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Admission

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Mailing address: Columbia College, 212 Hamilton Hall, Mail Code 2807,
1130 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027

URL: http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/

Office hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Telephone: 212-854-2522

The Columbia College first-year class of approximately one thousand students is chosen from a large and diverse group of applicants. In the process of selection, the Committee on Admissions asks questions about each applicant’s academic potential, intellectual strength, and ability to think independently. The Committee also considers the general attitudes and character of the applicant, special abilities and interests, and whether he or she is likely to make productive use of the four years in the College. In its final selection, the College seeks a diversity of personalities, achievements, and talents, and of economic, social, ethnic, racial, and geographic backgrounds. Each applicant’s academic record is examined, together with reports on personal qualities that have been supplied by the principal, headmaster, or counselor, and by teachers. The students’ records of participation in the lives of their schools and communities are also important, as is their performance on standardized tests.

Academic Admission Requirements

The College has no explicit number of unit requirements for admission, but applicants must present evidence that they are prepared to carry on college work in humanities, social science, foreign language, and natural science. Accordingly, the College strongly recommends the following preparation:

Students who plan to become scientists, engineers, physicians, or dentists should be as solidly grounded in mathematics and the sciences as their high school schedules and curricula have permitted. The study of mathematics at least through pre-calculus is strongly advised wherever possible.

Modifying the preparatory program just outlined—by taking more work in some subjects and less in others—is not only acceptable but may be desirable in
individual cases. The vast majority of successful applicants to the College have taken five academic courses per term.

Admission Procedure

Application deadline: Applications must be postmarked by the first business day after January 1, 2008 (for the 2008–2009 academic year).

How to apply: Visit http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/. Students are encouraged to apply on-line from this site. Application documents may also be downloaded.

Application fee: $70. Part 1 of the application must be accompanied by a check or money order, not cash, or by an official fee waiver form. This fee helps to cover the actual cost of processing the application; it is not refundable and is not credited toward tuition or other charges.

Visiting the campus: Campus tours and information sessions are available at the Visitors Center, 213 Low Library. They are also offered every Saturday from mid-September through mid-November and on the second Saturday of all other months. No appointments are necessary for tours and information sessions.

For further information on any of these services, call the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 212-854-2522, or visit http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/visiting/.

Interviews may be available with members of the Alumni Representative Committee (ARC) all over the world. Candidates are contacted by ARC members after they submit Part 1 of their applications; they should not contact the Admissions Office to arrange such interviews. Individual interviews are not available on campus.

Standardized tests are required for admission:

1. The SAT Reasoning examination consists of three sections, each graded on an 800-point scale; if you take the test more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest score you receive in any individual section.
2. You may alternatively take the ACT Assessment graded on a 36-point scale; if you take the test more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest composite score you receive. The Writing component offered by the ACT Assessment is mandatory for Columbia candidates.
3. In addition to either A or B above, you must also take two SAT Subject Tests of your choice.
4. Additional requirements: If you attend a school that does not give out conventional grades or if you are home-schooled, you must take two additional SAT Subject Tests in addition to all requirements outlined above.

For information about the SAT, students should visit the Educational Testing Service Web site. Students needing information on ACT testing should visit the ACT Web site.

It is absolutely imperative that applicants have standardized scores reported directly to Columbia by the testing service. The ETS code number for Columbia College is 2116; the ACT code is 2717.

Notice of final decision: Applicants are notified in early April of the action taken on their applications (see exception under Early Decision, below). Columbia College subscribes to the College Board’s Candidates Reply Date, whereby a number of colleges agree not to require acceptance of admission from a candidate before May 1 of each year.

Early Decision on Admission

All candidates for admission to Columbia College are eligible to apply for an early decision on their applications if the College is their first choice and if their
completed applications are postmarked by November 1. Early Decision applicants must still meet the standardized testing requirements as outlined above. In mid-December, Early Decision applicants receive notification of acceptance, denial, or deferral to regular decision status. Candidates admitted under the Early Decision plan are obliged to accept Columbia’s offer of admission and withdraw all otherapplications for admission. Only students who, after consultation with the Office of Financial Aid, cite financial reasons for not attending are released from the Early Decision agreement.

Early Admission

Early admission is granted occasionally to students of special promise who have completed the junior year of secondary school and who meet these requirements:

1. they must have maintained an outstanding academic record in their secondary schools;
2. they must have the physical, intellectual, and emotional maturity to handle the rigorous program at Columbia;
3. they must have the full endorsement of their secondary schools.

Applicants for early admission should follow the normal procedure in applying, but should make sure that their applications indicate that they are applying for early admission.

Admission with Advanced Placement

The College grants credit for work completed under the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. The College also grants credit for work completed under other standardized programs such as the International Baccalaureate, British A-level courses, and so forth. For details, see Placement and Credit.

Transfer Admission

Each year the College admits, to the sophomore and junior classes, transfer students from other colleges. These students are said to be admitted with advanced standing (see Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts and Regulations).

Application deadline: Before March 15, 2008 (for September 2008)

How to apply: Transfer applicants use the Application for Transfer Admission, which also contains special directions and information regarding financial aid, housing, and the transferability of credits. This application is available only online. It can be accessed through the Undergraduate Admissions Web site. Candidates must be sure that the Office of Admissions receives official transcripts from all secondary schools and colleges attended. The Committee on Admissions expects to receive a report on course work in progress or an additional official transcript sent at the conclusion of the term. The application fee of $70 must be sent with the first part of the transfer application; it is not refundable and is not credited toward tuition or other fees.

The Visiting Student Program

Columbia College welcomes students who wish to spend all or part of an academic year in New York. The program is not open to first-year students. Students may enter in either January or September and may spend one or two semesters at Columbia. Application deadlines are March 15 for September entrance and November 15 for January entrance. Transfer applications from visiting students are not permitted. No financial aid is available to visiting students, but they are welcome to use financial aid from their home institutions.

How to apply: Candidates for the Visiting Student Program should request and complete the appropriate application form and return it with the nonrefundable $25 application fee. Also required of all applicants are a letter from a college dean certifying that the applicant is in good academic and disciplinary standing and an official college transcript. These documents should be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Columbia University, Mail Code 2807, 1130 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027.

International Students and Students with a Foreign Education

International students must follow the standard application process. This includes taking the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests.

English Proficiency

To be considered for admission to Columbia, candidates must be comfortable with rapid idiomatic spoken English. If the home language is not English and if the primary language of instruction has not been English for at least five years, applicants are required to take an English proficiency examination. Applicants must take the examination no later than December of the school year in which they are applying. Both of the examinations listed here are given all over the world, several times a year.

1. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Applicants are urged to visit the TOEFL Web site as quickly as possible for more information on this examination. A minimum score of 600 (paper-based test), 250 (old computer-based test), or 100 (new Internet-based test) is necessary for admission to Columbia. Scores must be reported directly to Columbia by a testing service, using report code 2116 (Columbia College).
2. IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Applicants are urged to visit the IELTS Web site as quickly as possible for more information on this examination. A minimum score of 7.0 is necessary for admission to Columbia. Scores must be reported directly to Columbia Undergraduate Admissions. Applicants who have a 650 on the Critical Reasoning/Verbal section of the SAT are exempt from taking an English proficiency examination.

All applicants who are admitted to Columbia and whose first language is not English or who received their secondary or university education in countries
where English is not the native language are required to take the Columbia University English Language Placement Test at the time of enrollment (registration)—even if they have taken the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the IELTS (see above). Students who do not meet the standards of the University may be required to take English language courses before beginning or in conjunction with their programs of study. No point credit is given for these courses, and students should bear in mind the possibility that the period of study in the United States may be lengthened by the need to gain the required proficiency in English. Provision should therefore be made for the additional living and tuition expenses that may have to be met.

Visas and Funding

After admission, foreign students may request documentation for a student (F-1) visa. Foreign students holding an F-1 visa are required by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service to carry a full program of study and can accept employment only with prior permission. Students in F-1 status may work part time (up to 20 hours per week) on campus with the permission of the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO). Application for permission to workoff campus may be made only after a full academic year in F-1 status. Permission to work off campus is given only when regulations allow and requires the prior written approval of the ISSO. Employment during either the academic year or the summer should not be considered a major means of support while at Columbia University. Questions about immigration-related matters may be addressed to the International Students and Scholars Office (524 Riverside Drive; 212-854-3587).

For students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents or Canadian or Mexican citizens, there is only limited funding available at Columbia, and competition for such funds is keen. Awards are made only on the basis of financial need. Financial aid awards—including job, loan, and grant components—are funded entirely through University resources, as federal and state funds are restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

Columbia College welcomes students who have received ROTC scholarships. Since Columbia College does not offer ROTC courses on its campus, students with Army ROTC scholarships enroll in ROTC courses at John Jay College and Fordham, while students with Air Force ROTC scholarships take their ROTC courses at Manhattan College. Students receive transcripts from these institutions which certify the completion of their ROTC obligations.

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