Columbia’s prompts are somewhat straightforward compared to other schools of its caliber, and the third essay is no exception. Here’s the prompt:<\/p>\n
Who is a leader you admire, and why? (250 words)<\/strong><\/p>\n The first challenge with a traditional prompt like this is avoiding a traditional answer. There are going to be a LOT of people doing the same thing here, and their essays won’t do anything to advance their application. We need to\u00a0differentiate<\/em>. There are the two overall approaches to that:<\/p>\n If you pick someone no one\u2019s heard of, that\u2019s already interesting. Good! Now make a convincing argument that they\u2019ve done something that warranted your admiring that person. By the way, this could be everyone from \u201cmy younger brother who created a successful startup.\u201d to an obscure person in ancient history whose leadership skills resonate to this day. One caveat: Keep in mind that the adcom will be reading thousands of versions of this essay, and probably at least hundreds from people who share your exact politics, educational background, nationality, etc. If you have any doubts about whether your leader is actually \u201csomeone no one\u2019s heard of,\u201d we\u2019ll want to write as if our leader falls into category 2\u2026.<\/p>\n If you pick someone EVERYONE\u2019S heard of, you\u2019d better find a reason that no one\u2019s thought of yet. Because if you pick a WELL-KNOWN person for an OBVIOUS reason, you have zero chance of grabbing your reader\u2019s attention. You may very well argue the living hell out of it, and it might be compelling and crisp and logical and \u201ccorrect.\u201d But it won\u2019t MOVE the reader. And that\u2019s the goal. To knock the adcom off balance.<\/p>\n So, what are surprising reasons for admiring someone?<\/p>\n Well, I like THIS gal but not because of X, Y or Z (the stuff everyone ELSE admires her for). Nah. My whole thing is THIS STRANGE, WEIRD, NEVER-PRAISED trait that is super cool, underrated, and super badass. Ex. \u201cI admire Bill Gate\u2019s sartorial choices, because (to me) it says something powerful about how he leads. Let me explain. . .\u201d<\/p>\n Or, here\u2019s a guy I admire: XXX. That guy, the guy who famously belly-flopped as a leader. First, I\u2019ll say that yah, I\u2019m with everyone else on ABC bad aspect of his performance. That\u2019s the not the part that gets me. It\u2019s THIS oft-overlooked piece\u2026 Ex. \u201cI admire Neville Chamberlain\u2019s innovations as postmaster general\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Someone has a leadership skill you simply lack, but are in awe of. It takes courage to admit to this, and humility to say that you really wanna learn how to develop a leadership skill. But it also helps justify your application: You wanna be around people who have XYZ skill so you can drink it in. Alternatively, this could go \u201cI\u2019m good at XYZ, but he\u2019s a MASTER, and I am in awe of people who excel at XYZ, because of THIS particular reason. Now, lemme explain what makes THIS guy ultra-next-level\u2026<\/p>\n Organization here really depends on who you pick and why. Things can get crazy. You may start with a tasty anecdote that embodies everything you admire, and then walk us through your reasoning. It could start with what the world thinks, and then your analysis of where they get it wrong, and what you see instead. It could be a walk-through of what you value, and then a reveal of which person best represents that. Lots of structures here. The key here is to subject your final essay to the \u201cdoes this surprise me\u201d test. Is there any insight there that isn\u2019t wholly predictable (and therefore dull)? Again, \u201ccorrect, honest, and compelling\u201d can all <\/em>still be dull. The GOLD STAR version of an essay here has SOME element that contributes some new, interesting perspective. (Which will reveal something new and interesting about YOU.)<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be discouraged if your initial few stabs don\u2019t pass this test. Often times, our first (raw) instincts will fail this test. And that\u2019s okay. That\u2019s where you need to go into BEAST MODE at the review\/rewriting stage and get super critical. If it happens on that first draft, great. If it happens at draft two, no problem. Just make sure you take the time to GET THERE.<\/p>\n Need more guidance? Check out our review of the other essays in the CBS application<\/a>, or ask questions in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n The post How to Ace the Columbia Leadership Essay<\/a> appeared first on Admissionado<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Columbia’s prompts are somewhat straightforward compared to other schools of its caliber, and the third essay is no exception. 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