Architecture, Creative Writing, Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts, Film, Maker, Music and Visual Arts supplements can be submitted through SlideRoom, an online platform that allows applicants to send digital materials to the admissions office. Please see our Supplementary Materials page for information regarding the submission of these materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Columbia's policy on the submission of supplementary materials (i.e. musical recording, artistic portfolio, science abstract, etc.)?
What are the differences between Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, Barnard College and the School of General Studies?
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 undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Barnard College is a liberal arts college for women in partnership with Columbia University.
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.
I have already graduated from high school. How may I apply to Columbia?
The answer depends on a number of factors, so pay careful attention to the distinctions below. You should also consult the instructions in the application itself. If you still are unsure of your status, please contact us by phone.
The distinctions below apply to all candidates as specified, regardless of citizenship or visa status or need for financial aid. If you are enrolled at a college or university overseas that follows a U.S.-style curriculum (e.g., the American University of Paris), then you should follow the same policy as a student at a college or university in the U.S.
Prospective Columbia Engineering Applicants
A gap in your schooling, whether for military service or any other reason, does not affect your admissions status as delineated in these distinctions.
- If you have not already spent a full academic year or more in a college/university in the U.S. or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia Engineering as a first-year student.
- If you have already spent a full academic year or more in a university in the U.S. or Canada, then you must apply to SEAS as a transfer student.
- If you have spent more than two full academic years in a college/university in the U.S. or Canada, then you are no longer eligible to apply to Columbia Engineering as an undergraduate at all.
- If you have spent a full academic year or less in a university outside the U.S. or Canada, then you must still apply to Columbia Engineering as a first-year student.
- If you have spent more than a full academic year in a university outside the U.S. or Canada, then you are no longer eligible to apply to Columbia Engineering as an undergraduate at all.
Prospective Columbia College Applicants
I. If you have had no interruptions in your schooling of more than one academic year in total, or if the interruption in your schooling has been for the minimum length of your country’s mandatory military service:
- If you have not already spent a full academic year or more in a college/university in the U.S. or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia College as a first-year student.
- If you have already spent a full academic year or more in a college/university in the U.S. or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia College as a transfer student.
- If you have spent more than two full academic years in a college/university in the U.S. or Canada, then you are no longer eligible to apply to Columbia College as an undergraduate at all. (See paragraph II.)
- If you have already spent a full academic year or less in a college/university outside the U.S. or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia College as a first-year student.
- If you have already spent more than a full academic year in a college/university outside the U.S. or Canada, then you are no longer eligible to apply to Columbia College as an undergraduate at all. (See paragraph II.)
II. If you have had any interruptions in your schooling of more than one academic year, or if you have been referred here by item I.3 or I.5 above, then you are strongly advised to apply instead to Columbia University’s School of General Studies, 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.
By visiting the General Studies website, you will find information on applying either as a first-year student or as a transfer. Financial aid is available to all candidates who qualify.
If the foregoing criteria apply to you, you may still apply to Columbia College if you insist, but you should be aware that you are doing so at a great disadvantage and that your acceptance is extremely unlikely.
Do I need to make an appointment to attend an information session or tour?
Reservations for information sessions and campus tours are strongly recommended and required for groups over 10.
If your plans have changed, you do not need to formally cancel your reservation.
The Visit section is designed to help you plan your visit to Columbia.
Does Columbia grant placement, advanced standing or credit for standardized examinations?
Yes. Some placement, advanced standing or credit may be granted for nationally or internationally standardized examinations, including but not limited to Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and British Advanced Level and Pre-U Examinations. Credit is determined and approved by a student’s academic adviser from the Berick Center for Student Advising after a student is enrolled at Columbia.
First-year students are not granted credit for courses taken at other colleges before their graduation from secondary school.
Specific questions about advanced standing should be directed to a student’s academic adviser once a student has matriculated.
Will Columbia ever rescind an offer of admission?
If a candidate is offered admission, Columbia reserves the right to withdraw that offer of admission if:
- The candidate shows a significant drop in academic performance or fails to graduate.
- The candidate has misrepresented himself or herself in the application process.
- We learn that candidate has engaged in behavior prior to matriculation that indicates a serious lack of judgment or integrity.
- The candidate is holding both a place at Columbia and a place in the first-year class of a college other than Columbia after the May 1 deadline.
Columbia further reserves the right to require the applicant to provide additional information (and/or authorization for the release of information) about any such matter.
Can I track my QuestBridge application online?
Please use your application status page to make sure your admissions application is complete. In order to access your status page, you will first need to select "Reset Password" and follow the instructions from there. Instructions for tracking your financial aid information will be emailed to you after you have submitted your financial aid documentation.
Applicants should maintain a valid email address during the entire application process, as most of our information is communicated electronically. Please ensure that your email account preferences and security settings permit Columbia University-sent email to be delivered without filtering or junk mail routing. If your email address changes, please notify us immediately on the application status page.
If you have any additional credentials you wish to include in your application, you may submit them directly via the application status page.
I am interested in the arts at Columbia. Can I send in a portfolio or sample of my work?
Please see our Supplementary Materials page for information on submitting creative supplements.
If I am rejected under the Early Decision Program, may I apply under the Regular Decision Program?
No. If you apply under the Early Decision Program and are denied admission, you may not reapply to Columbia College, Columbia Engineering or the School of General Studies again that year.
I am unsure of my application status. How do I know if I should apply as freshman or as a transfer?
If you have received your high (secondary) school diploma and will have completed one or more full year of college courses, you must apply as a transfer student. If you are applying to Columbia College and have taken a break of more than one full year from college, you should submit an application to the School of General Studies. Applicants to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science should proceed with this transfer application regardless of any break in schooling.
I am interested in athletics at Columbia. How do I arrange a meeting with a coach?
Please visit the Columbia Athletics website, search for the sport you are interested in, and click on "Recruit" to complete the form that will be sent to the team's coaches.
Will I know how many of my credits have transferred before I have to deposit?
If admitted, you will receive a Transfer Credit Evaluation (TCE), informing you of how many credits you have (tentatively) been awarded. Final credit approval will not be granted until all final official transcripts from previous institutions have been received and been reviewed by your advising dean and/or academic department.