If you are interested in investment management at Columbia Business School — whether you have already been admitted or are still considering applying — this page is for you. The students who hit the ground running in September are almost always the ones who used the time before school intentionally. Here you will find everything you need to start preparing: what to read, how to practice, who to talk to, and what to expect once you arrive.
Whether you have already been admitted to Columbia Business School or are considering applying, submit your information to stay connected with CSIMA. We will keep you updated on summer sessions, onboarding resources, and fall programming as details are announced.
CSIMA will be hosting a series of virtual sessions this summer specifically designed for incoming students interested in investment management. These sessions will cover orientation to the club, recruiting timelines, exemptions and course planning, and how to prepare for IIC and competitions in the fall.
CSIMA has put together a comprehensive onboarding deck covering everything you need to know before arriving at CBS — from how the club is structured to recruiting timelines, exemptions, and how to make the most of your first semester. The deck will be distributed via the CMC in late July to all students who have expressed interest in investment management.
One of the most important decisions you will make before arriving is which core courses to exempt out of. Getting this right creates space in your first semester schedule for the courses and activities that actually matter for recruiting.
Investment management recruiting does not follow the same structured timeline as investment banking or consulting. It is largely relationship-driven and often moves faster than people expect. Here is a rough sense of how the year unfolds.
The following reading list was put together based on conversations with current CBS students and practitioners. We have organized it into four areas. Work through as much as you can before school starts — it will show in your conversations and your pitches.
- The Intelligent Investor — Benjamin Graham
- Margin of Safety — Seth Klarman
- The Little Book That Still Beats the Market — Joel Greenblatt
- Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letters — Warren Buffett
- The Manual of Ideas — John Mihaljevic
- You Can Be a Stock Market Genius — Joel Greenblatt
- More Than You Know — Michael Mauboussin
- Competition Demystified — Bruce Greenwald
- The Outsiders — William Thorndike
- Poor Charlie's Almanack — Charlie Munger
- The Money Masters — John Train
- Confidence Game — Christine Richard
- Graham & Doddsville Newsletter — Browse all editions
IIC meetings begin in mid-September. Given how quickly the semester fills up, we strongly recommend preparing one or two investment write-ups before you arrive. A solid write-up covers a thesis, key risks, and a valuation — it does not need to be long, but it needs to be defensible.
Sample write-ups can be found in past editions of the Graham & Doddsville newsletter, as well as on Value Investors Club and SumZero. Reading these will give you a sense of what strong pitches look like at the CBS level and above.
Before school starts, speak with as many alumni and practitioners as you can. Ask them how they got into the industry, what they look for in candidates, and what they wish they had done differently at CBS. These conversations will shape how you approach recruiting more than almost anything else.
CSIMA officers are another resource. Many have gone through the recruiting process recently and are happy to share their experience. Once you arrive in September, do not wait to introduce yourself.