Columbia University Admission Essays Examples

Q. 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)

I am of Korean American heritage. At my high school, I am proudly part of a very diverse community of students. One thing I have discovered is that sharing a common interest can bring people together. In my art classes, through the shared passion of aiming for perfection—whether creating a self-portrait, a cartoon, or an electric sculpture of wires—we can celebrate and learn from our individual perspectives. All art arises from deep within the self of the creator, and we must all respect one another’s selves.

But this is not only true of art, but all academic passions. Columbia’s collaborative community would expand my field of vision. Its common core curriculum brings all students together through shared knowledge. At Columbia, I would strive to share my experiences with my peers, and grow academically as I listen to and emphasize with those with different views, backgrounds, and ways of life, and hopefully expand upon my interests.

Q2. 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)

When I visited Columbia’s campus, I felt like I was in the middle of a bustling oasis of learning in the middle of New York City. Butler Library alone has two million books in it, as well as a café on the ground floor. I have worked as a library volunteer (for over thirty hours) and I can imagine myself spending long hours studying at Butler. I am often happiest at the library.

The Lenfest Center of the Arts and Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery would allow me to study art on campus and enrich my work by being exposed to the work of other artists I might otherwise never know about. Columbia offers opportunities for self-directed learning, as well as a rigorous common core.

The location of the campus in the middle of my favorite city in the world makes Columbia my dream school. I often loved looking across the Hudson River from the New Jersey side. Columbia would turn my world around, literally and figuratively, enabling me to see the world from the other side of the Hudson.

Q3. 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)

I am applying to Columbia University as an undecided major, but not as an indecisive person. Columbia’s programs are so vast, I wish to explore them in greater depth before deciding on my final academic path. Columbia’s emphasis on a common core curriculum, and giving every student a foundation in all the major liberal arts, sciences, and humanities, aligns with my own. Even in today’s increasingly specialized economy, I still think the ideal is to be a well-rounded person.