I interviewed with an alumnus at his place of work on 10/21/09 for Early Decision. The setting wasn’t totally casual but it was somewhat conversational. I was asked the following questions:
- Why Columbia?
- Why now? (I had been laid off from work and subsequently started a new job and he wanted to know why I didn’t want to stay at the new job… It wasn’t on the career path I was looking for.)
- What will I bring to Columbia?
- Leadership example
- Teamwork example
- Example of a time I faced an ethical dilemma
- What career am I pursuing and why?
- Follow-up to #7 (I want to go into equity research) – asked for a stock pick with support.
The basic takeaway I have to offer from this experience is to really know yourself and your goals. If I didn’t have a stock pick ready, it would have shown that I am not as passionate about my chosen profession as I should be.
My status went complete on 10/28/09 and I was accepted on 11/12/09. Good luck everyone!
