Calling all Columbia Executive MBA Applicants 2018 Intake

How did your interview go? Was it long? What topics did you touch upon? Do you find out immediately after?

Thanks,

Ah apologies, I think I got my threads mixed up. I applied to the full-time program. My interview wasn't a good measure of a typical interview - it lasted for well over 2 hours and we covered a gamut of topics because the interviewer was in my industry. Clear Admit has some good interview "recaps" where people list out the questions they received.

Did anyone check the columbia website recently? I think the EMBA tuition was just changed from $195,000 to $202,000

I am a bit nervous as I submitted my Saturday EMBA application on 2/21, the final day. Should I be concerned? How many seats exist for this program? How many matriculate into this program? Given the shortened timeline, when can I expect to be contacted?


Seeing as the program starts in ~2.5 months, I reached out to admissions inquiring about the expected timeline and received a pretty factual, generic response. However, they did mention that they recieved 100's of applications at the very end.

Given some time in between jobs, I fall just under the coveted 7 year mark of work experience, but am over 30.....hoping that will not hurt me. I scored 150 on my EA and did very poorly in undergrad. I was told undergrad grades not as important if did well on EA. Pretty solid experience in fin svcs.

Thanks!

Bump

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I still have not heard back after my interview. Hoping to hear something this week. The longer it goes, the more anxious I get.

Any feedback or insights on the interview? Topics discussed? Questions asked?

The interview was pretty standard. They first discuss any red flags, weak areas or shortcomings in your application. They then ask you to walk through your career and aspirations. No brain teasers or finance queries for me. Finally, they ask general personality and fit questions. It's just like a job interview, no surprises.

I think the crux of the issue comes down to this: this is going to be a very time consuming and laborious effort. Every Saturday for two years. They want to make sure the prospective student is hard working and reliable. Because if too many people drop out because of the difficulty, then the experience is ruined for others.

Got in. Head via phone. They mentioned they are backed up with apps.

Submitted 1/9. Invited to Interview 1/23, Interviewed 1/31, Waitlisted 2/15, follow up call 3/14.

bmierz - I wasn't aware that Columbia waitlisted for EMBA programs and was shocked to see that given your industry, GMAT, GPA....any idea why?

Jazzy - Congratulations! What was the sense you got from the apps comments? Is this normal? Are they turning lots of people away?

I have no idea, I have 3 years BB, 3.5 consulting, 1.5 private equity...interview was good lasted over 2 hours, covered a lot of topics.

I have a phone call with the adcom this Wednesday to see what's new, its the first time I will speak to them over the phone since waitlist...

KFA64, bmierz86 -

Yes, I am curious too about bmierz86. His gpa and background are solid. Possibly the fact his undergrad was not higher tier or his GMAT score was not 700+. Also, if your interview lasted so long, that may signal something. But from the outside looking in you seem to be a solid candidate. Can you share what topics were discussed in your interview? Did they require you to explain any shortcomings on your application? Were your essays weak in their opinion?

The feedback I received on my application was favorable. They were impressed with my undergrad school, my work experience and essays. They were not impressed with my undergrad grades. The one comment that stuck out was that my EA score was much higher than the average score and laid to rest any concerns of whether or not I could handle the academic rigors of the program. My interview only lasted an hour and covered a range of topics from my background, to my work, to my personality. My interviewer was very professional and experienced.

I got the feeling that Columbia really wants to make sure this is an important endeavor for you. The classes are small and lean on student participation. They also require you to have a full time job and study a real MBA curriculum. If alot of people drop out due to the time demands, it can very detrimental to other students and really hurt the program. They want to make sure you are all in.

Yes, it is an EMBA and makes a ton of cash for the school. But the top programs seem to still be able to be selective. Alot of people have the attitude that an EMBA is a cakewalk compared to full time MBA and applying is easy, but I found the whole process quite taxing. I think if you go to a smaller or less renowned program there may be a high acceptance rate, but from the information I gather on the net is that Columbia rejects a decent amount of people.

People actually drop out of an EMBA program? If true, that's absurd, lol.

Can you share what topics were discussed in your interview?
Personal FIT questions,
Why Columbia,
Why now
Walkthrough my resume
Gaps in Employment
Delay in graduation
Professional experience
What are my hobbies
which books I read ( we spoke about this for a while, and shared some titles)
about my picture that I submitted ( this was another topic that made us go into cultural diversity)

Did they require you to explain any shortcomings on your application?
Yes, I had to address why the first 3 semesters in UG were pretty bad
I also had to address why I had a 8 month gap in employment after graduation

Were your essays weak in their opinion?
No my essays were probably the second strongest thing in my app, after my work experience, they were very favorable by Cornell AdComs.

Thanks for the feedback, interesting to hear.

Does anybody know if the application status page changes once the interviewer submits his/her review? Or how long after the interview you are notified of a decision?

Has anyone here submitted on a Regular decision, not Early Decision? If so I am curious to hear if anyone has moved onto the interview stage. I submitted on Regular decision and have not heard from anyone since..