Nontraditional student, letter from Columbia College

Transfer Students
1

I received this email today, has anyone else? Is this a bad sign?

Thank you for your transfer application to Columbia College. As I hope you have come to know, Columbia College is the university’s residential liberal arts college. Typically, students enter Columbia College either directly from secondary school or with no more than one year’s interruption in their studies between high school and college.

Upon review of the information you provided, it appears that you may be a more appropriate candidate for admission to the Columbia University School of General Studies (telephone 212-854-2772). The School of General Studies is the undergraduate college created specifically for students with nontraditional backgrounds who, after a break of a year or more in their educational paths, are now seeking a rigorous, traditional, Ivy League education. In order to be eligible for the School of General Studies, applicants typically must:

  1. have had a break of more than a full year in their education after high school

-or

  1. have a compelling reason, personal or professional, to attend part time.

All undergraduates at Columbia University, whether in Columbia College or in the School of General Studies, are taught by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and have access to a rich variety of academic offerings and majors. Students enrolled in the School of General Studies are served by a dedicated advising office, and are eligible to apply for financial aid and university apartment housing through the School of General Studies. Please contact the School of General Studies Director of Admissions, Matthew Rotstein, via e-mail at mr2185@columbia.edu to speak with a General Studies Admissions Officer and to learn more about these and other student services.

If you agree that the School of General Studies is more appropriate for your educational interests, we will forward to their admissions office the materials you originally submitted to Columbia College. Understand that you will need to contact the School of General Studies to confirm the forwarding of your application from our office and to inquire if additional materials are necessary to complete their application.

Please respond no later than Friday, April 24, 2015 via e-mail to Arthur Lewis, Senior Assistant Director of Operations, at al436@columbia.edu to inform our office that you wish to have your file forwarded to the School of General Studies -OR- that you wish to remain a transfer candidate for Columbia College.