columbia university essay guide

How to Write the Columbia University Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2023/2024

How to Write the Columbia University Supplemental Essays TABLE OF CONTENTS

What are the columbia university supplemental essay prompts.

• How to write each supplemental essay prompt for Columbia
• Prompt #1: "Intellectual development" essay
• Prompt #2: Short answer questions
• Prompt #3: Short answer questions
• Prompt #4: "Why us?" essay
• Prompt #5: Columbia College: "Why major?" essay
• Prompt #5: Columbia Engineering: "Why major?" essay

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 .

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 four 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.

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

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

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

Prompt #5 - Columbia College

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

Prompt #5 - 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: 

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

• 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.

Note that the example below was from when Columbia asked for multiple lists, but the content still points you in a clear direction.

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

While “an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint 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.

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

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.

This is a new prompt for Columbia this year, but the example below, written for a very similar prompt for another school (with a larger word count), would work well.

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.  — — —

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.

Bonus example:

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 #4

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.  

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.  — — —

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 #5

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. 

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) — — —

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:  

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. — — —

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. — — —

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. 

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Columbia-Specific Application Questions

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

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

2023-2024 Columbia-Specific Questions

Instructions.

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

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

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

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

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the expert guide to the columbia supplement.

College Essays

Less than 5% of applicants are admitted to Columbia every year. Do you want to be one of them? If so, you'll need to write amazing Columbia essays as part of your application.

In this article, we'll outline the different types of essays you need to write for your Columbia Supplement and teach you how to write an essay that will help you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.

What Does the Columbia Supplement Include?

Like many major colleges and universities, Columbia University requires its applicants to submit essays as part of their application for admission.

The supplemental materials section of the Columbia application for admission consists of two sections : four Columbia-specific essay questions and two list answer questions.

The Columbia essay prompts offer you plenty of opportunities to show off your qualifications as an applicant and wow the admissions committee. The short answers are designed to showcase your personality and creativity.

What Are the Columbia Supplement Essays

Here are the prompts for this year's supplement:

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

2. 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)

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

The Columbia supplement also has a unique list section. Here's the prompt for the Columbia supplement list: 

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)

We'll talk more about how to write great responses for each prompt below.

Columbia Essays, Analyzed

In this section, we'll be looking at all four of the Columbia supplemental essays in depth.

Remember, every applicant must answer each of the prompts, so you don't get to choose which essay you would like to write. You'll need to answer each essay prompt well if you want to be admitted to Columbia. Additionally, you only have 200 words to answer the first three prompts (and even fewer—35 words!—for the fourth prompt), so you'll need to be efficient.

Let's take a look at each of the Columbia supplement questions and see how to write something meaningful for each.

Columbia Essay #1: The Diverse Community Question

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)

This question is essentially asking for your experience and goals in contributing to communities that have a variety of experiences and backgrounds but are still able to work well together. As mentioned in the prompt, college campuses are hugely diverse in many ways. Columbia wants to ensure they're admitting students who will both accept that diversity and contribute positively to it. 

For this prompt it's important to show why being part of a diverse community is important to you and the steps you take to add to it. As the prompt mentions, you should discuss what you've already done to increase collaboration in a diverse group, and explain how you’ll apply what you’ve learned from that experience as a member of Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community.

To answer this prompt, describe a perspective or lived experience pertaining to diversity and collaboration that is important to you, why it’s meaningful to you, and how your experience and perspective will bring value to the Columbia community. Be sure to touch on why diverse communities are important to you and how strong collaboration within them is beneficial to everyone.

Columbia Essay #2: The Why Columbia Question

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

This is a version of the "Why This College?" essay that appears on many applications. This question probably seems easy to answer, but it will actually require some careful thought. What this question really wants to know is why Columbia is the only college for you and how you will fit into the culture of Columbia University.

Put another way: how is Columbia a good fit for you, with your academic experiences and interests, and how are you a good fit for Columbia, based on your understanding of the school's culture and identity?

This means your response needs to get right into the specifics . A good response might include specific aspects of Columbia's academic, extracurricular, or professional offerings that attract you, and how you see yourself fitting into those aspects of Columbia.

You can only do this well if you've done your research. You want to show admissions counselors that you've taken the time to learn about Columbia, its academics, and its culture. You should definitely mention specific courses you want to take, clubs you want to join, or professors you want to work with.

The kiss of death for an essay like this is being overly general . For instance, avoid making general statements about how Columbia is a prestigious, well-renowned school. Admissions already knows that attracts students! Your goal is to write a specific, unique response that showcases what you value about Columbia and why you're a perfect fit for the school.

Columbia Essay #3: The Fields of Study Question

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)

st like on the first two short answer questions, Columbia admissions wants to hear about a unique or insightful experience from your life. This question is not asking you to regurgitate a list of AP courses you took or extracurriculars you participated in. I t's asking about a pivotal experience that sparked your interest in the fields of study you put on your application.

To write an effective response to this question, consider choosing a specific experience or situation that tells the story of your background with the areas of study you noted in your application. If you can contextualize your interest in the field of study you put on your application by showing the narrative behind it, admissions counselors will likely find your application to be more memorable.

For example, let's say that you want to major in biology because your sister has sickle cell anemia. You've seen how her illness affects her, and you want to help develop new treatments that could make her life, and others' lives, better. That's exactly the type of personal story admissions counselors' want to hear!

Just avoid listing accomplishments and activities or describing a broad range of general experiences in response to this question. Make your response unique by focusing on your passion!

Columbia Essay #4: The Fields of Study Question

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

This prompt is inviting you to relax, have a little fun, and show a side of yourself that Columbia won’t find in your other application materials. By asking you to write about something that brings you happiness “distinct from your goals and achievements,” this fourth and final prompt is your chance to really show who you are as a person instead of as a GPA, test score, or extracurricular activity. Because this prompt only allows you 35 words, your goal should be to identify one thing, activity, person, place, experience, or idea that makes you happy and provide a brief but strong explanation for it. Columbia wants to see “who you are as a unique individual,” so choose a source of joy that’s a big part of your identity or life experience. For instance, maybe your dad took you to the movies every time you were sad growing up, and as you’ve gotten older, heading to the theater alone has become your favorite mode of self-care. But simply writing that going to the movies makes you happy isn’t specific enough for this essay. Describe the context around your happiness at the movie theater and the aspects of the experience that evoke that feeling of joy in you. Basically, write like you’re trying to make Columbia feel what you feel at the movie theater. The things that make us happy are a window into our values, beliefs, and who we are inside. Focus on a specific source of joy that’s unique to who you are and your experiences, and you’ll be right on track for this final Columbia supplement essay.

Columbia List Questions Analyzed

The two list questions appear first on the Columbia-Specific Application Questions section. To answer these questions, applicants are instructed to list each individual response using commas or semicolons, without any additional explanatory text .

The application also specifies that the List Question responses don't have to be numbered or included in any specific order (e.g. favorite to least favorite, most recent to least recent, etc.).

List Question #1: The Leisure Readings Question

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)

This List Question is another that will give admissions counselors a better picture of how your academic life and personality intersect. Your list of books, essays, poetry, short stories, or plays that you enjoyed most in your leisure reading will show what topics and issues you're interested in beyond what you're reading in school. They'll also give a sense of your engagement as a literary and cultural citizen.

It's tempting to use this list to try to flex on the committee, but trust us: admissions counselors will know if you're making things up. (Trust us: no one is going to believe you're reading War and Peace for fun.)

While you want to be authentic in your response here, you need to remember that this question is still part of your college admissions packet. That means you need to make sure that you're choosing works that aren't deliberately offensive or inflammatory.

Our pro tip? Make a huge list of books you've enjoyed, then narrow the list down until you think you've chosen a good mix of works that represent your interests and personality.

List Question #2: The Media Content Question

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)

This list question is asking you to show your commitment to being an engaged, global citizen. You'll do this by listing the media sources you regularly consult in order to stay informed about world, national, and local issues.

A good answer to this question is going to show that you're a media-literate person . This means that the sources you list should be considered credible and reliable, not biased and sensationalized. Your answer will be a window into how you evaluate sources of information and make decisions about what will make a valuable contribution to your knowledge and awareness of what's happening in the world.

Having said that, this question also gives you the chance to show some of your niche interests . Maybe there's a podcast about the political significance of rap music that you regularly listen to. Perhaps you religiously read The New York Times' Food Column. Or maybe you're an avid scuba diver, so you subscribe to the PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) newsletter. You can also include museums you love to visit and learn from, or social media accounts you're especially fascinated by. Really any source you use to learn about the world is fair game here.

Think of this as a chance to show aspects of your personality that might not be revealed through other parts of your application, in addition to your media literacy skills.

How to Write a Great Columbia Essay: 3 Key Tips

Regardless of which Columbia essay prompt you're responding to, you should keep in mind the following tips for how to write a great Columbia essay.

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person.

You should, then, make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Columbia wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Clichés and Overused Phrases

When writing your Columbia essays, try to avoid using clichés or overused quotes or phrases.

These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Strive for originality.

Similarly, avoid using clichés, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work.

Columbia's admissions committee will see hundreds, if not thousands, of essays that talk about how much the applicant loves New York City. Saying that you want to study amongst the bright lights of the Big Apple is trite and overdone. If you are excited about going to school in New York City, make sure that you have a really specific reason that also ties to Columbia's opportunities.

#3: Check Your Work

It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Columbia essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Columbia application, make sure 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 Columbia essays, 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 you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

Recap: Writing the Columbia Supplemental Essays

Your Columbia essays cover a lot of ground! You'll have the opportunity to share why you want to attend Columbia, as well as about your academic interests and potential pursuits. You'll also get to talk about Columbia's community and the art and literature that interests you.

Be honest and sincere in your Columbia essays. Make sure your essays are a great representation of who you are as a person, not just as a student or your resume.

What's Next?

Wondering how to excel on the "Why Columbia" essay? We break down this essay prompt and specific examples on our blog.

You might be wondering what kind of test scores you need to get into Columbia and other similar schools. We tell you what good scores are for Ivy League schools plus MIT, Stanford, and UChicago here .

Looking for a detailed guide on how to be one of the few students accepted to Ivy League level schools? Read PrepScholar co-founder Allen Cheng's reflections on his college application and tips for how you can get into Harvard and other Ivy League-level schools .

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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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.

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)

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. 

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

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

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

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

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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How to Write the “Why Columbia” Supplemental Essay

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Joseph Recupero in a CollegeVine Livestream. You can watch the full Livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

• Do Your Research
• Discuss How You Will Contribute to the Columbia Community  
• Don’t Talk About Generic Features
• Speak with Current Students for Inspiration
• Don’t Answer Other Prompts  

This post will address how to write Columbia’s fourth supplemental essay about why you’re interested in attending Columbia.

This prompt encourages you to consider the aspects you find unique and compelling about Columbia. The most important word in this prompt is unique . The best essays written in response to this question give a compelling reason why you want to attend this school specifically. Below are 5 tips to follow when drafting your essay. 

1. Do Your Research

You have to do your research for this prompt. You can’t just say Columbia is an awesome school and it’s an Ivy league school and it’s in New York. These points are easy turnoffs. Don’t mention New York City. There are plenty of schools in NYC; this is not why Columbia is unique.  

Instead you want to focus on what in particular about Columbia appeals to you. Is there a specific professor whose research is related to your academic interests? Is there a unique club or activity that you are passionate about joining? Are there special programs at Columbia that align with your career goals? Things like this are much more compelling for an admissions officer to hear, and they tell the committee more about who you are as an applicant.

2. Discuss How You Will Contribute to the Columbia Community 

A great essay speaks to both individual experiences and activities you’re excited to pursue on campus. It should also demonstrate how you relate to the campus culture and why you find that attractive.

This goes back to the idea that Columbia is really looking for students who are going to be energetic members of their community. Including specific details here is always a good idea. Columbia’s admissions officers want to understand how you will fit into their student body and be active on campus. 

3. Don’t Talk About Generic Features

You want to avoid talking about generic features like location and things that are shared by many colleges. For example, every college has a gym and every college has an alumni network. You want to highlight things that are unique or different about Columbia. 

Because there are many competitive applicants to Columbia, this essay prompt can be a real danger or give you a leg up! It’s one of the real big ways you can differentiate yourself. If you highlight the fact that you have really done your research by including specifics about Columbia’s curriculum, community, or offerings, you will set yourself apart from other applicants.

4. Speak with Current Students for Inspiration

A great way to learn about unique aspects of Columbia is by talking to current students. You can get a perspective that is a little bit more textured and qualitative than what you would read about online.

One way to find current Columbia students is through your own personal network; however, if this is not an option you can reach out to your school counselor and see if they know any alumni who went to Columbia. 

You can also contact a Marketplace expert from Columbia or attend a virtual panel with current Columbia students to learn more about why Columbia is unique. 

5. Don’t Answer Other Prompts 

You could write about career aspirations and unique associated opportunities, but these topics line up better with other essay prompts. You certainly don’t want to get too deep into academics because you want to have material left over for your intended major essay.

Keep these 5 tips in mind when writing your “Why Columbia” essay to differentiate yourself from other applicants. 

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

5 Columbia University Supplemental Example Essays (2023)

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

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

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

What is Columbia University's Acceptance Rate?

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

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

Columbia University Acceptance Scattergram

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

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

What are Columbia University Supplemental Prompts for 2023?

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

Here are the Columbia writing supplement questions for 2023:

Columbia Writing

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

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

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

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

For additional guidance, visit our website.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Columbia University EssaysThatWorked

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

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

Columbia University Essay Example #1

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

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

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

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

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

Socially conscious and politically active.

Never taking its eye off the national or global stage.

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

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

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

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

Supporting of extraordinary ambitions.

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

Survival of the Sickest - Sharon Moalem

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

The blockade of immune checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy - Drew Pardoll

The Physical Universe - Arthur Beiser

Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

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

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers - Paul Kennedy

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

On World Government - Dante Alighieri

Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 - Tony Judt

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

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

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - Hayao Miyazaki

Weapons of Math Destruction - Cathy O’Neil

Algorithms to Live By - Brian Christian

Giant of the Senate - Al Franken

The Sublime Object of Ideology - Slavoj Zizek

The Theoretical Minimum - Leonard Susskind

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

The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling

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

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

The Feynman Lectures on Physics: Volume 1 - Richard Feynman

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov

Justice by Lottery - Barbara Goodwin

History: A Very Short Introduction - John H. Arnold

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

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

The Economist

The New York Times

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

The Atlantic

The Washington Post

Paulgraham.com

Waitbutwhy.com

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

Scientific American

Flowingdata.com

StackExchange

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did you think of these Columbia essays?

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

What's New

What Are Columbia's Essay Prompts?

How to Answer Columbia's Essay Prompts?

General Guidelines

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

The Essay That Got Me Into Columbia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

List-Based Question

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

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

Short Answer Questions

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

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

Requirements

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

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

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

How to Answer Columbia’s Supplemental Essay Questions?

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

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

Diversify Your List

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

Be Authentic

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

Consider the Impact

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

Format and Presentation

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

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

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

Prompt 2 (Short Essay)

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

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

Reflect on Your Unique Perspective

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

Show, Don't Just Tell

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

Connect to Columbia's Community

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

Embrace the NYC Advantage

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

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

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

Prompt 3 (Short Essay)

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

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

Identify a Genuine Challenge

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

Narrate the Journey, Not Just the Outcome

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

Highlight Personal Growth

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

Connect to the College Experience

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

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

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

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Prompt 4 (Short Essay)

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

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

Research, Research, Research

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

Connect to Your Goals and Interests

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

Beyond Academics

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

The Core Curriculum

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

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

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

Prompt 5 (Short Essay)

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

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

Reflect on Your Journey

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

Specificity is Key

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

Connect Past, Present, and Future

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

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

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

How Anuar Got Into Columbia

General Guidelines for Answering Columbia's Supplemental Essay Questions

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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Key Resources & Further Reading

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

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Columbia University Essay Guide 2020-2021

In this Columbia University Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Columbia University supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

If you have your sights set on Columbia University, you’re probably pretty confident in your SAT or ACT score and GPA. Okay, so the numbers check out — but getting into a school like Columbia is about way more than numbers. It’s about fit, voice, and personality. It’s about adding something to the student body other than just another perfect test score. I mean, yawn. Columbia isn’t your typical Ivy — it’s in the middle of New York, which means it has all the progressive buzz of a big city juxtaposed with the academic tradition of the Core Curriculum (more on that later). Anyway, it’s unique, and that’s why your application should be all about standing out, rather than fitting into some mythical Ivy League student mold. Read on to find out how to do just that by hacking the essay questions.

The Columbia Voice

Let’s talk style before we delve into substance. Of course, the most important stylistic voice on your application is your own — and this section isn’t going to tell you to change it to appear to be some elusive, perfect Columbia applicant. Instead, let’s talk about how you can amplify certain aspects of your personality on the page to appeal to those all-powerful admissions officers. Guess what, they’re people, too — that’s why you should treat the written part of your application like a conversation. It’s your only chance to actually talk to them. So, talk!

Stay away from textbook language and relax a little, rhetorically speaking. You should be able to read your responses aloud but sound less like you’re reading an application, and more like you’re reading the transcript from an interview. That said, mind your grammar and spelling (this is Columbia University, after all). But stay far, far, away from the thesaurus. You already aced the vocab section of the SAT, no need to make things all daedalean and discursive.

The Columbia Voice, however, is more than just conversational. It’s clever. It’s confident in its own intellectual curiosity, unafraid to pose questions when others may feel intimidated. Express that curiosity in your essays, and make sure to talk more about your desire to learn, rather than your academic accomplishments. Remember, you’ll be speaking up a lot in seminar. So start now.

The Questions

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 narrative or explanatory text is needed. It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications. Author names may be included, but are not required. You do not need to fill the entire space or use the maximum number of words; there is no minimum word count in this section, so please respond to the extent that you feel is appropriate.

Please list the following (150 words or fewer for each question): the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year; the titles of books read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year; the titles of print or electronic publications you read regularly; and the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most in the past year.

This question throws a lot of applicants off at first — is it some kind of test? are they checking to see if we find literary analysis just so irresistible that we can’t help but write five paragraph essay about the symbolism of so-and-so’s something-or-other in chapter eight?

Don’t overthink it. As a Columbia applicant — and I’m just taking a wild guess over here — you might be a little bit of an overachiever. However, this is not the time to list every book you’ve ever read. Pick your favorites: the ones you truly enjoy, the ones that have stuck with you over the years.

Imagine you’re recommending a book, a show, a magazine, etc. to your best friend. Let your authentic personality shine by being totally honest — yeah, you might read The Wall Street Journa l every morning, but maybe you’re far more captivated by Food Network Magazine or Vogue . Or, maybe you read both. Don’t leave out publications, books, or shows that you genuinely enjoy just because you don’t think they’re “academic” or fit some Ivy League stereotype. Ivy Leaguers read Cosmo, too.

That said, you might want to stay away from adding anything along the lines of 50 Shades or Twilight . Then again, Columbia is known for being the progressive, edgier older sister in the Ivy family, so it’s really up to you in how much of a risk you want to take. Does including less-conventional titles add to the story your application is telling as a whole? Does it actually make sense? If so, go for it. But don’t do something just for shock factor, because the admissions officers will see right through that. Remember — be genuine .

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)

Think about the different communities that exist within your life. Are you a member of your school’s marching band? Do you pick up your little sibling from soccer practice after school every day and cook her dinner while your parent is busy at work? Do you volunteer at your city’s polling sites each year?

As you can see from the question, there’s a really wide range of things that can be considered to be a community. In this essay, show not only how you’ve contributed to a community, but also convey why community is important to you. The Columbia admissions officers are looking for students that will positively impact their community — they want to see what motivates you and what you’ve done, so they can get a better idea of what you might contribute to Columbia.

In this essay, try to write about a part of your life that isn’t already represented elsewhere in your application. Brainstorming can go two ways: 1) you could start by deciding on a community to write about, then discuss how you’ve influenced that community, or 2) start by thinking about the various impacts and changes that you have made in general, and then choose the community based on whichever impact feels the most important to you.

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? (200 words or fewer)

Here’s where you write an ode to the Core Curriculum . Seriously. Find a certain course or aspect of the Core that truly resonates with you and focus on that, connecting it to the role you see yourself playing within the Columbia community as a whole. You can mention clubs you see yourself joining, organizations you see yourself volunteering for, even spots on or near campus in which you can see yourself studying (visiting campus definitely makes that last one a bit easier, but you can spend a few minutes on google maps street view to get inspired).

You should also definitely mention New York City , and the many opportunities this provides for Columbia students, but be careful with this one. Again, you don’t want to accidentally write a “Why I Want to Go to College in New York City” essay if it’s Columbia that you want in particular. When you talk about the city, be specific, and continue to tie in the core — like how Music Humanities includes a trip to the Met Opera, Art Humanities takes you to The Met multiple times, and Frontiers of Science will have you explore the American Museum of Natural History.

Don’t forget to say how you value having a traditional campus as well, and how special it is to have this oasis within the big city. Talk about what you will bring to campus, and what you will add to the core. Do you have a unique perspective on a certain text that you can’t wait to discuss in Literature Humanities ? Which text? What would you say? Or maybe it’s a certain painting in Art Humanities, or a sonata in Music Humanities. Whichever class you choose to focus on, establish what you bring to the table — and make it something unique; you don’t want to seem replaceable. Remind them not only why you need Columbia, but why Columbia needs you.

If you are applying to Columbia College, 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.

If you are applying 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..

Think of this response as a mini personal statement — your common app essay, but make it Columbia. You’ll want to tie in your application’s narrative to Columbia itself. However, be wary of repeating yourself — you want to ADD to the personal narrative you’ve crafted so far, not rehash the same things over and over again.

Imagine you’re writing a paper: although you state your thesis in the introductory paragraph, you don’t just repeat it throughout the paper — it evolves and deepens as the paper progresses, just as your story should develop throughout your application. This is your concluding paragraph. It’s substantial, detailed, and confident.

So, how do you do this? First, start off strong with a statement about what makes you unique, leading into a brief anecdote.

Mine was, “I’m a creative learner.” Then, I talked about how I took notes in class in high school by drawing comic strips in my notebook instead of boring old bullet points. Then, I went into talking about my choice courses of study — Creative Writing and Art History. You can use this “anecdote-to-major” formula for writing about pretty much any course of study — even you, engineering majors, can dig deep and embrace your inner creative writer (I promise you won’t have to do it again once you get into SEAS).

After you’ve tackled the “experiences” part of the question, it’s time to get really specific. Spend some time with the online directory of classes and research specific classes you’re interested in taking. Now is the time to mention professors, theories, books — connecting it to your own personal philosophy and unique perspective, of course.

This Columbia University essay guide was written by Gabriela Vascimini, Columbia University ‘21. If you want to get help writing your Columbia application essays from Gabriela or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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Columbia University 2020-21 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

The Requirements: 4 lists of 150 words each; 3 essays of 200 words each.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community , Activity , Why

Columbia University  2020-2021 Application Essay Question Explanations

Your college application is full of lists, from your transcript and test scores to your resume and activity list, but that hasn’t stopped Columbia! Their supplement asks you to generate four more lists, each revealing something new. As a general mindset, try to approach each one as if you were a curator. Can you pick items that connect to a common theme in surprising new ways? Can you turn seemingly contradictory interests into a humorous juxtaposition? When the prescribed format is a list, order matters just as much as content, so use every element of the assignment to your advantage!

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

The key to this list is honesty. You may be tempted to rattle off the longest works or most impressive-sounding titles, but to create the most authentic and unique list, you need to answer the question. What is it that you enjoy in an academic setting? Homework may not be your favorite thing in the world, so ask yourself: What has excited or surprised you in the past year? What texts motivated you to work, read, and apply yourself to challenges? What has inspired you? Maybe it was a single Emily Dickinson poem, or maybe you couldn’t get enough of your physics problem sets. Consider the full scope of options (including textbooks!) and don’t shy away from picking texts from disparate subjects. This is your shot to reveal yourself as a well-rounded student and to demonstrate how your mind works.

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 or less)

While the last list was about your academic mind, this list is all about your time off. How do you entertain, soothe, or rest your mind during your non-academic reading time? Similar to the preceding list, you’ll need to be careful to avoid self-aggrandizing or pandering choices. Don’t top your list with Crime and Punishment unless you genuinely picked it up of your own accord, read it from start to finish, and loved every second of it. Think not just of the most recent books you’ve read, but also of the old classics you can’t help rereading (“ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (for the fifth time)” or “My sixth grade diary”). Play with the sequencing here: how would you set these up in your library? Chronologically? Alphabetically? Thematically? According to the relationship between authors? Can you draw fun connections between your favorite works? Or maybe you can make an entertaining leap from the sublime to the ridiculous by placing a classic work of fiction alongside a graphic novel. Have fun with it! After all, this list is, at its core, about what you do for fun.

List the titles of the print or digital publications, websites, journals, podcasts or other content with which you regularly engage. (150 words or less)

This list is probing for your understanding of what it means to be an informed citizen. What do you think are the most responsible ways to engage with the world? What do you consider a reliable or worthwhile source of information? Newspapers and news sites may be the first sources that spring to mind, but don’t stop there! What’s the first thing you read every morning? What’s your go-to for a specific topic of interest? Do you absolutely love the sharp satire of the Onion or the crisp writing of a style blogger? Beyond simply showcasing your engagement with the world, this list can reveal the specific political and cultural niches you care most about.

List the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most during secondary/high school (in person or online). (150 words or less)

When constructing this list remember that the medium and the content both say something about you! Perhaps you’ll list an array of events and activities all related to the environment, to show how much you care about the issue. On the other hand, you could enumerate a range of plays and musicals to highlight your enthusiasm for theater. Finding a central theme that speaks to a passion or your favorite way to take in the world around you (visual, verbal, physical) will help you transform your favorite experiences into an incisive look into your recreational brain.

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)

Chances are, you’ve done some community service at some point in your life, and Columbia asks you to reflect on that experience. The prompt is clear about what it wants you to cover and you have up to 200 words, so your response will require condensing! In some ways, this is a glorified resume entry, but you can bring it to life by devoting more of your word count to concrete, personal details instead of a verbatim recitation of the mission and vision of the organization you volunteered for (or worse, a bloated list of clichés related to the value of service). Why do you care so deeply about a particular cause, culture, or community? What have you contributed to this community and how did that experience make you feel? Remember that fundamentally, community service is not about personal glory or achievement; it’s about doing what you can to help others. Reflect on why being part of a community is important to you and, for bonus points, touch on how you would like to contribute to Columbia’s community once you arrive on campus.

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? (200 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, programs, and experiences that excite you. In the end, you’ll need to go beyond simply listing the things that appeal to you. (For once you can write in full sentences!) You will need to make a more personal point: what do your interests reveal about YOU?

Now, revisit the question. Columbia doesn’t just want to know why you want to go there, but specifically what you “value.” Examining your research, ask yourself: what is the common thread in everything I have written down? Is it being a part of a global community? Once in a lifetime research opportunities? Something more abstract and philosophical? Imagine you’re writing a mission statement. In describing what you value about Columbia, how can you reveal what you value, period? Maybe an interest in a cappella points at an appreciation for collaborative working environments. Or perhaps your entrepreneurial aspirations will be fulfilled by Columbia’s unique Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. Whatever the case may be, you should consider writing this essay before any of the lists, since this is your primary opportunity to speak to admissions in your own voice!

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)

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

These are two classic why essays. Regardless of whether you’re applying to Columbia College or The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, your essay should be personal and, if possible, unexpected. This is not the place to detail your love of New York City or the dining hall. And Columbia already knows it has an impressive alumni network. Admissions wants to know what excites you about the specific school within Columbia to which you are applying — something that is aligned with your interests and academic background. So as with all why essays, you’ll want to set aside some time for research either in the form of a campus visit or deep dive on the school website. Even if you already have a great idea, a little fact-checking never hurt anyone. Since you don’t have a ton of words at your disposal, try to narrow your focus down to one or two elements and make a bridge from Columbia’s resources to your own experiences and goals for the future. Is there a professor in your department who has done research you admire that you hope to work with? Is there a program that combines your unique interests that is not offered at any other school?  Get specific. Let Columbia know what resources you will take advantage of that others might not think of or know about.

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