{"id":45709,"date":"2019-05-26T06:00:07","date_gmt":"2019-05-26T13:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=45709"},"modified":"2019-06-02T12:56:40","modified_gmt":"2019-06-02T19:56:40","slug":"columbia-business-school-mba-essay-tips-deadlines-2019-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/columbia-business-school-mba-essay-tips-deadlines-2019-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Columbia Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 \u2013 2020]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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There is a moderate amount of change in this year\u2019s Columbia MBA application. As they did last year, they are changing the questions for Essays #2 and #3. The short-answer question, Essay #1, and the optional essay are all unchanged. The character and word limits are all the same as last year.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our tips are in italics.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Columbia Business School application essay tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Goal:<\/strong> What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that this has a character (not word) limit. Your response must be significantly shorter than a tweet. What do you want to do professionally and in which industry immediately after earning your MBA? Here are <\/em>CBS\u2019 examples of possible responses<\/em><\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWork in business development for a media company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJoin a strategy consulting firm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLaunch a data-management start-up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warning: This question is not asking about your intended area of study while in business school or a non-professional goal or even a long-term goal. And the subject in your response is assumed to be you. No need to waste characters by including \u201cI\u201d or \u201cI plan to\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succinctly define your goal in terms of function (what you want to do) and the industry (or type of company) in which you want to do it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Columbia Business School essay #1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Columbia apparently liked the answers it received to this question, its longest, because it is back this year. CBS wants you to focus on your career goals not immediately after graduation, as in the short-answer question, but in the longer-term. They want to see how you believe your career will develop after that immediate post-MBA job. This question does not ask you how CBS will help you achieve your goals.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To answer this question, realize that the readers already know what\u2019s in your resume. <\/em>Don\u2019t<\/em><\/strong> repeat \u201cyour career path to date.\u201d That\u2019s a waste of valuable essay real estate and means you\u2019re not telling them anything new or answering their question.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do<\/em><\/strong> tell them what you want to do 3-5 years into the future, which should build on your first post-MBA job. Make sure to answer the long-term question and feel free to dream and aspire, but at the same time reveal an ambitious, but feasible professional goal.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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