Essay for the Columbia International BA?

College Essays
1

I’m looking to the CityU of Hong Kong – Columbia Dual BA, probably majoring in IR and East Asian Studies. It’s the first year they are doing direct entry and I was wondering how people have written the essays for Columbia’s international dual BA programmes. I’m more familiar with the UK style of personal statement. Is it at all like the CommonApp essay?

For reference, the essay question is noted below:

Describe why the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program is the right fit for your academic goals, including details on why you have indicated your chosen academic track for years one and two at CityU and your anticipated major at Columbia. How will your intended areas of study at CityU and Columbia complement one another?

Please also describe why you are a good fit for the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program: How have your previous academic experiences prepared you for the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program? Please be as specific as possible. (750–1,000 words)

2

I have not seen this before. However, I think that I would recommend three things (and the first two are pretty close to being the same thing):

Be genuine.

Write something that sounds like it came from you, a student, and not from a professional or an AI system.

If you are applying to this program, you should know enough about it that your essay can be very specific to this program and to why it is interesting to you.

To me this program sounds very interesting (or might be interesting if I were a great deal younger than I am). However, your essay needs to be specific to your words and your thoughts.