The following Columbia Business School interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by an Early Decision MBA applicant. Good luck to them!
I met with my interviewer off-campus in the city where I live (East Coast city, not NYC) at a coffee shop over the weekend. I wore a suit and they also wore business attire. The interview was conducted by a recent graduate who also lives in the city. All scheduling and outreach is the applicant’s responsibility once you are matched in their online portal. The interview was blind so I had to provide my resume in advance (I put it in the Google Calendar invite), and I provided a hard copy at the meeting. My interviewer had clearly read my resume and casually referenced items during our discussion, which I appreciated.
The questions were relatively stock, and included (in order best I can remember):
– Tell me about yourself
– Walk me through your resume
– Tell me what your plan B is if you don’t get your dream career after school
– Why an MBA? Why now?
– Why CBS?
– What sort of leader are you?
– What questions do you have for me?
We wrapped up by having probably a 20 min discussion about their time on campus, what they do for work, and specifics about recommendations for your first year on campus. Overall it was a very approachable, friendly discussion that I enjoyed. I think their format speaks well to the CBS ethos.
Clear Admit Resources
Preparing for your Columbia Business School admissions interview? Check out Clear Admit’s other resources:
- Clear Admit Columbia Business School Interview Guide: Strategic tips for approaching CBS’s interview questions, and more.
- Interview Archive: More firsthand accounts from CBS applicants themselves
- Understanding the MBA Admissions Interview: Blind Interviews vs. Non-blind Interviews
- Podcast Episode 23: 5 Most Common MBA Interview Questions You Need to Ace
