<p>Hello,
A Harvard graduate referred me to the General Studies program that Columbia has to offer. My situation is to some extent complicated. I was attending the American University of Beirut for the past three semesters (fall, spring and summer), however due to the current situation I highly doubt I will be returning to complete my studies. I am planning on finishing my studies in the States. My question is how hard is it to get accepted into the General Studies program at Columbia.</p>
<p>General Studies: 48%
Columbia College: 10%</p>
<p>Admissions rate: Freshman and Transfers!</p>
<p>after doing one year in the school of general studies, is it posibble that i transfer to columbia college?</p>
<p>No. You take the same classes with the other Columbia College students. It wouldn't make any sense to transfer. And you graduate with the same BA/BS degree.</p>
<p>That's not entirely true. Core classes, for example, are segregated, and there are fewer core requirements for GS. The degree for GS is not "the same" as that for CC; the schools are clearly delineated on the paper, and the degrees even use a different language and typeface, I believe. More importantly, I've been told it makes a difference to some organizations whether one lists "Columbia College" or "Columbia University" on one's resume; of course, one doesn't have to list "GS" necessarily, but it's fairly obvious where one went when one can't claim a CC degree. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, I don't believe it's possible to transfer from one to the other. If you're really intent on going to CC, see if you're eligible to transfer. Columbia tentatively took on a lot of Tulane refugees from Hurricane Katrina last year; it might be sympathetic to your situation as well.</p>
<p>It is possible to transfer from GS to CC and from CC to GS; people do it all the time. There are only 3 core classes that are segregated - university writing, lit hum, and contemporary civ. However, GS has its own identical sections of these 3 core classes - same reading list, faculty, etc. In fact, some GS students who are unable to get into the GS sections petition the core office and take these core classes with CC students (Music Hum and Art Hum are fully integrated). The core for GS is different. That is true. But, many GS students choose to follow the CC core. Yes, the degree is different, strictly speaking. It's printed in English, not Latin, and is signed by the president of CU and the dean of GS. If a GS student pursues the core and same major requirements as a CC students (which they do all the time), then the degree is the same - at least academically. Because GS students are fully integrated with other CU students (with the exception of UW), opportunities for the two schools after graduation are not drastically different. GS students go on to prestigious law/grad. schools after graduation, just as CC students do. Go to GS, do well, and you will have opportunities. Harvard's version of GS, on the other hand, is different - the students are completely segregated, taking different classes with different professors. I spoke with the former dean of The University of Chicago Law School and she agreed that because GS students take the same classes and are held to the same academic standards as all other students, they are treated as a CC or SEAS student in the admissions process (at least in her experience with law school admissions). She said law schools (not sure about other grad. programs) don't care how hard or not it was to get in. Hope this clears some things up.</p>
<p>I'm really surprised one can transfer between GS and CC given the fact that "older" and "nontraditional" students are forced to apply to GS...why not just let them apply to CC in the first place if they could be admitted as transfers?</p>
<p>For grad schools, of course, GS status isn't really an issue at all. I have a GS friend (who would have been an obvious CC candidate if not for the fact he had to do a stint in the Israeli army) going into Yale Law.</p>
<p>Some employers are a bit pickier, though. When I applied for a summer job at Citigroup they called to ask whether I was at CC or GS, and when I said CC they told me that made a difference, since it was "the prestigious one".</p>
<p>CC does not accept transfers that have had a break of one year or more in their education, and GS does not accept students unless they have had a break of one year or more in their education.</p>
<p>Regarding the acceptance stats: you should note that those who apply to GS are generally more "self-selecting." GS isn't letting just anybody in, despite how those numbers make it look. Anyway, the vast majority of the people who apply to CC (and any "name" school) have no business doing so and help keep those acceptance rates so low. </p>
<p>The Core requirements for GS students aren't really all that different from what CC students have. My Core checklist lists the following: University Writing, two literature classes, a language, art and music humanities, three science classes, two humanities and social science classes each, cultural diversity and quantitative reasoning. As it has been said, University Writing is the only strictly GS class. This is not because GS students are any different from CC students, but because the school wants to foster a sense of community in its first semester GS students.</p>
<p>Is Columbia General Studies == Harvard Extension School == Penn GS ?</p>
<p>Harvard Extension School student can take Harvard College courses and think that Harvard Extension == Harvard College.. because they get bachelor's degree from Harvard by taking Harvard College courses..</p>
<p>Columbia's School of General Studies has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, because GS students are fully integrated into CC, taking the same classes together with the same professors, while Harvard Extension School and University of Pennslyvania, College of General Studies(CGS) do not, because students are completely segregated, taking different classes at night with different professors. Also, Harvard Extension School offers Bachelor of Liberal Stuides, not Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. </p>
<p>As for transfering to Columbia, if you had an interruption in your schooling of more than one academic year after high school graduation and before transfering to Columbia, if you had spent more that two years in another college, if you had attended a foreign college, you are no longer eligible to apply to CC, so you end up applying to GS, although you could have been accepted into CC if you had applied when you were high school senior. Thus, I can say that although GS degree is not the same as CC degree, GS degree is equivalent to CC degree, just like SEAS degree is equivalent to CC.</p>
<p>"dot_parker" has said that University Writing is the only strictly GS class, but I should say that it is not true. University Writing is required for both CC and GS students. However, while "English C1010: University Writing" is open to CC, GS, SEAS, and SCE, "English F1010: University Writing" is open to GS and SCE only. SCE stands for School of Continuing Education(Extension School).</p>
<p>And, I disagree with "Columbia2007," regarding the rumor that that there are fewer core requirements for GS. As for the Core Requirements in CC and GS, please compare the following checklists. </p>
<p>"CC Core Requirements"
01) "University Writing,"
02) "Literature Humanities(two semesters),"
03) "Contemporary Civilization(two semesters),"
04) "Art Humanities,"
05) "Music Humanities,"
06) "Foreign Language,"
07) "Major Cultures(two courses),"
08) "Science(two semesters),"
09) "Frontier of Science,"
10) "Physical Education(two semesters)"</p>
<p>"GS Core Requirements"
01) "University Writing,"
02) "Lliterature(two courses) instead of "Literature Humanities(two semesters),"
03) "Humanities(two courses) instead of "Contemporary Civilization(two semesters),"
04) "Social Science(two courses)"
05) "Art Humanities,"
06) "Music Humanities,"
07) "Foreign Language,"
08) "Cultural Diversity(one or more)" instead of "Major Cultures(two courses)"
09) "Science(three courses) instead of "Science(two semesters),"
10) "Quantitative Reasoning(Frontier of Science or else)" instead of "Frontier of Science"</p>
<p>Since both CC and GS students are required to take the same amount of coursework, it is not true that there are fewer core requirements for GS. However, aside from that fact that GS students don't have to take "Physical Education," they end up taking more acadmic courses than CC students.</p>
<p>It's good to know that. I hope that GS accepts me for the Spring 2007 term.</p>
<p>Harvard Extension students can also take Harvard College courses with Harvard College students taught by Harvard Professors.. and receives Bachelor's degree conferred by Harvard University .</p>
<p>If Columbia General Studies is equivalent to CC and/or SEAS
Harvard Enxtension degree should be equivalent to Harvard College degree</p>
<p>If Columbia General Studes is equivalent to CC and/or SEAS
UPenn General Studies degree should be equivalent to Wharton degree if the student take wharton classes</p>
<p>Harvard Extension School students are arranged to take course in the evening, but are able to take course at Harvard College through the Special Student Program, and their Harvard College course credits count toward their Extension degrees. However, just because they take courses at Havard College, it does not mean Havard Extension School's BLA(Bachelor of Liberal Arts) is equivalent to Harvard College's BA/BS. Likewise, students at CGS(University of Pennslyvania's College of General Studies) are arranged to take course in the evening, but are permitted to take course in the daytime, only if the course is not offered in the evening. However, just because they take courses in the daytime, it does not mean BA/BS of CGS is equivalent to that of University of Pennslyvania's The College (School of Arts and Sciences), School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Nursing, and Wharton School. And, students at Columbia's School of General Studies are not taking courses at Columbia College. They are taking courses, or, rather sharing the same courses with students at Columbia College.</p>
<p>Harvard Extension School belongs to Havard University's division of continuing education, and CGS belongs to University of Pennslyvania's continuing education/Lifelong Learning program, but Columbia's School of General Studies and School of Continuing Education are two separate institutions. </p>
<p>And, as I mentioned before, Columbia's School of General Studies has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, but Havard Extension School and University of Pennslyvania, College of General Studies do not have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, so that there is no way that Harvard Extension School's BLA is equivalent to Harvard College's BA/BS, or that CGS's BA/BS is equivalent to University of Pennslyvania's The College (School of Arts and Sciences), School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Nursing, and Wharton School's BA/BS.</p>
<p>Harvard Extension Student thinks their degree is equivalent to Harvard College degree</p>
<p>Columbia General Studies students thinks their degree is equivalent to Columbia College/SEAS degree</p>
<p>UPenn General Studies students thinks their degree is equivalent to Wharton degree...</p>
<p>Yellowhair, correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the feeling you're being deliberately obtuse. Harvard Extension and UPenn's GS programs are not the same as Columbia's School of General Studies. Period. </p>
<p>GS is not an "extension school" and its students do not "think" their degree is equivalent to that of CC's-- it is. As per Columbia's website: GS, along with CC and SEAS, is an "undergraduate college of Columbia University." GS students take the exact same classes as CC students. They are graded the same way as CC and SEAS students. They don't only take night classes. And when they declare a major or concentration they have the same departmental advisors as CC students. </p>
<p>And yes, I'm aware that the argument is that because GS's core is slightly different it's not a "real" Columbia degree. However, SEAS's core is slightly different from CC's as well and nobody complains that it's not "real," so why even bother debating?</p>
<p>Are you sure GS is not evening degree program ?</p>
<p>According to GS web site most of the courses from GS are scheduled after 4-5 pm ....</p>
<p>For example F1403 General Chem (offered from GS) schedule is
Day/Time: MW 6:10pm-7:25pm </p>
<p>Columbia College version C1403 General Chem is at
Day/Time: MW 10:35am-11:50am </p>
<p>How come there are two versions of the same course ?</p>
<p>I understand that GS students can take day course C1403 offrred from CC instead of F1403 (evening course offered from GS)</p>
<p>Harvard Extension students and UPenn CGS students can also take day courses offered from Harvard College/ Wharton instead of evening course.... exactly the same way GS program..</p>
<p>I just don't understand why Harvard Extension and UPenn CGS is not same as Columbia GS...</p>
<br>
<p>Columbia's School of General Studies is not an "extension school" and GS students know that their degree is equivalent to that of CC's, since GS students take the exact same classes as CC students, and are graded the same way as CC and SEAS students, having the same departmental advisors as CC students when they declare a major or concentration. </p>
<p>And, what do you mean by "real" Columbia degree? All students at CC, SEAS, and GS graduate with a "real" Columbia degree. I guess what you are trying to say is that GS and SEAS students don't receive a diploma from CC. </p>
<br> [QUOTE=""]
<p>yellowhair </p>
<br>
<p>Columbia's undergraduate students, including CC, SEAS and GS, share courses offered from each school. It is only the administrative reason that a particular course is offered from CC, SEAS or GS. "C" stands for a course offered from CC, and "F" stands for that offered from GS. Just because a "C" course is offered from CC, it does not mean it is offered to CC alone; and likewise in the case of GS. Students at CC, SEAS and GS can take courses offered from CC, SEAS, and GS. For instance, "C1403" is offered from CC but is open to CC, SEAS, and GS. Albeit F1403 General Chem is offered from GS, it is opent to CC, SEAS, and GS, so that all columbia undergraduate students have the option of registering courses in the daytime or in the evening. Many students at CC, SEAS, and GS take 5 courses in three weekdays, like MTW or TWR, and have 4-day-weekends for study and internship, by taking them in the morning, afternoon and evening, in order to reduce the number of days required for traveling to the campus. </p>
<p>The only reason that you don't understand why Harvard Extension School and Upenn's CGS are not the same as Columbia's School of General Studies is that you have never been matriculated or enrolled at Columbia. If you really were or had been a Columbia student, there is no way that you don't understand the difference. If you wanted to compare Haravd Extension School and Upenn's CGS with Columbia, please do so with Columbia's School of Continuing Education(Columbia Extension School).</p>
<p>I browsed all of your postings. What are you trying to do? You are mostly prowling around in the discussion for Columbia University, trying to degrade the reputation of Columbia's School of General Studies, or trying to raise the reputation of Harvard Extension School or Upenn's CGS to the level of Columbia's School of General Studies. If you were aleady rejected by Columbia's School of General Studies at your age(29?), I guess you have lost your final chance to obtain a BA/BS from Columbia, so I wish you good night at Harvard or Upenn.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Columbia's School of General Studies is not an "extension school" and GS students know that their degree is equivalent to that of CC's, since GS students take the exact same classes as CC students, and are graded the same way as CC and SEAS students, having the same departmental advisors as CC students when they declare a major or concentration.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Uh, Joe College, do you realize that you've just exactly reiterated what I said in the first post on this page in what I guess is some sort of an effort to correct me? </p>
<p>Reading things properly is fundamental.</p>
<p>No, I did not "exactly" reiterated what you said in one paragraph. I merely paraphrased it into one sentence, in order to use it as the supportive reason for my statement that GS students "know" that their degree is equivalent to that of CC's. You meant to say that albeit GS degree is equivalent to CC degree, GS students "don't think" that GS degree is equivalent to CC degree, right? Actually, many GS students "know" that GS degree is as good as CC degree. That's why I tried to correct it. I read your post very carefully. "Reading things properly is fundamental." No hard feelings.</p>