Application FAQs
Online Application Questions
Do all of my application materials need to be submitted online?
My online status reflects that my application is incomplete.
May I submit a reapplication online?
My password will not work. Why?
How can I pay my application fee?
Do all of my application materials need to be submitted online?
You should submit the online application only after it is complete and both recommenders have submitted their recommendations online. If you've completed all parts of your application online, you must submit your application fee to us to complete the application process.
If you apply online, we ask that all materials be submitted online. Exceptions include transcripts, recommendation(s) (Download PhD Application Recommendation Request), and/or the application fee. The Doctoral Program requires you to send an official sealed transcript by mail.
If you must send additional materials, please send them ALL in one envelope. Be sure to clearly print your user login on the outside of the envelope.
**Additional materials can include the application fee, transcripts, and/or recommendations if you have not already completed these items in the online application process.
My online status reflects that my application is incomplete.
It takes at least two weeks to process any material received by the Doctoral Program. If you have submitted an online application, your online status will immediately and automatically be updated at the time your mailed material has been processed.
May I submit a reapplication online?
Yes. Please contact the Doctoral Program to request online reapplication.
My recommender claims that he/she has not received the automatic e-mail, which is sent after I fill in his/her name and e-mail address.
You may call the Doctoral Program at (212) 854-2836 or e-mail phdinfo@gsb.columbia.edu to have a representative make it possible for you to send the e-mail again.
My password will not work. Why?
You may be entering the incorrect password. Some common problems are:
Passwords may contain upper case letters, lower case letters and numbers. They are case sensitive. Be certain you are entering your password with the same capitalizations and lower cases as appear in your confirmation email; the zero (0) and capital O are easily confused. Five (5) and capital S and one (1) and lowercase l are also easily confused.
If there is no activity in your login account for 180 days, it may be purged from our database.
You can call 212-854-2836 to verify your status.
How can I pay my application fee?
The application fee for the Columbia Business School PHD program is $75 USD. This fee applies to all applicants. An application fee of $75 in the form of a check drawn on a U.S. bank made payable to Columbia University must accompany the application materials. International postal orders and overseas checks are not acceptable. You may also pay by credit card. Please refer to our online application. We do not accept American Express.
What if my school is not an option on the drop-down menu in the Educational History portion of the Online Application?
We receive transcripts from over 3,000 academic institutions every year, too many to include in a drop-down bar. We selected the 165 schools from which we received the most applications last year to include this year in our drop-down bar. If yours was not one of those schools, please manually enter your school's name in the field below the drop-down list.
Other Questions
If you have other questions, please contact the Doctoral Program. You may also phone the department at (212) 854-2836 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. NYC time.
