<p>Is there anyone here who could share experiences (even if second-hand) had at Columbia?s General Studies?
Among other questions, I would have the following ones:
- How selective is it?
- Which credentials are the most decisive for admission?
- How often are international students offered financial aid?
- I already hold BA and MA degrees. Will it do any harm to my application? Or any advantadge somehow?</p>
<p>It seems like they let just about anybody in.</p>
<p>why do u wanna go to GS if you already have a master's? Are you looking at the post-bac premed program?</p>
<p>What do you want to take undergrad courses if you have an MA degree already?</p>
<p>just a disclaimer, there are only a few people on this board able to actually answer gs questions (gs_banding in particular, tho i'm sure denzera, shraf, and columbia2002 could be of help too) and you shouldnt read too much into other people's posts unless they claim intimate gs knowledge.</p>
<p>I an thinking about applying to GS because I am getting more and more unhappy with my current profession. If I can still change it, I am almost sure I will.
Skraylor, thank you for the disclaimer.</p>
<p>windowshopping is a real, live GS student. maybe he'll drop in.</p>
<p>edit: but you should search for past posts of his. he's occasionally gone on a few rants on the subject =)</p>
<p>Years ago my sister, who already had a BA and MA, enrolled at GS because she wanted to pursue another graduate degree. She took some courses in her new field of study while at GS and eventually applied and enrolled in the GSA&S to earn a PhD from Columbia in this new field. She did not earn another undergraduate degree from Columbia. You should ask GS admissions about this because things might have changed.</p>
<p>I'll refrain from speaking about chances and selectivity because it's all relative. In your situation, as long as you have a halfway decent gpa (above a 3), it will come down to your essay and whether you can convince them of this new path you want to take. Although your past grades will be of some importance, I think they will pay more attention to your reasons for wanting another degree and your accomplishments thus far.</p>
<p>There's a woman in my UW class that already has a degree in fine arts from the UK (I forgot the name of the school) and is an accomplished film critic. Just to point out that what you're trying to do is not that uncommon.</p>
<p>You might not even have to get another BA, it seems plausible to me that you can take a few courses in your new field of interest and then apply to a Masters program in this new field. So I second Burb Parent's suggestion.</p>
<p>Edit: AFAIK, they offer zero financial aid to internationals. Call to verify.</p>
<p>GS hopeful here!
Pls can anyone give a simple breakdown of average living costs & appropriate work opprtunities to meet such costs. Thanx!</p>
<p>I am an international student in GS and the school has offered me considerable amounts of financial aid (merit based scholarships) every year.</p>
<p>Well, there you go. I heard bad info.</p>
<p>Hi, I've applied for the spring term after taking a year off working in Hollywood for a well known producer, graduated high school in 3 years at the top of my class and had very decent SAT scores. I am not trying to be rude in your reply at all, I was just wondering where you got your source of information and how accurate it is? If so, it would actually be great news for me :)</p>
<p>In response to: </p>
<p>IloveCC2
Junior Member</p>
<p>Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 34
It seems like they let just about anybody in.</p>