The quality of faculty at Columbia is at par with other top institutes which makes sure that you're learning from the best. Apart from ample amount of resources, Columbia offers a diverse range of peer group which I think will help you in broadening your perspective.
Course Curriculum :
The content of the courses is relevant and quite hands on. A lot of stress is given to how things are done in the industry. For somebody who hasn't had industry experience, this can become challenging but will help students once they step out of the university.
Exams :
GRE: Verbal 157 Quant 169 Writing 4.5, TOEFL: 110/120, Not sure about class averages
Placement :
This depends a lot of the program you are going for. For example, there are lots of opportunities in Engineering courses compared to Music or Art programs.
Internship :
I have not got an internship yet. The process in US is usually similar. There are no concepts of campus placements, so start learning how to communicate with recruiters and your seniors/alums. You reach out to people on LinkedIn, apply on company portals, reach out to your friends/seniors and basically learn to network to get opportunities. You get all resources but it is upto you how much you make out of it.
Fees :
Approx. 70k USD for 10 courses plus additional costs of health insurance, internation student fees and other miscellaneous components. Overall, leaving accommodation aside, cost of attending a Master's program in engineering can cost around INR 75 lacs.
Scholarship :
No
Faculty :
There are a lot of faculty here at Columbia who have are the zenith in their field. Some courses like Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering are one of a kind and are not mainstream across universities. The faculty is well versed and definitely approachable.
Campus Life :
Campus life is amazing. But it depends on your course load. Master's curriculum is usually very packed atleast for the first 2 semesters. So, although there is a plethora of activities happening around you, you will mostly be swamped with work to participate in them. It becomes much better in the last semester when the course load is half. In terms of avenues, you will find a group irrespective of what your interests are. There is a high chance a group would exist for what you want to partake in. If not, you are given the resources to start your own interest group.
Hostel :
Graduate students usually rent apartments by themselves along with a few other students. Columbia also offers campus housing for graduate students outside the campus but that is usually expensive compared to finding your own place with a few friends. The rent for a decent sized room in Manhattan can lie in a range of 600-1000 usd. Additional costs include utilities and expenditure on food which can range from 200 usd to 500 usd depending on your lifestyle. Cooking food at home is way cheaper than eating outside.
