I applied Regular Decision to CBS but submitted my application in the fall. There was only one alumni interviewer near me. I contacted him and he responded quickly. He had to reschedule but apologized and met me at a location that was closer to me.
On the interviewer’s suggestion, we met at a restaurant. I wasn’t thrilled about this but thought it was wise to happily agree. My first impression of my interviewer in person was that he was very busy and was eager to get the interview started and completed quickly, but once we sat down at the table he became more focused on listening to my case. He asked me:
- Why do I want an MBA and why one from Columbia?
- Was I prepared to live in NY?
- Tell me about an ethical dilemma?
- He asked me about my current position.
- Where else did I apply?
The interviewer was frank and down-to-earth. He paid for the meal (it wasn’t expensive), even though I offered to cover my part. He gave me an opportunity to ask him questions at the end. His answers were detailed and included examples from his own experience. I was granted admission approximately 2 weeks after my interviewer submitted feedback to Columbia. I was also admitted to other top 10 schools, but I will enroll at Columbia because there are features of its curriculum and location that are not available elsewhere (value investing/NY). I would encourage admitted applicants to visit Columbia’s Open House, which was well-organized. While the buildings students take classes in are not as new as at some other programs, the central part of Columbia’s campus is as beautiful as any place I’ve seen.
