Honestly, what is the difference between the two besides the fact that GS students tend to be older and are non traditional students?
If GS and CC really are the same like people claim, then why do people choose to apply to CC regardless, especially if GS is still easier to get into? I know quite a few students who deferred admission, but have always chosen to apply to CC when they really could have gone to GS as well…so Columbia College itself…isn’t it technically more “prestigious” lol because it’s the main, traditional undergraduate school at CU?
GS gives very little financial aid, as @BrownParent specified above. In addition, the “culture” of the two schools is very different, though I wouldn’t say that’s worth not applying to GS for.
Columbia University is an Ivy League university. Within the university, there are several undergraduate colleges, as well as graduate school programs. General Studies is another undergraduate school at Columbia, and therefore is part of the Ivy League.
GS is for people who are non-traditional or as part of dual degree program with JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary). I don’t even know if they would let people who just graduated from high school apply to GS. Why would you want to? Not that it is academically inferior (it’s not) - just the dynamics are different. For example, you would be with older people, maybe they are more off-campus, you don’t take the Core, etc.
From my understanding (and I’ve researched the schools extensively), the schools are geared toward different individuals. Columbia College is for people, lets say, coming straight out of high school and are looking for an undergrad education. The School of General Studies is for people who have had a significant gap (a year or more) in their learning and would like to finish their degree full or part time. A common example is a war vet who wants to come back to school and finish their education.
There is a MAJOR difference between students at Columbia College and Columbia GS… More than just age. It is that most people in GS are not just trying to pursue their education… But they’re also balancing jobs, kids, bills, a house, etc. Being placed in an environment where others are on the same “mission” as you are definitely makes you more motivated and less likely to give up on finishing your education. On the other hand, CC students are college kids, and while they may have some jobs, they don’t have a family to raise in addition to the rigorous workload of an Ivy League education.
Nonetheless, even though it is not as selective as CC, GS still is an extremely competitive school and you should still have above-average grades/test scores to be considered for admission.
Also, if you are rejected from Columbia College once, you have to wait at least three years to apply to GS.
They are completely different schools and you cannot apply to both. Columbia College is for your traditional high school students and you must be under 21 to apply. If you are over 21 or have had more than one year off out of high school, you are not eligible to apply to Columbia College. GS is for any applicant over 21 or a non traditional student that has taken more than a year off, or has been in the military,etc. Generally you are only eligible for one or the other. High school students cannot apply to GS. Columbia College has one of the most generous financial aids in the nation, GS does not as its financing is completely separate. GS may appear on paper to be easier to be accepted, but only because it has fewer applicants. Their SAT scores are some of the highest in the nation, and their students include working professional athletes, artists, authors, musicians, business owners. It is the number one college in the nation for non traditional students.
My name is Kat, and I am a tour guide for The School of General Studies. In response to your question, The School of General Studies is one of Columbia University’s four undergraduate schools, and there is no academic difference between Columbia College and GS. The classes are mixed, curriculum fully integrated, and the same majors are offered. GS is designed to meet the advising, housing, and financial aid needs of independent adult students, who have more than a one-year break in their educational journeys since high school, while CC provides the same services tailored for recent high school graduates.
Hi Kat,
Would you mind expanding on what you wrote about “GS is designed to meet the … financial aid needs of independent adult students…?” I’m not exactly sure what that means. Typically “meeting” someone’s need means to close any gaps. Is this the case for GS financial aid?
First of all, legacy status only exists for SEAS and CC, so your children wouldn’t benefit if you went to GS. GS students also have to live off-campus. And yes, there’s definitely less prestige and CC students are sometimes hostile towards GS students.
That is completely untrue. GS is just as selective as CC and SEAS, with a very highly qualified applicant pool. ALSO GS CAN LIVE ON-CAMPUS, GS is for nontraditional undergraduates, so they have access to all Columbia on-campus apartment housing. CC students actually look up to GS students, because they are just as qualified, earning the SAME DEGREE (both SEAS and GS diplomas are in English, whilst CC is in latin). You obviously do not attend Columbia.
You CANNOT apply for both CC, and GS. If you have taken a one year break, you automatically count as a nontraditional student go to GS.
Also from Wiki:
The School of General Studies is a liberal arts college and one of three official undergraduate colleges at Columbia University, situated on the university’s main campus in Morningside Heights, New York.[2] GS is known primarily for its traditional undergraduate degree program for non-traditional students (those who have had an academic break of one year or more, or are pursuing dual-degrees).[3]
GS students make up almost 30% of the Columbia undergraduate population and have been known to consistently earn the highest average GPAs among undergraduates at Columbia University.[4][5]
GS offers dual degree programs with Sciences Po in France, the City University of Hong Kong, and List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary.[3] GS is the historical home to dual-degree programs at Columbia University—the school is the first undergraduate college at Columbia University to offer joint programs with other universities.[6] GS is also home to the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program.
Notable alumni include Nobel Prize winners Simon Kuznets and Baruj Benacerraf, as well as Isaac Asimov, J.D. Salinger, Amelia Earhart, and Princess Firyal of Jordan.