For the class of 2027, Columbia University saw a slight decline in the number of early decision applications. The pool represents the third largest in Columbia%E2%80%99s history and a 9% drop from last year%E2%80%99s 6,305 early applicants
Get To Know Columbia University
While many know Columbia for its Fu Foundation School of Engineering, one of their strongest departments for undergrads and graduate students, its Economic and Political Science departments are also consistently ranked as some of the best in the nation.
Because of Columbia’s special combination of all-around strong academic departments and proximity to New York City, the university and its students are in a unique position to fully benefit from both the advantages of attending a top-20 university and from living in a major metropolitan area.
This article will examine the background of Columbia University, explore all of its admission requirements, and go over the kinds of applicants it has previously accepted. You or your student will create the best application possible using the information you’re about to read.
Columbia University History & Identity
King George II of England issued a royal charter in 1754 that established Columbia University. Its original name at the time and for the first thirty years of its existence was King’s College. Samuel Johnson held Columbia’s first class with eight students in July 1754 at a new schoolhouse next to Trinity Church in Manhattan, close to what is now lower Broadway.
The American Revolutionary War and the British occupation of New York forced the college to shut its doors in 1776.
Eight years passed during and immediately after the war during which the college remained closed, until it reopened in 1784 under the new name “Columbia.”
King’s College was clearly replaced by Columbia College, but there were some significant differences between the two institutions.
The Revolution had a more profound impact on Columbia College, which aimed for greater diversity among its leaders and students in terms of economic status, religious affiliation, and location.
Furthermore, Columbia College’s day students, who frequently commuted from their homes or accommodations in the city to the college, replaced King’s College’s segregated campus community.
In the years that followed, Columbia University grew and consolidated.
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Additional Schools Founded at Columbia University
The Columbia school of Law was founded in 1858, followed by the country’s first mining school in 1864 (a precursor of today’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science).
Later, Seth Low began unifying Columbia’s fragmented and rivalling schools under a central administration that prioritized collaboration and shared resources after becoming Columbia’s president in 1890. He also had an impact on Columbia’s development of graduate programs in political science, philosophy, and pure science, making Columbia one of the country’s first hubs for postgraduate study.
The transfer of Columbia to its current Morningside Heights campus was also overseen by Low. John Erskine developed the College’s influential Core Curriculum in 1919 while teaching two courses that established the study of original masterworks as the cornerstone of undergraduate education.
By the late 1930s, Columbia had established itself as one of the country’s leading hubs for scholarly achievement and educational innovation.
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The 1968 Student Uprising at Columbia University
The Vietnam War opposition, the expanding civil rights movement, and the ongoing decline of America’s inner cities all came together at Columbia in the 1960s, however, and the university was thrust into the national spotlight.
More than 1000 protesting students occupied five buildings in the last week of April 1968, effectively shutting down the university, until they were forcibly removed by police. This and other events directly led to the cancellation of what activists described as a segregated gym in Morningside Park; the cessation of Columbia’s affiliation with the Institute for Defense Analyses and their joint classified, on-campus, research projects; and a downturn in the University’s finances and morale, as applications, endowments, and grants significantly declined over the following years.
The University Senate was established as a result of these events, giving faculty, students, and alumni a stronger voice in university affairs. However, a lot of people think it took the University longer than 20 years to fully recover.
The Revival of Columbia University
Columbia’s spirit and energy have revived in recent decades. Starting in the 1980s, new facilities were built, and old ones were renovated. With the development of the Audubon Biotechnology and Research Park, Columbia secured its place at the forefront of medical research.
Currently, Lee C. Lee is the university’s president. Bollinger, and recently celebrated its 250th anniversary. Columbia University establishes one of the highest standards for the production and dissemination of knowledge in the United States and around the world through its renowned Core Curriculum and the cutting-edge work of its graduate and professional programs.
Allen Ginsberg, Amelia Earhart, and B. F. Flynn are just a few of Columbia’s well-known graduates. R. Ambedkar, Barack Obama, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Isaac Asimov, J. D. Salinger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lou Gehrig, and Warren Buffett.
Trivia & Fun Facts
1. The Columbia University campus has undergone three major changes over the years. Its first campus was located at Park Place, close to where New York City’s city hall is now. Columbia relocated to 49th Street and Madison Avenue in 1857, where it remained for the following 40 years. Columbia finally relocated to its current location in Morningside Heights in 1897.
2. Columbia takes a lot of pride in this campus. It was constructed by McKim, Mead architect Charles Follen McKim.
3. The Manhattan Project’s research was aided by Columbia scientists in 1925 at the university’s Pupin Hall and Schermerhorn Hall. In recognition of the Columbia team’s contributions to atomic research, Pupin Hall was designated as a national historic landmark in 1966.
4. Four American presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Harry S. Truman, were either produced by Columbia or were Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Barack Obama. Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Barack Obama received his undergraduate degree from Columbia, while Dwight D. Eisenhower served as Columbia’s 13th president.
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What Kind of Student is Columbia Looking For?
Although there isn’t a magic formula for what makes a student perfect for Columbia, generally speaking, the university is looking for individuals who are intellectually curious, entertaining, open-minded, respectful of opposing viewpoints, enthusiastic about diversity and opposing viewpoints, committed to the community and community service, and who can fit in with Columbia’s culture.
Academically, Columbia seeks out exceptional students with high GPAs and test scores, individuals who are driven to pursue a particular career, and people with the character and work ethic to realize their future ambitions. The last two points are particularly crucial for Columbia because very few admitted students do not have a specific field of study in mind.
Columbia wants its graduates to succeed as high-level leaders in their respective fields or industries.
Other qualities Columbia looks for in their students include:
- an ability to show leadership
- play an active role in their community
- sociability
- time management skills
- and hands-on life experience
They seek out students who can exhibit these traits through their extracurricular activities and volunteer work. It is even better if a student’s extracurricular activities relate to his or her potential career interests.
Finally, Columbia is looking for students who are interested in the Core Curriculum. Columbia as an institution takes a lot of pride in its Core Curriculum, calling it the heart of its academics. So, Columbia will look favorably on students who want to take advantage of the Core and who are interested in being well-rounded intellectually even as they specialize in their intended future field.
Is Columbia The Right Fit For Me?
A student will fit in well at Columbia if they can handle the academic rigor, want to live in a city, and will utilize the resources that Columbia offers specifically.
Anyone who wants to apply to any Ivy League school, let alone Columbia, should not be surprised by the rigorous academic requirements. The Core Curriculum ensures that at least some of the classes will be smaller, more discussion-based, and give students the chance to form a close bond with professors early on in their college careers.
Because Columbia is located in New York City, there are always opportunities and things to do, both on and off campus. But some students might find the bustle of the city and the abundance of available activities to be distracting. Therefore, having effective time management skills is especially important for Columbia students.
Except where otherwise noted, the following data comes from Columbia’s admitted class of 2024.
Columbia University Acceptance Rate
The Columbia University acceptance rate is 6. 1% overall, with a regular decision acceptance rate of 5. 1% and an early decision acceptance rate of 15. 1%.
46 people were admitted to Columbia University early decision. 8% of the incoming class.
Of the class of 2024, 51% are male and 49% are female One in seventeen students in the class is going to college for the first time.
Columbia does not currently disclose the precise proportion of legacy students in the incoming class. However, the data which can be found suggests that legacy students made up 5% of the Class of 2023, and the percentage of legacy students making up any given class is somewhere between 5% and 7% (according to data from the class of 2019 and before)
White students make up the majority of Columbia’s incoming class; Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and Black/African Americans make up the next three largest percentages of the class.
International students make up 12% of Columbia University’s incoming class. How to Enter the Ivy League as an International Student (READ NEXT)
The majority of those students are from countries including China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India.
The remainder of the domestic incoming class is represented in the list below. Like most Ivy League schools, the majority of students attend from the East Coast, but a sizable number also attend from states that do not belong to that group.
The top represented states in the incoming class are:
When applying to Columbia, most students list their academic interests, and the majority are drawn to the programs in mathematics and natural science. Students express interest in the social sciences, engineering, and humanities in roughly equal amounts.
In contrast, the fields where Columbia awards the most degrees are:
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Neuroscience and Biology
- Economics
- History
These make up about 40% of the total degrees awarded.
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Requirements For Columbia University Admissions
The Coalition Application, Common Application, or QuestBridge Application are all acceptable submission methods for Columbia.
This application should include:
- a secondary school report, which includes a certified transcript from high school
- a high school counselor’s recommendation
- a school profile
- and a mid-year report
Columbia University GPA Requirements
The GPA requirements for Columbia University are very strict, as you might expect.
That entails a student earning nearly straight As in all of their classes, with a significant portion of those classes being advanced courses like AP or IB classes.
ACT & SAT Scores for Columbia University Admissions
The middle 50% of students admitted to the Columbia University class of 2024 scored between 1500 and 1560 on the SAT, or between 34 and 35 on the ACT
These ACT and SAT scores range from extremely competitive and high to almost perfect.
However, pupils whose grade point averages are exactly at or under the average of 4 12 will require an increased SAT or ACT score to make up for it.
A further point to be made is that the majority of students who took the SAT scored better in mathematics than in reading and writing.
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High School Course Recommendations from Columbia University
Columbia suggests the following course options for students:
- four years of English literature and composition
- three to four years of mathematics (pre-calculus is strongly recommended)
- three to four years of history and social studies
- one foreign language, either ancient or modern, for three to four years.
- and three to four years of laboratory science
However, some students might also prefer to take fewer courses in one subject area and more in their chosen field of study.
The School of Engineering and Applied Science, for instance, urges:
- four years of math (including calculus)
- physics for one year, ideally in the final two years of secondary school
- one year of chemistry
- four years of English
- two to three years of a foreign language
- and three to four years of history and social studies
To find out what kinds of coursework are suggested for a particular Columbia program, students should get in touch with a representative from that program.
How to Get an Edge When Applying To Columbia University
You’re probably noticing a theme as we delve deeper into how to get into Columbia: it’s challenging to be accepted without meeting all the requirements set forth by the university, such as having a strong GPA and stellar SAT and ACT test results.
Despite the tiny 6 acceptance rate at Columbia, it’s difficult but not impossible! 1%, there are a few things you can do as a high school student to strengthen your chances at Columbia
Participate in Enrichment Programs
Some evidence suggests that participating in one of the enrichment programs Columbia offers to exceptional high school students may give students an advantage when submitting their college applications.
Students should apply to these programs if they want to show their interest in Columbia, establish relationships with the staff and community there, and showcase their academic prowess.
Students who live near the university should look into the Academic Year Immersion Program and the College Edge Program.
Some programs also cater to specific interests, such as the Columbia Climate School in The Green Mountains program and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
For students who do not live near New York, there are also summer and online programs.
Although the application process for these programs is competitive, there is no assurance that a particular student will be accepted because participation in one is not guaranteed. Students should look into the enrichment programs provided by their local universities if they are unable to participate in one of these programs due to rejection, lack of funds, or time constraints.
Students can also research academic competitions, particularly those in their field of interest. Students can stand out in the application process by doing well in such a competition at the national level.
Columbia Early Decision Acceptance Rate (Why & When To Apply Early Decision)
A little less than half of each class is accepted through early decision, which is nearly three times as high as Columbia’s regular acceptance rate.
However, because Columbia’s early decision admissions are final, students should only think about doing so if:
- Columbia is their top choice
- They don’t have to accept the financial aid package offered to them in order to commit to attending Columbia.
- and by the end of their junior year, they have excellent test scores and grades.
Write Excellent Personal Essays and Supplements.
Students should allow enough time to thoroughly think through each prompt and draft several versions of each essay.
Students should think about the message each essay conveys about their personality, interests, and future goals. But we’ll also go over some pointers and notes for certain extra questions.
Reading and Cultural Experience Supplemental Essay
In one of the essays, students will be asked to list the books they enjoyed that they had to read for school and for fun, as well as any periodicals they regularly read and any movies, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures, and other forms of entertainment they enjoyed in the previous year.
If a student doesn’t enjoy reading, they should make a plan so they can read enough throughout their junior year to compile a list that reflects their personality and interests.
But students shouldn’t believe they have to read or list only academically oriented materials. A student’s essay can benefit from a healthy dose of novels, fiction, and even magazines like Cosmopolitan by becoming more well-rounded and avoiding the appearance of being one-note.
The key is demonstrating a variety of interests.
“What You Value Most About Columbia”
Remember how much Columbia values their Core Curriculum. When composing their response, students should think about what they value about the Core.
Additionally, students should write about how they can benefit the community of Columbia rather than just what they hope to gain from their time there.
Finally, keep in mind that Columbia culture is not necessarily New York culture. Focusing on Columbia and keeping discussions of New York to how they will use the city’s resources to enhance their college experience should be the students’ only concerns
“What Attracts You to Your Field of Study”
Students are asked to describe a recent or past experience that exemplifies why they are passionate about their field of study or fields of study.
Not all of the advice offered here will apply to every student’s essay because this one will be much more personal to the student. But generally speaking, students should demonstrate their curiosity and passion.
While it is not required that they do so in the essay, students should learn more about the departments and programs that Columbia University has to offer in their area of interest.
Get Started on Applications Early
Having enough time to submit the best application is connected to everything mentioned above. This is crucial for the letters of recommendation that are regarded as a requirement by Columbia University.
The school counselor and specific teachers (those who specialize in the subject a student hopes to pursue in the future or in classes where the student has excelled) are people students should try to build positive relationships with.
Give your teachers and counselors as much time as you can so they can write you excellent recommendation letters.
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Asking Columbia Students how they got into Columbia University | SAT/ACT, GPA, EC’s, etc…
FAQ
What GPA do you need to get into Columbia University?
Incoming freshmen at the traditional campus should have: A 3. 0 or higher high school GPA (on a 4. 0 scale).
Is Columbia NY hard to get into?
Columbia is very selective. The school received 42,569 applications for the class of 2023, and accepted 2,247 of them, for an acceptance rate of five. 2%. According to the U. S. According to News and World Report’s rankings of the best colleges in the country, Columbia is tied for third place.
Is it easier to get into Columbia or NYU?
Even though both institutions are competitive, Columbia is more picky than NYU. The admissions rate at Columbia was just 3 for the class of 2026. 7% versus the admission rate of 12. 2% at NYU for the same year.
Is Columbia NYC Ivy League?
There are eight colleges in total that are regarded as Ivy League. These institutions include the Universities of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Yale, Cornell, Princeton, Brown, and Harvard.