Ask a Columbia Transfer!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>Questions related to either transfer-related stuff or general questions about Columbia are welcomed. As a transfer, I feel I hava pretty fair ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the school, since I do have a year of experience at another institution with which I can compare my experience so far at Columbia.</p>

<p>Ask away!</p>

2

<p>How difficult is it to achieve a 3.9+ gpa, coming from a weaker school having a 4.0 (comparatively speaking)? </p>

<p>How many hours a day would a science major potentially need to study to do this?</p>

<p>Is it advisable to take a “full course load”, ~15 diverse credits, the first semester or would this be self-sabotage?</p>

<p>What opportunities have you seized at Columbia, otherwise not available elsewhere, that justify the hefty price tag?</p>

3

<p>A 3.9+ GPA takes more work, definitely, though I feel there’s always that need to feel out the new academic climate and adjust to it wherever you go. Understand that you’re up against tougher competition and will need to put in more hours to pull off the same GPA you could achieve with ease at a weaker school.</p>

<p>I’m more of a humanities person, so I can’t really answer for a science major. I’ve got some pre-med and otherwise science-inclined friends if you’d like me to ask, though.</p>

<p>Go for a full course load. I’d actually advise taking at least five classes to start with, so you can drop one if need be, and still be able to manage getting in all your requirements, Core, major, and otherwise. You’ve got a solid month to figure out if your schedule works for you (though you can’t drop Core courses as late). As a transfer, you have a year (or two, if you’re a junior transfer) less than all the freshman to complete the Core, so you’ve got a tougher path ahead of you and need to plan it out to be able to fit it all into your years at the school.
Transferring to Columbia first and foremost allowed me to keep my internship in the city. It’s at a prestigious law firm (and paid, to boot), and I feel the connections I’m making are hard to get elsewhere. Even if I’d come without an internship, the career center here is incredible.</p>

<p>I feel like I’d be a bad Columbia student if I didn’t mention all the opportunities afforded by being in the city… but also, I suppose, from having such awesome roots. I’m part of the Columbia Review, which I suppose is pretty well known, being the oldest undergrad lit mag in the country, because we get submissions from all over (foreign countries and all).</p>

<p>Also, the World Leaders Forum is sort of the greatest thing ever. I can go more into detail about any of these things when it’s not past midnight if you’d be interested :)</p>

4

<p>all of that sounds amazing. Yeah, if you could ask your pre-med friends about their study regimens that’d be great. I’m going pre-med and would like to have an idea about “a day in the life,” so to speak. The reason I ask about opportunities is I plan on doing a lot of research in my spare time and I know the school has great avenues for that. The lit magazine sounds great too. What is world leaders forum?</p>

5

<p>I am thinking about applying as a transfer next year. Any tips on application related things? Why do you think you were accepted as a transfer student?</p>

6

<p>Tips for any transfer:

  1. Get close with your professors to ensure the best letters of recommendation possible
  2. Pull as high a GPA as you can
  3. Start working on your apps early. Really get to know the schools you’re interested in (some, like Columbia, have info sessions specific to transfers, so definitely get in on those), which can help you in arguing for why you want to transfer to that specific school
  4. Become involved on campus to demonstrate that you will be contributing to the campus of the school to which you’re transferring
  5. Have a solid reason for why you want to transfer</p>

<p>I like to think my creative approach to the supplementary essay helped me somewhat.</p>

<p>The World Leaders Forum is where Columbia brings in world leaders to speak. You have to sign up (and early) to get in on it, and sometimes it’s tough finding the panels that don’t conflict with your class, but we have some great people come to speak. One of the ones I attended this year was a panel with the President of Kosovo, one of the youngest democracies in the world.</p>

7

<p>What were your transfer stats like? What tier school did you transfer from, if you elect not to mention the school?
S was denied as a freshman but, now at a SUNY flagship doing well. He loved Columbia but, may consider applying as a transfer, Cornell, too.</p>

8

<p>I transfered from Brandeis (which I still love a crazy amount and am thus proud to mention).</p>

<p>My stats can be found here:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/1177243-any-questions-incoming-transfer.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/1177243-any-questions-incoming-transfer.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;