Columbia Business School MBA Essays for August 2025 Entry

 The most important thing I can tell you about gaining admission to Columbia Business School's Class of 2027, aside from my essay analysis below, is to apply in Round 1 (Deadline September 10, 2024).  Based on what occurred with CBS applications for August 2024 entry- Hard but normal for admission in R1 and terrible in R2 (incredibly rate of rejection and waitlisting reported worldwide)- I am telling every applicant I encounter to apply in Round 1 for Fall 2025 entry if at all possible. Given that CBS takes the Executive Assessment  (Try to get at least a 150, 155 is better and 160 or over is good) in lieu of GMAT or GRE,  it is along with other schools that take the EA (NYU, Duke, Darden, Stanford MSx), an easy place to apply to R1. Even if you are applying everywhere else in R2, apply to CBS in R1 if you want to maximize your shot for August 2025 entry.   The Round 2 deadline is January 7th  and Round 3 deadline is appropriately April 1st because unless you are a very special person who does not need financial aid and is absolutely super amazing and unique, you have to be a fool to apply for that round.

 

If you are considering January 2025 entry, see my J-term post here. In that post I discuss the difference between August and January term entry.

 

The second most important thing I can tell you, aside from my essay analysis, is that you need to learn about a lot about CBS.  It is one of the schools that requires knowing a lot about it through networking with current students and alumni.  CBS wants to be loved.  Comparatively speaking, the amount of engagement you should have with this school is very high compared to the rest of the M7 because they ask in their application forms for your student, alumni, and adcom contact.  For more about this issue, see my post from last year, How much do I really need to know about an MBA program to prepare a strong application for it? It varies!  It provides a comprehensive guide to this issue for CBS, the rest of the M7, and many other top schools.

 

Along with HBS, Stanford, and INSEAD, I think CBS is one of the best first applications to work on. In the case of CBS, Essay 1 requires more of a focus on goals than any other school, so doing it gives applicants all the content they need for any school's goals essays.  Also Essay 3, provides a perfect length for explaining why you want to attend a specific MBA program. Make that argument right for CBS and it will help you with other schools that require similar essay content.

You can find testimonials from my clients admitted for Columbia Business School here.  Since 2007, when I established my own consultancy (I have been an MBA admissions consultant since 2001), I have been fortunate to work with 98 clients admitted to Columbia Business School for Fall term,  J-Term, and Deferred Admission. 

 

For my post on re-application to Columbia, see here. For my analysis of recommendations , please see here. For my analysis of Columbia Business School application interviews, please see here

 

The Essay Questions and the Immediate Post-MBA Goals Statement

The questions are taken from the website.

Immediate Post-MBA Goals Statement: 

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.”

 

Remember this is 50 characters, not words! This would be about 5-10 words. The question itself, fortunately, includes the above examples to make it clear what Columbia is looking for here. Given the length, you can't possibly expect to explain what you want to do short-term.  That is what Essay 1 is for. In fact, it is best to simply write this little statement after you have a good working version of Essay 1.  CBS is looking for a short, but a very clear statement of what you intend to do after your MBA. If you have difficulty explaining your immediate post-MBA plans in the space given, I think that is likely an indication that your plans are too complex, vague, or otherwise not well thought out. What you state here should be backed up by what you discuss in Essay 1 and 2 (or the reapplicant essay for reapplicants).

If you can be clever or catchy in formulating this response that is fine, but it is a completely secondary consideration to simply stating something that is very clear and that is completely consistent with what you write in Essay 1 and 2. Being clever is not critical here, being clear is.

 

 

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)

Since I have found it necessary to make this clear to clients:  THIS ESSAY IS COMPLETELY FUTURE FOCUSED. That is why they say they "have a clear sense of your professional path to date."  Any statements you make about your past experience should be analytical rather than descriptive and for the sole purpose of explaining what you want to do in the future and why. Discuss your past to help establish your motivation for your goals. If they wanted a detailed past history, they would not have worded the question the way they do. 

A BAD CBS Essay 1 will typically consist of extended discussion of past experience, lack of explanation of post-MBA goals, and inability to distinguish between long-term goals as typically required by other schools and a long-term dream job.  Here is what you can do to avoid that:

 

Using your 500 words

I think a good essay will consist of the following components

-A first paragraph that begins to the answer directly (briefly states either or both goals or an overall mission relating to both so the reader does not have to guess what the subject of the essay is) and that VERY BRIEFLY explains whatever aspects of background and/or personal motivation that are necessary to help the reader understand your answers to the two questions CBS is asking here.

- A clear short-term 3-5 year plan. Explain motivation and past experience if it has not already been discussed sufficiently.

- A clear dream job, not just a long-term goal or vision but an actual imagined highly aspirational role. Explain motivation and past experience if it has not already been discussed sufficiently.

- Since Essay 3 is focused on why CBS, you should not write about that here. However you may need to explain why you need an MBA in general to achieve your goals.

 

 

"What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years"

 

CBS wants to know exactly what you want to do after your MBA and why.  You need to have a clear plan.  Explain not only what you want to do, but why you want to do it. Some questions you want to answer here:

How does the post MBA role you will have relate to your longer term career objectives? 

How does it relate to your past experience?

What kind of firms do you want to work for? 

What is the intended role?

Don't hedge more than is absolutely necessary because you want provide a clear believable, achievable story. 

 

 

You want want to explain why need an MBA now to get into that role but only briefly as you have an entire essay for explaining why CBS.  The point of mentioning MBA here would be if it is not obvious why an MBA is needed to achieve this goal or if you cannot get the topic into Essay 3. 

 

 

This is a reality based question so provide a well-researched reality based answer.  See https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/recruiters/employmentreport to figure out where CBS graduates go.  If you are mentioning a role, industry, or company that does not recruit at CBS and your post-MBA goals are not entrepreneurial or in a family business, you have a problem. Make CBS adcom believe in your short-term plan.  This is not a good school for confused people, it is one for those who know what they want and have an initial plan for how to achieve it.  If you need a lot of hand holding and want to be part of a highly collaborative intense community this is not the best school for you. It is a commuter school (now more than ever because no lives around the Manhattanville campus)

 

 

 

what would be your long-term dream job?

 

IT IS A DREAM! Tell them a story about the future, not just mentioning a role but painting a picture.  CBS is inviting you to showcase your ambition and future potential.  What is your vision?  What kind of impact do you want make in your life?  Assume you succeed and don't just become another middle management type.

 

 

Consider illustrious CBS alumni:  See https://www.businessbecause.com/news/notable-alumni/7134/columbia-business-school-notable-alumni and https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-columbia-business-school-alumni-and-students/reference.  For my post on Warren Buffet, CBS's most famous alumnus, see here.  How will you reach their level?

 

 

Think about the future. Imagine not on how the world is now, but on how it might be in10, 20, 30 years from now. Describe that future and how you see yourself in it.  The future you present might be 10 years from now or 20 or 30 or more years.  The point is to showcase your ambition and vision. 

 

 

 

What makes your vision of the future different? Consider the following when formulating a vision:

 

- Is your vision based on a problem you want to solve?  If you are are merely providing a solution that already exists and just saying you want to be in charge of implementing it, your vision is dull if the problem is a well known one. You need have a unique proposed solution and/or a unique problem to be solved.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a future opportunity that you are forecasting? You don't need a business plan but you need to be able to articulate what the  opportunity is and hypothesize how you might address it.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a coming technology?  That is say, are you predicting the future and making a bet on what technology will enable and you can do with it? Avoid fake futures:  A fake future is merely the present expressed as a future desire but without anything that actually sounds like the future.  Imagine future tech platforms and technologies. Think like an inventor, a science fiction writer, or a futurologist.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a specific value or focus that differentiates it from others? Your vision can be informed by a value that is a source of motivation and can help to distinguish your way of discussing your role in the future from others.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a specific organizational role you see yourself in?  For example, such as head of your family business or being a CEO?  Such roles seem generic but can become specific if you tell the right story about why you want the role and what you would do with it.

 

-While your vision of your long-term should be a dream, I think it should not be a total fantasy but rather a dream that, while potentially hard to achieve is not outside the realm of what a reader could be believe.

 

 

When I work with clients on their long term vision, I  typically ask them to come up with a few different initial answers if they don't already have a good one in place. We use these as the basis for a conversation that then leads to the creation of a specific future vision.

 

 

GOALS AND WHY MBA ANALYSIS FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT

If you are having problems clearly articulating your goals either in Essay 1 or in the 50 character statement,  I think Gap, SWOT, and ROI analysis are great ways for understanding what your goals are, why you want a degree, and how you will use it. The following table will help you with both Essay 1 and Essay 3. 

 

 

The following image may not work for all browsers. If so, see here.

(A Google Docs version of this matrix can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WobczFFLHBzQRxUeuwBRNmGQ3q-RKP_94iGHuLlXXEs/edit?usp=sharing)

 

 

Step 1. Begin by analyzing your "Present Career." What roles and responsibilities have you had in clubs, part-time jobs, internships, volunteer activities, etc.? What was/is your functional role(s)? What was/are your responsibilities?
Next, analyze your present strengths and weaknesses for succeeding in your present career. In particular, some of your greatest strengths may have been demonstrated outside of work, so make sure you are accounting for them.
Strengths: What are you good at? Where do you add value? What are you praised for? What are you proud of?
Weakness: What are you bad at? What are you criticized for? What do you try to avoid due to your own limitations? What do you fear?
Next, analyze your situation in right now. What opportunities exist for your growth and success? What threats could limit your career growth?

 

 

Step 2. Now, do the same thing in Step 1 for your "Post-MBA" future after you have earned your graduate degree. If you cannot complete this step you need to do more research and need to think more about it. I frequently help clients with this issue through a process of brainstorming.

 

Step 3. If you could complete step 2, then you should see the "Gap" between your present and your future. What skills, knowledge, and other resources do you need to close the gap between your present and future responsibilities, strengths, and opportunities?  THIS IS WILL HELP YOU ANSWER ESSSAY 3.

 

 

 

Step 4. After completing Step 3, you now need to determine how an MBA will add value to you. It is possible that an increased salary as a result of job change will be sufficient "ROI" for the degree to justify itself, but you should show how a degree will allow you to reach your career goals. How will the degree enhance your skills and opportunities and help you overcome your weaknesses and external threats? If you can complete Step 4, then you should be ready to explain what your goals are, why you want a degree, and the relationship between your past and future career, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.

 

The above table will also help you answer such common interview questions as: Where do you want to work after you finish your degree? Why do you want an MBA? What are you strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your goals?

 

Be informed about your goals. Columbia Admissions needs to believe you know what you are talking about. If you are changing careers, no one expects you to be an expert, but you should come across as having a clear plan based on real research into your future. If you are planning on staying in your present industry, you should be well informed not only about the companies you have worked for but about the industry as a whole. If you are not already doing so, read industry related publications and network.

 

Those applicants who are changing fields should most certainly read industry related publications in their intended field. Additionally, I suggest conducting informational interviews with at least one peer level and one senior level person in that field. Conduct a peer level interview to get a good idea of what it would be like to actually work in that industry. Conduct a senior level interview to get the perspective of someone who can see the big picture and all the little details as well. Don't know anyone in your intended field? Network! One great way to start is through LinkedIn. Another is by making use of your undergraduate alumni network and/or career center. No matter whether you are changing fields or not, learn what is hot now and try to figure out what will be hot by the time you graduate. Now, of course, this is just a plan and chances are that what is hot in your industry or field now may very well be cold in the future.

 

 

The point is to come across to Columbia Adcom as someone who is not only well informed but has CUTTING-EDGE knowledge. Look at CBS Insights. Some other great general sources for learning what is hot: Harvard Working Knowledge, Harvard Business Review,  Stanford Social Innovation Review, Knowledge @ Wharton, and the Aspen Institute.  Other sources: Read magazines, websites, and books  and listen/watch podcasts/lectures that relate to your intended field.

 

If at the end of the above process you feel as though you are uncertain about whether you need an MBA, please see Do You Really Need an MBA?

 

Essay 2. The PPIL DEI Question

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)

 

What is nice about this question is that can be used for a wide variety of answers in a personal, academic, professional, or extracurricular content.  The actual question itself is behavioral and really fits the STAR (Situation, Task, Action(s), Result) approach to such questions.  While CBS does not mention the task (your role), I think it is important that you keep that in mind.  A good answer will efficiently explain the situation (and given the length of the essay, cannot be context heavy), explain your role in the situation, explain what you did, and clearly state the result.  The word breakdown might be:  Situation/Task (~50 words), Action(s) ~150 words consisting of 1-3 actions, Outcome (~50 words).

 

The essay topic has been modified and the situation where you utilized one of these five skills is very open ended.  You may have succeeded, partially succeeded, or failed  in the situation.  That said, I think it is easier to write about being successful rather than discussing a failure because such an answer requires discussing what you learned and given the overall essay length, this might prove difficult. It might also prove risky to write about failure here if you come across as not fully upholding the values implied by this essay question.  On the other hand a failure utilizing one of these skills could work well if you highlight the insight gained and how that insight  subsequently helped you. I would avoid a situation where your use of one of the five skills was ambiguous as this is unlikely to make for a good essay.

 

Let's consider the various thematic options here and how they might be used.  Of course, there are certainly more ways of doing this effectively than will be able to elaborate on here.

 

For details about the Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL), see https://groups.gsb.columbia.edu/ppil/home/. PPIL is a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) initiative that just had its soft launch in spring 2021 and has subsequently been developed.

The specific language of DEI as well as five categories for possible answers may not be familiar to some applicants, especially those coming for countries, without such practices. Hence I will define/explain the categories and suggest possible ways of writing on them. Unfortunately CBS still has yet to define these categories and the PPIL does not include definitions/explanations either and since these terms are subject to rather different interpretation, I will simply provide my own, which are by no means comprehensive.  Should CBS explain these terms then I will alter this post accordingly. Since the launch in 2021 they still have yet to do that, which I consider to be extremely unhelpful and not inclusive, especially for those coming from outside of the United States.

One major PPUL site update since 2021 has been Program Insights, which I recommend reviewing as it might help with brainstorming essay topics.

 

Mitigating Bias and Prejudice

For some reason, CBS uses both "Bias" and "Prejudice", which are synonyms and hence can be used to define each other. I will use "bias" here.  Explanation: To mitigate bias ( defined as "inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair"), is to alleviate, lessen,  or weaken a prejudice. Note that mitigating might not actually eliminate a bias outright but would attempt to reduce its impact.  In addition to attempting to control for overt bias (such as an open prejudice against a specific group), another form of bias mitigation involves becoming aware of and controlling for unconscious bias, which is a common idea in the DEI field and is defined as "social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing."

 

A typical example of conscious bias would be the outright exclusion of a particular group from leadership roles. For example, a student club that is extremely hierarchical and does not allow junior members to take positions of responsibility. Another example would be a preference in hiring more males over females based on some kind of overtly stated rationale.

 

A typical example of unconscious bias would be a sexist perception such that a male who is highly vocal and opinionated is described as  "a strong leader/go getter" while a women who exhibits the same behavior is described as "pushy/annoying. " The person doing the describing  might not be aware they are using completely different language to describe the same behavior.

 

A good answer here will involve the direct confrontation and attempt to overcome a conscious or unconscious bias(es).

 

Managing Intercultural Dialogue

 

Explanation: The idea of "Managing Intercultural Dialogue" could also be called cross cultural communication: "Cross cultural communication thus refers to the communication between people who have differences in any one of the following: styles of working, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Cross cultural communication can also refer to the attempts that are made to exchange, negotiate and mediate cultural differences by means of language, gestures and body language."

 

The challenges of communication include fundamental differences in assumptions based on identify differences, use of language (Two people using the same language can easily miscommunicate if they don't share or understand each other's definitions),  and misinterpretation based on making assumptions about a behavior that has a different meaning than the observer understands.

 

An effective answer here will involve handling cross-cultural communication.  Examples might include actions involving negotiating, facilitating, and directly communicating with someone whose identity is very different from your own.

 

 

Addressing Systemic Inequality

 

Systemic inequality is also know as structural inequality. I will use a definition of the latter provided by the United Nations:

"Structural inequality is defined as a condition where one category of people are attributed an unequal status in relation to other categories of people. This relationship is perpetuated and reinforced by a confluence of unequal relations in roles, functions, decisions, rights, and opportunities. As opposed to cultural inequality, which focuses on the individual decisions associated with these imbalances, structural inequality refers specifically to the inequalities that are systemically rooted in the normal operations of dominant social institutions, and can be divided into categories like residential segregation or healthcare, employment and educational discrimination."

 

An effective answer here would attempting to overcome organizational discrimination that is systemic against a particular group or groups that is practiced as a matter of outright policy. It could be everything from discriminating against the hiring of LGBT employees to seniority based discrimination that prevents junior players in a sports club from being starting players.

 

 

Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking

With respect to "Understanding identity" this would mean understanding the identity of others in relationship to you and "Perspective taking" is the ability to formulate insights based on understanding the other's identity.  Basically it means thinking outside of your own perspective and looking at a situation from the viewpoint of another. It is a specific form of empathy based on understanding why the other (person, organization, group) looks at a situation differently than you do.

 

Creating an Inclusive Environment

Definition: Based on a definition of an inclusive workplace found here, I define an inclusive environment as follows: An environment that makes every person feel valued while also acknowledging their differences and how these differences contribute to a group/team/organization’s culture and  outcomes. 

 

Hence an effective answer would highlight the way(s) in which you made (or attempted to make)  a professional/academic/extracurricular/personal environment open to and benefitting from person(s)/perspective(s)/group(s) that had not previously been valued.

 

I will give a personal example, during my first year of college (1986), I joined a student quarterly with a mostly male staff.  Soon thereafter, as co-editor, I helped introduce a women's section to the paper in order to get women involved in the newspaper, to get their perspectives effectively included, and to increase our staff. We benefited from a greatly expanded team, went on to win Columbia Student Journalism awards, and my eventual replacement as editor -in-chief was a woman.  The biggest challenges involved overcoming the perspectives of older male staff members who did not understand why there needed to be a women's section and to convince female students that we were earnest in our objectives to include and empower them.

 

 

ESSAY 3: WHY CBS?

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)

 

Keep in mind that this question is focused on why Columbia Business School is the right MBA program for you. That is to say what does its curriculum, community, and network offer you that will help you reach the professional objectives you have mentioned in Essay 1? And beyond, professional objectives who does CBS fit you as a person from an academic and cultural perspective.   For a more general discussion about the whole issue of academic fit, see here. If you are unclear about why you need from an MBA program, see the GAP, SWOT, and ROI table above.

I think there are two aspects to the question:  (1) Why CBS is right for you and (2) Co-creation.   

 

WHY CBS IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Balance and integrate Goals and Why Columbia?

A good version of Essay 3 will connect goals with Columbia. If you use the GAP/SWOT table above, Step 3 relates directly to the content of this essay. That is to say, the objective is not merely to explain why  Columbia fits you, but why it aligns with the goals discussed in Essay 1.  Your objective is to write an essay that shows Columbia why it is the best possible place for you to achieve your career goals. If your goals are not showing themselves to be particularly well supported by Columbia, you may need to either change your goals or decide to apply elsewhere.

 

Beyond  Goals

Beyond direct goals reasons for why Columbia is right for you, consider what aspects of its curriculum or community support your personal and professional interests. This might be a club or activity that you want to engage in. For more about CBS clubs, see here.

 

The resources available at CBS and Columbia University are vast, so figure out specifically what you want from the school as you will need to discuss that. The program is flexible, so identify your needs from Columbia as specifically as possible. After all, you want to show them you love and need them For learning about what is hot at Columbia, I suggest taking a look at their  Ideas and Insights Homepage.  You will likely want to write about taking a Master Class. I also recommend learning about the Cluster system as it core part of the CBS experience.  Japanese applicants should most certainly visit https://www.jbacolumbia.com/.  All applicants should attend online chats and reach out to alumni and current students if they have not done so.  Feel free to visit campus if you want, but the most important thing to do is connect with students and alumni because you will need to mention that in the application form.  

 

 

 

Explaining your learning needs: 

 

 

WHAT NOT TO DO

An example of circular (tautological) reasoning:  "I want to take Capital Markets & Investments because I am interested in learning about capital market investing."

This kind of circular reasoning is so common. Usually it takes place within a paragraph consisting of many such sentences. They actually convey nothing about the applicant.  They are just abstract needs and will have limited impact on your reader.  The admissions reader wants to learn about you, not about their own program.

 

 

WHAT TO DO

An example of an explanation for why:  "While I have been exposed to finance through my work at MegaBank of Joy, I presently lack the kind of comprehensive understanding of capital market investing that I will need to succeed as an investment analyst and I know I can gain at Columbia."  A more complete explanation would include additional details about the kind of issues that the applicant is interested in learning about and/or specific ways the applicant intended to apply what he or she would learn at Columbia.  By focusing on very specific learning needs and explaining those needs in relationship to one's goals and/or past experience, the admissions reader will be learning about you.

 

While in recent years, the school emphasized its New York City location in Essay 3 it no longer does. You need only discuss that if it is especially useful for making the best possible argument for why CBS fits you. In general, such arguments are often dumb cliches and since they are not what the question is focused, don't waste words on the topic.

Co-creation

The use of "co-create" is new this year and indicates that they are looking for answer that includes how you will actively optimize on your CBS experience.  CBS is not a hand-holding kind of place. It is a commuter school with a core curriculum but with extensive opportunities for defining your curricular and extracurricular experience that is specific to you. Think about what you really want to focus your time on and contribute to.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Don't write an essay consisting of a laundry list of activities you want to engage in.

WHAT TO DO: Make highly personalized intelligent choices in the form of a learning plan specific to you. In 250 words, you can highlight like 3-4 specific topics.  Say something meaningful.   Show how you be an engaged member of the CBS community.

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)

 

 

As with other school's optional questions, do not put an obvious essay for another school here. If you read the above, it should be clear enough that this is the place to explain anything negative or potentially negative in your background. If you have no explanation for something negative, don't bother writing about it. For example, if your GPA is 2.9 and you have no good explanation for why it is 2.9, don't bother writing something that looks like a lame excuse. This is more likely to hurt than help you. In the same vein, don't waste the committee's time telling them that your GMAT is a much better indicator than your GPA (the opposite is also true). They have heard it before and they will look at both scores and can draw their own conclusions without you stating the obvious. That said, if you have a good explanation for a bad GPA, you should most certainly write about it.In addition to GMAT/GRE, TOEFL, and GPA problems, other possible topics include issues related to recommendations, serious gaps in your resume, concerns related to a near total lack of extracurricular activities, and major issues in your personal/professional life that you really think the admissions office needs to know about.You can certainly write on something positive here if you think its omission will be negative for you, but before you do, ask yourself these questions:
1. If they did not ask it, do they really need to know it?
2. Will the topic I want to discuss significantly improve my overall essay set?
3. Is the topic one that would not be covered from looking at other parts of my application?
4. Is the essay likely to be read as being a specific answer for Columbia and not an obvious essay for another school?
If you can answer "Yes!" to all four questions, it might be a good topic to write about.

 

Columbia Loves to Be Loved

One thing that is consistent about Columbia Business School is that they want to know that their school is your first choice. If you have an alumni interview you can be expected to be asked about that very directly. See here for my advice on Columbia interviews. Best of luck for gaining admission to the Columbia Business School Class of 2027!

Columbia MBA Essays for J-Term Class of 2026 Admission

Columbia Business School has just announced the deadlines and essay questions for the J-term  Class of 2026 admission.  As they have not stated the deadlines for  August 2025 (Class of 2027) admission, I am going to make a second post for this purpose instead of one unified post. BIG CHANGE for J-term: The final deadline is now in August instead of September.  Want to start your MBA in January 2025 at an M7 schools? This is your option for that!

  

Along with HBS, Stanford, and INSEAD, I think CBS is one of the best first applications to work on. In the case of CBS, Essay 1 requires more of a focus on goals than any other school, so doing it gives applicants all the content they need for any school's goals essays.  Also Essay 3, provides a perfect length for explaining why you want to attend a specific MBA program. Make that argument right for CBS and it will help you with other schools that require similar essay content.  Now J-term has a 1st (June 18, 2024) and  2nd (August 15th) deadline.  Consider that last year the final deadline was 9/13. By keeping J-term deadlines early, CBS is not having to review J-term and Fall applications at the same time.

 

Given Columbia's overall rank as well as the unique nature of J-term it has been very common for me to work with clients who apply only to that school. In this sense, the only school with a similar level of sole school focus is INSEAD.   Columbia is also one of the most reapplicant friendly schools both in terms of the reapplication process for those who reapply within one year of their initial application and in terms of acceptance rates.

 

You can find testimonials from my clients admitted for Columbia Business School here.  Since 2007, when I established my own consultancy (I have been an MBA admissions consultant since 2001), I have been fortunate to work with 98 clients admitted to Columbia Business School for Fall term,  J-Term, and Deferred Admission. Twenty of those were admitted to J-term.

 

For my post on re-application to Columbia, see here. For my analysis of recommendations , please see here. For my analysis of Columbia Business School application interviews, please see here.

If you are considering applying for CBS August 2025 entry (Class of 2027), see Columbia Business School MBA Essays for August 2025 Entry.

 

J-Term

The Accelerated MBA, J-Term, can be a great program for those who don't need an internship and don't need a Merit Fellowship.  J-term is not for career changers, it is those looking to enhance their position within their present career trajectory and/or entrepreneurs. The program is designed for those students who do not want or need a full-time internship and don't require Merit Fellowships. The principal advantage of the 16-month program is its accelerated format, which allows members of the smaller January class to network quickly and effectively and return to the workplace sooner. You need to make the case in Essay 1 and/or Essay 3 and/or the Optional Essay that you meet the special criteria for this program and that an internship is not something critical for you. For those who don't need a summer internship, this is really a great program. Internships for J-Term? Based on what former clients tell me, it is common for J-Termers to do part-time internships in NYC while studying.  Actually, this is often true for those attending the August Term as well.   These are not the same as summer internships but such part-time internships can surely serve the same function.

 

Here are some common issues that arise when considering J-term:

 

Is J-term easier to get into than August entry?  I have always thought so.  The lack of Merit Fellowships, an internship, and the nature of who the program is designed for, clearly indicate that it is going to attract fewer applicants, so my assumption is that it is surely easier.  Happy to proven wrong if CBS admissions provides data showing otherwise (They don't).  All I know for sure is that relatively late application to J-term  never prevented my clients from being admitted. Late application for August is a real problem simply from a seat availability perspective. In one way, J-term is clearly easier: Unlike an August entry applicant, someone applying to Columbia J-term can really be assumed to prefer Columbia over all alternatives. This can make interviews a bit easier in the sense that August entry Columbia alumni interviewers are notorious for being particularly aggressive at determining whether the interviewee's first choice is really Columbia. Since J-term has no real US rival, this topic can be easily dispensed with in an interview.

 

Program Alternatives to J-term:   There are no US alternatives to J-term worth mentioning if someone wants a January 2025 start.  Cornell Tech, Kellogg and NYU Stern (Tech and Fashion & Luxury) offer one year MBAs, but none start their programs in January, Cornell Tech and NYU are specialized degrees, and  Kellogg  is an accelerated program in terms of the number of courses taken. Only J-term makes it possible to do two years of courses on such an expedited basis. In addition, the Kellogg program is extremely restrictive, since one has to have taken many core business courses or come from a consulting firm that has established a relationship to apply to it.   There are a number of European programs with a January starts but really only INSEAD could be said to be at a similar rank, at least as perceived by my clients.  I have had clients who apply to J-term and  INSEAD  and, less often, IMD, as both have January entry. Still J-term is an incredibly different program in terms of length and content from either of these top non-US programs. LBS, which does not have a January start, would also be another alternative to CBS in the sense that it can be completed on an accelerated basis, but it has no January start. There are many other programs in the Europe that can be completed in around 16 months or less, such as HEC.

 

Can an August entry applicant reapply to J-term? Yes! You could be rejected from ED or RD for 2024 entry and reapply for J-term 2025 entry. If you entered in J-term 2025, you would graduate in the Class of 2026 with those who entered in Fall 2024. I have worked with  a number of reapplicants who were admitted to J-term after being dinged from the August entry for the same graduating class. In that situation, the key issues for the reapplicant essay are explaining why J-term is now a better choice and you are a better candidate.  

 

The Essay Questions and the Immediate Post-MBA Goals Statement

The questions are taken from the application form and  website.

 

Short Answer 1

Immediate Post-MBA Goals Statement: 

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.”

 

Remember this is 50 characters, not words! This would be about 5-10 words. The question itself, fortunately, includes the above examples to make it clear what Columbia is looking for here. Given the length, you can't possibly expect to explain what you want to do short-term.  That is what Essay 1 is for. In fact, it is best to simply write this little statement after you have a good working version of Essay 1.  CBS is looking for a short, but a very clear statement of what you intend to do after your MBA. If you have difficulty explaining your immediate post-MBA plans in the space given, I think that is likely an indication that your plans are too complex, vague, or otherwise not well thought out. What you state here should be backed up by what you discuss in Essay 1 and 2 (or the reapplicant essay for reapplicants).

If you can be clever or catchy in formulating this response that is fine, but it is a completely secondary consideration to simply stating something that is very clear and that is completely consistent with what you write in Essay 1 and 2. Being clever is not critical here, being clear is.

 

Short Answer 2

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

My suggestion is that your answer to this question should align directly with who J-term is designed for: "This program tends to attract students who wish to remain in the same industry (including sponsored students), entrepreneurs, and students in family businesses."

As with Short Answer 1, be as direct as possible. Clever answers not required.  This is not about creativity.  It is about providing answer consistent with your post-MBA goals and reasons for attending for attending CBS.

 

 

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)

Since I have found it necessary to make this clear to clients:  THIS ESSAY IS COMPLETELY FUTURE FOCUSED. That is why they say they "have a clear sense of your professional path to date."  Any statements you make about your past experience should be analytical rather than descriptive and for the sole purpose of explaining what you want to do in the future and why. Discuss your past to help establish your motivation for your goals. If they wanted a detailed past history, they would not have worded the question the way they do. 

A BAD CBS Essay 1 will typically consist of extended discussion of past experience, lack of explanation of post-MBA goals, and inability to distinguish between long-term goals as typically required by other schools and a long-term dream job.  Here is what you can do to avoid that:

 

Using your 500 words

I think a good essay will consist of the following components

-A first paragraph that begins to the answer directly (briefly states either or both goals or an overall mission relating to both so the reader does not have to guess what the subject of the essay is) and explains VERY BRIEFLY whatever aspects of background and/or personal motivation that are necessary to help the reader understand your answers to the two questions CBS is asking here.

- A clear short-term 3-5 year plan. Explain motivation and past experience if it has not already been discussed sufficiently.

- A clear dream job, not just a long-term goal or vision but an actual imagined highly aspirational role. Explain motivation and past experience if it has not already been discussed sufficiently.

- Since Essay 3 is focused on why CBS, you should not write about that here. However you may need to explain why you need an MBA in general to achieve your goals.

 

 

"What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years"

 

CBS wants to know exactly what you want to do after your MBA and why.  You need to have a clear plan.  Explain not only what you want to do, but why you want to do it. Some questions you want to answer here:

How does the post MBA role you will have relate to your longer term career objectives? 

How does it relate to your past experience?

What kind of firms do you want to work for? 

What is the intended role?

Don't hedge more than is absolutely necessary because you want provide a clear believable, achievable story. 

 

 

You want want to explain why need an MBA now to get into that role but only briefly as you have an entire essay for explaining why CBS.  The point of mentioning MBA here would be if it is not obvious why an MBA is needed to achieve this goal or if you cannot get the topic into Essay 3. 

 

 

This is a reality based question so provide a well-researched reality based answer.  See https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/recruiters/employmentreport to figure out where CBS graduates go.  If you are mentioning a role, industry, or company that does not recruit at CBS and your post-MBA goals are not entrepreneurial or in a family business, you have a problem. Make CBS adcom believe in your short-term plan.  This is not a good school for confused people, it is one for those who know what they want and have an initial plan for how to achieve it.  If you need a lot of hand holding and want to be part of a highly collaborative intense community this is not the best school for you. It is a commuter school (now more than ever because no lives around the Manhattanville campus)

 

 

 

what would be your long-term dream job?

 

IT IS A DREAM! Tell them a story about the future, not just mentioning a role but painting a picture.  CBS is inviting you to showcase your ambition and future potential.  What is your vision?  What kind of impact do you want make in your life?  Assume you succeed and don't just become another middle management type.

 

 

Consider illustrious CBS alumni:  See https://www.businessbecause.com/news/notable-alumni/7134/columbia-business-school-notable-alumni and https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-columbia-business-school-alumni-and-students/reference.  For my post on Warren Buffet, CBS's most famous alumnus, see here.  How will you reach their level?

 

 

Think about the future. Imagine not on how the world is now, but on how it might be in10, 20, 30 years from now. Describe that future and how you see yourself in it.  The future you present might be 10 years from now or 20 or 30 or more years.  The point is to showcase your ambition and vision. 

 

 

 

What makes your vision of the future different? Consider the following when formulating a vision:

 

- Is your vision based on a problem you want to solve?  If you are are merely providing a solution that already exists and just saying you want to be in charge of implementing it, your vision is dull if the problem is a well known one. You need have a unique proposed solution and/or a unique problem to be solved.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a future opportunity that you are forecasting? You don't need a business plan but you need to be able to articulate what the  opportunity is and hypothesize how you might address it.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a coming technology?  That is say, are you predicting the future and making a bet on what technology will enable and you can do with it? Avoid fake futures:  A fake future is merely the present expressed as a future desire but without anything that actually sounds like the future.  Imagine future tech platforms and technologies. Think like an inventor, a science fiction writer, or a futurologist.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a specific value or focus that differentiates it from others? Your vision can be informed by a value that is a source of motivation and can help to distinguish your way of discussing your role in the future from others.

 

 

-Is your vision based on a specific organizational role you see yourself in?  For example, such as head of your family business or being a CEO?  Such roles seem generic but can become specific if you tell the right story about why you want the role and what you would do with it.

 

-While your vision of your long-term should be a dream, I think it should not be a total fantasy but rather a dream that, while potentially hard to achieve is not outside the realm of what a reader could be believe.

 

 

When I work with clients on their long term vision, I  typically ask them to come up with a few different initial answers if they don't already have a good one in place. We use these as the basis for a conversation that then leads to the creation of a specific future vision.

 

 

GOALS AND WHY MBA ANALYSIS FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT

If you are having problems clearly articulating your goals either in Essay 1 or in the 50 character statement,  I think Gap, SWOT, and ROI analysis are great ways for understanding what your goals are, why you want a degree, and how you will use it. The following table will help you with both Essay 1 and Essay 3. 

 

 

The following image may not work for all browsers. If so, see here.

(A Google Docs version of this matrix can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WobczFFLHBzQRxUeuwBRNmGQ3q-RKP_94iGHuLlXXEs/edit?usp=sharing)

 

 

Step 1. Begin by analyzing your "Present Career." What roles and responsibilities have you had in clubs, part-time jobs, internships, volunteer activities, etc.? What was/is your functional role(s)? What was/are your responsibilities?
Next, analyze your present strengths and weaknesses for succeeding in your present career. In particular, some of your greatest strengths may have been demonstrated outside of work, so make sure you are accounting for them.
Strengths: What are you good at? Where do you add value? What are you praised for? What are you proud of?
Weakness: What are you bad at? What are you criticized for? What do you try to avoid due to your own limitations? What do you fear?
Next, analyze your situation in right now. What opportunities exist for your growth and success? What threats could limit your career growth?

 

 

Step 2. Now, do the same thing in Step 1 for your "Post-MBA" future after you have earned your graduate degree. If you cannot complete this step you need to do more research and need to think more about it. I frequently help clients with this issue through a process of brainstorming.

 

Step 3. If you could complete step 2, then you should see the "Gap" between your present and your future. What skills, knowledge, and other resources do you need to close the gap between your present and future responsibilities, strengths, and opportunities?  THIS IS WILL HELP YOU ANSWER ESSSAY 3.

 

 

 

Step 4. After completing Step 3, you now need to determine how an MBA will add value to you. It is possible that an increased salary as a result of job change will be sufficient "ROI" for the degree to justify itself, but you should show how a degree will allow you to reach your career goals. How will the degree enhance your skills and opportunities and help you overcome your weaknesses and external threats? If you can complete Step 4, then you should be ready to explain what your goals are, why you want a degree, and the relationship between your past and future career, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.

 

The above table will also help you answer such common interview questions as: Where do you want to work after you finish your degree? Why do you want an MBA? What are you strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your goals?

 

Be informed about your goals. Columbia Admissions needs to believe you know what you are talking about. If you are changing careers, no one expects you to be an expert, but you should come across as having a clear plan based on real research into your future. If you are planning on staying in your present industry, you should be well informed not only about the companies you have worked for but about the industry as a whole. If you are not already doing so, read industry related publications and network.

 

Those applicants who are changing fields should most certainly read industry related publications in their intended field. Additionally, I suggest conducting informational interviews with at least one peer level and one senior level person in that field. Conduct a peer level interview to get a good idea of what it would be like to actually work in that industry. Conduct a senior level interview to get the perspective of someone who can see the big picture and all the little details as well. Don't know anyone in your intended field? Network! One great way to start is through LinkedIn. Another is by making use of your undergraduate alumni network and/or career center. No matter whether you are changing fields or not, learn what is hot now and try to figure out what will be hot by the time you graduate. Now, of course, this is just a plan and chances are that what is hot in your industry or field now may very well be cold in the future.

 

 

The point is to come across to Columbia Adcom as someone who is not only well informed but has CUTTING-EDGE knowledge. Look at CBS Insights. Some other great general sources for learning what is hot: Harvard Working Knowledge, Harvard Business Review,  Stanford Social Innovation Review, Knowledge @ Wharton, and the Aspen Institute.  Other sources: Read magazines, websites, and books  and listen/watch podcasts/lectures that relate to your intended field.

 

If at the end of the above process you feel as though you are uncertain about whether you need an MBA, please see Do You Really Need an MBA?

 

Essay 2. The PPIL DEI Question

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)

 

What is nice about this question is that can be used for a wide variety of answers in a personal, academic, professional, or extracurricular content.  The actual question itself is behavioral and really fits the STAR (Situation, Task, Action(s), Result) approach to such questions.  While CBS does not mention the task (your role), I think it is important that you keep that in mind.  A good answer will efficiently explain the situation (and given the length of the essay, cannot be context heavy), explain your role in the situation, explain what you did, and clearly state the result.  The word breakdown might be:  Situation/Task (~50 words), Action(s) ~150 words consisting of 1-3 actions, Outcome (~50 words).

 

The essay topic has been modified and the situation where you utilized one of these five skills is very open ended.  You may have succeeded, partially succeeded, or failed  in the situation.  That said, I think it is easier to write about being successful rather than discussing a failure because such an answer requires discussing what you learned and given the overall essay length, this might prove difficult. It might also prove risky to write about failure here if you come across as not fully upholding the values implied by this essay question.  On the other hand a failure utilizing one of these skills could work well if you highlight the insight gained and how that insight  subsequently helped you. I would avoid a situation where your use of one of the five skills was ambiguous as this is unlikely to make for a good essay.

 

Let's consider the various thematic options here and how they might be used.  Of course, there are certainly more ways of doing this effectively than will be able to elaborate on here.

 

For details about the Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL), see https://groups.gsb.columbia.edu/ppil/home/. PPIL is a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) initiative that just had its soft launch in spring 2021 and has subsequently been developed.

The specific language of DEI as well as five categories for possible answers may not be familiar to some applicants, especially those coming for countries, without such practices. Hence I will define/explain the categories and suggest possible ways of writing on them. Unfortunately CBS still has yet to define these categories and the PPIL does not include definitions/explanations either and since these terms are subject to rather different interpretation, I will simply provide my own, which are by no means comprehensive.  Should CBS explain these terms then I will alter this post accordingly. Since the launch in 2021 they still have yet to do that, which I consider to be extremely unhelpful and not inclusive, especially for those coming from outside of the United States.

One major PPUL site update since 2021 has been Program Insights, which I recommend reviewing as it might help with brainstorming essay topics.

 

Mitigating Bias and Prejudice

For some reason, CBS uses both "Bias" and "Prejudice", which are synonyms and hence can be used to define each other. I will use "bias" here.  Explanation: To mitigate bias ( defined as "inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair"), is to alleviate, lessen,  or weaken a prejudice. Note that mitigating might not actually eliminate a bias outright but would attempt to reduce its impact.  In addition to attempting to control for overt bias (such as an open prejudice against a specific group), another form of bias mitigation involves becoming aware of and controlling for unconscious bias, which is a common idea in the DEI field and is defined as "social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing."

 

A typical example of conscious bias would be the outright exclusion of a particular group from leadership roles. For example, a student club that is extremely hierarchical and does not allow junior members to take positions of responsibility. Another example would be a preference in hiring more males over females based on some kind of overtly stated rationale.

 

A typical example of unconscious bias would be a sexist perception such that a male who is highly vocal and opinionated is described as  "a strong leader/go getter" while a women who exhibits the same behavior is described as "pushy/annoying. " The person doing the describing  might not be aware they are using completely different language to describe the same behavior.

 

A good answer here will involve the direct confrontation and attempt to overcome a conscious or unconscious bias(es).

 

Managing Intercultural Dialogue

 

Explanation: The idea of "Managing Intercultural Dialogue" could also be called cross cultural communication: "Cross cultural communication thus refers to the communication between people who have differences in any one of the following: styles of working, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Cross cultural communication can also refer to the attempts that are made to exchange, negotiate and mediate cultural differences by means of language, gestures and body language."

 

The challenges of communication include fundamental differences in assumptions based on identify differences, use of language (Two people using the same language can easily miscommunicate if they don't share or understand each other's definitions),  and misinterpretation based on making assumptions about a behavior that has a different meaning than the observer understands.

 

An effective answer here will involve handling cross-cultural communication.  Examples might include actions involving negotiating, facilitating, and directly communicating with someone whose identity is very different from your own.

 

 

Addressing Systemic Inequality

 

Systemic inequality is also know as structural inequality. I will use a definition of the latter provided by the United Nations:

"Structural inequality is defined as a condition where one category of people are attributed an unequal status in relation to other categories of people. This relationship is perpetuated and reinforced by a confluence of unequal relations in roles, functions, decisions, rights, and opportunities. As opposed to cultural inequality, which focuses on the individual decisions associated with these imbalances, structural inequality refers specifically to the inequalities that are systemically rooted in the normal operations of dominant social institutions, and can be divided into categories like residential segregation or healthcare, employment and educational discrimination."

 

An effective answer here would attempting to overcome organizational discrimination that is systemic against a particular group or groups that is practiced as a matter of outright policy. It could be everything from discriminating against the hiring of LGBT employees to seniority based discrimination that prevents junior players in a sports club from being starting players.

 

 

Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking

With respect to "Understanding identity" this would mean understanding the identity of others in relationship to you and "Perspective taking" is the ability to formulate insights based on understanding the other's identity.  Basically it means thinking outside of your own perspective and looking at a situation from the viewpoint of another. It is a specific form of empathy based on understanding why the other (person, organization, group) looks at a situation differently than you do.

 

Creating an Inclusive Environment

Definition: Based on a definition of an inclusive workplace found here, I define an inclusive environment as follows: An environment that makes every person feel valued while also acknowledging their differences and how these differences contribute to a group/team/organization’s culture and  outcomes. 

 

Hence an effective answer would highlight the way(s) in which you made (or attempted to make)  a professional/academic/extracurricular/personal environment open to and benefitting from person(s)/perspective(s)/group(s) that had not previously been valued.

 

I will give a personal example, during my first year of college (1986), I joined a student quarterly with a mostly male staff.  Soon thereafter, as co-editor, I helped introduce a women's section to the paper in order to get women involved in the newspaper, to get their perspectives effectively included, and to increase our staff. We benefited from a greatly expanded team, went on to win Columbia Student Journalism awards, and my eventual replacement as editor -in-chief was a woman.  The biggest challenges involved overcoming the perspectives of older male staff members who did not understand why there needed to be a women's section and to convince female students that we were earnest in our objectives to include and empower them.

 

ESSAY 3: WHY CBS?

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)

 

Keep in mind that this question is focused on why Columbia Business School is the right MBA program for you. That is to say what does its curriculum, community, and network offer you that will help you reach the professional objectives you have mentioned in Essay 1? And beyond, professional objectives who does CBS fit you as a person from an academic and cultural perspective.   For a more general discussion about the whole issue of academic fit, see here. If you are unclear about why you need from an MBA program, see the GAP, SWOT, and ROI table above.

I think there are two aspects to the question:  (1) Why CBS is right for you and (2) Co-creation.   

 

WHY CBS IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Balance and integrate Goals and Why Columbia?

A good version of Essay 3 will connect goals with Columbia. If you use the GAP/SWOT table above, Step 3 relates directly to the content of this essay. That is to say, the objective is not merely to explain why  Columbia fits you, but why it aligns with the goals discussed in Essay 1.  Your objective is to write an essay that shows Columbia why it is the best possible place for you to achieve your career goals. If your goals are not showing themselves to be particularly well supported by Columbia, you may need to either change your goals or decide to apply elsewhere.

 

Beyond  Goals

Beyond direct goals reasons for why Columbia is right for you, consider what aspects of its curriculum or community support your personal and professional interests. This might be a club or activity that you want to engage in. For more about CBS clubs, see here.

 

The resources available at CBS and Columbia University are vast, so figure out specifically what you want from the school as you will need to discuss that. The program is flexible, so identify your needs from Columbia as specifically as possible. After all, you want to show them you love and need them For learning about what is hot at Columbia, I suggest taking a look at their  Ideas and Insights Homepage.  You will likely want to write about taking a Master Class. I also recommend learning about the Cluster system as it core part of the CBS experience.  Japanese applicants should most certainly visit https://www.jbacolumbia.com/.  All applicants should attend online chats and reach out to alumni and current students if they have not done so.  Feel free to visit campus if you want, but the most important thing to do is connect with students and alumni because you will need to mention that in the application form.  

 

You need to learn about a lot about CBS.  It is one of the schools that requires knowing a lot about it through networking with current students and alumni.  CBS wants to be loved.  Comparatively speaking, the amount of engagement you should have with this school is very high compared to the rest of the M7 because they ask in their application forms for your student, alumni, and adcom contact.  For more about this issue, see my post from last year, How much do I really need to know about an MBA program to prepare a strong application for it? It varies!  It provides a comprehensive guide to this issue for CBS, the rest of the M7, and many other top schools.

 

 

Explaining your learning needs: 

 

 

WHAT NOT TO DO

An example of circular (tautological) reasoning:  "I want to take Capital Markets & Investments because I am interested in learning about capital market investing."

This kind of circular reasoning is so common. Usually it takes place within a paragraph consisting of many such sentences. They actually convey nothing about the applicant.  They are just abstract needs and will have limited impact on your reader.  The admissions reader wants to learn about you, not about their own program.

 

 

WHAT TO DO

An example of an explanation for why:  "While I have been exposed to finance through my work at MegaBank of Joy, I presently lack the kind of comprehensive understanding of capital market investing that I will need to succeed as an investment analyst and I know I can gain at Columbia."  A more complete explanation would include additional details about the kind of issues that the applicant is interested in learning about and/or specific ways the applicant intended to apply what he or she would learn at Columbia.  By focusing on very specific learning needs and explaining those needs in relationship to one's goals and/or past experience, the admissions reader will be learning about you.

 

While in recent years, the school emphasized its New York City location in Essay 3 it no longer does. You need only discuss that if it is especially useful for making the best possible argument for why CBS fits you. In general, such arguments are often dumb cliches and since they are not what the question is focused, don't waste words on the topic.

Co-creation

The use of "co-create" is new this year and indicates that they are looking for answer that includes how you will actively optimize on your CBS experience.  CBS is not a hand-holding kind of place. It is a commuter school with a core curriculum but with extensive opportunities for defining your curricular and extracurricular experience that is specific to you. Think about what you really want to focus your time on and contribute to.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Don't write an essay consisting of a laundry list of activities you want to engage in.

WHAT TO DO: Make highly personalized intelligent choices in the form of a learning plan specific to you. In 250 words, you can highlight like 3-4 specific topics.  Say something meaningful.   Show how you be an engaged member of the CBS community.

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)

 

 

As with other school's optional questions, do not put an obvious essay for another school here. If you read the above, it should be clear enough that this is the place to explain anything negative or potentially negative in your background. If you have no explanation for something negative, don't bother writing about it. For example, if your GPA is 2.9 and you have no good explanation for why it is 2.9, don't bother writing something that looks like a lame excuse. This is more likely to hurt than help you. In the same vein, don't waste the committee's time telling them that your GMAT is a much better indicator than your GPA (the opposite is also true). They have heard it before and they will look at both scores and can draw their own conclusions without you stating the obvious. That said, if you have a good explanation for a bad GPA, you should most certainly write about it.In addition to GMAT/GRE, TOEFL, and GPA problems, other possible topics include issues related to recommendations, serious gaps in your resume, concerns related to a near total lack of extracurricular activities, and major issues in your personal/professional life that you really think the admissions office needs to know about.You can certainly write on something positive here if you think its omission will be negative for you, but before you do, ask yourself these questions:
1. If they did not ask it, do they really need to know it?
2. Will the topic I want to discuss significantly improve my overall essay set?
3. Is the topic one that would not be covered from looking at other parts of my application?
4. Is the essay likely to be read as being a specific answer for Columbia and not an obvious essay for another school?
If you can answer "Yes!" to all four questions, it might be a good topic to write about.

 

Columbia Loves to Be Loved

One thing that is consistent about Columbia Business School is that they want to know that their school is your first choice. If you have an alumni interview you can be expected to be asked about that very directly. See here for my advice on Columbia interviews. Best of luck for gaining admission to the Columbia Business School J-term Class of 2026!

How much do I really need to know about an MBA program to prepare a strong application for it? It varies!

 My clients frequently ask me how much time they have to invest in learning about the MBA programs they will be applying to. That is, how many live or online information sessions, how many alumni and/or current students do they need to contact, and how much do they need to master the school's curriculum and other offerings to write their applications? Now that Covid is over, some also ask if they should go visit the school.

 

Keep in mind that I am not discussing school selection here. This post assumes you know why you want to go to a school, not whether you do or not. This issue you confront is one of time management with respect to demonstrating your knowledge and engagement with the school in the application.

 

My simple answer is that at the application stage it varies greatly. Some schools require an immense amount of work to just learn about them while others only require a moderate amount and some require very little. Some schools have essays that require knowing a lot about the school, others don't. Some have app forms that really require one to either show lack of engagement or show you went in deep. For some schools visiting can be very helpful, for others it is not critical.

 

 

Here is a summary of what I discuss in great detail below:

Schools that require minimal  knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application: HBS MBA, Yale SOM

Schools that require a moderate level of school knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application: INSEAD, ISB, MIT Sloan,

Schools that require high knowledge and at least moderate engagement to submit a strong application: Booth, HBS Joint Degree, HEC, Kellogg, Michigan Ross, NYU Stern,  Stanford GSB, Tuck, UC Berkeley Haas, Wharton

Schools were high knowledge and engagement is recommended to submit a strong application: Columbia Business School, Duke Fuqua,  IESE London Business School, Stanford MSx, UCLA Anderson, Wharton Lauder

 

 

Of course, at the interview stage, an applicant should have effective answers to such common questions as Why this school?  How will you contribute to this school's community? Have you talked with any alumni or current students?  But the interview stage is the interview stage and the application stage is the application stage and one can usually make up for lack of knowledge or engagement between these two stages.

AT THE INTERVIEW STAGE (AFTER YOU SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATION)  FOR ANY SCHOOL, I CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING GOOD GENERAL ADVICE:

-I highly recommend engagement with at least one alumni or current student (absolute minimum and not sufficient for some schools discussed below) from any program that you will applying to and attending at least one online info session.

-You should know what courses and other activities you want to participate in. For schools where you had essays that answered such questions, this is easier to prep for. If schools that don't require such detailed and well structured analysis at the application stage, you need to do your research at the interview stage.

This will help when answering common interview questions: How did you learn about the program? Did you talk with alumni or current students? How will you contribute to the school's community? Why do you want to attend this program?

 

 

NOW BACK TO THE APPLICATION STAGE:

While I am great believer in becoming an informed applicant, I am also highly pragmatic. I never try to make my clients waste their time on something unnecessary when they have so much to do.  So it very helpful to know where one must best allocate their time and when.

 

 

This rest of this post consists of two parts. The first is on the criteria for assessing the level of school knowledge and engagement required and the second is a categorized discussion of specific schools.

 

PART ONE: Criteria for Assessing the Level of School Knowledge and of Engagement Required at the Time of Application:

-Essays

-Application Form

-Importance and Timing of School Visits

 

1. Essays: At the heart of any answer to this question is knowing to what extent you need to know about the school to make effective essays.

A high level of knowledge is required if the school has essays that require the applicant to provide a detailed explanation on how the MBA program will help them achieve their goals and/or how they will contribute  to the school while attending the program.

A moderate level of knowledge is required if the essays refer to the school's values, but don't ask you discuss the content of the program in any detail and/or has essays that don't necessarily mention the school, but offer the opportunity to mention it if you so desire.

A minimal level of knowledge is required if the essays don't require talking about the school: The school's essay(s) prompt(s) mention nothing about why this school or how you will contribute to it. In some cases, the essays are very short and have prompts that would seem to exclude discussing the school.

 

2. Application Form: Without consideration for what you know, schools have variable levels of interest in understanding your extent of engagement with them at the time of making an application.

A high level of engagement  is required if the school has application form questions that specifically ask if you had contact with admissions staff, alumni, or current students and want names and possibly additional information about your level of engagement.

A moderate level of engagement  is required if the school asks if you attended an information session in the form of a yes/no question on the application form.

A minimal level of  engagement is required if the school asks nothing in the application form about engagement with the school.

 

3. Importance and Timing of School Visits:

As you will see, this is a real mixed bag of exceptions and complications.

No school expects you to visit. This is especially true since Covid.  While a small number of schools granted clear advantage to visiting in the past in terms of a guaranteed  interview on-campus, now such schools have remote interview options.

Still visiting is useful to a variable degree depending on the school. Lets consider a few factors:

 

Your Proximity to the School:

-If you live close to a school you want to attend, you should visit. Hence anyone living in London who is applying to Cambridge, LBS, and Oxford and can't bother visiting looks rather lazy. Or if you are living in NYC and intend to apply to CBS, NYU, Wharton and Yale, you should certainly visit.  Exceptions to this statement:  Real lack of time based on work or personal issues, limited financial resources, and/or physical disability.

 

-If you don't live close to the school but can take the time and have the money to visit, you should to the extent that it can be helpful for school selection, writing your essays,  for interview preparation, or giving you the opportunity connect deeply with admissions and current students.

 

-For schools in more remote locations (Cornell Johnson and Dartmouth Tuck are the most notable in this respect. I have visited both and it is inconvenient to do so.), visiting is especially helpful because it will give you a great opportunity to engage with admissions and current students and just visiting is proof of your real interest in the program. I have found it especially helpful for candidates with less than stellar overall profiles (test score or GPA issues for example) to go visit in order to make a strong personal impression on admissions.

 

Acceptance Rates:

With the notable exceptions of CBS, LBS and Wharton, I think a general rule of thumb is that the lower a school's acceptance rate, the less important it is to visit and the higher the acceptance rate, the more important it is to visit. In this sense, I think HBS and Stanford GSB are the least important schools to visit because visiting has zero impact on the outcome.  One needs to learn about GSB to write Essay B, but that does not require a visit. Everybody loves Stanford, so telling them that means nothing.

 

On the other CBS and Wharton need to feel your love. Wharton's HBS and Stanford inferiority complex and CBS's HSW complex must be assuaged. Visiting is surely one very good way to do that.

 

Moreover, CBS and LBS have application forms like no other schools with respect to reporting on your level of engagement with adcom, alumni and current students.  So visiting is a great way to show super high level engagement. Just keep track of the students you talked with!

 

For schools with acceptance rates of 20% or more (meaning most US schools and all European programs), visiting is a way to signal that you have a real strong interest in the program and are likely to attend.  Especially for applicants with problematic test scores and/or grades, a visit can be impactful if you can get one-on-one time with admissions.

 

Timing of Visit:

 

-Visit the school when it is in session. Visiting when the students are on holiday and all you can do is talk with admissions is better than nothing, but it is not very effective because you will have not visited a class or engaged with current students. If you have serious one-on-one time with an actual admissions officer that makes visiting at any time significant, but keep in mind that not all schools will make that possible.

 

-For schools with an invitation-only interview policy, visiting prior to submitting your application is ideal. However R1 deadline timing may make that impossible. In such circumstances if you do choose to visit prior to interviewing indicate in your application that you will be visiting if you are comfortable stating that and make sure to connect with adcom when you visit.

 

-Visiting when you interview. If possible make sure you can do a substantive visit to the school prior to the timing of your interview so that you can use what you learned during the visit in your interview.

• Warning: It is not always an advantage to interview on-campus. For instance at HBS, if you are coming from specific regions that has the same adcom member almost every round visiting your regional hub, it is advantageous to interview at the hub because you can predict the interviewer's likely line of questioning, but if you interview on-campus, you will not know who the interviewer is until you actually interview.  Another example, especially if you are a non-native English speaker and have a choice between a local alumni you might prefer that to interviewing on-campus with a 2nd year student.

 

 

PART TWO:   CATEGORIZED ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC SCHOOLS

ALWAYS KNOW YOU CAN GO BEYOND THE MINIMUM. BUT IF YOU ARE FACED WITH TIME ALLOCATION CRUNCH, BE AWARE OF WHICH SCHOOLS REQUIRE MORE OF YOUR TIME!

 

Schools that require minimal knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application are characterized by the following:

-Essays that don't require talking about the school: The essays prompts mention nothing about Why this school or how you will contribute to it. In some cases, the essays are very short and have prompts that would seem to exclude discussing the school.

-You should know what the school is looking for in terms of applicant criteria, but you don't need to have an extensive understanding of course offerings or other aspects of the program and mentioning alumni or current students is rather useless unless they play a key role in your story and are not mere name dropping.

-No place in the application form for mentioning detailed prior contact with admissions,  alumni or current students. The school may ask if you attended an information but does not want a list of alumni or current students you had contact with.

-Visiting prior to the application deadline is not likely to matter as the app is not even accounting for it.

Schools that fit into this category

 

HBS MBA: Even in many interviews, HBS adcom interviewers don't ask Why HBS?  Most successful applications to HBS that I see whether from my own clients or from interview-only clients usually discuss HBS minimally if at all. HBS app form does not ask if you attended an information session.  HBS has made it clear for years that they want to learn about applicants, not HBS, in the essays. HBS KNOWS YOU WANT TO ATTEND HBS, SO THEY DON'T ASK WHY.  That is what means to be HBS. BOTTOM LINE: DON'T WASTE TIME ON NETWORKING FOR THIS SCHOOL, UNDERSTAND ITS CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION (see my blog post on HBS for an extensive discussion of that)  AND WHY YOU FIT, AND SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE ON WRITING A GREAT ESSAY ABOUT YOU.  UPPERCASE SCREAMING EMPHASIZED. :) If you are applying for a joint degree, you will need to know more the program to write the joint degree essay and that it is why it categorized differently from the MBA program.

 

Yale SOM:  America's two most elite East Coast schools share a lack of focus on discussion of the school in the application form.  Given the 150 word Career Interests statement (Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward?), the last part of the question about what you need going forward should surely refer at least briefly to Yale, but clearly there is no place here for much beyond a sentence on why Yale. It is also possible that you could discuss Yale briefly in the main essay, but certainly not required and in many/most cases it would be unlikely to fit in a way that will not look forced and cliche.  If you are a reapplicant, the 200 reap essay is not at all focused on why Yale (Since your last application, please discuss any significant updates to your candidacy, including changes in your personal or professional life, additional coursework, or extracurricular/volunteer activities.), so unless your update involves doing something Yale specific, it is not likely that this essay will discuss Yale.  The main essay really does not focus on why MBA or Why Yale, so not really a place to mention that there.  App form does not include any questions on attendance at info sessions.

Having recently visited Yale for a second time this year, I have to say that I can easily see what has climbed in the ranks. With an amazing unique integrated first-year curriculum, total flexibility in the second year, a super building (we will not discuss their old one) and an amazing network, Yale is, in my mind, the only school that might eventually require rebranding the M7, the M8.

 

 

 

Schools that require a moderate level of school knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application are characterized by the following:

-Essays that refer to the school's values, but don't ask you discuss the content of the program in any detail.

 

-Essays that don't necessarily mention the school, but offer the opportunity to mention it if you so desire.

 

-No place in the application form for mentioning detailed prior contact with admissions,  alumni or current students. The school may ask if you attended an information but does not ask for a list of alumni or current students you had contact with.

 

Common Schools that fit into this category:

 

INSEAD: Arguably INSEAD could fit into the first category but given an open-ended optional essay that can be used for something positive, like how you will contribute to the school, how you learned about the program, or why you fit at INSEAD (especially important for those who lack international experience),  I place it in this category.  The app form does not ask for any information on your contact with INSEAD alumni, current students, or the admissions office. That said, I highly encourage my clients to interact with INSEAD admissions, alumni and current students so they know they will fit. Here in Japan, the INSEAD Alumni Association Japan, of which I am a Board Member (Executive Masters alumnus), has bimonthly drink get togethers that are open to applicants.  I can't think of an easier way to meet alumni then over drinks. INSEAD also does excellent applicant outreach to help potential applicants assess their fit for the school, but this will not have a bearing on the outcome. Keep in mind that the actual admissions committee for INSEAD consists of a changing committee of faculty and alumni who are not public about their role.

 

ISB: Only the supposed Optional Essay (not really optional in my opinion) requires knowing anything about ISB: Given your previous experience and future aspirations, how do you plan to use the PGP at ISB to fulfil your professional goals? Note: It is not necessary for you to write this essay. Please use this space only if there is something really significant that you would like us to know. This "optional essay" requires having a basic understanding of the program and relating it to goals. That kind of information is easily obtained from the website and an information session.  With respect to the main essays, you don't need to know about ISB.  In fact Essay 1 (Provide an honest portrayal of yourself, emphasizing your strengths and weaknesses. Highlight the key elements that have shaped your personal journey. Give relevant illustrations as needed. ) and Essay 2 (Contemplate two distinct situations—one where you experienced success and another where you faced failure. Delve into the personal and interpersonal lessons you learned from these instances.) are on topics that really don't require knowing about ISB. No app form questions on contact with ISB alumni, current students, or admissions.  

 

 

MIT:  The Cover Letter requires that you know why you fit at MIT, not why MIT fits you. Hence you need to understand MIT at the level of its values. Since they don't ask about goals or why MIT in this 300 word essay, you really don't need to know about the school in detail.  The 1 minute video is on introducing yourself to your classmates and does not require knowing about the program. As as long as you are familiar with the term "Sloanies" you should be good to go.  The application asks Y/N if you attended an info session, so attend one!

 

 

 

Schools that require high knowledge and at least moderate engagement to submit a strong application are characterized by the following:

 

-Essays that require you know about the program. Wharton's two required essays both are examples of two common question types that require knowing a lot about the school:

Essay 1: How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words)

Essay 2: Essay 2: Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)

You can't answer either of these questions without knowing quite a lot about the school.  Wharton is pretty extreme since they ask both types of questions. It was as though they had a complex about being loved or something.

 

Limited or no place in the application form for mentioning detailed prior contact with admissions, alumni or current students. The school may ask if you attended an information but  usually does not ask for a list of alumni or current students you had contact with. If they do ask for that and I have placed it in this category is is because you only really need to talk with one student or alumnus (just UCB here).

 

Schools that fit into this category:

Booth: Essay 1 requires knowing a lot about this school. Given that Booth has only one required course (LEAD) and 5 subject area requirements and is thus the most flexible program around, providing a plan on how you will focus your two years of study is a good idea.  While not required it is also possible to refer to contributions in Essay 2, especially to non-professional clubs and activities at Booth. App form asks  Yes/No about attending information event and a drop box about your source of primary info about Booth. So attend an info session for sure!

 

 

 

HBS Joint Degree: Unlike the MBA program where no information about HBS is required, anyone doing a joint degree certainly needs to understand more about both degree programs in order to write an effective joint degree essay:

Joint program applicants for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School must provide an additional essay: How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400 words) OR Essay Question: The MS/MBA program is focused on design, innovation, and entrepreneurship within a technical/engineering context. Describe your past experiences in these areas and your reasons for pursuing a program with this focus. (Recommended: 500 words)

HINT: If you are confused about whether to apply for a joint degree or not and have limited time, don't and just apply for the HBS You MBA program.

 

 

HEC:   You certainly need to know about HEC to do Essay 1: Why are you applying to the HEC MBA Program now? What is the professional objective that will guide your career choice after your MBA, and how will the HEC MBA contribute to the achievement of this objective? App form asks you where you first heard about HEC (if alum, asks for name) but does not ask for details of info sessions or overall contact with HEC students/alumni.

 

Kellogg: In prior years they would have fit into the previous category but they now have a contribution question so they fit into this category. See my essay analysis for that. If you are a reapplicant, you may also be able to mention Kellogg related content and engagement there as well. Still Kellogg asks no app form questions about contact with the school.  You may also encounter a video essay that requires explaining why Kellogg but as this is a 1 minute video, the amount you can say will be limited.  The real prep on why Kellogg itself is certainly required for the interview.

 

Michigan Ross: Based on essay content, you really don't need to know anything about Ross, but I am placing Ross in the category because of the following app form question (bottom of page 3): Contact with Ross School of Business: Have you attended any Ross events (online or in person) or been in contact with a member of the Ross community in the past year? If so, please list event and location, and/or contact name and association with Ross. Please also share any referrals to the Ross program made by staff or alumni. Ross gives an effectively unlimited length text box for this.  DO NOT WRITE AN ESSAY!!  Just give them the facts of your engagement with members of the Ross community in the form of a list.  While there is nothing that requires one to have extensive contact with Ross community, significant engagement (talk with adcom, at least a couple of students and/or alumni) would be a safe minimum to convey that you are not just applying to this school as a safety choice. The Ross 150 word essay on goals (What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right goal for you?) certainly does not require discussing Ross and at most one could possibly include a sentence on that, though it is hardly necessary.

 

NYU Stern: This school barely fits this category and almost belongs in the prior one. While the Stern app has a bunch of checkbox questions on how you learned about the program, these amount to marketing questions and don't ask for any specific details of who you engaged with. The reason I put it here is that you need to know a bit about Stern to answer the following essay:

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

• Change: Dare it.
• Change: Dream it.
• Change: Drive it.
• Change: Empower it.
• Change: Manifest it.
• Change: [Any word of your choice] it.

However, the essay is only 350 words, so you just have room here to discuss a few things about Stern.  Not much room in the application for name dropping, so save that for an interview. Stern wants to learn about you as a person based on the other main essay (6 things)  and the EQ endorsements but clearly they are not asking for something highly detailed regarding the school here.

 

Stanford GSB: The MBA program has no application questions regarding interaction  with admissions, students, or alumni, but if you are applying to MSx, see the next section.  Essay B (Why Stanford? Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.) certainly requires that know why you want to attend GSB and this involves research and deep thinking about how the program will help you achieve..  I don't view name dropping of alumni or current students as very helpful here because the school really wants to learn about how you want to use them. Feel free to visit Stanford, but if you think this will impact the outcome you are delusional.  Don't waste your word count on the trivial or obvious but use it to showcase how you would specifically utilize Stanford.

 

Tuck:  I had anticipated placing Tuck in the next category because I do think engagement with at least a couple of alumni or current students (and if viable a school visit) is important, the application form itself does not require you to indicate all your points of contact with Tuck. Hence as long the two (out of three required)  300 word essays (Why are you pursuing an MBA and why now? How will the distinct Tuck MBA contribute to achieving your career goals and aspirations? AND  Tell us who you are. How have your values and experiences shaped your identity and character? How will your background contribute to the diverse Tuck culture and community?) highlight your big Tuck knowledge, you should be fine.  I do recommend name dropping of an alumnus or current student or two in one or both of these essays.  I think the school is best categorized here, but maybe this is my most controversial categorization.

 

UC Berkeley Haas:

While Essay #2 How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words maximum) certainly requires some knowledge of why Haas is right for (only an idiot would provide a generic why MBA answer to this question), it is not a very long question so there is limited space for this. What makes  me want to place this one in this category is the application form question:

HOW YOU HEARD ABOUT US

Have you recently had significant interaction with a current student or alum?

Yes

No

If applicable, please indicate with whom you have spoken.

The reason I have included Haas here and not in the next category is because they are not asking for multiple students or alumni and otherwise not asking for the kind of extensive details schools in the next section require.

 

 

Wharton: As discussed above the regular Wharton MBA essays require extensive knowledge of the school. It  fits into this category  and not the next one because the application form does not require any information about attending info sessions, alumni, or student contact. That said, I  recommend a lot of contact with Wharton students and alumni though it is not actually necessary if an applicant takes the time to dig deep into Wharton's online content. See the next section for Wharton Lauder.

 

 

Schools were high knowledge engagement is recommended to submit a strong application have one major thing in common: A specific place in the application for mentioning contact with admissions, alumni or current students that asks for details.  In the case of Columbia Business School, Duke,  IESE,  London Business School, and UCLA Anderson this can be found in the application form.  In the case of Stanford MSx and Wharton Lauder, the reason they fit here is because of the level of interaction you should have with admissions prior to applying.

 

Columbia Business School: While Columbia's 250 word 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. Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally? Please be specific) does not require extensive engagement to write effectively, the app form does. Welcome to one of the most detailed app forms with respect to your level of engagement with adcom, alumni, and current students.

 

Columbia Business School Contact

Have you ever spoken with a Columbia Business School Program Representative or attended an admissions-sponsored event?

YesNo

Please specify admissions staff or alumni with whom you have spoken or what event you have attended.

Do you know any current students at Columbia Business School?

YesNo

Please name these individuals:

 

NOTE:  The boxes for detailed info appear only if you check YES. 

 

The great thing about this app form content is that frees one up from needing to mention alumni or current students in Essay 3 because there is a specific place in the application to provide such details.  You should certainly contact a student (or more than one) via the Hermes Society. In addition, I would recommend reaching out to alumni as well as current students who are officers in the clubs you are interested in. I would consider listing at least two and ideally 4 or more current students and alumni in the app form.

 

 

Duke Fuqua:  You want to show your deep interest in Duke, a school that is typically treated by clients as a safety or backup.

Essay 2- Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? (500 words maximum).- certainly requires that you know about the program. You should feel free to name drop the at least couple of alumni or current students you engaged with. If you have visited certainly work that into this essay.

The App form asks for your specified engagement with Duke and highly recommend you have it.

---THIS IS LONG------

How did you first hear about The Fuqua School of Business? Specify in the text boxes provided as needed. (Use the 'Ctrl' key, or 'Cmd' key for Mac users, to select multiple.)

 

Admit.me AccessAlumnus/alumna (specify)ColleagueCollege FairCurrent College's Career Services TeamCurrent Student (specify)Employer/HR/Company ReferralFacebookFamily Member/FriendForte FoundationFuqua Faculty Member (specify)Fuqua Information SessionFuqua WebsiteFuqua’s New Ideas CompetitionInstagramInternet SearchLinkedInManagement Leadership for TomorrowMBA FairMBA ForumMilitary MBAMulti-School Information SessionNational Name ExchangeNon-Fuqua FacultyOff-campus Fuqua Information SessionOnline AdvertisementOther (specify)Other Duke ProgramOther Website (specify)Poets & QuantsPosse FoundationPrint AdvertisementRankingsReaching Out MBARedditService to School (S2S)TikTokTwitterUndergraduate Academic/Career AdvisorVirtual Information Session

---

What sources of information encouraged you to apply to The Fuqua School of Business? Specify in the text boxes provided as needed. (Use the 'Ctrl' key, or 'Cmd' key for Mac users, to select multiple.)

 

Admissions Officer (specify)Admit.me AccessAlumnus/alumna (specify)Availability of Merit AidCampus Visit/Open HouseCASE Initiative on Impact Investing (CASE i3)Center for Energy Development and the Global Environment (EDGE)Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE)Class ProfileCoffee ChatColleagueCollege FairConcentrationsCurrent Student (specify)CurriculumDuke Innovation & EntrepreneurshipEmployer/HR/Company ReferralFamily Member/FriendFinancial Aid/Loan OptionsFuqua Faculty Member (specify)Fuqua Information SessionFuqua's Career Services TeamFuqua’s New Ideas CompetitionGlobal Learning OpportunitiesHealth Sector ManagementIntegration of Technology in CoursesInternational Applicant SymposiumLocation/Geographic Setting of CampusManagement Leadership for TomorrowMilitary MBANational Name ExchangeNon-Fuqua FacultyOff-campus Fuqua Information SessionOther (specify)Other Website (specify)Previous ApplicantPride WeekendProgram FormatQuality of FacultyRankingsReputation of SchoolResources for Significant Others/ChildrenSchool Culture/CommunityService to School (S2S)Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator at Duke (SEAD)Strength in a Particular Functional AreaStrength of Alumni NetworkStrength of Elective OfferingsThe Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics (COLE)TikTokTotal Cost (tuition and fees)Undergraduate Academic/Career AdvisorVeterans SymposiumWomen's Leadership WeekendWorkshop for Minority Applicants

---------------------------------------------------

If you really want to be a part of Team Fuqua you had better show them big love.

 

 

IESE: IESE's app form certainly asks in detail about your engagement with the school and its community:

----THIS IS LONG------

a. Please indicate the source(s) of your first interest in IESE's MBA Program, and briefly elaborate on individual's name, title of publication, location, date, etc.

Label

 

 IESE Alumni recommendation

 

NameLabel

 

 

ProgramLabel

 

AMPCAIRODDEDPMEEMBAGEMBAGPMDIFDPINCOMBAPADEPDDPDGPhDPMD

 

YearLabel

 

19601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030

 

Label

 

 Current IESE Student recommendation

 

NameLabel

 

 

ProgramLabel

 

AMPCAIRODDEDPMEEMBAGEMBAGPMDIFDPINCOMBAPADEPDDPDGPhDPMD

 

YearLabel

 

19601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030

 

Label

 

 IESE Professor recommendation

 

Name 1:Label

 

 

Name 2:Label

 

 

Label

 

 Personal or Professional recommendation

 

Name 1:Label

 

 

Name 2:Label

 

 

Label

 

 MBA Event (Please refer to part b․)

 

Label

 

 Internet

 

Label

 

 Press

 

Label

 

 Other

 

Label

 

 MBA Fair

 

 

b. IESE Business School Event

Have you attended an IESE Business School Event?Label

 

No

Yes, check which event(s) below:

 

IESE Business School Event

Label

 

 Alumni event

 

Label

 

 Information Session/Case Study Presentation

 

Label

 

 Open Day

 

Label

 

 Interview Day

 

Label

 

 Online MBA event

 

Label

 

 Campus visit

 

 

c. Have you visited the IESE Barcelona Campus?

Label

 

Yes

No

 

Specify date:

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Given that level of detail and based on my own conversations with IESE admissions, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND extensive engagement with admissions, current students, and alumni. If visiting is viable and this is a high priority school for you, consider doing so.

The essay is short but does require you to know about the program: Career Goals Essay: What are your short-term and mid-term post-MBA goals? How will the IESE MBA program help you achieve them? (word limit 300 max).

 

 

London Business School:  While CBS and IESE might seem to ask a lot of questions about engagement, LBS is really in its own category for this. This is because of its MANY app form questions:

App form questions:

-How did you first hear about London Business School? (Max 200 characters)

-How did you hear about this programme? (Max 100 characters)

-Have you attended an event on or off campus, or online where you met with representatives from the school? If yes, please tell us when, where and who you met. If you know any London Business School Alumni or Students, please give their names, graduating class and tell us how you know them. (300 words max)

-We encourage applicants to take into consideration the impact of study on family and friends. Who have you discussed your plans with and what was the response? (300 words max)

No other school is asking for this level of detail.  That is why I highly encourage any client who wants to attend LBS to engage in extensive networking with current students and alumni, to visit if it not an undue burden and the timing is right, and to attend information sessions.  A critical key to getting admitted to this school is showing you want to attend and have taken a lot of time to learn about the program. Try to talk to at least two alumni and two current students but the more, the better.

 

You must show deep engagement through the above in addition to what you write in the essays below:

Question 1 (500 words): What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?

This essay requires knowing about LBS at the same level as schools in the previous category like Wharton or Booth. Keep in mind that since you have to alumni and current name drop heavily in the application questions above, you don't need to do that in this essay.

Question 2 (500 words): (This question is optional) Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School?

In theory this essay need not be written but I always advise clients to write it, unlike most of the US schools that want positive essay content, but just the discussion of problems, LBS is giving you the opportunity to tell them more.  Given their extensive essay-like content in the application form, including a question on academic performance, you should use this essay to give them additional reasons to admit you.  Most of my  LBS admits use this either for a contribution essay like Wharton Essay 2 above or to highlight one or more major accomplishments that they could not communicate in the application form in any detail but want to highlight. Of course, discussion of any problems can always be mentioned here and it is fine to use the 500 words for multiple and distinct purposes.

 

Also note that the alumni interviewer at LBS will have full access to your application, so it is important they see a high level of engagement in the application.

 

There is not any significant difference between applying to LBS in R1 versus R2, so if you are finding you don't have enough time to do a high level of engagement with students and alumni in R1, it is better to apply in R2.

 

UCLA Anderson: SURPRISE! I bet you were not expecting this one. I will make the case for why I think it fits here.

UCLA does not call their goals and why UCLA essay an essay.  They have another essay that they call an essay- UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership.  Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone. (250 words maximum)- that does not require knowing about UCLA, but this non-essay sure does. 1600 characters in total is around 350-400 words.  Given that they want 1000 of these characters on why UCLA, you had better know about that program in detail.

Describe your short-term and long-term post-MBA career goals

600 characters remaining

How can UCLA Anderson help you achieve your career and/or personal goals?

1000 characters remaining

 

But what makes me say this is a high engagement school is the application form:

Sources of Information

Please indicate your primary sources of information about our program (use commas to separate answers):

Website(s)

Social Media / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Blogs / Podcasts, etc.

Staff / Faculty Members

Students / Alumni

Other Sources

 

Given that most of my clients treat UCLA as a safety back-up place as many applicants not addicted to living in LA do, the inclination will be to put minimal time into this school, but I actually think the opposite is warranted. Make UCLA feel that it a school you really want to attend even if you don't.

 

Stanford MSx:For MSx I do highly recommend engagement with an admissions officer as they will provide relatively personalized interaction unlike the MBA program. In this sense, the MSx requires a high level of engagement with admissions. MSx works with applicants to really determine whether they fit the program prior to application, which is very common for such mid-career MBA programs. You should make extensive efforts to engage directly with MSx admissions.

The MSx program does have a very specific app form question:

Events and Activities

This question is for planning purposes only. Your response will not be considered in the review process.

Please select the MSx Admissions Office events or activities that you have attended or participated in.

Class visit

Online information session

In-person information session - on campus

In-person information session - off campus

Coffee chat with an admission officer

Coffee chat with a student/alum

Specialty panel (financial aid, student life, career services, entrepreneurship)

Application workshop webinar

Inside the admission committee webinar

They don't ask for details and say this information will not be considered in the application process, which I am sure is true and yet personal engagement with admissions here can have a positive impact because you will be engaging with the people who make the admissions decisions.

Essay B (Why Stanford? Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.) certainly requires that know why you want to attend the MSx and this involves research and deep thinking about how the program will help you achieve.  I don't view name dropping of alumni or current students as very helpful here because the school really wants to learn about how you want to use them. Feel free to visit Stanford, but if you think this will impact the outcome you are delusional.  Don't waste your word count on the trivial or obvious but use it to showcase how you would specifically utilize Stanford.

MSx also has  specific additional 500 character (about 100-120 words) essay: Because the Stanford MSx program is for mid-career managers, it is valuable to have clear career goals in mind when you begin. Beyond a sentence or two, tell us about any specific career goals you have for the next few years, and how you believe the Stanford MSx Program, combined with your experience, education or background, will help you achieve them? If you choose to explain this in your essay or other portions of the application, you can reference that here (no need to repeat), but be as specific as you can. 

This gives a bit of additional space to expand on what you have written in Essay B and is a good place to highlight more about why MSx is right for you.

 

Wharton Lauder, the MBA/MA (International Studies-Lauder) is a program for those with strong international focus to their future goals.

Beyond making sure you meet the foreign language requirements and take any necessary tests for that, deep engagement with admissions staff is critical. Ask any current student or alumnus from Wharton Lauder and they will tell you to talk to Marcy (taken from https://lauder.wharton.upenn.edu/admission-team/):

"Marcy Bevan

Director, Admissions & Alumni Relations

For more than 30 years, Marcy has been overseeing admissions, alumni relations, and the coordination of special events for the Lauder Institute. Born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, Marcy earned her B.A. in English from Mills College and her Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Email: bevanm@wharton.upenn.edu "

 

The first thing I tell my clients who apply to Lauder is talk to Marcy. She is the soul of the program, highly supportive of applicants and the single best person for helping a potential Lauder applicant figure out whether they apply.  Additionally one should talk with at least few Wharton Lauder alumni and/or current students.

The Lauder essay- Discuss why you are applying to the Lauder Institute, detailing specific reasons, experiences, and background for choosing your Program of Concentration, as well as your interest in further study in that Program. Applicants to Programs of Concentration involving language study (Africa-French; East and Southeast Asia; Europe; Latin America; South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa) should also discuss what they hope to gain from advanced language and cultural education, as well as describe how they have learned the language they will study (e.g. undergraduate courses, undergraduate major, etc.). Finally, please describe how you see yourself benefiting from, and contributing to, the Lauder community.  (800 words) - absolutely requires you know a lot about Lauder, how you would use it, and why it is right for you.

I think Lauder is an amazing program for the right candidate and given the close knit Lauder community, it offers a level of community beyond what one would get from the Wharton MBA. Just make the effort to find out whether you are right for it.

 

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This took a long time to put together. Hope you find it useful.