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Sep 1609:00 AM PDT
-10:00 AM PDT
What’s in it for you - Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with Jenifer Turtschanow, CEO, ARINGO. Come with your details prepared and ARINGO will share insights! Pre-MBA Role/Industry, YOE, Exam Score, C/GPA, ECs Post-MBA Role/ Industry & School List.
Sep 1612:00 PM PDT
-01:00 PM PDT
Grab your favorite beverage and spend time chatting with Melissa Rapp, Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions, and Brian Mitchell, Associate Dean of the Full-Time MBA Program. The topic for this Coffee Chat is Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Sep 1710:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Relationships Matter Here and Careers With Purpose kept their 200-word prompts unchanged. Susan Berishaj, founder of Sia Admissions, breaks down what the shift reveals about this cycle's evaluation priorities on Thursday, September 17th
Sep 1712:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
Virtual Roundtable Discussions connect you with prospective students, admissions team members, and student ambassadors. Ask questions, explore the student experience and life in Bloomington, and learn about the MBA program, Kelley culture, and admissions.
Sep 1708:30 PM UTC -05:30
-09:30 PM UTC -05:30
We’ll discuss how top programs in these regions differ in terms of career opportunities, international exposure, location, and post-MBA prospects, and what applicants should consider when building a well-balanced global MBA shortlist.
Sep 1806:00 PM PDT
-07:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
Sep 1912:00 PM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Planning your MBA abroad? Join Elevanted for a live webinar with MBA admissions experts and get practical insights on school selection, applications, essays, career goals and more, followed by an interactive Q&A.
Sep 2011:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Stop guessing which MBA schools suit your profile. Answer a few quick questions on your academics, work experience, and preferences, and get a personalised, categorised list of business schools tailored to you. Free, fast, and more.
Sep 14, 2026 7:21 pm
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Columbia (CBS) MBA Interview Question Bank
Hello Community!
I have compiled yet another MBA Interview question bank and this time It is Columbia (CBS). Out of total 300 questions extracted from 44 interview debriefs, I have complied and categorized approx. 87 unique questions. I hope this question bank will be helpful in your Columbia MBA interview prep.
Complete breakdown of questions and interview debriefs.
Interview year | Questions | |
2025-26 | 5 | 28 |
2024-25 | 8 | 61 |
2023-24 | 9 | 67 |
2022-23 | 1 | 4 |
2021-22 | 2 | 11 |
2020-21 | 4 | 33 |
2019-20 | 2 | 11 |
2018-19 | 8 | 48 |
2018 | 5 | 37 |
Total | 44 | 300 |
Interview Questions
Personal Introduction & Background
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Who are you outside of your resume?
3. What three words would you use to describe yourself?
4. Tell me about your extracurricular activities.
5. What is your personal motivation/philosophy that has shaped your decisions and goals?
Resume & Career Background
1. Walk me through your resume/CV.
2. Tell me about your current role/company.
3. Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
4. How did your undergraduate education prepare you for your current role?
5. Why did you choose your current industry?
6. Why did you choose your particular company?
7. Why did you choose your particular career/educational path?
8. Why did you move from one geography/role to another?
9. Why did you start/found/co-found company X?
10. Tell me about a professional accomplishment you are particularly proud of.
11. What are the three biggest impacts you have made in your career?
12. Tell me about something you could have done better in one of your roles.
MBA Motivation
1. Why do you want an MBA?
2. Why pursue an MBA instead of a PhD?
3. Why is now the right time for an MBA?
4. Why did you choose a full-time MBA/J-Term/deferred MBA?
Career Goals
1. What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
2. Why have you chosen these particular career goals?
3. How will CBS help you achieve your short-term and long-term goals?
4. How will you achieve your desired post-MBA role?
5. How will you recruit for your desired role/industry if your target organizations do not recruit on campus?
6. How will you differentiate yourself to achieve your short-term career goal?
7. What is your Plan B if your post-MBA career plan does not work out?
8. What would you do if you could not find a job after graduation?
9. What would you do if your career plans failed?
Why CBS?
1. Why Columbia Business School (CBS)?
2. Why New York City?
3. What specific CBS program highlights attracted you?
4. What specific courses or professors at CBS are you interested in?
5. What opportunities at CBS do you intend to take part in?
6. Which clubs/activities do you want to join at CBS?
7. What leadership positions would you like to take at CBS?
CBS Contribution & Community
1. How will you contribute to the CBS community?
2. How will you contribute to the classroom/learning teams at CBS?
3. How will you enrich the experience of your CBS cluster?
4. How will you contribute to CBS both during and after your MBA?
5. How have you contributed to your community in the past?
6. Tell me about a time you helped your community.
7. What clubs or activities would you like to contribute to at CBS?
Leadership
1. What is your leadership style?
2. Tell me about a leadership experience.
3. Tell me about a time when you took initiative/assumed a leadership role.
4. How many people have worked for you and how did you manage them?
5. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt your leadership style.
6. What leadership roles would you take at CBS?
Teamwork & Collaboration
1. Tell me about a time you worked in a team.
2. What is your role in a team?
3. How do you contribute to a team/study group?
4. Tell me about a time when a team you were part of did not work well together.
5. Tell me about a difficult team member and how you handled the situation.
6. Tell me about a conflict within your team and how you resolved it.
7. Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone.
8. Tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss.
9. How would you handle conflict within a team?
10. How would you react in a particular difficult team situation?
11. How would you lead a learning team with members who have diverse personal goals?
12. How would you take your teamwork experience to the CBS classroom and clubs?
Challenges, Failure & Resilience
1. Tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work and how you handled it.
2. Tell me about a time you struggled with a project.
3. Tell me about a time you failed.
4. Tell me about a time you had difficulty completing/concluding a deal.
5. Tell me about a time you could have handled something better.
6. How do you respond when your plans do not work out?
Diversity & Inclusion
1. Tell me about your experience with diversity and inclusion.
Other Schools / CBS Competition
1. What other schools did you apply to?
2. Where does CBS rank among the schools you applied to?
3. Did you consider other M7 schools besides CBS?
4. Why not Stanford?
Research & Engagement with CBS
1. How did you familiarize yourself with CBS?
2. What information sessions did you attend?
3. Which CBS alumni, professors, or current students have you spoken with?
4. What did a family member tell you about CBS?
Industry / Business-Specific Questions
1. How is your company's business doing in a particular market/geography?
2. What business suggestions would you make for your company?
3. Tell me about the industry you work in.
4. How does your industry/company operate?
5. How active is your firm in managing portfolio companies?
6. How do companies in your country/market work organizationally?
7. Which particular clients would you be interested in working with?
8. What are your top three stock ideas?
Other / Interview-Specific
1. What is your favorite athlete?
2. Is there anything else I should know about you?
3. What questions do you have for me/the interviewer?
Good Luck!
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