columbia essays 2023

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Columbia-Specific Application Questions

Columbia-specific questions, also known as the writing supplement, tell the Committee on Admissions more about your academic, extracurricular and intellectual interests. These questions provide insight to your intellectual curiosity, habits of mind, love of learning and sense of self. They also allow the Committee on Admissions to learn more about you in your current community and why you feel Columbia’s distinctive experiences in and out of the classroom would be a good fit for your undergraduate education. We review your responses to these questions as an essential part of our holistic and contextual review , in order to get a fuller sense of you as a unique individual beyond the standard parts of the application.

A Columbia admissions officer talks about the Columbia-specific application questions, also known as the writing supplement.

2023-2024 Columbia-Specific Questions

Instructions.

For the list question that follows, there is a 100 word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:

• Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.
• Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.
• It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.
• No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.

 For the four short answer questions, please respond in 150 words or fewer.

• List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy.  ( 100 words or fewer)  
• A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer)
• In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant's ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words or fewer)
• Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words or fewer)
• What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer)

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Columbia University Essays 2023-2024

Located in the heart of New York City, Columbia University is one of the world’s leading institutions for research and commitment towards education. With its 265 years of history and ideal location, Columbia has had a major influence in history and continues to be at the forefront of innovation to this day. Offering both a rigorous curriculum as well as ample opportunities to explore one of the largest cities in the world, Columbia attracts thousands of top-performing students from all over the world.

Columbia University requires all applicants to answer one short question about the books and media that have piqued their interest. All applicants have to answer three short essay prompts as well. If you’re applying to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering, you’ll have an additional prompt. And finally, Dual BA, School of General Studies, and Postbac Premed Program applicants have to submit an essay for their respective program.

Columbia receives tens of thousands of applications from strong students each year. To stand out among the crowd and showcase your individuality, you’ll want to develop authentic supplemental essays. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can write a stellar supplemental essay for the various prompts below.

Check out these Columbia essay examples from real students  to inspire your writing!

Columbia University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Short answer list prompt for all applicants.

For the list question that follows, there is a 100-word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:

– Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons. – Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order. – It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications. – No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.

List Prompt: List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (100 words)

Essay Prompts for All Applicants

Prompt 1: A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words)

Prompt 2: In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant’s ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words)

Prompt 3: Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words)

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering Applicants

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at columbia college/columbia engineering (150 words), trinity college dublin and sciences po dual ba applicants only, describe how your experiences, both personal and academic, have shaped your decision to pursue the dual ba program. why is an international academic experience important to you as you consider the ways in which it may influence your future, successful essays should not only identify and describe specific elements of the dual ba program that meet your needs as a student, but should also explain why the academic courses you have chosen for your time at trinity college dublin and columbia university are compatible with your aspirations, academic or otherwise. (750-1000 words), school of general studies applicants, tell us about your educational history, work experience, present situation, and plans for the future. please make sure to reflect on why you consider yourself a nontraditional student and have chosen to pursue your education at the school of general studies of columbia university. successful essays should identify and describe specific elements of the program, academic or otherwise, that meet your needs as a nontraditional student. the admissions committee is particularly interested in situations in your life from which you have learned and grown. this may include past academic experiences, professional accomplishments, or turning points and transformative events: new beginnings and personal achievements, but also events that may have affected your education, such as health and family challenges, personal obstacles or even issues with the justice system. our expectation is that your reflection on your experiences will demonstrate your potential to add a unique perspective to the columbia classroom. (1500-2000 words), postbac premed program applicants, please submit an essay of approximately 500 words discussing your decision to pursue a career in medicine or an allied health profession. a successful essay will not only describe the factors that contributed to your decision, but will give us a sense of you as an individual by discussing why you want to pursue this career and how you feel you will contribute to the profession. (500 words), list prompt, list a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy. (100 words).

Don’t worry! There’s no preset list of right and wrong answers. Columbia isn’t going to automatically reject you if you don’t include The Grapes of Wrath (or any other specific work for that matter) in your list. Instead, they’re curious about your interests, your intellectual development, the way you think, and the ways in which you’ve challenged yourself in your media consumption. So be honest about the stuff you’ve read and watched while selecting your examples judiciously.

Here’s a helpful hint: think of the list as a “capsule wardrobe.” In a capsule wardrobe, each piece of clothing is distinct and cool on its own: you can have a graphic tee, a leather jacket, a white tank, and a few pairs of jeans. And while each has its own character, each also contributes to the cohesive whole – your style. Putting two items together into an outfit can bring out interesting elements and commonalities in both.

The same goes for the books or movies in a list. Each should be interesting on its own, but should also contribute to the overall picture of your intellectual style. A great list includes items that illuminate each other and communicate with each other – like matching a hat with your socks. Some more style tips:

1. List items that build on each other. Key word: synergy . In the same way that wearing two matching items together can say a lot about your fashion taste, including two similar items in your list can communicate a sustained interest in a topic. For example, if I include both Macbeth and Throne of Blood in my list of films, I’m showing my readers: “Hey! I’m interested in exploring how the same story has been adapted by different cultures and artists!” Neither Macbeth nor Throne of Blood could demonstrate this on its own – but together, they become greater than the sum of their parts. Synergy!

2. Show multidimensionality. Beware! You can potentially demonstrate a sustained interest in a topic without indicating growth. For example, a litany of true-crime podcasts will feel a bit one-dimensional and start to lose its impact if they’re all too similar. Instead, pick works that indicate how you’re interested in the multiple facets and intellectual levels of a subject. If you combine the true-crime podcast Serial and Criminal Perspective with the journal Psychological Review and a blog on forensic psychology, you can paint yourself as someone with layered interests who wants to learn more about the world and a particular field.

3. Don’t overdress. It’s tempting to include the most impressive, arduous books you’ve read in an attempt to show you are a Serious Person. But too many straight-laced tomes can make you look like you’re overdoing it – kind of like showing up to a coffee shop in a suit. Instead, balance your hefty items with some more easygoing ones. Euclid’s Elements of Geometry and Russell’s Principles of Mathematics are going to look a lot more palatable if you sprinkle some Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in there. You want to balance your intellectual pursuits with your distinctive personality.

4. Don’t underdress. A pinch of fluff can add a little flavor and dimension to your lists. Nobody’s going to fault you, for instance, if you include It’s Always Sunny or The Da Vinci Code on your lists of favorite things. However, you should make a point not to include items that are too juvenile, and not to overload on items of questionable intellectual merit.

5. Recognizable brands can be effective. Hitting on a few respected “pop culture” items makes it more likely that you and the person reading your application will have something in common. And, psychologically speaking , similarities on paper can often go a long way in non-personal interactions. Just make sure to pick an item that has both critical and popular merit , like Pink Floyd’s The Wall or Avatar: The Last Airbender – something about which you and your potential interviewer could have an intellectual debate.

6. Dress for the job you want. Certain shoes can be impressive, but bad for dancing. Similarly, you should be careful not to confuse an “impressive” piece of media with a “relevant” one. War and Peace, Don Quixote, A Brief History of Time , and Ulysses are definitely impressive books, and you may have loved them, but if you’re interested in studying marine biology, they might not be all that relevant to your application. Include enough to show you’re diverse in your interests, but conserve the most space for items that speak to your personal academic and career interests.

7. Moderation. You’ve probably figured this out by now, but creating your lists is going to be a delicate game. You have to find the happy medium between intellectual and casual, specialized and well-rounded, fiction and nonfiction, differing types of media, and so on. Don’t throw together these lists last-minute simply because they’re not full-blown essays. It’s a different format, but you should be as careful with these as you are with essays. The lists can be just as revealing of you as a person and just as important to the admissions process as a full essay is.

8. Also… be honest! If you get an interview, you’ll probably be asked about some items on your lists. You don’t want to be caught off guard by something that you yourself wrote . There are few things more detrimental to an interview than not knowing anything about something you purported to have read/seen.

All Applicants, Prompt 1

A hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words).

This is a good example of a “Diversity” essay . Columbia wants not only students who will contribute to campus diversity because of their unique backgrounds, but also students who will be inclusive and benefit from a community of diverse people and perspectives. Your essay needs to convey how you will contribute to diversity and benefit from it. There are four questions implied by this prompt, and answering each of them in turn will create a strong and thorough answer.

1. What makes you diverse?

The first step is to figure out what makes you a diverse applicant. You might talk about more classic examples of background like your race/ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, or country of origin. However, diversity comes in all shapes and sizes, so you can also demonstrate a unique background in things like your hometown, socioeconomic status, an illness/disability, or even an interest or hobby.

For example, a student who has a lot of food allergies might joke that he won’t be able to enjoy the dining halls like his peers, but because of his allergies he has learned to cook for himself and to find unique food substitutions other people would never think about.

2. How has your background impacted your development?

In order to establish the emotional connection that will strengthen your essay, you need to show admissions officers how you have been impacted by the community or background that makes you diverse. Including how you have been impacted will demonstrate how you previously benefited from being part of a community, how your new perspective will allow you to contribute to Columbia’s community, and how you evolved as a result of your background.

For example, maybe you were really shy until you started participating in a community theater where you came out of your shell and let your voice be heard. At Columbia, you will not only encourage others to join theater so they can gain confidence, but you will also use your newfound confidence in public speaking to call fellow students to action regarding issues you are passionate about, like raising the minimum wage.

3. How will you contribute to diversity on campus?

Here, you need to explain how the background or community that has shaped your identity will make you an addition to diversity on campus. This is where you convince admissions officers that they want you to enrich their university.

For example, you might talk about how you wish to start your own on-campus Spanish-language publication, so students like you can read the news in their native language. Or maybe as a first-gen student, your family and culture instilled in you the value of a college education, so you will form study groups to help enrich your classmates’ educational experience. Providing concrete examples of how you will contribute to campus will really show admissions officers how you’ll fit within the campus community.

4. How will being surrounded by diversity on campus help you?

The last thing you should address is what you will personally gain from being part of a diverse community. If you’ve already discussed what you gained from your previous engagement with diversity, you should choose a different trait or skill you hope to acquire at Columbia. For example, a student who’s never left the state he was born in might describe how he wants to meet people from other countries to learn about cultural differences and gain a better understanding of other nationalities without the stereotypes found in movies and TV.

Keep in mind that this essay should exemplify your positive traits and qualities you’ve either developed, hope to develop, or hope to share with others. With that in mind, there are a few things you should avoid in your writing:

• Don’t just list all the facets of your identity/background. If you make a laundry list of things that contribute to your identity without elaborating on any of them, you risk running out of space before saying anything substantive.
• Avoid writing solely about negative experiences. Your background may have led to some adversity in your life, which is normal, but college essay prompts generally aim to identify experiences that had positive outcomes or lessons. Not everything has a “happy ending,” but keep in mind that writing a negative essay is harder to execute well.
• Avoid cliché topics. There’s nothing wrong with having moved across the United States or having emigrated from another country; however, the problem is that these are very common topics, which makes it harder for you to write a unique standout essay. If you write about a more common experience because it was integral to your growth, make sure to share your specific emotions and stories to help your essay stand out, rather than discussing the general challenges you (and others) have faced.

A truly focused essay that addresses the four aforementioned questions while steering clear of the things we recommend avoiding will allow you to go into more depth and elicit a far stronger reaction to your writing!

All Applicants, Prompt 2

In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. it is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant’s ability to navigate through adversity. please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words).

This is the classic Overcoming Challenges essay , which is common for a reason—colleges want to admit students who can push through adversity, just as Columbia explains in the prompt.

Picking your topic:

This is probably the hardest part of this essay, as students sometimes think they need to write about a tragedy, and many will not have experienced tragedy.

You want the barrier or obstacle you write about to be significant (i.e. more than getting a bad grade), but it doesn’t need to be completely life-altering (though, of course, it can be).

To help you brainstorm a topic, consider these questions:

• What experiences have changed your perspective or your day-to-day life?
• In which situations did you initially struggle, but that struggle helped you build confidence? (Keep in mind though that your topic doesn’t ultimately need to have been “successful”. You can write about an ongoing challenge or a failure if you have learned something from it).

Some example of good Overcoming Challenges topics that we’ve seen in the past include:

• Persuading the school board to dedicate the high school track to a coach
• Taking care of a sick parent
• Getting your position switched last-minute in Model UN

Tips for writing your essay:

This topic lends itself well to creative storytelling. To start your essay, bring us into the moment(s) you were experiencing the barrier/obstacle. Show us your emotions and thoughts.

In the next part of the essay, make sure to explain why the challenge was important to you, and then outline the steps you took to manage the situation. Were you ultimately successful? Why or why not?

Finally, the last third of the essay should focus on how the barrier/obstacle allowed you to grow and mature.

Your essay doesn’t need to follow this exact format or space allotment, but it should include these basic elements.

Mistakes to avoid:

This is a tricky essay because it’s easy to make mistakes in topic selection and writing. Here’s what you should look out for:

• Focusing too much on the story and not enough on the lessons you learned. Because you’re writing about a significant challenge, it can be easy to focus the whole essay on what happened and not cover how you responded and how it helped you grow. Those last two points are the most key, and you should make sure to allot enough space for them.
• Being too negative in the essay. You do not have to have ultimately succeeded in face of the barrier/obstacle, but you should ultimately have gained something positive from the situation (a new value, perspective, skill, etc.). If you find a positive impact to talk about, then you may want to choose a new topic.
• Writing about a cliche topic . Admissions officers have seen too many essays about sports injuries, and they’ve also seen a lot of essays about tragedies like death and divorce. You can still write good essays on these topics, but it’s easier to stand out if the essay has a different angle (i.e. a sports injury helping you discover a new passion vs. the typical storyline of working hard to overcoming the injury and getting back on the field).

All Applicants, Prompt 3

Why are you interested in attending columbia university we encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about columbia. (150 words).

This is a question that a lot of schools ask; in fact, it’s so common that we’ve put together a whole guide on how to answer it. Check out CollegeVine’s guide to writing the “Why This College?” essay for some in-depth tips and examples! As you sit down to write this essay, you should definitely have Columbia’s website and any other materials you might possess open.

Specificity is crucial here. Vague platitudes about Columbia’s virtues – such as “Ivy League academics,” “shared classes with Barnard,” and “location in the heart of New York City” – aren’t going to cut it here. Instead, such superficial phrases signify that you did inadequate research. To set yourself apart from everyone else, you need to clearly delineate your academic interests and values, as well as the exact resources and programs at Columbia that will help you thrive. Proper nouns, concrete goals, precise examples. Specificity.

1. Provide a tangible connection to Columbia.

A “tangible connection” comprises specific elements of the university that appeal to you, and you should set aside ample time to research this. Look on Columbia’s different websites, and carefully explore the links that pertain to particular majors ( Columbia College (CC) ; Columbia Engineering (CE) , research centers , courses, and professors ( CC ; CE ). Hint: it may be worth your while to read Columbia’s magazine , which contains updates on its educators’ most recent work. Many departments also put out their own e-newsletters, so be sure to sign up to those that pique your interest.

Don’t do a small or moderate amount of research and decide it’s “good enough.” For example, it’s tempting to list a few things you like about a program based on the first couple of blurbs you read on its webpage. A student might concoct a passage like this:

“As someone interested in studying Mideast politics as well as literature, Columbia’s Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies program sounds like a great place to blend my interests and study from renowned professors like [insert name].”

This example looks fine at first glance, but it’s pretty superficial and definitely not the best response. Instead of just name-dropping professors and programs, you should articulate your future with them like you’re fantasizing about your wedding, down to the last beautiful detail. A much more specific passage about Columbia’s MESAAS would sound like:

“When reading about the last Adab Colloquium, I was intrigued by how Columbia’s Middle East Institute recruits authorities from other universities, like [Name], to better immerse Columbia students in the diverse voices of Middle Eastern literary studies. The frequency of colloquia provided by the MEI shows that Columbia is dedicated to expanding Middle Eastern studies in the U.S., and that I would find ample guidance as an MESAAS student there.”

It’s immediately evident that crafting the second statement required much more probing, revision, and familiarity than the first.

2. Describe your intangible connection as well.

How is Columbia a place that aligns with your values, dreams, and goals? How do you vibe with it? For example, if our hypothetical student continued to write about MESAAS and MEI, he would state explicitly how it draws him in, and how it aligns with his philosophical and societal intentions:

“Additionally, I’m impressed by how the MEI provides students with the opportunity to volunteer with talks and activities at local high schools. As someone who grew up in a small town in Illinois, my grade school education about culture in the Middle East was misinformed and sometimes dangerous. I would love to study and volunteer in a department dedicated to combating misinformation and offering resources to underprivileged teachers.”

A clearly outlined path and a strong personal philosophy will indicate to admissions officers that you’re likely to succeed at Columbia.

3. Engage with faculty and students, if possible.

Your response to this “Why This College?” prompt is the perfect place to talk about specific interactions, like sitting in on an awe-inspiring seminar during a campus visit, hearing a professor speak, or seeing how Columbia has prepared a friend for his career.

However, always be sure to tie these experiences into your own goals and interests! Don’t just name-drop a certain Professor Smith. Instead, take the opportunity to find a personal connection to Prof. Smith’s research and to mention how great Columbia is for supporting people like her. Your format should be:

Program/Individual/Major -> Columbia’s Values -> My values

If you want to learn more about a specific professor or their subject/research/work, don’t be afraid to politely email them or contact their department. Many professors love to talk about their work and their interests, or would at least be happy to put you in touch with current students you could talk to. You might also want to look for online colloquia or talks, which are (Fortunately? Unfortunately?) more widely available due to the pandemic. Doing this will better inform you about the school and give you a great edge for this prompt. And more importantly, you’ll probably get great advice for your higher education journey in general.

Note: the earlier you prepare for this prompt, the more time you will have to do deep research – and the more research you do, the better your essay will be!

Columbia College and Engineering Applicants

This is an example of the common “Why This Major?” essay that you may have already seen during the application process. Columbia wants to know about your interest in the majors you will have listed earlier in the application. They also want to see how your previous experiences contribute to this interest and how you may use your major in the future. This type of prompt isn’t the hardest to answer as long as you hit on some important points.

Before writing, there are a few things you should think about:

1. What genuinely draws you to this field of study? Don’t be disingenuous here. Writing answers you think the admissions committee wants to see will not benefit you in the long run.

2. What are things you enjoy specifically about the field you want to study? Saying that you love reading is a superficial statement. Instead, aim for specificity: “I enjoy reading novels that explore themes of power and corruption.”

3. How do you think this field of study/major will help you fulfill your life and career goals?

4. What did you enjoy most about this subject both in school and in your own free time?

5. Is there any emotional state or mindset that you experience every time you explore this field? If so, what draws you to this state of mind?

Think particularly hard about questions 4 and 5, as these two questions will remind you of anecdotes that can elevate your explanation of your connection to the major.

It’s fine if you haven’t totally decided on a major yet. Columbia gives you space on its application to provide three majors you might be interested in; you can pick some things you’re really fascinated by so you’ll have plenty to write about.

You only have 150 words to work with, so you shouldn’t be too flowery or elaborate in your writing right at the start. You don’t want to spend 100 words writing a beautifully crafted introduction to the major just to be left with 50 words to answer the actual prompt.

There’s no need to set up an elaborate preface like: “I was in eighth grade, and it was a cloudy day in mid-March. I wasn’t very confident or skilled in computers.” Instead, try starting in medias res , diving right into the middle of an emotional moment: “The screen glared blue. My program crashed. I buried my face in my arms and sobbed.” This structure is better for immediately grabbing your reader – a necessity in short essays like these. CollegeVine’s guidelines for college essay writing include a great primer (or refresher!) on in medias res storytelling.

Load up on your knowledge and expertise. Just because you’re weaving an engaging narrative doesn’t mean you should neglect the “area of study” part of this prompt. It’s crucial to demonstrate to Columbia that you’re not just passionate about your interest – you’re a seasoned expert. This means being specific about a certain subtopic, technique, operation, phenomenon, or term that you find fascinating. Don’t just say “programming encourages me to think in creative ways.” A better proof of this assertion would be a time you used a specific programming technique to creatively solve a specific quandary:

“Frustrated and desperate, I looked at all the data I still had to sort. Hadn’t Archimedes said that he could lift the whole world with a finger, if he just had the right lever? THINK, I told myself. And then I realized I had a lever – a processing array.”

Try to incorporate something about Columbia’s specific take on the major. For example, maybe you love psychology and you’re more interested in cognitive behavioral perspectives than psychoanalytic ones. Columbia College’s psychology major has a greater focus on cognition and behavior than on psychoanalysis, so this is something you’d definitely want to mention.

Be sure to avoid writing the following things in your writing:

• Empty flattery about a subject – Anyone can call a field “cool” without saying anything substantive about it.
• Disagreeable reasons for picking a major – Admissions don’t want to hear that you only want to study a major for money, prestige, or due to parental pressures. They want people who are dedicated to their respective fields, who want to realize their potential, and who want to contribute to the betterment of the world.
• Starting the essay with an irrelevant anecdote – Don’t try to write an enticing introduction that doesn’t cleanly transition into the “Why This Major?” part of the essay. Stories are engaging and effective, but only when relevant.

Finally, note Columbia’s timeframe: “past,” “current,” and an implicit “future.” Although they explicitly ask about your past and current experiences, you should definitely conclude with a trajectory towards future pursuits. Present yourself as someone with a firm philosophy of developed beliefs and mature interests you want to explore in college and beyond. Anticipate future problems you’re eager to tackle – state them explicitly. You don’t need to mention Columbia explicitly in this “future” portion of your essay – you’ve already discussed it enough – but Columbia should be your unspoken future setting. The admissions committee should see this essay as foreshadowing what you will accomplish at Columbia.

Dual BA Applicants

This prompt is asked of students who are applying for Columbia’s prestigious dual degree programs , either with Trinity College in Dublin or Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Sciences) in various regions of France. The prompts for both programs are the same, with only the name of the partner university differing, so they can be approached in a similar way (scroll down for distinct tips for each). 

Note: this prompt is similar to the previous prompt discussed, which inquires after applicants’ interest in areas of study, so feel free to read through that previous section for additional insight and tips. 

It’s a marathon essay, not a sprint. Note that the length – 750 to 1000 words – allows you a lot of space. It’s better to fall on the longer end of this range than the shorter end, because Columbia wants you to delve into as much detail as you can, and feel less pressure to be pithy. The onus is a little less on vivid storytelling, and much more on thoughtful analysis and complex intellectual engagement. Demonstrate your proficiency by being thorough, considering multiple angles, and utilizing specific terms. You can be a bit more technical, logical, and sophisticated, especially since these programs have a broad, international focus. 

The same rules apply here as the rest of your Columbia essays: be specific, be active, and conduct a high degree of research. Studying abroad appeals to a lot of people – 10-16% of all undergraduates do it. Consequently, stating simply a “desire to explore other perspectives” or “passion for international cooperation in research” isn’t going to set you apart from the pack. You should concentrate your efforts in identifying key elements of your specific program and how they fit with your concrete goals and higher moral callings. You should hit on both the “tangible” and “intangible” items we mentioned earlier in the “Why Columbia?” prompt.

Brainstorm with a T-chart. Well, you don’t have to, but we recommend it. It will be a great way to sharpen your thoughts before writing, so that you can plunge into your essay with a much clearer idea of what you want to include. It could look something like this: 

It’s a lot of work, but break it down and tackle it bit-by-bit. 

Tips for Dublin Applicants:

• Attend one of the several online information sessions about this program in the fall . Check back to see if any more are added. These sessions would be a prime opportunity to have your questions answered. You can also use them to get in touch with current students and alumni. If you can procure an insight that benefits your essay, even better. Mentioning something you learned via an information session will also demonstrate your committed interest in the program. 
• Research your major at both Trinity and Columbia. The Dublin program allows for a wide variety of majors, so you should look at the webpages and publications of your target departments. Cite research projects or department mission statements that appeal to you. A super strong essay will identify a common thread between departments on both sides of the Atlantic. 
• Is there a cultural factor? For example, do both New York and Dublin have strong local theatre communities that would allow you to explore your love of Shakespeare outside your academic setting? This is the kind of goal-oriented specificity readers are looking for. It’s so much easier for them to admit a student who already has a strong blueprint going forward. If they can envision you already as a member of the program, then half your battle is already won. 

Tips for Sciences Po Applicants: 

• Attend one of the several online information sessions about this program in the fall. Check back to see if any more are added. These sessions would be a prime opportunity to have your questions answered. You can also use them to get in touch with current students and alumni. If you can procure an insight that benefits your essay, even better. Mentioning something you learned via an information session will also demonstrate your committed interest in the program.
• Pick a French campus program . Based on the geographic region of your political interests, you’ll have to select a certain Sciences Po campus . Be specific in your application: you could be studying Indonesian policy at the Havre campus in Normandy, or North African societies at the Riviera campus. Look at the sample programs on the Columbia webpage above. It’s also worth it to delve into the websites for each campus, and subscribe to e-news from each. That will give you the most recent updates about exciting research going on there. 
• Mention any language goals , such as taking classes in Arabic and French in addition to English. The Sciences Po program places a firm emphasis on international cooperation through learned languages. 
• Have a global focus. The Sciences Po program is aimed at forming the next generation of international leaders, so you should really lean into a goal or issue with a broad provenance. “Tax law” is broad, but not necessarily global or targeted. “Americans need to work with Mideast countries to streamline cross-border taxations, which will ease tensions and encourage economic development in struggling border communities” is better.
• Don’t forget your personal connections. Just because the Sciences Po program is so vast doesn’t mean you should neglect your own story in favor of large-scale discussions. Tie them both together by talking about what experiences led you to your path of study. If I was the student interested in tax law above, I might describe family struggles with complicated tax codes, or volunteer work with a local business. 

The School of General Studies exists to afford nontraditional students the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree with flexibility. The typical GS student falls into one of three categories:

• People who have interrupted their education with a gap of a year or more.
• People who have never attended college and are older than typical beginning undergraduate students.
• People who, for personal or professional reasons, can only attend college part-time.

If one of these (or another nontraditional path) describes you, this essay is your chance to tell your story.

Before you begin writing, we strongly recommend that you organize your thoughts and outline your essay. Unlike typical college essays, this prompt is essentially asking you for a condensed autobiography. It has a very large word count for a college essay, but this is because you need a lot of space to hit every point the prompt mentions.

You’re asked about your educational history, work experience, present situation, and future plans – this order isn’t accidental. Typically, even for nontraditional college students, early education precedes work experience, both of which lead to the present situation, which then leads into the future. The prompt lends itself very well to a collection format in which multiple chronologically ordered anecdotes will tell your story.

You can’t talk about everything meaningful that has happened during your entire life, so you’re going to have to choose anecdotes judiciously. A good idea is to choose anecdotes that are related or that naturally transition into each other to establish a theme. This theme will vary greatly between applicants depending on the trajectory of their individual lives.

For example, one student may have had an unconventional education due to travel for high-level athletic competitions. This student may write an essay with a positive tone, filled with anecdotes about her competitions and accomplishments. Another student may have had an unconventional education due to recurring hospitalizations for an illness. This student may write an essay with a serious tone that emphasizes how he has grown to overcome adversity.

Even though your essay will have an overarching mood, you should aim to keep a balance between accomplishments and adversity. Writing an essay with too many positive achievements may come off as a bit arrogant whereas writing an essay with too many negative events may seem like it’s trying to elicit pity. Besides, the prompt specifically asks you for both personal achievements and educational challenges. Your essay should reflect how your highs and lows both had a profound impact on your values, beliefs, lifestyle, and/or worldview.

To begin, unless it was truly unconventional, don’t spend too much time talking about your early education (kindergarten to middle school). These are formative years that generally follow the same kind of trajectory for most people. Of course, if you were homeschooled, changed schools multiple times, or something of that nontraditional nature, feel free to mention how these circumstances changed who you have become.

With respect to educational history, what you should focus on is your high school years and any experience with college you may have already had. Write about factors that make you an nontraditional student. Maybe your grades weren’t ideal because you had to work a job while attending high school to support an ailing family member. Admissions committees understand that everyone comes from a different walk of life with different circumstances. Don’t be afraid to be sincere about complications you may have faced, but be careful not to make hollow excuses. You have to take responsibility for things that are within your control.

The same idea applies to work experience. Any experiences that have contributed to your growth while simultaneously altering what would have otherwise been a traditional experience are fair game. Perhaps you already finished college and began working in a field related to your major, but decided that it isn’t what you want to do. Explain why you’ve switched gears and elaborate on your plans for the future.

Once you’ve gone over the events that have informed who you are today, it’s time to write about what you’re doing and where you want to go. The prompt asks you to delineate how “specific elements of the program, academic or otherwise, […] meet your needs as a nontraditional student.” This is where a huge amount of research will be helpful. Look into Columbia’s webpage for your desired major to see how you can work specificity into your essay. Also consult the course search tool to find program features that appeal to you (you can pick a department to see all the courses it offers).

For example, an applicant who has already worked for two years as a pharmacy assistant might want to pivot to a different scientific field. An excerpt from her essay might look like this:

I had always loved chemistry, so I jumped at the chance to work a chemistry-related job right out of high school. I became a pharmacy assistant, which mostly involved filling prescriptions but not actually doing any of the chemistry itself. I didn’t mind it, especially because I needed to provide for my young son, but one recent experience opened my eyes to a whole new world of chemistry. One night, someone tried to break into the pharmacy, but couldn’t get in because of our specialized glass. I was fascinated by this glass’s ability to withstand a lot of force, which inspired me to pursue chemistry and physics more rigorously.

Materials science quickly became my new favorite thing. I would love to secure a job in this field so I can fulfill my passion while creating a more stable future for my son. The Chemical Physics major at Columbia’s School of General Studies will allow me to pursue employment in materials science. Courses like Quantum Chemistry and Materials Chemistry IIA are essential to learning how to craft high-density glass. Additionally, the flexibility of scheduling at the school lets me continue working at the pharmacy, so I can keep paying my expenses…

Be sure to provide as much detail as possible about your current situation and about how you got there. Columbia wants to know who you are, where you wish to go, and how your life experience will add to the GS community.

This is a slightly more specific version of the academic interest or “Why This Major?” prompt. The admissions committee wants to understand your interest in the medicine and allied health fields, how your background supports that interest, and what you intend to do on this career path.

Before you begin writing, ask yourself a few questions to guide your response:

1. What are your authentic reasons for wanting to pursue a career in medicine or allied health?

If you’re applying to this program, you should have a genuine interest in medicine to some degree. If your reasons are primarily money, prestige, and/or pressure from your parents, this is already a bad sign, and you should really consider if this decision is right for you.

2. What are specific examples of things you enjoy about medicine or allied health?

Instead of thinking “orthodontics” or “audiology” generically, think “treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders” or “diagnosis of presbycusis.” Specificity is key to a successful essay.

3. How might a career in medicine or allied health help you achieve your life and/or career goals?

Figuring this part out will give Columbia a clearer picture of what motivates you and will show the admissions committee that you have a career plan (or at least an idea of where you’re going). Again, avoid writing about things like money or status. Universities want students with deep academic interests, people who wish to realize their potential and to improve the world or their community in some way. Saying that you want to make a lot of money is too one-dimensional and self-serving, especially for an aspiring medical professional.

4. What has been the best part of your experience in a health field, both within and outside the classroom?

You don’t want to just tell Columbia that you want to pursue a career in healthcare. You also want to show them that your experiences thus far have prepared you to thrive in a field that’s known for being intense, emotionally as well as intellectually.

5. Do you experience a particular emotional state or frame of mind every time you explore this field of study? What about this state of mind appeals to you?

Your answers to questions 4 and 5 should help you recall relevant anecdotes, which will be your greatest asset in writing this essay. Bear in mind that medicine and allied health are very broad fields, so your personal motivations and your essay can take shape in vastly different ways.

Consider the following hypothetical applicants:

• Lucy spent a lot of her childhood sitting in her mother’s medical office. For years she would see kids come and go, each treated by her mother. After graduating college and working for a few years in the field she got a degree in, Lucy realized that she truly wants to be a pediatrician like her mother.
• James was a civil engineer for a year and a half before he had an accident on the job. His jaw and teeth were damaged, but an oral surgeon was able to restore them so well that the damage was nearly unnoticeable. Grateful for modern surgery and now deeply interested in the field, James now wants to become an oral surgeon to pay it forward.
• Michael got a bachelor’s degree in data science and ended up working in a medical office. His job mainly consisted of creating predictive models to identify people at greater risk for adverse health outcomes, but having worked with so many medical professionals gave him a change of heart. Michael admires how the doctors he worked with improve patients’ lives in a very direct way, so he now wants to become a doctor himself.

Treat this prompt as an opportunity to tell your story. Show the admissions committee where you’ve been, where you are now, and where you want to go. You may have heard the old writing trope “Show, don’t tell.” Rather than saying that you like the medical field, use anecdotes to showcase your specific passions and motivations.

Where to Get Your Columbia University Essays Edited

Want feedback on your Columbia essays to improve your chances at admission? After rereading your essays over and over again, it can be difficult to find where your writing can be improved. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also sharpen your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Columbia University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

You Have: 

Columbia University  2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 lists of 100 words; 4 essays of 150 words each 

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community , Why, Short Answer

List questions

For the list question that follows, there is a 100 word maximum. please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:, your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons., items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order., it is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications., no author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed., list a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy.  (100 words or fewer).

How do you pursue intellectual development outside of the classroom? You’ll need to be careful to avoid self-aggrandizing or pandering choices. Don’t top your list with 1984 unless you genuinely picked it up of your own accord, read it from start to finish, and meditated on Orwell’s intentions (while staring out the window, jaw agape). Think of not just the most recent media you’ve consumed, but also the old classics you can’t help revisiting (anything by Jenny Han, the podcast you binged in two weeks, the film you saw in theaters three times). Play with the sequencing here: how would you set these up in your library? Chronologically? Alphabetically? Thematically? Maybe you can make an entertaining leap from the sublime to the ridiculous by placing a heart-wrenching play alongside a goofy satire. Have fun with it! After all, this list is, at its core, about what you consume for the pleasure of it.

Short answer questions

For the four short answer questions, please respond in 150 words or fewer., a hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer).

Ah, the infamous “community” essay. Many schools ask students about their communities because they want to know how you relate to the people around you, forge connections, and commune with your peers. In this particular instance, the question emphasizes equity, inclusivity, diversity, and collaboration. What do these words mean to you and how do they relate to your perspective or lived experience? Maybe you’re very involved in a progressive church youth group that celebrates its members differences, including trans and nonbinary members. Perhaps the friends you made at the skatepark have introduced you to a new culture and mindset of “try and try again” that you love. Maybe there are different languages spoken by the volunteers in your community garden, and now you know how to say “basil” in four different dialects (BTW in Italian it’s “ basilico ,” #funfact). How do you see equity, inclusivity, diversity, and collaboration play out in your community? And, looking forward, how would you keep those values alive at Columbia next fall?

In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant’s ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words or fewer)

This prompt is incredibly similar to the Common App’s Prompt #2, which asks applicants to recount a time when they faced a challenge, setback, or failure. Our advice is similar: isolate an incident of trial in your life and illustrate how you learned from it. Writing about a difficult time in your life requires both vulnerability and perspective. Instead of focusing on the barrier or obstacle you were up against, spend most of the words at your disposal on how you rose to the occasion to overcome the challenge at hand. This is your opportunity to show admissions that you are a developing, maturing young adult with resilience and work ethic. As you zero in on a key moment, ask yourself the following questions: What healthy coping mechanisms or communication skills did you develop? Who, if applicable, did you choose to lean on and why? What did you learn about yourself? How will you approach difficult situations moving forward? Be honest and open, and we’re sure admissions will be impressed.

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words or fewer)

This brief assignment is Columbia’s version of the classic Why Essay , and the key to every good Why Essay is solid, specific research. Spend some quality time with the Columbia website or, if you can, on a campus tour. Ask questions, take notes, and dig to find specific people, organizations, and experiences that excite you. Don’t dig too deep into majors or classes just yet; you’ll have an opportunity to write about your academic interest in a little bit, so for now, focus on the Columbia experience as a whole. Once you have some notes on the page, try to weave together a story that pairs your interests with Columbia’s offerings. Reveal new information about yourself while also showing that you’ve done your homework.

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer)

This prompt gives you a chance to geek out about your intended area(s) of study. Whether you’re hoping to study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering, the assignment is the same: offer admissions insight into your academic interests and pursuits. Whether your goals are intellectual, professional, or somewhere in between, your reasoning should be grounded in what Columbia has to offer. 150 words isn’t a lot of space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t provide a detailed response. Get ambitious and aim to answer these two key questions: What intrigues or excites you about your intended major? And why is Columbia the ideal place for you to study it? Do a little research to identify classes you’d like to take, professors you’d like to work with, and alumni you’d like to network with; then, get to drafting—and leave yourself plenty of time to edit and revise! 

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Columbia Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Prompts and Advice

August 26, 2023

Among Ivy League universities, Columbia received the third-highest number of applications for a spot in their Class of 2027. Of the 57,129 applications received, just 3.9% were accepted, the second lowest mark in the Ivy League (Harvard was the lowest). At a school where 96 of every 100 applicants are rejected, and the vast majority of those applying have near-perfect/perfect grades and test scores, you may be asking yourself, “How do I separate myself from the pack?” This brings us to the topic of this article: the Columbia supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Columbia? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Columbia: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Fortunately, Columbia’s extensive supplemental section affords applicants an opportunity to forge a personal connection with an admissions officer and also demonstrate what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Columbia requires answers to one “List” question as well as four short answer questions.

Below are Columbia’s supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one:

2023-2024 Columbia Supplemental Essays

Columbia supplemental essays: list question.

1) For the list question that follows, there is a 100-word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:

– Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.

– Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.

– It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.

– No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.

List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy. (100 words or fewer)

In previous years, Columbia has required several different types of lists, but this year, they’re only asking for one. Note that they specifically ask for selections that have contributed to your intellectual development.

The goal is not to appear as well-rounded as possible. If you happen to be a person with wide-ranging interests, that’s cool—feel free to share your eclectic tastes. However, if you tend to favor learning about World War II, for one example, it can be great to communicate this primary passion by unleashing a list of a dozen books, podcasts, videos, and museums on that lone topic.

Columbia Supplemental Essays (Continued)

Moreover, the media we consume and the live events we attend can be incredibly connective. Entire communities pop up around a given podcast, musical artist, or social media personality. Share the resources/outlets that you are genuinely obsessed with the aim of painting a fuller portrait of who you are as an individual. Ideally, an admissions officer will come away from this section thinking, “This sounds like a really interesting person that I’d like to know more about.” Of course, you might get lucky and happen to adore the same obscure film, podcast, artist, etc. as the admissions reader which certainly can’t  hurt  your admissions odds.

Finally, per the school’s own directives, you don’t need to worry about formatting here. Thus, it is not necessary to italicize or underline titles. You can also skip subtitles and author names, if you wish (although most applicants do include the latter).

Columbia Supplemental Essays: Short Answer Questions

1) in college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. it is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant’s ability to navigate through adversity. please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words or fewer).

Of course, some teens have lived more challenging lives than others—some applicants come from affluence, others from low-income households. Some have two supportive parents; some have more difficult family relationships. Some have dealt with mental/physical or learning/attentional challenges while others have enjoyed smooth sailing in all of those areas. The important thing to keep in mind is that the challenge/story itself is less important than what it reveals about your character and personality.

Even if you end up writing about a common topic like getting cut from a sports team or struggling in a particular advanced course—that’s perfectly fine! Any story told in an emotionally compelling, honest, and connective manner can resonate with an admissions reader. The bottom line here is that there are no trite topics, only trite answers.

Given the 150-word limit, your essay needs to be extremely tight and polished. In all likelihood, getting this one precisely right will involve a round or two of revision, ideally with some insight/feedback from a trusted adult or peer in the process.

Some tips to keep in mind include:

• Firstly, make sure you share what you were feeling and experiencing. This piece should demonstrate openness and vulnerability.
• Additionally, you don’t need to be a superhero in the story. You can just be an ordinary human trying their best to learn how to navigate a challenging world.
• Don’t feel boxed into one particular structure for this essay. The most common (which there is nothing wrong with), is 1) introducing the problem 2) explaining your internal and external decision-making in response to the problem 3) Revealing the resolution to the problem and what you learned along the way.
• Lastly, don’t be afraid that your “problem” might sound “trite” in comparison to those of others. This essay is about  you. Y our job is to make sure that your response to the problem shows your maturity and resilience in an authentic way. That matters far more than the original challenge itself.

2) A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer)

Essentially, Columbia is trying to uncover how your personal experiences will impact what kind of academic and social community member you might be. As such, this prompt wants you to discuss: 1) a specific aspect of your lived experience 2) what you learned and how you might engage with others as a result of that lived experience. “Lived experience” is broad and could include:

• Your role in your family.
• Your role in your social group.
• A challenge you’ve faced.
• A formative experience or realization.
• Important aspects of your upbringing.
• Cultural, religious, community influence.

Once you’ve chosen a particular direction, think about what you’ve learned from the experience and what you think others could learn from you. This is a chance to show that you are an open-minded, curious, and humble young person who is willing to learn and grow from their experiences.

For example, perhaps growing up on military bases with a parent who was frequently deployed taught you about the importance of putting yourself out there to find a supportive community. Perhaps you also learned that you have to be intentional about creating said community, which can be a difficult proposition in an increasingly technological and social-media-centric world. It’s also taught you not to take the relationships in your life for granted. As a result, you hope to model the importance of in-person connections and friendships—and the importance of putting a significant amount of effort into those friendships—even when it may feel easier to connect virtually.

Space is at a premium here, so you’ll want to be very specific and intentional about what details and lessons you share.

3)  Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words or fewer)

Last year, Columbia allowed up to 200 words for this response, and this year, they’ve chopped it down to 150. This should communicate to you, the applicant, that they would like you to be as specific and focused as possible. What is it about Columbia as a whole that attracts you? What does Columbia offer that you won’t be able to find anywhere else? For example, let’s say you’re interested in undergraduate research. Lots of colleges offer the opportunity for undergraduate research—why do you feel Columbia’s resources will be the best fit? (This often requires some serious digging.) Remember, you’ll have the opportunity to provide more specifics about the College you’re applying to in a different essay (see below). As such, great things to highlight here include:

• Undergraduate research opportunities in the summer or during the school year as well as independent research you would like to conduct under faculty supervision.
• Columbia’s unique curriculum.
• Columbia’s core values or mission statement.
• Columbia professors whose work/research/writings you find fascinating and how you might want to connect with them as an undergraduate.

This prompt opens the door to discussing opportunities outside of the classroom as well. You could include  study abroad programs , student organizations  at Columbia, or NYC-specific opportunities for internships, culture, and connection.

One important note: the Core Curriculum is a popular topic for this essay. If that is one of the main aspects of Columbia that attracts you, feel free to write about it, but try to do so in a highly specific way that will set you apart from the hordes of other applicants discussing the same thing. Same rule for any mention of NYC’s “plethora of opportunities.”

Columbia Supplemental Essays: College/School/Program-Specific Questions

In addition to the prompts outlined above, you’ll also need to respond to an additional essay that depends on the College, School, or program you are applying to. Here are the two most popular:

Columbia College

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College? (150 words or fewer)

Columbia Engineering

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer)

We all have a story of what drives us to pursue a certain academic pathway and career. How did your interest initially develop? What was the spark? How have you nurtured this passion and how has it evolved over time? For example, if you desire to go into engineering, this could be your chance to talk about your participation in an award-winning robotics program at your high school. Share a compelling narrative about how your love of your future area of study has blossomed to its present levels.

Additionally, connect your interests and passions to at least one or two school-specific resources or offerings. You want to not only share what attracts you to your preferred area of study but also what attracts you to your preferred area of study at Columbia in particular. As such, you could mention academic departments , professors ,  research opportunities , internship programs ,  courses , degree structure/curriculum , etc. Be sure to note how you plan to take advantage of your chosen resource(s), and avoid repeating any information already shared in the “Why Columbia” question.

How important are the Columbia supplemental essays?

There are a whopping 8 factors that Columbia considers to be “very important” to the evaluation process. These are: rigor of secondary school record, test scores, character/personal qualities, class rank, GPA, recommendations, and extracurricular activities. However, the most relevant to this blog is, of course, the application essays. The essays undoubtedly play a significant role in the admissions process at Columbia University. They can help the committee decide who to admit when choosing between similarly credentialed (GPA, test scores, etc.) applicants.

Want personalized assistance with your Columbia supplemental essays?

In conclusion, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Columbia supplemental essays, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

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How to Write the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2023–2024

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Columbia University , located in Manhattan, New York City , is one of the most competitive universities in the United States, with an acceptance rate of only 3.73% in the 2021-2022 admissions cycle. Columbia’s acceptance rate has declined significantly over the past decade, so if you dream of attending, differentiating your Columbia supplemental essays from the crowd is that much more important.

There are six Columbia supplemental essays, also known as the Columbia-specific essays. The first two questions ask for lists of media you consume, and the second set of four questions are short essays that illustrate your interest in Columbia and how you would fit into Columbia both as a student and a community member. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to write the Columbia University supplemental essays, understand the underlying question the admissions officers are asking, and distinguish yourself from other applicants.

Columbia’s 2023-2024 Prompts

Background questions, list a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy. ( 100 words or fewer), a hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer), in college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. it is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant’s ability to navigate through adversity. please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words or fewer), why columbia question, why are you interested in attending columbia university we encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about columbia. (150 words or fewer), what attracts you to your preferred areas of study at columbia college or columbia engineering (150 words or fewer).

Columbia’s Background Questions

This prompt asks you to list your media—what you read, watched, listened to, or generally enjoyed consuming in high school or secondary school, but not for your high school or secondary school. Even if The Great Gatsby changed your life, if you read it in AP English Lit, it’s not the right answer to this question. On the other hand, if you read a poem no one’s ever heard of, but you read it on your own time and enjoyed it, don’t hesitate to include it in your list.

Additionally, if you read a lot of books in high school that aren’t generally considered “literature,” but you enjoyed them, you also definitely shouldn’t hesitate to write them down. The most important thing is authenticity, which will serve to differentiate you. It’s unlikely that any other applicant is going to write down exactly the same titles as you, because you should be able to fit 10+ titles within the 100-word maximum . Remember, you don’t need to list authors, subtitles, or any explanatory details.

Don’t be afraid to list something that is popular, unpopular, or “not serious.” Admissions officers want to know that you have a strong personality. If you love listening to music, you might want to start your list with your favorite musical artists, composers, soundtracks, or songs, but remember to offer a couple of other types of media before you run out of words. Or if you can express your personality by naming your favorite comedian’s podcast, the romantic comedy you re-watch every year, or the social media account of a celebrity llama, then go for it.

If the admissions officer decides to look up the media you referenced and gets a laugh out of it, then you’re probably on the right track to planting a more memorable seed in their mind. Nevertheless, if there are also “serious”/academic lectures, Ted Talks, educational YouTube videos, or museums you really enjoy, be sure to include at least a few of them in your list.

That said, there are some “don’t”s in answering this prompt. Including the name of a social media account you love but which is not publicly accessible won’t allow the admissions officer to look it up. For instance, nsfw-type material is a no-go (R-rated movies are generally fine, but X-rated movies are probably not appropriate).

Finally, in terms of websites, it’s not advisable to list websites you must use for school, or websites that have many distinct purposes, because it is already implied that you use these websites. For instance, listing the government website of your town doesn’t clearly express that you’re heavily involved in polling efforts for local elections; listing Wikipedia doesn’t necessarily communicate that you are a registered admin on the site. Linking the community portal on Wikipedia, though, or a page explaining how to register to vote, might more specifically communicate your involvement in those endeavors.

The underlying question behind these list questions is, Who are you outside of the classroom, and what media shapes you? These questions are not the time to indicate your academic interests, but instead the perfect occasion to display your unique personality, your cultural influences, and your authentic media consumption.

This background question asked by the Columbia University admissions officers give you the chance to express who you are as a person. In this 150-word essay, you can dive into a (not necessarily marginalized) identity you hold (for example, your religion, cultural background, or LGBTQ+ identity), or a formative experience you have undergone (for example, taking care of a family member, participating in sports, or overcoming a health issue). The underlying question this essay prompt asks is, How has your unique identity shaped the way you move through the world, and how will it continue to shape your life?

By posing this short-answer essay, the admissions officers indicate that they are curious to know who you have been within your community(ies) throughout your life, and how you will participate in the community of Columbia University undergraduates. As a result, it is important for you to describe your past participation in a community through actions you have taken.

For instance, if you identify as Muslim, how does your Muslim identity manifest (or not manifest) in your choices, personality, or relationship with others? If you are a boy in a family of all women, how has that experience influenced your perspective on women and society? Reflecting on questions like these may help you consider how you may evolve as a Columbia University student.

This background question asks you to describe your experience with overcoming hardship. Through this Columbia supplemental essay, you have the opportunity to highlight a challenge you have faced in your life and describe how you responded to it. The underlying question here is, How do you respond to adversity?

Many students answer a similar question to this one in their Common App personal statement. If you are one of those students, you should consider selecting a different obstacle to discuss in this essay. Not only would discussing the same obstacle create redundancy within your application, but this essay question only permits answers of 150 words or fewer, and the personal statement permits 650 words: it is difficult for a 650-word answer to be effectively condensed down to 150 words without losing crucial details.

When selecting the challenge you would like to describe in this essay, make sure it is contained enough for you to describe its origins and your response in only 150 words. The prompt doesn’t ask for the greatest barrier you have faced, just “a” barrier you have faced. While you should still select a significant challenge, you also don’t write what feels like a rushed, incomplete, and/or oversimplified essay.

Remember, you can also choose to discuss a specific aspect of a barrier you have faced. For instance, if your family is socioeconomically disadvantaged, that is a huge topic that you could probably discuss for pages. Instead, you could focus on a particular, exciting high school opportunity that you had to turn down due to finances; a specific side job you had to get to support your family while in high school; or the way you emotionally supported your family members during a specific time of financial hardship. By keeping your answer specific, you avoid oversimplification or generalization and ensure your answer is specific to your experiences.

Why Columbia? Questions

The first Why Columbia? question asks Why Columbia? Although this question may seem straightforward, it is both one of the most common and one of the most commonly misunderstood by applicants. Unlike the rest of the college application, the Why Columbia? essays should not tell the reader about yourself (at least not directly), nor read like a Columbia University advertisement. Instead, this question expects you to research , refine , and relate to Columbia and its current student body.

Research what classes, programs, professors, extracurriculars, and other aspects of Columbia most interest you. Then, refine this list to include only what is unique to Columbia (you might think Columbia’s English department is amazing, but many other universities have English departments. What about Columbia’s is different from the English departments elsewhere?). Lastly, relate to your own unique interests what you’ve listed.

For instance, don’t sing the praises of the Columbia Ballet Collaborative unless you want to do ballet! Moreover, don’t assume that the reader knows exactly how you relate to a given aspect of Columbia unless you’ve explicitly stated the relation earlier in the application. If you haven’t mentioned anywhere in your application that what you want to do with your physics degree is to work at NASA, then your reader won’t necessarily know why you so badly want to take a class with Professor Massamino.

The second Why Columbia? question is one of the tougher questions among Columbia’s supplemental essays, because it asks you to explain why you are interested in the academic fields that you wish to pursue. Many students feel like they have to explain some grand story about how a doctor saved their best friend’s life and now they want to be a doctor, or they looked at the stars every night as a child before dreaming about astrophysics. The truth is, for many students, they chose a subject because they had a talent for it, or because the job opportunities are numerous. As a result, these students need to engage in some introspection before writing this essay.

If you do have a grand story about the origins of your love of 16th-century French history, then that’s amazing, and you should write about it in as much detail as your 150 words permit! If that doesn’t sound relatable to you, though, there are still plenty of ways to express the answer to this essay’s underlying question: Why are you passionate about your prospective major(s)?

One way to help you get started on this essay is to think back to the origins of your academic interests. After all, a variety of financially reliable fields exist, and you likely have a talent for more than one academic subject. How did you end up choosing this one (at least for now), and what motivated this decision?

Note that the question also mentions your preferred areas of study at Columbia specifically. Make sure that your response to this question is tailored to Columbia’s offerings. You can start the essay by specifying which major(s) at Columbia are of interest to you and end by name-dropping majors, courses, or even professors if you have words remaining.

Another question to consider, especially if you can’t remember how you got into your subject of interest, is how you feel when you are doing activities or assignments related to this subject. Are you always engaged during Spanish class? Do you feel a jolt of excitement when you find out you get to do a chemistry lab? Does reading a book for English class feel more like leisure than work?

Addressing your emotional state can be a great way to “prove” that you are interested in your subject(s) of choice. That said, be sure to use specific language when talking about your emotions, involving rhetorical devices if you can, versus just writing that math makes you happy.

If you need help polishing up your Columbia supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.

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Columbia Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Columbia University is a highly ranked private institution located in New York City. It is not only one of the most sought after colleges in New York , but also in the nation and world. As such, Columbia Admissions receives thousands of impressive applications each admissions cycle. Successful applications have more than stellar academic records and varied extracurriculars. They have strong Columbia supplemental essays and a compelling why Columbia essay.

Before we jump into how to write your own Columbia supplemental essays, let’s learn a bit more about the university. Columbia is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. As one of eight Ivy League colleges in the United States, it’s no surprise Columbia is highly competitive . The university is ranked #18 in National Universities and reports a selective 6% acceptance rate. 

Are you wondering how to get into Columbia University?

Don’t let Columbia’s prestigious reputation dissuade you from applying. Columbia takes a holistic approach to how they review applications. Admissions is interested in your academic record, letters of recommendation, your background and unique attributes, and your essays.

While there’s no singular approach for how to get into Columbia, supplemental essays play a significant role in admissions decisions. Writing application essays can be challenging, which is why we’ve put together our guide to the Columbia Supplemental Essays. In this guide, we will cover Columbia University requirements and how to approach the Columbia essay prompts, including the why Columbia essay. And, we’ll give you plenty of tips for writing your own essays.

Columbia Essay: Quick Facts

Columbia university essay quick facts.

• Columbia University acceptance rate: 6% – U.S. News ranks Columbia as a highly selective school.
• Early Decision: November 1 st  
• Questbridge: November 1 st   
• Regular Decision: February 15 th  
• 1 personal essay 
• 5 short answer essays 
• Coalition App
• Questbridge
• Columbia Essay Tip: Don’t be intimidated by the number of Columbia supplemental essays. The short answer essays are only 100-150 words and can be tackled in just a few well-constructed sentences. 

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

Does Columbia require essays?

Yes, the Columbia University requirements include a personal statement and several school-specific Columbia supplemental essays. Let’s discuss the longest Columbia essay first. Depending on your application method, you will need to submit a Personal Statement (Coalition App) or a Personal Essay (Common App). While the essay prompts are different for each application platform, the goals of each are very similar. 

Coalition Application

The Coalition application provides the following Personal Statement prompts for students to choose from: 

Coalition Application Personal Statement Prompts

1. tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it., 2. what interests or excites you how does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future, 3. describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. what were the challenges what were the rewards, 4. has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned how did you respond what did you learn, 5. what success have you achieved, or obstacle have you faced what advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience, 6. submit an essay on a topic of your choice., common application.

The Common App provides the following Personal Essay prompts for students to choose from:

Common Application Personal Statement Prompts

1. some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. if this sounds like you, then please share your story., 2. the lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. how did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience, 3. reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. what prompted your thinking what was the outcome, 4. reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. how has this gratitude affected or motivated you, 5. discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others., 6. describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. why does it captivate you what or who do you turn to when you want to learn more, 7. share an essay on any topic of your choice. it can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design., choosing a prompt for your personal statement.

Reading through each of the Columbia essay prompts above, you might be overwhelmed trying to pick just one to respond to. While deciding on a prompt is an important decision, all of these prompts have something in common. They are all designed to give students the opportunity to discuss a broad range of interests, identities, and experiences. Remember, the goal of this Columbia essay is to give the admissions committee insight into who you are and what you care about.

Your personal statement is a core component of your application and often has the longest word count. In general, you should aim for your personal essay to be between 500 to 650 words. However, having a specific number of words is far less important than your ability to make every word count. That means not including superfluous details and being sure you don’t leave your reader with more questions than answers. For more resources on writing a stellar personal statement, check out our “Writing About You: Personal Statement” webinar . 

In addition to the Columbia personal statement or personal essay, the Columbia University requirements include several short answer essays . These short answer essays are also known as the Columbia supplemental essays. Later on, we’ll take an in-depth look at each of these Columbia supplemental essays and how to approach each prompt. 

How many essays does Columbia have?

Columbia University requires applicants to submit a total of 6 essays (1 personal statement essay and 5 Columbia supplemental essays). This may seem like a lot of writing, but it is not as intimidating as it sounds. The personal statement is an essay that you will likely use for all of the colleges you apply to. So, there is no need to write a separate personal statement for Columbia. However, you should think about your college list and what personal essay topic might be the most fitting for the schools you are applying to. 

The other 5 Columbia essay prompts are all short answers, meaning they only require a few sentences to respond to. Each of the short answer Columbia essay prompts is designed to address Columbia University’s values , mission, and academic features. The goal of these essays is to show the admissions committee why you would be a good fit for Columbia University. We’ll cover the specific details and lengths of each of the Columbia essay prompts later in this guide. 

Supplementary Materials

Separate from the Columbia supplemental essays, Columbia gives students the opportunity to discuss a research project that they conducted. This question asks the applicant to provide an abstract, essentially a short written summary detailing the nature of their research. Additionally, students can submit creative portfolios in areas such as architecture, creative writing, dance, and drama. While the Columbia supplemental essays are required, remember these are both considered supplementary materials and are completely optional!

Columbia Short Answer Essays

The Columbia Office of Admissions refers to the short answer Columbia essay prompts as Columbia-Specific Application Questions . There are 5 Columbia essay prompts for students to respond to. Unlike the personal statement, where students can pick from a selection of prompts, students are required to answer all 5 of the Columbia essay prompts. 

Columbia University Short Answer Essay Prompts

1. “list a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums, and other content that you enjoy.  ( 100 words or fewer) ”, 2. a hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia’s diverse and collaborative community.  (150 words or fewer), 3. in college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. it is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant’s ability to navigate through adversity. please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result.  (150 words or fewer), 4. why are you interested in attending columbia university we encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about columbia.  (150 words or fewer), 5. what attracts you to your preferred areas of study at columbia college or columbia engineering  (150 words or fewer).

Admissions gives specific guidelines for students to follow when answering the first prompt:

“Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons, items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order, it is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications, and no author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.”

For more insight into the Columbia admissions process and how to make your Columbia supplemental essays stand out check out the video below from a Columbia admissions officer:

Remember, when writing your Columbia supplemental essays, be sure your first essay is formatted according to the conditions above. And, be sure to note the word limits provided for each of the Columbia essay prompts. (Prompt #1 is 100 words or fewer, whereas prompts #2-#5 are 150 words or fewer!)

Tips for approaching Columbia Short Answer Essays

Now, let’s discuss how to approach each of the Columbia supplemental essays. Each essay has a particular topic and focus. When discussing the short answer Columbia supplemental essays, we’ll refer to them as:

• The list essay
• The inclusion essay
• The adversity essay
• The why school essay
• The why major essay

Let’s start with the first of the Columbia essay prompts: the list essay!

The list essay is the one short answer Columbia supplemental essay that does not require you to write in complete sentences. Instead, this Columbia essay prompt instructs you to compose a list. However, don’t underestimate this question because it is structured differently than other Columbia supplemental essays. Through your list, admissions will get a sense of what type of literature and media you consume and consider impactful.

The first step to conquering the list essay is a brainstorming session. Write down all the content you find meaningful or that has a positive, recurring presence in your life. Then you can begin reducing that list to the content you would most like to include. Your final list should include a diverse set of content that has had a varied impact on your development. For example, one of your artifacts might be something that influenced you spiritually. Another may have influenced you intellectually or even socially. This Columbia essay is a great way to show how dynamic you are and where your interests lie. 

Inclusion Essay

The cultural diversity essay is another common supplemental essay for many colleges. This Columbia essay prompt begins by stating Columbia’s commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion . Diversity on a college campus leads to a rich academic and social experience that reflects varied perspectives and identities.

When considering the identities you hold, don’t be afraid to think outside the box when discussing your background and lived experiences. Your gender, region of origin, ethnicity, culture, and religion are all examples of identities that might have shaped you. Beyond simply stating an aspect of your identity, you’ll want to share how that translates to the way in which you see the world. You’ll also want to touch on how your experiences impact the way in which you learn from and share with others. 

Adversity Essay

The adversity essay prompt seeks to understand how the applicant has navigated adversity in their life. Students can sometimes struggle when asked to write about challenges as they often feel like they are sharing their weaknesses. However, if you are able to look at those challenges through a lens of learning and growth, so will your reader.

Understanding how an applicant overcomes a challenge is one of the best ways to envision their success on Columbia’s campus. After all, college is challenging. Admissions officers want to see that you have experience facing challenges head-on and growing from those experiences.

Why School Essay

Next, let’s discuss the why Columbia essay. The why Columbia essay is like your standard why school essay. The why Columbia essay may be worded slightly differently than other why school prompts, but they’re asking the same questions. Why are you interested in this college? What do you intend to do here? How can you contribute to the campus community?

Your job in this essay is to paint a picture of why you are a great fit for Columbia’s campus. You should articulate how you would benefit from attending Columbia and how Columbia might benefit from having you on campus. In college admissions, this connection is often referred to as “fit”. Your why Columbia essay should make the case that Columbia is the best fit for your college experience. 

Why Major Essay

The why major essay is similar to the why Columbia essay. However, this Columbia essay is asking you to reflect on your specific major of interest. Similar to the why Columbia essay, you’ll want to do your research before attempting to answer this Columbia essay. Topics you might explore are research opportunities and unique academic features of your major as well as related clubs and organizations.

When writing your why major essay, don’t make the mistake of just listing facts about your major at Columbia. Make sure you are articulating why these features are important to you and how they’ll help you thrive in your studies.

Next, let’s discuss how the Admissions team uses your responses to the Columbia essay prompts in their holistic admissions review. 

Columbia Supplemental Essays

Columbia supplemental essays are designed to gather very specific information from each applicant. As we discussed earlier in the article, Columbia uses a holistic admissions approach . This means, Columbia is interested in more than just your GPA and the number of advanced courses you’ve taken. They are equally interested in your values and unique interests.

Columbia University is no longer able to offer interviews as part of the application process. This makes the Columbia supplemental essays your best opportunity to make a personal connection with the admissions committee. To learn more about how your Columbia supplemental essays are evaluated, check out this video about Columbia supplemental essays.

How to write the Columbia supplemental essays

Writing strong Columbia supplemental essays is crucial to crafting a strong overall application. There are some technical aspects that are critical to the success of your Columbia supplemental essays. Your spelling, grammar, and essay structure should be exemplary of a strong high school or even college level essay. To help you catch any careless writing errors, you can ask someone else to read over your Columbia supplemental essays. However, having a proofread essay is just the baseline. 

Effective Columbia supplemental essays have a strong narrative, are easy to follow, and address the Columbia essay prompts in their entirety. A strong narrative means you have chosen effective stories and examples to best answer the Columbia essay prompts. Details to support your perspective or argument are critical for the admissions committee to easily follow your essay. And of course, it is important to answer the Columbia essay prompts completely. 

Finding your voice

In addition to these elements, one of the most important features of strong Columbia supplemental essays is authenticity . This is often referred to as allowing your “voice” to be heard throughout your Columbia supplemental essays. This can be achieved by writing in a tone and using words that are natural to you. Being honest and even vulnerable in your essay can also leave the admissions committee feeling like they’ve really heard you. Many of the Columbia essay prompts are perfect canvases for a personal and introspective essay. Take advantage of the breadth of Columbia essay prompts and choose topics that capture your unique perspective. 

For more guidance on how to write strong Columbia supplemental essays, check out our guide on Columbia essay examples. Some of the Columbia essay examples are from previous admissions cycles. But, they can still be helpful with approaching this year’s essay prompts!

QuestBridge Applicants to Columbia University

Students interested in Columbia University can also apply through Questbridge. Questbridge is a nonprofit organization that partners with over 50 colleges and universities across the country. Their partners include top schools including the University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, and of course Columbia University. Students applying to Columbia through Questbridge have a slightly different admissions process. 

Questbridge applicants should not fill out an application on the Common App or the Coalition application. Instead, students will apply to Columbia University through the QuestBridge application. Questbridge has a unique approach to enrolling students at some of the top colleges in the nation. National College Match takes the place of traditional Columbia admissions decisions. However, the Questbridge application requires the same five short answer essays as the Common App and the Coalition application. 

Check out the CollegeAdvisor guide to QuestBridge scholarships below and learn more about how to apply today!

The Questbridge Scholarship Guide

Does Columbia care about essays?

Columbia cares deeply about essays. Each year, admissions officers around the country put great thought into the supplemental essay questions. Each of the Columbia essay prompts is directly connected to what the admissions committee is looking for. For example, the why Columbia essay tells the admissions committee if you would be a good fit for Columbia University. Like the why Columbia essay, the why major essay helps the committee understand how you might succeed in the classroom.

Columbia supplemental essays, like the why Columbia essay, are used in conjunction with all your other application materials. When evaluated together, each piece allows the admissions committee to develop an understanding of who you are personally and academically. 

How do I make my Columbia essays stand out?

Many students wonder how to make their Columbia supplemental essays stand out from the larger application pool. For selective institutions like Columbia, there is no shortage of talented applicants. At this level of selectivity, it may seem impossible to differentiate yourself from the rest. But the best way to make your Columbia supplemental essays stand out is to be true to yourself!

The best essays are personal, transparent, and unique to you. Instead of trying to guess what admissions wants to hear about, lead with what you are most passionate about. There is no universal strategy for writing a stand-out essay. The strengths of each student will always be unique to the applicant. So, spend your energy on identifying and discussing the things that make you, you! 

Columbia Supplemental Essays – 5 Takeaways

Are you still wondering how to get into Columbia? Here are 5 key takeaways to help you impress the Columbia admissions officers:

Remember these things for your Columbia supplemental essays:

• Your personal essay is the longest essay required by Columbia University. Make sure you are strategic about discussing a topic that won’t feel redundant once the committee reads your supplemental essays. 
• The why Columbia essay and why major essays can be powerful prompts to help sway admissions officers. Use the why Columbia essay to articulate why Columbia University is the best fit for you overall. Then, include any additional major-specific details in your why major essay.
• The short answer essays are brief, but don’t underestimate these questions. Like the why Columbia essay, each Columbia essay highlights a question or topic that is core to the college’s values. 
• Preparation often leads to the best product. Dedicate time to brainstorming, outlining, writing, and revising your essays. You won’t want to wait until the last minute for any of these important essay-writing steps. 
• Let your authenticity shine through! Your Columbia supplemental essays are the only place in your Columbia application to address the admissions team in your own voice. Whether you are writing your why Columbia essay or your adversity essay, stay focused on who you are! (And not who you think admissions wants you to be.)

In addition to these Columbia supplemental essay takeaways, CollegeAdvisor has countless additional resources to help you through the application process . Check out our essay guides and examples and our webinar panel with Columbia University students.

This essay guide was written by Chelsea Holley. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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A Guide to the Columbia Business School Essays (2023-2024)

Coach Melanie E. walks you through each Columbia Business School essay prompt for the 2023-2024 cycle, breaking down what adcoms are looking for and offering expert advice on how to nail your responses.

By  Melanie E.

Posted January 9, 2024

Featuring Andy P. and Geri T.

Applying to Top MBA Programs as a Consultant

Wednesday, april 24.

11:00 PM UTC · 60 minutes

Table of Contents

As a CBS alumnus, Alumni Admissions Ambassador, and professional Coach, I am excited to share my insights into Columbia’s current essays for their MBA application.

Columbia Business School's MBA essays provide applicants with an ample opportunity to showcase their goals, experiences, and fit with the program. Here's a step-by-step guide to approaching each essay.

Short Answer Question

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

It is critical to be straightforward with this question, and be consistent with your essays. It is acceptable to write in phrases versus full sentences given the limited word count. In fact, the word count is limited as a way of forcing applicants to be extremely clear about their goals.

Examples of possible responses (provided by Columbia):

• Work in business development for a media company. (49 characters)
• Join a strategy consulting firm. (32 characters)
• Launch a data-management start-up. (34 characters)

A great example is specific and most likely includes both the function/title and industry or type of company you’re pursuing. For example:

• Poor execution: Work in CPG. (13 characters)
• Good execution: Work in marketing for a CPG company. (36 characters)
• Great execution: Marketing for a healthy-foods focused CPG firm. (47 characters)

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)

• Understand the Question: Begin by carefully reading the prompt and understanding what it asks for. This is a common mistake where applicants do not directly answer the question(s) being asked in the essay prompt.
• Be Specific: Clearly outline your short-term career goals, focusing on what you aim to achieve within the next three to five years. Discuss the industry, function, and potential companies or roles you aspire to work in.  It is helpful to provide specific role titles and an example company (such as “a media company like Disney”). If you are sponsored and planning to return to your current employer (such as a Consultant at McKinsey), share this information as well as the mid-term goal, which would be your first role after leaving your current employer.
• Explain Your Long-term Dream Job: Describe your ultimate long-term dream job. Discuss the impact you hope to make in that role and your mission. Showcasing impact while balancing your vision with realistic possibility is key. For example, sharing that you want to solve world hunger may be a bit outrageous, but saying that you want to build a new business model for achieving large impacts within world hunger is more reasonable.
• Link to Your Background: Connect your career goals with your past experiences (personal and professional), skills, networks, and/or achievements. Demonstrate how your path to date aligns with your future aspirations. If applicable, share your “light bulb” moment where you realized your long-term career vision.
• Share Your “Why”: An extension of the previous bullet, share your “why” or your motivations for your career aspirations. Bring this level of authenticity and personality to the essay in order to make it more engaging, believable, and unique from the crowd. This is a critical element that is often missed by applicants.
• Stay Within the Word Limit: With only 500 words, be concise and focus on the most critical points. I suggest not worrying about the word count for your first few drafts, and then edit down once you have all the relevant content ready to go.

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The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Through various resources and programming, the goal is for students to explore and reflect during their educational journey on the following five inclusive leadership skills: Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one or more of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)

• Consider PPIL: First, take some time to review the PPIL curriculum on the Columbia website.
• Choose a Relevant Situation: Select a specific situation from your professional or personal life that aligns with one or more of the inclusive leadership skills mentioned (Mitigating Bias and Prejudice, Managing Intercultural Dialogue, Addressing Systemic Inequity, Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking, and Creating an Inclusive Environment). The situation should be somewhat recent, and if possible, within the last ~2 years.
• Set the Scene: Provide context for the situation. Describe the environment, the people involved, and the challenges you faced. Based upon the limited word count, you may need to leave out some details of the story.
• Describe Your Actions: Detailing the steps you took to address the situation should take up the majority of your essay. Clearly identify which inclusive leadership skills were utilized via each action. I recommend choosing only one or two skills to focus upon due to the limited word count. It is better to go into more specifics and detail on fewer skills. Lastly, highlight any innovative or creative approaches you used, and share both soft and/or hard skills as is relevant to your story.
• Share the Outcome: Explain the results of your actions. Emphasize any positive impact on individuals, teams, or the overall situation. Small impact is acceptable as long as it is clear, and the applicant was the one who created it.
• Reflect on Your Experience: Discuss briefly what you learned from this experience, and perhaps how it has shaped your perspective on inclusivity or leadership.

We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our clusters and learning teams, an extremely active co-curricular and student life environment, and career mentorship opportunities like our Executives-in-Residence program.

Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally? Please be specific. (250 words)

• Overall: This is an excellent opportunity to focus on explaining why CBS is a great fit for you. If they are your #1 choice, don’t hesitate to share that in this essay.
• Conduct Detailed Research: Before writing, thoroughly research Columbia Business School's MBA program. Understand the curriculum, professors, clubs, conferences, events, and unique aspects of the school. You may also utilize virtual and in-person events specifically catering to applicants to gain knowledge. Lastly, you may decide to contact current students for further information, and are welcome to mention them (with their permission) in your essays. You can locate the names of current students through your network, LinkedIn, and/or school club websites.
• Structure: The simplest and most effective way to structure your essay is by separate paragraphs for academic fit, cultural fit, and professional fit. This directly and clearly addresses each part of the essay question.
• Unique Aspects: Focus upon aspects of CBS that certainly relate to your profile and career aspirations, but that also are unique to CBS. For example, Columbia is highly aware that they are the only M7 MBA program to be located in fabulous New York City, and thus this is a unique point that can be addressed and utilized in this essay.
• Academic Fit: Explain how the specific courses, concentrations, programs, and/or professors will support your academic interests and career trajectory. Look for special classes that may not exist at all top MBA programs and that align to the skills gaps you are seeking to fill to reach your long-term career goals.
• Cultural Fit: Discuss the aspects of CBS's community and culture that resonate with you. Additionally, consider the personal aspects of the school and/or location. Do you have family or friends in the NYC area that would be a supportive community? Do you enjoy the cultural aspects of New York, such as visiting museums in order to relax after a busy school day? Lastly, consider including thoughts on your potential contributions to the school's collaborative environment, such as a leadership position you would like to hold or a club you would like to found. If you’re stumped on this part, consider talking to current students and mention learnings from these conversations (with their permission) in your essay.
• Professional Fit: Showcase how CBS's strong network, career services, employment data, and/or Executives-in-Residence program will aid in achieving your career goals. An often overlooked option is the fact that CBS’ location enables easy networking across almost any industry in NYC, with a robust local alumni population. The location also allows for in-semester internships, which may be relevant for some candidates.
• Be Genuine: Be authentic in your response and avoid generic statements. Don’t be afraid to show your personality, interests, and excitement.

Optional Essay

If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee, please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

• Don’t Write It: Consider if you need to write anything for this essay. In general, admissions committees do not want to receive superfluous materials that are not directly addressing new information that is of significance to the application. Therefore, this essay should only be used to explain any specific situations that are not otherwise addressed in the application. For example, this could be utilized to explain a poor GPA in your undergraduate career due to acute illness.
• Keep It Short: As the guidance from CBS notes, you are welcome to write in bullet form. This means that the essay or bullets should be as short and direct as possible.

General Tips for All Essays

• Showcase Your Unique Story: Use the essays to showcase what makes you unique and differentiates you from other applicants. This is your one opportunity to stand out in your application. Admissions committees value genuine stories.
• Edit and Revise: Plan on having multiple rounds of essay drafts, and take your time to iterate over many weeks. Proofread your essays multiple times to avoid grammatical errors and ensure clarity.
• Seek Feedback: Share your essays with trusted friends, family, or mentors for feedback and suggestions who understand the MBA process. It is best to utilize someone who has attended business school or who is a professional coach.
• Stay on Topic: Focus on answering all the specific questions asked in each essay without straying off-topic.
• Adhere to Word Limits: Respect the word limits for each essay, as exceeding them may reflect a lack of attention to detail.

Final Words

By following this guide and putting effort into crafting engaging, personal, and well-structured essays, you increase your chances of impressing the admissions committee at Columbia Business School and standing out from the crowd.

Good luck with your application!

About the Author

Melanie is an Executive Coach & Admissions Coach with 16 years of experience across strategy, operations, and coaching. A former McKinsey consultant, she is a member of the Forbes Council and has been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, Business Insider, TEDx, and more. Melanie has worked with prominent corporate clients including Google, KKR, IBM, and Morgan Stanley; as well as individuals such as business leaders, influencers, and Olympic athletes.

Melanie holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BS from Cornell University. She currently lives in Los Angeles (while remaining a New Yorker at heart), and enjoys creative pursuits in her free time.

Sign up for a FREE intro call with coach Melanie E. today, and jumpstart your path to your dream MBA program!

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How To Answer Columbia's 2023/24 Supplemental Essays: Tips & Insights

What's New

What Are Columbia's Essay Prompts?

How to Answer Columbia's Essay Prompts?

General Guidelines

Columbia's supplemental essays are a crucial part of the application, offering a deeper insight into your fit with the university. This guide provides detailed prompts, tips, and insights to craft compelling responses that resonate with Columbia's ethos. Approach with authenticity, align with Columbia's offerings and showcase your unique perspective to stand out.

The Essay That Got Me Into Columbia

Columbia's 2023/24 Supplemental Essay Updates: What's Changed?

Securing a spot at Columbia University , with its acceptance rate of around 4% , is a monumental achievement. In the intricate dance of college admissions, your supplemental essays are instrumental in portraying your distinctive narrative and alignment with Columbia's ethos.

Elite institutions like Columbia refine their application criteria each academic year to ensure they gain a holistic perspective of their prospective students.

For the 2023/24 admissions cycle, Columbia has made several pivotal changes to its supplemental essay questions:

• Consolidation of Prompts : The initial list-based questions about favorite readings from high school courses and beyond and resources and outlets of interest have been merged into a single comprehensive prompt. This new question seeks to understand the texts, resources, and outlets influencing the applicant's intellectual journey outside formal education.
• Word Limit Reduction : Several questions now have reduced word limits, emphasizing the need for applicants to provide concise and focused responses.
• Emphasis on Inclusivity : The question about learning from diverse communities has been refined to underscore the importance of an "equitable and inclusive community." This change prompts applicants to reflect more deeply on their perspectives and experiences.
• Introduction of a Resilience Question : A new question has been added to gauge the applicant's resilience. It asks them to describe an obstacle they've faced and the steps they took to overcome it.
• Minor Adjustments : While the question about the applicant's interest in Columbia remains, its word limit has been shortened. The prompt about attraction to specific areas of study at Columbia has been slightly rephrased but retains its essence.

These modifications highlight Columbia's evolving admissions approach, emphasizing a deeper understanding of the diverse life experiences and intrinsic values that applicants would bring to its dynamic undergraduate community.

What Are Columbia's Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2023/24?

For the 2023/24 application cycle, Columbia University has meticulously crafted supplemental essay prompts to delve deeper into the profiles of its applicants. These prompts aim to uncover your intellectual influences, personal perspectives, resilience, and your vision for your journey at Columbia.

List-Based Question

Columbia's list-based question offers a glimpse into your intellectual influences outside the classroom.

• Intellectual Influences : List a selection of texts, resources, and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums, and other content that you enjoy. (100 words)

Short Answer Questions

These questions provide deeper insights into your perspectives, experiences, and values.

• Equitable and Inclusive Community : A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint, or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's diverse and collaborative community. (150 words)
• Navigating Adversity : In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills, or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words)
• Interest in Columbia : Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words)
• Areas of Study : What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering? (150 words)

Requirements

For the list question, adhere to a 100-word maximum. Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons without the need for numbering, italicizing, or underlining titles. No author names, subtitles, or explanatory remarks are required. Responses should be limited to 150 words or fewer for the four short answer questions.

Columbia's application process is undeniably competitive, with an acceptance rate of around 4%. These prompts offer applicants a unique opportunity to showcase their intellectual influences, personal growth, and the distinct perspectives they'll bring to the Columbia community.

Looking for inspiration? Dive into these  Columbia essay examples  to see what successful applications look like!

How to Answer Columbia’s Supplemental Essay Questions?

Prompt 1 (list-based question), list a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy., - 100 words or fewer.

This prompt is an invitation to showcase the diverse range of materials that have shaped your intellectual journey outside the confines of a classroom. It's a chance to provide a snapshot of your intellectual curiosity, interests, and the resources instrumental in your growth .

Diversify Your List

While focusing solely on academic or highbrow materials might be tempting, remember that intellectual growth can come from various sources. A podcast episode might have changed your perspective on a social issue, or a museum visit might have deepened your appreciation for art or history.

Be Authentic

It's essential to be genuine in your selections. Don't list items you think might impress the admissions committee but don't resonate with you. Your list should reflect your true intellectual diet.

Consider the Impact

While the prompt doesn't ask for explanations, the items you choose should have clearly impacted your intellectual development. Whether it's a book that introduced you to a new field of interest or a documentary that deepened your understanding of a global issue, each item should have contributed to your growth.

Format and Presentation

Given the word limit, you'll need to be concise. List items in a clear, organized manner, using commas or semicolons to separate them. While you don't need to provide detailed explanations, the order and grouping can subtly indicate connections or themes.

• "1984" by George Orwell; "The Daily" podcast; TED Talks; The Louvre; "The Social Dilemma" documentary; National Geographic website; "The Future of Humanity" by Michio Kaku; Shakespeare's "Hamlet"; The Economist.
• "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho; MoMA; "How I Built This" podcast; "The World in a Grain" by Vince Beiser; TED-Ed videos; "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Díaz; The Smithsonian Magazine.

Columbia's first list question is a window into your intellectual world outside school. It's an opportunity to showcase the breadth and depth of your interests and the resources that have been pivotal in your academic journey. Approach this list with authenticity, diversity, and a clear sense of how each item has contributed to your growth .

Prompt 2 (Short Essay)

A hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia's diverse and collaborative community., - 150 words or fewer.

This prompt delves into your personal experiences and how they've shaped your perspective. Columbia is seeking students who will not only benefit from its diverse community but also actively contribute to it .

Reflect on Your Unique Perspective

Start by identifying a specific experience, background, or aspect of your identity that has profoundly influenced your perspective. This could be related to your cultural background, personal challenges, unique experiences, or any other facet of your life that has shaped your worldview.

Show, Don't Just Tell

Instead of merely stating your perspective, narrate a brief anecdote or experience that encapsulates it. This makes your essay more engaging and provides a clearer insight into your viewpoint.

Connect to Columbia's Community

Reflect on how your unique perspective will enrich Columbia's community. How will you engage with others, participate in discussions, or contribute to campus activities? Consider how your viewpoint can foster understanding, spark meaningful conversations, or inspire collaborative projects.

Embrace the NYC Advantage

Given Columbia's unique location in New York City, consider how your perspective aligns with NYC's dynamic, diverse, and cosmopolitan environment. How might the city's cultural resources amplify your learning and contributions?

• "Growing up in a multicultural household, I've learned to navigate and appreciate multiple cultures simultaneously. This has taught me the value of open-mindedness and adaptability. At Columbia, I aim to bridge cultural gaps, fostering understanding and collaboration in this diverse community, while also immersing myself in NYC's rich tapestry of cultures."
• "Facing economic hardships, I've developed resilience and a deep appreciation for education as a tool for change. My experiences have instilled in me a drive to advocate for equitable opportunities. At Columbia, I'd champion initiatives that support underprivileged students, leveraging the resources and platforms that NYC offers."

Columbia's second short essay question invites you to share how your unique experiences and perspectives will enrich its vibrant community. By weaving a narrative that connects your journey to Columbia's ethos and the broader NYC environment , you can effectively convey the value you'll bring to the university's diverse and collaborative landscape.

Prompt 3 (Short Essay)

In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. it is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant's ability to navigate through adversity. please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result..

This prompt seeks to understand your resilience, adaptability, and growth in facing challenges . Columbia wants students who persevere, learn from adversity, and contribute positively to the community despite unexpected obstacles.

Identify a Genuine Challenge

Begin by pinpointing a specific challenge or obstacle you've encountered. This could be academic, personal, social, or even professional. Ensure it's a situation where you faced genuine difficulty, uncertainty, or setback.

Narrate the Journey, Not Just the Outcome

While it's essential to discuss how you overcame the challenge, also delve into the emotions, thoughts, and processes you went through. This provides depth to your narrative and showcases your problem-solving and coping mechanisms.

Highlight Personal Growth

Discuss the qualities or skills you developed from facing this challenge. Did it make you more empathetic? Did you develop better communication or analytical skills? Maybe it gave you a fresh perspective or a renewed sense of purpose.

Connect to the College Experience

Reflect on how this growth prepares you for the unpredictable challenges of college life. How will these qualities or skills help you navigate Columbia's academic and social intricacies?

• "When a close family member fell ill, I had to balance school with significant home responsibilities. This period taught me time management and the value of support networks. I've learned that seeking help isn't a sign of weakness but of strength. At Columbia, I'll proactively join study groups and access available resources."
• "Facing academic challenges in my calculus class, I initially felt defeated. However, I sought tutoring, collaborated with peers, and spent extra hours practicing. This experience honed my perseverance and collaborative spirit, qualities I'll carry into challenging coursework at Columbia."

Columbia's third short essay question provides a window into your character, resilience, and growth mindset. By detailing a genuine challenge and the subsequent personal development , you can effectively convey to Columbia how you'll handle the unpredictable challenges of college life and contribute positively to the community.

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Prompt 4 (Short Essay)

Why are you interested in attending columbia university we encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about columbia..

This is a classic " Why This School " essay, a staple in the college application process. Columbia wants to understand not just why you want to attend an Ivy League institution but why you're specifically drawn to Columbia over other prestigious schools .

Research, Research, Research

Before you start writing, research Columbia's programs, culture, and opportunities. Go beyond the obvious and look for unique offerings or traditions that resonate with your interests and aspirations.

Connect to Your Goals and Interests

Discuss specific Columbia programs, courses, or opportunities that align with your academic and extracurricular interests. Maybe there's a particular professor you're excited to work with or a unique program that aligns with your career goals.

Beyond Academics

Columbia is more than just its academic programs. Maybe you're drawn to its location in New York City, diverse student body, or its commitment to community engagement. Highlight aspects of Columbia's culture or values that resonate with you.

The Core Curriculum

While many applicants will mention the famed Columbia Core Curriculum, make your mention stand out. Dive deep into specific courses or texts within the Core that excite you. How do you see the Core enriching your academic journey?

• "Columbia's interdisciplinary Science and Society program perfectly aligns with my passion for bioethics. The blend of rigorous scientific study with philosophical inquiry offers a holistic education I'm eager to dive into."
• "Being in the heart of NYC, Columbia offers unparalleled opportunities for real-world learning. I'm excited to engage with the city's diverse communities and bring those experiences back to the classroom."

Columbia's fourth short essay question is your chance to showcase your genuine interest in the university and how it aligns with your goals. By connecting specific Columbia offerings to your aspirations, you demonstrate a clear vision of your future at the university .

Prompt 5 (Short Essay)

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at columbia college or columbia engineering.

Columbia wants to understand the driving force behind your academic choices . This question delves into your intellectual passions and how they align with what Columbia offers in your preferred study area.

Reflect on Your Journey

Begin by considering the experiences, both academic and personal, that have shaped your interest in your chosen field. Was it a particular class, a personal project, or maybe an internship or mentorship?

Specificity is Key

Avoid generic statements about the value of education or the prestige of Columbia. Instead, delve into specific programs, courses, or opportunities within Columbia College or Columbia Engineering that resonate with your interests.

Connect Past, Present, and Future

Discuss how your past experiences have prepared you for your intended major. Then, bridge this with how Columbia's offerings will further your academic and career goals.

• "My internship at a local tech firm ignited my passion for computer engineering. Columbia Engineering's renowned Data Science Institute offers the perfect platform for me to delve deeper into machine learning applications."
• "After spearheading a community art project, I realized the power of visual storytelling. Columbia College's interdisciplinary approach to art and media studies will allow me to explore the intersection of art, culture, and social impact."

Columbia's fifth short essay question seeks to understand the depth of your commitment to your chosen field and how Columbia's specific offerings align with your academic journey. Connecting your past experiences with Columbia's resources demonstrates a clear vision of your academic future at the university . Remember to be genuine and specific, and show how your background and Columbia's offerings align with your educational aspirations.

How Anuar Got Into Columbia

General Guidelines for Answering Columbia's Supplemental Essay Questions

• Deep Dive into Columbia's Offerings : Columbia's prompts are tailored to understand your fit within its academically rigorous and culturally diverse environment. Highlight specific programs, courses, or professors that align with your interests. Demonstrating this level of specificity indicates genuine interest and thorough research.
• Reflect on Personal Growth : Columbia values introspective students. When discussing challenges or personal perspectives, always circle back to what these experiences have taught you and how they've shaped your worldview.
• Celebrate Your Unique Perspective : Columbia thrives on various voices and backgrounds. Emphasize how your unique experiences or viewpoints will enrich classroom discussions and the broader Columbia community.
• Authenticity Above All : Be genuine in your responses. Rather than trying to fit a mold, showcase your true self, interests, and aspirations. Authentic narratives resonate more deeply.
• Conciseness is Key : With tight word limits, it's essential to be concise yet impactful. Prioritize depth over breadth, giving a comprehensive view of selected experiences or thoughts.
• Engaging Narratives : Engaging storytelling can elevate your essay. Whether you're listing resources that have shaped your intellectual journey or explaining why you're drawn to Columbia, a narrative touch can make your response memorable.
• Meticulous Proofreading : Ensure your essays are polished and free from errors. Beyond grammar, ensure clarity and coherence in your narrative. Seek feedback from trusted individuals for fresh perspectives.
• Connect to the Columbia Experience : Relate your answers to how you'll engage with and contribute to the Columbia community. This showcases a long-term vision of your time at Columbia beyond just securing admission.
• Embrace the Opportunity : These essays are more than just a formality; they're your platform to present a holistic picture of who you are. Use them to articulate why the synergy between you and Columbia would benefit both.
• Stay Updated : Columbia, situated in the heart of New York City, is ever-evolving. Stay updated with recent developments, courses, or initiatives that might align with your interests.

Columbia's supplemental essays are your gateway to showcase your fit, passion, and potential contributions to its esteemed community. By thoughtfully crafting your responses and intertwining them with Columbia's ethos and offerings, you can compellingly convey why you're a perfect match for Columbia University.

For more inspiration, you might want to explore these  Columbia essay examples  to understand what makes an application truly stand out.

Final Thoughts

Embarking on the journey to Columbia is not just about showcasing academic prowess but weaving a narrative that aligns with Columbia's esteemed legacy and the admissions committee's expectations. Your supplemental essays are a window into your character, aspirations, and the unique contributions you'll bring to the Columbia community.

Every Columbia aspirant has a distinct story to share. This is your moment to articulate yours. Approach your essays with authenticity, depth, and a genuine passion for your narrative.

If you're unsure whether your essay truly captures your essence or stands out amidst many applications, our essay review service is here to guide you. Our experienced experts will provide a thorough review and feedback, ensuring your essay resonates with Columbia's admissions officers. For further inspiration, dive into our ebook , which showcases essays from students who clinched spots at top-tier institutions. And for those targeting Columbia, our compilation of successful Columbia essay examples will be invaluable.

For those just beginning their college application journey, consider scheduling a free consultation with our seasoned college counselors. We're dedicated to assisting you in crafting an application that enhances your chances of joining the ranks of Columbia's Lions. Your dream of becoming a part of Columbia's legacy is within reach, and we're here to support you at every juncture.

What Makes Crimson Different

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Everything you need to know about US Application Supplemental Essays
• Acing your College Application Essay: 5 Expert Tips to Make it Stand Out from the Rest
• How to Tackle Every Type of Supplemental Essay
• 2023-24 Common App Essay Prompts
• What are the Most Unusual US College Supplemental Essay Prompts?

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5 Columbia University Supplemental Example Essays (2023)

If you want to get into Columbia University in 2023, you can make sure you have the best chances of getting accepted by writing powerful essays.

In this article I've gathered 5 of the best college essays that got accepted into Columbia University to help you improve your own essays.

You can see how real students answered Columbia's writing supplement section and Common App personal statement.

What is Columbia University's Acceptance Rate?

This past year 60,377 students applied to Columbia and of those 2,253 were admitted for the Class of 2026.

That gives Columbia an overall admit rate of 3.73% , or in other words about 1 in 25 students are offered admission.

Columbia University Acceptance Scattergram

Admissions into Columbia is clearly highly competitive, but there's an upside:

The more selective a college is, the more your application essays matter.

What are Columbia University Supplemental Prompts for 2023?

This year, Columbia requires applying students to respond to several "list" questions, short answers, and short essay prompts.

Here are the Columbia writing supplement questions for 2023:

Columbia Writing

The questions on this page are being asked by Columbia University Applicants are asked to respond to Columbia-specific questions to tell the Admissions Committee more about their academic, extracurricular and intellectual interests. These questions allow us to better understand your intellectual curiosity, habits of mind, love of learning and sense of self. These questions also allow the Admissions Committee to learn more about you in your current community and why you feel Columbia’s distinctive experiences in and out of the classroom would be a good fit for your undergraduate education.

For the three list questions that follow, there is a 75 or 125 word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering these questions:

• Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.
• Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.
• It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.
• No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.

For the three short answer questions, please respond in 200 words or fewer.

For additional guidance, visit our website.

Please note that the third short answer question will not appear until you have selected Columbia College or Columbia Engineering in the "Academics" section of Columbia's application questions.

List the titles of the required readings from academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (75 words or fewer)

List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (75 words or fewer)

We’re interested in learning about some of the ways that you explore your interests. List some resources and outlets that you enjoy, including but not limited to websites, publications, journals, podcasts, social media accounts, lectures, museums, movies, music, or other content with which you regularly engage. (125 words or fewer)

A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and live in a community with a wide range of perspectives. How do you or would you learn from and contribute to diverse, collaborative communities? (200 words or fewer)

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (200 words or fewer)

For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you previously noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)

For applicants to Columbia Engineering, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you previously noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)

5 Columbia University EssaysThatWorked

Here are 5 of the best essays that worked for Columbia University.

Below you can read answers to the 2022-23 Columbia writing supplement, as well as past year's prompts. I've also included personal statement essays from admitted Columbia students.

Columbia University Essay Example #1

Columbia university essay example #2, columbia university essay example #3, columbia university essay example #4, columbia university essay example #5.

Prompt: List a few words or phrases that describe your ideal college community. (150 words max)

Filled with activity around the clock. A place to come home to.

Trying to get past locked doors (literal and metaphorical).

Offering intellectual freedom and curiosity, without forcing specialization. Accommodating students who are unwilling to wait to make a difference. Willing to look critically at itself.

Socially conscious and politically active.

Never taking its eye off the national or global stage.

Buzzing with so much life it flows beyond the campus into the outside world.

So much life that sometimes it intimidates, that it yearns for more hours in the day. With too many options to choose from, Too much to do in four years.

Filled with clever eyes that see new ideas in the lessons of history.

Diverse of origin, of culture, of opinion, of religion, of personality, Diverse like an international center of thought and ideas and passions. An urban wonderland.

Supporting of extraordinary ambitions.

Prompt: List the titles of the required readings from academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (150 words max)

Survival of the Sickest - Sharon Moalem

What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses - Daniel Chamovitz

The blockade of immune checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy - Drew Pardoll

The Physical Universe - Arthur Beiser

Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

Sexual Politics and Religious Reform in the Witch Craze - Joseph Klaits

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers - Paul Kennedy

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

On World Government - Dante Alighieri

Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 - Tony Judt

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Prompt: List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (150 words max)

A Most Incomprehensible Thing (the mathematics of relativity) - Peter Collie

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - Hayao Miyazaki

Weapons of Math Destruction - Cathy O’Neil

Algorithms to Live By - Brian Christian

Giant of the Senate - Al Franken

The Sublime Object of Ideology - Slavoj Zizek

The Theoretical Minimum - Leonard Susskind

Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World - Tim Whitmarsh

The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller - Italo Calvino

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

The Feynman Lectures on Physics: Volume 1 - Richard Feynman

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov

Justice by Lottery - Barbara Goodwin

History: A Very Short Introduction - John H. Arnold

Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II - John Dower

Prompt: We’re interested in learning about some of the ways that you explore your interests. List some resources and outlets that you enjoy, including but not limited to websites, publications, journals, podcasts, social media accounts, lectures, museums, movies, music, or other content with which you regularly engage. (125 words max)

The Economist

The New York Times

Reddit - /r/programming /r/machinelearning /r/lifeprotips /r/iwanttolearn /r/politics /r/science /r/physics /r/economics Hacker News

The Atlantic

The Washington Post

Paulgraham.com

Waitbutwhy.com

whatif.xkcd.com arXiv.org - arXiv-sanity.com

Scientific American

Flowingdata.com

StackExchange

Prompt: For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Member Questions section. If you are currently undecided, please write about any field or fields in which you may have an interest at this time. (300 words max)

Studying computer science gives me the opportunity to be in a field that evolves so quickly I can always be on the forefront and do cutting-edge work. This summer at an ad-tech company, I moved the data science team’s analysis programs to a novel cluster-computing engine (Kubernetes), which can manage and distribute tasks across thousands of computers at once. Kubernetes is so new that barely any information has circulated about it. Because of this novelty, I was able to publish the first existing documentation of a data science pipeline in Kubernetes.

Computer science can also automate the manual drudgery of life. For example: to manage my clubs, I’ve written a program that checks for emails from members with excuses for missing meetings and automatically logs their absences.

Since computers have become the platform for every science, coding allows me to contribute to numerous fields. When I started at Einstein College of Medicine last year, I knew nothing about computational biology. Our project showed me that basic programming was all I needed to find fascinating results in the mostly unstudied mountains of genomic data.

As a person, I’m drawn to seemingly impossible challenges, in particular, the quest to teach machines and create mechanical consciousness. When I started taking online courses in AI, I became fascinated by the gradient descent method in machine learning. The method casts complex input data (e.g. photos) as thousand-dimensional surfaces and attempts to descend to the lowest points (minima) of those surfaces. It works best on data with underlying patterns, like pictures of human faces. This indicates that, in some way, the very nature of what a ‘face’ is, what unique structure is shared by nearly all faces, is found in the minima that AI models descend towards. My dream is to do foundational artificial intelligence research.

If you're trying to get into Columbia, you'll need to stand out from the competition. These 5 Columbia essays that worked showcase successful examples of responses to the Columbia writing supplement for 2022.

What did you think of these Columbia essays?

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Princeton Admitted Essay

People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is... uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable...

MIT Admitted Essay

Her baking is not confined to an amalgamation of sugar, butter, and flour. It's an outstretched hand, an open invitation, a makeshift bridge thrown across the divides of age and culture. Thanks to Buni, the reason I bake has evolved. What started as stress relief is now a lifeline to my heritage, a language that allows me to communicate with my family in ways my tongue cannot. By rolling dough for saratele and crushing walnuts for cornulete, my baking speaks more fluently to my Romanian heritage than my broken Romanian ever could....

UPenn Admitted Essay

A cow gave birth and I watched. Staring from the window of our stopped car, I experienced two beginnings that day: the small bovine life and my future. Both emerged when I was only 10 years old and cruising along the twisting roads of rural Maryland...

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August 18, 2022

Columbia University 2022-2023 Essay Prompts

Columbia University has released its essay prompts for the 2022-2023 admissions cycle. So what questions will applicants to the Columbia Class of 2027 be asked to answer? This year’s prompts are quite similar to last year’s prompts, reflecting a change the school made last year when it reduced the word counts on some of its hallmark lists. And, yes, Columbia does ask applicants to write some lists , which should not be confused with essays — as in they should not be in full sentence formation. Heck, Columbia even explicitly says as much in its instructions to applicants this year, likely because so many students don’t seem to follow directions: “- Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons. Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order. It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications. No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.” A list is a list! In any case, wonder no more about the Columbia essay prompts for applicants to the Class of 2027.

The questions read as follows: “List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school.” Applicants have 75 words to make their case. “We’re interested in learning about some of the ways that you explore your interests. List some resources and outlets that you enjoy, including but not limited to websites, publications, journals, podcasts, social media accounts, lectures, museums, movies, music, or other content with which you regularly engage.” Applicants have 125 words to make their case. “A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community.” Applicants have 200 words to respond. “Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.” Applicants have 200 words to make their case. Finally, “In Columbia’s admissions process, we value who you are as a unique individual, distinct from your goals and achievements. In the last words of this writing supplement, we would like you to reflect on a source of happiness. Help us get to know you further by describing the first thing that comes to mind when you consider what simply brings you joy.” Applicants have 35 words to respond.

And how do these prompts compare to last year’s? Well, Columbia, a school that has been in the news of late for all the wrong reasons for misreporting data to US News & World Report ’s annual college ranking, deleted one of the lists and added the 35-worder about what brings applicants joy. In short, they didn’t change much at all. Have a question about the Columbia University 2022-2023 essay prompts? Let us know your question by posting it below. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Columbia University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Book short response.

List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy.

Diversity Short Response

A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community.

Overcoming Challenges Short Response

In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant‘s ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result.

Why This College Short Response

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.

Why This Major Short Response

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College?

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia Engineering?

Trinity College Dublin and Sciences Po Dual BA Essay

Describe how your experiences, both personal and academic, have shaped your decision to pursue the Dual BA Program. Why is an international academic experience important to you as you consider the ways in which it may influence your future?

Successful essays should not only identify and describe specific elements of the Dual BA Program that meet your needs as a student, but should also explain why the academic courses you have chosen for your time at Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University are compatible with your aspirations, academic or otherwise.

School of General Studies Essay

Tell us about your educational history, work experience, present situation, and plans for the future. Please make sure to reflect on why you consider yourself a nontraditional student and have chosen to pursue your education at the School of General Studies of Columbia University. Successful essays should identify and describe specific elements of the program, academic or otherwise, that meet your needs as a nontraditional student. The admissions committee is particularly interested in situations in your life from which you have learned and grown. This may include past academic experiences, professional accomplishments, or turning points and transformative events: new beginnings and personal achievements, but also events that may have affected your education, such as health and family challenges, personal obstacles or even issues with the justice system. Our expectation is that your reflection on your experiences will demonstrate your potential to add a unique perspective to the Columbia classroom.

Postbac Premed Program Essay

Please submit an essay of approximately 500 words discussing your decision to pursue a career in medicine or an allied health profession. A successful essay will not only describe the factors that contributed to your decision, but will give us a sense of you as an individual by discussing why you want to pursue this career and how you feel you will contribute to the profession.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Read below to figure out how AcceptU’s team of former admissions officers would answer Columbia University’s writing supplement for 2023:

For the list question that follows, there is a 100 word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:

• Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.
• Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.
• It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.
• No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.

For the four short answer questions, please respond in 150 words or fewer.

List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy.  ( 100 words or fewer)  

Columbia wants to learn more about you by seeing what you’re interested in reading outside of the classroom. Hopefully you’re an avid reader – that will reveal an intellectual curiosity about you.

A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer)

Columbia clearly prides itself on having a diverse, as well as collaborative, student body and faculty. In your response, be very specific and cite examples of how you have already benefited and learned from these types of experiences, if applicable. Describe the perspectives you’ve learned from others, or the results of a team effort; be sure to give the admissions committee an idea of what your role was in that team. 

And if you haven’t had experiences in diverse or collaborative communities, then you should explain what was missing or lacking. Explore this further – what do you think you will learn from others who are different from you? Why? How does that make you feel?

In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant’s ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words or fewer)

You can consider any type of adversity that you have experienced: Was it related to your faith or sexual identity? Was it related to academic challenges, or maybe a speech impediment? Perhaps you’ve faced adversity in a social setting, where you had to deal with bullying, or even family disagreements and disputes.

For some, it could be difficult to come up with a challenge or obstacle faced. (If that is you, consider yourself lucky!) But once you decide on the obstacle that you want to describe to the admissions committee, the more important element in this essay is what you’ve learned from the experience. How did you grow or change or overcome that adversity? What about you is different now? How will you bring that resolve to Columbia?

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words or fewer)

Think about what draws you to Columbia – what specifically does the school offer that you see the most value in? What does it offer that no other school can? Additionally, how will you benefit from this? How will this add to your education as a student?

Columbia’s admissions officers are looking for students who will thrive as a result of the resources the school provides.

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer)

Some applications simply ask the question, What do you want to study and why? Even if you’ve written this essay for another university, don’t just copy and paste it from that other application. Instead, think about how Columbia teaches that subject, or why that major is interesting, unique and different at CU compared to that same major at other universities. And, of course, don’t forget the actual question asked; that is, make sure you speak about experiences that led to your interest in this field of study. Perhaps you can cite not just advanced courses, but also summer activities, a summer community college course or a university course, a research project, an internship, relevant school (or external) clubs, or even a company you founded!

As author of Untangling the Ivy League , Marc literally wrote the book on gaining admission to highly selective colleges. He earned a BA from Cornell University – where he met AcceptU’s co-founder – and an MBA from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, Marc chaired the admissions advisory board; he has also conducted alumni interviews for Cornell for more than fifteen years.

Add Project Key Words

A Guide to the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

Padya Paramita

August 22, 2022

Located in the heart of New York City, Columbia University has long been one of the most competitive schools in the world. Consistently ranked among the top five colleges in the U.S., Columbia attracts a wide range of students from all over the world. Although it is no easy task, it’s time to think about ways to distinguish yourself among a strong pool of applicants. If your interest in Columbia stems from genuine enthusiasm towards the unique opportunities offered by the school, then the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 can help you bolster your candidacy. 

The Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 are designed to help the admissions committee understand your intellectual pursuits, interests outside the classroom, and the real motivations behind your interest in Columbia beyond its esteemed ranking. Help the admissions officers understand why you’d be an ideal Columbia student by carefully considering and answering the prompts below. To guide you through a smooth-sailing writing process, I’ve outlined each prompt, provided some tips and tricks for answering them, and included some further advice to help you write your Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023

Prompts for the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

For the following questions, we ask that you list each individual response using commas or semicolons; the items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order. No explanatory text or formatting is needed. (For example, it is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications. No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.)

• List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (75 words or fewer)
• We’re interested in learning about some of the ways that you explore your interests. List some resources and outlets that you enjoy, including but not limited to websites, publications,  journals, podcasts, social media accounts, lectures, museums, movies, music, or other content with which you regularly engage. (125 words or fewer) 

The instructions make it very clear that there’s no minimum number of titles you must include. That being said, don’t just insert one answer for each topic. From your answers to the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 , the university wants to know what kind of topics and genres you enjoy outside academics. All of these could follow a particular theme - your answer to the latter three bullets could be a great way to show that you’ve pursued your academic interests through more than just schoolwork. Or, you could highlight a passion outside your intended major, such as sports or cooking, by mentioning relevant books or magazines.

Don’t list big-name publications such as The New York Times just because you think it sounds impressive. It will probably be one of the more common answers anyway. Go through your subscriptions, browser history, and think about which publications you’re always drawn to when at a newsstand or library.

A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's diverse and collaborative community. (200 words or fewer)

Because so many academically qualified students apply to Columbia, admissions officers want to pinpoint the candidates who will meaningfully contribute to their community. Through this supplemental prompt, Columbia is interested in knowing exactly what you’ll bring from your current life as a high schooler to the Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan. If we break this prompt down further, you’ll notice that the word “community” is broad here — the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 has given you flexibility by listing some possible examples of the type of community you might write about — as well as saying “another community” if it’s more applicable.

As you brainstorm, start thinking about all of the communities you interact with on a daily basis—school, student group, sports team, neighborhood organization, family, etc. From there, think about what—from any of these communities—you’ve had the most impact on and why. The list could go on, but may include things like helping your parents with your siblings, or stepping up as a leader to initiate a new community center in your neighborhood. From there, you want to think about how your skills can benefit others, specifically at Columbia University.  When approaching this essay, try to be as specific as possible. 200 words is a short essay, so make sure you get straight to the point and explain the unique contributions you would bring from your current life to Columbia. 

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (200 words or fewer)

Now we come to the “why this school” portion of the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 . Remember that this essay isn’t about what makes Columbia a good school - admissions officers already know that it is! What do you find the most appealing about the university? How do these great features relate to your learning and your future plans? The points you should try to get across are why the college’s resources are a good fit for you, how you will benefit from all that it offers, and the aspects of campus life where you believe you can contribute the most. 

The best strategy in answering this question is conducting research specific to your interests and goals, as Columbia wants to see an emphasis on what you “value.” Since you have a good number of words, you can mention both academic and extracurricular offerings that call out to you. At the same time don’t go all over the place - stay within describing two to three of the most appealing factors, and then elaborate on them. What classes and activities do you currently enjoy that you hope to continue at Columbia? Which particular Columbia courses align with your ideal career? Is there a unique student organization that you want to join, such as Columbia Undergraduate Film Productions or the Columbia University Glee Club?

Don’t just think about the internal resources - but the external aspects of Columbia that make it great as well. You can mention the New York City environment - but don’t dwell on this as this essay should be about Columbia and not how much you love Manhattan! Are there ways in which this particular urban academic setting works better for you than a suburban or rural one? Use your response to the first prompt for clues about what you’re looking for from your college experience (but don’t be repetitive!) and articulate how Columbia is the perfect place to explore your aspirations.

Please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)

Continuing from the “why Columbia” question, this prompt among the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 asks you to delve deeper into the academic aspect of your interest in Columbia. A memorable answer to this prompt should successfully tie in where your passion for your academic interest stems from, as well as how Columbia can help you explore it further. 

If you’ve chosen creative writing, for example, think about when this interest started, how your love for the topic grew, and how you’ve honed your writing skills.  Perhaps you participated in competitions or creative writing clubs. Anecdotes outlining these activities and accomplishments should dominate your essay. If you have space remaining, talk about how Columbia’s creative writing program is the perfect place to help you as a budding writer. Is there a professor whose writing you’ve followed? Are there any specific courses that perfectly suit the genre you dream of mastering someday such as WRIT UN2110 Seminar Approaches to the Short Story?

No matter which field of study you’ve chosen, admissions officers should leave with no doubts regarding your dedication and commitment to the discipline. Columbia appreciates individuals who avidly pursue intellectual growth . Use your answer to demonstrate that your interest in the topic is deep and sustained. 

For applicants to Columbia Engineering, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you previously noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)

This prompt is the same as the previous one - but only for engineering applicants. Just like applicants to Columbia College, your answer to this question should focus on tying in your previous engineering experiences to the opportunities available to you at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering at Columbia. Don’t just write about engineering as a broad discipline. Think about the area you’ve chosen - such as Electrical Engineering or Earth & Environmental Engineering - and express how your curiosity about that specific field arose. 

Detail any specific instances of you working with topics that fall under your chosen concentration. If you want to study computer science, for example, what specific experiences do you have with programming or app-building? Was there a particular incident where you decided that this was the field for you? Then, connect your answer to the Fu Foundation School. Which courses under Columbia Engineering’s Computer Science curriculum fit with your plans the most? Is there a particular research program that perfectly augments your interest within computer science?

Your experiences and active persuasion of your choice of concentration should leave admissions officers with the confidence that you’re not just a good fit for Columbia, but for Columbia Engineering specifically. 

In Columbia’s admissions process, we value who you are as a unique individual, distinct from your goals and achievements. In the last words of this writing supplement, we would like you to reflect on a source of happiness. Help us get to know you further by describing the first thing that comes to mind when you consider what simply brings you joy. (35 words or fewer)

This is a new prompt for the 2022-2023 edition! The school values students who are particularly invested in activities and topics that are meaningful to them, no matter what the scale. If you have a meaningful hobby that isn’t a conventional extracurricular per se, or you have a favorite movie that you watch over and over again, Columbia is telling you to write about it. Just the introductory paragraph to most essays requires over 200 words—you might find it difficult to restrain yourself to just 35 words while talking about your favorite pastime. In order to get your point across, you need to put less emphasis on describing the activity or object—mention the word or phrase and then write a couple of sentences about why it brings you joy.

Further Tips on answering the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

• Let Your Personality Shine - The purpose of the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 is to get to know you . You can’t be a memorable candidate if admissions officers are unable to gauge who you are, sense what you’re passionate about, and identify your goals. Don’t just repeat your personal statement. Instead, exemplify each point as concretely as possible. Whether reading about your favorite books or learning about your interest in biology or history, the reader must be able to get a clear picture and learn new information from every essay.
• Demonstrate an In-Depth Knowledge of Columbia - The Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 strike a balance between asking questions specific to your experiences and asking about what appeals to you regarding the university. A lot of students apply to Columbia only because it’s an Ivy League school or because it’s located in Manhattan. Assure them that you’re not one of those students by showcasing a comprehensive knowledge of the school’s curriculum and resources, and demonstrating that you’ve done the research to understand how those opportunities specifically pertain to your aspirations. Your essays should convince the admissions officers that you and Columbia are a perfect fit.
• Think about Your Application Persona - A lot of the questions asked by Columbia want you to reflect on your chosen disciplines, so you need to stay true to your application persona in your responses. Your application persona is the overall theme of your application. You could be a student who’s worked with environmental issues throughout your time in high school. Or, you could be a budding director who has taken charge of all the school plays. Think about how your approach to the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 can convincingly harmonize with your application persona and portray authentic interest in your field of choice.

Your answers to the Columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 should convey who you are through an exploration of topics you’re interested in and how you want to continue pursuing them in college. When reading your responses, admissions officers should clearly understand what your goals are and how Columbia can help you get there. By perfectly blending your passions with what appeals to you about Columbia, you should be able to write standout essays that help separate you from the rest of the impressive applicant pool. Best of luck!

Tags : How to Get Into Columbia , applying to columbia , columbia essays , columbia supplemental essays 2022-2023 , columbia university

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Moscow City, Spectacle, Capital of Photography

Nadia Michoustina Wallach Art Gallery, 2003 8 x 10", 88 pp., 46 b&w illus. ISBN 1-884919-13-8, Paper, $25

The history of photography, more than of the city, is traced through 34 monochrome works by photographers who lived and worked in Moscow from the 1920s to the present. These photographs are from the collection of the Cultural Center Dom, Moscow, and were exhibited at Columbia University April through June 2003. An essay, interview, and biographies are included.

Nominees for The Columbian 2023-24 Week 23 prep athletes of the week sponsored by Killer Burger Free

Nominees from columbia river, union, skyview, ridgefield and camas.

Here are the nominees for The Columbian 2023-24 Week 23 high school athlete of the week, sponsored by Killer Burger.

Voting will continue until 7 p.m. Wednesday.

To avoid vote manipulation, voting is restricted by IP address, one vote per IP address. That means people voting while connected to a public WIFI access may be unable to vote. We suggest voting be done by private internet access or through your cellular provider.

Winners of the athlete-of-the-week may not be nominated again during the regular season, and no athlete may be nominated in consecutive weeks.

Nominees are posted and voting begins each Monday and runs through Wednesday.

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS ACCESSING THE BALLOT, CLICK HERE .

Here are the nominees:

REVAC BANFIELD, COLUMBIA RIVER BOYS TRACK AND FIELD: The junior won the 100 (10.58), 200 (21.96) and helped River win the 400 relay at the John Ingram Twilight meet.

JACINDA LEE, CAMAS GIRLS GOLF: The senior shot a course-record of 7-under 65 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco to win the Pasco Invitational.

LEILANI MAYS, UNION GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD: The freshman won the 200 (25.94), 100 hurdles (15.18) and helped Union with 400 relay at the John Ingram Twilight meet.

CADEN SPANIER, SKYVIEW BASEBALL: The senior went 6 for 9 with a double, two triples and 3 RBI and pitched seven innings with nine strikeouts in three games.

MALLORY VANCLEAVE, RIDGEFIELD SOFTBALL: The senior went 7 for 9 with six runs, a triple, three home runs and 15 RBI in three league wins for the Spudders.

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During a Chaotic Day, Columbia’s President Fights for Her Job

Nemat Shafik, the university’s leader, met privately with faculty members, who could soon decide to admonish her. Columbia’s board, though, made its support clear.

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By Stephanie Saul ,  Alan Blinder and Liset Cruz

Stephanie Saul and Liset Cruz reported from Columbia University, and Alan Blinder reported from Atlanta.

• Published April 23, 2024 Updated April 24, 2024, 8:30 p.m. ET

Nemat Shafik, Columbia University’s besieged president, faced skeptics on Wednesday in a meeting with the university senate that could vote to censure her over her handling of protests on the Upper Manhattan campus.

Dr. Shafik, who last week called in the police officers who made more than 100 arrests while they cleared a student protest encampment, is facing mounting calls for her resignation, including from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who visited Columbia on Wednesday. If Dr. Shafik ultimately remains atop Columbia, her meeting with the university senate made plain that it will likely be as a scarred figure.

Dr. Shafik defended her choice to summon the New York authorities to campus, according to three people who attended the meeting at the law school. But, according to two of those people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private meeting, Dr. Shafik used part of her roughly hourlong appearance to acknowledge that the decision to bring in the police had exacerbated the problems. She said she believed, though, that it was necessary for the safety of protesting students.

The group could vote on a censure as soon as Friday, but some senators were discussing the possibility of pursuing a more moderate course in the aftermath of Wednesday’s meeting.

Although predicting the outcome of a university senate vote is an inexact science — the body includes in excess of 100 faculty members, students, alumni and administrators from a wide range of academic disciplines — a draft censure resolution was unsparing. In it, Dr. Shafik was accused of violating fundamental rules by ignoring a 13-member senate executive committee that had unanimously rejected her request to ask the police onto campus.

By calling in the police anyway, the resolution said, Dr. Shafik had endangered both the welfare and the futures of the arrested students. Dr. Shafik had already angered many at Columbia with her testimony on Capitol Hill on April 17, when she tried to placate Republican lawmakers but provoked outrage on campus, in part for not robustly defending academic freedom.

Carol Garber, a professor of biobehavioral sciences, said Wednesday’s meeting included the voices of many senate members who were “upset and hurt,” with many “unhappy with some of the statements” Dr. Shafik made in Washington.

Protest management is a particularly resonant matter for modern Columbia presidents, professors and students, who have known well how Grayson L. Kirk’s tenure came to a turbulent close after widespread criticism of his handling of demonstrations in 1968.

To some of Dr. Shafik’s critics, her choice last week echoed that strategy and should yield a similar outcome.

So far, the university senate is not expected to call for Dr. Shafik’s removal, with a censure vote meant to signal serious disapproval, not a demand for an ouster. Some senators fear allowing outsiders too great a voice in university affairs. And another draft of the resolution was in the works that stopped short of a censure but was described as more of an expression of disapproval with the administration.

“It really isn’t a precedent any academic institution wants to set,” Dr. Garber said in an interview. “We shouldn’t be bullied by someone in Congress. If something happens on Friday, are we capitulating to an outside force?”

But to many people on campus, Columbia has already done so — whether by allowing protesters, for now, to rebuild their encampment or by turning to the police last week.

And on Wednesday, it was far from settled how long the resurrected protest zone would last, or whether Columbia would again seek arrests.

Not even 12 hours after Columbia’s predawn assertion of progress in its negotiations with the demonstrators, a protest leader all but dismissed some of the university’s claims.

To extend talks, according to the university, the protesters agreed to remove a significant number of the tents erected on the lawn. Columbia also said the protesters had pledged that non-students would leave the encampment, and that they would bar discriminatory or harassing language among the demonstrators.

But on Wednesday morning, an organizer announced to other students at the encampment that they would not be “doing the university’s job of removing people from this camp for them,” insisting that demonstrators would not become “cops to each other." And the organizer declared that the protesters were “committed to staying here and having people stay here.”

University officials did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday about the protest leader’s remarks at the encampment, which some demonstrators said they expected to be free of police activity until at least Friday. But Columbia has set an early Friday deadline for an agreement and left open the possibility of dismantling the camp using “alternative options.”

Protesters and university officials were also at odds over what was said during their urgent talks. A student group, which had been suspended by the university, insisted that administrators had suggested that the National Guard could be deployed to campus, a tactic Mr. Johnson urged after he met with Dr. Shafik on Wednesday.

Protesters say their vigil has been peaceful. And a spokeswoman for Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York noted that the governor said publicly she had no plans to send the Guard onto the campus.

Ben Chang, a spokesman for Columbia, said the claim that the university threatened that the Guard could be deployed was “completely baseless.”

Separately on Wednesday, Columbia’s board defended Dr. Shafik, saying in a statement that it “strongly supports President Shafik as she steers the university through this extraordinarily challenging time.”

The board added, “During the search process for this role, President Shafik told us that she would always take a thoughtful approach to resolving conflict, balancing the disparate voices that make up a vibrant campus like Columbia’s, while taking a firm stance against hatred, harassment and discrimination. That’s exactly what she’s doing now.”

The events at Columbia are at the center of a spate of unrest rocking campuses from California to Connecticut as the end of the semester approaches. Across the country, administrators have struggled to balance principles like open debate with the need to protect Jewish students. Some demonstrations have included hate speech, threats or support for Hamas, the armed group based in Gaza that led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, sparking the war that has left tens of thousands of people dead.

Brown University said it had warned about 90 students Wednesday morning that their new encampment broke university rules and that they faced school discipline. At California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, dozens of protesters occupied a building on the campus, which has been closed since Monday. And on the other end of the state, at the University of Southern California, about 100 protesters set up an encampment, which security officials quickly moved to dismantle.

But many other campuses, even ones that had seen protests earlier in the week, were largely quiet, with students and professors alike preparing for final exams.

At Columbia, the encampment on Wednesday at times seemed far quieter than it had, especially when Dr. Shafik’s first deadline had loomed.

Tents that protesters frantically broke down Tuesday night stood pitched again. A group of Muslim students prayed together, and protesters passed through a canopy to get food from Dunkin’ and Popeyes.

At each entrance to the encampment, demonstrators stood guard. Not far away, Columbia’s preparations for commencement went on.

Anna Betts , Eryn Davis , Lola Fadulu , Annie Karni , Victoria Kim , Santul Nerkar , Katherine Rosman , Karla Marie Sanford , Ed Shanahan and Jonathan Wolfe contributed reporting.

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article misspelled the given name of the president of Columbia University. Her name is Nemat Shafik, not Nemak Shafik.

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Stephanie Saul reports on colleges and universities, with a recent focus on the dramatic changes in college admissions and the debate around diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. More about Stephanie Saul

Alan Blinder is a national correspondent for The Times, covering education. More about Alan Blinder

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