If you’re applying to Columbia University, a quick scan of its required supplemental essays will give you a good sense of what Columbia admission reps are looking for: students who’ll thrive in the Core Curriculum.
Fair warning: If you don’t consider yourself a regular consumer of culture (i.e., literature, art, film, shows, music, podcasts, and all things that are distillers of the human experience), you might be struggling to come up with things to write about.
What do we mean? Take a look at Columbia’s Core Curriculum and then its required supplemental essays below, and you’ll see.
But don’t worry: Even if you aren’t a self-described lover of arts and culture, we’ve got a few things to share to help you make the most of these supplemental essays.
Before you begin writing, you may want to get deeper insights into the kind of student Columbia is looking for, and how it views itself. You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. For a better sense of how Columbia envisions its role in academia and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan here.
What are the Columbia University supplemental essay prompts?
Prompt #1
For the list question that follows, there is a 100-word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:
- Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.
- Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.
- It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.
- No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.
List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy. (100 words or fewer)
For the five short answer questions, please respond in 150 words or fewer. NOTE: One of the short answer questions will not appear until you have selected Columbia College or Columbia Engineering in the "Academics" section of Columbia's application questions.
Prompt #2
Tell us about an aspect of your life so far or your lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's multidimensional and collaborative environment.(150 words or fewer)
Prompt #3
At Columbia, students representing a wide range of perspectives are invited to live and learn together. In such a community, questions and debates naturally arise. Please describe a time when you did not agree with someone and discuss how you engaged with them and what you took away from the interaction. (150 words or fewer)
Prompt #4
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)
Prompt #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. (150 words or fewer)
Prompt #6a - Columbia College
Columbia College - What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College? (150 words or fewer)
Prompt #6b - Columbia Engineering
Columbia Engineering - What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer)
That application is no joke. Let’s take a look at how to tackle it.
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Columbia University
A word (or 2) about Columbia’s list prompts
Columbia makes clear in the prompt what it wants here:
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.
Here’s our tip for answering these: Don’t overthink it一it’s really not a trick question. Columbia really wants to know what you read, what movies you love, and which newspapers and podcasts you follow. That’s it. So heed the bulleted advice, make your lists, and save your brain power for the short-answer prompts.
One more tip: Try to show some variety in your answers, but be honest about it.
See examples for each below.
How to Write Columbia Supplemental Essay #1
For the list question that follows, there is a 100-word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:
List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy. (100 words or fewer)
Note that the example below was from when Columbia asked for multiple lists, but the content still points you in a clear direction.
Example:
Books, plays, etc.
The Art of Political Manipulation, William H. Riker
The Better Angels of Our Nature, Steven Pinker
Leonardo’s Brain, Leonard Shlain
The Power of One, Bryce Courtenay
Hopscotch, Julio Cortazar
Gang Leader for a Day, Sudhir Venkatesh
Who Gets What--and Why, Alvin E. Roth
Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
Lectures
The Future of American Economy, Nicholas Bloom
Politics from an Ethical Perspective, Rob Reich
Mechanics of Genomic Sequencing, Mike Snyder
Machinery of Freedom, David Friedman
Engineering your Luck, Tiffany Zhong
Fighting for Minority Rights, Congressman Ted Lieu
Multiculturalism, Wajahat Ali
The Satire Paradox, Malcolm Gladwell
U.S. Supreme Court Tour
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Tour
Exhibits
Smithsonian Renwick Gallery: WONDER
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Design for Eternity--Architectural Models from the Ancient Americas
Cantor Arts Center: She Who Tells a Story--Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World
TV
Sherlock Holmes
House of Cards
Last Week Tonight
The Daily Show
War and Peace
Designated Survivor
Quantico
Concerts/Shows
War Horse
Mamma Mia
Movies
Now You See Me
Pride and Prejudice
Interstellar
The Age of Adaline
— — —
How to Write Columbia Supplemental Essay #2
Tell us about an aspect of your life so far or your lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's multidimensional and collaborative environment. (150 words or fewer)
While an aspect of your life or lived experience can point to many things, generally the easiest way to approach it is to treat this as essentially a “Community Essay” with a bit of “Why us?” and “How will you contribute?” thrown in. You can find our comprehensive guide on how to write the Community Essay here. Or, if you’re short on time, here’s the abbreviated version:
Step 1: Create a “communities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined by ...
Place: Groups of people who live/work/play near one another
Action: Groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)
Interest: Groups of people coming together based on a shared interest, experience, or expertise
Circumstance: Groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations.
Step 2: Use the BEABIES Exercise to generate your essay content. Once you’ve chosen a community, map out your content using the BEABIES Exercise. That exercise asks:
What did you actually do? (Tip: Use active verbs like “organized” and “managed” to clarify your responsibilities.)
What kinds of problems did you solve (personally, locally, or globally)?
What specific impact did you have?
What did you learn (skills, qualities, values)?
How did you apply the lessons you learned?
Step 3: Do some “how will you contribute” research.
You’ll want to offer a few specific ways that show how the experience/s you’re discussing in your essay will allow you to contribute to Columbia. The easiest way to do this is to do some “Why Us”-like research and find ways you’ll engage with and contribute to the Columbia community.
Step 4: Pick a structure. The Narrative Structure works well for students who have faced a challenge in or with this community. Otherwise, the Montage Structure works well.
Consider answering these three questions in your essay if you choose the Narrative Structure:
What challenge did you face?
What did you do about it?
What did you learn?
How do those things shape how you will contribute to Columbia? (Ideally with some Why Us detail)
Here’s an example using the Narrative Structure.
Example:
In the summer of COVID-19, I formed two virtual clubs to offer my peers a continued sense of community. With most summer activities canceled, I felt it was important to our mental health to provide alternative social connections in the absence of face-to-face interaction.
For Book Club, teachers and students met in advance, creating thoughtful presentations that illustrated each presenter's passions and perspectives. For Debate Club, conversations got heated with teachers arguing alongside students, each person advocating their position. After summer, I was told by students and teachers alike that the clubs were the highlight of their week. To my delight, the Debate Club was so popular, I am continuing it during this school year.
At Columbia, I will shift my focus to fostering community between my LGBTQ+ peers and other members of the community. From my summer club experience, I have a new appreciation for how social interactions can develop stronger bonds between students, staff, and faculty. I intend to find similar opportunities through Columbia iQ where I can organize social events like a book club or even a group cooking class to help foster new champions for the LGBTQ+ community. (192)
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Answer the question. This student effectively uses a simple narrative to answer the question clearly and directly. Here’s how she does it:
The first quick paragraph sets up the what and the why (built two virtual clubs to maintain sense of community) of the challenge she faced.
Next, the student efficiently addresses how her experience shaped her engagement with complex, perhaps controversial ideas, and how learning to effectively engage can promote social cohesion.
Finally, she explores how she wants to apply these insights to her experience and engagement with the Columbia community, including a specific school opportunity (Columbia iQ) that she envisions contributing to in specific ways.
Show your values. This student packs tons of values into this essay. Read it again and see how many you count. Don’t know what your values are? Do our Values Exercise, and identify the core values you want Columbia to come away with after reading your essay.
Use structure to guide your reader. Each paragraph has a clear structural purpose—1) Problem I faced; 2) What I did, the impact it had, and what I learned; 3) What I’ll bring to Columbia because of 1 + 2. Clear topic sentences and transitions are your friends.
Add a “why Columbia” specific detail or two + “how will you contribute” language. The specific examples in the final paragraph can help a reader envision how this student will become part of and contribute to Columbia’s community. Whether it’s continuing your advocacy work with an on-campus organization, or honing your debate skills in your discussion-based core classes, let Columbia admission reps know you’ve explored why you fit with Columbia’s community and that you’re thinking of how you can apply your experiences to life on campus. Finally, one small way the essay above could be strengthened is by adding or tweaking language to more directly address the “the way you would learn from” part of the prompt.
How to Write Columbia Supplemental Essay #3
At Columbia, students representing a wide range of perspectives are invited to live and learn together. In such a community, questions and debates naturally arise. Please describe a time when you did not agree with someone and discuss how you engaged with them and what you took away from the interaction. (150 words or fewer)
Part—and really, a big part—of the college experience is being exposed to new people and perspectives. This prompt is the perfect springboard for showing your natural curiosity and interest in engaging in lively, productive discussions. “Productive” is key there—how have you learned to engage in ways that lead to understanding and growth (rather than, say, yelling), and how have you changed because of what you’ve learned from (or discussed with) others?
A few things to keep in mind as you brainstorm possible topics for this prompt:
Don’t think you have to write about a knee-jerk issue and a blow-up here. You can. But the point of this prompt is essentially to help a college see the kind of student you will be in a classroom—can you engage with people who disagree with you in ways that lead to productive discussions rather than just shouting or conflict. (See Tips below for more on this.)
Focus more on the engagement, change, and growth than on the conflict. How you engaged on the issue, what you learned, and how you grew are far more important to your readers here than the conflict itself. You can plan on spending fairly little word count on the conflict/topic, so that you can spend most of your time exploring some deeper whys.
For a bigger guide to these kinds of prompts, with further examples and analysis, head here.
Here’s an example essay written for a similar prompt for Brown that illustrates how you’ll want to approach these kinds of prompts:
Example essay:
The perspective of my father consistently challenges me. He lives in Missouri and does not believe the government should issue mask mandates and that as long as we take vitamins we will be alright. He believes that the government is trying to manipulate the general public with restrictions that neglect the individual freedoms of the people. I, on the other hand, believe that mask mandates are essential to ensure that the general public is better protected.
He wanted me to visit him in Missouri for our usual slate of activities—the State Fair, ComicCon, water park, and World War II museum—and I wasn’t sure what to do: I wanted to make good on my plans with my dad, but also wanted to stay true to what I knew was right.
In the end, I decided to go and see him, but laid out clear rules and conditions that would make me comfortable. Personal relationships are important to me, and I want to maintain a connection with my dad despite the fact that we live far away from each other and it is hard for us to accept our differences in ideas.
At the same time, I needed to draw healthy boundaries that would make me feel comfortable and respected. I’m invested in public health, and want to be a model of doing the right thing, even if it would have been a blast to whoop my dad’s butt in the Magic the Gathering tournament at Comic Con.
Tips and analysis
Show your stance. One common fear with these “differing opinion” supplemental essays is that the admissions officer reading it may not agree with you. Guessing the admissions officer’s personal position is actually not the point of these essays. Many colleges have opted for supplemental questions like this because of widespread public concern around free speech on college campuses and requests from their college leadership and Board of Trustees to identify students who are willing to listen to multiple viewpoints. A student’s response is more powerful when they specifically clarify their position, rather than sticking to vague terminology so that the reader will see them as “neutral.” Otherwise, you run the risk of coming off as apathetic or indifferent. Here, this student gives specific examples of their support for COVID-19 mask mandates, which was a pretty polarizing issue in the U.S. Other students may choose a less controversial opinion—either route is fine! You can choose any opinion, so long as it A.—represents a “strong disagreement” based on your own values-system—and B.—concludes with a clear sense of how you approach dialogue.
Consider the “yes, and” approach. No, it’s not just an Ariana Grande bop/banger/ popular music term most relevant the year you’re reading this blog—it’s a lifestyle. Admissions officers are looking to identify instances that show your college-readiness and maturity across your application. Colleges appreciate students who understand that most important disagreements are nuanced and can’t be solved by binary, black-and-white solutions. This student’s dilemma—wanting to maintain their meaningful personal relationship with their dad while not compromising their boundaries, comfort and staunch belief in public health guidelines—provides a great case study for this point. They had to embrace a hybrid solution to honor their intersecting values: YES, I want us to continue to bond and enjoy one another, AND here are the ways I’m comfortable doing that. Choosing a disagreement that was difficult for you to voice or challenged multiple values you hold dear is a great way to show that you’re ready to tackle complexity—on college campuses and beyond.
And here’s an essay written for Princeton’s old version of this prompt:
Example Essay:
I probably argue with my grandfather more than I do with most other people combined. It’s not because we’re at odds. We just have different perspectives, influenced by our experiences—his as a life-long resident of India, mine as a first-generation American.
One pretty common argument we have is over Eastern vs. Western medicine. My solution to a headache, for example, is to take Advil. His is to rub Tiger Balm on his forehead and coconut oil on the soles of his feet. I try to convince him of the benefits of taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, describing how it can reduce inflammation by blocking the production of certain chemicals. He tries to convince me that the balm creates a cooling effect, distracting the brain from pain and relaxing the muscles. Rather than becoming sore at or resentful of each other, we’ve grown closer through these debates, and I’ve learned how to disagree without letting the situation get acrimonious.
Through these interactions, I’ve learned that a discussion shouldn’t be confrontational. The purpose isn’t to win, but to share my knowledge with the other party and learn from them as well. So rather than saying, “Rubbing balm on your forehead is stupid; you should just take Advil,” I say, “While rubbing balm on your forehead seems to work, I’ve noticed that taking an Advil has a stronger and more immediate effect.” Respecting the opposing party makes them more willing to hear you out.
I’ve also learned there’s a fine line between logic and emotion. I try not to take personally the things my grandfather says in an argument. Just because he doesn’t think taking Advil is the better solution doesn’t mean he thinks I’m stupid. If I take it that way, we begin to move away from what the argument really was about—the facts.
I’ll continue to apply these learnings in discussions and debates I have with others, realizing that having a “successful argument” isn’t about winning. It’s about sharing my opinion and learning from theirs, expanding our perspectives without alienating each other.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
The conversation topic can be anything. You might assume that for your essay to be attention-grabbing, you need to pick a “hot topic” like a recent SCOTUS decision or climate change. And those topics are fine, if they’re really reflective of who you are. Instead, consider challenging yourself to go more obscure. Less cliché. More you. Smaller discussions can be just as lively… just as relevant… and just as revealing. Who didn’t spend time debating whether the Vans tennis shoes were gray/teal or white/pink? Or whether brussel sprouts are great or gross. (Spoiler: The shoes are actually “mahogany rose” and “true white.” The jury is still out on the sprouts.) This student does a great job at finding a unique cultural difference—Tiger Balm vs. Advil—and showing how he’s used that as a springboard to finesse his art of debate and understanding.
But it’s important to show growth or a new understanding. In the tennis shoes debate, perhaps what was most interesting to you was the realization that people truly saw one set of colors vs. another. And they weren’t necessarily wrong: Our brains perceive colors in different ways. So perhaps this argument revealed to you that issues really aren’t black and white (or gray/teal) but that there’s sometimes a spectrum of “right answers” stemming from our backgrounds or even our physiology (e.g., taste buds, eyesight)—and that’s changed the way you’ve approached other, more impactful arguments. The student above uses the last lines in his second and third paragraphs—and the entire closing—to show how his perspective has shifted—all because of headaches.
Be willing to be wrong. We can learn as much from our failures as we do from our successes. In fact, sometimes, it says more about us when we’re willing to be vulnerable enough to admit we’re wrong—or, at least, not entirely right. This student echoes that point, acknowledging it “isn’t about winning.” Instead, having viewpoints that are different from those he respects and admires helped him learn about balancing logic and emotion as well as practice the art of listening.
How to Write Columbia Supplemental Essay #4
In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not anticipate. Please describe a situation in which you have navigated through adversity and discuss how you changed as a result. (150 words or fewer)
Here, Columbia wants to know about your ability to rise to adversity. Why? Well, college will throw a whole bunch of new experiences at you, and while you may be prepared for some, others may take you by surprise: Classes may be harder than you thought, people may be talking about ideas you’ve never heard of before, you may have never been away from home for a long period of time, etc… So when you invariably do face new challenges in college, Columbia wants to know how you’ll respond.
If you’ve looked at some of our guidance on personal statements, you might think this prompt sounds a lot like a shorter narrative essay. And, in many ways, it is. You’re going to want to quickly and clearly explain a “barrier or obstacle” you’ve faced, explain the effect it had on you, explain what specific things you did to overcome it, and then explain “the personal qualities, skills, or insights” you learned. The trick here is to do all of that in fewer than 150 words. So how do you do it?
Focus on what matters most:
what did you do to respond to the challenge, and
what did you learn from how you responded?
These are the two key questions readers will be most interested in learning about.
The example below, written for a very similar prompt for another school (with a larger word count), would work well for this Columbia prompt.
Example:
I’ve gotten used to running around, waving my arms, trying to get students enthusiastic about exercise. As a volunteer teacher at a special needs fitness camp, I usually ended up getting more of a workout than the kids. After a few moments of tirelessly waving my arms, I noticed that Connor hadn’t moved from his starting position, but was instead on his third round of a video game on his phone. Once again, I tried my method of excitedly jumping and shouting to motivate him, but my exuberance was not enough. Eventually, he stood up, walked up to me, and slapped me in the face. Realizing the gravity of his mistake, he apologized profusely, and then in typical Connor fashion, gave me a big bear hug.
That’s when I realized my teaching style wasn’t going to work with every student. So I tried something different with Connor. Instead of shouting encouraging words from the bench, I ran laps with him. Rather than the usual pushups, we made up new exercises, like the burpee ball-pass. Connor taught me that overwhelming students with instructions was less effective than finding creative ways to engage them.
Jasmine taught me about self-love. She was overweight, and as her coach, I thought it was my job to teach her healthy habits. But as I watched Jasmine exercise with vitality and enthusiasm, I realized that I’d been focusing on the wrong thing. Jasmine yearned to improve her form in the exercises and stay active, and I focused on helping her find enjoyment in it. Her attitude demonstrated to me that health is not defined by pants size, but by an eagerness to learn and grow.
John made me a better instructor. A new student in the fitness program, he was quiet and timid. As his mentor, I gave him space to open up, but I soon realized that in my patience, he only withdrew further. I discovered that sometimes, the solution isn’t patience, but some impatience. Pushing and challenging John helped him find more confidence in himself and his movements, and it taught us both to work outside our comfort zones.
My students have taught me that it’s not enough to be good at something to be a good teacher. I also have to be good at recognizing my own shortcomings and adjusting my approach when needed.
Tips + Analysis
Think broadly about what a “challenge” can be. When asked to write about adversity, we’ve seen a lot of students say something along the lines of “but I haven’t really experienced any adversity.” Many of these students think that if they haven’t fled war, fought off some obscure disease, or saved a child from a burning building, they don’t have anything worth writing about. And sure, those could make for amazing essays. But you don’t need something extreme here. To be clear, if you have experienced significant challenges, and you’re willing to write about them, you can certainly do so. But notice that this writer’s challenge works, too. Their challenge isn’t something as tangible as a fire or war. Instead, it’s the challenge of overcoming their “own shortcomings” in an effort to connect with their students. That’s definitely worth writing about.
Get specific with what you did This writer uses details like “big bear hug”, “ran laps” and “jumping and shouting” to show key moments in the essay. The result is that it’s easy to “see” actions this writer took over the journey of this essay. This essay explores relationships with three different students, which is partly why it ends up stretching out to 390 words. If this writer were to revise this essay for the Columbia prompt, they’d need to reduce the amount of context they provide about the camp in the opening paragraph, and really sharpen the examples in their essay. Instead of writing three separate paragraphs for each student, they could instead condense them all into a single paragraph with clear and precise “what I did” and “what I learned” components.
Get specific with what you learned. It's also easy to “see” this writer’s growth. They found “creative ways” to engage their students; they learned to “work outside” their “comfort zones”; they learned to define health not “by pants size, but by an eagerness to learn and grow.” The specificity makes it clear that they’ve reflected deeply on the relationships they’ve created with their students. The result is that readers trust that this student will continue to reflect on how they navigate adversity in the future. And, believe it or not, colleges don’t want or need you to have all the answers. They will think it’s pretty cool if you have the humility to reflect clearly on moments of growth, though.
Check out this bonus essay below for another example of how you could approach the “overcoming adversity” prompt. Like the one above, this one would need to be shortened to meet the word limit, but the content is a good example of what kinds of things you could discuss in a response to this prompt.
_ _ _
We were walking down Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv, just a few months after the Revolution of Dignity, when people rallied there to stand up to the government and oust a corrupt president. My father explained to me that volunteers help others because of their belonging to a community; their contribution became vital to Ukraine’s rebirth.
From that moment, I started to look for opportunities to engage in the community. In the 9th grade, I stood in front of the thirty students who promised to say “Wow!” to any physics experiment. I wanted to show them how to set fire to cotton wool using a battery and foil, but I tried this experiment shortly before the demonstration. I quietly set fire with a lighter, since a short circuit in the battery happens only once. As part of the student council, I successfully conducted the following science fairs sessions.
My first volunteering contribution beyond the school walls happened in my 10th grade. Reaching out to the regional coordinator of a children’s film festival, I suggested my help. During ten days of the festival, I greeted the cinema workers. With another volunteer, every morning, we talked about the festival, presented films, and counted the torn corners from the tickets — the votes for the best film. But at this event held at the city level, only two volunteers engaged in the organization. Why did not other people join us?
To tackle this issue, I decided to develop a united volunteering community in my town. Communicating with participants about logistics, fundraising, and writing posts on social media, I carried out two Schools of Volunteering, trainings #VTalk and FAQ: Volunteering, cleaning in the park, and walking dogs. As a result, 250 people volunteered and joined the community, and five of them became members of our team to continue developing the community.
Over the past year, I started to push my limits. I learned how to cover transportation and accommodation costs for speakers and lunch for participants, having two hundred dollars. Dealing with children, I needed to be creative, for I fashioned a “tree of dreams” for the Children’s Day festival using a coat rack, scotch tape, and some colored paper. As I joint a pet shelter, I overcame my fear of dogs. I cherish my experience of volunteering community in Chernihiv, and I look forward to joining a similar community in college. (397 words)
How to Write Columbia Supplemental Essay #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. (150 words or fewer)
This prompt is your classic “Why us?” essay, only it’s a bit on the short side with a max of 150 words. We recommend checking out our complete guide on how to write the “Why us?” essay and pay close attention to the “Why Cornell” and “Why Penn” examples, which are our favorites. The “Why Tufts” essay is a nice example of how you can write a shorter version of the “Why us?”
Here’s the abbreviated version of how to write the “Why us?” essay:
Spend 1 hr+ researching 5-7 reasons why Columbia might be a great fit for you (ideally 3-5 of the reasons will be unique to Columbia AND connect back to you).
Per the last sentence of the prompt, make sure you’re focusing on opportunities you can only (or mostly only) find at Columbia (and not, say, New York City). That’s so important to school officials, they made a point to add that clarification to the prompt this year.
Make a copy of this chart to map out your college research (see it below as well).
Create an outline for your essays based on either Approach 1, 2 (recommended), or 3 in my full guide above.
Write a first draft!
Here’s a great sample essay for this prompt. Note that this essay is nearly 300 words (Columbia’s word count used to be longer)—yours will need to be a bit shorter.
Example:
Columbia cultivates a focus on diversity of intellect, research, art, and tradition that brings me home.
At North Carolina Governor’s School, the My Lai Massacre, determinism vs. free will, and epistemology were just a few of the topics we discussed in seminars. During the 5.5 week program, I asked myself countless questions: How should we define truth and knowledge? What principles would rule the ideal society? How does Plato’s Allegory of the Cave apply to my experiences? Similar to that found at Governor’s School, the discourse surrounding the Core forges a sense of community and curiosity that will allow me to delve further into these inquiries. In fact, the Contemporary Civilization course closely resembles the GS focus on the investigation of relevant political, moral, and social issues. Further, the flexibility to take unique courses such as Cognitive Mechanics and Economic Behavior and Research Ethics & Philosophy will allow me to gain a clearer understanding of the connections between my chemistry research and impactful societal, religious, and technological decisions and realities.
The research opportunities at Columbia are unparalleled. The SURF program will allow me to further my knowledge of the applications of chemistry by delving into research in a laboratory at Columbia. I hope to build upon my research in catalysis through work in Dr. Robert Farrauto’s lab, which places a refreshing focus on environmental sustainability through catalysis engineering.
Outside of the classroom and the lab, whether it be through CU China Dance or Raw Elementz, I hope there is a stage in NYC that will embrace my dancing. Further, the tree-lighting, hot-chocolate drinking, and acapella singing that occur each year are just a few of the many traditions that strengthen the Columbia community–ones that I want to be a part of.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Identify unique opportunities at Columbia. The prompt is asking you kindly not to write about its location, or its friendly students, or any other quality you could ascribe to hundreds of other schools. You can tell this student spent a good deal of time doing her research. The great thing about a “Why Us?” essay is that once you’ve compiled your research, it almost writes itself.
Follow the formula. This essay answers the question using a template that’s very basic, and we don’t mean that pejoratively. The writer gives us “example + personal connection” over and over again. Her examples include most of the “Why us?” greatest hits: In the author’s own words, “intellect, research, art, and tradition.” So, find specific coursework and research opportunities and faculty that align with your (hopefully specific) interests, extracurriculars that nourish your creative side, and campus culture-y things you identify with. Then put these in an order that makes sense to you. And don’t forget:
Make it personal. Even though she packs a lot of research into these 291 words, this is not a merely expository essay. We learn a lot about what matters to her and what stokes her curiosity—the intellectual vitality leaps off the page. That string of questions she asks herself do a lot of the legwork early on.
Remember, “Why us?” = Why Columbia + Why Me. Another great thing about this essay is the way the writer matches her own values with Columbia’s. As important as identifying your own values is identifying those of the schools you’re applying to, and connecting the two in ways that show the two of you are compatible.
How to Write Columbia Supplemental Essay #6
Columbia College - What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College? (150 words or fewer)
Columbia Engineering - What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer)
This essay is what we call a “Why Major” essay.
You’ll find a step-by-step guide to writing this essay at this link, but here’s the short version:
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.
Step #3: Decide if you want to include a specific thesis that explicitly states your central argument—in this case what you want to study and why. This thesis can be at the beginning, middle, or end of your essay.
Step #4: Write a draft!
Here’s a great example from a previous version of the prompt. Note that this example is nearly 300 words, and yours will need to be no more than 150 words.
Example:
Hikes along the Great Wall. Sharing freshly fried green onion pancakes from a food stand with my cousins. Three-person moped rides through busy streets. Dinners with my extended family.
Every trip back to Wuhan, China, is marked by these events and numerous other shared moments with family. Yet, when I am reminded of China, I instead envision people rushing around busy streets wearing face masks to avoid pollutant inhalation, the rarity of blue skies on any given day, and the disturbing level of air contamination that prevents my relatives from leaving their homes. Seeing this phenomena so clearly on a day-to-day basis during my visits has been a call to action.
Working with Dr. Hotz in the Department of Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering at Duke allowed me to combat these problems directly. Throughout the summer of 2016, I explored methods of improving the efficiency of the Dry Reform of Methane (DRM), a reaction that transforms harmful waste gas to a useful syngas, through catalysis. I was able to investigate a novel method of catalyst synthesis that drastically reduced the costs associated with catalyst creation and increased the efficiency of the Dry Reform of Methane. These benefits may propel the reaction towards use in industry. Breakthroughs in catalytic research for the DRM have the opportunity to transform energy sustainability and increase environmental sustainability.
In a “values” auction at Governor’s School, I bid $800 of my allotted $1000 dollars on a single value: Making an Impact. My experience in chemical research thus far has shown me that chemistry has an incomparable ability to influence lives in substantial ways, which is why I hope to study chemistry at Columbia. (277 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Show you have skin in the game. The writer is clearly invested in the cause of environmental sustainability. He makes a smart choice by opening with that lovely “mini-movie moment” of cherished memories, then laments how these memories are polluted by China’s dangerous air quality. His cause is personal. And he has literally bought in.
Geek out when possible. How ’bout that third paragraph? This guy knows his stuff and has the experience to back it up. Knowledge of specialized language is a great way to demonstrate fit to major, so use a measured amount of geeky (read: insider) language. But be careful not to overdo it or you risk alienating your reader. This essay is a nice example of how to walk that line.
Look to the future. Not only does this student prove he’s a good fit for his major, he tells us that Columbia is the right launchpad for his mission to use chemistry to “influence lives in substantial ways.” Wouldn’t you want someone like that on your campus? Since “Why Major” essays offer natural connections to potential future careers, if you know what career you want to pursue, consider ending the essay with that look forward. Even if you don’t know what you want to do yet, you can still share some insights into how your major will prepare you for life after college.
And here are two more examples to illustrate the direction you’ll want to head with this prompt, regardless of your major:
Bonus example:
I fell in love with computers at nine when I learned how to make a graphical turtle crawl across the screen, and I’ve written code every week since. I am self-taught in nine programming languages (my favorite is C++), which I learned through iteration and persistence. Teaching advanced algorithms at a programming bootcamp for the past two years allowed me to share my love of computer science with others.
My interest in CS runs deep—from studying memory virtualization to the beauty of the B-Tree O(log n) search algorithm. Writing protein folding simulations for my biology teacher peaked my interest in computational science. Building real-world machine learning models during each of the last two summers expanded my awareness of the types of problems computers can help solve.
Over the years, though, I have shaped a focus: security. In the process of running multiple servers, developing custom security software, and configuring the switching and routing for a 96-computer network, I became fascinated with the challenge of creating secure systems. Software has found its way into all aspects of our lives, creating staggering risks to privacy and security. These are problems I want to study, understand, and solve.
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Bonus Example:
Engineering primarily appeals to me because of my nuclear engineering summer internship with Applied Research Associates.
Initially, my team and I conducted static tests, placing a radioactive isotope in the center of the room and then reading the output to look for certain outcomes based on our government contract.
Then we did dynamic testing where professionals took out the detectors in different scenarios to see how they would perform in real-life operations. At the end of each detector run, I handed out surveys and interacted with the professionals before categorizing their survey opinions.
The remaining weeks alternated between static testing and dynamic. I analyzed the data and results with my coworkers. I loved speaking with my incredible team, six of twelve of whom held PhDs, and learning about the broad range of nuclear engineering careers. Asking them about their college experiences, I found that most of them wished they had conducted more research earlier. Their insights were invaluable as I headed into my senior year. This internship demonstrated what life as an engineer could look like and solidified the fact that I want a career in engineering.
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Special thanks to Nick Muccio for writing this blog post.
Rather than candy, Nick (he/him) went searching for people’s vacuum cleaners when trick or treating. He’s since found other ways to help people clean, usually involving their essays (though he has great ideas on carpet maintenance, too). He earned a degree in Psychology from Bates College, where he rowed boats and acted in plays. Teaching high schoolers English for seven years taught him about the importance of presence and knitting sweaters. He sweats a lot, usually on purpose, and usually involving running shoes, a bike, or a rock climbing harness. His greatest fear? Heights. His greatest joys? Numerous, though shared laughter is up there.
