Columbia Business School

Columbia's NYC fit isn't a marketing line — it's a real screening criterion. The cluster system, the experiential courses, and the city are central to why the program exists.

• 01Credible 3-5 year goals that connect to your background
• 02A long-term vision that isn't just 'CEO of my own company'
• 03Specific cluster, club, or NYC-located reasons for Columbia
• 04Evidence you'll engage with NYC, not just live there

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 word limit

Grade with this prompt

The full-time MBA experience includes academics, recruiting, and networking. What are you most looking forward to in your Columbia MBA experience?

250 word limit

Grade with this prompt

• ✗ Treating Columbia as a backup with generic 'top program' language
• ✗ Long-term goals disconnected from short-term goals
• ✗ Ignoring NYC entirely

1. 01

   Paste your Columbia draft and the prompt.

2. 02

   We grade against the Columbia-specific rubric, not generic essay rules.

3. 03

   You get an overall score, paragraph-level flags, and the three fixes that move your score the most.

• How HBS readers actually score your essay
• Why ChatGPT can't grade your MBA essay