Columbia 2012 - Calling All Applicants

Even I would be applying ED.

So is Columbia low volume (atleast from an interest perspective) this year? Lol. Better for those applying this year I guess.

On a more serious note, thought I'd bump this up the list on the forum to get more eyeballs. Cheers!

I'll be applying R1

Count me in for ED...

Technically yes, although in practice they'll probably wrap up R3 for the 2011 admissions cycle, then move on to J-termers for class of '13, then start in with the EDers for class of '14 later in the summer. Last year, the first interview invite on GMATClub submitted a year ago today and didn't get his invite until July 22nd. The next earliest invite submitted July 14th and got their invite July 30th... so its questionable whether there is a material difference between applying in May/June and applying toward the end of July.

Check this link out. It was posted a little while ago by AmerAsia.

2012-columbia-essays-analyzed-113696.html

I am also planning to CBS. Post mba focus-Healthcare industry. Is anyone on this board know about CBS healthcare domain?

I am in for the Jan4 deadline

I'm about two weeks in on essay #1 and #2. I should be done with everything by the end of the month.

However, I'll probably have to wait on my recommenders before I hit submit. I just lined them up last week and gave them a deadline of mid-July.

I'm really really starting to think about doing ED...

Of course there should be a difference, but, again, there a re no patterns that determine interview questions. The best way is to start from the:

1. Analyzing one's strengths and weaknesses is a good place to start. Reapplicants have to show they have grown and are better applicants than they were before. Analyze your weaknesses.

2. reapplicants need to sit down with applications and go through each section to determine where they need improvement. While many business schools—even those that say they do not offer feedback—will give rejected applicants some clue about what kept them from receiving an acceptance letter, reapplicants still have to reflect on their weaknesses.

Asking questions, such as "Who are you today?" and "Where have you come from since the last application?" can help you retell your story more compellingly and update the admissions committee.

I hear that there is a slight advantage if you apply early. I guess it depends how you look at it. Here is an excerpt I pulled from an MBA chat with Michael Robinson:

"Michael Robinson: Exactly. We still get most of our applications after the Early Decision deadline. Just to give people a timeline, I would say that by the end of January, we will have received between 70%-80% of all the applications that we will get for the entire year. So if you are looking at a system of all things being equal, those at the front of the line have an advantage over folks at the back of the line. We probably have to admit 750 people based on our current yield to have a class of 550 in the fall. So view it as having a line of 7,000 applicants, and every time we admit someone it's 750-1, 750-2. So when we get to 750, based on historic numbers, the class tends to be around full. So by the end of January, we will have 70%-80% of those 7,000 applicants. And literally, within a 48 hour window of our fellowships deadline which is always within the first ten days of January (this year it's January 6th), we literally get about 20% of all our applicants within two days, right around the "deadline for fellowships".

Linda Abraham: Your servers are cranking.

Michael Robinson: And sometimes they break down because we just get overloaded at that time. And then we get these desperate phone calls, "I'm trying to submit, but it's crashing! I'm going to miss the deadline." And then we say, "Don't worry, this happens every year. Just keep on trying. If we get it tomorrow, it's perfectly fine." But what I'm saying is that someone who applies the last day of December as opposed to someone who applies on January 11th, there could be a gap of around 2,000 applications. So keep that in mind. So if you are ready to apply in December, you would have an advantage to somebody who would apply in January, just based on all things being equal and the flow of applications."

Hey hi,
I am planning to apply to columbia this year, can you pls tell is there any difference in the way your application is viewed if you apply in ED?? What is the benefit of ED?? In case you are selected in ED & dont join columbia, whats the penalty you will have to bear??

No word so far. They say J term decisions should be made within 2 weeks after the completion of interview. Should be right around now.

Tiggy, that's soem crazy GPA you got there, the worst grade you got was probably a single B+

I just got the call this afternoon! Got in for J-Term 2012!

Is there a separate thread for admits?

Hmm, I thought about this one for a bit but in the end, I chose a professional looking picture - dressed in a suit, no tie and smiling at the camera. I was tempted to upload a pic of me rowing since that's one of my passions and I'm sure they must see people in suits all the time. But I wanted to play it safe. It's business school after all, you never know what they're thinking. Hope this helps! Good luck!

While I didn't use a picture in my application, I think the primary focus with the picture is to connect a face with a name and help to personify your paper application. I think its easier to imagine you in the class when adcoms can picture your face in a seat rather than some obscure set of facts about you!

Keeping that in mind, I'd say anything that allows them to picture you in their heads and remember your by your face instead of just your name is accomplishing the goal of the photo.

I just received an invitation to interview!

I pressed submit for ED on 7/16 -- 17 days ago