Enrollment: 1,234
Average GMAT: 709.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 660-760
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.40
Regular Application Deadline: 04/15
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Private
Average Age: 28.00
Average Work Experience (months): 60

Part Time Program: No
Evening Program: No
Executive MBA Program Offered: Yes
Total Faculty: 145

Average Starting Salary: $107,450.00
Hired Consulting: 23%
Hired Finance: 55%
Hired Operations: 1%
Hired Marketing: 8%

In-State Tuition: $46,476.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 03/13
Students Receiving Some Aid: 60%
Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $58,246.00

Toughest To Get Into

School Says - General Information
A Columbia Business School MBA gives graduates the edge in a world that demands smart, flexible, effective business leaders. The MBA program fosters an entrepreneurial mind-set aimed at identifying and capturing opportunityÂâ€"the stuff of which business leaders are made.

Columbia Business School maintains one of the strongest corporate recruiting programs,consistently ranking among the top five favorite hunting groups of corporate recruiters.The school's location and relationships with New York's largest firms and industry leaders create unique opportunities for students.The school boasts a worldwide network of more than 35,000 alumni,some at the highest levels of business.

School Says - Student Body
Students have a variety of opportunities outside the classroom to hear from those with seasoned perspectives:hundreds of noted business leaders visit the school each year as lecturers, teachers, and mentors.The Millennium Lecture Series brings to campus such world leaders and heads of state as King Abdullah II of Jordan and Benjamin Netanyahu, former prime minister of Israel, while the Silfen Leadership Series attracts speakers from the highest corporate levels, such as Sanford I.Weill, chairman and CEO of Citigroup Inc.

School Says - Academics
Each entering class is divided into clusters of approximately 60 students who take every course together for the first year of the program and overlap regularly thereafter.A vital reference group, the clusters form a vital reference group throughout the MBA experience.Like the larger school community, clustermates provide a lifetime of friendship, professional advancement, and inspiration.

Upon completion of the core, students may choose from more than 150 elective courses at Columbia Business School and supplement them with more than 4, 000 graduate-level classes at 12 of the university's other schools, including the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, International and Public Affairs, Journalism, Law, and Social Work.

The strength behind the program is the distinguished, innovative faculty that includes the 2001 Nobel Laureate for Economics, Joseph Stiglitz. Columbia's faculty includes Fortune 500 professionals, who excel at showing their students how to apply knowledge to any business challenge.



School Says - Admissions
Applicants are evaluated in three categories:professional promise, personal char-acteristics, and academic credentials.Columbia looks for well-rounded people from diverse economic, social, ethnic, geographic, and professional backgrounds. Ideal applicants have demonstrated leadership, have the ability to work as members of a team, and can contribute to the academic experience of their peers.

Columbia Business School has a rolling admissions process.Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received and decisions can be rendered at any point during the review period.

Application requirements include 2 references and 4 essays.While interviews are not required, many prospective students are invited to interviews with alumni or current students.Interviews are by invitation only.

School Says - Campus Life
Columbia Business School is housed in the recently renovated Uris Hall, on the upper part of campus, and in Warren Hall.Warren Hall, a lightfilled, eight-story building a five-minute walk from Uris, was built in 1999 to provide shared space for Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School.The facilities feature state-of-the-art connectivity throughout, including Express Web Kiosks.

Tuition, Room and Board, and Fees
Tuition for the 2004-2005 academic year:$36, 296
Additional fees: $1116
Room &board: $17, 820


Students Say - Academics
When it comes to business education, Columbia University has an almost unfair advantage over its competitors: its New York City address. Students here tout "the only great business school in New York City, which gives it a huge advantage over the Harvards and Stanfords of the world" because "whether or not you want to stay here, access to New York City is an unmatched experience that cannot be overstated: The connections made, the speakers we get, the opportunities to visit company offices, are incredible." As one student looking to get into the media and entertainment industry puts it, "New York city location gives access to real world in whatever field one desires...there are so many alums and industry experts in my desired area that Columbia Business School connects me with."
Columbia excels in finance-a natural fit for a b-school in a world finance capital-as well as in related fields like accounting and economics. One student immersed in all three assures us that "The faculty in these departments are outstanding and widely recognized outside of the school. I've had Fed officials, C-level finance managers and well-known investment managers teaching my electives." But these disciplines are just the tip of the iceberg; Columbia also offers outstanding programs in social enterprise and development, real estate, marketing (featuring another NYC touch: a focus on luxury goods), entrepreneurship, and management. There's "a great international focus" throughout the "very analytical" curriculum, which includes "a well-rounded core curriculum and amazing electives across all disciplines."
Columbia's location means "many opportunities for part-time internships as well as networking events. These off-campus opportunities are equivalent to taking several extra classes" and "are an invaluable resource for learning about industries and a great addition to material covered in class." It also means that the school can supplement its "globally respected" full-time faculty with "many adjunct professors who are leaders in their industry and are well positioned to incorporate real-world issues." Students warn, "The workload intensity doesn't seem to abate during the second year" as it does in other top programs; coupled with recruiting activities, this makes for "a schedule that can be overwhelming for even the most robotic among us." They also complain that CU's facilities are "old and cramped" but add that plans for a new building are in the works.

Students Say - Admissions
The Admissions Department at Columbia notes, "Columbia Business School selects applicants from varied business and other backgrounds who have the potential to become successful global leaders. Their common denominators are a record of achievement, demonstrated leadership and the ability to work as members of a team." The school also reports: "By design, efforts are made to admit students who add different perspectives to the learning experience. In this way, students are continually learning from the diverse professional experiences and cultural/geographical backgrounds of their classmates. Columbia Business School has also maintained, through a concerted strategic effort, one of the highest enrollments of women and underrepresented minorities among top business schools. The Office of Admissions, in conjunction with the School's Black Business Students Association, Hispanic Business Association, and African American Alumni Association, sponsors information sessions and receptions for prospective students. Fellowships are also available for minority students." Admission to the program is extremely competitive.

Students Say - Campus Life
Columbia MBAs are organized into 'clusters,' groups of "65 or so students with whom you take most of your classes." Students love the system, saying, "It's unbelievable and builds everlasting and close-knit relationships among students." One student tells us: "Most of your social life takes place with your cluster. They become your new family. However, it is completely OK to have your own life outside of school and no one judges you for not attending every event. But, if you want to do nothing but socialize with classmates, there is something you could be doing every night of the week." And not just on campus; there's "great balance given the location" that "allows you to have your own life outside of school." Restaurants, bars, clubs, all manner of entertainment, museums, parks, and just about anything else you can imagine is a subway ride away.
Campus life is quite robust; students "have to balance the myriad activities and events taking place at and around campus. On a given day, one might have to choose between studying, listening to a Wall Street CEO speak on campus, attending one of a number of recruiting presentations, attending a club meeting, or hitting the bars with classmates. Overall, though, I'd rather have too many choices than none at all, and some of the choices are remarkable. I've crossed both Jim Cramer and John Mack (Morgan Stanley CEO) in the bathroom on campus." The program is home to more than "[90] student-run clubs and associations."

Students Say - Careers
The Career Management Center at Columbia benefits from a tremendous parlay: a top-flight business school located in the financial capital of the world. The office helps students coordinate internship and employment searches and also provides "a range of complementary resources...ranging from intimate workshops on interviewing and presentation skills to a five-part course on different aspects of the job," according to the school's website. The CSO also draws from the region's many business leaders for lectures, seminars, and panel discussions. The school reports: "Hundreds of employers actively recruit at Columbia Business School each year, conducting thousands of on-campus interviews and numerous corporate presentations. Columbia also receives thousands of job postings for off-campus full-time and intern positions." Students add, "Recruiting opportunities and alumni are the greatest strengths of the program. Recruiting is very intense because recruiters are all over you the minute you step in the door. This lasts until you succumb to one of them and take your resume off the market by accepting an offer."
More than half of the graduating class landed in the finance sector; about a quarter of the class found work in consulting (average starting salary $120,060). Top employers include: McKinsey & Company, Citi, Goldman Sachs & Co., Deutsche Bank, Booz Allen Hamilton, JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Boston Consulting Group.

Harvard University
New York University

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