Columbia Business School MBA Deadlines 2025-2026
The Columbia Business School MBA deadlines for the 2025-2026 admissions season are available in the table below.
In 2023, CBS changed from a rolling admissions process to rounds of specific deadlines. CBS deadlines for August 2026 entry fall in September, January and April. The January Entry, which is for MBA candidates who can forego the summer internship, deadlines are June 17, 2025, and August 13, 2025.
Applicants targeting the full-time MBA at Columbia Business School should note that all materials must be submitted by noon (12 p.m.) Eastern Time on the date of each deadline. Applications will not be reviewed until after each deadline.
| Round | Application Deadline | Interview Notification | Decision Notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | September 3, 2025 | By November 13 | By December 15 |
| Round 2 | January 6, 2026 | By February 19 | March 25 |
| Round 3 | March 26, 2026 | By May 1 | By May 20 |
Required Materials
A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution is required for admission to Columbia Business School. Scanned PDF versions of transcripts from each institution should be submitted with the application, encrypted digital copies are requested if offered admission.
All applicants must provide GRE, GMAT, or EA scores. Scores are considered valid for five years after the test date. Applicants must complete two short answer questions and three essays, with the opportunity to include an optional essay of 500 words or less. First-time applications require one recommendation. Re-applicants also need to submit one new recommendation. With at least six months of work experience, the recommendation should come from a current supervisor. If the applicant has worked less than six months at their current firm, other options include a former direct supervisor, or another professional associate senior to the applicant.
The non-refundable $250 application fee should be paid via credit card through the online application system. Fee waivers are available to full-time students, active-duty US military personnel, and members of the Peace Corps, or Teach For All network partners who are currently in service. The Application fee is automatically waived for the Deferred Enrollment Program.
Applications cannot be reviewed until they are complete. Missing required materials, updated test scores, or additional materials must be received by the Admissions Office within three weeks of submission or the application will be withdrawn.
How Does the Interview Process Work?
Interviews are by invitation only and cannot be requested.
Interviews are usually conducted by alumni in or near the applicant’s geographic area. If one is not available, applicants will be invited to interview via telephone or Skype. The interviewer will not be familiar with the application details except for a professional resume if the applicant chooses to provide one. The interviewer will provide a report to the admissions office within one week following the interview.
MBA Applywire
’m applying for deferred mba. Here’s my app:
Ethnicity: Middle eastern female (international student)
University: T3 Canada with full-tuition scholarship
GPA: 3.75 (will graduate with distinction in CS/Math)
GMAT Focus: 675, all parts above 85 percentile
Work experience: 2 FAANGS, 2 Hedge funds, 1 AI lab, 1 unicorn.
Research: 2 papers under review; 2 years of TAship for math and cs courses; received a grant
Extracurricular: 2 VC-based fellowships in Silicon Valley; I also won a funding for developing my non-profit project in the college which we tested in multiple orgs across our province; some little women in cs things; top Canada in trading competition
Post-grad plan: got return offer from all my internships and currently planning on a startup (very early stage)
* Background: 28M, CEE Region (Underrepresented)
* Education: Bachelor of Economics (GPA: 8.3/10) from the top university in my home country.
* Education (Grad): Master in Finance (GPA: 4.7/5.0) from the top university in a second country (Poland).
* GMAT: 675.
* Work Experience: 5 years total.
* 2 years in Big 4 Transactions.
* 3 years in a local M&A Boutique.
* Note: Big 4 experience was gained concurrently with my studies. My Master’s schedule (3-4 days a week, 17:00-21:00) allowed for full-time professional engagement.
* Extracurriculars: Founder of a finance community for the CEE region (70+ members). We focus on mentoring and networking.
* Post-MBA Goal: Pivot into a Private Equity Mega Fund.
* The Pitch: Leveraging a unique CEE expertise. Poland is a booming market; as the economy matures, I expect increased MF activity (CVC is already active here). I also plan to scale my finance community into a primary regional hub.
I'm a GCC national at MBB in the region. Mostly worked on large-scale government projects, and hoping to continue in government after graduation (also a woman, not sure if that makes a difference but I see fewer women from my country applying to MBAs).
322 GRE (162V 160Q)
3.0 GPA from US T30 school (this one is painful but I had a strong upward trend after switching majors)
5 years experience (boutique + currently MBB)
Hey everyone,
I’d really appreciate an honest profile review and advice on how to best position myself over the next 4–5 years before applying to MBA programs (targeting M7 / T15, ideally with strong scholarship outcomes).
Background:
• 23M, URM (Latino, immigrant background)
• Graduated December 2025 from a non-target state school (Honors College)
• Major: Finance
• GPA: \~3.7–3.8
Work Experience:
Incoming: Management Rotation Program (Audit track) at a large U.S. financial institution (starting mid-2026)
• Rotational program with exposure to risk, capital markets, and enterprise functions
Current: Financial Analyst (Controls / Risk) at a large global tech company (co-op + full-time transition before MRP) not FAANG but similar
Prior internships:
A) 6 months internship Internal Audit – Housing Finance / Mortgage-related institution (Fannie/freddie)
B) 1 year internship and 1 year contract Risk & Compliance – Fixed Income / Debt Issuance organization (~$800B issuance exposure)
Exposure to MBS, capital markets, and financial risk frameworks
C) Summer experience for a regulatory agency (Pcaob, SEC, GAO)
Leadership & Extracurriculars:
• Director of Data Analytics – professional Latino association (2-5K members)
• Committee Member – State CPA Society (content + events)
Certifications / Plans:
Sitting for CFA Level I (May) → plan to complete CFA within ~3–4 years
Planning to complete CPA (150 credits + exams) within ~4–5 years
Short-Term Goal (pre-MBA):
Move from audit → capital markets / risk / transaction-related roles internally
Potentially pivot into roles closer to banking, valuation, or strategy
Long-Term Goal (post-MBA):
Investment Banking (M&A / Capital Markets) or potentially strategy consulting as backup
⸻
Questions:
1. How competitive is this profile today for M7 / T15 (assuming a strong GMAT, targeting 740+)?
2. What matters more in my case over the next few years:
• Internal mobility into capital markets–related roles?
• External jump (e.g., consulting, transaction advisory)?
3. Will CPA + CFA actually help for MBA admissions + IB recruiting, or is that overkill?
4. How can I best differentiate coming from a non-target + audit background?
5. What would you prioritize if you were me for the next 4–5 years?
I am a European 28-years-old engineer (automotive and oil&gas background) preparing my MBA applications. GMAT Focus 695 (97th percentile), IELTS 8/9, ~3 years of work experience.
MBA LiveWire
MMM, $$$