Is Columbia GS right for me?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
21

<p>"General studies students are NEVER eligible for Columbia College/Engineering housing.
sorry. "</p>

<p>So aren’t Barnard students. Seeing that the average age of a CC/SEAS is 18-21, and the average age of a GS student is 27, it makes perfect sense that the school would divide their respective living quarters.</p>

<p>GS students live in University Housing with Law School and Business School students. This makes perfect sense, as their are correlative age similarities.</p>

<p>In regards to your other posts:</p>

<p>There are only 3 Core classes that GS cannot take. This, as far as I know, is a non issue. Any class of the three that a GS student (but they petition to take these classes, and always get to take them if they want) cannot take is offered to GS students and may include a student from ANY of the three undergraduate college at Columbia.</p>

<p>Everything I am about to say will be supplemented with FACTS and links. Any repudiation of said information will be a repudiation of the FACTS furnished by the school and outside researchers. All information provided is published and. </p>

<p>First, Columbia GS students receive an Ivy League education. This FACT cannot be disputed:</p>

<p>This quote is from the GS website in the FAQ section under the “Are the courses the same as those taken by students at Columbia’s traditional undergraduate colleges?” tab:</p>

<p>“Yes. GS students take the same courses with the same faculty, are held to the same high standards, and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates.” </p>

<p>[FAQs</a> | General Studies](<a href=“http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs]FAQs”>http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs)</p>

<p>Second, Columbia GS is a competitive Ivy League college:</p>

<p>This quote is from the GS website in the FAQ section under the “Is GS as competitive as Columbia’s traditional undergraduate colleges?” tab:</p>

<p>“Yes. Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) is as competitive as Columbia’s traditional undergraduate colleges, which include Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and affiliate Barnard College. Though admission requirements differ slightly from the aforementioned schools because of our nontraditional student applicant pool, GS admits only the best and the brightest prospective students.”</p>

<p>[FAQs</a> | General Studies](<a href=“http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs]FAQs”>http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs)</p>

<p>Third, Columbia GS students have the highest overall GPA of all three official undergraduate colleges at Columbia:</p>

<p>This quote is from Wikicu, Columbia’s unofficial encyclopedia:</p>

<p>“A Columbia undergraduate class could include students from any of the following colleges or schools: GS, Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Barnard College or the School of Continuing Education. [1] GS students, who comprise of approximately 25% of all Columbia undergraduates, have the highest average GPA of all the undergraduate schools at Columbia. GS is unique among colleges of its type, because its students are fully integrated into the Columbia undergraduate curriculum.”</p>

<p>[Columbia</a> University School of General Studies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University_School_of_General_Studies]Columbia”>Columbia University School of General Studies - Wikipedia)</p>

<p>A Columbia GS education is, ostensibly, IDENTICAL to a Columbia College education:</p>

<p>This quote is under the “Who teaches my classes?” tab:</p>

<p>"GS students take the same classes with the same professors as students in Columbia’s other undergraduate colleges. Undergraduate courses are taught by members of the Columbia University Faculty of Arts and Sciences.</p>

<p>The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University consists of twenty-nine departments in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. The Arts and Sciences also includes six schools: Columbia College, the School of General Studies, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the School of the Arts, and the School of Continuing Education, as well as numerous institutes and centers."</p>

<p>[FAQs</a> | General Studies](<a href=“http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs]FAQs”>http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs)</p>

<p>Columbia GS requires an SAT, ACT, or GSAE score (identical to the SAT w/out the math section):</p>

<p>This quote is under the “Are SAT or ACT scores required for admission to GS?” tab:</p>

<p>“Official scores from the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Testing Program (ACT) taken within the last eight years are required. Standardized scores should be reported directly to Columbia by the testing service. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) code number for GS is 2095. The ACT code number for GS is 2716. Students who have no test scores or test scores older than eight years will be contacted by the Office of Admissions to take the General Studies Admissions Examination (GSAE) at a cost of $40. For more information, please visit the Admissions Exams page.”</p>

<p>[FAQs</a> | General Studies](<a href=“http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs]FAQs”>http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs)</p>

<p>And finally, Columbia GS is in every way considered an official undergraduate college of Columbia University. Its students can join any club, play any NCAA sport, and join any Frat/Sorority they please.</p>

22

<p>To set the record straight:</p>

<p>To all prospective students and readers: colny1234 and his other alias pumagirl is a serial ■■■■■ who has admitted to being rejected by GS on a another account. Do not let this bitter and desperate individual have any impact on your view of Columbia GS. </p>

<p>As a student at Columbia GS, I can say that my education is, ostensibly, identical to my Columbia College colleagues.</p>

<p>Is my education IDENTICAL to Columbia College students? No (As colny1234 and his other accounts have desperately pointed out). </p>

<p>Is my education so similar to Columbia College students where the differences are negligible? Yes. </p>

<p>University Writing, Contemporary Civilizations, and Literature Humanities are the three classes that are divided between CC/SEAS and GS students (plus one physical education course). Yet, these classes are taught by the same faculty and the course material is identical. The division is made so that GS and CC/SEAS students can intermingle in an intimate classroom setting with people of like age. Usually, these three courses are populated by 18-19 year old first years at CC/SEAS and 27-29 year old first years at GS. The administration creates this separation to funnel students of similar age into these very small courses. It is their way of creating a sense of unity. </p>

<p>Here is a wikicu link to the Core differences between CC and GS:</p>

<p>[School</a> of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“School of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia”>School of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia)</p>

<p>As someone who attends Columbia, I can tell you that GS students are wholly incorporated into the undergraduate community.</p>

<p>Columbia University is, as US NEWS (when ranking Columbia University #4 in their annual University rankings) stated: </p>

<p>“Columbia is comprised of three undergraduate schools—Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and the School of General Studies…”</p>

<p>[Columbia</a> University | Best College | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/columbia-university-2707]Columbia”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/columbia-university-2707)</p>

<p>Also, wikicu states that:</p>

<p>“The School of General Studies, commonly known as General Studies or simply GS, is one of Columbia University’s three official undergraduate colleges. It is a highly selective Ivy college for non-traditional students that confers the Bachelor of Art and Bachelor of Science degrees in over seventy different majors. GS students take the same courses with the same faculty, are held to the same high standards, and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates.”</p>

<p>[School</a> of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies]School”>School of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia)</p>

<p>I cannot stress this enough: once on campus the distinctions between the three undergraduate colleges is NON EXISTENT. Do not let some ■■■■■ who, aside from being rejected by GS, creates new accounts to spew lies about the college sway your opinion. While he is right that THREE out of all the Core classes a GS student must take are divided (but are exactly the same courses and are taught by the same instructors) he is wrong that this division makes any difference in the education one receives at GS. </p>

<p>CC students frequently enroll into F section (GS section) Contemporary Civilization, University Writing, and Literature Humanities courses when/if it fits their schedule. The administration knows that the differences (academically) between C section and F section courses are non-existant, so they allow CC students to fulfill their requirements for these three courses by taking F sections. If there were a difference, why would the administration allow for this cross registration?</p>

<p>GS students are, academically, “fully integrated into the Columbia undergraduate curriculum: GS Students take the same classes with the same students and professors and are granted the same degrees as students at Columbia College or SEAS. The school awards both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. GS students, who comprise of approximately 25% of all Columbia undergraduates, have the highest average GPA of all the undergraduate schools at Columbia.” </p>

<p>[School</a> of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“School of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia”>School of General Studies - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia)</p>

<p>The only differences, aside from these three courses (and one physical education course), are financial aid and housing.</p>

<p>GS students do not receive need-blind financial aid, rather, they receive merit-based financial aid. And the merit-based financial aid can be quite generous if you perform well while enrolled at Columbia. </p>

<p>With regards to housing, GS students do not live in CC/SEAS dorms. Yet this makes perfect sense as the average age of a GS student is 27, and a 27 year old living with 18-21 year olds just doesn’t work from a maturity standpoint. </p>

<p>GS students live in University Housing with grad students (Law School, Business School students…). This arrangement makes perfect sense, as GS, Law School, and Business School students are all, roughly, the same age.</p>

<p>Do not mind the ■■■■■ who creates new accounts to bitterly tarnish GS. His accusations are so far removed from reality, that they are, within the Columbia community, laughable, at best. </p>

<p>It is quite comical reading his posts, as they are wholly detached from the realities of a Columbia undergraduate education.</p>

<p>Just know that he is a bitter man, who was rejected by GS, and harbors a deep seeded resentment for the school.</p>

<p>Just look at all of his posts from anyone of his different accounts, and they all have one common thread: His post record is usually around 1-20 total posts and they are ALL about GS. You will never see a post of his regarding any other topic. He, quite desperately, comes back to these message boards every-so-often to spread lies and misinformation.</p>

<p>Furthermore, Columbia GS is apart of the Ivy Council, a distinction that is bestowed upon all Ivy League undergraduate colleges:</p>

<p>“Founded in 1993 as a way to collaborate and exchange ideas on common student life issues at their respective school, student government leaders set the stage for the Ivy Council that exists today. In 1997, in response to the complexities of running a loose federation of organizations over seven states, a defining structure was created. The Ivy Council draws its membership from the Brown University Undergraduate Council of Students, Columbia University (in particular the Columbia College Student Council, the Columbia Engineering Student Council, and the Columbia General Studies Student Council), the Cornell University Student Assembly, the Dartmouth College Student Assembly, the Harvard University Undergraduate Council, the University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Assembly, the Princeton University Undergraduate Student Government, and the Yale College Council.”</p>

<p><a href=“Ivy Council - Wikipedia”>Ivy Council - Wikipedia;