<p>I plan on to major in economics for General Studies. Do I have to include writing about the economics program and why I choose it instead of other colleges? or just stick to my personal experiences that shaped me into the person I am today and because of that, i believe I belong in the GS program?</p>
<p>You should be as specific as possible. This is a good opportunity for you to show that you have thought a lot about the decision to apply to Columbia and GS.</p>
<p>Talk about what makes a Columbia education THE education for you. Which professors do you want to study with? What is it about Columbia’s economics department that makes it your first choice? What about the curriculum?</p>
<p>Further, what specific dimensions of the GS education appeal to you? The Core? [pro-tip: it’s not the financial aid.]</p>
<p>Here are some things that you should NEVER do:</p>
<ol>
<li>Do not talk about New York City. There are dozens of other schools in New York. Spending any time talking about NYC is a lot like telling your girlfriend that you love the fact that she’s a girl. It goes without saying.</li>
</ol>
<p>Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. If you’re applying, for example, as an art history major, the way that Columbia has collaborated with museums across the city literally gives you a Columbia and NYC specific advantage that no other school can offer.</p>
<ol>
<li>Don’t say this like, “…because it’s Columbia! You know?” I know you wouldn’t write something just like that. But, people do often make the mistake of calling attention to brand power. A lot of schools have it and, like New York City, it’s best left unsaid.</li>
</ol>
<p>I echo what Jan said. Definitely talk about why GS - the admissions folks specifically told me they look for it. Be specific about why you want to go to Columbia and not NYU, not Cal, not a dozen other great schools.</p>
<p>Working on my “Why GS?” essay as we speak, thanks for the hindsight ahead of time.</p>
<p>ive been to informational sessions of other top schools in the country and i have to say none stack up against Columbia. they really go out of their way to reach out to non-traditional students, they really seem to care about you as a person and not a number. though this most not be significant but the fact that they have housing for older students is awesome! if accepted who would i want to take classes with? easy! Prof. Sachs and Dr. Hendricks, well if he is still at the university. i Loved Dr. Hendricks book, on the politics of Jesus…one word, revolutionary!</p>
<p>Sachs isn’t nearly as accessible as students would like. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that he lets his TAs teach the course for weeks at a time - while he’s off in Madagascar or something.</p>
<p>Also, other top schools do “stack up” to Columbia’s dedication to non-traditional students. Yale and Brown, just to mention two, dedicate more money in FA to non-traditional students and do just as much to incorporate them into the student body. So, you’ll have to be much, much more specific.</p>
<p>Well, Brown and Yale dedicate more money to the dozen students they have. Hard to compare a thousand at GS to a dozen at B/Y.</p>