Columbia data shows that CC receives about 40k applications per cycle. While GS is a much less known program as you say, keeping near the 35% mark would only mean 2-2.2k applying, for 700-800 acceptance for fall. That doesn’t seem like an outrageous number to me.
That’s under the assumption that the yield rate is equal to the acceptance rate, which simply isn’t true. Even the yield rates for CC/SEAS are ~65%, and for the published dual degree programs, they hover around the same mark.
The real number to hit the 35% mark would be something along the like 5,400 applicants/per year.
5,400 * 0.35 * 0.65 (Yield based on similar numbers across GS/SEAS/CC programs) => ~1,100 people
At that point it seems optimistic/stretching that there would be 5.4k applications per year.
For reference, Yale’s Eli Whitney program receives roughly ~350 applications per year. Brown’s RUE program receives roughly the same amount aswell.
Therefore, In order for regular BA program at Columbia GS to have the a 35% acceptance rate, it has to be as competitive % wise as the dual BA programs, and receive around 15-16x as many applications as other peer programs, both of these statements seem like a stretch.
That analysis is so off Brown Rue and Eli Whitney are tiny programs - GS is an entire college - you’re very much comparing apples to oranges. I think it’s fairly realistic that GS receives something like 5000 applications per year. Also, when doing your math, you’re forgetting that almost a 3rd of GS enrollment can be attributed to dual BA programs (not the main BA program). GS has 900 students per class roughly, 2/3 of which are the main BA program, so 900/.35 /.65 * 2/3 = 2600 applicants yearly. Super feasible. Basically, 35% doesn’t seem out of the question at all.
Quick question: has anyone heard anything from GS? We are ~2 weeks away from March 1st and I assume we are all so excited to know our decisions!
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Not a peep here! I’ve been anxiously checking my portal every Wednesday, as it seemed like that’s when some decisions had been released early, but no changes yet. Good luck!
Hi all, first off: best of luck with your apps!
I was accepted to fall 2020 but deferred a year because of the pandemic. In doing so they essentially changed my portal to make it as though I applied for Fall 2021 and now have to wait to be “accepted” again. That still has not yet happened, so thought I’d share that info just in case anyone was sweating it, because it likely means they haven’t accepted anyone into Fall 2021 yet.
Also, Heads up on financial aid: they’re doing something different this year. Previously they just needed the FAFSA and a simple form of their own. Now they need FAFSA and also the ccs profile. This includes your parents financial information, even if (like me) you haven’t lived with your parents for 20+ years. So, be prepared to get your folks’ 2019 1040s…
Josh
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Wednesday (Feb 24th) is the last Wednesday before March 1st. I think that might be the big day! What do you guys think?
Hi everyone. Been silent on this thread, as I assumed decision would have already been sent out. From previous application years vs the current application pool, the decision have been reviewed by 2 people in the admission committee followed by a group review/decision that occurs on Wednesday (hence to why the decision come out then). But due to the huge number of applicants these past 2 semesters, plus constant changes internally cause of the pandemic, that isn’t the case. This time around they just changed up the review process to streamline it. From what I can tell they are just having 2 admission reps review it. Then most likely will come together to make a decision on everyone who applied for the first wave. So if you applied even a day after the priority deadline (ex. Jan 16), they will hold firm to that and push you to the next wave of decision in the next coming months. Also G.S doesn’t have a exact number of student they admitted, like other universities, due to the nature of the school. If you meet the qualifications and background as a non traditional student, then you should be fine. Only reason I know, is I applied last semester went through the whole process and wasn’t admitted. Was give some feedback and took the advice before reapplying. Now that I am a strong applicant and have been following closely with admission, I hope to get in this time around. Let’s hope that this Wednesday is the big round of decision as in previous years and good luck to everyone.
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Hi @transfer136. Would you mind sharing what kind of advice did the admissions office at GS give you?
I have talked to them and they seemed kind of unresponsive tbh. The last time I scheduled an appointment I got a reminder email but no one called me at the scheduled time. Maybe this is because it was my third time trying to speak with an advisor, which makes me overthink if it was a mistake.
Also, the first time I spoke to an advisor she told me that the acceptance rate for the last semesters was 18-20%.
My application is ready for submission but the teacher has not submitted his rec letter yet which is driving me crazy and my winter grades are not out yet. Hopefully, I will be able to meet the early action deadline…
Good luck!
Hi everyone!
I am so excited to have applied for Columbia GS. Like most of you, I have been cruising the threads trying to glean what does or does not make a viable candidate. Let’s just say I am very uncomfortable with waiting or being unsure so I decided to jump on the thread to commiserate with all of you!
Sincerest good luck to all of you nontraditional students continuing your path towards betterment - if you’re anything like me, I know it has not been an easy one.
Let’s get this decision thread party rolling!
Ali*
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I don’t think GS application numbers are reported in the Common Data Set and it’s numbers don’t impact USNews rankings so there probably is a little less of a focus on trying to have a similar acceptance rate as the other schools ranked near it.
Ahh, good luck!!! Let us know what happens please!
A couple of the links you listed are for dual degree programs.
I think these are different and are not for non-traditional admissions.
Are you applying for a dual-degree program or as a non-traditional applicant?
I’m curious - are you actually a studen here? I’d like to chime in as a current GS student who transferred from an elite institution.
For the sake of anonymity, I won’t say where I transferred from, but I was formally a traditional undergraduate student at a top ten university that has a single digit acceptance rate. In fact, Columbia was ranked lower than my former university when I applied (and got accepted) to it as a traditional undergrad years ago.
Although I could have resumed my studies as a student at my former university after taking a personal leave of absence, I decided to apply for transfer to Columbia instead. One of my primary reasons includes the flexibility to work/intern and concurrently have a flexible work schedule. Another is the large nontraditional community - if I had gone back to my other institution, I would have felt more “out of place” since I’m a few years older than most of the students there now. I’m glad I transferred to Columbia. I’ve been a student here for less than two years, and it’s already opened more doors than my former university did (despite literally being one of Columbia’s peer institutions).
I’m certainly not an anomaly. Plenty of us are nontraditional transfers from Stanford, MIT, U of Chicago, Duke, other Ivies, and even Columbia College/SEAS. Plenty of us had perfect high school GPAs, sky-high SAT scores, and did well at our other colleges.
The bottom line is that if people do well here, none of the other stuff really matters. Plenty of GS undergrads get into elite grad schools and can land any job they want to if they do well and actually utilize the resources available here. Those who don’t have the raw, intrinsic talent and intellectual bandwidth to be just as competitive and successful as CC/SEAS students won’t do well here. It is what it is.
Why would some transfer from Columbia College/SEAS to GS? Also, why Stanford or MIT to GS?
One former CC student who is now a GS student told me that after a certain period of time on hiatus, CC and SEAS students are directed towards GS.
As far as the rest of your question is concerned, I clearly articulated that in my post above. There are a multitude of reasons that someone would want to transfer: an environment that is more conducive to being part of a nontraditional community, added flexibility to work and simultaneously take courses, etc. Those were mine. Another GS student I know who started out at one of the previously aforementioned universities in my post above transferred because he’s married and his wife was offered a job position in NYC that she didn’t want to pass up.
I am an alumnus and it’s been about a decade since I was a student.
I agree that there are elite university transfer students. The ones that I’ve met and recruited are usually returning students who had taken some kind of medical or personal leave. In my experience, this part of the GS student population is tiny. There are probably more former professional ballerinas or Israeli Defense Force vets than elite institution transfers. But maybe that trend is changing?
So what I’mmmmm hearing is that I open a hybrid ballet company/krav maga dance troupe and perform at states fairs to up my chances?!
Done! Grappling with Martha Graham coming soon to a stage near you!
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Oh, you’re an alum? Nice! What would you say the percentage of GS transfers from elite institutions was when you were a student? Based on my current interactions and the backgrounds of my classmates, I would estimate that as of now, it’s between 20 to 30% of my class/admissions cycle group, which is pretty high in my opinion. That’s not including GS students who attended competitive public schools or anything outside of the top 10 to top 15. Perhaps the trend is changing.
As for the community college student transfers I’ve met, most have at least a year or two of community college experience with a perfect 4.0 gpa. Not all, but most.
I chose Columbia over another top nontraditional program because Columbia has even more resources and a larger nontraditional community, even though the other program confers the exact same degree to nontraditional and traditional students alike. So far, I think I made the right decision! 
Yes, I’m an alum and, when I was there, I’d say that the elite institution transfers were <10% of the student population.
I applied the Eli Whitney program at Yale and the program that they had at Brown (I can’t remember the name). I think that Columbia was and probably still is best positioned to serve the unique needs of the non-trad population.