Columbia MBA Acceptance Rate, Deconstructed

Columbia MBA Acceptance Rate

How hard is it to get into Columbia Business School? Let’s take a look. The Columbia MBA acceptance rate of 22% last season was slightly higher than its historical precedents. Class size at CBS is typically one of the largest of the elite programs, varying between 780 and 850 students. Columbia makes the most of this large cohort through its “cluster” system. That way, students have the benefits of a large school in New York City, the center of business, while also getting the intimacy of smaller-group bonds.

Timing plays an outsized role in Columbia MBA admissions, both because of their unique binding Early Decision Round, and its rolling admissions format. Rolling admission means that applications are evaluated in the order received, both during Early Decision and during Regular DecisionSo, the earlier you hit submit, the better. But timing is not a total deal-maker/breaker; Columbia will find a place for great applicants right up until their official April deadline.    

When it comes to test scores, CBS’s 729 average GMAT is among the highest of top-ranked programs. Columbia was also one of the earliest full-time MBA programs to accept the Executive Assessment (EA), alongside the GMAT and GRE. This array of testing options gives the admissions team the latitude to accept interesting applicants from non-traditional backgrounds who they believe will add unique value to the class.

Columbia uses a holistic approach to admissions, but “fit” is very important. In particular, CBS AdCom looks for involvement outside of work and the classroom, as well as leadership or leadership potential. They want to feel certain that you’re going to fit into its tight-knit community and super involved student life.

Who Gets In?

To help demystify the Columbia MBA acceptance rate drivers, we evaluated SBC client data from the 2021—2022 season. Our findings show that although Columbia’s admission patterns, like all top schools, make high demands on quantifiables such as GMAT/GRE, GPA, and years of work experience, they have become increasingly reliant on other factors, too. Things like demographic and experiential diversity and extracurricular commitment are qualities that make CBS such an inspiring community to be a part of.

Recent SBC Clients Admitted to CBS

To preserve anonymity for our client pool, we’ve deconstructed each of our client profiles across these criteria:

  • Nationality
  • Industry
  • Employer
  • College
  • GPA
  • Test scores
  • Other distinguishing factors

Our consultants have shared client attributes for each of these criteria. Here, we’ve aggregated the outcomes for Columbia admits according to personal, extracurricular, and professional domains.  

These visuals showcase the kaleidoscope of qualities found in Columbia admits across a sampling of recent SBC clients.

Determining Your Columbia MBA Acceptance Rate Odds

We asked the former Columbia Business School Admissions Officers on our Stacy Blackman Consulting team, “What does CBS Admissions look for?”  Here’s what they had to say:

Be yourself! The Admissions Committee wants to get to know YOU, not someone you think the AdCom wants to see. Be as specific as possible in your application and show that you’ve taken time to get to know the program. When I worked at CBS Admissions, my favorite applications were always the ones that had great essays where it was clear that the applicant was really being their authentic self.

First-Hand Feedback from a Columbia Admit

As a recent All-In package client, and now a Columbia admit, shared:  

The first semester at Columbia tends to be more work intensive. However, this creates a real culture of camaraderie at Columbia. Being in New York City gives you access to unparalleled speakers, great internship opportunities, and really simplifies the networking process because you can easily hop on the subway and go meet with someone from a company you’re interested in.

Ally, a former CBS Admissions Officer who is now on our SBC team, says:

Columbia Business School applicants are drawn to the location and the opportunity to successfully pursue any career you could imagine (what can’t you do in NYC?!), its tight-knit community and super involved student life, and the amazing faculty and opportunity to learn from some incredible industry leaders.  It’s a great place for students to work together but also enjoy all that’s going on in their surroundings, both professionally and socially.

Ally encourages showing this value and research in your CBS application. “A key aspect of the program is becoming involved on campus and immersing yourself in the CBS community. Something that applicants may not know is how well CBS connects students with the surrounding city (and the world). There are immersion programs students can take as electives, which allow them to spend time in class and also off-site doing corporate visits around the city (and globally).”

Check out our Columbia vs Wharton school comparison and other school faceoffs here. For details on MBA program application deadlines, check out our chart here.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.

For insight on your candidacy for CBS’s MBA program, contact Stacy Blackman Consulting to learn how we can help.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Wharton, Columbia CBS and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team:
Meet Anthony, who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

Meet Erin, who has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation.

Contact

(323) 934-3936
info@StacyBlackman.com

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