Just an observation. The negative reviews have always majorly been about career services. Recently, teaching quality (with some profs) is becoming a big issue but I guess things have always been this way as well and yet they've always been highly ranked. IEOR has always been known for rigorous coursework and the faculty is highly respected. So, except they changed their Profs, coursework or TAs not doing their job or something else happened, I don't think anything would have really changed. I believe the frustration these days is majorly with the job market. It's been extremely tough for new grads to get the good jobs they hoped for. I can imagine the pain especially considering the tuition fee students pay at Columbia.
The issue with the job market though is a general thing. Even MBA folks are feeling the heat. I read a reputable financial news outlet that claimed acceptance rate for internships dropped in many of the big banks (positions are fewer and more students apply for the available ones). Also heard from an insider currently pursuing an MFE in one of the top seven programs here on QuantNet that only about 40% of the class got summer internships last year. The rest had to make do with some project or internal stuff within the dept.
I am more of a LinkedIn analyst...lol..and by my analysis (could be wrong though), Columbia still has more MFE students placed in top firms than other ones in the top ten (except MIT, Princeton, and Baruch). Think they are on par with CMU in terms of job placement last year. Baruch has less students so maybe not much to consider. Princeton is two years, super-expensive, and they take students with very good work experience (you can check a sample resume book online). MIT has many students in non-quant roles. At the end, Columbia students are still doing well in the current job market.
Everyone can do their own analysis and give their observations but at the end I think placement is king. Let's see what the rankings tell us later this year. The most important thing is to know the pros and cons of each program before applying. Right now, I see Columbia as a school you go to if you don't need a lot of help and handholding. Course materials are hard and not much help from Professors (based on what I heard). Career services is almost non-existent.lol...But at the same time, if network, brand-name and staying in NYC is super-important, Columbia is still imo the best option atm.
quantnet.com
