Columbia Business School Admissions Tips
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COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL
- The Columbia Business School MBA Program
- CBS
DEADLINES
September 2012 MBA Deadlines
August 2012 Entry:
Early Decision: October 5, 2011
Merit Fellowship Consideration: January 4, 2012
Regular Decision: April 11, 2012
January 2012 Entry:
October 5, 2011
Options and Deadlines
One MBA, Two Paths
Columbia Business School students may enroll in either August or January. The two paths, each comprised of four terms, merge in the fall of the second year to complete electives as a single class. The paths are identical in terms of competitiveness of admissions, academic rigor, and student resources, however they differ in terms of timing and the opportunity to complete a summer internship.
August Entry
About 70 percent of Columbia MBA students begin their studies in the fall term. After mandatory orientation in the second half of August, regular classes begin in September. Most August-entry students complete a summer internship between their second and third terms.
The August entry has two review periods — early decision and regular decision. Because the School uses a rolling admissions process, it is always to your advantage to apply well before the deadline.
Early Decision
- Available for August entry applicants only
- Application deadline in early October
- Early decision applications are reviewed, and decisions rendered, before regular decision applications
- Candidates have decided that Columbia is their first choice and must sign the following statement of commitment within their applications: I am committed to attending Columbia Business School and will withdraw all applications and decline all offers from other schools upon admission to Columbia Business School.
- Applicants must submit a nonrefundable $6,000 tuition deposit within two weeks of admission
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Candidates may submit regular decision applications as soon as the application becomes available in the summer
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Regular decision applications are reviewed after early decision applications
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No statement of commitment required
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To be considered for merit-based fellowships, applications must be submitted by the specified merit-based fellowship deadline in early January
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Final application deadline in April
January Entry
Students who do not want or need an internship may consider beginning their MBA studies in January and completing their second semester of classes during the summer. A January start may be ideal for students who wish to remain in the same industry after graduation or pursue entrepreneurial interests. About 30 percent of students enter in January.
Please note that there is no early decision option for January entry and that, due the timing of the application cycle, January-entry applicants are not eligible for merit fellowship consideration. The Admissions Office begins reviewing applications for January entry once the application becomes available in May. The final application deadline is in early October.
(found at http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/options; accessed 2011/07)
ESSAYS
The 2011-2012 essay topics are below:
In addition to learning about your professional aspirations, the Admissions Committee hopes to gain an understanding of your interests, values and motivations through these essays. How you answer these essays is at your discretion, there are no right or wrong answers and we encourage you to answer each question thoughtfully.
Dual Degree applicants: Please address the following questions within your response to Essay 1: How will the Dual Degree enhance your post-MBA and long-term professional goals?
Reapplicants: If you have applied to Columbia Business School within the past year, you are required to answer the "What is your post-MBA professional goal? " question and submit the reapplication essay. If your last application was more than one year ago, you must answer Essays 1, 2 and 3.
Short Question
What is your post-MBA professional goal? (200 Characters)
Essay 1
Considering your post-MBA and long term professional goals, why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? Additionally, why is Columbia Business School a good fit for you? (Maximum 750 words)
Essay 2
Describe a life experience that has shaped you. The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. (Maximum 500 words)
Essay 3 (Select and answer one of the below)
Option A:
The annual A. Lorne Weil Outrageous Business Plan Competition is a student initiative managed and run by the Columbia Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO). The competition encourages Columbia MBA students to explore creative entrepreneurial ideas that are sufficiently ambitious in scope and scale to be considered "outrageous." Students explore these ideas while learning firsthand what goes into the development and presentation of a solid business proposal.
Develop your own "outrageous" business idea. In essay form, compose your "elevator pitch." (Maximum 250 words)
Option B:
Columbia deeply values its vibrant student community, the building of which begins at orientation when admitted students are assigned to clusters of 65 to 70 fellow students who take most of the first-year core classes together. During the first weeks of school, each cluster selects a Cluster Chair. Further strengthening the student community are the nearly 100 active student organizations at Columbia Business School, ranging from cultural to professional to community service-oriented. Leadership positions within the cluster and/or clubs offer hands-on management and networking opportunities for students as they interact with fellow students, administrators, faculty members, alumni, and practitioners.
You are running for either Cluster Chair or a club leadership position of your choosing. Compose your campaign speech. (Maximum 250 words)
Option C:
Founded nearly three decades ago, the Executives in Residence Program at Columbia Business School integrates senior executives into the life of the School. Current executives in residence include more than a dozen experts in areas ranging from media and investment banking to private equity and management. A hallmark of the program is one-on-one counseling sessions in which executives advise students about their prospective career choices.
Select one of the current executives in residence with whom you would like to meet during your time at Columbia. Explain your selection and tell us how you would best utilize your half hour one-on-one session. (Maximum 250 words)
Optional Essay
Is there any further information that you wish to provide to the Admissions Committee? Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history. (Maximum 500 words)
Reapplicant Essay
How have you enhanced your candidacy since your previous application? Please detail your progress since you last applied and reiterate your short-term and long-term goals. Explain how the tools of the Columbia MBA will help you to meet your goals and how you plan to participate in the Columbia community. (Maximum of 750 words.) This essay should be inserted into the text box designated “Essay 1.”
(found at http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/applynow/apprequirements#essays; accessed 2011/06)
Recommendations
All applications require two recommendations. If you have been working full-time for at least six months, one recommendation should be from your current supervisor. The second recommendation should be from either a former direct supervisor or from another professional associate, senior to you, who can add personal insight into your candidacy.
If you are a college senior or have worked full-time for less than six months, at least one, but preferably both, of your recommendations should be from a person who can comment on your managerial abilities. You may ask a summer employer or another person who you feel can objectively assess your professional promise. The second recommendation may be from a college professor.
Recommendation questions include:
- What is your relationship to, and how long have you known the applicant? Is this person still employed by your organization? If not, when did he/she depart?
- Please provide a short list of adjectives describing the applicant’s strengths.
- Please compare the applicant’s performance to that of his/her peers. Does the applicant have the potential to become a senior manager?
- How effective are the applicant’s interpersonal skills in working with peers, supervisors, and subordinates?
- How does the applicant accept constructive criticism?
- Comment on your observations of the applicant’s ethical behavior.
- What do you think motivates the candidate’s application to Columbia Business School?
- In what ways could the applicant improve professionally?
- If you could change one thing about the applicant, what would it be?
- Are there any other matters which you feel we should know about the applicant?
Please be aware, the Admissions Committee does require all application materials be submitted online, including recommendations.
(found at http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/applynow/apprequirements#recommendations; accessed 2011/06)
Entering Full-Time MBA Students: 739 Students
Average GMAT: 712
Median GMAT: 680 to 760 (middle 80%)
Average Age: 28
Average Work Experience: 3 to 7 years (middle 80%)
Rolling Admissions: Yes
% Students who are Women: 35%
% Students who are International: 40%
Rankings
Bloomberg Businessweek: 9
U.S. News & World Report: 9
Financial Times: 7
Employment
Average Base Salary: $106,472
Median Base Salary: $100,000
(found at http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/school/columbia-business-school/a/info; accessed 2011/07)
CRITERIA
Admissions Criteria
Who makes a good applicant?
Columbia Business School looks for intellectually driven people from diverse educational, economic, social, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. Students share a record of achievement, demonstrated, strong leadership, and the ability to work in teams.
The Admissions Committee seeks intellectually inquisitive applicants with superior academic credentials from their undergraduate and graduate programs. Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential. Fluency in multiple languages is not required for admission but is increasingly desirable for the study and practice of global business.
Over the past five years, competition for admission to Columbia Business School has continued to rise steadily. The School typically receives and reviews 5,500 to 7,000 full-time MBA applications each year, and in recent cycles only 15 percent of applicants were admitted.
FAQ
Vince note: please read the Columbia MBA Admissions FAQs for useful tips ▸ http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/faq
FAQ highlights
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TESTIMONIALS
Columbia Business School MBA Class of 2010
Vince is an unbeatable counselor who can provide the best customized service for clients based on his exceptional insight and vast experience with Top B-schools. I believe it was impossible to get admitted without him, considering my busy work and below-average test scores.
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He provided me with flexible and attentive support beyond any large "yobikou" (prep. school).
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Moreover, his practical advice and powerful brainstorming helped me clarify my essay topics efficiently.
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At times, he seemed to think about my application far more seriously than me, which inspired me to work harder to maximize my potential to get where I am today.
-Updated by Vince on 18 Nov 2011
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