Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Admission to both Columbia College and Columbia Engineering is broad-based but highly selective, and the Committee on Admissions is only able to offer admission to a small fraction of all 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. A profile of the current first-year class is available for reference. Please note that Columbia does not have a "cut-off" GPA or test score for applicants.

Admission for transfer students is also highly selective. Over the past decade, the Committee has admitted between 5% and 10% of transfer applicants each year.

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

No. Columbia is test-optional and does not have a "cut-off" GPA or test score for 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. For detailed information on the statistics of the most recent entering class, refer to the Class Profile.

No. Columbia seeks to enroll students with unique achievements and talents as well as diverse economic, social and geographic backgrounds. Our undergraduate students come from all 50 states and over 110 different countries. We do not have any quotas for any particular population (i.e., race, ethnicity, religion, state, etc.). Applicants are compared to all other applicants, both regionally and globally. Learn more about Columbia's holistic admissions process.

No. Applicants to Columbia must choose either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering.

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.

Online admissions document tracking is only available during certain times in the admissions process. Applicants will receive an email notifying them how to access their applicant portal. If, at that time, you discover that any items are listed as "not received/processed," please have your school submit a duplicate copy of this missing information to us via email at ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu as soon as possible. Emailed materials will take up to one week for processing. You will have time to submit the missing credentials before decisions are released without being penalized.

Any additions or corrections to the application must be submitted in writing either through the application status page or via email to ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu. Please include the student's identifying information: name and high school/secondary school; Columbia ID number (C00...); and date of birth.

We will accept self-reported ACT and SAT scores on the testing section of the application and on your application status page. If you wish to provide updated scores after you have applied, you can do so on your application status page. We do not track Midyear Reports/senior grades or additional materials.

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.

The Columbia community is committed to environmental responsibility; in keeping with this commitment, we will provide some admissions decisions only online, not via regular mail. Applicants will receive specific instructions as to how to check their decisions online before decisions are released. The below timelines are followed for different admissions programs:

• Admission decisions for first-year candidates who apply Early Decision are typically available on or before December 15.
• Admission decisions for first-year candidates who apply Regular Decision are typically available on or before April 15.
• Admission decisions for transfer candidates are typically available by or before the end of May.
• Admissions decisions for Combined Plan Program candidates are available in the spring.
• Admissions decisions for Visiting Student Program candidates are available 4-6 weeks after complete application submission, as this is a rolling admissions program.

The Committee on Admissions will apply the same holistic review process to evaluate first-year candidates regardless of whether they submit the Common Application or the Coalition Application; there is no preference for one over the other. Please be aware that students must submit only one complete application, using either the Common Application or the Coalition Application.

Either the Common Application or the Coalition Application must be submitted by Columbia’s Early Decision deadline of November 1 or Regular Decision deadline of January 1.

Please note that transfer applicants must submit the Coalition Application. Combined Plan and Visiting Student applicants will apply directly with Columbia Undergraduate Admissions. 

Testing is just one factor in our holistic review process, and Columbia is test-optional for applicants applying to either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering.  If you choose to submit testing, you may take either the ACT or SAT. Columbia does not view one more favorably than the other. If you take both tests and submit scores from both, we will look at the highest score of the two. Refer to our standardized test policy for more information.

Early Decision candidates: The November test date is the latest acceptable test date on which scores may reach us in time. Learn more about the Early Decision process.

Regular Decision candidates: Scores for February tests can be provided in time for consideration. Testing taken after February cannot be considered.

Columbia is test-optional, and you may self-report your testing. If you wish to provide updated scores after you have applied, you can submit your scores on your Columbia application status page. The page will only be available after you have submitted your application. 

February test-takers should email ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu to verify their decision to submit testing and provide their self-reported score as soon as results are released.

No! Please do not utilize the "rush" service in sending your test scores to Columbia. Doing so does not speed up the processing of your test scores. We encourage you to self-report your scores directly on testing section of your Common Application or Coalition Application. Refer to our standardized test policy for more information.

No. The SAT Subject Test and other optional standardized exam scores are not required, but Columbia will accept your results if you choose to submit them. You will not be at a disadvantage should you choose not to take these optional tests or submit the scores to Columbia.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) test results are not necessary for application to Columbia, although the information when available may be helpful in assessing a student's academic achievements. You may report your results on your Common Application or Coalition Application, or send us a copy of your score report(s).

Students who seek to gain credit for AP or IB results should know that credit is granted only after a student is enrolled at Columbia and at the discretion of individual departments.

Please note that proficiency exam scores must be submitted if they are required for the completion of, and graduation from, your secondary school. This may include internal and external exam results, such as A Level, International Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, and other final national exam results.

We welcome an additional letter of recommendation if the writer has worked with you in a researcher or college course capacity. Any supplementary recommendations should not be completed on the Teacher Report forms of your application, but instead submitted directly by the recommender to our office via email to ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu. Undergraduate Admissions discourages the submission of additional recommendations, as admissions decisions will be based primarily on the required recommendations from your high school teachers and secondary school counselor.

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 Committee on Admissions. Do not send CDs, DVDs or hard copies of any materials, as they will not be reviewed. If you have completed academic research with a faculty member or mentor, a short abstract may be uploaded as part of your application. Learn more about supplementary materials.

If you have completed research with a faculty member or mentor in science, engineering or other academic disciplines (e.g., humanities, social sciences or languages), you are welcome to provide a one or two page abstract as a supplement to your application. You may upload your abstract in the Columbia-specific questions to the Common Application or in the Uploads page of the Coalition Application.

If you are submitting an abstract, you will also be asked to answer a few short questions on the duration of your research involvement, your specific role in and contributions to the research project, and contact information of your research mentor. This will help us better understand your specific research experience beyond what you may have already included in your other application materials.

We also welcome a letter of recommendation from your research mentor, who can send the letter via email to ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu, via fax to 212-854-3393 or via mail to Undergraduate Admissions.

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

We are always pleased to receive applications from students whose family members have graduated from Columbia. When an applicant is competitive and compares favorably with other similarly talented candidates, being a "legacy" candidate may be a slight advantage in the admission process. A "legacy" candidate is defined as the child of a Columbia College or Columbia Engineering graduate.

The Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) was established by the New York State Legislature in 1969 to assist eligible residents in obtaining higher education at New York private institutions. The National Opportunity Program (NOP) was created by Columbia in 1986 to provide the same kind of academic and financial support to students from all over the United States. Selection for the HEOP/NOP programs at Columbia involves meeting both academic and economic guidelines.

There are no additional application forms for HEOP/NOP; all eligible applicants to Columbia will be considered for these programs, but applicants may be contacted for a counseling conversation with a current student to discuss the nature of that particular admission process and advising program.

In order to be eligible for HEOP, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Reside in New York State and be high school graduates
• Demonstrate (through academic records) a need for HEOP support services
• Meet economic eligibility criteria set by the New York State Education Department

Economic documentation for HEOP/NOP

HEOP Economic Eligibility: Household income can be at or below the amounts listed for the number of family members, with the exception of the "single head of household" instruction. 

The primary criterion for admission to NOP is academic; there is no residency requirement and Columbia may select applicants for admission to NOP whose income levels exceed the HEOP criteria.

Although many of our NOP students demonstrate significant financial need, Columbia financial aid is determined on a case-by-case basis and we meet the full demonstrated financial need of all applicants admitted as first-year students. There are no academic, athletic or talent-based institutional scholarships at Columbia as all of our institutional financial aid is need-based. Students can estimate their eligibility for need-based financial aid by using the Net Price Calculator. Learn more about affordability and aid.

Please contact the Academic Success Program at 212-854-3514 or asp@columbia.edu with further questions or concerns.

Please have your school submit the Mid-Year Report as soon as first quarter or first trimester grades are available if you are an Early Decision candidate; for Regular Decision candidates, as soon as first semester or second trimester grades are available. If your counselor wishes to email mid-year grades, they may send them directly to ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu.

We request that Mid-Year Reports are submitted by February 1, or as soon as they are available. If you have completed high/secondary school at the time of application, it is not necessary to send in new documents. We do not track Mid-Year Reports/senior grades through the online tracking system.

Students can start Columbia’s application as part of the Coalition Application by navigating to Columbia's profile in Scoir. Please note that students who have not used Scoir before will be prompted to create an account and start their application. Once the Application Profile is complete on Scoir, students will be directed to the Columbia Supplement to the Coalition Application hosted by Columbia.

Please note that Coalition applications with an incomplete Columbia Supplement will not be considered submitted.

For First-Year applicants: Columbia requires that applicants using the Coalition Application submit an essay, using the prompts and information found on Scoir.

For Transfer applicants: Transfer applicants will not use the Coalition Essay found in the Scoir application. Transfer applicants will be asked to upload a 400-600 word essay on the Columbia Supplement to the Coalition Application responding to the following prompt: Please explain why you are interested in transferring from your current institution. (The personal essay does not need to be specific to Columbia, but it should inform the committee why you wish to leave your current institution.)

Should you require assistance with the Scoir platform, we encourage you to review their Frequently Asked Questions or visit their help center.

Should you require assistance with the Columbia Supplement to the Coalition Application, please email ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu.

Yes. A candidate who has been offered first-year admission may ask to defer enrollment for a year to work, travel, complete mandatory military service or pursue a special opportunity. First-year students admitted off the waitlist cannot request a deferral, and a deferral in order to enroll full-time at another college or university cannot be requested. First-year students will receive information on how to request a deferral after submitting their response form on their application status portal. A second year of deferral may be granted upon request.

Transfer and Combined Plan students are not permitted to defer their admission. Visiting students are permitted to defer their admission to a future term through the submission of the response form on their application status portal.

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 from secondary/high school.
• The candidate has misrepresented themselves in the application process.
• We learn that the 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.

Columbia places extremely compelling candidates on a waitlist to be considered for admission if spots in the entering class become available. Every year, the number of spots that become available is different.

We do not rank our waiting list, and all candidates are reconsidered for admission if space does become available. We encourage students to submit an additional one-page statement expressing interest in the waitlist. Additional submissions, including extra letters of recommendation, are discouraged by the Committee on Admissions.

No. If your application to Columbia is denied, that decision is final. There is no appeal process for admissions decisions, and applicants are not reconsidered for admission. Every application receives a review from members of the professional admissions staff. Because we do feel confident that our decisions, however difficult, are commitments that we make only after the care and deliberation that all our candidates deserve, we cannot accept any requests for reconsideration of these decisions.

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.

It is your choice whether to apply during your final year of secondary school or during your gap year/obligatory service, but keep in mind that first-year students may enter Columbia only in September. You may prefer to apply to Columbia while you are still in secondary school and you have your counselors and teachers near at hand when you are arranging for transcripts, recommendations and other credentials to be submitted. If admitted, students performing mandatory service will receive a deferral, and other requests for deferral related to gap years will be considered at the time of admission. On the other hand, you may wish to apply during your time of service or gap year in case it brings you additional self-awareness and life experiences that you feel may make your candidacy more compelling.

If you apply to Columbia during your final year of secondary school and are not admitted, then you may apply again during your gap year or obligatory service. That is permitted only if you are not holding a place at another college or university anywhere in the world.

No, for most candidates. We do not accept applications for January/spring enrollment from First-Year, Transfer or Combined Plan Program applicants. Only Visiting Student candidates may apply for January/spring enrollment.

Homeschooled students receive the same evaluation as other Columbia applicants—every application receives the careful attention of several members of the professional admissions staff, and decisions are made only after review by the Committee on Admissions. 

Homeschooled students should follow our Testing Policy. Advanced Placement (AP), SAT Subject Tests and other optional subject-proficiency exams are not required by Columbia, but we will accept your results if you choose to submit them in the testing section of your Common Application or Coalition Application. While you will not be at a disadvantage in our admissions process should you choose not to take these optional tests or submit the results, your scores can assist the Committee on Admissions in evaluating content knowledge and mastery in individual disciplines.

Early admission is occasionally granted to students of special promise who are completing the junior year of secondary/high school and who meet the following requirements:

• an outstanding academic record
• the physical, intellectual and emotional maturity to handle the rigorous program at Columbia
• the graduation requirements of their secondary/high schools.

Applicants for early admission should follow the normal instructions for applying, but should indicate they are applying for early admission under the "Additional Information" section of the Common Application or Coalition Application.

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 are still unsure of your status after reviewing these conditions, please contact us by phone at 212-854-2522.

The distinctions below apply to all candidates as specified, regardless of citizenship, 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 United States.

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.

1. If you have not already spent a full academic year or more in a college/university in the United States or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia Engineering as a first-year student.
2. If you have already spent a full academic year or more in a university in the United States or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia Engineering as a transfer student.
3. If you have spent more than two full academic years in a college/university in the United States or Canada, then you are no longer eligible to apply to Columbia Engineering as an undergraduate at all.
4. If you have spent a full academic year or less in a university outside the United States or Canada, then you must still apply to Columbia Engineering as a first-year student.
5. If you have spent more than a full academic year in a university outside the United States 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:

1. If you have not already spent a full academic year or more in a college/university in the United or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia College as a first-year student.
2. If you have already spent a full academic year or more in a college/university in the United States or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia College as a transfer student.
3. If you have spent more than two full academic years in a college/university in the United States or Canada, then you are no longer eligible to apply to Columbia College as an undergraduate at all. (See paragraph II.)
4. If you have already spent a full academic year or less in a college/university outside the United States or Canada, then you must apply to Columbia College as a first-year student.
5. If you have already spent more than a full academic year in a college/university outside the United States 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 pursue the same majors as all other undergraduates at Columbia. Find information on applying either as a first-year student or as a transfer to the School of General Studies. 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.

Prior to enrollment, students admitted to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering must submit documentation of completion of their secondary/high school requirements, which includes the final transcript with date of graduation. If applicable, International Baccalaureate, GCE Advanced Level or nationally recognized high school graduation examination results must also be provided. Transcripts should be sent directly from the secondary/high school. Alternatively, a GED or TASC credential with a passing score may be submitted.

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.

All applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States, as well as students granted refugee visas by the United States, DACA recipients and undocumented students, are read in a need-blind manner, no matter where they attend school or where they reside. The term “need-blind” means financial need has no bearing on the admissions decision.

All other applicants are evaluated in a need-aware manner, which means that the admissions committee takes into consideration how much financial aid a student requires when rendering an admissions decision.

Columbia is committed to meeting the full need of all applicants admitted as first-year, transfer and Combined Plan students, regardless of citizenship. Columbia admits a large number of international students who receive a substantial amount of financial aid.

The most recent Cost of Attendance figures—including tuition, room and board, mandatory fees and other expenses—are listed on the Financial Aid & Educational Financing website.

Columbia meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted first-year students, regardless of citizenship and whether they applied through Early Decision or Regular Decision. Some families may think that their chances for financial aid might be worse when applying early, or that they should not ask for financial aid in the Early Decision process. Please be reassured that both the Early and Regular Decision processes are need-blind for US citizens and permanent residents, refugees and asylum-seekers, DACA recipients and undocumented students. Financial aid packages are not any more or less comprehensive in the Early Decision process.

We know Early Decision candidates have made Columbia their first choice, and we make every effort to help these families finance a Columbia education. If, after receiving the estimated Early Decision financial aid offer, an admitted student's family has concerns about meeting the expected family contribution, we encourage the family to contact Financial Aid & Educational Financing and speak with one of our counselors.

It is extremely rare for a family to ask to be released from the Early Decision commitment for financial reasons. If a family determines after discussion with Financial Aid & Educational Financing that they cannot afford to finance a Columbia education, the admitted candidate can be released from the Early Decision agreement. The family must speak with a financial aid officer before the release is granted. Ultimately, it is the family's decision whether or not they feel capable of accepting the need-based Columbia financial aid award.

Those who do opt out of their Early Decision contract are released to pursue other colleges and universities; the admission offer at Columbia University is then cancelled. A candidate who declines Columbia's Early Decision offer will not be allowed to reconsider Columbia's financial aid estimate in the spring Regular Decision cycle and will not be able to reinstate the original offer of admission.

Application fee waivers can be requested directly through the Common App or Coalition Application by Scoir by selecting the indicator of financial need that most closely matches your circumstances. Please review a sample of eligibility guidelines on the Common App. Columbia additionally offers a separate fee waiver for students who may not qualify through the Common App or Coalition Application by Scoir, including international students. Please review Application Fees and Fee Waivers to learn more and determine your fee waiver eligibility using our form. While supporting documentation from a school official or other third party is welcome, it is not required. Columbia will grant all eligible fee waiver requests automatically.

The CSS Profile service provides fee waivers to qualifying domestic first-time, first-year students from families with low incomes and limited assets. 

Eligibility for fee waivers is automatically assessed at the time you submit the CSS Profile, and the waiver covers the costs of the registration fee for up to eight school reports.  Please contact the College Board with any additional questions regarding CSS Profile fee waivers.

Columbia does not offer additional CSS Profile fee waivers to domestic students. Please review our information on application fee waivers.

Yes, under certain circumstances. US citizens and permanent residents, refugees and asylum-seekers, DACA recipients and undocumented students whose family experiences a change in circumstances may apply for financial aid at any time. For example, a family may suffer a job loss or illness, or a younger sibling may begin attending college. Please note, however, that not every change in circumstances may qualify a family for institutional aid. It is a good idea to include a letter describing your family’s change in circumstances with any new financial aid application.

An international student whose family experiences a severe and unforeseen change in circumstances may apply for financial aid at any time, and such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but international students who are not US citizens or permanent residents, refugees or asylum-seekers, DACA recipients or undocumented are not guaranteed institutional financial aid even if there is a change in circumstances.

International students who are admitted with no request for Columbia financial aid may not change their status to apply for aid at any time during their four years at Columbia. An international student whose family experiences a severe and unforeseen change in circumstances may apply for financial aid at any time, and such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you are an international student who is admitted without institutional financial aid, Columbia cannot guarantee institutional financial aid even if there is a change in your family’s circumstances.

Tours and virtual information sessions, as well as other virtual events, are offered throughout the year on a varying schedule. All Columbia Undergraduate Admissions events require registration ahead of time. Please note that Columbia does not offer an in-person information session.

Campus tours and other programming are usually not available during University holidays, academic breaks or examination study days, according to the Columbia University Academic Calendar. Please consult our Campus Visit and Virtual Visit calendars to register for events and plan your visit experience, or check out our virtual tour if you are unable to visit campus during a tour time.

Columbia University is located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York City. It is easily accessible by public transportation, including from regional airports. Please consult our Campus Visits page to learn how to get to campus through a variety of transit methods.

As of Friday, January 26, 2024, the Columbia University Visitors Center has temporarily relocated to Hepburn Lounge in Uris Hall. Guests should enter through the southeast corner terrace, across from Schermerhorn Hall. Read more about this relocation.

Guests should go to the Visitors Center for all questions regarding Columbia, including checking in for campus tours.

Undergraduate Admissions is located at Hamilton Hall 212. Hamilton Hall is on the southeast corner of College Walk at the heart of campus.