Columbia 2013 (CBS) - Calling All Applicants

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 than100 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 than100 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