<p>I've searched through CC quite a bit and can't seem to find anything on the selectivity of the Columbia-Sciences Po dual-BA program. Since admitted students will actually enter in the Columbia School of General Studies after Sciences Po (which has a higher acceptance rate), is acceptance easier into this program? I'm pretty sure it's equally selective, but off totally non-reliable, anecdotal information, the one person I know of who got in was not an academic superstar, but not terrible either. He was an average applicant who probably wouldn't have gotten into Columbia SEAS or CC. Can someone guide me to any officially released statistics? I'm limited to 10 schools when applying, and I don't want to be apply to this program under the false supposition that it's a match school, when really, I was wasting an app applying to another crazy reach.</p>
<p>Also, how do the students integrate into Columbia life after coming back from Sciences Po? Is the program well-knit into the undergraduate experience, or does the student become one among 27,000 Columbia students? Since the student will enroll in GS (I think because they won't be able to fulfill the core curriculum required in CC and SEAS), are they administratively and socially part of the undergraduate body? Will they live with them? Do they get the same housing? Same undergraduate perks (if there are any)? Columbia and New York City can be impersonal if you don't make the effort, and I'm worried that if I'm coming onto campus midway through everyone else's Columbia experience, I'll be finding my footing and trying to make friends while everyone else will have their well-established social scenes and not really realize there are thirty new kids in their year. The experience would be that of a freshman, while everyone you're supposed to socialize with already has their circle of friends. This kinda worries me! </p>
<p>Can anyone here speak to my queries and concerns? Thanks so much in advance!!</p>
<p>I went to an information session on this program a few months ago and my understanding is that it is EXTREMELY competitive. As in hundreds of kids applying for those 30 spots. The first two years are in France, and then when you come back, you are in Columbia’s GS school. There is no housing at Columbia (you have to live off campus) and the housing in France is apartment-style, not dorms. Because there are at least three campuses in France (the three listed on the website, plus once in a while they make an exception and allow someone to study at the Paris campus), you probably won’t have more than 10 or so kids at your campus that you will be coming back to Columbia with, so in terms of “fitting in” keep in mind that it will be you and a handful of people that you know, not the entire 30. And also keep in mind that according to the website, about half of those 30 students come from the region being studied, so you’re looking at even fewer spots for US applicants.
[Admissions</a> | Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po](<a href=“http://www.gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/admissions]Admissions”>http://www.gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/admissions)</p>
<p>Has Columbia released any official admissions stats, though? It’s annoying that they don’t, and my only hypothesis as to why that’s so is that the admissions standards for the program is slightly lower and if word got around that this was a backdoor in, there would be a huge influx of applicants to the program. Although, how is that a drawback?Regardless, the information session you went to proved my initial assumption to be wrong. </p>
<p>According to the site, about half of each entire campus has students from that region, not half of the Columbia-Sciences Po students. Since there are only 30 students in each cohort, I doubt they’re that concerned about the mix of applicants from the region of study – that seems to be more of a concern for regular Sciences-Po admissions. Regardless, I live in one of the regions studied :P.</p>
<p>Socially… the last two years seems terrible and it honestly doesn’t seem worth it to me. I’m pretty sure I’d become depressed and the “dual degree” aspect really isn’t a huge selling point anyways. I can get an excellent education in the social sciences at many other schools, while garner additional knowledge in the humanities and STEM subjects. Oh well. Sorry Columbia-Sciences Po, I think you just lost an applicant. Hah! Can’t reject me if I reject you, right?</p>
<p>LOL! I am not at all an expert – just passing along the info as I understand it. One thing about the stats, someone said it was a fairly new program (only a couple of years old) and that is why there aren’t the numbers you are looking for. Dunno.
:)</p>
<p>In doubt the program is easier to get into. Every dual degree program is harder to get into than the regular degree alone. This degree is preferable to the regular Columbia degree for interested students.</p>
<p>I’m a current student in the Sciences Po Dual BA program (one of the precious few…). I’m also a tour guide on the Columbia campus, and during the tours I often end up in long discussions with participants who are pretty confused about what the Dual BA really is. Because there is a lack of information for sure, especially since its small and new. And unfortunately, like you pointed out, there aren’t any publicly available admission stats, or at least none that I know of. Not sure when this will improve, but its worth keeping in mind that the program is pretty new, since the second class to be recruited through a real application process will be starting at Sciences Po this fall. So I can’t say anything for sure about the competitiveness, but judging from the amount of people at each of the tours I give, there seems to be a lot of interest in it compared to the number of spots.</p>
<p>Anyway, I love this program and I definitely think more people would benefit from the experience of two years at Sciences Po. It really gives you an interesting and useful perspective. I’m too tired to explain all that now, but I just thought I’d point out one thing about housing, since Dual BA students actually do get offered on-campus housing. And all of us who are here now currently live in it. The only difference is that this is GS housing, and the buildings have apartment units rather than dorms. Which basically means that I get to buzz someone in from the comfort of my living room rather than having to sign them in at the security guards’ office when I have visitors. </p>
<p>Ok I’ll post more tomorrow since obviously there is more to be said here.</p>
<p>Woo! Thanks a lot, Awnsome! Your post is actually quite reassuring because based on all the information that is conspicuously missing about the program, I almost assumed Columbia was ashamed of it… though that’s probably not the case.</p>
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<p>Wait, are there special tours for prospective applicants to the Dual BA program, or are there always students at the general tours curious about the program? </p>
<p>Also, some kid in my school was bragging about how he had an “interview” with the Dean of the Dual BA program. How did he get that and does it mean anything in terms of admission? Probably doesn’t, but just making sure. Have you ever heard of students (who have yet to even submit their application to the program) getting interviews by anyone, let alone the Dean?</p>
<p>Thanks for the info Awnsome! The housing was one of my biggest concerns, since the admissions rep who spoke in our area was firm on the fact that there although there was housing during the first two years in France (subsidized by the French government, no less), there was NOT housing once you got back to NYC. I’d love to hear more from you when you get the chance!</p>
<p>Woa, that admissions person is so wrong. Not sure why they would say that… All the Dual BA students so far have been given Columbia housing, and I don’t see why they would stop doing that. Like you said, it might seem like it, but Columbia is definitely not “ashamed” of the program. The classes and number of applicants seem to be growing, and whenever I sit in on an information session, I always hear the administration praising it as “a revolutionary program” etc. By the way, there are in fact specific Dual BA tours, and I’m giving most of the tours this summer. There is a schedule [url=<a href=“http://www.gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/]here[/url”>SPO Dual BA]here[/url</a>] .</p>
<p>Regarding social life for Dual BA students, its hard to predict what it will be like in a few years, because it will likely change a lot once the bigger classes get here. For me, it was easy to meet people, because people here are always open to making new connections (after all this is New York), but also because I joined student organizations and did stuff like theater and sailing. It’s also possible to join fraternities or sports teams, even as a junior, but I didn’t do that. Now, most of my friends are Columbia College students, i.e. regular Columbia undergrads. But since the Dual BA class that starts at Sciences Po this year has I think around 50 students in it, there will probably be much more room for having an actual community of Dual BAers. </p>
<p>To elaborate, I think most Dual BAers will become very close friends with the people they spend two years with in France, and then two more years with at Columbia. Since the Dual BA students are divided among three Sciences Po campuses, they will likely only know a third of the students in the program well. But once they all get here to Columbia, I guess they’ll find that they have a lot in common (eg. an interest in international affairs, languages and regions other than the US and English, etc) and probably become a pretty tight-knit community. In this sense, I think that the Dual BA’s size is actually perfect for avoiding the kind of “one among 27,000 students” feeling that Gratisfaction describes.</p>
<p>But that’s just my prediction, of course. I hope this post was useful, let me know if you have any more questions and I’ll be happy to answer.</p>
<p>What degree do you get after you graduate from columbia-sciences PO? do you get 1 degree from sciences po and 1 degree from Columbia U? OR do you get 1 degree from “Columbia-Sciences Po” thanks</p>
<p>The Dual BA Program is exactly what it sounds like. Students graduating the program will receive two bachelor’s degrees: one from Sciences Po Paris, and one from the School of General Studies at Columbia University.</p>
<p>Admissions are rather competitive, as the spots offered the last few years hovered around 30. However, the program has been expanded due to high demand both from the US and internationally. </p>
<p>Many students who are admitted into the program do not speak or write French; therefore, this will not hurt your application in any way, since Sciences Po campuses teach an anglophone curriculum. However, having proficient/fluent French skills can likely increase your chances of admission.</p>