don’t Rehash Your Resume

The first sentence of the essay question makes it clear that the AdCom does not want you to spend a lot of time rehashing your professional experience to-date. To the extent that you do, it should only be for the purpose of providing context to your career goals.

Has your current role made you want to go deeper into the industry or function you’re already in?

Has it made you realize a gap in the market that you’d like to fill through an entrepreneurial venture?

Have your experiences made you realize you want to pivot into something else?

Successful candidates connect the dots between what they have learned from their work experiences and what they want to do in the future.

2. Note the ‘3-5 Years’ Timeframe

The question asks about your career goals over the next 3-5 years. This period would include both during your MBA and a few years following your MBA.

When stating your career goals immediately following your MBA, be specific as to the role/title and industry you want to pursue. And then expand on the answer you provided to the short-answer question. Your response should show that you’ve done research into the role and industry and that you have a realistic understanding of the path to get there.

It may be helpful to discuss the skill sets you have to-date and what you plan on building on top of that during your MBA at Columbia to make yourself competitive for reaching your career goal in the short-term.

Ideally, your goals will also be impact-oriented, showcasing not only what you hope to learn but also how you plan to impact your intended clients, community, or other stakeholders.

3. Dream Big for Your Long-Term Goals

The last part of this question asks about your long-term career goals. However, the use of the words “imagination” and “dream” indicates that the AdCom is giving you permission to think big. You don’t necessarily have be too practical or in the weeds of the “how.” They are hoping to get to know you better as a person by understanding what you value in a career.

Think about what aspects of a job would make it your dream job?

What is the impact that you want to make in the world?

What do you want your legacy to be?

While your long-term dream job can be ambitious, your motivations should still be grounded in the experiences that you’ve had. This is how the whole essay flows together.

‘Small’ Stories Can Make for a Powerful Answer to Essay 2

Before thinking about what you will write for this essay, it is important to understand the history of the PPIL program at Columbia. Plus, the role that DEI plays in CBS’ culture. CBS’ website proclaims: “We believe that the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion should be embedded in every facet of the Columbia Business School culture.”

In 2019, CBS’ DEI Committee developed the school’s values statement as such: “To achieve our vision of developing innovative ideas and inspiring leaders that transform the world, CBS is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The faculty, students, and other stakeholders of CBS strive to build and sustain a welcoming and intellectual community that values and respects individuals’ different and shared identities and perspectives, leading to a sense of belonging for all.”

The PPIL program was developed by a pair of MBA students who graduated in 2020. It was inspired by the research of the late CBS professor Katherine Willams Phillips, who studied diversity and its influence on productivity in groups, teams, organizations, and culture. The program includes a combination of reflections, surveys, workshops, and programming to hone and develop students’ inclusive leadership skillset.

Adopt a Broad Definition of ‘Diversity’

With this context in mind, it’s easy to appreciate why this question is a part of the application and how seriously CBS values DEI. Remember that diversity and inclusion encompass not just race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, but also age, disability, viewpoints, religion, ideas, and experiences. There is no right answer to this question or a superior inclusive leadership skill to cover. Your story may in fact touch on more than one of the five leadership skills. The important thing is to be honest and self-reflective. Topics such as bias, prejudice, and systemic inequity are complex and nuanced. As such, it is best not to oversimplify your story.

Perfection Isn’t the Point

When using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework to answer the question, realize that the result may not be clean and satisfying. It’s okay that even your actions may have been imperfect. Being able to reflect honestly on what you observed and how you handled a situation and realize how you will engage with the PPIL curriculum to improve on your inclusive leadership skills should be the crux of your response.

Remember that ‘Fit’ is a Two-Way Street in Essay 3

Rather than asking ‘why CBS?’ or ‘how will you contribute to the CBS community?’, this question goes a step further. How you would co-create your CBS experience? CBS is looking to admit individuals who want to be active. They want solutions-oriented contributors in the CBS community. Not just benefiting from what’s already available but making their own personal mark on the program. The fact that CBS students, Mariah Celestine ’20 and Camira Livers-Powell ’20, designed the Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) program is a great example of how students can co-create elements of CBS’ academics, culture, and professional development.

Research First, Write Second

The first step to answering this question is to do your research on what CBS currently offers. Do research on their academics and faculty, extracurriculars, career support, culture, and its location in New York City. You can do this through speaking to student ambassadors , alumni, attending small group conversations with members of the AdCom, and even visiting a class.

Once you have a good understanding of what CBS has to offer, you can start brainstorming ways your background, experience, and strengths can elevate your essay. How can it add to the three different aspects of the CBS experience – academics, culture, and professional development?

Through your research, did you discover a gap that you are uniquely capable of helping to fill?

Is there a particular experience that you think you can enhance and take to a new level?

Is there a faculty member that you’d like to collaborate with?

The question asks you to be specific, so avoid cliches and pandering to the AdCom. Your response should not only show how intimately you know CBS, but paint a clear picture of where you will invest your time and energy. How you will contribute, and what will your legacy will be?

Interested in personalized, 1:1 coaching for your Columbia MBA essays (and others)? Reach out to request an  initial consultation with our team of MBA admissions experts, including Columbia Business School alumni and former admissions directors.  

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A Guide to the Columbia Business School Essays (2024-2025)

Coach Melanie E. walks you through each Columbia Business School essay prompt for the 2023-2024 cycle, breaking down what adcoms are looking for and offering expert advice on how to nail your responses.

By  Melanie E.

Posted June 27, 2024

Featuring Matt P.

Planning Your MBA Application

Starting friday, september 6.

12:00 AM UTC · 45 minutes

Table of Contents

As a CBS alumnus, Alumni Admissions Ambassador, and professional Coach, I am excited to share my insights into Columbia’s current essays for their MBA application.

The Importance of the Columbia MBA Essays

Business school essays are an unbelievably critical component of the application process. Columbia Business School's MBA essays provide applicants with ample opportunity to showcase their goals, experiences, and fit with the program. On a deeper level, they also allow you to communicate directly with the admissions committee and provide context for your resume and academic records.

Each essay also serves as an opportunity to present different angles of your profile. For example, while the short answer question requires a short and succinct explanation of your post-MBA plans, the longer essays allow you to expand on your career ambitions, leadership experiences, and the unique qualities you would bring to the CBS community. By using this model of essay questions, the admissions committee aims to get a comprehensive view of your strengths and aspirations.

At the end of the day, your essays are one of your biggest opportunities to get your foot in the door with Columbia, so it’s necessary that your essay is flawless upon submission. Here's a step-by-step guide to approaching each of Columbia’s essay prompts.

Short Answer Question

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

It is critical to be straightforward with this question, and be consistent with your Columbia Business School essays. It is acceptable to write in phrases versus full sentences given the limited word count. In fact, the word count is limited as a way of forcing applicants to be extremely clear about their goals.

Examples of possible responses (provided by Columbia):

• Work in business development for a media company. (49 characters)
• Join a strategy consulting firm. (32 characters)
• Launch a data-management start-up. (34 characters)

A great example is specific and most likely includes both the function/title and industry or type of company you’re pursuing. For example:

• Poor execution: Work in CPG. (13 characters)
• Good execution: Work in marketing for a CPG company. (36 characters)
• Great execution: Marketing for a healthy-foods focused CPG firm. (47 characters)

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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)

• Understand the Question: Begin by carefully reading the prompt and understanding what it asks for. This is a common mistake where applicants do not directly answer the question(s) being asked in the essay prompt.
• Be Specific: Clearly outline your short-term career goals, focusing on what you aim to achieve within the next three to five years. Discuss the industry, function, and potential companies or roles you aspire to work in. It is helpful to provide specific role titles and an example company (such as “a media company like Disney”). If you are sponsored and planning to return to your current employer (such as a Consultant at McKinsey), share this information as well as the mid-term goal, which would be your first role after leaving your current employer.
• Explain Your Long-term Dream Job: Describe your ultimate long-term dream job. Discuss the impact you hope to make in that role and your mission. Showcasing impact while balancing your vision with realistic possibility is key. For example, sharing that you want to solve world hunger may be a bit outrageous, but saying that you want to build a new business model for achieving large impacts within world hunger is more reasonable.
• Link to Your Background: Connect your career goals with your past experiences (personal and professional), skills, networks, and/or achievements. Demonstrate how your path to date aligns with your future aspirations. If applicable, share your “light bulb” moment where you realized your long-term career vision.
• Share Your “Why”: An extension of the previous bullet, share your “why” or your motivations for your career aspirations. Bring this level of authenticity and personality to the Columbia MBA essay in order to make it more engaging, believable, and unique from the crowd. This is a critical element that is often missed by applicants.
• Stay Within the Word Limit: With only 500 words, be concise and focus on the most critical points. I suggest not worrying about the word count for your first few drafts, and then edit down once you have all the relevant content ready to go.

The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Through various resources and programming, the goal is for students to explore and reflect during their educational journey on the following five inclusive leadership skills: Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one or more of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)

• Consider PPIL: First, take some time to review the PPIL curriculum on the Columbia website.
• Choose a Relevant Situation: Select a specific situation from your professional or personal life that aligns with one or more of the inclusive leadership skills mentioned (Mitigating Bias and Prejudice, Managing Intercultural Dialogue, Addressing Systemic Inequity, Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking, and Creating an Inclusive Environment). The situation should be somewhat recent, and if possible, within the last ~2 years.
• Set the Scene: Provide context for the situation. Describe the environment, the people involved, and the challenges you faced. Based upon the limited word count, you may need to leave out some details of the story.
• Describe Your Actions: Detailing the steps you took to address the situation should take up the majority of your essay. Clearly identify which inclusive leadership skills were utilized via each action. I recommend choosing only one or two skills to focus upon due to the limited word count. It is better to go into more specifics and detail on fewer skills. Lastly, highlight any innovative or creative approaches you used, and share both soft and/or hard skills as is relevant to your story.
• Share the Outcome: Explain the results of your actions. Emphasize any positive impact on individuals, teams, or the overall situation. Small impact is acceptable as long as it is clear, and the applicant was the one who created it.
• Reflect on Your Experience: Discuss briefly what you learned from this experience, and perhaps how it has shaped your perspective on inclusivity or leadership.

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)

• Overall: This prompt wants you to illustrate how you will actively contribute to and shape your experience at CBS. Highlighting your proactive approach to making the most of the MBA program will be key. If they are your #1 choice, don’t hesitate to share why in this essay.
• Conduct Detailed Research: Before writing, thoroughly research the Columbia MBA program. Understand the curriculum, professors, clubs, conferences, events, and unique aspects of the school. You may also utilize virtual and in-person events specifically catering to applicants to gain knowledge. Lastly, you may decide to contact current students for further information, and are welcome to mention them (with their permission) in your essays. You can locate the names of current students through your network, LinkedIn, and/or school club websites.
• Structure: The simplest and most effective way to structure your essay is to separately address how you plan to engage academically, culturally, and professionally. This will show that you are a fit for the entirety of what Columbia has to offerinstead of just a single program or facet of the university.
• Unique Aspects: Identify and focus on specific aspects of CBS that relate to your profile and career aspirations, and describe how you plan to engage with and enhance these areas. For example, Columbia is highly aware that they are the only M7 MBA program to be located in fabulous New York City, and thus this is a unique point that can be addressed and utilized in this essay.
• Academic Fit: Explain how the specific courses, concentrations, programs, and/or professors will support your academic interests and career trajectory. Then, describe how you will contribute to classroom discussions, group projects, and other academic initiatives.
• Cultural Fit: Describe how you will contribute to the CBS community and culture. Highlight your interest in participating in or leading clubs, events, and initiatives that resonate with you. Discuss how you plan to engage with the broader New York City environment, such as through cultural activities or community service. Also mention any personal connections or interests that will help you integrate and be involved with the CBS community.
• Professional Fit: Showcase how CBS's strong network, career services, employment data, and/or Executives-in-Residence program will aid in achieving your career goals. Discuss your plans for networking with alumni, attending career events, and possibly taking advantage of in-semester internships. Don’t forget to highlight how you will contribute to CBS’s professional community through mentorship, leadership in clubs, or collaboration on professional projects.
• Be Genuine: Be authentic in your response and avoid generic statements. Don’t be afraid to show your personality, interests, and excitement!

Optional Essay

If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee, please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

• Don’t Write It: Consider if you need to write anything for this essay. In general, admissions committees do not want to receive superfluous materials that are not directly addressing new information that is of significance to the application. Therefore, this essay should only be used to explain any specific situations that are not otherwise addressed in the application. For example, this could be utilized to explain a poor GPA in your undergraduate career due to acute illness.
• Keep It Short: As the guidance from CBS notes, you are welcome to write in bullet form. This means that the essay or bullets should be as short and direct as possible.

General Tips for All Essays

• Know Your Reader: In 2022, the admissions committee at Columbia Business School received 5,895 applications. It’s highly likely, then, that the admissions committee member who reads your application will have read several hundred before yours. With that in mind, they are looking for applicants who demonstrate leadership, clarity of purpose, and a strong fit with Columbia, all while being succinct and to-the-point in their writing. Make sure you’re that student.
• Showcase Your Unique Story: Use the essays to showcase what makes you unique and differentiates you from other applicants. This is your one opportunity to stand out in your application. Admissions committees value genuine stories.
• Edit and Revise: Plan on having multiple rounds of essay drafts, and take your time to iterate over many weeks. Proofread your essays multiple times to avoid grammatical errors and ensure clarity.
• Seek Feedback: Share your essays with trusted friends, family, or mentors for feedback and suggestions who understand the MBA process. It is best to utilize someone who has attended business school or who is a professional coach.
• Stay on Topic: Focus on answering all the specific questions asked in each essay without straying off-topic.
• Adhere to Word Limits: Respect the word limits for each essay, as exceeding them may reflect a lack of attention to detail.

Final Words

By following this guide and putting effort into crafting engaging, personal, and well-structured essays, you increase your chances of impressing the admissions committee at Columbia Business School and standing out from the crowd.

Good luck with your application!

About the Author

Melanie is an Executive Coach & Admissions Coach with 16 years of experience across strategy, operations, and coaching. A former McKinsey consultant, she is a member of the Forbes Council and has been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, Business Insider, TEDx, and more. Melanie has worked with prominent corporate clients including Google, KKR, IBM, and Morgan Stanley; as well as individuals such as business leaders, influencers, and Olympic athletes.

Melanie holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BS from Cornell University. She currently lives in Los Angeles (while remaining a New Yorker at heart), and enjoys creative pursuits in her free time.

Sign up for a FREE intro call with coach Melanie E. today, and jumpstart your path to your dream MBA program!

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Columbia Business School MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2024-2025], Class Profile

Columbia Business School (CBS) essay prompts are out for 2024-2025 January and August entry applicants! Here is what is new this year: 

• August entry – Short Answer Question #2: Asks for your post-first-year summer plans
• Essay #2 : Slightly narrower wording that will help you better select an example to share
• Essay #3 : A change to the prompt that emphasizes collaboration as part of your Columbia experience

Ready to get to work on your CBS application? Read on.

Columbia Business School application essay tips

Columbia business school application deadlines, columbia business school class profile.

Applicants must complete two short-answer questions and three essays. (Source: CBS website )

Short Answer Question 1: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum) Examples of possible responses:

• Work in business development for a media company
• Join a strategy consulting firm
• Launch a data-management start-up

Note that this has a character (rather than word) limit. Your response must be significantly shorter than a tweet. What do you want to do professionally and in which industry immediately after earning your MBA? 

Warning: This question is not asking about your intended area of study while in business school or about a nonprofessional goal or even a long-term goal.

Succinctly define your goal in terms of function (what you want to do) and the industry (or type of company) in which you want to do it.

January Term Short Answer Question: Why do you prefer the January-entry term? (50 characters maximum)

Why should you apply for January entry? It’s an accelerated 16-month program that’s ideal for people who don’t need a summer internship. Consider J-Term if you plan to return to the same industry, head into your family business, or focus on entrepreneurship. January applications are still reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning that they are evaluated as they come in, rather than as a big pool after a deadline. This means that the earlier you submit your application, the more spaces will still be available. 

Examples of possible responses:

• Sponsored and plan to return to company
• Plan to take over management of family business
• Tapping into investor network to launch start-up

August Term Short Answer Question: 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)

With this question, CBS wants to know that you understand your target industry and that you’re familiar with summer options that can be a bridge to your first post-graduation job/venture.

Research possible summer internship placements using the most recent CBS employment report . As the question clearly requests, spell out your target industry and function. You might not want to name a specific company, given that hiring trends can change between when you submit your application and recruiting season. Show, however, in the way that you phrase your goal that you have a strong grasp on what companies hire summer interns in your intended industry, and for what functions. 

If you intend to pursue an entrepreneurial venture, consider the CBS resources that can support you over the summer, such as Summer Startup Track and the Summer Fellowship Program .

Columbia Business School 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)

Columbia’s adcom must really like the answers applicants have been providing to this question, because the prompt is back this year and has been a part of CBS’s application for the past several admissions seasons. CBS wants you to focus on your career goals for the medium and long term. That means don’t repeat “your professional path to date.” Instead, describe what you want to do three to five years after you graduate, which should build on what you have stated for your first post-MBA job. Make sure to answer the long-term question, and feel free to dream and aspire, but at the same time, reveal a feasible professional goal.

This essay offers you the opportunity to show that you know your intended industry’s opportunities and challenges. If you’re making a two- or three-way career pivot, indicate that you’re aware that those pivots could come a few years after your first post-MBA job. Also, show flexibility. Given the economic, political, and environmental issues the world faces right now, the adcom wants to know that you are open to a Plan A, B, and C.

Note that this question does not ask you how CBS will help you achieve your goals. You’ll have an opportunity in Essay #3 to discuss how you’ll make the most of CBS’s offerings. The adcom already has a strong grasp on the school’s curriculum and resources. You can briefly mention how CBS can help you reach your goals, but don’t include a laundry list of classes or professors. Use this essay’s real estate to talk about yourself and your future. 

Guide the CBS adcom to see that you have a purposeful and exciting direction in mind for your future – a future that will transform you into a graduate they will be proud of.

Columbia Business School Essay #2

The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills: Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)

So, what changed in the prompt from last year? Two key phrases: 

OLD: “… the goal is for students to explore and reflect … on the following five inclusive leadership skills” 

NEW : “…students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills.”  

Great editing! PPIL is no longer a goal. It’s what you will do. 

OLD : “Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one or more of these five skills…”

NEW : “Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills.”

You can now focus your essay on just one of the five skills, rather than on a combination of one or more. 

First, get to know the PPIL initiative . CBS describes the PPIL as “a one-of-a kind diversity, equity, and inclusion requirement.” You’ll need to attend four PPIL events over the course of the two-year program and submit four reflection forms on what you learned. Columbia has provided a handy guide that defines what the school means by each of the five PPIL leadership skills. Familiarize yourself with these definitions before you write your essay.

Second, reflect on your personal experiences. You can write about a situation at work, during a volunteer stint, or in any other social situation where you acted with inclusive leadership that relates to one of the five skills defined in Columbia’s prompt. 

The best examples will demonstrate how you were inquisitive, reflective, and – if necessary – willing to create change within institutions or hierarchies for a more inclusive environment. 

Third, organize your thoughts into a narrative. It’s useful to use the SOAR, or SOAR + L, framework to tell your story:

S = Situation. What was the situation you were presented with, and who were the people involved?

O = Obstacle. What was the obstacle or problem you faced?

A = Action. What considerations did you make, and how did you ultimately decide to act?

R = Result. What were the results of your actions?

L = Learning. If you have space, you can summarize what you learned about the importance of acting as a leader. 

Remember, don’t worry that the best essays will come from people who have started or joined formal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in their workplace. Individual, one-on-one experiences outside of an institutional framework can be just as powerful, or even more so. 

Columbia Business School 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)

What’s new? CBS appears to want to do away with navel-gazing. Rather than ask why CBS equals you , this year, the adcom wants to know how you will collaborate to make CBS your optimal MBA experience. 

That means CBS should be a good fit. But the adcom asks you to dig deeper. What talents, skills, or ideas will you bring to campus to make the most of your time there, and how will your peers be a part of that story?  

To write this essay, think about three to four things that you want out of CBS academically, professionally, and socially. Consider the challenges you foresee in your career. What don’t you know, and who can help you start iterating solutions? What do you like to do socially, and how do you best make friends? Then, research resources that Columbia offers where you can encounter people and create experiences that will help you reach those goals. 

Here are some ideas: You could talk about your cluster. What would you do to find opportunities to collaborate? Look through the clubs that are available at CBS, and come up with events you could organize. Mention the skill sets you could offer and what other people (and skill sets) you would seek out to cocreate this experience. Can you collaborate on a PPIL event? Can you help organize an international experience ? Do you want to be involved in student government ? Entrepreneurial labs ? The CBS/well initiative? How can you have  with your peers?

Now that you’ve done your research, give yourself loosely 75 words for each focus area. This means you can’t cram in everything you’ve discovered, so be selective. Choose aspects of the CBS program where you can have the most impact and where you will grow the most from interacting with people different from you. 

Columbia Business School optional essay

If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee, please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

The CBS optional essay is for you to add additional context or address areas of concern. That means you don’t have to write this essay . Believe me, unless you have a good reason, it will just annoy the adcom. 

However, if you had a dip in grades, a period of unemployment, or some other issue that you want to address, this is your opportunity to do so. You don’t want the adcom guessing as to why something is the way it is and coming to the wrong conclusion. And remember, be brief. 

Don’t even think about using this essay as a grand finale or wrap-up. And definitely don’t use it to rehash your reasons for wanting to attend CBS. Your required essays should make those reasons perfectly clear.

January 2025 Entry Application Deadline

The August 2025 application is expected to be available in late June. Updated deadlines will be published in the coming weeks.

Source: CBS website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with CBS directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

Here’s a look at the CBS MBA class entering 2023 (January and August). Data taken from the Columbia Business School website:

Applications received: 5,895

Enrolled: 900, divided into 12 clusters

• January entry class size: 219, divided into 3 clusters
• August entry class size: 681, divided into 9 clusters

GMAT score (average): 730

GMAT scores (range): 610-790

GMAT scores (middle 80%): 700-760

Undergraduate GPA (average): 3.5

Undergraduate GPA (middle 80%): 3.2-3.9

Work experience (average): 5 years

Work experience (middle 80%): 3-8 years

At least one year of work experience: 100%

Average age: 28

Age range: 22-40

Age range (middle 80%): 26-31

Minority of U.S. origin: 43%

International citizens: 47%

Undergraduate major:

• Business: 35%
• Economics: 20%
• Engineering: 17%
• Social sciences: 11%
• Sciences: 8%
• Humanities: 6%
• Technology: 2%

Previous industries:

• Financial services: 29%
• Consulting: 21%
• Marketing/Media: 12%
• Technology: 11%
• Healthcare: 5%
• Military/Government: 5%
• Real estate: 5%
• Nonprofit 3%
• Energy: 2%  

Michelle Stockman has more than 17 years of admissions consulting experience and has had clients admitted to M7 and top-20 MBA programs. She taps into her background as a former admissions staff member at Columbia Business School and as a video journalist to coach MBA candidates to acceptance. Want Michelle to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for MBA Applicants
• The MBA Admissions Calculator
• Can Artificial Intelligence Help with Your MBA Applications?

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How to Tackle the Columbia MBA Essay Questions

Columbia Business School requires three essays in its MBA application. For the 2023–2024 admissions cycle, they have changed one essay — or, rather, reverted back to one in use a few years ago.

CBS is once again asking applicants to describe a time when they were challenged around one of five skills essential to becoming an inclusive and ethical leader. That’s a question that should be confronted with courage and careful self-reflection. I have some advice on how to respond below, but first, let’s take the application questions from the top.

Short Answer Question:

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters)

The Admissions team wants you to be direct, succinct, and demonstrate direction (ambition is good, but be realistic). This is an opportunity to provide a clear, overarching headline that lays the groundwork for subsequent essays that cover your career goals and reasons for pursuing the Columbia MBA.

Note that the question asks about your goal; it’s subtly asking what you envision doing, rather than the position you hope to secure in a specific company. A strong answer will indicate what you hope to achieve in a sector, such as ‘consultant focusing on clean technology’ or ‘structure investment deals in real estate.’

There is no right answer here, but whatever you choose should be coherent and credible based on your past experience, bolstered by the Columbia MBA. Columbia is looking to see that you know what you want to do, have a general understanding of that role, and that you understand the paths that would be available to you coming out of Columbia.

Essay 1 Tips

Essay 1 remains the same:

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)

My advice: be sure to focus on the future and how CBS will get you there. A common mistake here is to write about where you have been rather than where you are going. CBS specifically asks what your future career goals are, and so a substantial portion of the word count should specifically address short- and long-term goals (at least 250 words, if not more).

It often helps to start with a brief hook to show what inspires you to take the path that you will then lay out. It can be a brief anecdote, a quote, a reflection on something that happened in your past, and so on. Then, it helps to offer a (very brief) paragraph explaining what you have done on that career path to date, just to put a bit more context around the goals you will then introduce.

Short-term goals can be more specific than long-term goals. You certainly need to have a general idea of what you would like to do in the long term, but the admissions committee is not expecting the same level of detail about where you will be decades from now as they are for the immediate post-MBA goals. Again, CBS is looking to see that you have a clear understanding of where a CBS MBA can take you (and then essay 3 will show how the MBA will help you get there).

The New Essay 2

A question about your favorite book, movie, or song and why it resonates with you has been replaced with this question used a few years ago:

The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to ensure that every CBS student develops the skills to become an ethical and inclusive leader. Through PPIL, students attend programming focused on five essential diversity, equity, and inclusion skills: Creating an Inclusive Environment, Mitigating Bias and Prejudice, Managing Intercultural Dialogue, Addressing Systemic Inequity, and Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking.

Tell us about a time when you were challenged around one of these five skills. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome. (250 words)

The switch seems to reflect the importance CBS places on its values of diversity, inclusion, and equity and the importance of explicitly cultivating the specific skills that ethical, inclusive leaders need.

Here, you have wide flexibility and latitude in your response.  After all, there are five specific skills to choose from, and you can, of course, address several. That offers many ways to highlight ways you’ve engaged in one of five themes and how it impacted you and others. Your response should identify one meaningful example from your career or experiences, and then extract lessons learned that showcase the kind of person you are and leader you hope to be.

Implicit in this prompt is a question about your knowledge of and your commitment to CBS. Your answer should also communicate how you will develop and practice these skills at CBS. It’s important to show how you will engage with the very diverse and global community at CBS and how you will add value.

Channel your authenticity and courage to show how you have already engaged this capacity — and then make clear where you hope to let it shine at CBS.

I repeat: Show, don’t tell.  Give us the scene, then tie the story to what the implications are for your future. Self-reflection is essential here: Remember that diversity and inclusion can be about race and ethnicity, but also gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or different viewpoints, ideas, or experiences. Show how are you questioning the status quo, inviting diverse perspectives, and cultivating awareness of the less visible forces that shape decision-making and group dynamics?

Essay 3 Tips

This prompt is the classic “why our MBA?” essay question, with a new, shorter word limit this year:

We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our clusters and learning teams, cocurricular initiatives like the Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership, which aims to equip students with the skills and strategies necessary to lead in an inclusive and ethical manner, and career mentorship opportunities like our Executives-in-Residence program.

Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally? (250 words)

Here, you need to explain why CBS is uniquely positioned to help you achieve your goals. It is a great opportunity to demonstrate that you have done your homework, assessed your fit with the school, and are eager to attend Columbia. You should showcase your deep knowledge of the school and the engagement that you’ve had with members of the Columbia community.

The framing of the question once again encourages you to demonstrate your readiness to be an inclusive leader. Again, this will require some self-reflection and honesty, to authentically show how your experiences and strengths prepare you to connect to Columbia’s values related to collaboration, mentorship, and DEI. Be sure to explain how and where you will contribute to the CBS community.

Even though it isn’t directly in the essay prompt (as it has been in previous years), you should still explain not only why Columbia’s campus life and leadership culture is right for you, but also why want to pursue the MBA in New York City, because the city, as a global center of business, is such an integral part of the Columbia experience.

Additional Essay Advice

A few final details are worth noting.

• CBS offers an optional essay as an opportunity to share any other information you wish with the Admissions Committee (maximum 500 words). This space could be used 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.
• Essay word limits are not absolute; since you upload essays as a .pdf file, the word count is not a hard cap. However, we advise you to stay within the recommendation.
• Deferred admissions applicants answer two different essays: Why are you interested in obtaining a Columbia MBA in the future? (300 words maximum); and Who is a leader you admire, and why? (300 words maximum).
• Reapplicants submit just one essay response to this question:

How have you enhanced your candidacy since your previous application? Please detail your progress since you last applied and reiterate how you plan to achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA professional goals (maximum 500 words).

Want more advice? 

For everything you need to know about how to get into the Columbia MBA program, from program basics and admissions requirements to our team’s insider tips for admission success, read my related blog: How to Get Into Columbia Business School: MBA Application Requirements . You can also view Fortuna’s  Columbia MBA B-School Profile.

You can also view Fortuna’s M7 Admissions Masterclass below, which offers a deep dive on the Columbia MBA and how to position a standout application.

Let’s Get You In.

Fortuna Admissions is a dream team of former MBA Admissions Directors and Officers from the world’s most elite business schools, including the Columbia MBA program. With our unparalleled collective expertise, we are able to coach you to develop a clear vision of your goals for business school and beyond. We work closely with you throughout the application process and provide expert guidance at every stage to maximize your chances of admission to a top school.

Our free consultations are consistently rated as the best in the industry. To learn more about Fortuna and assess your chances of admission to CBS and other top programs, request a  free consultation .

Updated May 30, 2022

Fortuna Admissions Expert Coach Karen Hamou is a Columbia MBA alum and former Deloitte Consulting recruiting lead, as well  as well as #2 ranked consultant globally in Poets & Quants list of the Top 20 MBA Admissions Consultants of 2021. For more free advice and a personal, candid assessment of your chances, you can sign up now for a  free consultation .

The post How to Tackle the Columbia MBA Essay Questions first appeared on Fortuna .

The post How to Tackle the Columbia MBA Essay Questions appeared first on Fortuna .

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Columbia Business School Essay Questions And Strategic Guidance, 2023-2024

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Columbia Business School (CBS) asks three essay questions as part of its application process. Through your essay responses, the school hopes to better understand your experiences and career goals, as well as your rationale for wanting to pursue your MBA at CBS specifically. We at Gatehouse appreciate the program’s range of essay topics because it allows applicants to communicate a broad picture of their candidacy.

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)

• Columbia has been asking this question for several years now. We appreciate this because it has allowed us to see a number of success stories, which have shown us what makes a good essay response. Even better, we also know where applicants are likely to stumble. Our first piece of advice is to answer the entire question. CBS is asking for two distinct things: your career goals over the next three to five years and your long-term dream job. Too often, candidates combine these two parts into one when crafting their essay. Instead, follow the prompt and answer each one distinctly!
• With respect to your goals, focus on what you will be doing (role, industry, and/or function), as well as the kind of impact you want to have—the problems you want to solve, the products you want to create, the team you want to build. This is especially important when you are describing your “dream job.” Your dream job likely inspires you, and the admissions committee wants to know why. Also, make sure that your short-term goals flow logically into your dream job. They should ideally prepare and position you to achieve that dream job.
• The essay prompt does not explicitly ask how your goals relate to where you are now, but that does not mean you cannot address the connection. Although the admissions committee is all but telling you not to rehash your resume here (which would make for a poor MBA application essay for most schools, anyway), you can certainly include some references to past accomplishments or experiences if doing so provides context that is relevant to understanding your goals or assessing your likelihood of reaching them.
• This essay is a kind of goal statement essay. The core components of a goal statement essay are (1) a vision of the future, (2) an explanation of how that vision relates to where you are today, and (3) the reasons you need to attend business school to make that vision a reality.  You will also address (3) in CBS’ Essay 3, but you can still make a clear case for needing business school in this essay response as well.

Essay 2: The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to ensure that every CBS student develops the skills to become an ethical and inclusive leader. Through PPIL, students attend programming focused on five essential diversity, equity, and inclusion skills: Creating an Inclusive Environment, Mitigating Bias and Prejudice, Managing Intercultural Dialogue, Addressing Systemic Inequity, and Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking.

Tell us about a time when you were challenged around one of these five skills. describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome. (250 words).

• We at Gatehouse are excited to see this question in CBS’s application. Not only does the prompt give applicants a sense of how CBS is adjusting its MBA experience to meet the leadership needs of the moment, but it also offers candidates the chance to share a specific experience. When executed well, doing so can reveal much about your motivations, unique candidacy, and ability to observe, learn, and grow.
• While you can choose which of the five highlighted skills you want to focus on, Columbia is clear about what it wants you to share: the situation, actions, and results—or, SAR. We encourage you use the fuller STARR—Situation, Task, Actions, Results, and Reflection—approach in crafting your response. Each of these elements is important in storytelling. The Situation helps your reader “see” your world. The Task conveys the challenge or goal at hand. The Actions, as well as your thought processes behind them, illustrate who you are as a doer. The Results are perhaps obvious (the “so what” of the story!), but we at Gatehouse also encourage you to Reflect. How did this experience affect and shape  you ? Why was it meaningful to  you ?
• Applicants often assume that because they are applying to business school, they should recount only positive stories—stories in which they are the hero or did everything right. You can absolutely choose such a story (as long as you can still explain how the situation affected and shaped you). However, you could instead focus on an experience that did not end positively or one in which you were not at your best. If you choose to highlight this sort of experience, really lean into that last “R”—the Reflection—and be sure to think about and discuss how you have developed since that experience. Columbia is not expecting perfection; on the contrary, the school’s MBA program exists expressly because CBS believes you are capable of more growth and change ahead.

Essay 3: We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our  clusters and learning teams , co-curricular initiatives like the  Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership , which aims to equip students with the skills and strategies necessary to lead in an inclusive and ethical manner, and career mentorship opportunities like our  Executives-in-Residence program .

Why do you feel columbia business school is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally (250 words).

• A well-executed essay response to this prompt will present clear connections between you and the aspects of the business school that you find compelling. Make a case for why you need an MBA (i.e., the experiences, skills, knowledge, and/or connections you are lacking), and then prove to the admissions committee that you know how CBS specifically can fulfill those needs. Note the resources and offerings (whether well-known or somewhat obscure; they do not have to be arcane!) that resonate with you and will help you advance toward your career goals. You can also mention the clubs and activities you hope to participate in and why they are so important to you.
• We strongly caution you to avoid empty pandering! Simply describing CBS in glowing terms and praising its resources does nothing to enhance your candidacy. By telling the admissions officers what they already know about the school they represent rather than what they want to know about you, you run the risk of losing their attention—and worse, their support.

Also, note that CBS asks the following important short-answer question that you should develop in tandem with your essays:

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

Examples of possible responses:

“Work in business development for a media company.”

“Join a strategy consulting firm.”

“Launch a data-management start-up.”

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Columbia Business School MBA Application Updates: 2024-2025

Columbia Business School has changed things up again for 2024-2025 MBA applicants.

• J-Term application will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis, with 2 J-Term deadlines.
• In addition, CBS updated its essay #3 question for 2024-2025 applicants.
• Finally, applicants targeting August 2025 enrollment have a new second option for essay #2.

If CBS’s J-Term program is top on your list, do not wait to get started!

The 2024-2025 Columbia Business School J-Term MBA Application Deadlines Are: 

Round 1: June 18, 2024

Round 2: September 5, 2024

The 2024-2025 Columbia Business School MBA Application Deadlines for August 2025 Entry Are: 

Round 1: September 10, 2024

Round 2: January 7, 2025

Round 3: April 1, 2025

In addition to changing the deadlines, this year CBS has also updated its essays. (While the essays shared below are for J-term applicants, historically CBS has asked two-year MBA program applicants to answer the same essay questions).

Personal MBA Coach’s Top Tips for Tackling Columbia Business School’s Essays

Given Columbia Business School’s J-Term rolling admissions, getting an early start is particularly crucial.

The three questions together will prompt MBA candidates to cover a wide range of information about their professional goals, plans on campus, personal stories and leadership styles.

Avoid repeating yourself while ensuring that the three Columbia essays work together to paint an accurate and consistent picture of your candidacy.

Columbia Business School 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 maximum)

Columbia specifically asks that candidates not repeat their resumes in this career goals question. While some mention of your professional past is still expected, it should be brief and used as context to further elaborate on why your goals are attainable. This question explicitly asks for both a short-term goal and a long-term dream job so be sure to include both.

According to Nicole Shay, former Columbia Business School Admissions Director: “Your goal should be pragmatic. The committee will be asking themselves: ‘Given the applicant’s work experience + the resources/opportunities at CBS, will this applicant be successful in achieving their short-term goal?’”

In addition, your   goals   should show a logical progression from your current experiences. If they do not, then a brief explanation is a good idea so that the admissions committee can understand how you will realistically attain your goals.

Discussing your long-term dream job is an opportunity to show the admissions committee your true ambitions and what really matters to you professionally. It is important that candidates have lofty goals here but ones that make sense for them and fit with both their short-term goals and overall story. This is a unique chance not only to show how you envision your career unfolding but also to give the readers a little more insight into who you are by adding at least a brief mention of why this career interests you.

Finally, while not explicitly asked, a bit on how you will prepare for these goals while at Columbia would serve as a nice conclusion.

Columbia Business School Essay 2 – January Enrollment:   The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to ensure that every CBS student develops the skills to become an ethical and inclusive leader. Through PPIL, students attend programming focused on five essential diversity, equity, and inclusion skills: Creating an Inclusive Environment, Mitigating Bias and Prejudice, Managing Intercultural Dialogue, Addressing Systemic Inequity, and Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking.

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)*.

Columbia Business School Essay 2 – August Enrollment: The  Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL)  is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders.  Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills:  Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment. Please respond to one of the below. (250 words)

• Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. 
• Alternatively, please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization. 

This second essay directly addresses a topic that continually is top of mind for nearly all top business schools — DEI. Those applying for August enrollment without a strong example here can answer the alternative question on collaboration and community, another important aspect of CBS’s culture.

With a very short word limit, it is crucial to be very direct in sharing the circumstances, your actions and the result. There is no room for fluff here. Examples can come from your personal or professional life.

If you have are a J-Term applicant, it is ok to think of DEI broadly, particularly if you do not have an obvious story to tell. However, do not force this essay — admissions directors are aware that students have had varying exposure to inclusive leadership so do not worry if you do not have the most impressive story to tell. Showing the reader how you act and think is most important.

Columbia Business School Essay 3:   We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our  clusters and learning teams , an extremely active co-curricular and student life environment, and career mentorship opportunities like our  Executives-in-Residence program .

How would you co-create your optimal mba experience at cbs please be specific. (250 words).

This question is new for 2024-2025 applicants; however, the objective remains the same: explain why CBS is a good fit for you and how you will tailor your experience.

With only 250 words and a lot to cover, it is important to be focused and specific. Show that you have done your research on what options are available on campus and which specifically interest you. Naturally, a tie should be made between these opportunities and your career goals.

According to Nicole: “In this essay, the committee is looking for which resources you are going to utilize to achieve your short-term goal and fulfill your social/cultural needs/interests. However, they are also looking at how you are going to contribute to the CBS community.”

This is the time to discuss the classes you hope to take, clubs you will join and other programs of interest to you, such as speaker series or immersion seminars. While we have always recommended that candidates consider culture as they answer this question (which, as we have shared in the past, is becoming increasingly important to many top business schools) this year CBS explicitly asks applicants to speak to why the CBS culture is a good fit. Be sure that you have done your research on CBS and its culture and community. Find out more about what sets CBS apart by visiting our CBS school guide. Plus, watch Personal MBA Coach’s Nicole Shay’s  exclusive interview  with former colleague and current CBS Adcom Director, Jordan Blitzer. Get insider information about CBS including what Jordan wishes applicants would do differently, what is new on campus and common misconceptions about CBS. This is a must-see for prospective CBS students.

Finally, Columbia has an   optional   essay for applicants . As we advise for most schools, do not feel compelled to answer this unless you have something specific to explain in your background (e.g., a career gap, an unusual recommender, extreme personal circumstances, etc.) This is not the time to spend 500 words professing your love for Columbia.

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Columbia Business School Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2024-2025

Columbia Business School (CBS) requires three essays as part of its application. Through your essays, the school hopes to better understand your experiences and career goals, as well as your rationale for wanting to pursue your MBA at CBS specifically. We at Gatehouse appreciate the program’s range of essay topics, because the variety allows applicants to communicate a broad picture of their candidacy.

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)

Columbia has been asking this question for several years now, so we at Gatehouse have considerable experience coaching candidates on how to effectively respond to this prompt. We know what makes a good essay response, and even better, we know where applicants are likely to stumble.

Our first piece of advice is to make sure that you are answering the school’s entire question. CBS wants to learn two distinct things: what your career goals are for the three to five years after you graduate with your MBA, and what your long-term dream job is. Too often, candidates combine these two elements into one when crafting their essay. Instead, follow the prompt and address each one distinctly! Also, make sure that your short-term goals flow logically into your dream job. They should ideally prepare and position you to achieve that dream job.

For both your short- and long-term goals, focus on what you will be doing (role, industry, and/or function), as well as the kind of impact you want to have—the problems you want to solve, the products you want to create, the team you want to lead. This is especially important when you are describing your “dream job.” Your dream job likely inspires you, and the admissions committee wants to know why.

The essay prompt does not explicitly ask how your goals relate to where you are now, but that does not mean you should ignore the connection. Although the admissions committee is all but telling you not to rehash your resume here (which would make for a poor MBA application essay for most schools, anyway), we encourage you to refer to specific accomplishments and/or experiences if doing so provides context that will help the admissions committee better understand your goals or assess your likelihood of reaching them.

Lastly, consider this essay a goal statement essay. The core components of a goal statement essay are (1) your vision for the future, (2) an explanation of how that vision relates to where you are today, and (3) the reasons you need to attend business school to make your vision a reality. Although you will also discuss (3) in CBS’s Essay 3, you can nonetheless make a clear case for needing an MBA in this essay as well.

For additional guidance on how to craft a compelling goal statement essay, watch our video workshop Your Career Statement – Fact, Fiction, and How to Build One .

Essay 2: The  Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL)  is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders.  Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills:  Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words).

We at Gatehouse are excited to see this question in CBS’s application. Not only does the prompt give applicants a sense of how CBS is adjusting its MBA experience to meet the leadership needs of the moment, but it also offers candidates the chance to share a specific relevant experience. When executed well, this essay can reveal much about your motivations, unique candidacy, and ability to observe, learn, and grow.

While you can choose which of the five highlighted skills you want to focus on, Columbia is clear about what it wants you to share: the situation, actions, and results—or SAR. We suggest you use the fuller STARR (Situation, Task, Actions, Results, and Reflection) approach in crafting your response. Each of these elements is important in storytelling.

• The Situation helps your reader “see” your world.
• The Task conveys the challenge or goal at hand.
• The Actions illustrate who you are as a doer. We often see applicants shortchange their actions in their responses. Instead, take the necessary time to identify the discrete actions you took, and then consider and share both the rationale and the “how” behind them. These specifics will ensure that your story is one that only you could tell.
• The Results are, of course, the outcome of your efforts and experience (the “so what” of your story!).
• The Reflection element covers how the experience affected and shaped you. Why was it meaningful to you?

Applicants often assume that because they are applying to business school, they should recount only positive stories—stories in which they were the hero or did everything right. You could absolutely choose to share such a story (as long as you also explain how the situation affected and shaped you). However, another approach could be focusing instead on an experience that did not end positively or one in which you were not at your best. If you choose to highlight this sort of experience, really lean into that last “R”—the Reflection—and be sure to think about and discuss how you have developed since. Columbia is not expecting perfection; on the contrary, the school’s MBA program exists expressly because CBS believes you are capable of additional growth and change going forward.

If you would like more tips on crafting a story essay, watch our video  The Importance of Business School Application Essays (and How to Write Them) .

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).

This essay prompt is similar to prompts CBS has used in the past, but the wording has been tweaked considerably. Rather than asking candidates to simply explain how they “fit” with CBS, the school is now demanding a much more active response. (We suspect that Columbia changed its prompt this year because the school was receiving too many responses that simply listed various advantages of the CBS program, without showcasing the applicants and their expected role in the school’s community.)

A well-executed essay response to this prompt will present clear connections between you, the aspects of the business school that you find compelling, and the contribution you hope to make while in the CBS community. Consider each of the areas that Columbia mentions (academics, culture, and career) vis-à-vis why you are pursuing an MBA (i.e., the experiences, skills, knowledge, and/or connections you are lacking), and then prove to the admissions committee that you know how CBS specifically can fulfill those needs. Note the resources and offerings (whether well-known or somewhat obscure; they do not have to be arcane to make a strong case!) that resonate with you and will help you advance toward your career goals. Also, reflect on what you anticipate getting involved in and what your contribution will be. The verb “co-create” in the prompt is important! How do you envision working alongside your peers and professors to make the Columbia experience what you need it to be?

We strongly caution you against empty pandering! Simply describing CBS in glowing terms and praising its resources does nothing to enhance your candidacy. By telling the admissions officers what they already know about the school they represent, rather than what they want to know about you, you run the risk of losing their attention—and worse, their support.

Topics in this resource:

MBA Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance

Columbia Business School

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2024-2025 Columbia MBA Essay Analysis and Tips

Admit expert.

• July 30, 2024

The application and essay questions for the 2023 MBA program at Columbia Business School have been made available. The questions are similar to those from previous years, however, they have been revised to emphasize career objectives and fit.

Columbia University offers a fast-paced program in a fast-paced city. MBA students who aim to take full use of the unique resources given by Columbia and its surroundings in New York City will be a strong fit for the program. Another consideration is having the academic credentials to endure the rigors of Columbia.

Columbia Business School (CBS) asks its applicants to write a 50-word “short answer” about their goals and three essays that aren’t too long. 

The first essay question from CBS is about candidates’ long-term career goals, just like the goal statement, but in much more depth (at 500 words). 

The second essay asks applicants to explain why they want an MBA from CBS.

The third essay asks candidates to talk about a favorite book, movie, or song. 

Read on for our full analysis of the questions for the Columbia MBA program.

Columbia MBA essays for 2025 intake

Applicants must complete Two short answer question and three essays for both January and August intakes.

January Essays

Short answer question 1.

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

Short Answer Question 2

Why do you prefer the January-entry term? (50 characters maximum)

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)

The  Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL)  is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills: Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)

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)

August Essays

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)

The  Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL)  is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills: Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment. Please respond to one of the below (250 words).

• Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills and tell us the actions you took and the outcome.
• Alternatively, please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization.

Optional Essay

If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee, please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

Short Answer Question

Examples of possible responses:

“Work in business development for a media company.”

“Join a strategy consulting firm.”

“Launch a data-management start-up.”

The important point to note here is that there is an upper limit of 50 characters and not words. The space between words will also be counted towards this limit.

Therefore, get straight to the point and answer this question with the job and industry. Don’t even waste the character limit for words like ‘I want to.’

So think about what you really want to do with your career in the near future and say it out loud. Don’t forget that the rest of your application needs to show that your stated goal fits with your current skills and deep interests, especially after you’ve gotten your MBA. This will show that your stated goal is attainable and give your claim more weight. If you can do this in 50 characters (not words! ), you will have done what the school wants you to do and answered their question well.

Short Answer Questions (January and August Intakes)

January short answer question.

Why do you prefer the January entry term? (50 characters maximum)

The CBS admissions committee is keen on understanding the specific motivations behind a candidate’s choice of the January-entry term, which forgoes the traditional summer internship. This term is ideal for those who have a clear post-MBA career path that doesn’t rely on the internship experience. Applicants who might already have a job secured, intend to return to a current employer, or are involved in a family business, often choose this route. Similarly, aspiring entrepreneurs who are certain about launching their own ventures may also prefer this entry. The committee seeks clarity and thoughtfulness in your rationale, rather than a generic or pre-determined answer. Your response should demonstrate a well-considered decision that aligns with your professional goals and the structure of the January-entry program.

January Short Answer Question Tips

• Be Direct and Specific: Given the 50-character limit, your answer must be concise and to the point. Clearly state your reason for choosing the January-entry term.
• Highlight Your Career Plan: Explain how skipping the summer internship aligns with your career goals. Whether you have a job secured, plan to return to your current employer, or intend to start your own business, make your reasoning clear.
• Demonstrate Thoughtfulness: Show that you have thoroughly considered your options and that the January-entry term is the best fit for your professional trajectory. Avoid generic statements and focus on your unique situation.
• Avoid Repetition: Instead of merely stating that you do not need a summer internship, explain why this is the case. Provide context that illustrates your understanding of your career path and the program’s structure.

August Short Answer Question

This question aims to gauge your career planning and readiness for the MBA journey. The admissions committee looks for candidates who have a clear vision of their career trajectory and understand how the summer internship (or other summer plans) fits into their overall professional development. By detailing your intended industry or function for the internship, or the specific focus of your business venture, you demonstrate foresight and strategic thinking. The committee appreciates applicants who have researched the employment landscape, are aware of recruiting trends, and have realistic plans that align with their career aspirations.

August Short Answer Question Tips

• Detail Your Summer Plans: Clearly describe how you intend to spend the summer after your first year. Whether you plan to intern in a specific industry or function, or work on your own venture, provide precise details.
• Showcase Your Research: Reference CBS’s recent employment reports and align your plans with the school’s recruiting trends. This demonstrates that you have done your homework and understand the opportunities available.
• Connect the Dots: Illustrate how your summer plans fit into your overall career goals and the progression you envision throughout the MBA program. This helps the admissions committee see a clear, strategic path.
• Acknowledge the Journey: If achieving your summer goals requires additional effort outside the support of CBS’s Career Management Center, mention this. It shows that you are prepared for the challenges ahead and have a realistic plan to achieve your objectives.

As with any goals essay, it’s critical to bear in mind that this is not a theatrical retelling of your resume. However, you should include a few lines of background information to enable the reader to subsequently comprehend that you have the abilities and drive required to achieve your objectives.

In short, make sure that your comments build on what the admissions committee can find in your recommendations or resume, rather than repeating it. 

This question asks about your short- and long-term goals. In contrast to long-term goals, short-term goals might be more specific. The admissions committee expects you to have a general idea of what you want to achieve in the future, but they don’t require the same amount of detail as they do for the immediate post-MBA aspirations. Columbia wants to know that you have a clear idea of where an MBA from Columbia can take you.

For example, maybe you want to run a company or division as its general manager. But for the most part, you have been working in marketing right now. After that, you could take classes in finance and strategy and do consulting projects while working as an intern at a start-up. All of these will help you get the required experience on your way to becoming a general manager.

Also, the part about a “dream job” really stands out. In light of this, your long-term goals should be ambitious, since top programs want to accept people who will change the world. Still, they should be based on your short-term goals, your MBA, and your career so far.

Remember, Columbia wants to know who you are and what makes you different from everyone else who has applied. Don’t try to be the perfect candidate. Instead, show your real personality, goals, and what drives you.

To learn more about what Columbia Business School is looking for and how to make your application stand out, get in touch with us at [email protected]

Admissions Committee’s Expectations

The CBS admissions committee is looking for candidates who embody the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and have actively engaged in fostering these values in their personal or professional lives. The PPIL program aims to cultivate leaders who can navigate and address DEI challenges effectively. By including this essay prompt, the committee seeks to understand your experiences and actions related to DEI, assessing your ability to reflect on these experiences and articulate the impact of your actions.

Key Aspects the Committee Looks For:

• Active Participation: Applicants should demonstrate that they were not passive observers but active participants in achieving a positive DEI outcome. This includes taking tangible actions and making significant contributions to addressing DEI challenges.
• Structured Reflection: The essay prompt encourages a structured response, similar to the STAR method (Situation, Action, Outcome). This structure helps in presenting a clear and concise narrative that showcases your involvement and impact.
• Connection to Personal Growth: The committee is interested in how the situation influenced you, your values, and your approach to leadership. Highlighting personal growth and learning from the experience is crucial.
• Realistic Outcomes: The committee does not expect all outcomes to be entirely positive. Realistic and honest reflections on challenges and partial successes can be as impactful as wholly positive results, especially in complex DEI issues.
• Specific Examples: Whether you choose to discuss utilizing one of the five DEI skills or fostering collaboration and community, specific examples that illustrate your actions and their impact are essential.

How to Write This Essay

Step-by-Step Guide:

• Research the PPIL Program: Before you begin writing, familiarize yourself with the PPIL program’s objectives and vision. Understanding the context will help you align your experiences with the program’s goals and articulate your fit for the Columbia MBA program.
• Choose the Right Experience: Select an experience that clearly demonstrates your engagement with one of the five inclusive leadership skills or your ability to foster collaboration and community. The experience should be significant enough to showcase your values and leadership abilities.
• Situation: Briefly set the stage by describing the context and the challenge you faced. Aim to do this in 50–75 words to keep your response concise.
• Action: Focus on the actions you took to address the challenge. Describe how you applied the chosen DEI skill or how you facilitated collaboration. This section should be the most detailed, using 100–125 words.
• Outcome: Summarize the results of your actions. Discuss the impact on the team, organization, or community, and reflect on what you learned. Use the remaining words to provide a clear and honest outcome.
• Reflect on Personal Growth: Explain how the experience influenced your perspective and leadership style. Demonstrating personal growth and the ability to learn from challenges will strengthen your essay.
• Be Concise and Direct: Given the 250-word limit, every word counts. Ensure that each sentence contributes to showcasing your experience and the impact of your actions. Avoid unnecessary details and focus on the key elements of the story.

Example Outline:

• Briefly describe the context and the DEI challenge you encountered.
• Detail the steps you took to address the challenge.
• Explain how you applied the specific DEI skill or facilitated collaboration.
• Highlight your communication and leadership efforts.
• Summarize the results of your actions.
• Reflect on the impact and your personal growth.

Alternative Prompt:

If you choose to discuss fostering collaboration and community:

• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your response.
• Focus on how your efforts improved team dynamics and outcomes.
• Provide specific examples of your contributions to building a collaborative environment.

We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our clusters and learning teams , co-curricular initiatives like the Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership , which aims to equip students with the skills and strategies necessary to lead in an inclusive and ethical manner, and career mentorship opportunities like our Executives-in-Residence program . Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally? (300 words)

This essay question wants you to say why CBS is the best place to help you reach your goals. It’s a great chance to show that you’ve done your research and are really interested in going to Columbia. 

In the prompt, the admissions committee mentions three major parts of the CBS program and gives links to more information about them. This is a good place to start (or, ideally, continue) your research, even if you don’t think any of the three immediately applies to you. 

In your essay, you need to show a clear plan of action and show how CBS’s services fit directly with your interests, personality, and needs. 

Note that the “academically, culturally, and professionally” part of the prompt does not have a “and/or” option. This means that you must make sure to talk about all three things in your essay, and you should do so thoroughly and about equally. 

This will show the admissions committee that you are a good fit for and excited about the whole CBS MBA experience, not just a few key resources or parts.

Even though it isn’t directly in the essay prompt (like it was in years past), you should still explain not only why Columbia’s campus life and leadership culture are right for you, but also why you want to get your MBA in New York City, since NYC is such a big part of the Columbia experience. 

The admissions committee makes it pretty clear that you need to talk about any problems with your application, such as gaps in employment, bad grades, etc. 

In these situations, applicants should keep their answers short and to the point, explaining what happened without making excuses and bringing up mitigating factors in a humble way. 

Still, it’s possible that there are other parts of your background that would be relevant but aren’t covered anywhere else in your application, like an upcoming promotion or a part of your identity that isn’t covered by the program’s data forms. 

Even though applicants should try to show everything about themselves in the required parts of the application, there is still some room for short exceptions.

Let us help you get into Columbia Business School

We will help you write essays that portray your unique strengths and experiences in the most favorable light so that your application shines above the rest. We have helped hundreds of students get into top US business schools. Let us help you too.

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Columbia MBA Essays for 2024-2025

The Columbia MBA essays and deadlines for the 2024-2025 admissions season are now available. This year’s applicants to Columbia Business School must complete two short answer questions and three essays.

Short Answer Question

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? ( maximum 50 characters )

Examples of possible responses:

• “Work in business development for a media company.”
• “Join a strategy consulting firm.”
• “Launch a data management start-up.”

January Short Answer Question : Why do you prefer the January entry term? (50 characters maximum)

August Short Answer Question: 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)

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)

The  Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL)  is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders.  Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills:  Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

• Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome.
• Alternatively, please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization.

Word count: 250

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)

Optional Essay

If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee, please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

The August 2025 application will be available in late June. For more information on applying, please visit the Columbia Business School admissions website. If you need guidance on your Columbia MBA essays or wish to discuss your MBA plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis  of your candidacy. We’re here to help!

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure.  Ashley  holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years,  Ashley  was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.  Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).  In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.  Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford.   Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.   Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.  During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).  During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.  Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from LBS, Columbia CBS and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Meet Susan , just one of the many superstars on the SBC team. Susan was the Director of Recruitment and Admissions at London Business School LBS and also the Director of the Executive MBA program at Columbia Business School CBS.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

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Kelly Lundy

Columbia Business School Application Essay Tips, 2024-2025

Columbia Business School (CBS) has made several changes to its essay questions for both January and August term applications this year. August term applications have three rounds of deadlines (Round 1 is September 10, Round 2 is January 7, and Round 3 is April 1). The school has also introduced two application deadlines for its January term candidates (Round 1 is June 18, and Round 2 is August 15). Our guidance for each essay question follows.

The admissions committee added a new short-answer question for both January and August entry applicants. They also rephrased two questions to more prominently address collaboration and community. This includes last year’s third prompt about why “Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally.” The new wording asks, “How would you co-create your optimal MBA experience at CBS?” which will allow applicants to highlight how they intend to collaborate with classmates (and professors) to maximize their experience and leave a positive impact on the school. All CBS applicants must complete three essays and two short-answer questions.

To write successful essays for CBS, you need to convey that you have clear goals, especially well-thought-out reasons for wanting to attend the school and live in New York City (NYC), and strong values. Moreover, you must do your homework on CBS so you can really prove that it is the best place for you. CBS doesn’t want to be a commuter school filled with people coming to Manhattan for a two-year vacation; it wants to know that you recognize and appreciate it for the world-class business school it is and that you plan to be a leader in its community. So, demonstrating “fit” is critical. Let’s delve deeper into each CBS application essay question.

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SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS

What is your immediate post-mba professional goal (50 characters maximum).

This is a noticeably short statement (remember — 50 characters, not words!). Make your response as specific as possible, noting the position you want, the industry that interests you, and/or a company that is ideal for you. Keep in mind that whatever you say here should tie into your first long required essay.

August Short Answer Question: 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)

This is a new question for August-term applicants, whereas previously, they might have addressed their summer plans in Essays 1 or 3 instead. Candidates now have a dedicated (albeit limited) space in which to describe their intended professional pursuits for the summer between school years. Ensure that your answer here sets the stage for your short-term career goals, at minimum. Be specific: Will you continue to be based in NYC? What types of deals, consulting projects, or products do you aspire to work on? If you intend to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor, be sure to check out student resources from the Eugene M. Lang Entrepreneurship Center. You can also reach out to students and/or recent graduates to get ideas about which companies typically hire summer interns in your intended field. 

January Short Answer Question: Why do you prefer the January-entry term? (50 characters maximum)

Again, you’ll need to keep your response concise but specific. Some reasons you might prefer the J-Term are not needing a summer internship (e.g., you’re planning to return to your current firm or a family business after graduation) or wanting to complete school on an expedited timeline.

Essay One: 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)

By starting with some simple context/backstory, you can give the admissions reader a sense of why your stated goals are credible and exciting. Simply launching into why you want to go into consulting or edtech or whatever your interest is could be confusing if you have not yet provided some sense of why you have that interest. So, your first task is to establish that your goals are feasible without rehashing the entirety of your professional path. 

Next, delve into your long-term goal. By starting with your long-term goal, you are solidifying why you absolutely need a CBS MBA. Think big, think creatively, and think outside the box. Here, giving a job title is not essential (though you can), but you do need to convey what sort of impact you hope to make — on a community, on a company or organization, or somewhere else. In addition, give examples of how and why your long-term goal will be important.

Finally, describe your three- to five-year career goals, which should directly help you achieve your stated longer-term goals. Consider offering a specific job title and an example of a company or organization you aspire to work for. This will help the admissions committee connect with your goal. You have ample word count here to show that you really know what this job entails — that you are not just chasing prestige but have really thought about fit and about how, after you have completed the CBS MBA program, your desired role will prepare you for your long-term dream job. Be sure that your long-term goal can be achieved via your short-term goal. If you cannot build the bridge from one to the other, the admissions committee will question whether CBS can support you in such an improbable endeavor.

You can briefly finish with how the CBS MBA specifically will be critical in meeting your goals. Consider highlighting certain classes, centers, programs, and/or organizations that are unique to CBS that would be beneficial to you. 

Essay Two: The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) Pathway is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills: Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment. Please respond to one of the below.

-describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words), -alternatively, please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization. (250 words).

This essay is a great opportunity to give the admissions committee more depth and perspective on your unique background and experiences. But to begin crafting an effective response to this essay prompt, you first need to learn more about the PPIL program, so be sure to start there. 

Because this is a short essay, every word counts. Our suggestion would be to devote approximately 50–75 words to describing the situation you experienced and why it stands out for you. With such tight constraints, you clearly need to get to the heart of the matter quickly. Of course, the situation you choose to discuss is important, but what is more important is revealing your values by sharing the steps you took. You might dedicate 100–125 words to relaying those actions and then use the remainder to discuss the outcome. Remember, your results don’t all have to be rosy. For example, if one takes on systemic racism, it almost goes without saying that the experience will not be an easy one. Even amid such restrictive limits, strive to convey the reality of applying one of the stated skills, and make sure your values are on display in a thoughtful manner. 

If you choose to address the alternative essay component about collaboration and fostering community, you can use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action and Result) to illustrate how your efforts improved both your team’s results and overall experience (e.g., improving retention on your team, encouraging others to pursue active leadership or mentorship roles).

Essay Three: 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).

There are many unique ways to convey how you intend to contribute to the campus experience and collaborate with your peers to leave a lasting legacy at CBS. Before you begin writing, do significant research into what CBS has to offer that fits with your specific goals, including classes and professors (to check the “academic” box), extracurricular clubs and unique traditions (to check the “culture” box), and local networking and internship opportunities (to check the “professional” box). The ways you plan to contribute during your MBA experience should be tied to unique aspects of the school and particular interests and needs that you have.

For example, to fulfill the “academic” element, you could mention how you’d like to co-author a white paper with a specific professor or how you intend to collaborate with fellow students on an entrepreneurial endeavor through the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship. For the “culture” element, you could talk about taking a board position in an affinity-based club (Columbia Women in Business, Latin American Business Association, Ski & Snowboarding Club) and planning an event, panel, or trip. For the “professional” element, you might talk about how you could leverage your existing skills or network to help your fellow classmates. For example, if you are currently a consultant, offer to do mock interviews. If you are currently in the tech industry, offer to set up a panel with your existing industry mentors or leaders you know. Again, remember to tie the experiences you highlight to what you need to gain to attain your goals. 

Research could take the form of reading the CBS website, speaking with students and alumni from similar backgrounds or in relevant post-grad roles, attending an info session, or visiting campus. The application specifically asks candidates to list the students and alumni they have connected with, so leverage such resources as the Hermes Society website to connect with students who have shared interests, backgrounds, or goals. Be aware that if you live in NYC, it is imperative that you schedule a campus visit. Not making an effort to go to campus and engage directly with students there can be a red flag.

Optional Essay: If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee, please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

See our blog post on Optional Essay Do’s and Don’ts for guidance.

In the related article How to Get into Columbia Business School, you will find information on a variety of the MBA program’s offerings, such as the Lang Entrepreneurship Center, J-Term, Immersion Seminars, and the CBS World Tour. 

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I spoke in my own essays about some of my patient care experiences in medical school and how they informed my desire to make a larger, positive impact on healthcare systems in a leadership role.” — Jesper Ke, MD/MBA ’25 Why this is good advice: Jesper highlights the importance of authenticity and personalization in essays. The essays are the admissions committee’s lens into an applicant’s unique experiences and how they’ve been impacted by them. Consider using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) format to share specific examples. Writing a memorable essay is an iterative process that takes time and reflection. It’s helpful to view the essay-writing process as a way to “double-check” your career and personal goals as you explore your MBA program options.   — Digna Patel Raj, Associate Director, FTMBA Admissions  What admissions events or Michigan Ross-related activities would you recommend prospective students participate in before applying? “I highly recommend attending events where you can connect with current students and recent alumni. I leveraged the student ambassador network to connect with students from similar backgrounds and/or career interests. Through these conversations, I was able to understand the Ross culture and what it was like to be a student at Ross. Additionally, if you have the means, I recommend visiting campus. 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Visiting the campus gives you the opportunity to experience the environment firsthand and assess if it aligns with your expectations.  — Lindsay DiAngelo, Assistant Director, FTMBA Admissions  What is one thing you wish you had known when you applied to Michigan Ross? “One thing I wish I had known is the significance of demonstrating leadership and how this impacts an application to the program. Most applicants often talk about their achievements in terms of results; however, Ross places a strong emphasis on applicants who have shown a history of making a difference in their professional and personal lives. That’s where leadership comes in. An applicant needs to think of ways they have demonstrated this in the past while achieving results. Reflecting on this will help you put your best foot forward as you prepare for your interview.” — Adewale Asimolowo, MBA ’25 Why this is good advice: Adewale’s advice is wonderful from an admissions perspective because it highlights the importance of aligning with the specific values and priorities of the Michigan Ross MBA Program and focusing on the 'how'. This approach will help you to differentiate yourself as an applicant and is highly relevant to your application's essay and evaluative interview criterion. The recent revision of our MBA essays allows applicants to emphasize their leadership and impact further.  — Andrea McHale, Director, FTMBA Admissions What tips do you have for students who are invited to interview? “Be yourself! Ultimately, your interviewers are primarily alumni who also understand the Ross experience and are looking to learn more about your interests and fit with the community. At the same time, take the interview as an opportunity to learn more about Ross, asking your interviewer about their experiences, the community, and how a Ross MBA empowered their future career path.” Why this is good advice: Jesper emphasizes the importance of authenticity both on paper and in real life. In addition to demonstrating the research you’ve done on Ross and coming prepared with some targeted questions for your interviewer, make sure you’ve also reflected on your own experiences, both professional and personal, that you can talk about during your interview. A good tip for prepping for your interview is to create a workbook with examples you can use for different behavioral questions. And make sure you’re prepared to answer why an MBA makes sense for you at this point in your career.  — Michelle Pava, Associate Director, FTMBA Admissions How did you go about choosing your recommenders? “Initially, I made a list of my recent managers, project managers, and anyone I worked closely with who can speak to my professional experience. To select my recommenders, I wanted individuals who could speak positively and tangibly about my work experience and work products and saw my growth professionally. I ended up selecting a project manager I had worked with on multiple projects and a previous direct manager/partner.” Why this is good advice: Shivanee provides great insight on who to select for your letter of recommendation. The admissions committee advises choosing someone who is going to provide a comprehensive overview of your work experience and the impact you bring to a team, which is often a direct supervisor or someone in a managerial role who has worked closely with you. Be sure to also meet with your recommender one-on-one before asking them so they have a clear understanding of your goals before they get to writing. — Melissa Coveney, Associate Director, FTMBA Admissions  What’s your best piece of general advice to prospective students hoping to get into Michigan Ross?  “Self-reflection is important. Spend time reflecting on your experiences, strengths, and areas for improvement. Self-awareness and a willingness to grow are qualities that interviewers and admissions committees appreciate.” Why this is good advice: Adewale is spot on — self-reflection and awareness are some of the most important aspects of the application process and your overall MBA experience. We highly encourage everyone to take some time to reflect on why they want an MBA, why now, and what they hope to learn before applying.  — Lysa Wang, Associate Director, FTMBA Admissions  Be sure to check out more tips from the admissions team on our YouTube channel , and come ask any questions you may have at an upcoming admissions event. We’re excited to see your application and wish you the best of luck as you take this important step toward becoming a future Michigan Ross MBA. "Believing in yourself and your abilities is the first step toward tackling any challenge." 325 COMMENTS MBA Application Requirements Applicants must complete two short answer questions and three essays. Please click on the entry term you are applying for to see the essays for that application. January-Entry Essays ... The nonrefundable application fee for the Columbia Business School MBA Program is US$250. Applicants are strongly encouraged to pay this fee via credit card ... Columbia MBA Essay Questions & Analysis 2024-2025 The following analysis examines the admissions essays for Columbia Business School. The Columbia MBA essay questions below are for the 2024-2025 admissions season. ... Target: R1 - Columbia Business School (CBS), Kellogg School of Management, NYU Stern Reach: R2 -Booth, Wharton (with retake to improve GRE) 4. September 1, 2024 7:34pm ET Columbia MBA Essay Questions, Tips & Advice for 2024-2025 You can learn a lot about a school by looking at the essay questions they ask. Columbia's MBA essay questions show they want students with clear, well-researched career goals. This is why Essay 1 has a generous word count and there's a direct short answer question. CBS also values diversity—not just in background, but also in thought. Columbia Business School Essay Examples Examples of possible responses: 1. "Work in business development for a media company.". 2. "Join a strategy consulting firm. 3. "Launch a data-management start-up.". CBS applicants accustomed to X's (formerly Twitter's) standard 280-character allowance might find the school's 50-character limit here more than a little ... Columbia Business School Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2023 Columbia Business School Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2023-2024. Date Published December 14, 2023 Section. In the Media. Publication. CBS Newsroom. Admissions. Mentioned On. ... Columbia University in the City of New York 665 West 130th Street, New York, NY 10027 Tel. 212-854-1100. Maps and Directions. Centers & Programs; A Guide to the Columbia Business School Essays (2024-2025) Coach Melanie E. walks you through each Columbia Business School essay prompt for the 2023-2024 cycle, breaking down what adcoms are looking for and offering expert advice on how to nail your responses. ... The Importance of the Columbia MBA Essays Short Answer Question Essay 1 Essay 2 Essay 3 Optional Essay General Tips for All Essays Final ... Columbia Business School MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines Here is what is new this year: August entry - Short Answer Question #2: Asks for your post-first-year summer plans. Essay #2: Slightly narrower wording that will help you better select an example to share. Essay #3: A change to the prompt that emphasizes collaboration as part of your Columbia experience. Full-Time MBA Admissions Start Your Future at Columbia Business School. At Columbia Business School, our MBA program, taught by world-renowned faculty, prepares you to excel in today's fast-paced business world. Located in the heart of New York City, CBS offers unmatched networking opportunities and hands-on engagement with industry leaders. How to Tackle the Columbia MBA Essay Questions Columbia Business School requires three essays in its MBA application. For the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, they have changed one essay — or, rather, reverted back to one in use a few years ago. CBS is once again asking applicants to describe a time when they were challenged around one of five skills essential to becoming an inclusive and ... Ready to Apply? Columbia Business School requires that the work contained in your application (including essays) is completely accurate and exclusively your own. Columbia University permits the use of generative AI tools for idea generation and/or to edit a candidate's work; however, using these tools to generate complete responses violates the Honor Code. Poets&Quants Columbia Business School Essay Questions And Strategic Guidance, 2023-2024. Columbia Business School (CBS) asks three essay questions as part of its application process. Through your essay responses, the school hopes to better understand your experiences and career goals, as well as your rationale for wanting to pursue your MBA at CBS ... Columbia Business School MBA Deadlines & Essays: 2024-2025 The 2024-2025 Columbia Business School MBA Application Deadlines for August 2025 Entry Are: Round 1: September 10, 2024. Round 2: January 7, 2025. Round 3: April 1, 2025. In addition to changing the deadlines, this year CBS has also updated its essays. (While the essays shared below are for J-term applicants, historically CBS has asked two-year ... Columbia Business School Essay Guidance Columbia Business School Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2024-2025. Columbia Business School (CBS) requires three essays as part of its application. Through your essays, the school hopes to better understand your experiences and career goals, as well as your rationale for wanting to pursue your MBA at CBS specifically. Frequently Asked Questions Columbia Business School considers scores valid for five years after your test date. Please send your score report to Columbia Business School and submit your application at least one week before the scores expire. Columbia Business School's GMAT and Executive Assessment code is QF8-N6-52, and its GRE code is 6442. If admitted, we will need ... 2024-2025 Columbia MBA Essay Analysis and Tips MBA Essay Tips. July 30, 2024. The application and essay questions for the 2023 MBA program at Columbia Business School have been made available. The questions are similar to those from previous years, however, they have been revised to emphasize career objectives and fit. Columbia University offers a fast-paced program in a fast-paced city. Columbia MBA Essays for 2024-2025 We can improve your MBA profile and boost your candidacy. Gain insight into the review process and eliminate weaknesses from your MBA application. The Columbia MBA essays and deadlines for the 2024-2025 admissions season are now available. This year's applicants to Columbia Business School must complete two short answer questions and three ... Tips for Your Columbia Business School Application Essays Columbia Business School Application Essay Tips, 2024-2025. Columbia Business School (CBS) has made several changes to its essay questions for both January and August term applications this year. August term applications have three rounds of deadlines (Round 1 is September 10, Round 2 is January 7, and Round 3 is April 1). EMBA Application Requirements If admitted, CBS will ask you to submit an official GMAT, Executive Assessment, or GRE score. Columbia Business School's GMAT and Executive Assessment code is QF8-N6-36 for EMBA-Friday/Saturday, and QF8-N6-04 for EMBA-Saturday. Its GRE code is 6442. The Admissions Committee will consider only your highest score when reviewing your application ... Columbia Business School The following analysis examines the admissions essays for Columbia Business School. The Columbia MBA essay questions below are for the 2024-2025 admissions season. You can also review essay topic analyses for other leading MBA programs as well as general Essay Tips to further aid you… Read More Read more Prepare Prepa ring for the Business Writing Assessment is made easy with GMAC's prep resources! U se the tips and tools in the free prep guide, see a list of example essay questions, and take advantage of Official Practice. Columbia Business School Columbia University in the City of New York 665 West 130th Street, New York, NY 10027 Tel. 212-854-1100. Maps and Directions Frequently Asked Questions If you have a question that isn't answered here, or if you need further clarification, we encourage you to call our Admissions team at 212-854-1961 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Find answers to frequently asked questions about the Executive MBA (Master of Business Administration) program at Columbia Business School. How To Submit Your Strongest Application: Tips From Michigan Ross The recent revision of our MBA essays allows applicants to emphasize their leadership and impact further. — Andrea McHale, Director, FTMBA Admissions ... and come ask any questions you may have at an upcoming admissions event. ... Stephen M. Ross School of Business. 701 Tappan Street. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234 +1 (734) 615-5002. Social Media ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review thesis