Counselors

As the college application season gains momentum, we recognize and commend all that counselors and other high school educators do to serve their students. We want to provide support as you and your students navigate the college admissions process. 

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Students walking down the glass ramps in Lerner Hall

Reminders from Undergraduate Admissions​

As you work with students who may be planning to apply to Columbia, we want to remind you of a few important aspects of our process:

  • We understand that affordability is top of mind for many families. Columbia awarded over $225 million in scholarships and grants last year, and most of our students graduate debt-free. As announced in the spring, families with typical assets and incomes below $66,000 will not be expected to contribute to the cost of their student’s education. In addition, students from families with typical assets and incomes up to $150,000 will attend Columbia tuition-free.

  • Columbia is test optional, and students are at no disadvantage in our process if they do not submit scores from standardized tests. 

  • Interviews with alumni are no longer a part of our application process.

  • Students can easily determine their fee waiver eligibility and receive an application fee waiver. If students are concerned about the cost of our application fee, please consult our fee waiver eligibility form.
  • Students may utilize a wide range of resources, tools and support during the college admissions process. Regardless of the tools and support they may use, we expect that all submitted application materials are their own original work and reflect their authentic voice. We encourage students to familiarize themselves with Columbia’s Honor Pledge & Honor Code and Generative AI Policy, which all enrolling students are expected to uphold.

  • We can extend deadline flexibility to students who are experiencing extenuating circumstances, such as community disruptions, wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters. We will also accept supporting documentation from counselors and teachers after the application deadline without the need for school staff to request an extension.

Interested students are invited to register for one of our many virtual programs, and they can dive deeper into Columbia with our interactive virtual tour and the Blue View, a ten-part video series that features admissions officers and students discussing campus life, the Core Curriculum, affordability and more.

Standardized Testing

  • Columbia is test-optional for applicants to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. Please review our standardized testing policy for additional details.
  • If applicants desire, they may self-report ACT and SAT test scores on their application. Our office will verify scores for all enrolling students.
  • Columbia does not require the optional writing portion of the ACT or SAT, or the optional science portion of the ACT.

Explore and Connect

Other Important Resources

Matching a Student with Columbia

If you are a counselor, teacher or school administrator supporting a student’s candidacy for admission to Columbia, you may be interested in reviewing a few of the following pages to help orient you in our application process:

These pages can give you an idea of what we’re looking for in our applicants, how our process works and important dates and deadlines.

You can also review our comprehensive Columbia Undergraduate Admissions viewbook for a detailed look at our campus life in Morningside Heights and New York City, academic opportunities and intellectual development at Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, including examples of courses and research, and some of the students that call Columbia home.

Professional Resources