About The School
Located in New York City, Columbia Business School highlights that it is at the “center of business”, helping bright students think like entrepreneurs and helping them develop as leaders.
The symbiotic relationship between CBS and the business world is a major program benefit, and each year many business leaders visit the campus to speak to b-school students and to teach classes. Indeed CBS notes on its website “more business leaders visit our campus than any other top business school.” Because of its NYC location, the school also attracts more than 100 real-world practitioners as faculty (adjunct) in the business school. The CBS Dean, Glenn Hubbard, while fortifying Columbia’s strength in finance, has made experiential learning, entrepreneurial thinking, and global perspectives the cornerstones of the program.
Strengths And Specializations
Columbia’s MBA program is known for its strengths in a wide variety of areas, including finance, general management, entrepreneurship, media, marketing, healthcare/pharma, real estate and social enterprise.
Incoming Class
| Number of Applicants: | 6,188 |
| MBA Class Size: | 724 |
| Tuition: | $143,088 |
Post-MBA Careers
Sector: Financial Services 34%; Consulting 33%; Technology 16%; Manufacturing 6%; Started Own Business 4%
Top Recruiters: McKinsey, Bain, Citi, BCG, Amazon, Deloitte
Avg Base Salary: $127,637
Salary Increase: 103%
Employment in 3 months: 93.2%
| MBA Rankings | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BusinessWeek | 9 | – | 13 | – | 5 | 6 | 11 | 9 |
| Financial Times | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Forbes | – | 5 | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 6 |
| The Economist | 12 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| US News | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
Admissions
Avg. Age: 28
Avg. GPA: 3.5
Avg. GMAT: 717
Int’l Students: 48%
Female Students: 38%
Deadlines for Sept. 2019: Oct 3, 2018 (Early Decision – then rolling admissions)
Sources: Columbia, BusinessWeek, Financial Times, US News, MBA50
Essays
Applicants must complete one short answer question and three essays.
Short Answer Question:
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)
Examples of possible responses:
“Work in business development for a media company.”
“Join a strategy consulting firm.”
“Launch a data-management start-up.”
Essay 1: Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)
Essay 2: The full-time MBA experience includes academics, recruiting, and networking. What are your personal priorities and how do you anticipate allocating your time at Columbia Business School? (250 words)
Essay 3: Please select and answer one of the following essay questions: (250 words) a. Please tell us what you feel most passionate about in life. b. If you were given a free day and could spend it anywhere, in any way you choose, what would you do?
Optional Essay: Is there any further information that you wish to provide the Admissions Committee? If so, use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)
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