Business Law Short Answer Questions

[Curtis Cassel]

Forstudents applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question about your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.

Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words)

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to contribute to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words)

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing, and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words)

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words / 3575 characters**)

How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words)

The following analysis examines the admissions essays for Columbia Business School. The Columbia MBA essay questions below are for the 2024-2025 admissions season. You can also review essay topic analyses for other leading MBA programs as well as general Essay Tips to further aid you in developing your admissions essays.

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, students explore and reflect 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.

No matter the DEI skill selected, applicants should ensure they were active participants in achieving a positive outcome. When tackling this option, note that CBS offers a structure at the end of the prompt, akin to the STAR method:

How would you co-create your optimal MBA experience at CBS? Please be specific. (250 words)

The adcom is seeking to understand how you see yourself contributing to the community and enhancing the experience of other students. If you have a longstanding passion or interest, or relevant accomplishment, you may briefly cite your experience in connection to how it would translate to action at CBS. The key is to have the details about life at CBS so the adcom can more easily visualize you as a student there.

US Army Special Forces veteran / Service Academy grad with low GPA but solid GRE. Several deployments around the world with unique experiences, including combat, cross-functional management, and forging diplomatic relations in new countries. Looking to pivot to consulting to broaden business acumen and focus on energy projects, with a long-term goal of breaking into PE Ops.

I worked as a Product Manager for a very successful LATAM startup, where I led a team to build one of the company's most important technology tools. I am passionate about solving user problems and enjoy networking.

My main concern is uncertainty about my post-MBA goals. I understand that an MBA is about the experience, meeting new people, developing skills and finding your optimal path. I believe that an MBA will help me address my concern, develop the essential skills to become a successful leader and probably pivoting in my current career.

Currently working in one of the top 5 brand of automobile manufacturing company, I have strong project management experience focused on manufacturing planning and manufacturing migration of products. Constantly collaborating across borders to deliver KPIs of the project. Planning to pursue an MBA to pivot to a different role in mobility industry focused on global operations strategy and/or product planning of EV industry #FutureOfMobility. Short term goal is consulting to broaden my functional knowledge base and develop a new perspective by engaging with different industry and solving diverse problems

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Ten years ago, lengthy MBA essays were a staple of business school applications. Flash forward to today, and admissions departments worldwide have reduced the word count and number of essays candidates must tackle. Whether the influence is social media, with its condensed communication style, or simply that the admissions committee has grown weary of reading thousand-word essays from thousands of applicants, it seems short and sweet is here to stay.

Many applicants struggle with short-answer essay questions because they feel like they cannot adequately convey everything they want the admissions committee to know in so few words. The challenge of these brief prompts is to give the admissions committee what they ask for while still providing a compelling snapshot of yourself.

I always advise applicants to do two things as they work on their MBA essays: make sure to answer the question asked and spend a lot of time brainstorming up front. You would be amazed at how many applicants start to answer an essay prompt and veer off-subject entirely. With such a limited word count, even answering a "why" question with a "how" response will be a turnoff to the admissions officer reviewing your application.

The brainstorming phase is the same whether you have a word count of 750 or 200. First, find a theme, or a couple of main points, you want to convey. Consider the essay set for each MBA application as a whole, and make sure your answers do not overlap but rather build upon each other. Then whittle away anything non-essential, and always avoid the passive voice as it eats up valuable space in your allotted word count. Whenever possible, share details that show a glimpse of your personal interests or something amazing that you have done.

The Columbia Business School application, for example, asks this short-answer question: "What is your immediate post-professional MBA goal?" With a maximum of 50 characters, applicants must distill their responses into something that makes a tweet look verbose.

Though a simple question, it requires that you condense your career goals into one clear career vision statement. Rather than submitting a generic phrase like "work in finance," the aim is specificity. Something like "real estate finance at a private equity firm" tells the admissions committee far more about your interests and goals.

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