Columbia MBA News

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Published: September 16, 2015

Generous Columbia Alum Donates Additional $25 Million for New Manhattanville Campus

Columbia Business School (CBS), already in the throes of a year-long celebration of its centennial anniversary, has even more cause to pop the champagne thanks to an additional influx of $25 million toward development of its new Manhattanville campus, the school announced on Friday. Billionaire private-equity investor Henry Kravis ’69, who in 2010 pledged $100 million toward CBS’s new campus, has upped his donation to $125 million, building upon the school’s significant fundraising momentum. “Manhattanville will be transformative for the business school,” Kravis said in a statement, stressing the collaborative nature of how business is done today. “The business school is being designed to take advantage of [this], as well as have the flexibility to adapt to whatever changes are going to be necessary to teach business courses in the future,” he continued. Read more

Published: September 10, 2015

Does Working For The Family Business Hurt Your MBA Potential?

This post has been republished in entirety from its original source, metromba.com. Working for the family business can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience. Building a family legacy that will last for generations is the main goal of many family businesses. And often, to achieve that goal, additional education, such as an MBA, is necessary to move the company to the next level. However, it’s not always easy to head into an MBA program when you work for the family business and plan to continue working for the family business. Letters of recommendation, work history, application essays, and interviews can all become awkward when you suddenly mention that your experience is all connected to your family. But that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your MBA. In fact, many MBA applicants that come from family businesses can make their experience work to their advantage. After all, no one can be more difficult to work for than family. Read more

Published: August 25, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: Early Decision / Alum / Off campus

The following Columbia MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by an Early Decision applicant who has been accepted Columbia Business School. Congratulations to them! This website has helped me greatly to get accepted to Columbia Business School! I want to share my experience here and hope it can help others who are going through the application process. Below is the timeline of my application: Submit all materials: 6/21/2015 Interview invite: 7/13/2015 Interview date: 8/5/2015 Interview feedback submitted: 8/12/2015 Acceptance call: 8/24/2015 The interview was scheduled at a local cafe at 9am. Read more

Published: August 24, 2015

MBA Interview Jitters? Don’t Miss Clear Admit’s Latest Interview Guides

We know. The interview can be one of the most nerve-wracking components of the entire MBA application process. But it doesn’t have to be. Clear Admit’s in-depth Interview Guide Series provides expert advice and insider tips on what to expect and how to prepare—helping you quash the MBA interview jitters and ace the interview. A sample page from one of the guides. With interview invites already rolling out at schools like Columbia Business School and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, now’s the time to check out these valuable guides. Five in the series have just been updated for the 2015-16 application season: CBS, Tuck, INSEAD, HBS and Fuqua. Read more

Published: August 21, 2015

UCLA Hosts 13th Annual Diversity MBA Admissions Conference Saturday, August 22nd

Admissions representatives from 25 leading business schools meet with prospective business school applicants today in Los Angeles as part of the 13th annual Diversity MBA Admissions Conference (DMAC). This annual event is organized by the Riordan Programs Alumni Association (RPAA), a Los Angeles‒based organization devoted to helping prepare high school and college students and recent college graduates from diverse backgrounds and underserved communities for careers in management. Admissions team members from Columbia Business School, Cornell’s Johnson School, Dartmouth’s Tuck School, Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business are among the more than two dozen slated to attend. Prospective MBA applicants who attend will get to interact directly with admissions directors from top schools face to face as part of small-format roundtable sessions, learning about the schools’ curriculum and student culture as well as each school’s admissions process. Read more

Published: August 17, 2015

Columbia Business School Centennial Celebration to Include 15 Months’ of Activities

Columbia Business School is turning 100! Yesterday marked the kickoff of a Columbia Business School centennial celebration designed to mark a century of developing leaders who impact both business and society. As part of the celebration of the century, the school has unveiled a new website that captures the achievements of the past 100 years through stories, photographs, a comprehensive timeline and more. CBS has also announced 15 months of events and programming and debuted a brand-new video series that showcases the school’s achievements while looking forward to its future impact. “Since 1916, Columbia Business School has been shaping the landscape of the modern business world as a producer of cutting-edge research and ideas, innovator in the way education is delivered and developer of a global network of extraordinary influence,” CBS Dean Glenn Hubbard said in a statement. The school will call together that global network over this year and next to celebrate, he added. “Together, we will help usher in a new century of impact, innovation and community.” Read more

Published: July 31, 2015

Columbia MBA Interview Report: J Term / Alum / Off-campus

The following Columbia MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a J-Term applicant. I just completed my interview for the J Term entry with an alum. We met at a coffee shop in a five star hotel. The interview was conversational and the alum was forthcoming and made me relax throughout. We ordered our coffees and the interview began. These were the questions I was asked: 1. Why are you joining company X? ( I was between jobs and was about to start a new job) 2. Why are looking to do an MBA? Read more

Published: July 31, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: J-Term / Alum / Off campus

The following Columbia MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a J-Term applicant who is awaiting a decision from Columbia Business School. Best of luck to them! I just completed my interview for the J-Term entry with an alum. We met at a coffee shop in a five star hotel. The interview was conversational and the alum was forthcoming and made me relax throughout. We ordered our coffees and the interview began. These were the questions I was asked: 1. Why are you joining company X? ( I was between jobs and was about to start a new Read more

Published: May 26, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: Regular Decision / Alumnus / Off Campus

We just received the following Columbia MBA admissions interview report from an applicant who is waiting on a decision from Columbia. Best of luck to them! This site was extremely helpful when preparing for the CBS interview, so I wanted to make sure I gave back. I applied Round 3 and submitted my application on April 14. I received an email inviting me to interview on May 6. The AdCom gives you 5-6 people in your area for you to chose from. I contacted an individual and the interview was set up for 2 weeks from when I emailed my interviewer (Memorial Day weekend didn't help for scheduling it any sooner). Read more

Published: May 26, 2015

Columbia Business School Admissions Director Provides Insight into 2015-16 Essays

Columbia Business School (CBS) kicked off the application cycle for the Class of 2018, sending its application live in late April, before any other leading business school. Though this year’s essay questions aren’t hugely different from last year’s, the school’s admissions director took time to share her perspective on the subtle changes with Clear Admit and offer some guidance to applicants who may be preparing to embark upon the application process. Speaking to Clear Admit yesterday, Admissions Director Amanda Carlson turned first to the school’s first essay prompt—the “career goals/why a Columbia MBA now” question. Read more

Published: May 12, 2015

Morgan Stanley Donates $2.5 Million to Columbia Business School’s New Facilities

Pop quiz: How many Columbia Business School (CBS) alumni work for Morgan Stanley? Graduates of the New York City business school make up 245 of the investment banking giant’s current employees, CBS reports, including Chairman and CEO James Gorman ’87 and Brad Evans ‘70, managing director and vice president of the firm’s investment banking department. Gorman and Evans, together with CBS Professor Meyer Feldberg ’65, also are members of the school’s Board of Overseers. Ties between the school and the firm grew even stronger earlier this spring when Morgan Stanley donated $5.25 million toward CBS’s new Manhattanville facilities. The “transformative gift,” as a press release last week called it, will create two Morgan Stanley Suites, one in each of the new buildings now under construction. It represents the largest corporate contribution to the Manhattanville Campus to date. Read more

Published: April 23, 2015

Potential Leaders in Global Real Estate Should Have McDonough in Their B-School Sights

Benefactors of McDonough's new Steers Global Real Estate Center The new Steers Center for Global Real Estate at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, launched yesterday, promises to redefine the educational experience received by both undergraduate and graduate students preparing for leadership roles in global real estate, the school reports. Formerly known as the school’s Real Estate Finance Initiative, the Steers Center will offer students one-on-one career planning with professors and mentors, as well as experiential learning opportunities through the Real Estate Clinic and Real Estate Laboratory. Consulting projects and career treks will further expand the global nature of real estate opportunities at McDonough. McDonough Dean David A. Thomas asserts that the new Steers Center will offer students “a transformative program that provides an opportunity to engage the world of real estate through a very practical approach.” He also expects the Steers Center to propel McDonough toward its goal of becoming the premier destination for global business education, he said in a statement. Read more

Published: April 21, 2015

Leading Business Schools Commemorate Earth Day

From Philadelphia to Los Angeles, business schools and their students are endeavoring to combat climate change at both the campus and the corporate level through innovation, conservation and awareness raising. The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, for its part, is hosting the 8th Annual Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) Conference. This year’s theme, “Business Takes the Lead,” will examine how business innovation holds promise for helping the world both mitigate and adapt to climate change. Read more

Published: April 9, 2015

Columbia Business School Dean Proposes Radically Simple B-School Rankings Methodology

Penning a recent column for Forbes, the dean of Columbia Business School (CBS) took on the question of whether and how much the seemingly ever-multiplying rankings of leading business schools matter. His answer: yes – but an applicant’s individual needs should outrank any number affixed to a school in the many rankings that abound. CBS Dean Glenn Hubbard, an economist, argues that the quality of a business school can be measured by two simple metrics, input and output. By input he means applications, specifically how many applications a school gets and whether application volume is trending up or down. “It stands to reason that the marketplace of prospective students will send the most applications to the best schools, which will, in turn, have more selective admission rates,” Hubbard wrote. Read more

Published: March 29, 2015

Columbia Business School Admissions Gears Up for J-Term Applications

While Columbia Business School (CBS) admissions is still busy reviewing applications for students hoping to secure a spot for fall 2015, it is also preparing for applicants to the January Accelerated (J-Term) program, which provides an innovative opportunity for candidates whose career goals don’t require a summer internship. Columbia’s J-Term condenses the entire academic program of the two-year MBA into 16 months. Beginning in January, candidates study straight through the summer, foregoing the summer internship that is part of the traditional two-year MBA. For those who can achieve their career goals without a summer internship—entrepreneurs or those who plan to return to a family business, for example—the J-Term’s condensed schedule presents a significantly lower opportunity cost than the two-year MBA. Read more

Published: February 22, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-campus

We just received the following Columbia MBA admissions interview report from an applicant who just received an acceptance from Columbia. Congratulations!! I told myself no matter what the outcome of my interview I would give back to this site because it helped SO MUCH in interview prep and making me feel prepared. Read more

Published: February 20, 2015

Columbia MBA Interview Report: Regular Decision / Alumnus / Off-campus

The following Columbia MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Regular Decision applicant who was admitted. Congratulations to them! I told myself no matter what the outcome of my interview I would give back to this site because it helped SO MUCH in interview prep and making me feel prepared. Spoiler Alert: I got in! So extra points because this site really did help 🙂 I applied 1/5/15, got an interview invitation 1/26/15, had my interview 2/4, interviewer submitted review 2/5, and got an acceptance call 2/17. Overall, I agree with most of the posts in that Read more

Published: February 15, 2015

Prodigy Finance Offers No Co-Signer Loans, Helping Solve Funding Challenges Facing MBAs Studying Abroad

Studying outside of the country of your nationality or residence can present many benefits to prospective MBA applicants. See the world, improve language skills, expand horizons, learn first-hand how increasingly global the business world has become. And yet, one major hurdle can sometimes prevent ambitious, talented prospective MBA applicants from pursuing their education abroad. That pesky little detail of funding. Traditional banks are reluctant to lend across borders because tracking and enforcement of those loans suddenly becomes more difficult. Many U.S. banks, for example, won’t lend to foreign students without a U.S. co-signer, someone local the banks can go after to recoup their debt if the borrower fails to repay. Read more

Published: January 27, 2015

Columbia Business School Launches New Center for Social Enterprise

The big news out of Columbia Business School (CBS) today is the creation of a new center devoted to social enterprise. A generous endowment gift from Sandra and Tony Tamer will establish the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, which will be devoted to developing leaders focused on impacting society and the environment through management. The new center will also serve as a hub for all future social entrepreneurship activities at Columbia. The Tamers’ gift expands CBS’s existing Social Enterprise Program, establishing the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, which will provide seed grants of up to $25,000 to select nonprofit, for-profit or hybrid early-stage social ventures centered on social innovation and impact. It also allows for expansion of the existing Loan Assistance program, which helps alleviate the burden of repaying educational loans for MBA graduates who pursue careers in the public, nonprofit and social entrepreneurial sectors. The Tamers’ gift will expand this program, increasing the number of alumni it helps as well as the duration of the loan assistance from a maximum of five years to 10 years. Read more

Published: January 25, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Early Decision / Adcom / On-Campus

The following is a report from a recent applicant who provided their Columbia EMBA admissions interview questions: I applied early decision to the EMBA - Saturday program. My interview was on Wednesday and I received an offer for admission the next day. The interview lasted only 30 mins. The atmosphere was formal. I wore a business suit and my interviewer was dressed in business formal as well. There was a third person in the room taking notes. This is not common. I was told that this person is new and will be listening in. I was asked the following questions. Read more

Published: January 1, 2015

Columbia Business School Welcomes New Assistant Dean and Dean of Students

On Monday, January 5th, Zelon Crawford will become the new assistant dean and dean of students for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School, the school announced last month. Crawford comes to CBS from Villanova School of Business, where she served as director of graduate business programs and recruitment. At Villanova, Crawford led the MBA and MS program review of academic content, student services, admissions standards and communication and processes to enhance the student experience. She also worked extensively with academic and corporate partners to deliver programs on Villanova’s two campuses and online. In all, she brings more than 15 years of experience at top business schools and companies, having also worked at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, New York University’s Stern School of Business, American Express and Accenture. Read more

Published: November 30, 2014

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: J-Term / Alumnus / Off Campus

The following is a report from a recent applicant who provided their Columbia MBA admissions interview questions. I applied for the January term. Application was submitted on October 1st, and I received an interview invite about 3 weeks later. Interview is with an alumnus, and I had to choose from a random list that was sent to me. A list consists of 6 names, and I had to go through two lists before finding someone who was able to fit me into his schedule. In total, it took me about 2-3 weeks to schedule Read more

Published: November 30, 2014

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Early Decision / Alumnus / Off Campus

The following is a report from a recent applicant who provided his Columbia MBA admissions interview questions. I met with a 2004 graduate at a cafe near his office at 8 AM on a Friday. The interaction was very friendly and casual. We started off with minor chit-chat before diving into the actual "interview". See below for the order of questions that the interviewer asked. Note that the conversation flowed very smoothly and it wasn't as if the interviewer was going down a checklist. Read more

Published: November 25, 2014

Columbia Business School Shares Updates on J-Term Admits, Regular Decision Interview Invites

Columbia Business School (CBS) has completed its Early Decision and J-term application review and will welcome approximately 200 new students as part of its January intake, the CBS Admission Committee announced earlier this week. Of those, roughly half come to CBS from international locations. After taking a week’s hiatus from reviewing Regular Decision applications, the Adcom will pick up where it left off after the Thanksgiving holiday and expects to release the first interview invitations during the first week of December. Read more

Published: November 19, 2014

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Early Decision / Alumnus / Off Campus

The following is an interview report provided by an early decision Columbia MBA applicant, who shares their Columbia MBA admissions interview questions: From the list of Ambassadors that the school provided, I chose an alum that had a similar background than mine (finance/M&A in the infrastructure sector).We met at a local coffee shop (São Paulo, Brazil) and the interview was very informal. This environment was crucial to break the ice. He was more concern if I was enjoyable rather than testing me. The interview went as follows: Read more

Columbia

CLASS SIZE: 972

FEMALE: 44%

INTERNATIONAL: 46%

MEAN GMAT: 732

MEAN GPA: 3.6

Livewire Decisionwire Interview Reports Essay Topic Analysis MBA Admissions Deadlines View Full Profile

MBA Applywire

January 14, 2025 12:01am ET

Applying: Duke / Fuqua, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, UVA / Darden

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Private Equity tax consulting

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey

GMAT: 675

GPA: 3.95

Years of Work Experience: 9

Location: Bangalore, India

Post MBA Location: East Coast

Notes:

I have primarily worked with venture funds and startups covering a range of tax advisory projects from M&A, due diligence, venture fund setup etc. I want to go beyond tax and step into strategy consulting roles, with a focus on fund strategy and portfolio acceleration in private equity.

Extracurricular : Involved with Rotaract for 2.5 years, taken part in multiple corporate responsibility initiatives at the firm , volunteer in pet rescue initiatives for the community

January 13, 2025 11:26pm ET

Applying: Columbia, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, UPenn / Wharton

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting at MBB; will continue with consulting post-MBA as I am considering firm sponsorship

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Venture Capital Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , Andressen Horowitz , Sequoia Capital , Other

GRE: 335

GPA: 3.94

Years of Work Experience: 2

Location: India

Post MBA Location: NY, Chicago, Boston

Notes:

- South Asian (Non-Indian), Male, 25 year old

- Bachelor in Finance and Economics (1st in Class) Graduated May 2023

- Activities:
Debating (Coached National Debate Team to its best performance in the World Championship, 3x Asian Top 10 debater, won/competed in finals of Oxford Intervarsity, UCL Intervarsity, Durham-Oxford-Cambridge Open, and many more prestigious competitions, Mentored 100+ debaters across 15 countries and advised Debate Organizations in Australia and China).
Non Profit (Founding member of a student org; Conducted 5 city-wide projects on Food Security, Clothing for the poor in Winter, and Improving sanitation in slums that received national coverage)

- More on Work: My focus is on Growth Tech (Startups and fast scaling businesses) and Public Sector practice area. I have led the writing of a report we co-published with a client (my name is on the acknowledgement section). The client and Partners loved my work and have now staffed me in writing another report for the same client. Evals are highly positive and have endorsements from 2 Senior Partners in the org (who are happy to write my recc)

- What I am doing outside of work now: I had a merit scholarship offer from LBS for its MiM program upon graduation. I have been helping folks from my country get into top tier early career master's programs pro-bono (Most people here cannot afford Western Admissions consultants as the charges are exorbitant for us given the country is an LDC). Since joining work, I have continued to work as a selector for National Debate Team and I take pro-bono sessions for disadvantaged schools. I have also taken sessions at local consulting firms to teach them what I have learned from my MBB experience (I am the first from my country to make it to an MBB after a local undergrad; MBBs do not have offices in my country)

- Future Plan: Continue at MBB and specialize in Venture Capital/ Startups. I have a very good network with VCs and founders in my home country. I would love to raise a fund to help the startup ecosystem of my country in the future or work in the capacity of mentoring founders.

- Target: Full-rides to top schools such as HBS, Wharton, CBS, Sloan. Looking for tips to develop my profile for 2027 Fall entry. I believe that I have what it takes to make it to an M7 but would love to take the 2 years to solidify my profile so that I can be in the mix for a good scholarship

Interests: Martial Arts, Reading (I have read books from Wharton Professors such as Adam Grant, Angela Duckworth, and Katy Milkman) Weightlifting, Marathon Running (I am aware this is super cliche haha)

Side-note: My GRE split is 166 Q (84%ile), 169 V (99%ile), and 5.5 AWA (98%ile). I can improve my Quant to 169-170 but I doubt the extra effort needed now will make a material difference. Would love to have your thoughts

January 13, 2025 2:37pm ET

Applying: Harvard Business School, INSEAD, London Business School, MIT Sloan, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting - Government

Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology, Undecided Companies: Google , Microsoft

GRE: 338

GPA: 3.66

Years of Work Experience: 4

Location: US

Post MBA Location: Undecided

Notes:

Background in design. Graduate degree in design from Harvard. Transitioned public sector consulting and planning work.

January 13, 2025 6:32am ET

Applying: Columbia, NYU Stern, U. Chicago Booth

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting

Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking, Private Equity

GRE: 323

GPA: 3.0

Years of Work Experience: 7

Location: Uzbekistan

Post MBA Location: NYC

January 12, 2025 11:33pm ET

Applying: Dartmouth / Tuck, UVA / Darden

Pre-MBA Career: Construction and real estate

Post-MBA Target Industry: Other

GMAT: 665

GPA: 7/10

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: India

Post MBA Location: India

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MBA LiveWire

January 15, 2025 3:30am ET

Interview Invite to Yale SOM

Round: Round 2

Received via email on January 12, 2025

GMAT: 695

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

January 14, 2025 11:44pm ET

Applied to Harvard Business School

Round: Round 2

Received via portal

GPA: High 2:1 (UK)

GMAT: 695

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Technology

Application Location: Korea

January 14, 2025 11:13pm ET

Applied to Harvard Business School

Round: Round 2

Received via portal

GPA: 3.78

GRE: 333

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: California

January 14, 2025 10:14pm ET

Interview Invite to Vanderbilt / Owen

Round: Round 2

Received via email on December 31, 2024

GPA: 3.24

GRE: 320

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

January 14, 2025 10:13pm ET

Interview Invite to UNC Kenan-Flagler

Round: Round 2

Received via email on January 01, 2025

GPA: 3.24

GRE: 320

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

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