FAQs

Current student workers and interns for Undergraduate Admissions welcome your questions. To speak with a student directly, please email askastudent@columbia.edu. Get to know some of our Undergraduate Admissions Interns on the Meet Our Students page.

Undergraduate Admissions works closely with faculty, and we collaborate for both admissions review and in outreach to admitted students, but we are unable to facilitate conversations or meetings with faculty members or departments. As prospective students, we encourage you to direct specific academic questions to Undergraduate Admissions at ugrad-ask@columbia.edu.

Please visit the Columbia Athletics website, click on the "Recruiting" tab, and scroll down to select "Recruiting Questionnaire" to complete the form that will be sent to the team's coaches.

There are a number of hotels within an accessible distance from campus. For information on Columbia University deals with local hotels, as well as addresses and phone numbers to other budget accommodations, please see our Campus Visit page.

Columbia provides self-guided walking tours in three other languages to accommodate families. Copies of these self-guided walking tours—in Spanish, French and Chinese, as well as in English—are available on the Visitors Center website.

Columbia College students can pursue either a major or a concentration in most areas of study; either is sufficient for graduation. The purpose of the major or concentration requirement is to give each student the experience of doing sustained and advanced work, often including individual research, in a field of special interest. A concentration consists of intensive study in one academic program achieved by fulfilling a series of requirements; a major provides even more depth of study through additional coursework and possibly a senior capstone experience such as a thesis.

Columbia Engineering students must complete a major in their area of study; they may also pursue a minor from a selection of engineering and liberal arts departments.

Yes. After students declare their major in their sophomore year, they will be matched with a faculty adviser within their chosen department to help them explore their intellectual interests and develop their academic schedule.

Yes, students are allowed to take on more than one major. Doing so, however, is likely to require additional coursework and may not be possible in four years. The full policies are available in the Columbia College Bulletin and the Columbia Engineering Bulletin.

Professors lead every department-level course at Columbia. In the Core Curriculum, full-time professors teach the vast majority of the courses with select advanced graduate students, known as preceptors, leading some sections.

74% of undergraduate classes taught at Columbia have 24 or fewer students. Columbia's Core Curriculum classes are small seminars and more advanced courses are meant to allow direct connection with faculty.

Columbia students usually take an average of 16 points (generally five classes) per semester. Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students must be registered full-time and therefore must take at least 12 points per semester. All students work with an adviser from the Berick Center for Student Advising to help design their courseload each semester.

First-year students register during orientation, the week prior to the start of classes for their first semester. First-year students will be automatically registered for appropriate Core Curriculum classes prior to orientation.

In subsequent years students are assigned a registration time during the preceding semester; this registration time gives seniority to junior and senior students, and times are distributed by lottery within each class year. Students then participate in online registration for the next semester's courses. The first two weeks of each semester are the "Change of Program period," which allows students to add and drop classes without registration appointments as they finalize their schedule.

For more particulars about the registration process, please consult the academic bulletins for Columbia College and Columbia Engineering.

Columbia College does not offer any specific preprofessional majors, such as "premed" or "prelaw." However, many students at Columbia aspire to professional fields and take courses, perform research and pursue internships in order to better understand their anticipated careers. For undergraduates who hope to apply to medical school, law school or other professional schools, Preprofessional Advising through the Berick Center for Student Advising will assist students in preparing for professional schools and work with them throughout the application process.

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.

Yes. Columbia undergraduates may generally take up to four classes toward their degree in most of the graduate and professional schools at Columbia, with the exception of those at Columbia Law School and the Columbia Medical Center. Special restrictions may apply; please see the Columbia College Bulletin for more information.

Yes, if you are fluent in another language, and you pass the placement exam on campus, you may be exempt from the foreign language requirement.

Some placement, advanced standing or credit may be granted for national or international 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. Please see the Columbia College Bulletin and Columbia Engineering Bulletin for more information.

Columbia undergraduate students are guaranteed housing for all four years. In fact, nearly all undergraduates live on campus, and first-year students are required to live on campus. Housing at Columbia offers a wide variety of living opportunities—from corridor-style to apartment-style living, from residence halls in the middle of the main quad to those on quiet side streets only a five-minute walk to the center of campus.

Yes. Residence halls remain open over breaks during the academic year, and continuing students may apply to stay on campus during summer break through the Columbia Housing office.

Columbia is first and foremost a residential college; first-year students are required to live on campus. Continuing students may choose to live off campus if they wish, but nearly all of the student body chooses to reside on campus through graduation, and housing is guaranteed for all four years.

The University-wide Office of Off-Campus Housing Assistance is available to support all affiliates seeking non-Columbia owned properties.

Morningside Heights is a dynamic residential neighborhood filled with restaurants, cafes, shops and hangout spots. It is steps from the Hudson River and bordered by Central Park, Morningside Park and Riverside Park; all the resources of New York City are a short bike, bus or subway ride away.

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 a budget-friendly 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.

From the Columbia Arts Initiative (think free museum access and tickets to Broadway shows) to the Center for Career Education (careers fairs, thousands of internship listings and more), Columbia provides countless ways for you to connect with the incredible city that we call home. Hear directly from Columbia students to learn how they've made New York City their own.

Columbia is located directly on the #1 subway line and various bus routes. On the #1 train, students can get to Times Square in approximately 20 minutes, go uptown to Columbia's Medical Center in 15 minutes and get to Columbia's Baker Field Athletic Complex at the northern tip of Manhattan in 25 minutes. The #1 train connects to many other subway and bus lines throughout the city for easy transfers.

Although Morningside Heights is consistently named one of the safest precincts in New York City, the Department of Public Safety further ensures the security of Columbia's campus and its students. Columbia students have direct access to public New York City transit, which eliminates walking far distances to travel between campus and other locations. Should you feel unsafe in the neighborhood, you can ask the merchant at businesses featuring the Red Lion sticker in their windows to phone Columbia Public Safety or the police and wait for security personnel to respond.

Columbia offers a wide variety of assistance for physically and learning disabled students. For more detailed information, visit Disability Services.

Columbia holds classes from early in the morning until late at night. This allows students to hold on-campus jobs, pursue internships in the city and adjust their schedules to make the most of their academic and extracurricular experience. Many students, moreover, have no classes on Fridays, so many Columbians use Fridays as an opportunity to pursue internships and other commitments. The Center for Career Education also provides students with opportunities for employment on and off campus.

Columbia strongly believes that students should be able to follow their passions and experience jobs and opportunities that will lead them toward their professional goals. Columbia supports students with unpaid internships in two distinct ways.

First, the Work Exemption Program (WEP) is part of the financial aid program for undergraduate students in Columbia College and Columbia Engineering. The program is designed to enable financial aid recipients to take advantage of such unpaid opportunities as internships, research projects and community outreach. Students have the option of applying for exemption from the summer savings portion of their financial aid package or exemptions from Federal Work Study during the academic year.

Second, all students at Columbia are encouraged to apply for the Summer Funding Program administered by the Center for Career Education. The Center of Career Education also offers an array of alternative funding sources for students that may help fund a summer internship or opportunity.

Students may work part time on campus. There are a number of University offices who hire international students, including the University Libraries and the Columbia University Visitors Center.

Students are also eligible to work part-time during the academic year and full-time during vacation periods for international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, etc. When a student is particularly interested in full-time employment, sectors with foreign offices, larger legal departments or greater financial options often yield the best results. When students with international backgrounds do find a job, it is often one that utilizes language skill, global knowledge and so forth.

Practical training is employment in one's field of study. Optional Practical Training (OPT) is defined as “employment related to one’s field of study.” It offers you valuable opportunities to supplement your education through work experience in your field of study. For more specific information about volunteer or paid work as an undergraduate student at Columbia, please refer to  the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) as well as the Center for Career Education (CCE), which also maintains a database for searching for part-time jobs.

Yes. Approximately 10-15% of undergraduate students are affiliated with fraternities or sororities. Over 25 chapters exist on campus, and many are housed in the brownstones and row houses that line 113th and 114th Streets.

Yes. There are two Kosher Dining Plans available:

1. Columbia University Kosher Dining Plan

When you enroll in any of the Columbia Dining Plans (first year or otherwise), you may elect to participate in the Kosher Dining Plan. This allows you access to our Kosher To-Go counter within John Jay Dining Hall that serves a full array of Kosher items (entrees, side dishes and vegetables served daily). 

2. Barnard College Kosher Dining Plan

The Barnard College Kosher Dining Plan provides 3 kosher meals a day, 7 days a week. High quality food, including freshly-made pizza and a great salad bar, is conveniently located in Barnard's main dining facility, Hewitt Hall. Both Barnard and Columbia students can enjoy their meals in comfort with the rest of the student population. The Kosher dining plan is strictly supervised k'halakhah by the Columbia/Barnard Hillel Rabbi. Additionally, the Barnard Kosher Dining Plan provides a homey atmosphere for Shabbat, Yom Tov and other festive occasions. For more information, please contact Barnard Dining Services.

Columbia has an agreement with the Navy to offer a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program. As part of the NYC NROTC program, Columbia students complete their training at the SUNY Maritime campus, participating in Naval Science classes, military training and physical training. Graduates serve in the Navy or Marine Corps as officers and receive tuition and fees from the Navy during their time at Columbia.

Candidates interested in this program should apply both for the NROTC National Scholarship and for admission to Columbia simultaneously, taking note of NROTC entrance requirements. More information on the NROTC program can be found on Columbia's website or the official NROTC website and questions may directed to nrotc@columbia.edu  or (212) 851-9960.

Columbia also offers students the opportunity to participate in Army and Air Force ROTC programs through cross-town affiliations with other programs. More information can be found on the Columbia ROTC website.

Yes. The Center for Student Advising provides free peer tutoring for specific courses, and Peer Academic Skills Consultants help students develop effective learning strategies. The renowned Writing Center assists students with their academic writing through one-on-one consultations and workshops. 

Students are expected to graduate within eight semesters, including time spent at another college or university. Students are typically not permitted to extend their undergraduate studies unless they are enrolled in one of our Joint Degree programs (e.g. the Combined Plan).

You cannot study part-time in either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. If you wish to study part-time, you must apply to the School of General Studies.

Not necessarily. Columbia's graduate schools make admissions decisions independent of those decisions made for admission to Columbia College or to Columbia Engineering; students who graduate from Columbia's undergraduate programs are not given any automatic preference at the graduate schools. However, many Columbia graduates do choose to continue their professional education at Columbia.

Columbia’s admissions application process is largely the same for all students, regardless of their citizenship or country of residence. Please see our Application Instructions for more information on procedures and requirements, and Understanding the Process for details on how our office reviews applications and distinguishes candidates.

Please visit International Applicants for more information on school curricula and English language proficiency requirements.

Applications are reviewed by region. The Committee on Admissions has read and evaluated applications from all over the world and is familiar with a variety of school systems and transcripts. Included with the secondary school report is a "school profile," which includes a description of the school, grading system and curricular and extracurricular resources. If we need more information to make an informed decision or have any questions, we will contact an applicant's school and to do our own research.

Any documents that are part of your application file and not in English, such as transcripts or recommendations, need to be officially translated into English and submitted along with the original documents.

For more information, please visit International Applicants.

Many students in countries outside the United States do not have guidance or college counselors. At US-style secondary schools, counselors are responsible for important parts of the application: submitting the secondary school report, the official school transcript and the midyear report. They also write a letter of recommendation for applicants. If you do not have a counselor, these parts of the application can be completed by a principal or director of school — essentially a school official who is able to comment on your academic ability, extracurricular activities and personal qualities within the context of your entire school community.

United States citizens are considered domestic applicants for the purpose of financial aid, and, as such, are always reviewed in a need-blind manner. However, all applicants are considered within both the context of their secondary school and the context of their personal experiences, including where they have lived and their cultural background. The Committee on Admissions recognizes that regardless of citizenship, living and/or attending school in a country outside the United States provides a student with the opportunity for an international experience. As a result, applicants are not simply placed into international or domestic categories based on citizenship or place of schooling during the application review process beyond need-blind or need-aware review.

To be considered for admission to Columbia, you must be comfortable with rapid and idiomatic spoken English. There are several different ways to demonstrate that you are proficient in English on your application:

1. Your home language is English.
2. Your primary language of instruction at school has been English for the duration of your secondary school career.
3. You earned one or more of the following subsection scores:
   • 700 or higher on the Evidence Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT
   • 29 or higher on the English or Reading sections of the ACT

If you meet one or more of the above criteria, you have fulfilled Columbia’s English language proficiency requirement. If you do not, you will need to take one of the following English Language Proficiency exams:

1. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): A minimum score of 105 (Internet-based test) is necessary for admission to Columbia. Your score must be reported directly to Columbia by the testing service, using report code 2116.
2. IELTS (International English Language Testing System): A minimum score of 7.5 is necessary for admission to Columbia. Your score must be reported directly to Columbia Undergraduate Admissions.
3. DET (Duolingo English Test): A minimum score of 135 is necessary for admission to Columbia. Your score must be reported directly to Columbia Undergraduate Admissions.
4. Cambridge English Qualifications: A minimum score of 191 on the current C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency Cambridge English Exams is necessary for admission to Columbia. Your score must be reported directly to Columbia Undergraduate Admissions.

Columbia does not accept other English Language Proficiency exams at this time.

Please note that our required testing for English language proficiency is in addition to our Test Policy. Please see English Language Proficiency for more information.

We will accept online results from the TOEFL and IELTS examinations. Please refer to the following websites for more information:

• IELTS Indicator: https://www.ieltsindicator.com/ 
• TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/toefl/at-home/
• TOEFL IPT Plus for China: https://toefl.cn/family-itp.php

We also continue to accept the Duolingo English Test.  However, please note that there are a variety of ways to meet our English Language Proficiency requirement, and you can find additional details on our English Language Proficiency page.

Interviews are not a part of Columbia's admissions process. Please see the announcement from May 18, 2023.

Applicants to Columbia can elect to send InitialView or Vericant conversational videos to emphasize language fluency. These videos should be scheduled, completed and submitted to Columbia by November 15 for Early Decision or January 15 for Regular Decision.

Yes. International students are welcome to apply Early Decision. However, even very competitive international candidates who are applying for financial aid and fall out of the “need-blind” category may be deferred to Regular Decision so the Committee on Admissions can review the entire global applicant pool.

Yes. Columbia admits students without regard to citizenship status. Additionally, for admissions purposes, undocumented students are evaluated under our general need-blind policy, which means we evaluate admissions applications without regard to financial need.

Yes. Columbia is committed to meeting 100% of the demonstrated financial need of all students admitted as first-year, transfer or Combined Plan students, regardless of citizenship status. Any admitted student who is not eligible to receive federal and state financial aid, such as undocumented and international students, will have their need entirely covered by Columbia institutional funding. For admissions purposes, undocumented students are evaluated in our general need-blind manner, which means we evaluate admissions applications without regard to financial need.

Yes. Some advanced placement within programs of study or credit towards the degree may be granted for nationally or internationally standardized examinations, including but not limited to International Baccalaureate, 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. 

Please see International Applicants for more information. Specific questions about advanced credit should be directed to a student’s academic adviser once a student has matriculated.

Columbia University does not work with any admissions agent who expects compensation from a college or university. Undergraduate Admissions is pleased to work directly with applicants and their families, with their school officials and with a variety of government and non-profit community-based organizations in the United States and abroad. While we respect the work of independent educational consultants, we expect them to adhere to the highest standards of professional ethics.

There are steps that both Columbia and the student are responsible for in order to receive an F-1 entry visa to the United States.

Columbia University will:

• Upon acceptance provide you with an Application for Visa Certificate (AVC), otherwise known as Form I-20.
• Issue an authentic I-20 after an AVC has been approved.

The student must:

• Hold a current passport valid at least six months into the future at all times.
• Officially register with Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), pay the $100.00 USD fee and print the receipt.
• Make a visa appointment at a US Consulate. Bring your official letter of acceptance, any financial aid award letter and funds validation letter from your bank, Columbia issued I-20, SEVIS receipt and a passport-sized photo.
• Review the visa once issued to check for correctness. Make sure you have the original copy of the I-20 for entry to the US.

Please visit the International Students and Scholars Office website for more information.

The QuestBridge website lists all of Columbia's admissions requirements to be eligible for the National College Match. Please do not submit a Common or Coalition Application if you are applying as part of the National College Match.

Admissions Requirements: In addition to the materials submitted as part of your QuestBridge application, we require our Columbia QuestBridge Questionnaire. The Columbia QuestBridge Questionnaire can be accessed via your application status page and is due on November 1.

Columbia will accept the SAT and ACT scores included as part of your QuestBridge application. Self-reported scores are accepted, though please note that our office will verify scores for all enrolling students, and any discrepancies between official and self-reported scores may jeopardize a student's place in the class. Any new or updated scores may be uploaded through the application status page. Columbia is test-optional for applicants in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

Financial Aid Requirements: All students that rank Columbia through the National College Match must submit the following financial aid information by November 1:

• 2023-2024 FAFSA. Columbia's FAFSA code is 002707.
• 2023-2024 CSS Profile (including Noncustodial Profile, if applicable). Columbia's CSS code is 2116.
• 2021 Tax Returns & W2s; and parents' or guardians' most recent 2021 pay stubs. These documents should be uploaded to College Board's Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC).
• Please note that the FAFSA and CSS Profile will become available on October 1.