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8 Great Columbia Essay Examples

What’s covered:, essay example 1 – mechanical engineering, essay example 2 – trailblazing, essay example 3 – the core and community.

Essay Example 4 – Cancer Research

Essay Example 5 – Joy in Birds

Essay example 6 – psychology.

Essay Example 7 – Slavic Languages and Cultures

Essay Example 8 – Diversity

Where to get your columbia university essays edited.

Columbia is an Ivy League school in NYC with an incredibly low acceptance rate. Like most other competitive schools, Columbia has supplemental prompts where students can demonstrate parts of their life that aren’t present in other portions of their application. Many applicants to selective colleges like Columbia have stellar grades and test scores, so the essays can help you stand out from other candidates with the same stats.

The school requires applicants to fill out a variety of prompts, ranging from quick short-answers about your favorite books and pieces of media to fleshed out essays. In this post, we will share three essays real students have submitted to Columbia and go over what each essay did well and where they can be improved.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Read our Columbia University essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

As I continue my journey toward becoming a mechanical engineer, I am constantly searching for ways to positively impact and solve complex problems. Columbia University is the perfect place for me to do so. The university’s diverse and brilliant community, combined with its focus on hands-on learning, will provide me with the foundation I need to grow as a student and a person.

I am excited to take advantage of Columbia’s many opportunities, from its Core curriculum to its various labs and research centers. In particular, I am drawn to the F1 car club and the opportunity to work on real-world projects through Columbia World Projects. These experiences will help broaden my knowledge and skills and allow me to make a significant difference in the world.

In addition to the academic opportunities at Columbia, I am also drawn to the university’s rich traditions. From the tree lighting ceremony to the Holi celebration, these events foster a sense of belonging and connection that will be invaluable as I begin my studies. I believe my unique perspective and skills will be an asset to the community, for I am excited to contribute my voice to Columbia’s dynamic and diverse community.

What the Essay Did Well

In responding to this textbook “Why This College?” prompt, the author effectively selects a topic, mechanical engineering, to focus his essay on, and connects that topic to opportunities that can only be found at Columbia, such as the F1 car club and Columbia World Projects. These specific opportunities show admissions officers that the student has done their research, and has tangible reasons for wanting to attend Columbia that go beyond, for example, the generic “I want to go to school in New York.”

The author also expresses an interest in the traditions that form the backbone of Columbia’s community, such as the tree lighting ceremony and the Holi celebration. This variety demonstrates that the author has spent time thinking about what their life at Columbia would look like overall, not just in the context of their mechanical engineering studies.

What Could Be Improved

While this essay effectively conveys which specific things about Columbia interest the author, it could be strengthened by providing more details about why each activity is important to them, as that will explicitly connect their past experiences to their potential future at Columbia.

For example, the author could connect the F1 car club to the summers they spent working in their parents’ car repair shop. Or when discussing Columbia World Projects, they could explain how the CWP’s “Transforming Wastewater Infrastructure in America” project would allow them to build on the skills they learned from an elective they took on urban planning.

Along the same lines, the author could expand on how they see Columbia’s traditions helping them grow as a person. They name-drop the tree lighting ceremony and Holi festival, but don’t say anything about why these events are important to them. The essay would be stronger if, for example, they discuss how lighting the Christmas tree was always a time for their family to reflect on the previous year, and they look forward to having a similar unifying moment in college.

Finally, while the author does a good job in general of using specific opportunities to show their interest in Columbia, there are places where they are too vague. For example, when they talk about Columbia’s “Core curriculum” and “various labs and research centers,” we don’t get any information about what in particular intrigues them about the Core, or which labs and research centers they hope to work at.

The essay would be stronger if the writer highlighted their excitement about using the Core to explore topics, such as art history, that they otherwise might not make time for in their schedule, or about working at the Earth Engineering Center to learn about how to harness their knowledge of biomechanical engineering in service of a greener future.

“She is a natural leader and role model.”

This comment punctuates all my report cards. However, I never believed it, until an alumnus of my high school was murdered by a maintenance worker for rebuffing his advances. Feeling angered, I spearheaded a plan of action for my poetry club—it was a reflex. I led one group poem celebrating her warmth, which we performed for her parents, and one about the rape culture that killed her, which we performed at a sexual assault awareness event.

Columbia boasts an exceptional culture of students who feel emboldened to call out injustice, even when it’s perpetuated by their own community. From the student-driven Columbia Prison Divest campaign, which successfully led Columbia to divest from the private prison industry, to the recent protests about Columbia’s gentrification of Harlem, the tenacity of Columbia’s Lions reflects my own.

Moreover, as someone from a household of sexual and domestic violence, I feel drawn to activism in that field. As a Peer Advocate for Columbia Health, I would provide support and resources for survivors, protecting them from the environment I was in.

The core of Columbia’s ethos is building trailblazers— I can’t wait to be one of them.

The student’s discussion of the difficult topic of sexual assault is impressive, as many applicants wouldn’t be bold enough to include this topic in a college application, and many others wouldn’t have the reflective or writing skills necessary to make it work. This student, however, is able to highlight both a genuine desire to fight back against injustice on a large scale, through public poetry performances, and a grassroots compassion for the victims, by working for Columbia Health as a Peer Advocate.

On that note, the writer also does an excellent job of connecting their passion for justice and advocacy to their potential life at Columbia. Remember that a “Why This College?” essay should be as specific as possible to that particular school, and this author not only mentions a variety of activities they hope to get involved in at Columbia, but also makes it clear which of their values and past experiences are motivating their interest in those particular opportunities. That gives admissions officers a strong sense of who this student is and what they’ll bring to the table at Columbia.

Finally, the reader’s emphatic tone throughout the essay stirs up readers’ emotions, and makes us feel like getting up and marching towards justice alongside them, which is an incredibly effective way of making us experience their leadership abilities firsthand. Lines like “ it was a reflex” and “ Columbia boasts an exceptional culture of students who feel emboldened to call out injustice, even when it’s perpetuated by their own community” make us viscerally feel the writer’s passion, and that sensation adds even more weight to their points.

Currently, the beginning of the essay is disjointed, as the author’s shift from positive report card comments to a former classmate’s murder is extremely abrupt. That jarring transition may have been intentional, but you don’t want to shock readers just because. While the essay is about leadership, readers will understand that without the first line, and thus the writer could be better off starting “in medias res” (in the middle of things) to immediately immerse readers in the story.

For example, they could say: “November 20, 2022 was a dark day at our school, when news broke of our former classmate’s murder.” This alternate first line gets right into the details of how the author developed their leadership skills, rather than starting off talking about those skills in the abstract and then zooming in. Remember, space is limited in the college essay, so you want to be as efficient as possible with how you make your points.

A vibrant, intellectually curious culture cultivated by the Core Curriculum, rich student interconnectedness, and an alignment of core values attract me to Columbia.

Seminar-based courses comprehensively facilitate my learning style; learning from peers, sharing my perspective, and exploring unquenchable curiosities comprise my ideal environment. Columbia’s emphasis on such learning through the Core Curriculum provides balanced structure and an approach encouraging valuable interdisciplinary study. Although I plan to pursue current intellectual interests through Columbia’s electives, the Core offers an invigorating communal experience and exposure to potential newfound passions, such as philosophy or Western musical analysis.

In conversation with my tour guide, Ashley, and through discussions with current students, I was inspired by the emphatic sense of community pride that envelops Morningside Heights. Beginning with the shared experience of the Core, it is apparent that inclusive community is fostered through academic spaces. Through traditions such as Tree Lighting, “Surf, Turf, & Earth” – which sounds absolutely scrumptious – and cultural celebrations, the Columbian community radiates in social spaces.

I envision myself blanketed with Columbia blue, clutching a glimmering snowball on the day of First Snow. Exuberant with lion pride, I prepare for a sportive battle, and a euphoric moment, with fellow prideful lions.

In the first paragraph, the author clearly lists three characteristics of Columbia–“a vibrant, intellectually curious culture cultivated by the Core Curriculum…rich student interconnectedness…and an alignment of core values”–which provide structure for the rest of the essay. This organization makes the essay easy to follow, as each point connects back to that first paragraph.

The writer also shows that they have a true appreciation of the community at Columbia, and that they aren’t just paying lip service to one of the most frequently used words in college admissions, by mentioning their tour guide by name, and the discussions they have had with current students. Those details show that the student has spent real effort getting to know Columbia’s campus culture, which in turn shows that they will be committed to making contributions to that culture themself.

As noted above, one of the keys to this kind of “Why This College?” essay is not just showing genuine interest in the school, but also how that interest will manifest once you’re there. By referencing traditions like the Tree Lighting ceremony and “Surf, Turf, & Earth,” the author demonstrates that they have already spent time thinking about how they would fit into Columbia’s community.

Finally, the author’s vivid imagery of “[themself] blanketed with Columbia blue, clutching a glimmering snowball on the day of First Snow,” ends the essay on a high note. The author doesn’t just restate that they want to go to Columbia, but paints a tangible picture of their excitement and anticipation, which makes those feelings come across far more strongly than if they just said something generic like “I can’t wait to hopefully be arriving in Morningside Heights next fall.”

While the author does include some Columbia-specific traditions, as described above, too much of the essay, particularly the paragraph focused on academics, is phrased in general terms. For example, the line:

“Although I plan to pursue current intellectual interests through Columbia’s electives, the Core offers an invigorating communal experience and exposure to potential newfound passions, such as philosophy or Western musical analysis”

doesn’t tell us anything about what the author’s “current intellectual interests” are, nor about which specific courses or professors at Columbia will help them pursue their “newfound passions.” The essay would be much stronger if, for example, the author talked about how Columbia’s “American Film: Cult and Exploitation” course would help them refine their interest in contemporary media culture, which they have already started exploring through a research project in their American history class.

Additionally, rather than listing general categories of courses like “philosophy or Western musical analysis,” the author should talk about the Core in more specific terms, which are also linked to their own personal interests. That line could look something like:

“While I’ve never considered myself a musician, I’ve always been fascinated by how songwriters can unify millions of people with just a clever turn of phrase, and the Core’s ‘Music Humanities” requirement will help me better understand why musicians can wield so much power in society.”

Finally, along similar lines, the author should ideally connect the Columbia-specific traditions they mention to their own interests. For example, rather than just saying that the “Surf Turf & Earth” event sounds “absolutely scrumptious,” they could talk about how their multicultural family has always encouraged adventurous eating, and so they are excited about attending a college that also values culinary exploration.

Essay Example 4 – Cancer Research and Community

I’ve always known about Columbia’s stellar core curriculum, first hearing it from my uncle. He would speak of the strengths of this method, allowing students to experience learning in all fields of study. And its rumors are nothing less than reality – being given this holistic foundation throughout college is one I wish to thrive on. It would allow me to explore other subjects and meet Columbia’s astute professors, specifically Dr. Adana Llanos. I want to journey through Cancer Epidemiology and possibly assist in her research towards breast cancer subtypes because of its prevalence in my family.

Looking past academics, I view Columbia as a family where I can learn about myself and those around me. After hearing about the South Asian club, Club Zamana, I want to use it as a mode of discovery for my own heritage, participating in flamboyant events like Tamasha. This club would create a door to indulge in the passionate cultures that make up Columbia.

I believe Columbia to have academic resources, a community, and energy like no other. It is the home where I want to discover my passion and pursue it for my 4 years. I think my uncle would love that.

This essay succinctly captures the “why?” of the “Why This College?” essay in a straightforward, easy-to-follow response. This applicant is interested in applying to Columbia because of: 1) the core curriculum, 2) their personal interest in studying cancer epidemiology, and 3) the opportunity to explore their own heritage through the South Asian club.

While having a simple structure may not initially seem like something to get excited about, one of the unfortunate realities of college essays is that, while you spend many hours writing and revising them, admissions officers have no choice but to read them extremely quickly, because they have so many to get through. So, you want to be sure that your readers understand what you’re saying the first time around, as if they’re confused about something, they don’t have time to stop and figure it out.

Additionally, by mentioning a specific professor they hope to work with, the author shows they’ve done some research on how exactly Columbia will help them delve into their interest in Cancer Epidemiology. The key to successfully responding to this kind of prompt is joining your current background/interests with opportunities at the school that will help you explore them. The line “I want to journey through Cancer Epidemiology and possibly assist in her research towards breast cancer subtypes because of its prevalence in my family” accomplishes both things.

If, however, the last two sentences of the first paragraph were replaced with the vaguer “I want to journey through cancer epidemiology, and possibly learn about breast cancer subtypes because of its prevalence in my family,” the reader would still understand this student’s interest in the field, but not how that connects to their desire to attend Columbia, which would give the essay an incomplete feel.

Finally, college is more than just academics, and this student’s discussion of their non-academic interest, in a club that will help them better understand their own identity, shows they have thought comprehensively about what their life at Columbia would look like. That will in turn help admission officers create a complete picture in their minds of how this student would fit into Columbia as a whole, not just the classrooms.

As noted above, the author does a good job of tying the opportunities they hope to pursue at Columbia to their existing interests. That personal connection could be strengthened, however, by more details about why they are drawn to these opportunities over any others.

For example, regarding the student’s interest in cancer epidemiology, they do mention the prevalence of breast cancer in their family as their motivation for studying the topic, but that line is brief, and thus could be missed by someone who, as noted above, is reading quickly. It’s also lacking specificity, as plenty of people have familial connections to certain topics–say, Jewish history if you have an aunt who is a rabbi–and yet don’t have much interest in exploring them themselves.

The author could more concretely connect their background to their potential breast cancer research at Columbia by providing additional details about, say, a summer research program they completed, or their experience learning about genetics in their high school biology class, or a 5K race they run every year to raise money for breast cancer research. That will in turn show admissions officers what they would bring to Dr. Llanos’ lab, not just that they hope to work there in general.

This same general idea also applies to the student’s discussions of the Core and the South Asian club. The student generally references things that appeal to them about these features of Columbia, like a “holistic foundation” provided by the core, and “discover[ing]…[their] own heritage” through the club, but we don’t get any specific details explaining how their past experiences have led to them prioritizing these things in their college experience.

Specifically with regards to the Core, as you’ve probably noticed in our analysis of both this essay and the preceding two, just mentioning this feature of Columbia isn’t enough. When a school is particularly well known for one thing, like Columbia with the Core or Brown with their Open Curriculum, pretty much every applicant is going to mention it somewhere in their application.

So, in order to set yourself apart–which is the whole point of the essay, after all–you want to make sure you’re being as detailed as possible about how your past experiences and goals for the future align with this aspect of the school. Otherwise, you’re wasting valuable words, as just saying you like the Core won’t move the needle on your application.

Finally, a general word of caution when writing applications: don’t lose sight of the fact that admissions officers want to understand a student’s motivations for applying to their school, not those of their family members, or anyone else for that matter. This student both starts and finishes their essay by talking about their uncle, which makes it seem like their motivation for applying to Columbia is to make their uncle proud, rather than a personal interest in the school.

While it’s not automatically bad to mention how someone else helped you become interested in a school, the overall focus should stay on you. In the case of this essay, that means the student shouldn’t frame the second line around their uncle “speak[ing] of the strengths of this method,” but rather around how their uncle’s introduction to Columbia led them to start researching the school themself. And at the end, the last thought in their reader’s mind should be of them at Columbia, not their uncle. So, the line “I think my uncle would love that,” should be taken out.

A small bird nest rests outside my doorway. Everyday at 3:40 pm, the mother bird eagerly comes home to her ecstatic children. They remind me beauty is everywhere, even in the smallest of reunions.

The author makes great use of the limited word space in this essay with a charming account of what brings happiness in their daily routine. Thanks to the efficient writing and simple but vivid imagery, created through strong word choices like “ecstatic” and creative phrasings like “the smallest of reunions,” this short essay reads almost like poetry.

Furthermore, the author’s description also teaches us something about who they are, which is the key to any college essay, even the short ones. The reflection “They remind me beauty is everywhere, even in the smallest of reunions” shows that the author appreciates the beauty and significance of seemingly ordinary moments, which in turn shows that they would bring both thoughtfulness and positivity to Columbia’s campus.

This is an incredibly strong essay, without much room for improvement. If anything, the lesson to be learned here is that usually, you eventually get to a point where your essay doesn’t need any more changes. Calling your essay “finished” can be challenging for many students, due to the overall stress of the college process and the constant feeling that you should be doing something, anything, to improve your chances of acceptance. But at some point, it’s okay to take your hands off the keyboard, be proud of the work you’ve put into the essay, and take a five-minute break to unwind 🙂

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 areas of study that you previously noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)

The flickering LED lights began to form into a face of a man when I focused my eyes. The man spoke a ruthless serial killer of the decade who had been arrested in 2004, and my parents shivered at his reaccounting of the case. I curiously tuned in, wondering who he was to speak of such crimes with concrete composure and knowledge. Later, he introduced himself as a profiler named Pyo Chang Won, and I watched the rest of the program by myself without realizing that my parents had left the couch.

After watching the program, I recited the foreign word until it was no longer unfamiliar — ”profiler”. I stayed up all-night searching the meaning; my eyes sparkled with the dim light of the monitor as I read the tales of Pyo Chang Won and his Sherlock-like stories. From predicting the future of criminals and knowing the precise vicinity of a killer on the loose, he had saved countless lives; living in communities riddled with crimes in my youth then and even now, I dreamed of working against crimes. However, the traditional path of a lawyer or a police officer only reinforced the three-step cycle of arrest, trial, and jail which continued with no fundamental changes for years; I wanted to work with the psyche of criminals beyond courts and wondered about the inner workings of the mind.

Such admiration and interest led me to invest my time in psychology. Combined with working with the likes of the Victim Witness Agency, I decided to pursue psychology as my major for my undergraduate education. Later on, I want to specialize my research and education on behavioral/forensic psychology and eventually branch out to my childhood dream of becoming a criminal profiler.

A major positive of this essay is how it is focused on one moment in time. This student goes into depth about the night they first fell in love with criminal psychology which allows the reader to feel like they are there watching TV with the student and researching afterwards. Having the essay focus on a snapshot of the student’s life opens the door to include more imagery and delve into the internal monologue of the student, thus creating a more engaging and personable essay.

The student’s genuine fascination for the topic is evident through what they show the reader. They explain that they stayed to finish the show after their parents left, they stayed up all night researching what they just learned, and their eyes sparkled the more they learned about criminal psychology. Providing all these details shows the student’s fascination and passion for this topic without them ever having to explicitly say they were excited about it.

This essay also does a good job of expanding past the requirements of the prompt to explain what they hope to accomplish with their degree. Including their career aspirations reinforced their passion to pursue this field to admissions officers. It also demonstrated that they are a goal-oriented person who wants to make a difference in the world.

What Could Be Improved

One thing that could be improved in this essay is the grammar. There were a few sentences where there were either typos or just clunky sentences that could be tightened up. In order to catch grammatical errors, you should always give your essay to at least one other person to read. CollegeVine offers essay reviews that allows students to receive feedback on the grammar, structure, and content of their essays. It’s always a good idea to have a fresh pair of eyes read your essay to catch mistakes that might go unnoticed by you. Having someone review this essay would have likely helped this student fix their grammatical errors.

Essay Example 7 – Slavic Languages and Cultures

Steaming fruit filled knedliky, singing Czech Christmas Carols, and falling asleep to fairy tales about princesses with golden stars on their foreheads compose my earliest memories. As I grew older, I found myself exploring the streets and museums of Prague on my own and requesting less fantastical fairy tales, consisting of true stories from my parents about life under Communism. These personal experiences with Czech Language and Culture have vastly influenced my academic interests.

Exploring the manner in which Czechia developed and understanding its intrinsic components remained an innate goal of mine. Though Czech was my first language I developed my skills further as I matured by utilizing Czech news sources and literary works. Throughout my AP English and History courses, I continually sought out both works by Czech authors and their accounts of consequential historical events, attempting to discover the common ground between these readings and those assigned in class. Through these unique means, I began unearthing the intricate history and background of the country.

Majoring in Slavic Languages and Cultures provides ideal opportunities to develop a cross-cultural understanding of pertinent political issues while defining my identity as a Czech-American, thus fostering my innate academic passions and personal ambitions.

Although this student doesn’t reveal what their intended major is until the last line, the entire essay does a great job of building a vivid picture of Czech culture and this student’s fascination with it that we almost don’t need to be told the actual major.

The author shows how their Czech heritage has fascinated them through different stages of their life, demonstrating their maturity through the information they seek out. To show the beauty of their childhood innocence, they describe “ Steaming fruit filled knedliky, singing Czech Christmas Carols, and falling asleep to fairy tales about princesses with golden stars on their foreheads. ” Then, they demonstrate their interest in history by asking their parents about Communism. This fascination for history continues when they discuss searching for Czech authors in their AP classes.

Not only do we see how Czech language and culture has been an integral part of their life, but we get to see their determination and drive to develop new skills through exploring their Czech heritage. This student could have been content with speaking Czech at home, but instead they demonstrated intellectual curiosity by “ utilizing Czech news sources and literary works” to go above and beyond in their studies. If this student acted on their niche passion in the confines of a high school classroom, imagine what they could do with Columbia’s resources!

While the prompt asks you to reflect on your past experiences, for this essay to really stand out, it should have touched on the future as well. You can strengthen any “ Why Major? ” essay by explaining what you hope to achieve with your major post graduation. Prompts won’t always ask for this, but it’s a nice way to demonstrate you are forward-looking.

Even if there was just a phrase in the final sentence that mentioned something about how this student wants to become a Czech historian or they want to move to Czechia after graduation to reconnect with their roots, this would be enough of an addition to show admissions officers that this student is confident in both their past and future.

Prompt: A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to live and learn 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)

Uno. Jenga. Monopoly. These were the board games I grew up with in America. But I found that the seniors at St. Theresa’s Home in Singapore did not share my enthusiasm for these pastimes (nor did they understand my elation at finally capturing Boardwalk)!

Prioritizing flexibility as a facilitator, I flipped the tables.

Pai Gow. Xiangqi. Mahjong. Initially, my team and I struggled to keep track of the countless new gameplay rules. However, I embraced the initial discomfort of this “hands-off” approach, realizing how it allowed us to transfer control to a community whose voices we wanted to amplify.

The small but crucial details, like knowing Mandarin pronunciations of game and piece names, built trust and respect and soon, we found ourselves trading stories freely, like cards.

I was initially hesitant to talk about my upbringing in a Western society and my constant struggle to define my own identity. However, I found a true sounding board in the aunties and uncles. Both sides simply wanted to hear and be heard.

This is the knowledge I will carry into Columbia, where I hope to foster cultural discourse through safe spaces and conversations, ensuring that no one feels like a missing piece.

This student very creatively displays the discomfort of cultural divides and the joys of overcoming them through playing games. The parallel of listing three US board games (“ Uno. Jenga. Monopoly. “) and then three Singapore games (“ Pai Gow. Xiangqi. Mahjong. “) shows the reader how this student had to step outside of their comfort zone to connect with the seniors.

By explaining how it was difficult to “ keep track of the countless new gameplay rules ” and know the “ Mandarin pronunciations of game and piece names ” we understand the challenges of relating to people from a different culture that this student had to overcome. However, by describing the seniors as “ aunties and uncles ” and a “ sounding board ” for this student, it shows the level of comfort they finally established and how this student benefitted from hearing diverse perspectives.

Additionally, this essay has a strong game motif running through it that contributes to the playfulness and cohesiveness of the essay. From cracking jokes about getting the most coveted property in Monopoly, to referring to their conversation as “ trading stories freely, like cards “, to concluding with the analogy of a “ missing piece “, the commitment to games is a nice way to reinforce the connections they fostered.

Something missing from this essay is an explanation of why this student was at the senior center and what they wanted to accomplish. Was this a volunteer activity they were originally hesitant to join but grew to love once they embraced the Singaporean games? They mention the seniors as “ community whose voices we wanted to amplify ,” so does that mean they were interviewing seniors for articles or research projects?

Although the essay still effectively answers the prompt without telling us more about why this student was at the senior center, the lack of answers can be distracting for the reader and diminishes the lasting impact of the story.

Do you want feedback on your Columbia University essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. 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 improve 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!

10 Columbia Supplemental Essay Examples That Worked

Looking at Columbia supplemental essay examples can be helpful for students who are preparing their college applications for Columbia, any of the Ivy League Schools , or other highly selective institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) . Top colleges tend to have a holistic admissions process, meaning that they look at more than just your academic background. They also want to get to know the person behind the grades and ensure that you are a good fit for their college campus. Your supplemental college essays play a significant role in helping them make a decision. It is therefore important that you submit college essays that stand out in order to beat the competition.

In this blog, we share ten essays that respond to the prompts provided by Columbia University to help you get inspired for your own college essays .

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 9 min read

Columbia's supplemental college essay questions are divided into two. First, there is a series of list questions. You will be required to answer these prompts in the form of a list without any explanatory text or additional formatting. The school asks that you separate each item on the list with commas or semicolons. Secondly, you have what most students are familiar with when we talk about supplemental college essays. In the case of Columbia, the essays are limited to 200 words or fewer, meaning that applicants have to find a way to incorporate a lot of information in a relatively short text. To put that into context, we have included examples from both sections in this blog.

As you read through the examples, pay attention to the way the authors infuse their personalities into the text, and how they use specific examples to make their essays more memorable.

Columbia supplemental essay example #1

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)

According to my mother, I never played dress-up with my dolls when I was a child. Apparently, instead of braiding their hair, I placed them down in neat little rows and taught them how to braid hair. I'm not sure how accurate that story is, but it does sound like me. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed learning and teaching others what I have learned.

I first noticed this when my family and I went on vacation to Disneyland, and It seemed like I was the only person who was interested in the guided tour. I wanted to know everything about the buildings, how old the park was, and the people that designed it. On the flight back home, I talked everyone's ear off about all the new things I had learned about how parks work. It is still one of my most cherished experiences, even though I didn't get to go on as many rides as the rest of my family.

I have followed that passion for learning and teaching by tutoring in middle and high school. These experiences as a tutor confirmed that teaching is the right career path for me. (197 words)

"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak." Those are Rachel Zoe's words, and I wholeheartedly believe them. Growing up, one of my favorite parts of the day was the night before school, when I would spend 20 to 30 minutes picking out the perfect outfit to wear the next day.

When it came time for me to go to high school, my parents decided that I would get a better education from a private school that had a dress code. All students were required to wear clean-cut khakis and a white polo shirt. I had to say goodbye to my matching sets, graphic t-shirts, and jean jackets.

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)

Four years ago, my father remarried, giving me a loving stepmom, two wonderfully annoying younger sisters, and an introduction to a whole new world. For context, I am an eighteen-year-old white girl who grew up in the suburbs, and my step-family is Afro-Latinx. Although they grew up in a suburb similar to the one I call home, their experiences were very different from mine.

For example, I went shopping with one of my sisters recently, and I noticed that she always insisted on getting a paper copy of her receipt. I tried to tell her that she could ask for it to be emailed to her as that'd be better for the environment, but she explained that she often gets accused of stealing in upscale stores and that having the receipt made proving her innocence easier.

This is one of the many conversations I have had in the past few years that have taught me to look past my own experiences and listen. We all experience life differently, meaning that we all have something to learn from each other. I plan on bringing my perspective to Columbia, and I look forward to listening and learning from students with different viewpoints. (200 words)

2,789. That is the total population of Imagined, the small, remote town I grew up in. It is a town that I have a love-hate relationship with. I love the sense of community it fosters and the beautiful views surrounding it. I also hate how small it is and how closed-minded its inhabitants can be.

Like most of Imagined's residents, I have never really lived outside of our town, but I like to think that I have traveled through the numerous books I spend my days reading. It is those books that introduced me to people who practice different religions, who look different from me, and who have points of view that are very different from mine. Even though I may not agree with everything I have read, it has given me a chance to question my belief systems and make informed decisions.

I hope that by attending Columbia, which is located at the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the world, I will be exposed to even more perspectives so that I can learn more about the human experience and relate with others better. (188 words)

The opening sentence of your essay needs to be attention-grabbing if you want to write a strong essay. We recommend starting with a quote, an anecdote, or a fun fact like the writer did with the essay above. ","label":"Tip","title":"Tip"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Columbia supplemental essay example #5

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)

Two years ago, my mother and I toured thirteen universities across the country. Of all the schools I visited, Columbia quickly stood out. We had already put the school on our list because of its stellar academic programs but being on campus convinced me that Columbia is the right university for me.

During the tour, I spoke to several students who gushed about the diversity of the student body, the excellent professors and advisors, and the eye-opening educational experience the Core Curriculum provides. My mother went to Columbia, and she found it amazing that even though the school has evolved, its core values remain the same.

The experiences she and the other students described make me dream of having my own Lit Hum discussion sessions and participating in the many enriching clubs on campus, such as the Columbia Model United Nations team.

Being at Columbia would also allow me to take advantage of everything New York offers. I would get to explore my various academic and personal interests in an international and open-minded environment.

Some say that Columbia is the greatest college at the greatest university in the greatest city in the world. I suspect they might be right. (199 words)

I was on the Columbia campus on October 14, 2019, when the Native American Council gathered and called on the University to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. I had reluctantly come to the school for a visit with a friend who is currently in her first year at Columbia. My general idea of this school was that it was very traditional and not very open-minded. This display of bravery changed my view of Columbia and prompted me to research the school.

I found that it has a strong academic program that gives students a strong foundation through the common core curriculum. I especially like the fact that the core includes studies in non-western major cultures and masterpieces of western literature.

As an African-American-Lebanese student, my background and heritage have made me passionate about the world's different cultures, specifically how globalization has affected them and how they have been affected by it. Columbia would allow me to learn more about this topic and explore other aspects of world culture I am interested in.

I hope to get the chance to learn in class and outside the classroom from the diverse and open-minded student body at Columbia over the next four years. (198 words)

This is essentially a \u201cwhy this college essay\u201d so the admissions committee will be trying to find out if you are interested in Columbia specifically. So, take the time to research the school and mention something specific about it such as a course, a requirement, a student organization, etc. ","label":"Tip","title":"Tip"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Do you have questions about the college application process? This video can help:

Columbia supplemental essay example #7

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

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë; All My Sons by Arthur Miller; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou; Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, When Rain Clouds Gather by Bessie Head. (47 words)

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)

Frying plantain by zalika reid-benta; Heavy by Kiese Laymon; An Untamed State by Roxanne Gay; The girl with the louding voice by Abi dare; Born a crime by Trevor Noah; Becoming by Michelle Obama; Such a fun age by Kiley reid; Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde; The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang; Turtles all the way down by John Green; Our Stories, Our Voices by Amy Reed; Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. (72 words)

It\u2019s important that you think about the list of books that you are sharing. You want to be honest, but you also want the books that you share to say something about you. For example, even though this person reads a few different genres, we can tell from the list of books that this applicant clearly has a penchant for social justice and history. ","label":"Tip","title":"Tip"}]" code="tab3" template="BlogArticle">

Columbia supplemental essay example #9

John Green's Turtles all the way down; Karen Lord's Redemption in Indigo; Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet; Andy Weir's The Martian, Marlon James’ Black leopard, red wolf; V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series, V.E. Schwab’s Shadowshaper. (41 words)

Want to learn more about what makes a strong college essay? Check out this video:

Columbia supplemental essay example #10

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)

Publications: The New York Times, n+1, Vanity Fair, TIME; Music: Beyonce, Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Frank Ocean, Florence & the machine, Kasey Musgraves. Movies & TV shows: Succession, Gilmore Girls, Greys Anatomy, Explained, Derry Girls; Lectures on YouTube: Designing Your Life (Bill Burnett and Dave Evans), TEDx talks. (47 words)

Columbia is one of the most selective schools in the country. Last year, it had an acceptance rate that was close to 5%. Meaning that for every 100 applicants, only about five get offered admission.

Columbia requires students to submit three short supplemental essays of 200 words or less and answer three additional questions with lists.

The supplemental Columbia-specific questions you have to answer are less than 200 words.

Reviewing different supplemental essay examples will expose you to different types of prompts used for college essays and give you a better idea of how to approach them.

A strong college essay tells a story, uses specific examples, and has a strong opening.

You can make your essay stand out by ensuring that it tells a story and uses specific examples to back up claims that you make about yourself.

College essay advisors are admission consultants who typically work with application or college essay review services. They use their admissions knowledge and training to help you prepare the strongest college essays possible.

Columbia does not have a minimum GPA requirement, but it does expect applicants to have a strong academic background. 95% of the recently admitted class graduated in the top 10% of their class. So if you are hoping to get into college with a low GPA , you would need an impressive application for that school to be Columbia.

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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)

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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How to Write a "Why Columbia" Essay: 7 Tips & 5 Examples

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 5/8/24

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? This question can help guide you through Columbia’s “Why Us” essay. Read on to learn more and show Columbia why you’re the perfect candidate!

You’ve got your sights set on the elite Columbia University. You’ve probably dreamed about its stone buildings and sprawling campus, and you know you want to earn a higher education in the heart of New York. You’ve put in the hard work to meet the application requirements. The only thing standing in your way is tackling the admission essays .

Columbia University wants to get to know you and what you can offer to the campus community. But they also want to know why you want to attend Columbia. There are several top colleges to choose from, and they want to know why Columbia called out to you.

Trying to pinpoint an exact reason can be difficult, especially if you’re unsure of the “why.” Lucky for you, there’s not a right or wrong answer because every student is different. Read on to learn how to ace the “Why Columbia” essay and maximize your chances of getting accepted!

Purpose of the “Why Columbia” Essay

It seems that nearly every university wants to know why you chose them over other schools. Columbia is no different. The admissions team wants to know your rationale for applying. Your job is to describe why Columbia is the perfect school for you.

Columbia is one of the top schools in the country. It provides a rigorous education that only a select few get to experience. Columbia wants to accept students who will contribute to the school’s culture.

Your desire to attend Columbia can stem from many things: maybe you’re carrying on your family’s legacy or pursuing a pathway unique to Columbia. Just ensure you show that you genuinely care about the school. The admissions team uses this essay to find the most interested applicants, so approach this task with the utmost care.

“Why Columbia” Essay Prompt

You can find a direct link to the “Why Columbia” essay prompt on their website . As the title suggests, the admissions team wants to know why you want to attend Columbia.

Before you sit down to write this essay, think about Columbia’s significance to you. Out of all of the colleges you could choose, why Columbia? To some, the answer is quite simple, while others might struggle to articulate their rationale.

The word limit might intimidate you: at a measly 200 words, you have little space to express your interest. Columbia receives thousands of applications annually, so it makes sense to impose such a restrictive word limit.

What to Include

It’s best to write about all things specific to Columbia. Some directions you can take your essay include:

Any unique majors or course offerings that interest you
Referencing specific faculty members/professors you’d love to work with or learn from
Research projects/areas you’d want to participate in, referencing any past Columbia projects or its research centers
Columbia-specific extracurriculars or clubs you’d love to join
Internships, entrepreneurial opportunities, and any other Columbia offerings that pique your interest and how you would excel given these opportunities

Check to see if there are any unique majors that interest you. You could also mention any professors or research that relates to your passions. Look into any extracurriculars they offer that are unlike any other university.

Think about the programs the university offers or the professors who teach at Columbia. Admissions want to know that you genuinely care about the school and that you will contribute to the culture they have built. They want students who see attending Columbia as a life-changing experience. Columbia wants to mold you, and in turn, they want you to leave your mark.

Columbia also offers plenty of internship and entrepreneurial opportunities, so if any pique your interest, make sure to discuss them and explain why you would excel in them.

You could also discuss what you will offer Columbia or how your unique perspective and experiences could enrich Columbia’s incoming class and campus. Whatever you choose to write about, make it personal. You don’t want to give a generic answer that seems disingenuous.

Don’t include topics that aren’t specific to a Columbia experience. Writing about your desire to visit New York and live in the city won’t effectively answer the prompt. You also shouldn’t generalize about wanting to attend an Ivy League school .

Though admission to a prestigious school provides clout, you can achieve this by attending any other Ivy League. Remember, your goal is to convince the admissions committee that Columbia is your dream school!

Columbia Essay Examples

It can help to look at successful “Why Columbia” essay examples. They provide a peek into what the admissions team expects of you and can help you improve your own essay to stand out. There are plenty of websites devoted to sharing essay examples, and you can find successful Columbia essay examples here .

In the meantime, check out these essay examples of “Why Columbia” essays with an analysis and breakdown of each!

Sample Essay #1 - Computer Science

Prompt : Please tell us what you value most about Columbia and why?

“Computer science is at the core of my academic passions and my life ambitions. What I value in life is being around brilliant technologists. At Columbia, I have worked with and befriended the most driven and gifted programmers I’ve ever met. In January, I formed a team with three Columbia freshmen for MIT’s annual strategy-game-playing artificial intelligence competition. Ben, Ryan, Koh and I spent the month reviewing matches, debating approaches and tweaking our models. More than once we coded through the night. Their caliber was clear in the subtle insights that their multi-disciplinary backgrounds gave them and they gave me something to aspire to.

I have many interests that lie outside of my intended major but that I want to continue to pursue, and Columbia provides an environment for those diverse passions. Recently, while at a Columbia math club meeting with Ben, I ran into a political science major, Mathieu. He was elated to point out the insights that a love of math granted him in his courses and his conviction encouraged me to explore the peculiar intersection of the two fields.

I love teachers who love to teach. At Columbia, I’ve seen faculty who have a love for what they do and who care about students. While touring, I sat in on a quantum mechanics lecture. Professor Norman Christ strode into the room at eight on-the-dot and jumped into a discussion of WKB complex value approximation.

For three straight hours, he guided us through the intricate world of QM without any notes. His enthusiasm brightened that drizzling Monday morning. That I could follow the lecture at all is a testament to his lucid explanations and extraordinary knowledge. When I came to him with questions afterward, he helped me truly understand a topic that initially felt years out of reach.”

Why This “Why Columbia” Essay Worked

The student starts by listing their desired major and how Columbia provides the perfect education. But the student doesn’t stop there; they go on to add how they’ve made an impact and how they could provide for Columbia as well.

Notice how the student lists their topic within the first sentence of each paragraph and then immediately follows up with how Columbia connects to those topics.

This “Why Columbia” essay sample refers to a professor and what the writer enjoyed about their lecture. This shows the admissions team that this student truly enjoys being there and cares about the university’s educational opportunities.

What Could Be Improved In This Example

This essay could have benefitted from a stronger hook. The first sentence should draw the reader in and make them eager to keep reading. It would better with a more creative way to introduce the topic in the first sentence or even the first few words.

Sample Essay #2 - Your Interests

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

This "Why Columbia" essay gets straight to the point by listing a variety of resources the applicant regularly uses.

By including reputable sources like The Economist and The New York Times, as well as specialized forums like Reddit's programming and machine learning communities, the applicant demonstrates a wide-ranging curiosity and a commitment to staying informed.

The mention of platforms like Vox.com and Waitbutwhy.com suggests an interest in thought-provoking content and creative exploration. Overall, the essay effectively communicates the applicant's diverse intellectual interests and how they align with Columbia's academic environment.

The essay does a good job listing the various resources the applicant engages with, but there's room to make it more personal and connected to Columbia. It would be great to hear why each resource matters to the applicant – that personal touch can really bring things to life.

Tying these resources more explicitly to Columbia's specific programs would show how well the applicant fits in with the university's culture. Sharing a few stories or examples of how these resources have shaped the applicant's thinking could make the essay more interesting, too.

Plus, throwing in some more niche or specialized resources could help demonstrate the applicant's unique interests. Overall, with more personalization and a stronger connection to Columbia, this essay could really stand out.

Sample Essay #3 - Past Experiences

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)

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.

Why This “Why Columbia” Essay Worked

This essay shows the applicant's passion for computer science and its interdisciplinary applications. They do a great job connecting their experiences to their chosen field, which shows their commitment.

Plus, I like how they add a personal touch by talking about their fascination with challenges and their dream of doing foundational AI research. It adds depth to their candidacy.

The essay shows the applicant's enthusiasm for computer science, but it could use more details on why Columbia fits them. Adding specifics about Columbia's resources and community, and how they match the applicant's goals, would make it more convincing and show a stronger tie to the school.

Sample Essay #4 - Literature

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

This essay about why Columbia worked because it showed the applicant's wide interests and readiness for Columbia's academics. They listed books they liked in high school, covering topics like math, physics, literature, and philosophy.

Titles like "A Most Incomprehensible Thing" and "The Sublime Object of Ideology" show they're comfortable with complex subjects, fitting well with Columbia's strong academics. The essay also hints at Columbia's values of exploring ideas and learning across different fields.

While the essay shows their interests, it could be clearer about why Columbia specifically fits them. They could mention Columbia classes or professors related to their interests.

Adding personal stories about how their reading shaped their goals could make the essay more interesting. This would give admissions officers a better sense of why they're a good fit for Columbia.

Sample Essay #5 - Engineering

Prompt : 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)

“As I continue my journey toward becoming a mechanical engineer, I am constantly searching for ways to positively impact and solve complex problems. Columbia University is the perfect place for me to do so. The university’s diverse and brilliant community, combined with its focus on hands-on learning, will provide me with the foundation I need to grow as a student and a person.

The applicant's essay effectively explains why they want to attend Columbia University. They clearly express their ambition to become a mechanical engineer and their love for problem-solving, which forms a strong basis for their argument.

By mentioning specific programs like the F1 car club and Columbia World Projects, they show they've done their homework and understand what Columbia offers. They also connect personally with the university by explaining how its diverse community and hands-on learning approach fit with their goals.

Finally, by mentioning Columbia's traditions, they show they appreciate the university's culture and would be actively involved on campus, which strengthens their case for admission.

The essay is strong, but it could be improved. It needs more depth and detail, with specific examples to enrich the content. Also, it should explain more about how Columbia will help the applicant achieve their goal of becoming a mechanical engineer.

Lastly, highlighting what makes the applicant unique and how they'll contribute to the Columbia community would make the essay more memorable.

Sample Essay #6 - What Appeals to You?

Prompt : Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (100-550 words)

“Growing up in a community that bleeds maize and blue, the community represented by the University of Michigan has always been one that I could see myself representing as both a student and alumni. From football games at the big house to classes at Ross, each and every opportunity available at U of M represents a piece of my life that I hope to continue to incorporate into my life for the rest of my life.

The opportunity to take courses that allow for enriched experiences in developing a real business is one that I intend to be involved in as soon as possible. I will use this type of class as a way to test my skills and learn where I need to become stronger as a leader and student. Watching others equally driven as me, their tactics that are successful and not successful will imprint on how I attack problems in the future and shape my overall leadership style.

By being involved in the Multidisciplinary Action Projects down the road as a graduate student, I hope to learn firsthand what it takes to run and be involved with real businesses. Firsthand exposure is the best way to learn how to solve problems- especially surrounded by peers who are equally as driven and dedicated as I am.

Filled with students striving for nothing but the best they are capable of is a community that I am certain I will enrich and fit into. By sharing ideas and collaborating together instead of against each other, each and every one of us will contribute to the business world as leaders and innovators.

The University of Michigan is a place I can see myself learning and growing as a leader for the next four years as I intend to use all of the tools at my disposal to become a top business person. The opportunities within the school I will be involved in and the peers that I will work beside only enrich the values of what being a Wolverine mean to me.”

This essay nails it by showcasing a genuine connection to Columbia University. It's clear, direct, and hits all the right notes. The applicant's enthusiasm for Columbia's community and programs shines through, showing they've done their homework and know exactly why they belong there. Plus, the positive tone keeps it engaging from start to finish.

To take it up a notch, the essay could get more specific. Adding in concrete examples of how the applicant plans to dive into Columbia's offerings would make their case even stronger.

Also, more depth on why Columbia specifically aligns with their goals would make it even more compelling. Lastly, tightening up the writing for clarity would ensure the essay packs an even bigger punch.

Sample Essay #7 - Academic Pursuits

Prompt : Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (250 words max)

“All throughout my life, I always loved doing math no matter what the concept. My love for math led to me taking advanced math classes for my grade. I even had to take a bus to a high school when I was in middle school to take an advanced math class.

I always knew that I would want to pursue a career dealing with mathematics, but I was not really sure until my junior year. I had not decided what I wanted to be in the future, so my uncle suggested being a CPA, and I looked into it. When I did my research, it interested me as they made a decent amount of money and they worked with numbers.

At USC, I would like to major in accounting and gain the opportunity to possibly receive an internship at one of the big accounting firms in Los Angeles through the networking of USC.

If I were able to get an internship, I would be able to gain experience for when I graduate and search for a job. I would also consider going for a Masters of Business Administration as I know that USC has one of the best business programs in the country.”

The essay nailed it by showing the applicant's love for math and their goal of breaking into the accounting world at USC. It’s clear how their academic interests perfectly align with their choice of major. Additionally, mentioning plans for internships and further education showed determination.

However, the essay could be improved by providing more specific details about USC's accounting program and what attracts the applicant to it.

Researching USC's accounting curriculum, faculty, or unique opportunities could help. Also, sharing personal experiences or achievements in math or accounting could make the essay more engaging.

Sample Essay #8 - Intellect & Environment

Prompt : Describe two or three of your current intellectual interests and why they are exciting to you. Why will Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences be the right environment in which to pursue your interests? (650 words max)

“Since seventh grade, I’ve been obsessed with making others smile. That year was tough on my 12-year-old, bewildered self. It was the first time I’d struggled through anything major in my life. Someone important in my life passed away. Several relationships were beaten up and broken down. My once-straight-A grades took a turn for the worse as the magnet school experience bore down upon me. And ever since I was forced to be that one kid who cried through lunch with her head down on the table, I decided to make sure nobody else would have to be that kid.

I’ve tried everything to hear someone’s laugh, from biting sarcasm to the pain of a bad pun. But when I think about when my friends and I are laughing the most, it’s all together, in a call at midnight. We’re playing computer games and listening to silly music and laughing at the expense of each other as we die at the hands of the enemy team in the most ridiculous ways.

I started playing League of Legends late last year. It was a way for me to feel strong and unstoppable when I felt powerless in reality. The gameplay was what initially hooked me, but everything else about the game was equally, if not more, fascinating. The design of the maps, champions, and skins. The precise animations and detail in every interaction. The engrossing theme songs and background music, especially ones like Aurelion Sol’s intro (highly recommend, by the way; it’s a beautifully written, insistent orchestral piece). The concept of worldbuilding and forever expanding upon the backstories of over a hundred characters and their universe. The way gaming brings all sorts of people together and lets them really laugh.

I once read a throwback article, called “Total Recall, or: That Time We Disabled Ranked,” that was written by product managers, designers, and producers. It covered an intensive bug that forced the company to work nearly 28 hours straight in order to restore the game and discussed the processes behind bugfixing. It was this article that truly incensed my interest in game design.

When reading about the majors and programs that Cornell provides, I felt a rare yet very real spark of excitement for college and my future. I’d heard of the notoriety of the Computer Science major at Cornell, but the option to follow the major within the School of Arts and Sciences eased my mind. As a right-brained student, I’ve always felt the struggle to succeed academically, especially within maths and sciences, while still pursuing my artistic interests. The BA CS major gives the ability to major in what I want to do while also getting exposure to a larger breadth of courses in other schools. I believe that Cornell will be able to reconcile my passions and style of learning by providing an environment in which I can thrive.

But what caught my eye the most was the specific game design minor that I could pursue alongside a major in computer science. It seems pretty unique to the school and is exactly what I’ve been wanting from a prospective school. Through this route, I’d be able to further my current understanding of programming and learn how to apply this to the world of design and animation. I’d be worlds closer to not only bringing my ideas to life, but also bringing the same happiness, excitement, and immersion that I feel to other gamers like me.

Gaming is what brings a smile to my face, as it does to millions of other people around the globe. I want my efforts to inspire happiness and infectious laughter to reach the world by doing what I love. And now, it truly feels as though Cornell has given me a real chance at being able to make someone smile by doing what they love.”

This essay did well because it mixed a personal story with academic interests. It starts with a story about the writer's desire to make people happy, which grabs your attention. Then, it smoothly moves to their love for gaming and game design, explaining why they're interested in that field.

Also, the essay makes a strong case for why Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences is a good choice. It talks about specific programs and opportunities, showing that the writer did their research and thought about what the school offers.

Making the paragraphs shorter and organizing the essay better would help. Sometimes it goes off track, which can be confusing. Simplifying the structure would make it easier to understand.

Additionally, the essay could explain more about how the writer's gaming interests connect to their bigger goals. Sharing more about their dreams and how Cornell fits in would make the essay clearer.

For more essay examples , take a look at our database down below!

Essay Writing Tips

Knowing where to start can be the most challenging part of writing a “Why This College?” essay . These tips can make the process a little easier and ensure that you write a worthwhile essay.

Tip #1: Determine Your Why

Ruminate on why you want to apply to Columbia. It could be a specific major, a professor you’re interested in learning from, or extracurriculars that the school has to offer. You want to articulate what Columbia means to you so the admissions team understands why it’s your top pick.

Tip #2: Do Your Research

Don’t tackle this essay without first researching the university. Consider your passions and how they align with Columbia’s majors. If you want to pursue a unique major that is only offered by Columbia, browse its list of majors. Each listing provides a detailed account of the major, which can aid you in your essay.

For example, if you’re interested in pursuing creative writing, you can see what the program offers and determine how that benefits you. If you’re interested in learning from a specific professor, ensure you research that professor and explain why you want to work with them.

Tip #3: Be Concise

Remember that you only get 200 words to explain why you want to attend Columbia. Start your essay with a hook and then jump right into the body. Choose your words carefully and ensure your writing flows cohesively. If you’re prone to wordiness, editing for concision is critical.

Tip #4: Be Passionate

Use the “Why Us?” Columbia essay as an opportunity to show how much this school means to you. Explain why Columbia matters more than any other university. Talk about your dreams and how Columbia would help you achieve them. Choose a topic that you’re passionate about, and show them why they should pick you over another student.

Tip #5: Explain What You Have to Offer

Don’t just talk about what Columbia has to offer. Talk about how you plan to leave a mark on Columbia during your time there. Whether it’s an entrepreneurial pursuit or the desire to create a club that Columbia doesn’t offer, the admissions team is interested in what you can do to improve the university.

How would your acceptance help make the school better? End your essay with what you plan to contribute.

Tip #6: Proofread

This is not an essay you want to type in a flurry of keystrokes and send off without a second glance. Take your time and ensure you haven’t misspelled any words or made grammar mistakes. The admissions team will be less than impressed with your work if it’s riddled with errors.

Tip #7: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Someone Else to Read It

It always helps to have a second pair of eyes look over anything you write. To you, it will seem easy to understand because you know exactly what you’re trying to say. But to an outsider, it could seem confusing. Someone else’s opinion can determine whether your essay is truly cohesive.

Seeking the help of a friend, parent, or even a counselor can improve your essay. Professional counselors know what top universities are looking for in their students and have read numerous “Why Columbia” essays that worked.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many students find it easy to fall into these traps when writing their application essays. Make sure not to make these essay-writing mistakes in your “Why Columbia” essay!

Writing What You Think They Want to Hear

The most important element of your essay is authenticity. Don’t make up situations or write about cliche topics in order to try and win points with the admissions committee. What they really want is to get to know who you are.

So, write about your real-life experiences, passions, interests, and motivations. This will come across far better than any kind of fabricated story, as your true personality will shine through your words.

Rehashing Your Application

The purpose of your college essay is to reveal new information about yourself to the admissions committee in your own voice. There’s no point in re-stating any of the information you already provided on your application, such as your GPA or test scores.

Your essay is also not a place for you to list your extracurriculars or work experience. You can talk about them, but instead, you should discuss what you learned from a certain experience in relation to why you want to attend Columbia. Make sure you’re answering the prompt.

Being Too Vague or Generic

This essay should be tailored specifically to Columbia and what you think you can both gain from and contribute to the school. It may seem tempting to write a generic essay that can apply to many different colleges, but that would convey a lack of passion or genuine interest in Columbia.

Instead, be specific about the programs, faculty, and school culture that you want to experience. Talk about your reasons for wanting to attend Columbia in particular.

“Why Columbia” Essay FAQs

If you still have questions about how to navigate the “Why Columbia University” essay, read on to learn more!

1. When Should I Start Writing the “Why Columbia” Essay?

Give yourself plenty of time to write a worthy essay. Start as soon as possible. Do your research and gather your thoughts. Making an outline before you begin writing can help you organize your thoughts.

2. What Is the Columbia Essay Word Limit?

The admissions team wants you to write your answer in 200 words or less. As you can see from the example of the essay, this doesn’t provide much wiggle room. Keep your writing as concise as possible.

3. How Personal Should My Essay Be?

This is your chance to show the admissions team who you are, what matters to you, and how Columbia fits in. Be direct, but don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. You’re competing with thousands of students, so you want to stand out from the rest. Let the admissions team see your passion through your essay.

4. How Many Essays Do You Have to Write for Columbia?

You must respond to three list questions and write three supplemental essays to apply to Columbia University.

5. How Do I Write a Good “Why Columbia” Essay?

A good Columbia admissions essay answers these questions: why are you interested in attending Columbia University? What makes Columbia stand apart from other schools? How do you hope to contribute to the campus? Remember to reference particular details about the school.

6. Can I Write This Essay If I Haven’t Chosen a Major?

It’s always best to know what major you want to pursue before applying to college, but Columbia offers so many interesting degrees that it can be difficult to pick just one. If you’re unsure of your major, you can always talk about your goals and how Columbia can help you achieve them.

If you’re stuck between two majors, discuss why you’re interested in each and see if there’s a way you can combine them. Also, talk about professors or clubs you’re interested in, and discuss what you can do for Columbia.

7. How Do I Know When My Columbia Essay Is Done?

The best way to determine if your essay is ready for submission is to allow other people to read it first, such as an admissions consultant. It is always best to have a second pair of eyes to look over the essay. There’s always a chance that you could have missed something crucial.

Nail the “Why Columbia” Essay, Unlock Your Future

The “Why Columbia” essay stands as a determining factor for aspiring students. It helps the admissions team to get to know you and see how you’ll fit in at Columbia.

Determining why you chose this school can be difficult, but we hope this guide makes the writing process a little easier. Don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm. Columbia wants to accept students who truly care about their education and who want to make a difference in the world as well as within Columbia itself.

Remember to talk about what Columbia can do for you and what you can do to contribute. Incorporate your passions and goals into your response for a stellar essay!

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College Essays

One of the essays you'll have to write when applying to Columbia University is the "Why Columbia" essay. In this essay, you'll need to convince the admissions committee that Columbia is your dream school and that you'd be a great fit on the campus.

The "Why Columbia" essay question can be intimidating for students. You might be wondering: what should I mention in it? What does the admissions committee want to hear from me?

In this article, we'll break down the "Why Columbia" essay, explaining what the prompt asks and what the committee wants to hear. We'll also show you a real, successful "Why Columbia" essay example and explain why it works. Finally, we'll suggest potential topics for your essay and offer tips on how to write your own college admissions essays.

The 411 on the "Why Columbia" Essay Prompt

Here's the current "Why Columbia" essay prompt for the 2023-2024 application cycle :

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)

As you can see, the "Why Columbia" essay prompt asks a specific question: why do you want to attend Columbia University over any other school?

The admissions committee wants to see that you are genuinely interested in attending Columbia specifically and that you value it more than all other colleges out there.

As an applicant, you might be thinking that everyone applies to Columbia for the same reason: it's an Ivy League school and one of the best universities in the world.

The admissions committee knows all these facts about Columbia and knows that all applicants will know these facts, too.

What the Columbia admissions committee wants to learn is why you specifically want to go to Columbia rather than another amazing university.

From their perspective, students who really want to go to Columbia are more likely to enroll when they're accepted. This increases the university's yield rate and ensures that the freshman class will be full. If you can show in your essay that you’ve carefully considered the unique things about Columbia that make it the perfect school for you, you’ve got a good shot at getting an acceptance letter!

What Is the Purpose of the "Why Columbia" Essay?

Why does Columbia require applicants to answer this essay question? And what is the admissions committee really looking for in your answer? Let's analyze the "Why Columbia" essay prompt.

No matter which schools you're applying to, "Why This College" essays are perhaps the most common essay prompts you'll find on college applications because colleges want to see that you really want to attend their school.

But why exactly do colleges care that you want to go to their school?

Students who are passionate about their college or university are more likely to feel that the school is a good fit for them. They'll be more likely to commit to their studies, participate in on-campus activities, and become an active alum after graduation.

Therefore, if you show in your essay that you really love Columbia, it will make admissions officers feel more confident that you're going to have a significant and positive impact on their school.

If your reasons for attending Columbia are vague or even plain wrong (for instance, say you claim you'd like to take a major that isn't actually offered at Columbia), the admissions committee will think that you don't care about the school and aren't really interested in it.

Basically, the purpose of the essay is to suss out whether your interest in Columbia is genuine and to see whether you're ready to take advantage of Columbia's many opportunities.

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What Should You Write About in Your "Why Columbia" Essay?

There are a number of different topics you can pursue for your "Why Columbia" essay. Ideally, you'll want to explore specific topics that you can talk about in-depth.

Here are some suggested topics for your essay:

Majors or classes you're interested in (look for class names in the online course catalog)
Professors whose research you're interested in
Extracurriculars that you'd be interested in joining (you can likely find these online, too)
Current and past Columbia students you've met before and whom you admire
Volunteer opportunities you'd like to get involved in
Financial aid opportunities Columbia offers that make it possible for you to attend
Professional development opportunities Columbia offers

When it comes down to it, make sure to choose something about Columbia that no other school offers.

For instance, Columbia is in New York City and therefore has relationships with lots of businesses and organizations in the area. You could use your essay to examine how these Columbia-specific opportunities in New York will positively affect your education.

What you don't want to do, however, is wax on about how you love city-living— you need to make sure to describe how Columbia's specific relationship with NYC will help you to further your goals.

Match opportunities at Columbia to specific goals you have. For example, you could talk about how a particular professor's course aligns with your career objectives.

You need to be very specific in your answer: every single thing you say should relate back to a certain feature of Columbia. The entire focus of your essay should be what Columbia offers and how you'll take advantage of the school's academics and activities to get the best college education possible.

4 Tips for a Great Response to the "Why Columbia" Essay

Regardless of how you decide to answer this prompt, there are four tips everyone should keep in mind to ensure that they are fully answering the question, giving the information Columbia wants to see, and standing apart from other applicants.

#1: Do Your Research

Before you begin writing your response to this essay prompt, you should know exactly why you want to attend Columbia University. There are multiple ways you can do this research:

Visit the school website or browse the list of departments, programs, and courses
Check out the school newspaper, schedule a campus visit (virtual or in-person!), or set up a meeting with an alum, current student, or professor to get a feel for the campus

Every college campus has its own vibe, and visiting is the best way to get a sense of how Columbia might work with your personality as a student.

#2: Be Specific

From your research, you should have come up with specific reasons why Columbia is a great school for you. The more specific you can be when answering this prompt, the better.

Don't say Columbia has great academics, caring professors, and an interesting student body. The vast majority of schools have that!

Instead, try to mention opportunities only Columbia can provide, such as specific professors, courses, extracurricular activities, or research opportunities.

The things you discuss should be things your other top schools don't offer—things that really make Columbia stand out.

#3: Show Your Passion

Columbia wants students who care a lot about their studies and their school, so be sure this comes across in your response.

A bland statement such as "I am impressed by Columbia's strong engineering program" doesn't tell the school anything about you or help you stand apart from other applicants. Show your passion by naming specific professors or features of the program.

You've done your research to mention certain qualities Columbia has that have enticed you, and now it's time to discuss specific qualities about yourself, too. Why does the engineering program make you so excited? What do you want to get out of it? Be detailed, specific, and honest.

#4: Proofread

Your Columbia essay should be the strongest possible example of your writing skills. Before you turn in your application, take time to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your "Why Columbia" essay, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend.

Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure that you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it can be.

Here's a little taste of what a good "Why Columbia" essay looks like.

"Why Columbia" Essay Example

If you're stuck on what to write for your own essay, looking at "Why Columbia" essays that actually worked can be helpful. Below, we examine one "Why Columbia" essay that got a student accepted to Columbia and talk about what specifically made this piece of writing so strong.

The following essay comes to us from an accepted Columbia 2020 student via AP Study Notes :

At a college visit this year, I met a Columbia alumnus named Ayushi, whose stories helped me develop a thorough understanding of Columbia. Ayushi told me that Columbia funded both her summer trip to Syria to interview refugees and her seed money for a start-up she launched. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I'm impressed by a university that encourages students to pursue their own independent creations instead of simply offering the option to work on faculty projects. Columbia's four entrepreneurship organizations, among them the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs, provide a dynamic start-up community for me to launch my own business.

In addition, when I explored Columbia online, the emphasis put on interdisciplinary studies particularly excited me. The Columbia Engineering website is rich with stories of engineering students who are also involved in Shakespeare troupes, service projects, and multicultural groups. In my opinion, diverse experiences are the foundation of creative thinking. At Columbia, I will continue to diversify my experience by not just joining the Parliamentary Debate Team, but also by making new friends on the intramural soccer field and starting a cultural club for Italian heritage students who wish to learn more about Italian history, language, food, and current events.

Columbia Engineering stands uniquely apart from other programs by incorporating several in-depth humanities and writing classes into the graduation requirements. I believe that looking at critical issues with an open mind and sophisticated grasp of the humanities is extremely important to being an engineer. For example, I could not imagine exploring the future of quantum cryptography without considering the political ripple effects of Edward Snowden, the moral ramifications of the quantum encryption revolution, and the relationship between technology and income inequality. I am confident that I will thrive in the Columbia culture of passionate engagement and vibrant, energetic conversation.

Why does this essay work?

It answers the prompt specifically.

This essay gives examples of personal experience with the school and proves that the applicant did their research: they present clear evidence as to how engineering students are involved on campus and talk about specific academic courses.

There are many impressive details in this essay, and the section that addresses extracurriculars is cleverly written to showcase the applicant's diverse interests. This student's mention of certain extracurriculars they want to do indicates that they looked at many facets of Columbia University, not just the engineering department.

It's clear from this essay just how the author views their fit at Columbia. They've talked about specific organizations they would like to be a part of, such as the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs, while also showing why they want to join that organization.

Additionally, the applicant mentions a Columbia University student they spoke with, which means they took getting to know the student body seriously and really wanted to find out what Columbia students were like to see whether they, too, would fit in.

The conversation with the Columbia alum also emphasizes the applicant's initiative: they're willing to go above and beyond to learn about the school.

Conclusion: Writing a Great "Why Columbia" Essay

The purpose of the "Why Columbia" essay is for you to prove to the admissions committee that Columbia is the best school for you

In your essay, you could write about multiple topics that are specific to Columbia, such as academics, the student body, extracurriculars, and research opportunities.

When writing your "Why Columbia" essay, make sure to research the school extensively and be specific about activities and opportunities that really make you want to attend.

If you're stuck on how to proceed, analyzing a successful "Why Columbia" essay example might help you get inspiration for what to write.

What's Next?

How tough is it to get into Columbia? For answers, read our expert guide on how to get into Columbia and the Ivy League , written by a Harvard alum!

Should you apply early or regular decision to college? Find out the pros and cons of early decision .

Want to see some more college essay examples? We have links to 100+ great college essays that includes our expert analysis on how you can write a stand-out essay of your own.

Want to write the perfect college application essay? We can help. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will help you craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay to proudly submit to colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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Columbia Essays Examples

Are you interested in applying to Columbia University? If so, Columbia essays examples are a great way to start considering your own essay strategy.

As with any top school, essays are a critical part of the application process. When you read Columbia supplemental essays examples, you can learn more about the Columbia University requirements and admissions criteria. In this guide, we will take a look at several Columbia essays examples. These examples of Columbia supplemental essays—and Columbia essays that worked—can give you useful insight into what Columbia looks for.

More details about Columbia

Columbia University is an Ivy League school that ranks #18 in National Universities by U.S. News. Located in New York City, New York, Columbia is one of the top schools in the nation, with an acceptance rate of just 3.73%.

Although Columbia has a low acceptance rate, tips from these Columbia essays examples can help you stand out in the Columbia application process. They can also help you show the Columbia admissions office what makes you a unique applicant.

The Columbia-specific application questions give students an opportunity to highlight their extracurriculars and personal accomplishments. After all, to boost your chances of acceptance, you will want to submit stellar essays.

In this guide, we will first review the Columbia University requirements and examples of Columbia supplemental essays. Then, we will dive into some Columbia essays that worked, including some Columbia supplemental essays examples, Why Columbia essays examples, short essay examples, and extracurricular activities essay examples. We will also offer tips on how to write your own Columbia essays that worked.

How many essays do you have to write for Columbia?

Before diving into Columbia essays examples and how to write Columbia essays that worked, let’s first look at the Columbia University requirements for essays.

Students applying to Columbia University will submit their Common Application or Coalition Application, which requires an essay. In addition to this essay, Columbia requirements separately include Columbia-specific list questions and short answer questions. We’ll later look at Columbia supplemental essays examples.

For the list questions, applicants will simply list each individual response using commas or semicolons. So, there are no formatting guidelines, and applicants shouldn’t explain their responses.

The short answer questions, however, require a more in-depth answer. Students should prepare their answers so that they answer all parts of the question in the most powerful manner.

The value of crafting strong Columbia essay responses

Columbia-specific questions tell the admissions office more about your academic, extracurricular, and intellectual engagements. These questions provide valuable insight to your application. Moreover, they allow you to distinguish yourself within the large pool of competitive applicants. Remember, Columbia’s acceptance rate is very low, so you have to put your best foot forward.

We will go over many different types of Columbia essays examples and Columbia essays that worked, including short essay examples, extracurricular activity essay examples, and examples of Columbia supplemental essays to ensure you have all the guidance you need. Let’s first go over Columbia essays examples and some Columbia essays that worked.

What are the Columbia supplemental essay prompts?

Here are the current prompts for the Columbia supplemental essays examples. You can familiarize yourself with the formatting and requirements so that you can write your own Columbia essays that worked.

Columbia Short List Response Essays:

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)

Columbia s hort answer questions:

Please answer the following questions. .

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)
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)
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)
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)

It’s important to remember that the prompts change each year. However, you can use these Columbia essays examples to help you address any future prompts you might encounter.

For example, from these Columbia essays examples, you can learn the formatting, requirements, and themes so that you’re prepared to write your own essays. Below, we will provide Columbia essays examples from various categories. These include Why Columbia essays examples, short essay examples, examples of Columbia supplemental essays, and examples of Columbia essays that worked.

Columbia Short Essay Examples

Below are some Columbia essays examples and short essay examples of previous list questions. For these Columbia supplemental essays examples, students list their responses using commas or semicolons. So, there is no need for any explanatory text.

Check out these Columbia essays that worked and examples of Columbia supplemental essays:

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

Open to new experiences, perspectives, and people

Encourages a balanced lifestyle where relaxation and a social life is equally as important as schoolwork

Diversity in academics, where I can pursue minors and interests in subjects unrelated to my major

Evident school pride on campus

Open line of communication with professors and university staff

Focused on the advancement of society and outreach to communities in need

List the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less)

Brave New World

Henrietta Lacks

The Metamorphosis

Connectome,

“How a Frog Became the First Mainstream Pregnancy Test”

“Point of View Affects How Science is Done”,

“The Science of Racism: Radiolab Treatment of the Hmong Experience”,

“The C-word in the Hallways”,

NY Times HERS Column by K.C. Cole on March 18, 1982,

“A Troubled Silence”

Response 2

The Crucible

The Scarlet Letter

Huckleberry Finn

The Awakening

The Great Gatsby

Death of a Salesman

The Catcher in the Rye

One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest

A Farewell to Arms

The Color Purple

All the Pretty Horses

Pride and Prejudice

An Enemy of the People

Wuthering Heights

List the titles of the books you read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less)

Angela’s Ashes,

Pride and Prejudice,

Animal Farm,

If the Allies had Fallen,

Graceling,

The Crying of lot 49,

Going after Cacciato,

The Flute Book,

Book Thief,

Between Shades of Gray,

Unbroken,

The Perks of Being a Wallflower,

The Outsiders,

Anna and the French Kiss

And the Band Played On

The Kite Runner

The Book Thief

The Bell Jar

Great Expectations

A Tale of Two Cities

East of Eden

The Golden Compass

List the titles of the print, electronic publications and websites you read regularly. (150 words or less)

New York Times Op-Ed column, Buzzfeed, The Telegraph, NowThis, spacex.com, Morning Brew

www.nature.com

www.nydailynews.com

www.sciencedirect.com

www.sciencedaily.com

www.bbc.co.uk

www.espn.com

www.espnfc.com

www.espncricinfo.com

The New York Times

The Journal News

Sports Illustrated

New York Post

Time Magazine

National Geographic

ESPN The Magazine

Popular Science

Sports Weekly Magazine

Tennis Magazine

List the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less)

Good Will Hunting,

Criminal Minds,

The Men who Built America ,

Santa Clara Vanguard “Babylon”,

Bluecoats “Session 44”,

Gregory Porter Performance at Pittsburgh Jazz Festival,

Of Mice and Men at Pittsburgh Hazlett Theater,

Pride and Prejudice at O’Reilly Theater,

Wicked ,

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Pittsburgh Cast),

The Nutcracker (PBT),

Sam Rhine Genetics Conference Lectures,

“Adventures in Engineering: Lasers and Mechatronics” (Ben Campbell),

“Crime Science: Science and Engineering” (Andrea Dammann),

“All Around the World with No Fuel” (Paige Kassalen),

Balcony Big Band performances

Response 2:

Dr. Sobolevsky at Columbia University (Lecture)

Suits (Show)

Psych (Show) MythBusters (Show)

The Great Gatsby (Film)

As with all of the Columbia essays, answer these list questions authentically. So, don’t try to impress admissions by adding publications that sound fancy and intellectual. Remember that the goal of college essays is for admissions to learn more about you. So, just be yourself!

Why Columbia Essay Example

The Why Columbia essays examples are some of the most important essay examples to understand. Why is the why school essay so important? Well, because you’re likely to see it on most college applications. So, learning the format of this type of essay is vital.

In a successful Why Columbia essay example, the student will demonstrate why they are interested in attending Columbia University. Strong Why Columbia essay examples will also highlight what the writer has to offer the Columbia community.

Check out the following examples of Columbia supplemental essays:

Please tell us what you value most about Columbia and why. (300 words or less)

“ Connected Humanity.” My group receives our assignment and begins brainstorming different ways to incorporate this idea into a home AI. Synchronization between extended family homes, daily local and national news updates, and the ability to join social groups through a unique network were some of our favorite ideas when creating a home AI through the lense of “Connected Humanity.” After presenting our ideas, we heard four other groups give their ideas through their assigned viewpoints. Sustainable, Healthy, Secure, and Creative humanity introduced new perspectives I had not considered when working on “Connected Humanity”, much less before attending CE2 at Columbia.

What I value most about Columbia is its unique approach to engineering. From the CE2 program, I experienced engineering in an entirely new way. I always envisioned using engineering to help communities thrive and advance society, but Columbia presented an actionable outline on how to achieve that, something I have not encountered anywhere else.

Beyond the distinct approach to engineering, another area I appreciate about Columbia is the open communication between university staff and the students. At the CE2 program, every current student I spoke with praised the administration for correcting any issues brought to their attention. For example, after students requested an improvement in mental health services, Columbia introduced new resources and reforms to improve the services already offered.

Lastly, Columbia has the academic benefit of a “core curriculum.” This will introduce me to interesting classes outside of my major and allow me to become a well-rounded individual by diving into other areas of study. Furthermore, it will facilitate the creation of friendships across majors, allowing me to form friendships with students outside of my major. Throughout high school, some of my favorite classes have been humanity courses. A college experience without this enrichment would be unimaginable.

The writer of this essay uses their experience in the Columbia Engineering Experience (CE2) . Why does this work? Well, it’s extremely specific and it’s a program only offered at Columbia. The writer also mentions other areas of Columbia that are important to them such as open lines of communication and a liberal arts curriculum.

Columbia Essays Examples – Extracurricular Essay Example

Many of the Columbia essay prompts ask students to discuss their extracurricular activities. Extracurricular essay prompts give you the perfect chance to show the admissions office who you are beyond academics. So, use this essay prompt to display your interests, passions, and values.

Below are some Columbia supplemental essays examples and extracurricular activities essays examples. Read our Columbia supplemental essays examples to learn more about how to approach these prompts. Then, you’ll see see what made these extracurricular activities essay examples and examples of Columbia supplemental essays so strong.

Briefly describe which single activity listed in the Activity section of your Common Application represents your most meaningful commitment and why. (150 words or less)

Columbia extracurricular essay example.

It is not too often you get the chance to truly make a difference. After making numerous trips to my homeland, India, it was alarming to see how devastated some areas there have become. These trips opened my eyes to the value of community service and how even the smallest bit of help can truly make a difference. This is why I decided to run Make a Difference Rockland. With Make a Difference Rockland, it is my mission to engender a community devoted to community service. Via a massive community service fair devoted to and designed for service, I hope to facilitate the efforts of individuals interested in performing service by connecting them with service opportunities available to them in their area. For too long has enthusiasm to perform service been frustrated by a lack of organization. So, I have created this organization to address just that.

This essay shows much more about the writer than what we could have known from just their activities list. That’s precisely the goal of this type of essay. Students should show the meaning, passion, and drive behind their choice of extracurriculars.

Columbia Essays that Worked

Some of the Columbia essays will ask specifically why you’re interested in a particular field of study. Additionally, if you’re applying to a specific school, such as The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University, you may have to write a particular essay for that school. This prompt may ask you to explain why you are interested in this field and what you have done to prepare yourself for your chosen program.

As much as you are investing in your college education, Columbia is investing in you as well. So, the admissions team wants to know why you should be accepted to Columbia University. Highlight why you are a good fit for Columbia and what you have to offer the campus community.

Now, let’s take a look at these Columbia supplemental essays examples and Columbia essays that worked.

For applicants to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, 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. (300 words or less)

Columbia supplemental essays example.

“Some of you may wonder ‘When will I ever use derivatives in real life?’ Welcome to when.” My physics teacher, Mr. Welsh, described engineering as the “when” math and physics were applied to real problems. That is what is so attractive about engineering; it gives me the ability to apply intriguing concepts to fascinating projects.

During the Chain Reaction Contraption competition, my team and I created a Rube Goldberg machine to complete a certain task. I found a love for the hands-on, creative portion of mechanical engineering. The ability to step away from the calculator and notebook and get my hands dirty is the most enjoyable aspect of this profession. I also enjoyed how engineering combines creative freedom and mathematical certainty. In creation of each step, I could design whatever I desired and had a large degree of flexibility.

Afterwards, I would complete the calculations and see how math and physics concepts applied to a real-life problem. Finally, I would build the step, getting to experience a “hands-on” area of engineering. While I participated in other engineering activities in high school, this experience solidified my passion for engineering.

However, other engineering activities also provided important experiences that contributed to my desire to pursue engineering. In my engineering design class, I enjoyed using computer programs like Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD to create my designs. In FTC Robotics, I discovered that in addition to building the robot, I also loved the programming aspect.

Reflecting on these experiences with engineering, particularly mechanical engineering, I am certain that engineering is the best path for me.

This essay shows us that the writer is a critical thinker, applying methods learned in classes to other areas of life. They’re also curious, motivated, and passionate about engineering. Additionally, this essay does a great job of hooking the reader from the start. Remember that even though this essay is specific to the engineering school, it doesn’t mean that you can’t show of your writing chops!

How do you write a Columbia essay?

In our guide to Columbia essays examples, you’ve seen how other students have written stellar Columbia essays examples. These examples of Columbia supplemental essays each highlight what makes the writer unique. But how can you use what you learned in these Columbia University essay examples?

To start, each of these Columbia essays that worked have flawless spelling and syntax. So, like these examples of Columbia supplemental essays, your essay should have perfect spelling and grammar. Moreover, in the Columbia essays examples above, students demonstrated a proficient use of language.

Spelling, grammar, and syntax errors can be distracting. So, be sure to revise your essay until it is free of mistakes. When you think you have finished, be sure to proofread and edit once more with fresh eyes. To be sure, have someone else read your essay and listen to their feedback. And, most importantly, make sure that you have adhered to all the essay format guidelines, including the word count and any other essay formatting requirements.

Authenticity is key

Another crucial aspect of writing stellar Columbia essays is being true to who you are. So, take the time to write an essay that highlights why you would be a great addition to the Columbia community, like the Columbia essays examples we have discussed. Don’t get caught up in trying to impress the admissions officers. Rather, show them what makes you unique and what you have to offer. From these essay examples, you can see that the strongest essays are honest, authentic, and personal.

Once you have prioritized what you want to say, start thinking about your essay’s structure. You may start by making a list of what the admissions team should know about you. How do you spend your time? What are your accomplishments? What are your passions?

Finally, choose carefully the stories you include in your essay. You want the admissions team to walk away from your essay with a picture of who you are and why you’d succeed at Columbia.

Short Essays vs. Long Essays

The shortest examples of Columbia supplemental essays are the list questions. For these questions, students simply list their responses with no explanatory text or formatting. For these questions, there really is no “right” answer. The admissions office just wants to get to know you better. These questions require less writing than the short answer Columbia essays examples.

The longer examples of Columbia supplemental essays require a bit more attention. For these questions, students will want to create an outline in order to respond to the prompt in a clear, concise, and organized way. Most importantly, use the Columbia short answer questions to distinguish yourself from the other applicants. You can do this by being honest and telling a story that not only answers the prompt but also shares new information about yourself.

Our examples of Columbia supplemental essays address several themes. These include Why Columbia essays examples and extracurricular activities essay examples. Both examples of Columbia supplemental essays give you the opportunity to tell Columbia who you are beyond your academic achievements.

So, as you write, channel these examples of Columbia supplemental essays. Your work should honestly reflect your desire to attend Columbia University, just like we’ve shown you with the Columbia essays examples.

What does Columbia look for in essays?

Just as much as you are looking for the best college for you, Columbia University admissions looks for students who best align with their values. The application is designed to give students an opportunity to put their passions, interests, background, and academic credentials on display.

Additionally, Columbia admissions uses a holistic review process, meaning they consider the entirety of your Columbia application. In terms of the Columbia supplemental essays examples, Columbia University admissions hopes to learn more about your intellectual interests and personal values through your responses.

Overall, Columbia University admissions looks for academic preparation, curiosity, engagement with others, individual voice, and knowledge of Columbia. Successful examples of Columbia supplemental essays will address these important points.

More CollegeAdvisor resources about Columbia essays

Beyond our guide on Columbia essays that worked, CollegeAdvisor has many other Columbia essays examples and resources that can help you learn how to get into Columbia.

How to Get Into Columbia University Guide

If you want to learn more about the questions behind these Columbia University essay examples, check out our guide on the prompts for Columbia essays that worked. Along with providing explanation on the Columbia essays examples, this guide will also go into more detail on the essay prompts, Columbia application information, and deadlines.

In addition, you may find the video from Columbia University admissions below to offer helpful insight into what Columbia admissions officers are really looking for in their applicants

Lastly, for more advice on completing your application outside of essay examples, CollegeAdvisor has webinars featuring recent alumni who answer frequently asked questions from hopeful applicants. You can also check out this webinar that gives students insider information as to what it’s like to attend NYU, Columbia, and Barnard.

NYC Schools Panel

Columbia Essays Examples – 5 Takeaways

Now that we’ve reached the end of our guide, you should have a better idea of how to approach your own Columbia essays.

Here are five takeaways on Columbia supplemental essays examples and how to get into Columbia, one of the best universities in New York and the nation.

5 Takeaways for Writing Columbia Essays

1. tailor the essay to the prompt.

Some of your college essay prompts may be similar or even the exact same across different applications. While it may be tempting to reuse an essay for multiple applications, students should be extra careful about doing so. It is important that your essay response is specific to the prompt and university. As for Columbia, supplemental essays change year to year. However, common themes include community, extracurriculars, and academic pursuits.

2. Get personal and be specific

Admissions officers agree that the most crucial aspect of a successful essay is highlighting a personal story with impactful details. So, use these supplemental essays to tell the admissions committee something they don’t already know about you. If your essay is a genuine, in-depth depiction of who you are as a person, then it will likely stand out.

3. Do your research

Demonstrate that you understand the dynamics of Columbia and its community. Moreover, always make sure your essays are specific to the school. Our Columbia University essay examples show how important it is to do your research on specific programs, extracurriculars, or even internships. Then, you can best convey how Columbia is a good fit for you.

4. Think about the structure of your essay

Organize your thoughts as a narrative that ties together so that the admissions officers can follow your thoughts clearly and concisely. The best essays will use anecdotes and personal experiences to give life to facts and details about yourself. This will make your essay more interesting and paint a picture of who you are off paper.

5. Be concise

Follow the formatting and word count guidelines by clearly and concisely getting your points across. Additionally, there is no need to include unnecessary information in your essay. Consider the requirements and make sure that your essays meet them. However, while being concise is important, remember that you should get creative with your essays. The essays are an opportunity to share more about yourself while also showing off your writing abilities.

After reading these Columbia essays examples, we hope you have a better understanding of Columbia essays that worked and how to get into Columbia. Students who want to attend Columbia should refer to this guide and our other CollegeAdvisor resources in order to construct a successful Columbia essay and overall application. With the right preparation, you can overcome the low Columbia University acceptance rate.

Don’t forget that you can always schedule an appointment with our team for extra help with essay writing and any other aspect of the college application process. Otherwise, use what you’ve learned and get excited about those essays. Happy writing!

This article was written by Bailey Bennett. 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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Read 2 Transfer Student Essays That Worked

Strong transfer essays can help pave the way to admissions offers.

Read 2 Transfer Essays That Worked

Getty Images

Though it isn't a golden ticket, a strong transfer essay may boost an applicant's odds of admission.

There are as many reasons to transfer colleges as there are transfer students. But regardless of why someone wants to move to a new institution, the process for doing so usually requires an admissions essay.

Colleges With the Most Transfer Students

Josh Moody Jan. 28, 2020

In a 2018 National Association for College Admission Counseling survey , 41.5% of colleges polled said a transfer applicant's essay or writing sample is of either considerable or moderate importance in the admission decision.

A compelling, well-written transfer essay doesn't guarantee acceptance – many other factors are at play, such as an applicant's GPA. However, a strong essay can be a factor that helps move the odds in the applicant's favor, says Kathy Phillips, associate dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke University in North Carolina.

Know What Colleges Are Looking For In a Transfer Essay

Some schools have prospective transfer students use the Common App or the Coalition Application to apply. In addition to the main essay, students may be required to submit a second writing sample or respond to short-answer questions, though this isn't always the case. Prospective students can check a college's website for specific guidance regarding how to apply.

Whatever application method they use, prospective students should be aware that writing a transfer essay is not the same as writing a first-year college application essay, experts advise. First-year essays are more open-ended, says Niki Barron, associate dean of admission at Hamilton College in New York. When applying as first-years, prospective students can generally write about any experience, relationship or goal that has shaped who they are as people, she says.

This contrasts with transfer essays, where the focus is typically narrower. Barron says she thinks of transfer essays as more of a statement of purpose. "We're really looking to see students' reasons for wanting to transfer," she says.

Katie Fretwell, the recently retired dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College in Massachusetts, says prospective transfer students are in a position to be a bit more reflective about their educational goals because of their additional year or years of experience post-high school. The essay helps admissions officers get a sense of whether an applicant has done "an appropriate level of soul-searching about the match," she says.

Transfer Essay Examples

Below are two transfer essays that helped students get into Duke and Amherst, respectively. Both institutions are very selective in transfer admissions. For fall 2018, Duke had a transfer acceptance rate of 8% and Amherst accepted 4% of its transfer applicants, according to U.S. News data.

Hover over the circles to read what made these essays stand out to admissions experts.

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

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A Guide to the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

Padya Paramita

July 13, 2021

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 2021-2022 can help you bolster your candidacy.

The Columbia supplemental essays 2021-2022 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 2021-2022

Prompts for the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

For the four list questions that follow, 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.

List the titles of the required readings from academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school.
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.
List the titles of the print or digital publications, websites, journals, podcasts or other content with which you regularly engage.
List the movies, albums, shows, museums, lectures, events at your school or other entertainments that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school (in person or online).

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. For the first prompt in this question, don’t just mention the classics just for the sake of letting admissions officers know you’ve read them. They are aware of the usual high school reading lists, so they have a good idea of the kinds of books most applicants have read. Think honestly about what you actually enjoyed. It doesn’t have to be a novel - or even limited to your literature courses. It could be a chapter in your chemistry textbook, an essay on a historical event, or a particular poem that you’ve been unable to get out of your head.

From your answers to the Columbia supplemental essays 2021-2022 , the university also 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.

Check out all supplemental essay prompts here!

Columbia students take an active role in improving their community, whether in their residence hall, classes or throughout New York City. Their actions, small or large, work to positively impact the lives of others. Share one contribution that you have made to your family, school, friend group or another community that surrounds you. (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 2021-2022 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? (200 words or fewer)

Now we come to the “why this school” portion of the Columbia supplemental essays 2021-2022 . 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.

Continuing from the “why Columbia” question, this prompt among the Columbia supplemental essays 2021-2022 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.

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.

Further Tips on answering the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

Let Your Personality Shine - The purpose of the Columbia supplemental essays 2021-2022 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 2021-2022 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 2021-2022 can convincingly harmonize with your application persona and portray authentic interest in your field of choice.

Your answers to the Columbia supplemental essays 2021-2022 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!

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Columbia University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Decision: Nov 1

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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How to Write a College Transfer Essay (With Examples)

Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

How to Write a College Transfer Essay (With Examples)

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 1.2 million students are enrolled in college as a transfer student. Students may transfer for a variety of reasons ranging from academics to athletics to geography.

If you are in the process of transferring colleges it’s likely that you will have to write a personal essay as part of your transfer admissions process. Ultimately, there’s no one way to write a college transfer essay. Everyone is unique, and this individuality should shine through in your essays.

However, there are some recommended things to include, and even a real example essay that was used to successfully transfer college! In this post, we’ll help you write a powerful transfer essay so you can tell your story to the admissions committee.

Jump ahead to…

Do’s and don’ts
Why did you choose your current school?

What are your main reasons for transferring out of your current school?

Why do you want to attend the transfer school.

Example essay

Additional resources

Key takeaways
Frequently asked questions

College transfer essays: The do’s and don’ts

Before we start, we want to cover a few basics do’s and don’ts about what your transfer essays should be about.

Elaborate on how your current school has helped you progress towards your goals. Positivity is always a good thing!
Research your prospective school (e.g. specific classes, organizations, opportunities) for why you want to go there.
Make sure to follow the standard/correct essay format! Transfer essay prompts may vary from college to college so you should make sure that you’re answering the exact question.
Use up your limited word count by listing negative aspects about your current school. Instead, focus on how it has helped you grow, but how another school could further help you develop your interests/passions
List a group of random classes or opportunities available at your new school. Mention opportunities you’re (genuinely) interested in that relate to your goals and passions – make sure you’re telling a story through your essay.
Copy your initial admissions essay (the one that you used when applying to colleges in high school) – you’ve changed a lot during your time in college so you will want to write a brand new essay.

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What is the goal of the transfer essay.

Potential transfer students should know that not all colleges and universities require transfer essays, so when in doubt definitely check-in with the college in question for clarification. For the purposes of this article and the sample transfer essay, we’ll be using this prompt:

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.

Most colleges will be interested in learning why you want to transfer and how transferring will help you achieve your goals. However, specific prompts will vary from college to college, so you should definitely pay attention to the specific prompt you are asked to respond to.

Some of the common questions you’ll come across include:

How will your transfer school help you accomplish your goals?

Below I’ll break down how to respond to each of these questions and include an example from a successful transfer essay.

Also see: Can you transfer into an ivy league school?

Why did you choose your current school?

To answer this question, you’ll have to go back in time when you were in 12th grade and selecting your college. Did you choose the college because it had a program you liked? Maybe you really wanted to take classes with a specific professor? Maybe you thought you wanted to attend college in a specific part of the world? Whatever the reason you should lay it out in the most factual way possible.

Here’s how I responded to this question:

Just like Jeopardy, Criminal Minds is also a show that I have watched from a very young age, and one that I continue to watch quite regularly. Being exposed to this interesting world of FBI profilers for so long inspired me to want to dive into the world of psychology myself. Due to this, I originally chose the University of Wisconsin, Madison for its amazing psychology program, and because I wanted to try something new. Being from California, this “something new” came in the form of watching snow fall from the sky, seeing cheese curds being sold in all the grocery stores, and simply living somewhere far away from home.

Also see: How to write a 250 word essay

This is always an important question for transfer admissions officers: why did your current college not work out? We recommend that students be as honest as possible and stick to the facts (as opposed to simply complaining about your current school).

Students have very different reasons for changing schools, which often depend on what type of school you’re transferring from (a 2-year or 4-year). While many community college students transfer because their plans did work out and they’ve accomplished what they wanted to at their school, those transferring from four-year universities often do so for less positive reasons (which was my experience).

If the situation at your college didn’t exactly pan out as you thought it would, you should also try to talk about some of the ways you are making the most of the situation. This shows the admissions officers that despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, you have continued to learn, grow, and contribute to your community.

Here’s how I accomplished this:

Arriving in Wisconsin, I got exactly what I wanted: an amazing psychology program and the experience of being somewhere quite different from the place I called home. My classes were interesting, my professors were helpful and caring, and experiencing the first snow was quite exciting. However, as winter progressed, walking back from class everyday under the progressively gloomier sky seemed to be a cruel reminder that I was no longer in sunny Southern California. While eating dinner in our many dining halls, I always viewed the wide array of food available: quesadillas, Chinese food, burgers, even pecan pie. The food was all delicious, but going day after day without even seeing Korean food once made me miss those fun dinners with my family. Back at my dorm, my “home away from home”, it started to feel like anything but being at home. To feel more comfortable where I was, I decided to pursue things I liked, and that I was familiar with. My passion for psychology led me to join the university’s Psychology Club, where I was able to learn about recent revelations within the field of psychology, furthering my interest in the subject.

Going through the admissions process as a transfer student is interesting, because you have learned a lot about yourself and your preferences at your first college. This should provide you with a great perspective on what you are looking for next.

The two major things you’ll want to accomplish when answering this question are why the transfer college in question is a good fit for you and how it can help you accomplish your goals as a student.

Specificity is always more ideal here so you can show that you have spent some time thinking about what you want and also how the new college fits.

Here’s how I did this:

I plan on using the knowledge I gain in psychology, either from organizations or classes, to help people. I want to one day apply this knowledge to research, to discover possible methods to help the people suffering from the psychological problems I study. Alternatively, I hope to use this knowledge as a criminal profiler, using my understanding of psychology to narrow down pools of suspects. To be able to accomplish either of these, I need to develop a much deeper understanding of both people’s motivations for the things they do as well as of the many psychological issues people face. For these reasons, I am very excited at the prospect of exploring and enrolling in the classes offered by USC’s Department of Psychology. In particular, Psych 360: Abnormal Psychology would be an amazing introduction to psychological disorders and their causes. Psych 314L: Research Methods would then help me put this knowledge about disorders to good use by teaching me how to properly conduct research and find possible solutions for people’s problems.

College transfer essays: an example

Here we go! Throughout this article, I’ve shown you my college essay divided into sections, and now’s time for the full thing. I can honestly say that this essay had a 100% success rate! Without further ado, here is my full college transfer essay (and prompt):

Prompt: Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.

I wake up from my daily after-school nap to realize that it is already dinner time. As I walk downstairs, I smell the delicious fragrance coming from my mom’s samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup), one of my favorite meals. Soon enough, everyone sits down to watch the newest episode of Jeopardy , a tradition we’ve had going on for as long as I can remember. As I take that first sip of samgyetang, and miss yet another geography question on Jeopardy – and wait for my family to inevitably tease me about it – I feel at home, like I am somewhere that I belong. Wherever I go, I hope I can encounter that same warm feeling. Just like Jeopardy , Criminal Minds is also a show that I have watched from a very young age, and one that I continue to watch quite regularly. Being exposed to this interesting world of FBI profilers for so long inspired me to want to dive into the world of psychology myself. Due to this, I originally chose the University of Wisconsin, Madison for its amazing psychology program, and because I wanted to try something new. Being from California, this “something new” came in the form of watching snow fall from the sky, seeing cheese curds being sold in all the grocery stores, and simply living somewhere far away from home. Arriving in Wisconsin, I got exactly what I wanted: an amazing psychology program and the experience of being somewhere quite different from the place I called home. My classes were interesting, my professors were helpful and caring, and experiencing the first snow was quite exciting. However, as winter progressed, walking back from class everyday under the progressively gloomier sky seemed to be a cruel reminder that I was no longer in sunny Southern California. While eating dinner in our many dining halls, I always viewed the wide array of food available: quesadillas, Chinese food, burgers, even pecan pie. The food was all delicious, but going day after day without even seeing Korean food once, it made me miss those fun dinners with my family. Back at my dorm, my “home away from home,” it started to feel like anything but being at home. To feel more comfortable where I was, I decided to pursue things I liked, and that I was familiar with. My passion for psychology led me to join the university’s Psychology Club, where I was able to learn about recent revelations within the field of psychology, furthering my interest in the subject. I plan on using the knowledge I gain in psychology, either from organizations or classes, to help people. I want to one day apply this knowledge to research, to discover possible methods to help the people suffering from the psychological problems I study. Alternatively, I hope to use this knowledge as a criminal profiler, using my understanding of psychology to narrow down pools of suspects. To be able to accomplish either of these, I need to develop a much deeper understanding of both people’s motivations for the things they do as well as of the many psychological issues people face. For these reasons, I am very excited at the prospect of exploring and enrolling in the classes offered by USC’s Department of Psychology. In particular, Psych 360: Abnormal Psychology would be an amazing introduction to psychological disorders and their causes. Psych 314L: Research Methods would then help me put this knowledge about disorders to good use by teaching me how to properly conduct research and find possible solutions for people’s problems. With so many opportunities available at USC, I hope to not only help others feel more comfortable, but to find a second home for myself after all.

And that’s it! This essay touches on all of the tips listed above, and should serve as helpful inspiration as you begin your writing. Hopefully, it gives you an idea of how to integrate everything you should mention in a cohesive essay. With that, I wish you good luck with your college transfer essays (and applications)!

Don’t miss: What looks good on a college application?

If you finish your essay and still have questions about the transfer process, consider checking out these Scholarships360 resources:

How to transfer colleges
How to transfer from a community college
Top scholarships for transfer students
How to choose a college
What’s the difference between a private and public university?

Key Takeaways

Explain why you want to transfer, what you need that you are not getting at your current school, and why you chose your current school to begin with
Always present things in a positive light
Share how the transfer school will help you achieve your goals and why you are a good fit for the school

Frequently asked questions about writing college transfer essays

How are college transfer essays different from regular application essays, do all schools require transfer essays, can i reuse my old college essays for a transfer, what should you not say in a transfer essay, scholarships360 recommended.

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Supplementary Materials

We encourage you to convey the breadth and depth of your extracurricular pursuits within the activities section of your admission application—including the full name of each organization in which you participate and a brief description of your involvement. While we request that the volume of supplementary credentials be kept to a minimum, there may be occasions where such credentials provide valuable information that the standard application does not.

Please note that supplements are not a required part of our admissions process. If you plan to submit supplementary credentials, please follow the instructions below.

Dates & deadlines

Early Decision applicants must submit their supplements by November 1 and Regular Decision applicants must submit their supplements by January 1. Transfer Applicants must submit their supplements by March 1.

Types of submissions

Academic research.

If you have completed research with a faculty member or mentor in science, engineering or other academic disciplines (e.g., humanities, social sciences or languages), you are welcome to provide a one or two page abstract as a supplement to your application. You may upload your abstract in the Columbia-specific questions to the Common Application or in the Uploads page of the Coalition Application.

If you are submitting an abstract, you will also be asked to answer a few short questions on the duration of your research involvement, your specific role in and contributions to the research project, and contact information of your research mentor. This will help us better understand your specific research experience beyond what you may have already included in your other application materials.

We also welcome a letter of recommendation from your research mentor, who can send the letter via email to [email protected] , via fax to 212-854-3393, or via mail to Undergraduate Admissions .

Creative Portfolios

You may wish to submit supplementary portfolios if you intend to bring creative talents to Columbia’s campus either through a major and/or extracurricular opportunities.

Supplements are entirely optional and not required for the admissions process. Students will have access to the arts and maker communities and facilities, and are able to participate in the arts communities of Columbia regardless of supplement submissions or majors. Most students who choose to submit an Artistic Portfolio have achievements at the local, state, national or international level related to their craft, and have devoted a significant amount of time and energy to their art form(s). The Maker Portfolio may be an opportunity for students to highlight past creations or ongoing projects that demonstrate creativity and ingenuity, technical ability and hands-on problem solving.

Architecture, Creative Writing, Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts, Film, Maker, Music and Visual Arts supplements can be submitted through Columbia's SlideRoom portal . Please select the program corresponding to the application type you are using for your application to Columbia.

Please submit up to 10 digital images or models that highlight your best work. Images may be submitted only in jpg, png, or gif formats, up to 5 MB each. 3D models may be submitted via Sketchfab. Specify the title, year and medium for each submission.

Applicants are welcome to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their architecture experience and recognition.

A processing fee of $10 will be required at the time of submission.

Please submit a document (in pdf format) of your sample creative writing in any of the following areas: poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Do not submit journalism samples or full books. Submissions should not exceed 5 pages.

Applicants are required to include a résumé (in pdf format) listing their creative writing experience and recognition.

A processing fee of $5 will be required at the time of submission.

Please submit a video sample of your dance performance between 4 to 6 minutes in length. List your name, title of the piece, choreographer, music composer/title, and the place and date of your performance. If not a solo recording, also indicate your performance in the description section of the media details. You may upload a video file no larger than 250 MB or provide a link to a video hosting site (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo). Videos should not include any biographical or introductory material. Submissions should reflect material filmed within the last two years.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their dance experience and recognition.

Please submit either a video sample of theatrical performance, directing, design and/or playwriting or a document (in pdf format) of either a script or a portfolio demonstrating contributions in directing or design. You may upload a video file no larger than 250 MB or provide a link to a video hosting site (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo). Videos should not include any biographical or introductory material.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their drama and theatre arts experience and recognition.

Please submit a video sample of your film work or a screenplay (in pdf format). Video submissions should be up to 10 minutes in length. You may upload a video file no larger than 250 MB or provide a link to a video hosting site (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo). List your name and role in the production in the description section of the media details. Videos should not include any biographical or introductory material.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their film experience and recognition.

The Maker Portfolio is an opportunity for students to highlight completed or ongoing projects that they have built, fabricated, invented, produced, or otherwise created. These projects should demonstrate creativity and ingenuity, technical ability and hands-on problem solving.

Students who would like their technically creative work to be reviewed alongside their application materials can submit up to 4 media items (images, video, 3D models, audio files, documents, or external links), documenting one or several projects. Submitted media can reflect any step in the design process, from blueprints and specifications, through demonstrations of completed work. Students will also be asked to answer a few short questions about the duration of their project, their specific role in and contributions to the project, and contact information of a mentor or advisor who can speak to this creative work.

Please select two works contrasting in period and tempo, and choose from one of three possible types of submissions:

Live auditions are not part of Columbia’s admissions process, but auditions for private lessons, selective ensembles, troupes and various productions are held for enrolled students at the start of each academic year.

List the composer, name of the work, instrument performed and year recorded or composed. If not a solo recording, please indicate your performance in the description section of the media details. The combined length of recordings should not exceed 20 minutes. Recordings should not include any biographical or introductory material.

Video must be provided via a video hosting site link (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo) or uploaded as a video file no larger than 250 MB.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their music experience and recognition.

Applicants applying to the Columbia-Juilliard Program should submit material for Columbia faculty review.

Please submit up to 20 images that highlight the best work in your portfolio. Images may be submitted only in jpg, png, or gif formats, up to 5 MB each. Please specify the title, year and medium for each submission.

Applicants are welcome to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their visual arts experience and recognition.

In addition to creative materials, each portfolio requires you to list the name and contact information of a reference who may be contacted to corroborate your depth of talent in and/or dedication to your creative discipline. Examples of appropriate references may include, but are not limited to: club or activity supervisors, in-school teachers, private instructors, internship or job supervisors, and mentors.

Each submission incurs a fee, listed in each program above. If paying the submission fee is a financial burden for your family, we encourage you to request a fee waiver by emailing [email protected] prior to submitting your SlideRoom portfolio. Additional instructions for a SlideRoom fee waiver can be found on the Slide Room portal .

Schoolhouse.world Certifications

Applicants to Columbia are welcome to submit Schoolhouse.world certifications as an optional supplement to their application.

Certifications from Schoolhouse.world are just one way for you to demonstrate your academic achievement. While these certifications do not fulfill official requirements like transcripts and letters of recommendation, they can be a great opportunity for students who wish to learn or show competencies in subjects not offered as part of their school curriculum, particularly in math.

Other considerations

We specifically ask that you do not send collections of awards or certificates, and we explicitly direct that you refrain from submitting or mailing any type of supplementary materials in binders or folders. Do not send CDs, DVDs or hard copies of any materials, as they will not be reviewed.

Finally, please be advised that we can provide no guarantee that all materials will be reviewed or evaluated, as they are not required for the admission process.

The Columbia-Juilliard Program

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Student Groups

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Understanding the Process

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IMAGES

Transfer Essay Examples sample, Bookwormlab
Sample College Transfer Essay
Transfer Essay Examples sample, Bookwormlab
10 Columbia Supplemental Essay Examples That Worked
How To Write Why Columbia Essay
Transfer Essay Examples, Samples ️ Bookwormlab.com

VIDEO

Transfer students want more from Columbia
College Transfer Essay Writing Made Easy
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COMMENTS

8 Great Columbia Essay Examples
What's Covered: Essay Example 1 - Mechanical Engineering. Essay Example 2 - Trailblazing. Essay Example 3 - The Core and Community. Essay Example 4 - Cancer Research. Essay Example 5 - Joy in Birds. Essay Example 6 - Psychology. Essay Example 7 - Slavic Languages and Cultures. Essay Example 8 - Diversity.
How to Write the Columbia University Supplemental Essays: Examples
Step #1: Imagine a mini-movie of the moments that led you to your interest and create a simple, bullet point outline. Step #2: Put your moments (aka the "scenes" of your mini-movie) in chronological order, as it'll help you see how your interests developed. It also makes it easier to write transitions.
10 Columbia Supplemental Essay Examples That Worked
Columbia supplemental essay example #2. 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) "Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak." Those are Rachel Zoe's words, and I wholeheartedly ...
Frequently Asked Questions by Transfer Applicants
The Transfer Essay in the Columbia Supplement to the Coalition Application is an opportunity for you to submit a full-length, personal essay of approximately 400-600 words that details why you are seeking transfer admission. The essay does not need to be specific to Columbia, but it should inform the committee why you wish to leave your current ...
5 Columbia University Supplemental Example Essays (2023)
Prompt: Ideal College Community. Columbia University Essay Example #1. Prompt: List Required Readings. Columbia University Essay Example #2. Prompt: List Non-Academic Readings. Columbia University Essay Example #3. Prompt: Resources and Outlets. Columbia University Essay Example #4. Prompt: Area of Study.
Columbia University Essay Examples (And Why They Worked)
Image courtesy of Columbia University. The following Columbia University essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to Columbia University. All names have been redacted for anonymity. CollegeAdvisor.com has shared these essays with admissions officers at Columbia University in order to deter potential plagiarism.
How to Get Into Columbia: Strategies and Essay Examples
Part 4: 2023-2024 Columbia supplemental essays (examples included) (Note: While this section covers Columbia's admissions essays specifically, we encourage you to view additional successful college essay examples.). In addition to the Common App personal statement, Columbia requires numerous supplemental essays.The Columbia-specific application questions are a crucial way that your child ...
How to Write a "Why Columbia" Essay: Tips & Examples
Tip #1: Determine Your Why. Ruminate on why you want to apply to Columbia. It could be a specific major, a professor you're interested in learning from, or extracurriculars that the school has to offer. You want to articulate what Columbia means to you so the admissions team understands why it's your top pick.
How to Write a Stand-Out "Why Columbia" Essay
We'll also show you a real, successful "Why Columbia" essay example and explain why it works. Finally, we'll suggest potential topics for your essay and offer tips on how to write your own college admissions essays. The 411 on the "Why Columbia" Essay Prompt. Here's the current "Why Columbia" essay prompt for the 2023-2024 application cycle:
Columbia Essays Examples
These examples of Columbia supplemental essays—and Columbia essays that worked—can give you useful insight into what Columbia looks for. More details about Columbia Columbia University is an Ivy League school that ranks #18 in National Universities by U.S. News. Located in New York City, New York, Columbia is one of the top schools in the ...
Read 2 Transfer Student Essays That Worked
Strong transfer essays can help pave the way to admissions offers. ... 41.5% of colleges polled said a transfer applicant's essay or writing sample is of either considerable ... Columbia and Emory ...
A Guide to the Columbia Supplemental Essays 2021-2022
The Columbia supplemental essays 2021-2022 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 ...
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 ...
Transfer Applicants
Coalition Essay; Please note: While the Coalition Essay in the Application Profile is not required for a complete transfer application, applicants will be asked to upload a 400-600 word essay on the Columbia Supplement to the Coalition Application responding to the following prompt in the Uploads section of the application:
2023-24 Columbia University Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
Columbia University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations. *Please note: the information below relates to last year's essay prompts. As soon as the 2024-25 prompts beomce available, we will be updating this guide -- stay tuned! The Requirements: 1 lists of 100 words; 4 essays of 150 words each. Supplemental Essay Type (s): Community ...
How to Write a College Transfer Essay (With Examples)
Key Takeaways. Explain why you want to transfer, what you need that you are not getting at your current school, and why you chose your current school to begin with. Always present things in a positive light. Share how the transfer school will help you achieve your goals and why you are a good fit for the school.
Top 4 Successful Columbia Essays
Successful Columbia Essays. These are successful college essays of students that were accepted to Columbia University. Use them to see what it takes to get into Columbia and other top schools and get inspiration for your own Common App essay, supplements, and short answers. These successful Columbia essays include Common App essays, Columbia ...
Transferring to Columbia University 2023
At Harvard, for example, less than 1% of transfer applicants are accepted. Columbia University is a rare example of a top college that has a higher acceptance rate for transfers than for first-year applicants. ... As you prepare to apply to Columbia as a transfer student, your essays will be the most important piece of your application that you ...
Supplementary Materials
A processing fee of $10 will be required at the time of submission. Creative Writing. Please submit a document (in pdf format) of your sample creative writing in any of the following areas: poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Do not submit journalism samples or full books. Submissions should not exceed 5 pages.
GS Admissions Essay : r/columbia
GS Admissions Essay. Hello GSers! I am in the process of writing my admissions essay for the spring application, and I am a bit stuck on how exactly I should write it. If any past or current students would be willing to share some advice on how they approached it, it would be much appreciated! 11.
Columbia GS vs SEAS Acceptance rate Transfer 2024
It's my understanding that they'll encourage rejected applicants to CC and SEAS to take a gap year to ensure their eligibility into GS. 1. Reply. limskie. • 1 min. ago. i'm in the same boat. applied to columbia college instead of gs which gs has 57% acceptance for transfers u can withdraw ur application and apply to gs the deadline is ...

What are your chances of acceptance?

Your chancing factors

8 Great Columbia Essay Examples

Essay Example 5 – Joy in Birds

Essay Example 8 – Diversity

What the Essay Did Well

What Could Be Improved

Essay Example 4 – Cancer Research and Community

What Could Be Improved

Essay Example 7 – Slavic Languages and Cultures

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How to Write a "Why Columbia" Essay: 7 Tips & 5 Examples

Purpose of the “Why Columbia” Essay

“Why Columbia” Essay Prompt

What to Include

Columbia Essay Examples

Sample Essay #1 - Computer Science

Why This “Why Columbia” Essay Worked

What Could Be Improved In This Example

Sample Essay #2 - Your Interests

Sample Essay #3 - Past Experiences

Why This “Why Columbia” Essay Worked

Sample Essay #4 - Literature

Sample Essay #5 - Engineering

Sample Essay #6 - What Appeals to You?

Sample Essay #7 - Academic Pursuits

Sample Essay #8 - Intellect & Environment

Essay Writing Tips

Tip #1: Determine Your Why

Tip #2: Do Your Research

Tip #3: Be Concise

Tip #4: Be Passionate

Tip #5: Explain What You Have to Offer

Tip #6: Proofread

Tip #7: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Someone Else to Read It

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Writing What You Think They Want to Hear

Rehashing Your Application

Being Too Vague or Generic

“Why Columbia” Essay FAQs

1. When Should I Start Writing the “Why Columbia” Essay?

2. What Is the Columbia Essay Word Limit?

3. How Personal Should My Essay Be?

4. How Many Essays Do You Have to Write for Columbia?

5. How Do I Write a Good “Why Columbia” Essay?

6. Can I Write This Essay If I Haven’t Chosen a Major?

7. How Do I Know When My Columbia Essay Is Done?

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