Frequently Asked Questions

Columbia Business School has moved to a rounds review model for August 2024 entry. We encourage those who would have previously applied Early Decision (ED) to CBS to apply Round 1 which will show similar levels of commitment to CBS. Those who apply in Round 1 are required to submit a $6000.00 deposit and all deposits, regardless of the round in which you apply, are not refundable.

Columbia Business School uses rolling admissions for January-entry applications and rounds for August-entry applications. For all entry terms, applications are only reviewed if all required materials have been received.

For the January-entry, our goal is either to invite for an interview or render a deny admission within six weeks of receiving a completed application. Our goal for interviewed applicants is to render a final decision within two weeks of the interview report being completed.

For August-entry applicants, updates related to interview decision release will be posted to the Options and Deadlines page and to the Application Requirements page throughout the cycle. Please refer to those pages for further information regarding decision release.

Check your application status.

Interviews are by invitation only; applicants cannot request an interview. The Admissions Office will contact you if you are selected for an interview.

Please navigate to the page titled “Application” in your MBA application. Ensure you have marked that you previously applied to Columbia Business School and the reapplication essay will automatically trigger if it has been less than a year since your last application. If you are reapplying for admission more than one year since your last application, you will need to complete the full application again. 

Please note that candidates may only apply once for each term of entry. If you are considering a reapplication, please review the class profile and consider how you might strengthen your candidacy. Candidates who are successful in the reapplication process have demonstrated an understanding of Columbia’s programs, what she or he will contribute to the school, growth through academic, career or community achievements. We encourage you to note any changes since your original application, including:

Significant change in your responsibilities at work

Improved standardized test scores

Refinement of your career goals

New recommendations

New interests pursued outside of work

No. Columbia Business School does not offer deferrals.  Students must start the program at the entry point for which they were admitted. For example, a student who was admitted to the January-entry for 2022 must start in January 2022 and a student admitted to the August-entry for 2022 must start in August 2022.  On a case by case basis, the Admissions Committee will consider two potential exceptions: mandatory military deployment and/or the inability to secure a visa after making substantial and timely efforts.  In these two instances, the admitted student should email the request in writing to [email protected] to ask for consideration.

If admitted to the Deferred Enrollment Program, you may enter at any entry point within the two to five year deferral period as long as you have submitted the required deposits and notified the program of your intention to start the program by the notification deadline.

We understand the enormous commitment of time and energy that goes into applying to business school; unfortunately, we are not able to offer individual feedback on denied applications. Please know that this is a competitive process and we are only able to admit a portion of the many strong candidates who apply.

All decisions are final. There is no process for appeal.

For students who would like to continue working while enrolled in an MBA program, we encourage you to consider one of our Executive MBA programs: EMBA-New York Saturday, meeting for six semesters on Saturdays and EMBA-New York Friday/Saturday, meeting for five semesters on alternating Friday/Saturdays. We also offer a partnership program: EMBA-Global in partnership with London Business School. Please visit the EMBA website for more information. 

Fee waivers are available to full-time students, active duty military personnel, eligible displaced persons (view this website for displaced eligibility criteria), and members of the Peace Corps, or Teach For All network partners who are currently in service. Proof of current service is required. Applicants who qualify for a fee waiver should create or log into the application and navigate to the "Review" page. Upon accessing the Fee Waiver Request form, applicants will provide proof of service and explain their need for a fee waiver. Qualified applicants who have already submitted an application should email [email protected] to request a Fee Waiver Request form. Please allow up to one week for an update to your online status regarding a fee waiver request.

Please note, there is no application fee for the Deferred Enrollment Program.

Read more about the application fee.

Columbia Business School is a proud member of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an alliance of leading American business schools and top US corporations. The Consortium's mission is to enhance diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership by striving to reduce the significant underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both member schools' enrollments and in the ranks of global management. For more information about applying to Columbia through the Consortium, please click here. 

We accept applications from candidates with a three-year undergraduate degree. Those applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Enter your GPA information exactly as it appears on your transcript. Submit your transcript as is and the admissions team will review your transcript’s strength based on its stated scale.  

No.  A valid test score is required when you submit your application. Scores will be verified after admission to the program.

Yes, CBS will be accepting the GMAT Focus Edition once it becomes available. Prospective students can submit a GMAT Focus Edition score to fulfill the test requirement.

Read more about our GMAT, Executive Assessment and GRE requirements.

No, this a requirement for your application. We offer no exemption under any circumstances.

Read more about our GMAT, Executive Assessment and GRE requirements.

Columbia Business School considers scores valid for five years after your test date. Please send your score report to Columbia Business School and submit your application at least one week before the scores expire. Columbia Business School's GMAT and Executive Assessment code is QF8-N6-52, and its GRE code is 6442. If admitted, we will need your official scores on file before matriculation.

GRE, GMAT, GMAT Focus, and EA scores are available for 5 years. Once they expire, you will not be able to submit official scores. If you are accepted and we do not have your scores on file you will have to re-take an examination.

Read more about our GMAT, Executive Assessment and GRE requirements.

Yes, you may include study abroad as a separate entry in your education section. If information regarding your study abroad is included in your undergraduate transcript, you do not need to submit a separate transcript. If the titles of classes taken and grades earned at your study abroad institution are not included in your undergraduate transcript, you are required to submit a separate transcript. 

Yes, we require that transcripts be translated to English upon submission. If your transcripts are not in English, you may translate them yourself and do not need to use World Education Services (WES). Please note that we require your original, official transcripts upon admission and reserve the right to rescind admission if we identify any discrepancy in your translation and the original transcript.

Please submit an unofficial score report for the standardized test(s) you have taken. If you do not have a copy of your unofficial score report, you may submit an email, screenshot, or other informal documentation of your assessment score. Please note that we require your official score report upon admission and reserve the right to rescind admission if we identify any discrepancy in your unofficial and official score reports.

If you are applying for the Full-Time MBA, your employment section should include all the full-time work experience you have had since completing your undergraduate degree, including military service and entrepreneurial ventures. On your resume, please feel welcome to also include part-time work and paid and unpaid internships. If you are applying for the Deferred Enrollment Program, please include internships and part-time work in the Relevant Experience section.

If your employment changes after submitting the application, please contact our office at [email protected] with your updated employment information. This is important for employment verification if you are admitted and will help to make the verification process smoother.

You should submit your salary for your current position at the time of applying. If you would like to provide more context about expected changes in salary, you may also utilize the Optional Essay for this purpose.

References may be submitted from personal email accounts (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, 123.com, 163.com, qq.com etc.). These references, however, will be subject to your admission being rescinded if significant discrepancies are found. Please ensure that if admitted, your recommender is aware that they will be contacted via email and phone in order to verify your recommendation.

If your recommender does not have a business card, they can use another method to prove their employment including an email signature or LinkedIn profile. Please ensure that if admitted, your recommender is aware that they could be contacted via email and phone in order to verify your recommendation.

If a CBS alumnus or current student wishes to send in a letter of support, they should email the letter to [email protected] and our admissions team will add it to your file.

No. If you are applying through the CBS portal, the admissions team will only look at one letter of recommendation, ideally from your current manager. If you have multiple managers, select the one you think knows you and your strengths best. If you are applying through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, please submit the required 2 letters of recommendation.

Columbia Business School does not accept transfer credits for MBA programs. Before each semester, exemption exams are offered, giving students the opportunity to test out of that core course and replace it with an elective. Passing an exemption exam does not reduce the required number of courses that all students must complete in order to graduate — it merely allows students to take additional elective courses.

Students must complete a total of 60 credits in order to graduate with an MBA from Columbia Business School. Students typically enroll in 15 credits of coursework each semester for four semesters of study, though this distribution may vary. Full-term courses are worth 3 credits; half-term courses are worth 1.5 credits.

Learn more about our course offerings.

August-entry: Columbia Business School reviews all admitted applicants for institutional funding. Merit funding is awarded based on the strength of a candidate’s admission application and no additional application is required. Applicants seeking need-based funding will be invited to complete a separate application on a timeline dependent on entry-term. Round 1 and Round 2 applicants will be given priority consideration for all institutional funding.

January-entry: Admitted students are eligible to apply for need-based funding and are offered the opportunity to complete a separate application with a deadline of October 15 or within two weeks of admission notification (whichever is later).

Read more about institutional funding at Columbia Business School.

You should apply for loans after you are admitted to the MBA program. To expedite the application process, we encourage U.S. citizens and permanent residents to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible using our school code 002707.

Non US-citizens can apply for a private loan to cover the cost of attendance through a loan program that does not require a US cosigner or with a creditworthy US or permanent resident co-borrower. More information about international student loan options can be found on the Financial Aid website.

Columbia Business School’s code is 002707.

In evaluation for need-based eligibility, there is no income limit. Our need assessment includes consideration of all resources (including cash, savings, investments, IRA and retirement accounts, trust funds, real estate equity, G.I. and Social Security benefits, income of both student and spouse, other familial resources, income tax refunds, sponsorships from companies, as well as prior educational debt levels) and personal circumstances captured in the application. Decisions are made by committee and based on the available budget. Additional information might be requested to best assess a candidate's ability to cover their educational expenses.

Read more about institutional funding at Columbia Business School.

Merit-based fellowships are automatically renewed for the second year based on maintaining a 5.5/10.0 GPA. Need-based scholarships are renewed for the second year automatically, provided students demonstrate receipt of loan funds for their first year. Dual degree students are only eligible for aid through the school charging and collecting their tuition.

CBS funding is awarded at the time of admission and renewed in the second-year as long as students maintain good academic standing. Opportunities for a small number of modest awards are available to second-year students with meritorious and need-based components. For example, students looking to expand their experience through travel will have the opportunity to apply for Chazen grants. Any potential funding opportunities will be communicated to students during their time at CBS.

You should determine whether any organization you belong to might have aid funds available. Support is often available from religious, fraternal, or athletic organizations, clubs, veteran groups, ethnic groups, unions, employers, rotary clubs, and others. For your convenience, we've identified several outside scholarship sources as well as other resources on the Financial Aid website.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 states that grant assistance is taxable income to the extent that it exceeds tuition, required education fees, and course-related expenses. Course-related expenses are defined as those for books, supplies, and equipment required for courses. For nonresident aliens, the University is required to withhold federal income tax on grants received in excess of the expenses described above.

The cost of attendance is the maximum amount of financial aid and other aid a student can receive during the academic year. The number includes the cost of tuition, fees, and moderate living expenses. You can find an up-to-date breakdown of our cost of attendance (or budget) in the Student Budget section of the Financial Aid website.

Columbia Business School is a member of the National Student Clearinghouse. Once you are a registered student, your information will be sent directly to the Clearinghouse and reported to your lender(s), so that they can defer your outstanding loans. You can also obtain a certificate of registration from the Columbia University Registrar’s Office to forward to your lender.

Materials that are not in English must be translated and submitted electronically. Applicants may translate their own transcripts for the review, but must not participate in the translation or submission of their own recommendation. If offered admission, we require official transcripts from each institution for verification. Official transcripts must be received through a secure online point-to-point delivery system that bypasses the student and is delivered directly to our office. The authenticity of recommendations may also be verified.

International students are not required to submit a language test such as the TOEFL. Your verbal score on the GRE or the GMAT is sufficient. Your interview will also be conducted in English.

It is optional until you are admitted, but it will be required to obtain your I-20 (visa).

The following students are eligible for the Deferred Enrollment Program:

Students graduating during the current academic year from a bachelor's degree program.(Example: Those who graduate between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025 are eligible to apply for the 2025 Deferred Enrollment Program admissions cycle)

Students completing a graduate degree program. Candidates must have started the graduate degree program directly after completing their undergraduate degree to be eligible for the Deferred Enrollment Program.

Students enrolled in Ph.D. programs, law school, or medical school are not eligible. Please apply through the standard MBA or EMBA application process.

Yes. If you are graduating during the current academic year, you are eligible to apply. For example, if most of your class graduates in May, but you are graduating a semester early in December, you are still eligible to apply. Those who graduate between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025 are eligible to apply for the 2025 Deferred Enrollment Program admissions cycle.

There is no application fee for students who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or eligible graduate-level program.

Yes, but only once you are admitted to the Deferred Enrollment Program. Deferred Enrollment Program students may apply to a dual degree program the year that they decide to matriculate to Columbia Business School.

No. However, you can apply for a dual degree program the year you decide to matriculate into the MBA program. All requirements for dual degree applications must be followed. Please note that some programs such as the MD/MBA will not be available through this process.

Yes. Interviews are by invitation only and will be conducted by a member of the admissions committee or a current Columbia Business School student. Interviews are conducted virtually.

Yes. While some candidates are successful through Deferred Enrollment, others will become stronger candidates with time. Many of our students do not gain admission on their first attempt, but are successful in a subsequent application and thrive at the Business School. Applicants who are not offered admission via the Deferred Enrollment Program, are NOT considered "re-applicants" if they decide to submit a future application.

Yes. If admitted you will be required to submit a $500 non-refundable tuition deposit to secure your spot by 11:59am EDT on August 1, 2025. You will then submit a $500 deferral continuation fee each year that you defer.

You are welcome to defer for a minimum of two and up to a maximum of five years. You have the option to matriculate in our August-entry or January-entry program.  You must give your intent to matriculate by the notification deadlines. 

During the deferral period you will have discounted or free access to conferences, invitations to select admissions and CBS events, virtual and in-person events specifically for Deferred Enrollment Program students, and opportunities to network with fellow admitted students via a Slack channel. Additionally, an admissions officer is available to provide advising and guidance on matriculation as it relates to your career goals.