Meet Columbia’s MBA Class of 2017

Uris Hall, home of Columbia Business School in New York

CLASS RANGES FROM INVESTMENT BANKERS TO PLATOON LEADERS

As it nears its 100 year anniversary, Columbia Business School is sometimes painted as an urban finance school with deep ties to Wall Street. However, that reality has been slowly shifting. In 2001, for example, 43.7% of Columbia grads entered investment banking. For the Class of 2014, that number plummeted to 16.0%. Make no mistake: Banking is still popular at Columbia – as evidenced by over a third of the last class entering financial services. Now, a more diverse set of employers are competing for Columbia talent. For example, a third of the 2014 class joined consulting firms, with McKinsey, Bain & Company, BCG, and Deloitte being the top employers. Nearly 14% were hired by media and tech firms – led by Google, Amazon, and IBM. And entrepreneurship is gaining greater traction – as New York’s tax free zones and proximity to VC and angel funding makes the city an attractive bet for tech and medical startups.

And the makeup of the 2017 class reflects embodies this diversity. Louis Aronne, who co-founded two companies while he worked on the New York Stock Exchange, plans to use his time at Columbia to sharpen his entrepreneurial skills. Paige Ford, a West Point grad and former platoon leader in Afghanistan, comes to Morningside Heights confident that, “It’s not a question of if I’ll find that same sense of purpose [as the U.S. Army], but where and when.” After producing segments for Maria Bartiromo and Becky Quick on CNBC, Marqui Mapp-Taylor is looking to launch a startup before graduation and incubate it in the school’s Business Lab.

And such students were smitten with Columbia for many reasons. For one, Columbia is known for the breadth of its coursework. Here, students can take deep dives into mastering intricacies that’ll prepare them to start fast from day one in their new careers. Even more, the school prides itself on fusing research with classroom and real world application. Here, a student may be taught value investing by academic rock star Bruce Greenwald followed by a new ventures course by Owen Davis, an internet pioneer who is the managing director of NYC Seed, a VC fund that supports early stage funds.

“I am looking forward to participating in Master Classes,” says Saskia Chanoine, a Tufts grad who was most recently a producer at PBS. “[These] classes that are taught by professionals at the top of their field, but with a quick subway ride bring their expertise to the Columbia Business School classroom for a semester.”

SCHOOL FEEDS OFF ITS NEW YORK CITY LOCALE

Columbia Business School recently launched a new branding campaign: “At the Center of Business”

For others, being in the center of the action – New York City – was hard to resist. “The culture, diversity of people and industries help create an unbelievable energy that drives you to push yourself outside your comfort zone, further than you thought you could go,” writes Kornhauser. “This is the perfect kind of energy to help fuel a truly valuable business school experience.” And Columbia is an extension of this vitality, Kornhauser adds. “When I visited campus and started meeting members of the administration and current students, I was drawn to the strong and diverse community – one that is vibrant and dynamic just like the city that surrounds it.”

But the Class of 2017 is looking to do more than rub elbows with banking magnates at brown bag lunches or dine at Carmine’s before taking in a Broadway show. Benjamin Rome previously worked in international licensing for Major League Baseball. With New York being home to so many industries, he hopes to expose himself to as many new ideas as possible.

“My main goal for these two years is to get exposed to and learn about as many different industries and job functions as possible,” he states. “While down the road, I plan on returning to the sports industry, I’m looking to get some different experience post-MBA, in order to be able to bring best practices from other industries over to sports, which is a relatively insulated industry. Exposing myself to a variety of companies and industries through internships (summer and during semester) as well as informational interviews and meetings, will allow me to continue to solidify my path going forwards post-school.”

Others, such as Chanoine, are looking to use Columbia’s resources to jumpstart their dreams. “I want to immerse myself in school and learn as much as possible and hone my tech and business skills, so that eventually I can have the ability, the network of contacts, and confidence to start my own media company.”

Alas, many members of the Class of 2017 are still taking everything in. And they’re looking forward to the two years ahead. “I also want to make sure to take the time to meet and talk with as many of my classmates as possible,” Chanoine adds. “My peers hail from around the world, and I am certain will teach me things I never knew and make me consider things I did not even know existed. Bring on the excitement, adventure and learning!”

To read profiles of incoming Columbia students – along with their advice on tackling GMAT, applications, and interviews – click on the student links below.

Louis Aronne / New York City, NY

Saskia Chanoine / Potomac, MD

Paige Ford / Charlotte, NC

MacKenzie Green / Washington, DC

Lex Kiefhaber / Brooklyn, NY

Laura Kornhauser / Princeton, NJ

Marqui Mapp-Taylor / Williamstown, NJ

Benjamin Rome / Newton, MA

Todd Wisman / Harrisonburg, VA

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