Do I qualify as a prospective student at Columbia GS?

Hello!
I am soon to be 17 and I am looking to map out my future plans sooner than most.
I will be graduating high school a year early, at age 17, and I will hopefully be moving to NYC in the fall of this year.

Columbia School of General Studies is very appealing to me, because of the part-time/ more flexible schedule option that it offers. I am an aspiring ballerina, but I also want to pursue a degree in Neuroscience and Behavior.

GS is the only academically-superior university that would make it possible for me to pursue a career as a professional dancer, but also get a degree that I can use later on in life. As you might have guessed, it has become my ideal school.
I am fully aware that the majority of the people that are admitted to GS are significantly older than me and would have taken a break in between high school and college (I potentially will have taken at least half a year of a break, maybe a full year by the time I apply, if that makes a difference). However, not ALL of the students who attend this branch of Columbia are that far down the road; rather, some are young students, like me, who need a flexible schedule in order to accomplish all of their endeavors. In my case, ballet is not just a hobby. I will be training 6 days of the week, potentially 10-5 everyday, and performing quite often). My main question is if my story qualifies as a “compelling reason” that I could ONLY attend Columbia as a part-time student in their School of General Studies?

As far as academics go, I have maintained a very high GPA throughout my high school career, and have made high enough scores to be considered (I believe). I also come from a Classical Academy, where we were taught to learn completely on our own, manage our time wisely, and utilize the Socratic Method in every class. So discussing ideas and learning on my own are not only things I am familiar with, but also things that I thoroughly enjoy. Which, from what I understand from the tours and information sessions I have attended at Columbia, shows many similarities in the type of students they wish to attract.

I also will be having a scheduled interview this summer while I am in NYC for ballet training. I think I will be able to have all of my questions answered by an Admissions Advisor. However, I was just wondering if anyone had heard a similar story to mine, or might have some insight.

Thank you!!
-Hannah

With strong high school grades and a background in ballet (GS is friendly to ballerinas), your chances of getting in are extremely high. GS, however, usually does require students to have taken at least a year break in their education before applying. In your case, they’d expect you to apply to Columbia College. I think if you take a year off to pursue the ballet and then apply that you’re basically a shoo-in.

Hi Hannah, I would suggest contacting the GS Office of Admissions at gs-admit@columbia.edu or +1 (212) 854-2772 to discuss your particular situation.

Thank you for your feedback @nickdrake. I wasn’t aware that a year break was required. That is very good to know, so thank you!

@GSTourGuides I will for sure! Thank you!