A strong Columbia MBA essay clearly connects career goals with CBS-specific resources. One successful example came from a finance professional aiming to shift into impact investing. In the goals essay, the applicant wrote about moving from investment banking to an NYC-based impact fund focused on underrepresented founders. They laid out short- and long-term goals in clear terms, showing how their finance background supported the shift.
In the “Why Columbia” essay, they mentioned specific offerings like the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, the Private Equity & VC Club, and the Columbia Startup Lab. They also highlighted NYC’s access to mission-driven investors and planned to use Columbia’s Seed Fund for early-stage ideas.
What worked well was the clarity of their goals, the real CBS programs linked directly to those goals, and the fact that the career move made sense based on their previous experience.
