The Columbia University first-year class of College and Engineering students is chosen from a large and diverse group of applicants. Columbia employs a holistic approach in assessing candidates in order to evaluate which students are the best matches for Columbia's unique educational experience.

In the process of selection, the Committee on Admissions considers 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, maturity, motivation, curiosity and whether they are likely to make productive use of the four years at Columbia. In its final selection, Columbia seeks diversity of personalities, achievements and talents, and of economic, social, ethnic, cultural, religious, racial and geographic backgrounds.

The financial aid application process collects information about your family's income, assets, family composition and other circumstances. All requirements and submission instructions are detailed on the Financial Aid & Educational Financing website. Learn more about affordability and aid at Columbia.

New York City has something for everyone, which is why it is so often rated as one of the best college towns in the nation. It is full of hidden treasures that offer an inexpensive, yet unique array of food, shopping and entertainment. Some of the most creative culinary experiences are intimate restaurants within a few blocks from campus. Websites such as NYC Visit's Go Local operate as a service for New Yorkers to get the most out of their city.

There are also a variety of email lists that help students gain free access to opportunities such as going to a major motion picture premiere. There are yearly bargains such as New York Restaurant Week, which gives students an inexpensive taste of some of the finest establishments in the city. Columbia helps students explore the opportunities in New York by providing discounted and free tickets to many events around the city through the Columbia Arts Initiative.

Columbia College is Columbia's traditional undergraduate liberal arts college; its founding in 1754 as King's College marks the birth of Columbia University.

Columbia Engineering is the University's engineering school, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students are served by many of the same campus resources for undergraduates, including Columbia Housing, the Berick Center for Student Advising and Undergraduate Student Life. Students interested in attending Columbia College or Columbia Engineering apply through Columbia Undergraduate Admissions.

Barnard College is a liberal arts college for women in partnership with Columbia University, located just across Broadway at 118th Street. Barnard College and Columbia College students may take department-level classes with either faculty, and some areas of study are housed on one campus but are open to both Barnard and Columbia students. Many campus facilities, such as libraries and dining halls, are open to students on both campuses, as are many student groups.

At Columbia College, Columbia Engineering and Barnard College, students usually come directly from high school and attend full-time.

The School of General Studies is Columbia’s college for nontraditional students who want to earn a degree while attending full- or part-time. Nontraditional students have had a break of one year or more in their educational paths or have compelling personal or professional reasons for completing their bachelor’s degrees part-time. Students in the School of General Studies take the same courses with the same faculty and undertake the same majors as all other undergraduates at Columbia.

All four colleges are located on the Morningside Heights campus in New York City.