We accept first-year applications from students who are hoping to enroll full time at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. Our admissions staff reviews each application holistically and with care in order to understand what each candidate might contribute to our undergraduate community. Our goal is to identify the applicants we believe will make the most of this experience—both during their time here, and throughout their lives.
First-year applications for Fall 2026 are now available.
Apply through Common Application, Coalition Application on Scoir or QuestBridge.
Updates for First-Year Applicants
Application Process
Application Requirements
- Application Options
Columbia accepts either the Coalition Application on Scoir or the Common Application. We will also accept the QuestBridge Application from QuestBridge Finalists. These applications include:
- Autobiographical information
- Lists and descriptions of a student’s achievements, activities, employment and summer activities
- Personal essay
- Columbia-Specific Application Questions
In addition to the Coalition Application and the Common Application, you must also respond to Columbia-specific questions to provide the Committee on Admissions with a fuller sense of you as a person—including your academic, extracurricular and intellectual interests. These questions allow us to better understand your intellectual curiosity, habits of mind, love of learning and sense of self. These questions also allow the Committee on Admissions to learn more about you in your current community and why you feel Columbia’s distinctive experiences in and out of the classroom would be a good fit for your undergraduate education.
- Secondary School Report
- An official high school transcript from all high schools attended
- One high school counselor’s recommendation and school profile
- The completed midyear report
- Teacher Recommendations
Columbia requires two teacher recommendations. These recommendations must come from teachers who taught you in academic disciplines. For applicants to Columbia Engineering, one of the teacher recommendations must come from a math or science teacher.
- Application Fee or Fee Waiver
An $85 nonrefundable application fee is required as part of an application to Columbia University. We are unable to refund the application fee under any circumstances. Submit payment online using an electronic check or Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express credit card. Payment (or fee waiver) is due at the time that you submit your application.
If paying the application fee is a significant financial burden for your family, we encourage you to request an automatic fee waiver through your admission application. You can determine your fee waiver eligibility today using our fee waiver form.
Optional Application Components
- Standardized Tests
Columbia is test-optional for first-year applicants to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. Please review our standardized testing policy for additional details, as well as our English language proficiency requirement if applicable.
- Supplementary Materials
Supplementary materials are not a required part of our admissions process—but there are occasions where they can enhance our understanding of your application. (In other words, it’s completely up to you if you’d like to include these materials.)
Dates & Deadlines
Please note that the below dates and deadlines are based on typical admissions cycles and specific dates may vary in a particular year. Applicants will receive notice of upcoming deadlines and decision release dates by email.
| Date | Deadline |
|---|---|
| November 1 | Early Decision and QuestBridge National College Match application deadline |
| November 15 | Early Decision financial aid application deadline |
| Mid-December | Early Decision admissions and financial aid decisions released |
| January 1 | Regular Decision application deadline |
| Mid-January | Early Decision response deadline for admitted students |
| February 15 | Regular Decision financial aid application deadline |
| Late March | Regular Decision admissions and financial aid decisions released |
| May 1 | Regular Decision response deadline for admitted students |
| May 15 | Enrollment deferral request deadline for enrolling students |
| Late June | Final transcript deadline for enrolling students |
A Columbia admissions officer talks about how we review applications and the philosophies that guide our work.
Additional Information
Eligibility
The first-year application is for students who plan to enroll full time in either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering.
If you’re a current college student, explore our Transfer, Combined Plan and Visiting Student programs. If you’re a potential applicant to Columbia College and you’ve taken a break of more than a year in your education (with the exception of those in mandatory military service) you should, instead, consider Columbia University's School of General Studies. The same is true for all students who wish to attend a part-time program. (If you’re interested in attending Columbia Engineering but have taken a break as described above, just apply as a first-year.)
If you have already submitted and then withdrawn an application during this application cycle, you are not eligible to reapply until the next application cycle.
Interviews
Interviews are not a part of the application process. Please see the announcement from May 18, 2023.
Accuracy & Authenticity
All applicants should review our Accuracy & Authenticity statement prior to submitting their application, as all applicants to Columbia University must confirm on their application that they understand and agree to adhere to the above expectations.
Students may utilize a wide range of resources, tools and support during the college admissions process. Regardless of the tools and support you may have used, we expect that all submitted application materials are your own original work and reflect your authentic voice. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with Columbia’s Honor Pledge & Honor Code and Generative AI Policy, which all enrolling students are expected to uphold.
Contact
For questions about undergraduate admission and the application process, please visit our online FAQs. If you still can't find your answer, please contact us.
First-Year Applicants FAQs
Should I apply Early Decision?
If Columbia is your first-choice school — and you are willing to make a binding commitment to attend if admitted — we encourage you to consider applying Early Decision. Learn more about the Early Decision process.
What are your secondary/high school course requirements for admission?
Columbia College: Columbia College has no explicit number of unit requirements for admission, but applicants must present evidence that they are prepared for college work in the humanities, mathematics, social sciences, foreign languages and natural sciences. Accordingly, Columbia College strongly recommends the following secondary school preparation:
- Four years of English literature and composition
- Four years of mathematics—unless you have already completed what is available at your school
- Three to four years of history and/or social studies
- Three to four years of laboratory science
- Three to four years of one world language (ancient or modern) taken during high school
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 Columbia College have taken five academic courses per term for all four years of secondary/high school.
Columbia Engineering: The School of Engineering and Applied Science prescribes no standardized course of study for secondary school students applying for first-year admission. However, the Engineering curriculum is heavily driven by physics and calculus, so Columbia Engineering strongly advises these courses within the following recommended academic preparation:
- Four years of mathematics through calculus—unless you have already completed what is available at your school
- Four years of laboratory science, including one year of chemistry and one year of physics—preferably in the last two years of secondary school
- Four years of English literature and composition
- Three to four years of history and/or social studies
- Two to three years of a world language (ancient or modern) taken during high school
How do I apply for financial aid?
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.
What if I need an application deadline extension?
We understand that students personally affected by natural disasters, community disturbances or other extenuating circumstances may have challenges in completing their applications on time; they are invited to email us at ugrad-ask@columbia.edu if their application will be arriving late.