Columbia University School of General Studies

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Scholarships & Financial Aid

School Says - General Information
The School of General Studies of Columbia University is the finest liberal arts college in the country dedicated specifically to students with nontraditional backgrounds seeking a traditional education at an Ivy League university. Most students at the School of General Studies (GS) have, for personal or professional reasons, interrupted their education, never attended college, or are only able to attend part-time. GS is unique among colleges of its type because its students are fully integrated into the Columbia undergraduate curriculum: they take the same courses, with the same faculty, and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates. General Studies students come from varied backgrounds and all walks of life. They have the option to study either full- or part- time. Many work full-time while pursuing a degree, and many have family responsibilities; others attend classes full-time, experiencing Columbia's more traditional college life. In the classroom the diversity and varied personal experience of the student body promotes discussion and debate, fostering an environment of academic rigor and intellectual development. The School has approximately 1,200 undergraduate degree candidates and close to 400 postbaccalaureate premedical students. The average age of a GS student is 29. Approximately half of GS students attend classes full-time. Between 80 and 85 percent of the School's students continue on to graduate and professional study after graduation. The acceptance rate for General Studies postbaccalaureate premedical students applying to U.S. medical schools is more than 90 percent. In addition to its bachelor's degree program, the School of General Studies offers combined undergraduate/graduate degree programs with Columbia's Schools of Social Work, International and Public Affairs, Law, Business, Dental Medicine, Teachers College, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

School Says - Student Body
One student of the School represents General Studies students in the University Senate, a decision-making body comprised of students, faculty and administrative staff members from each division of the University. In addition, two General Studies students sit as voting members on the Committee on Instruction, which oversees the curriculum of the School. The General Studies Student Council elects officers each year and sponsors activities for students. The Observer, the SchoolÂ's student-run magazine, is published several times each year. The Premedical Association (PMA) sponsors events related to the medical school admissions process. Additionally, students are eligible to participate in any of the over 250 student organizations on campus.

School Says - Academics
The School of General Studies offers a traditional liberal arts education designed to provide students with the broad knowledge and intellectual skills that foster continued education and growth in the years after college, as well as providing a sound foundation for positions of responsibility in the professional world. Requirements for the bachelor's degree comprise three elements: (1) core requirements, intended to develop in students the ability to write and communicate clearly; to understand the modes of thought that characterize the humanities, social sciences, and sciences; to gain familiarity with central cultural ideas through literature, fine arts, and music; and to acquire a working proficiency in a foreign language; (2) major requirements, designed to give students sustained and coherent exposure to a particular discipline in an area of strong intellectual interest; and (3) elective courses, in which students pursue particular interests and skills for their own personal growth or for their relationship to future professional or personal objectives. Students are required to complete a minimum of 124 credits for the bachelor's degree; 60 of these may be in transfer credit, but at least 64 credits (including the last 30 credits) must be completed at Columbia. In addition to the usual graduation honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude), honors programs for superior students are available in a majority of the University's departments.

School Says - Admissions
The admission policy of the School is geared to the maturity and varied backgrounds of its students. Aptitude and motivation are considered along with past academic performance, standardized test scores, and employment history. The SchoolÂ's admission decisions are based on a careful review of each application and reflect the Admissions CommitteeÂ's considered judgment of the applicantÂ's maturity, academic potential and present ability to undertake course work at Columbia. Admission requirements include a completed application form; a 1,500- to 2,000-word autobiographical statement describing the applicantÂ's past educational history and work experience, present situation, and future plans; two letters of recommendation from academic or professional evaluators; an official high school transcript; official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended; official SAT or ACT scores (applicants may also take the General Studies Admissions Examination); and a nonrefundable application fee of $65. Students from outside the United States may apply to the School of General Studies to start or complete a baccalaureate degree. In addition to the materials described above, international applicants must submit official TOEFL scores. Application deadlines are March 1 for early action (non-binding), June 1 for the fall semester, and October 15 for the spring semester. Applicants from countries outside the U.S. are urged to apply by August 15 for the spring semester and April 1 for the fall semester. Applications are reviewed as they are completed, and applicants are notified of decisions shortly thereafter. For more information, students should contact: Office of Admissions and Financial Aid School of General Studies 408 Lewisohn Hall 2970 Broadway Columbia University, Mail Code 4101 New York, New York 10027 United States Phone: 212-854-2772 E-mail: gsdegree@columbia.edu Web site: http://www.gs.columbia.edu

School Says - Campus Life
Columbia University is located in Morningside Heights, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The UniversityÂ's neighbors include the Union Theological Seminary, the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Manhattan School of Music, St. LukeÂ's Hospital, WomenÂ's Hospital, Riverside Church, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The diversity of intellectual and social activities offered by these institutions is one of ColumbiaÂ's great assets as a university; another is New York City itself, which offers students at Columbia a rich and almost boundless variety of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities that are themselves an education.

School Says - Cost Aid
For the 2007-2008 academic year, tuition was $1,146 per credit, room and board costs were $13,034, fees were approximately $1,600, and books and supplies were $2,000.The School of General Studies awards financial aid based upon need and academic ability. Approximately 70 percent of General Studies degree candidates receive some form of financial aid, including Federal Pell Grants, New York State TAP Grants, Federal Stafford and unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, General Studies Scholarships, and Federal Work-Study Program awards. Priority application deadlines for new students are June 1 for the fall semester and October 15 for the spring semester.

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