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2004 FULL-TIME MBA PROFILE
Columbia University
Columbia Business School
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CLASS OF 2004 GRADUATE COMMENTS
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] I think that people entering MBA programs need to have a defined plan for post-graduation and understand where the MBA will take them. Also, I think selecting a school according to your interests is critical.--Marketing
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] While several MBA programs are probably equal in terms of quality of instruction and faculty, Columbia has the distinct advantage of being the premiere school in New York City. As a result, a great array of guests visit the campus each semester providing real-world insights to supplement in-class learnings.--Marketing
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] Columbia is a great school for certain topics, such as finance and social entrepreneurship. However, people that thrive at Columbia typically have certain character traits that distinguish them from other B-school students: They are well-rounded and, perhaps, a bit more laid-back than students in programs of similar calibre.--Investment Banking
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] New York provided so many opportunities. I was able to interview with practically every Japan-based company. I was able to take a course jointly taught at Parsons. For a non-finance person, Columbia's powerhouse finance department was a good way for me to fill in the gap.--Marketing
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] Columbia's students are incredibly diverse and offer a great mix of cosmopolitan social skills as well as intelligence and ambition. The academics and other programs are great, and there is the additional benefit of being in New York City, which allows students to be taught by practitioners, to have part-time internships, to go on continuous informational interviews, and to be in a very stimulating social environment.--Not Available
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] As the financial capital of the world, being in New York for the MBA program offers a substantial advantage over other schools. The quality of not only the MBA program at Columbia, but the university as a whole, allowed for a strong interdisciplinary program.--Finance
[Did consulting project enhance learning?] The small business consulting club performed pro-bono work for Americorps that allowed non-consultants to get experience and put together core course concepts.--Not Available
Although I didnt work on a consulting project, I did an internship during the school year at a private equity company. It was great to apply school learned concepts to the real world. But it was very hard to manage tme commitments to school and work.--Finance
I worked on two projects, one for a small community credit union in Harlem and one for a computer training company in India. I also oversaw a series of consulting projects in developing countries around the world. The credit union study taught me a series of client management skills and the issues facing a struggling small business. The project in India, for which I co-wrote a case study with two other CBS students, gave me a chance to work closely with senior executives of a large international business.--Consulting
Understanding the problems of a troubled small business and helping solve them was a great tool to enhance my learning experience.--Consulting
I worked on a market research project for a small New York business (a restaurant) that enabled me to apply some of the concepts I was learning in class to a real-life situation. That was very useful in comprehending the material and understanding how real-life factors can impact the kinds of decisions you make.--Marketing
We worked on a project for Women's World Banking in a course called "International Microfinance Consulting Lab." The course was designed to bring in career professionals in the field of microfinance -- micro lending to individuals in developing countries with the mission of poverty alleviation -- to educate students on the most pressing issues in the field. It served as a phenomenal networking opportunity for those looking to enter the field. Beyond that the course broke us up into teams, each tasked with completing a consulting project for a microfinance institution. Working on this project has really exposed us to the inner working of the microfinance industry, and has helped us to understand the demands of day-to-day consulting for the non-profit space.--Consulting
Columbia gets a bad rap for being "cut throat," but that simply is not the case. My peers were collaborative, even in the first year when a forced-curve grading system was in effect. I would recommend Columbia wholeheartedly. The only negative to the school is the extremely high cost of living in New York City.--Entrepreneurship
Columbia Business School uniquely combines competition with cooperation in a way that best fits my personality. Many times my fellow students sent me copies of their class notes before exams, and we studied together with ease. However, we all fought to make our best possible effort and to land the best job interviews possible. Instead of keeping our cards to ourselves, we often called each other to take the subway ride together to, say, our McKinsey interview downtown. This is a unique quality that has not received enough attention, and that greatly differs from the culture at other top programs.--Not Available
My interest in Wall Street attracted me to Columbia. The education, recruiting opportunities, and alumni network are amazing. Maybe one or two other business schools can match what Columbia has to offer, but none can surpass it. It was a great experience.--Investment Banking
Columbia's finance program is exceptional and its focus on the tools of value investing and fundamental analysis is unique among top MBA programs. These building blocks are useful to any business person, not just bankers. The access to prominent business people is incredible -- top CEOs visit campus every week, and most electives will draw on experts in the field with guest lectures. The incoming dean (Glenn Hubbard) will do a tremendous job leading the school.--Consulting
As a European, I would definitely urge my friends to enroll at Columbia Business School. The program and faculty are terrific, and living in New York City should be a mandatory experience in everyone's life. The combination of living in New York City while being an MBA student is even better because of the breadth of contacts that can be established.--Marketing
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] First, I would encourage all my friends to enroll at a top MBA program -- the expereince is rich and valuable both from a personal and professional perspective. Specifically, I would tell them to enroll in Columbia because of the diversity of student interests. Because there are hundreds of different industries at our doorstep, it seems everyone is doing something different -- sports business, media/television, real estate, pharma, banking, management, etc.--Venture Capital/Private Equity
I consulted for a small cosmetics start up. In this project, the team addressed all issues in starting up a company from scratch including sourcing, marketing, and financials. This helped me create my own business plan, which I hope to someday act on.--Operations
I consulted for an Ethiopian Maize Processing Plant, providing financial services and market advice. The project gave me real-world exposure to both entreprenuership and emerging market business.--Finance
I think the biggest misconception is that Columbia is only a finance school. I was surprised when I arrived to see the diversity of backgrounds and career goals of my classmates. The access to professionals from the media, finance, and retail/fashion industries is unparalleled.--Not Available
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