Columbia Business School - Class of 2015 (Matriculating 2013) Official Columbia GSB Admissions Team on GMAT Club to Answer All Your Questions https://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1112_best_business_schools/image/8-columbia.jpg Also, please see: Columbia GSB MBA Guide Columbia Applicant Summary (Real Time) Quick Glance: GMAT Club vs. Latest Intake (Class of 2014) Application Tracker Feed Detailed Applicant List: Add Yourself to This List (add Columbia GSB to your profile) GMAT Club's Real-time Admissions Statistics Add Your Profile to This List Questions about this Roll Call ? Application Dates for 2013 January 2013 October 3, 2012 August 2013 Early Decision October 3, 2012 August 2013 Merit Fellowship Consideration January 9, 2013 August 2013 Regular Decision April 10, 2013 Rankings (2012 GMAT Club Rankings Table) US News 2011 #8 Executive MBA #5 Finance #4 International #5 Management #10 Marketing #9 Nonprofit #8 Production/Operations #8 Bloomberg Businessweek #1 Financial Times #12 The Economist #2 Historical GMAT Club Applicant Threads Fall 2012 - Calling All CBS Applicants Fall 2011 - Calling All CBS Applicants Fall 2010 - Calling All CBS Applicants Fall 2009 - Calling All CBS Applicants Fall 2008 - Calling All CBS Applicants Fall 2007 - Calling All CBS Applicants Popular Links Programs Offered at CBS CBS Employment Reports Notable Alumni Essay Questions Short Answer Question: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (200 characters maximum) Essay 1: A. Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career, and how do you plan to achieve your immediate and long term post-MBA professional goals? (Maximum 500 words) B. Please view this video , entitled Community at Columbia. Diverse, tight-knit clusters and carefully selected learning teams are defining features of the first year at Columbia Business School. Along with more than 100 student organizations and countless events each semester, the cluster system helps to create a supportive and devoted lifelong community . Describe why you are interested in becoming a part of the Columbia community. (Maximum 250 words) Essay 2: Describe a personal experience and how it has influenced who you are today. This essay should have a personal rather than a professional focus. (Maximum 500 words) Optional Essay An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays. Recommendations All applications require two recommendations. If you have been working full-time for at least six months, one recommendation should be from your current supervisor. The second recommendation should be from either a former direct supervisor or from another professional associate, senior to you, who can add personal insight into your candidacy. Recommendation questions include: What is your relationship to and how long have you known the applicant? Is he or she still employed by your organization? Please list three to five adjectives describing the applicant’s strengths. Please compare the applicant’s performance to that of his or her peers. What does the applicant do best? If you were giving feedback to the applicant regarding his or her professional performance and personal effectiveness, in what areas would you suggest he or she work to improve? How does the applicant accept constructive criticism or handle conflicts? How effective are the applicant’s interpersonal skills in the workplace? Please rate the applicant’s individual vs. team orientation (1 = most effective as an individual contributor; 5 = focused exclusively on the team) Please elaborate on your rating: Please give an example of how the applicant has demonstrated leadership. Is there anything else you feel we should know? Class Profile - Class entering 2011 (January and August) Applications Received -6669 Applicants Accepted -1062 Acceptance Rate - 16% Class Size - 751, divided into 11 clusters January Entry Class Size - 203, divided into 3 clusters August Entry Class Size - 548, divided into 8 clusters GMAT Scores (average) - 716 GMAT Scores (middle 80%) - 680–760 Undergraduate GPA (average) -3.5 Undergraduate GPA (middle 80%) - 3.1–3.8 Work Experience (average) - 5 years At Least One Year of Work Experience - 100% 28% Financial Services, 20% Consulting, 8% Marketing/Media, 8% Tech, 5% Military/Gov, 4% Healthcare, 4% Real Estate, 3% Non-Profit, 2% Energy, 1% Manufacturing, 11% Other 35% Social Sciences, 29% Business, 12% Engineering, 5% Sciences, 3% Technology, 1% Arts, 15% Other Re-Applicant Checklist (if applied last academic year) Submit a new application fee (US$250). Update the “Personal,” “Family,” “Employment,” “Education,” and “Extracurricular Activities” sections of the online application. Update the “How Will You Finance Your MBA?” section of the online application. Submit transcripts of any additional courses taken since your previous application. Submit one new, two-part essay: A. How have you enhanced your candidacy since your previous application? Please detail your progress since you last applied, and address how you plan to achieve your post-MBA and long-term professional goals. (Maximum of 500 words) B. Please view this video , entitled Community at Columbia. Diverse, tight-knit clusters and carefully selected learning teams are defining features of the first year at Columbia Business School. Along with more than 100 student organizations and countless events each semester, the cluster system helps to create a supportive and devoted lifelong community . Describe why you are interested in becoming a part of the Columbia community. (Maximum 250 words) Submit one new recommendation letter, preferably from your current employer, but if not, another colleague in a supervisory role or a client will suffice. UPDATE: We have created a Facebook group for admitted students as well as a LinkedIn group. Join your fellow (soon-to-be) classmates online: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cbs15/ https://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4686288

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Columbia 2013 (CBS) - Calling All Applicants

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Shawshank

Joined: 24 Mar 2010

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20 Dec 2012, 04:14

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kidchaos

Shawshank

Does it take longer for people who get dinged without interviews, to hear back, as compared to those who do get invites?

I haven't submitted my app yet but i did attend a CBS info session in Mumbai and when someone asked a basic time frame in which an application and they said around 8 weeks turn around max unless a lot of applications come in at the same time, as in just after ED deadline or Merit Fellowship deadline.

Yes, it's usually 8-10 weeks unless you submit after merit fellowship deadline. What I'm wondering is let's say the following occurs: person A and person B submit their apps at the exact same time. A gets an invite, but B does not. Would A get an e-mail earlier than B since he got an invite and is thus "higher" priority, or would they both hear back at the same time? Columbia's adcom has stated specifically that if an applicant is very strong, he could get an invite after only one adcom member has read the application. For most invites, it would take 2-3 readers before getting an invite.

kidchaos

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Affiliations: Volunteer Operation Smile India, Creative Head of College IEEE branch (2009-10), Chief Editor College Magazine (2009), Finance Head College Magazine (2008)

Location: India

WE2: Entrepreneur (E-commerce - The Laptop Skin Vault)

Concentration: Marketing, Entrepreneurship

Schools: Kellogg '14 (D) Stern '14 (D) Haas '14 (D) CBS '15 (D) Boston U '15 (M$) Goizueta '15 (D) Kenan-Flagler '15 (A)

GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V38 Verified score

WE:Marketing (Other)

Schools: Kellogg '14 (D) Stern '14 (D) Haas '14 (D) CBS '15 (D) Boston U '15 (M$) Goizueta '15 (D) Kenan-Flagler '15 (A)

GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V38 Verified score

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20 Dec 2012, 04:19

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Shawshank

kidchaos

Shawshank

Does it take longer for people who get dinged without interviews, to hear back, as compared to those who do get invites?

Sometimes maybe they aren't completely able to make up their mind about you, as in you may be in between where you are a good candidate and they don't want to ding you immediately. So maybe that's what causes the time lag. What are your stats anyway & how long since you submitted?

Shawshank

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20 Dec 2012, 14:14

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Unusually quiet for this time of the year. Very few invites have gone out for those who submitted in November.

mrpapagorgio

Joined: 19 Jul 2010

Last visit: 20 Dec 2012

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Schools: CBS '15 (I) LBS '14 (I)

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20 Dec 2012, 17:56

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Got my admit decision: success. Good luck all!

dreamy121

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20 Dec 2012, 18:21

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Got an invite yesterday.
Submitted Nov. 28.
29/Korea/3.9/750(Toefl waived)/High tech

Posted from my mobile device

rjkaufman21

Joined: 05 May 2011

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Location: United States (WI)

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20 Dec 2012, 18:28

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mrpapagorgio

Got my admit decision: success. Good luck all!

Congrats my friend. When did you apply/interview, and what is your profile?

Shawshank

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20 Dec 2012, 18:38

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win921

Got an invite yesterday.
Submitted Nov. 28.
29/Korea/3.9/750(Toefl waived)/High tech

Posted from my mobile device

Yikes. I submitted November 30 and no word yet. Not looking good.

TheFool

Joined: 10 Dec 2012

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GMAT 1: 710 Q47 V41 Verified score

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21 Dec 2012, 08:56

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I got an interview invite from CBS a few days ago.

Submitted full app: 11/20
Invited to interview: 12/19

So basically a month's turnaround. I also made a conscious choice to submit before the Thanksgiving break figuring that there'd be a glut of apps after that.

By the way, any advice or great samples of Columbia interview questions?

TwoTimesTheCharm

Joined: 05 Nov 2012

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Schools: Insead '13 (M) CBS '15 (D) Wharton '15 (WD)

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21 Dec 2012, 09:07

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Finally submitted this week. Will update the group on what happens.

beehagit

Joined: 06 Mar 2011

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21 Dec 2012, 10:06

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Submitted app: 10/25
Invited to Interview: 12/10
Interviewed: 12/19
Waitlisted: 12/21

Damn! Is anyone out there familiar with just how unlikely it is to be admitted from the waitlist?

scleraxis

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21 Dec 2012, 11:55

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Shawshank

mrpapagorgio

Bad luck to the dings - hopefully other apps work out better.

Does anyone know how much interview counts? I.e. once you're interviewed, is it a case of if the interviewer gives good feedback you're in, and if not you're not? Or is there still more scrutiny of the submitted application also afterwards?

Interviews are taken into account obviously but for columbia it's not as critical as it is with hbs/stanford. Plenty of people have had mediocre interviews but gotten in, and the reverse is also true. Do your best of course, but don't go nuts if you don't think your answers were perfect. The adcom will assess the entire application again after the interview report is submitted.

Stanford interview does not count for much, I'd say the Columbia interview is more important. HBS interview is different in that it is done by the admissions committee directly so not really comparable.

Shawshank

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21 Dec 2012, 13:10

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Hey guys. Just got an e-mail from columbia regarding a status update, but I'm too nervous to open it!!! With columbia there's no wa of telling if it's an invite or a ding. I submitted on early morning of December 1st, for what it's worth (1 AM, i believe).

cheetarah1980

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Products:

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21 Dec 2012, 13:35

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Shawshank

Would you quit stalling and open the daggone status update. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and click.

emmanuelle8

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21 Dec 2012, 17:45

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I got an interview invite! submitted December 2nd and was invited December 22nd!

stoweker

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21 Dec 2012, 18:16

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So, I submitted my application last Saturday, but my recommenders haven't submitted there stuff yet (so, so frustrating). Anyone know if that puts my in queue, or if they don't begin to consider your application until they have everything in?

TheFool

Joined: 10 Dec 2012

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21 Dec 2012, 21:01

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stoweker

My impression is that they don't start reviewing until all your components are in -- including recommendations.

According to CBS' https://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/checkstatus

CBS

Your online application will go through several stages:
Application Received

The School has received all required application components and has begun to review your application. During this stage, your application is reviewed by at least two admissions officers after which you will be either invited to interview or denied admission. Please note that August entry Regular Decision applications will not be reviewed earlier than December 1.

mappleby

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23 Dec 2012, 08:46

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TheFool

It's going to depend a lot on who you interview with but most people have had fairly informal interviews. The only mandatory question is to describe a time you faced adversity. Most of the questions in my interview focused around why I wanted to switch careers. What attracted me to my new career path, etc. Just know your story and what you want to do. If you can articulate that well then I think you will be fine. I wasn't even asked to walk through my resume, it was much more like a conversation.

scleraxis

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Concentration: Healthcare

Schools: HBS '15 (M) Wharton '15 (A$)

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23 Dec 2012, 23:53

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Shawshank

So...?

TwoTimesTheCharm

Joined: 05 Nov 2012

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GPA: 3.52

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Schools: Insead '13 (M) CBS '15 (D) Wharton '15 (WD)

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24 Dec 2012, 10:12

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Quick question.

Submitted a few days ago. When I now login, am I supposed to see the status of my application somewhere? I see a page showing Recent Activities (including my fee payment) as well as some other stuff (date of app submission, rec submissions). I am getting worried as I don't see a definitive "Application being reviewed" (or similar) status. Anyone?