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
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%
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.
Good luck folks. I was in your boat last year...and I will stick around for any advice. Classes have not started yet but I post august PM me and I can give you details on the pre-mba matriculation stuff and then about the core classes and the student experience.
I'll be reapplying ED this year. Hopefully with much better luck than last year.
For those of you reapplying, I've heard the 'new' letter of rec needs to be from someone else, not just a new letter from one of your previous 2 recommenders. This is hugely disappointing to me if it's accurate, as I've worked for only two managers and both wrote letters for me last year. I can find someone else to write it, but I can't see the letter being as strong since all my work with them is project based.
sdd996 wrote:I'll be reapplying ED this year. Hopefully with much better luck than last year.
For those of you reapplying, I've heard the 'new' letter of rec needs to be from someone else, not just a new letter from one of your previous 2 recommenders. This is hugely disappointing to me if it's accurate, as I've worked for only two managers and both wrote letters for me last year. I can find someone else to write it, but I can't see the letter being as strong since all my work with them is project based.
I was a re-app last year and re-apps have a lot of the work cut out because its only 1 essay. But yes it is 1 new recommender, you cannot ask the last two to write again. I had confirmed this with adcoms last year.
myturn2012 wrote: I was a re-app last year and re-apps have a lot of the work cut out because its only 1 essay. But yes it is 1 new recommender, you cannot ask the last two to write again. I had confirmed this with adcoms last year.
By, it's only 1 essay I'm assuming you mean 1 additional essay? Re-applicants still have to answer the regular essay questions like every other applicant...
myturn2012 wrote: I was a re-app last year and re-apps have a lot of the work cut out because its only 1 essay. But yes it is 1 new recommender, you cannot ask the last two to write again. I had confirmed this with adcoms last year.
By, it's only 1 essay I'm assuming you mean 1 additional essay? Re-applicants still have to answer the regular essay questions like every other applicant...
Okay, I should have been more specific. Last year the rule was that if reapplying within 1 year, then submit 1 essay stating how you have improved your candidacy and how CBS is the right fit and elaborate on short/long goals. It was 750 words.
This year I see that CBS has kept the same essay for re-applicants and kept it at 500 words and added a new part based on the video. They do not need to write Essay 2 (personal experience essay).
For people who are reapplying more than 1 year later, it is exactly the same as every other applicant.
Hey guys! I`ll be applying for RD - any other RD applicants around? Good luck to everyone!
One thing - I live abroad and cannot visit NYC before my application (unless a random lucky business trip comes up), does anyone know if this has a big impact?
One thing - I live abroad and cannot visit NYC before my application (unless a random lucky business trip comes up), does anyone know if this has a big impact?
Not even a tiny one, otherwise those who aren't able to travel would be disadvantaged.
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