Q) How should I connect my story with New York City for my Columbia MBA Fit Essay
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The most common narrative I have reviewed and edited for the Columbia MBA application is about resilience. And the strange thing is that despite 5-10 variations of the same story, the narratives moved me. The applicants who were able to connect with me as a reviewer were those who used words that conveyed the right mix of emotion and action. The balance gave a certain authenticity to the narrative.
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I have read accounts of native New Yorkers who cited the 2012 Hurricane, 9/11 – mostly applicants who use it as their motivation for joining the military, and even accounts of losing loved ones. In the past two years, it has been all about the pandemic and its devastating effect on the communities. The stories that remained in my mind always started with something extremely upsetting, but then the applicant gave a glimpse into how they reacted and changed with the event. And when you do that, there is a certain empathy that a reader develops. And often, we tend to root for the underdog. So a lot depends on how you are starting the resilience narrative.
The challenge for the Fit Essay at Columbia is the 250-word limit. So you are talking about 100-120 words to set up the event, then about your value, and then connect with New York City and the diversity of peers, and if the word limit permits the Executives in Residence USP.
If you are an international applicant, choose events or narratives that an American audience is aware of. Even if you are an American applicant, you should be deeply aware of how customized our viewing experience is based on subscription patterns. This is even more challenging in a personalized TikTok or YouTube, or Facebook or Insta bubble. You have to shortlist events that touch on universal themes of resilience, empathy, and long-term thinking.
The experience of immigration from war-torn countries, health scare, and financial instability are also excellent openers for the essay. It immediately demonstrates your or your family’s resilience and the value they passed on to you.
