The flexible curriculum is a key factor, it allows student to pursue courses from both Engineering and Business schools. The Ivy League tag and the location of the University were also key factors for me.
Course Curriculum
The quality of course curriculum is good. The curriculum is relevant to the industry. As a part of one of the courses we get to directly work on an industry project for one whole semester. I felt sql and reporting tools are not discussed in depth in any courses till date, including these would make students a better fit for the market.
Exams
IELTS: 8.5; The university has provided GRE waiver for Fall 2021, I have utilized the waiver
Placement
I am in my second semester, so can't comment on the employment opportunities yet. I felt that our skillset plays a key role for internship/full time job search
Internship
I am searching for internships currently, yet to get an internship
Fees
For a 3 semester course it would be around 75 Lakhs INR
Scholarship
No
Faculty
We generally have ~60 students in a section. The number could be as low as 20 for some courses, but for the mandatory courses we have ~60 per section. Faculty and staff are approachable and are ready to help on anything. Students have to be open to seek help often from the Course assistants, Teaching assistants and faculty. Almost all faculty have great knowledge in their domain. Professor Kristen Lane had a great impact on me.
Campus Life
The Campus infrastructure is great we have 3-4 libraries on the campus, there is indoor gymnasium which can be accessed for free. Students get free WiFi on the Campus. The Clubs and chapters are limited for graduate students when compared with undergraduate students. However the ones available are very active. Some clubs help for interview preparation, they also arrange sessions with recent graduates who bagged internship/full time job offers at reputed firms, these sessions are helpful. As Columbia is an Ivy League institute, it provides great training facilities for students with professional sports experience
Hostel
For Graduate students Columbia doesn't offer any On-Campus accommodation so students have to search for options outside the campus. Columbia provides housing outside the campus though, people can opt for single rooms. If one wants to stay near the Campus it would cost around 900 - 1100$/month for each person if we opt for 3 bed, 1 bath or 4 bed 2 bath flats.
