Columbia Announces 2012-2013 Application Deadlines

Columbia Business School has posted its 2012-2013 deadlines for the full-time MBA program, extending its regular deadline by a week this application cycle to April 15th.

Columbia provides the option of enrolling in either August or January. Students who enroll in August may consider an internship option after their first year of studies. Students who do not want or need an internship can begin their MBA studies in January and take their second term during the summer.

August 2013 Entry

Early Decision Deadline: October 3, 2012

Merit Fellowships Consideration Deadline: January 10, 2013

Regular Decision Deadline: April 15, 2013

January 2013 Entry

Deadline: October 3, 2012

About 70% of Columbia MBA students begin their studies in the fall term. After mandatory orientation in the second half of August, regular classes begin in September. Most August-entry students complete a summer internship between their second and third terms.

The August entry has two review periods — early decision and regular decision. Because the School uses a rolling admissions process, it is always to your advantage to apply well before the deadline.

Early Decision

• Available for August entry applicants only
• Application deadline in early October
• Early decision applications are reviewed, and decisions rendered, before regular decision applications
• Candidates have decided that Columbia is their first choice and must sign the following statement of commitment within their applications: I am committed to attending Columbia Business School and will withdraw all applications and decline all offers from other schools upon admission to Columbia Business School.
• Applicants must submit a nonrefundable $6,000 tuition deposit within two weeks of admission
• Regular Decision
• Candidates may submit regular decision applications as soon as the application becomes available in the summer
• Regular decision applications are reviewed after early decision applications
• No statement of commitment required
• To be considered for merit-based fellowships, applications must be submitted by the specified merit-based fellowship deadline in early January

Final application deadline in April

Students who do not want or need an internship may consider beginning their MBA studies in January and completing their second semester of classes during the summer. A January start may be ideal for students who wish to remain in the same industry after graduation or pursue entrepreneurial interests. About 30 percent of students enter in January.

There is no early decision option for January entry and that, due the timing of the application cycle, January-entry applicants are not eligible for merit fellowship consideration. The Admissions Office begins reviewing applications for January entry once the application becomes available in June. The final application deadline is in early October.