Deferred Enrollment Program

The Columbia Business School Deferred Enrollment Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to gain a few years of work experience with a guarantee of admission to Columbia's highly selective MBA program, and the flexibility to begin the full-time program two to five years after college graduation.

Columbia is looking for future leaders from all academic and personal backgrounds to maintain the diverse and supportive community for which Columbia is known.

Apply to Columbia Business School

Apply during your senior year in college or during a subsequent graduate program. When reviewing your application, the Admissions committee will look at your academic background, any work experience or internships that you have, and your engagement in activities outside the classroom.

Gain Work Experience

After completing your current studies and before starting your MBA at Columbia Business School, enter the workforce for two, three, four, or five years. Use the time to explore what drives you, knowing that you have the flexibility to start the MBA program when the time is right for you.

Access Columbia

As an admitted student you are part of the Columbia Community, and will have select access to conferences, events, and School-wide resources to enhance your academic experience and to help you throughout your career.

Start Your MBA

When you are ready to start the MBA program, send us a letter of intent, specifying whether you want to enroll in January (16-month program) or August (traditional 20-month program featuring a summer internship). You will have the option to choose the program that fits your personal and professional goals.

Fellowships and Scholarships

Once you send your letter of intent to start the MBA program, you will be considered for merit-based fellowships and be able to apply for need-based scholarships. Find more information on fellowships and scholarships.

What Our Students Are Saying

"I’m really grateful for the deferred admission program at CBS. During undergrad, I recognized my interest in attending business school in the future, particularly in NYC. Taking the GMAT while still in school mode was efficient and allowed me to seamlessly transition into the application process. The prospect of gaining work experience and having the flexibility to choose when to matriculate based on my career trajectory was an invaluable opportunity offered by the program.
Being part of the CBS community has been a very special experience. The people I've met and the network I've built have made it incredibly rewarding."

Madeline Temares

Deferred Enrollment Program '20, MBA '25

"I knew that I had already done the work and the hay was in the barn, so I could use my early career to focus on other things, including completing some of the CFA program and some fun side certifications and projects.
The advice is to begin to engage with the community or industry that you eventually want to get involved in, even if your time and headspace is taken up by your day job. Grab podcasts, go to lectures, start learning the language of your destination and, maybe most importantly, start being more and more specific about what it is you are trying to do with your time at CBS."

Jason Vincze

Deferred Enrollment Program '19, MBA '24

Application Process

Eligibility

Students graduating during the current academic year from a bachelor's degree program. (Example: Those who graduate between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025 are eligible to apply for the 2025 Deferred Enrollment Program Admissions cycle)
Students completing a graduate degree program. Candidates must have started the graduate degree program directly after completing their undergraduate degree to be eligible for the Deferred Enrollment Program.
Students enrolled in PhD programs, law school, or medical school are not eligible. Please apply through the standard MBA or EMBA application process.

Application Requirements

See full application requirements here.

To be considered in the 2025 application cycle, your application must be completed by 12:00pm Eastern Time (ET) on April 15th, 2025. All application materials, including your letter of recommendation, must be submitted by the deadline for your application to be considered complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Interview

Candidates will be notified if they are invited to interview with Columbia Business School. All interviews will be conducted virtually.

Fees and Deposits

There is no application fee for students who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or eligible graduate-level program.
Once admitted, students will be required to submit a $500 non-refundable deposit by 11:59am EDT on August 1, 2025.
Subsequent $500 deferral continuation fees will be due each year that you defer.
The year that you decide to matriculate, you will also be required to verify your work experience during the deferral period and submit deposits for your entry-point.

Important Dates

The Deferred Enrollment application will open in November 2024 and will close on April 15, 2025 at 11:59am EDT.
Completed applications will begin the review process after April 15, 2025
Interview invitations will be sent on or before May 15, 2025
Final decisions will be released in late June 2025. A $500 deposit is due by 11:59pm EDT on August 1, 2025.

2023 Deferred Enrollment Class Profile

Admitted	232
GMAT Range	570-780
GPA Range	3.3-4.0
Number of Schools Represented	108
Number of Countries Represented	28

The global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 presented institutions of higher education with challenges in teaching and learning, as well as in the assessment of academic performance. As a consequence of these challenges, Columbia University affirms the following principle:

The University’s graduate and professional schools, as well as their respective Admissions committees, will take into account the important disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak when reviewing student transcripts and other Admissions materials as part of their customary practice of performing holistic reviews of individual applications or dossiers. Specifically, we will respect decisions made by institutions or individuals regarding the adoption of Pass/Fail or similar grading options during the period in question.

The Provost and University Deans adopted this principle to ensure that no applicants are disadvantaged by policy decisions made by their colleges/universities as a result of this unprecedented public health event.