Admissions Checklist

AdmissionsAdmissions Checklist

Admissions Checklist

Admissions Checklist

Send application materials to:

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
School of General Studies
Columbia University
408 Lewisohn Hall, Mail Code 4101
2970 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

A completed application includes:

  • A complete application including parts I and II.
  • Autobiographical Essay.
  • Two letters of recommendation.
  • $80 application fee made payable to Columbia University.
  • Photograph (recommended, but not required).
  • GS New Student Scholarship Application – Students should apply for scholarship and financial aid when they apply for admission. Applying for scholarships and financial aid does not, in any way, affect our admission decision. The GS New Student Scholarship Application must be submitted online.

Arrange to have the following required documents sent:

  • Official* high school transcripts, secondary school records, or GED test results. Applicants with a GED and two or more years of high school will need to submit their high school transcripts.
  • Official* transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, or currently attending.
  • Official* scores from the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Testing Program (ACT) taken within eight years of your application to General Studies. The ETS code number for the School of General Studies of Columbia University is 2095. The ACT code number for General Studies is 2716. Students who have no test scores or results older than eight years may take the General Studies Admissions Examination.

*Official transcripts and test scores are those that arrive in a sealed envelope directly from the school or testing service.

Please see Important Dates for application deadlines.

International Students Checklist

In addition to the items mentioned previously, international applicants must include the following:

English proficiency can also be demonstrated by achieving a minimum of level 8 on the English Certification Test (ECT) offered by Columbia’s American Language Program (ALP). Please note that, while students are considered eligible to apply for admission based on a score lower than level 10, admitted students will be required to take additional English language courses if their scores on the placement examination are below level 10. Upon completion of these courses, students must reach level 10 on the ALP level 10 Qualifying Exam. See "English Certification Test" for more information.
  • Official* transcripts from all high schools (or secondary) and colleges and universities attended, or currently attending.
  • If English is not the candidate’s first language, he/she must demonstrate proficiency in English. Applicants should arrange to have recent TOEFL scores sent to the Admissions Office. TOEFL must be taken within two years of application. Contact Education Testing Service for more information: (609) 771-7100.
  • If English is the candidate’s first language, he/she is required to submit recent SAT scores. The ETS code number is 2095.

Please note that documents not in English must be accompanied by certified translations.

*Official transcripts and test scores are those that arrive in a sealed envelope directly from the school or testing service.

Please see Important Dates for application deadlines.