Columbia MBA News

Get the latest MBA news from Columbia.

Published: November 4, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Early Decision / Alumnus / Off-campus

Applied: 9/30, Interview Notification: 10/15, Interview Scheduled: 10/17, Interview On: 10/21, Report Complete: 10/26, Admission Decision: 11/04 (Denied) I want to take the time to write this report even though I got denied admission to Columbia. This site has been very helpful in my preparation for interviews with MBA schools and I want to give back to the community. *The most important step* in your interview process with Columbia is selecting your interviewer. I made the mistake of choosing an alumnus (’06 grad) that was not able to relate to my goals or my background. I chose him because Read more

Published: October 31, 2013

Columbia Business School Revamps Its Brand

Columbia Business School (CBS) yesterday launched a branding campaign designed to showcase the things that make it one of the best business schools in the world, including its New York City location. Touting a new tagline – “At the Very Center of Business” – CBS kicked off its new brand with a print and digital advertising campaign and a new video intended to capture what the school stands for and what makes it unique. The new two-minute video, entitled “The Center,” focuses on four key attributes the school has selected as pillars of its new brand: knowledge, access, community and impact. “These attributes have always been a part of our DNA—we simply have never communicated them in one story so clearly, completely and efficiently,” CBS Dean Glenn Hubbard said in a statement. “Our powerful combination of leading-edge academics and real-time exposure to business give our students the knowledge, experience and connections to be impactful in any endeavor they pursue,” he continued. Read more

Published: October 30, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: ED / Alum / Off-campus

Interview went well overall. There were a few questions worded in a new way or ones I didn’t necessarily expect: 1. “I’m wondering if you ever ran into a conflict with a coworker and how you resolved it.” 2. “If you could only pick one thing from your Columbia experience, what would it be and why?” 3. “Describe a day in the life of your Columbia experience” 4. “If you don’t get into the firms you want for your internship or short term goals, what will you do? Ok, if that also doesn’t work out, what about Read more

Published: October 27, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: ED / CBS Alumni Interviewer

My interviewer was a 2007 CBS Alum. He was friendly and cordial via email, and very flexible when setting the time and location. Ultimately, we decided on this past Friday, October 25th, at 5:30pm. He thought of a few different places to have the interview and then he asked if we could do it in his home for a quieter setting. Given the location and his vibe thus far, it did end up being as I expected – conversational and less formal. He asked the following questions: – Tell me about yourself/what are your interests and hobbies – What Read more

Published: October 23, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: ED / Alumnus / Off-campus

I submitted my application about a week before the Early Decision deadline. I was notified I was selected for an interview about two weeks later, and was able to set up the interview within four days. From the list of available interviewers, it took three tries before someone was able to conduct it. While the instructions for arranging the interview said to give people two business days to respond, everyone got back to me within a few hours and was very gracious. My interviewer graduated in May, so she had a lot of recent experience with CBS. She came up Read more

Published: September 24, 2013

Applicant Volume for Full-Time MBA Programs on the Rise

A majority of U.S. business schools reported year-over-year growth in full-time MBA applicant volume for the first time since 2009, according to new data from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC). For the class that started this year, the median number of applications for full-time, two-year MBA programs rose by nearly 12 percent worldwide, GMAC reports. GMAC, which administers the GMAT entrance exam, surveyed 683 graduate programs at 328 schools worldwide for its latest Application Trends Survey, the results of which were released yesterday. Application volume increased at 50 percent of two-year programs responding to the survey, up from 43 percent a year ago. Interest in one-year MBA programs also climbed, with 49 percent of programs surveyed reporting a rise in applicant volume this year over last, as compared to 47 percent last year. Read more

Published: September 8, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: ED / Alumnus / Off-campus

My interviewer was a recent graduate. We met at a Starbucks near where she lives on a Friday afternoon. She told me from the outset that she thought the whole process would take about 45 minutes with 30 minutes of her asking me questions and 15 minutes for my questions to her (more time than I had planned questions for, so take note of that). The interview stuck to that schedule pretty much to the minute. Walk through resume Why business school Why Columbia Short term goal Long term goal Talk about a time you had difficulty working with a Read more

Published: September 5, 2013

Wharton Start-Up Expands to Lend to MBA Students at 20 Top Schools

A company launched last fall by students at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School experienced success in its pilot phase, during which it served as a lender to Wharton MBA students and recent graduates, and so this fall will launch nationally to lend to MBA students at 20 top MBA programs in the United States, the Financial Times reports. Wharton student David Klien is chief executive and co-founder of CommonBond, which last year lent $2.5 million to 40 MBA students and recent graduates from Wharton using funds raised primarily through crowdsourcing. Now, the start-up has raised more than $100 million through debt financing and selling equity. It will expand to offer low-interest loans to MBA students at business schools throughout the country, including Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Columbia Business School and others. Read more

Published: August 25, 2013

Columbia Business School Hosts Two Fall Series for Prospective Applicants

Columbia Business School will launch two on-campus event series this fall for prospective MBA applicants looking to learn more about what CBS has to offer. The first series – “Why an MBA?” – will feature a panel of CBS alumni and students sharing what led them to pursue either a full-time or executive MBA. The second “Spotlight On:” series will convene professors, alumni and current students to provide a view of CBS and its opportunities in several different areas of study. The events, which will take place on CBS’s Morningside Heights campus, are free to all, but RSVP is required. Two “Why an MBA?” panels will be held as part of that series, each on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in CBS’s Uris Hall. The first will be held on September 17th and the second on September 24th. Read more

Published: July 31, 2013

Clear Admit Career Services Director Q&A: Regina Resnick, Columbia Business School

~ A CLEAR ADMIT EXCLUSIVE ~ A couple of years ago, Columbia Business School (CBS)’s Regina Resnick helped us kick off the Career Services Director Q&A Series, and she was kind enough to chime in again this summer with some updates on her office and the services they provide to MBA students. Resnick is associate dean and managing director of CBS’s Career Management Center (CMC), a role she has held since 1999. The CMC’s role has grown in the decade-plus she has been in charge. Once serving just full-time MBA students, the center now provides services to Executive MBAs and MS students as well. Read more

Published: July 28, 2013

Two Columbia Business School Alumni Pledge $40 Million Toward New Manhattanville Campus

Two 1967 graduates of Columbia Business School (CBS) have pledged a combined $40 million toward the school’s new Manhattanville facilities, the school announced this afternoon. Alumni Arthur J. Samberg and Mario J. Gabelli, both members of the school’s Board of Overseers, have pledged $25 million and $15 million, respectively, citing their desire to help provide others with the educational opportunities they had. Their gifts continue a trend of multi-million dollar pledges to support construction of the school's new facilities. Samberg, who is the manager of Hawkes Financial Services LLC and a member of Acadia Woods Partners LLC, and Gabelli, who is chairman and chief executive officer of GAMCO Investors Inc., both credit their success to the education they received at CBS. Through their gifts they hope to support the completion of the school’s new facilities and, in so doing, expand the opportunities available to future students. Read more

Published: July 4, 2013

Columbia Entrepreneurs Lab Provides Free Summer Working Space to Student Teams to Collaborate on Business Ventures

Columbia Entrepreneurs Lab (CEL), a co-working space run by Columbia Business School’s Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center, this summer welcomes its first class of more than 20 students from across Columbia University. The student teams, which represent seven different schools, were selected to develop 13 business ventures over the summer using the lab's resources and space free of charge. Among the ideas selected as part of the inaugural CEL class are a news agregator that monitors geographic-specific, social media traffic for trending stories, a program to bridge educational and cultural gaps between Chinese and American students and an online private tutoring marketplace. Read more

Published: June 20, 2013

Alumni Gift Helps Fund Loan Assistance Program for Columbia Business School MBAs Who Pursue Jobs in Public, Nonprofit Sectors and More

Columbia Business School (CBS) has a trio of alumni to thank for filling the coffers of its loan assistance fund, a program that helps alleviate the financial burden of repaying education loans for MBA graduates who pursue work in the public and nonprofit sectors. Elizabeth B. Strickler ’86 and Mark T. Gallogly ’86 have made a generous gift to establish a new fund named in honor of Ms. Strickler’s mother, Ellen B. Strickler ’78, the school announced earlier this month. The Ellen B. Strickler ’78 Loan Assistance Fund is designed to encourage MBA graduates to seek out work in public and nonprofit sectors, as well as with microfinance organizations, low-profit limited liability companies (L3C) and social ventures that focus on low income communities or create significant public good. Each are areas with many unmet needs that CBS grads can address, but they pay much lower salaries than private industry. The fund will be run by the CBS Social Enterprise Program (SEP). Read more

Published: June 12, 2013

Top Business Schools Help Students Who Head into Lower Paying Fields

Taking on debt to finance an MBA program only to take a job at a low-paying nonprofit organization after business school doesn’t add up to graduates being able to repay their loans. Fortunately, many top business schools have created programs to help ease the financial burden for those who go into nonprofit or other low-paying fields, according to a recent report in Bloomberg BusinessWeek. In addition to Harvard Business School, which this year gave 19 students grants of $50,000 to supplement their first-year salaries, schools including Columbia Business School (CBS), Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, UMichigan’s Ross School of Business, Stanford Graduate School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School all also offer financial assistance in one form or another to help graduates repay student loans, Bloomberg BW reports. And while many business school students don’t seem to know about these programs, they should: The benefits can extend for multiple years adding up to as much as $100,000 for some, Bloomberg BW adds. Read more

Published: June 6, 2013

Columbia Business School Expands Effort to Support Student Entrepreneurs

Columbia Business School (CBS) has created a new cooperative working space open to all Columbia students who hope to launch entrepreneurial ventures, the school’s Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center announced yesterday. The new Columbia Entrepreneurs Lab (CEL), modeled after the successful Columbia Business Lab, will provide participants who are accepted into the program with free access to resources and mentorship opportunities to get their ventures up and running. "The Entrepreneurship Lab is a collaboration between multiple schools across campus and an important milestone in Columbia University's efforts to prioritize the importance of entrepreneurship programming for all Columbia entrepreneurs," professor Murray Low, director of the Lang Center, said in a statement announcing the launch. Read more

Published: May 1, 2013

Landmark $100 Million Gift to Columbia Business School Will Create Second New Building on Manhattanville Campus

Columbia Business School (CBS) announced big news today: The Ronald O. Perelman Center for Business Innovation will rise on the school’s Manhattanville campus, opposite the Henry R. Kravis Building. Perelman, a longtime member of the CBS Board of Overseers and chairman and CEO of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., has pledged $100 million to create the new facility, which will be named in his honor. Perelman’s gift matches the largest gift in the school’s history, which CBS alumnus Henry Kravis, the namesake of the Manhattanville campus’s other building, made in 2010. “The Perelman Center will allow Columbia Business School to continue pioneering breakthroughs in management education, such as moving beyond functional expertise or siloed learning and ensuring a more integrated curriculum for our students,” CBS Dean Glenn Hubbard said in a statement. “It will help us create the classrooms of tomorrow and foster an even greater collaborative spirit among recruiters, students, alumni and faculty members, paving the way for a stronger network and more meaningful outcomes for our community,” he continued. Read more

Published: April 17, 2013

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

The interview was at the alum’s place of employment. I was dressed formally and prepared fairly diligently by using personal resources as well as some of the posts found here. When I was given my choice of interviewers, I found that all of the alum offered were recent graduates. My alum was more or less of my age. We ran through some of the typical talking points: Walk me through your resume. Why B-school. Why Columbia. What I will add to Columbia. Backup plan if I don’t get in (I’m an entrepreneur and this question was stressed big time). Am Read more

Published: April 10, 2013

Columbia Business School Launches New Website for Current and Future Students, Alumni

Columbia Business School (CBS) this week launched Notes to the Next Class, a new online space where current and past students can share their experience with future CBS classes through photos, videos, advice and more. The website is organized into sections corresponding to major milestones CBS students will experience in the course of their graduate management education, from acceptance and orientation to academics and campus life to graduation and post-MBA careers. With more than 41,000 alumni around the world, the school hopes the online repository will help connect students across the globe and across the decades. “With Read more

Published: April 8, 2013

Columbia Business School Admissions Committee Shares Waitlist Advice

Were you waitlisted at Columbia Business School (CBS) as part of a recent admission round? Stay positive! Members of the Admissions Committee assure applicants that CBS admits some waitlisted candidates every year, so there is definitely still a chance that you’ll be admitted. Matthew Moll, CBS associate director of MBA admissions, provided a range of waitlist-specific advice in response to questions Clear Admit asked recently, so read on to learn whether and how waitlisted applicants should contact the Admissions Committee, what type of updates to an application might be relevant to submit and more. Read more

Published: April 2, 2013

Columbia Business School Admissions Officer Debunks Common Application Myths

A Columbia Business School (CBS) admissions officer devoted a recent post on Voices -- a blog co-written by current CBS students and admissions officers to help provide a student perspective -- to debunking some of the myths prospective applicants often seem to believe about the CBS admissions process. For starters, CBS Admissions Officer Matthew Moll encourages prospective applicants to let go of the idea that they must seek out a recommender with the highest possible title. Instead, urges Moll, choose recommenders who know you best. “It is tempting to seek a recommender with a senior title, but if the CEO of your organization doesn't work with you directly, he/she will not necessarily be able to speak to the recommendation questions asked by the admissions committee,” Moll advises. “It is in your best interest to find those business professionals who are invested in your career and want to see you succeed.” Read more

Published: February 17, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-Campus

Interview was concise and conversational – 45 minutes in total. I met with my interviewer at his office. Be advised, you should put in the zip code in the area you want to interview (I’m in NYC and I put my home address – Astoria, but I work downtown – so I had to trek back to LIC in the middle of a workday) – obviously this is only applicable for people in big cities. We started by walking through my resume starting with college and going through extra-curriculars and work experience. I tried to create a narrative that would Read more

Published: February 10, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Regular Decision / Alumni / Off-campus

First, Columbia allows you to enter your zip code to find an alumni near you. Then you are shortly thereafter emailed three alumni interviewers in the area. You are instructed to contact them going down the list. Mine was a female who graduated 4 years ago. She was very pleasant but abrupt and got right to her questions. It seems that Columbia has some standard questions each year and then the interviewer is free to add on. We met at Starbucks which has a good energy but can get loud. And tables are small so there isn’t always the most Read more

Published: February 7, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Regular Decision / Alumnus / Off-campus

I met my interviewer at a local coffee shop. He was an alum who graduated in the 80s. Prior to meeting he requested I send him my resume and an objectives statement on my short and long term goals. I was asked the following questions: a. Tell me about a time you experienced adversity and how you dealt with it? b. Why Columbia over other schools? c. What’s your backup plan if you’re not accepted this year? d. Why consulting? What do you hope to learn? What do you mean specifically by that? e. Have Read more

Published: January 23, 2013

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Regular Decision / Alumni / Off-Campus

I applied on Dec. 15th, was invited to interview on Jan. 4th, and had my interview on Jan. 23rd. I prepared for all of the questions on this site, but my interviewer and I really just had a conversation. Over the course of the interview, he slipped in a few of the questions including: 1) Why Columbia? 2) What other schools did you apply to? 3) Why New York? (I mentioned the adjunct professors CBS draws to campus and he asked which ones in particular I was interested in) Other than that, we spent a lot of Read more

Published: July 16, 2012

Admissions Director Q&A: Columbia Business School’s Mary Miller

We are excited to announce the relaunch of our popular Clear Admit Admissions Director Q&A Series. Beginning today, we will feature two new interviews each week with admissions directors at leading MBA programs around the globe. In the course of these conversations, top admissions officials share exciting news about upcoming developments at their schools as well as valuable information about the admissions process and more. You won't want to miss this unfolding series. To kick things off, we turn to Columbia Business School's Assistant Dean of Admissions Mary Miller. ~ CLEAR ADMIT EXCLUSIVE ~ Miller took the helm of Columbia’s admissions office in 2009, bringing a wealth of experience from similar stints at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and New York University’s Stern School of Business. Read more

Columbia

CLASS SIZE: 972

FEMALE: 44%

INTERNATIONAL: 46%

MEAN GMAT: 732

MEAN GPA: 3.6

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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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