Deadlines for the January 2027 entry:
Round 1: June 17, 2026Round 2: August 13, 2026
Deadlines for the August 2027 Entry:
Round 1: September 9, 2026
Round 2: January 5, 2027
Round 3: March 29, 2027
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)
The essay prompt begins with clear direction that the CBS admissions committee is not looking for a recount of your past career, but they are more interested in knowing where you are headed in the future. That said, a few lines reflecting on a specific part of your professional or personal experience, a turning point or a realization, will set meaningful context for your goals and help the reader understand why you are pursuing the path you have chosen.
From there, articulate your short term career goal – what do you wish to accomplish 3-5 years following your MBA. Explain the roles/ function/ company you wish to work in and what you intend doing there. As the question asks specifically about your goals over the next three to five years, you can explain how you plan to grow over this time period, or maybe transition across roles.
Next, what is your long-term career goal? By asking about your dream job, CBS is inviting you to think big. But ambition, does not mean personal growth alone- becoming the CXO is not a vision; it’s a position. Think bigger, have a larger purpose or vision beyond personal advancement.
The question to ask yourself is, what will you do with that platform? What problem will you solve, which industry will you reshape, what impact will you create — for your customers, your organisation, your industry, or society at large?
While the expectation is to be ambitious, your career goals should still be grounded in reality. Employers will hire you for the transferable skills and relevant experience you bring to a particular job. Therefore, in a desire to be different and unique, do not write goals that make the reader doubt your capability to achieve them. Also, your short-term and long-term goal should have some synergy between them. Your vision for the long-term guides your career growth, and also your short-term goal. Having dissociated short-term and long-term career goals will make your plans sound less credible.
In the closing paragraph, briefly address why you need an MBA and why from Columbia Business School. Touch on the specific academic or professional resources, the broader CBS ecosystem, or its values that make a CBS MBA a necessary choice for you.
Essay 2:
Please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative, more inclusive or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization. (250 words)
My first observation is that while CBS has mentioned the word ‘organization’, they have not specified which type of organization This effectively gives you an open field to select a story from your personal, professional, extra curricular or community life. Whichever setting you choose, your story should follow an important caveat of MBA admission storytelling- to demonstrate your leadership and team skills, maturity in dealing with difficult situations and your impact on others. Select your strongest story where these qualities are clearly on display, and where the outcome was one of the three things the prompt asks for: greater collaboration, greater inclusivity, or a stronger sense of community.
A good essay would be one where these elements were originally missing. Perhaps there was difference of opinion, discord or distrust among team members, or a breakdown in communication that disrupted work or soured the environment. Perhaps a team was divided along certain lines, leaving some people excluded and unheard. Or perhaps you faced a crisis that required bringing people together around a shared purpose. Tackling any of these scenarios effectively will show your ability to solve problems by collaborating, motivating or influencing others to take action toward a meaningful outcome.
In terms of storytelling, use the STAR format to structure your answer. Briefly give context of the situation- who were involved, what the problem was and what was not working out. Explain the challenges you observed and why you felt compelled to act. Describe the specific actions you took, the reasoning behind them and what values guided you at that time. Address any resistance you encountered and how you worked through it. Importantly, as the essay is about collaboration, inclusion, or community, avoid making the story only about yourself. Show how you influenced people, built trust, handled resistance, and created space for others to contribute.
Close with the result and reflection. The result may be measurable, such as improved performance or successful completion of a project, while also touching upon the more human aspects, such as renewed trust or a stronger sense of belonging, Your reflections / learnings can connect back to your values that drove your actions all along.
Essay 3
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)
While many b-schools ask questions on why you have chosen their school or how you will contribute to their community, CBS’ essay prompt is different in asking how you will co-create your MBA experience. The word ‘Co-create’ suggests active participation in designing an MBA experience that it is right for your career aspirations and other broader expectations from the CBS MBA program, while also enriching the community around you.
As the prompt specifies, how will you co-create this experience in the academic, cultural and professional dimensions of the CBS MBA program? Which classes will you most benefit from? Which professional opportunities and clubs will you pursue? Which cultural aspects of the program will you engage with? How will you contribute to each of these features to make them better or to ensure that your classmates also benefit from them?
A convincing answer is only possible if you have thoroughly researched what CBS offers and identified which resources are most meaningful for you — both for your own learning and for what you can give back. Connect with students and alumni, explore the school website, watch official YouTube videos and attend online or in-person events and information session to learn in-depth about the program.
In essay one, you have mentioned your career goals. Keep this essay closely aligned with the CBS resources you will need for your career aspirations, adding how you will further contribute to these resources to benefit your classmates.
An example to showcase this is, “At CBS, I will leverage my experience as an entrepreneur in the retail industry in courses such as ‘Creation of a Retail Enterprise’, and ‘Entrepreneurial Strategy’. While I will share insights on establishing garment manufacturing processes, integrating CAD solutions for cost-effective operations, and organically building online communities, while learning from the offline retail experiences of my peers.”
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