Like many of us, CBS just wants to be loved. For a successful candidate, that means making it clear to CBS that it is your first (and possibly only) choice for business school and that you possess the leadership qualities to succeed.
If this is you—and you want the best chance of being accepted—then applying to Early Decision (ED) is the way to go. Of course, ED alone won’t get you in! You will need to convey that you have clear goals (Essay One), especially well-thought-out reasons for attending CBS (Essay Two) and strong values (Essay Three). The truth is, applying early can be somewhat meaningless if you can’t back it up!
But don’t fret! If you are applying in the regular admissions round, you don’t need to apologize, explain, or grovel! However, you should still do your homework and really prove that CBS is the place for you. CBS doesn’t want to be a commuter school where people come to Manhattan for a two-year vacation—it wants to be the world-class business school that it is. So, as we are noting, that fit piece is critical.
Let’s delve into each essay.
SHORT ANSWERS
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters)
This is a very short statement (remember—50 characters, not words!). Make this as specific as possible; provide an example of a position you may want, an industry you want to join, or a company that is ideal for you. Whatever you say here should tie into Essay #1.
LONG ESSAYS
Essay One: Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3–5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)
By starting with some simple context/backstory, you can give the reader a sense of why your goals are credible and exciting. Simply launching into why you want to go into consulting or “ed-tech” or whatever your interest may be could be confusing unless the reviewer has some sense of why you have that interest. So, your first task is to establish that your goals are real without rehashing the entirety of your professional path.
Next, describe your three- to five-year career goals and how, after completing the CBS MBA, your desired role will prepare you for your long-term dream job. 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 really connect with your goal. You have ample word count here to show that you really know what this job is—that you are not just chasing prestige but have really thought about “fit” (there is that word again!).
Finally, delve more deeply into your long-term goal—think big, think creatively, think outside the box. Here, it’s not as essential to give a job title (though you can) but rather what sort of impact you hope to make. In addition, 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. Lastly, give examples of how and why your long-term goal might be important—to a community, a company or an organization, or somewhere else.
If you have a few extra words left at the end, finish with how the CBS MBA specifically will be critical in meeting these goals. You can mention certain classes, professors, or organizations that are unique to CBS that would be beneficial to you. Be sure not to overlap with the next essay, though, as you want to mention new information in each essay.
Essay Two: Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you? (250 words)
Your answer to this essay should get across that the CBS MBA is the business program for you, without saying that explicitly! The reasons you give for why you want to attend CBS should be tied to unique aspects of the school itself, like the fact that the school’s location in New York City provides unparalleled business resources, and to specific interests that you have, like a specific desire to get involved in the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship. It’s not enough to just generally list characteristics of the school; you should also tie these aspects to what you want to gain or provide during your time in the program. Prior to writing, you should do significant research into what CBS has to offer—including classes, extracurriculars, professors, and networking opportunities. Then, you should integrate your reasons for attending CBS into your story, showing that you can seize the CBS opportunity to achieve your audacious goals.
Essay Three: Tell us about your favorite book, movie, or song and why it resonates with you? (250 words)
By asking about a favorite piece of work, CBS is giving you the chance to showcase your personality in an open-ended response. It is important to note that this question is more about why you selected a piece than it is about providing a synopsis of the piece. Think of something that is interesting to you that you can pull the reader into and then explain why it resonates with you. Avoid obvious responses, such as top sellers or business-related topics, and select something that will allow you to explore within the essay your values, interests, and unique experiences. It is less important whether you pick a book, movie, or song and more about what you connect to within the piece.
Reapplicant Essay: 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).
This is an opportunity to explain how you have grown since you last applied. Ideally, you have improved on some aspect(s) of your profile—whether that is a higher test score or more work experience and a promotion, etc. Be sure to explain what it is about the school that motivates you to apply again. This can be a great way to show your specific and sincere reasons why you value a Columbia MBA.
Optional Essay: Is there any further information that you wish to provide the Admissions Committee? If so, use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)
This question only needs to be addressed if there are gaps in your employment or some specific situation where providing background or context would be helpful. Some other examples would be if your recommender is not your direct supervisor, or maybe your transcript looks like Swiss cheese with some holes or bad grades scattered here and there. There is no need to make this any longer than it needs to be to explain your answer. Do not feel compelled to hit the 500-word maximum.
If you have any special extracurricular causes or work that you believe helps to further explain who you are, this would be a good place to help the committee learn about this aspect.