Discussing Fit In the Columbia Business School Essay

Fit is incredibly important when it comes to the MBA.

In fact, according to experts, fit is arguably more important than ranking and prestige of a b-school.

“If you seek a business school environment where you’ll truly thrive, focus on fit over ranking and brand,” Stacy Blackman, of Stacy Blackman Consulting, says. “While the latter two are important, if you don’t feel at home from the moment you set foot on campus, you won’t get the most out of the MBA experience.”

And fit is exactly what admissions officers at Columbia Business are looking for when it comes to the b-school’s essay prompts. The admissions experts at Accepted recently broke down Columbia Business School’s essay prompts and how applicants should go about discussing fit.

ESSAY 1

The first essay in Columbia’s MBA application asks applicants the following:

Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job?

The important distinction in this prompt, according to Accepted, is the focus on the long-term.

Essentially, Columbia admission officers want to know how you see your career developing after your immediate post-MBA job.

When answering this question, Accepted recommends that applicants avoid repeating their resume. But rather, focusing on the future.

“Instead, tell them what you want to do 3-5 years into the future, which should build on your first post-MBA job,” according to Accepted. “Make sure to answer the long-term question and feel free to dream and aspire, but at the same time reveal an ambitious, but feasible professional goal.”

Essay 2

The second essay asks applicants the following:

Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you?

This is the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of Columbia’s MBA program and how you’d be a good fit for it.

“Be sure to reveal how you intend to use the program to prepare yourself to achieve the short-term goal that you provide in the short-answer question and the longer-term goals you discuss in Essay #1,” according to Accepted.

Additionally, it can be helpful to discuss the location of Columbia being in New York City. Accepted recommends applicants to keep in mind Columbia’s pride of being “at the very center of business.”

Sources: Accepted, Stacy Blackman Consulting