Hi! I’ve found myself in a rather unusual, last minute situation in regards to finishing my undergraduate degree. I completed 96 credits (roughly three years) at Columbia University’s Columbia College. At the beginning of my senior year, I was forced to take a year-long medical leave due to health complications. While away from CU, my interests changed, and instead of returning immediately after the conclusion of my medical leave, I continued my absence from the university to pursue a business venture in Japan. Fast forward six years. I’ve now expanded my business throughout Japan and China to the point where my constant direct involvement is no longer necessary, and at 28, would like to finish my college career in a more traditional, full-time environment. Due to the extended gap I’ve had in my education at Columbia, I am no longer eligible to finish my degree at Columbia College. I’ve just been informed by the university that because my absence has been longer than 3 years, the only way I can continue at Columbia would be through a transfer application to their General Studies division.
My undergraduate experience at Columbia was far from enjoyable. I always wished that I had the opportunity to go to a different school but never imagined that the chance would actually come to fruition. My academic leanings have also drastically changed over the years. At the time, I was working towards dual majors in Philosophy and Math… neither of which are really applicable to my field or plans post-graduation. Since I will lose 30 credits and need to complete a full 2 years at GS or any transfer university, I’d prefer to focus in International Studies, Economics and/or East Asian Languages and Cultures. For those familiar with Columbia, they do not offer an International Studies/Relations undergraduate degree and their East Asian department is quite weak.
Ideally, I would like to transfer to a school that is more or less of a similar academic caliber but with a stronger (or existent) International Studies and East Asian department(s). I have a slight preference towards international schools, but the quality of the education and (yes, I know that this might sound pretty terrible to say) the degree/diploma are more important than location. I would like the money and time I spent on an Ivy League education to count towards something tangible. I’ve only been aware of my current academic standing (no longer affiliated with Columbia and able to transfer) since yesterday. This puts me into a bit of a jam since I was planning on returning to school for Fall 2014 and have noticed that some applications are due as early as March 1st if it isn’t too late already. I’m aware of the Ivy League programs that are relatively similar to Columbia’s GS like Brown’s RUE, UPenn’s LPS, Yale’s Eli Whitney Program. However, I’m relatively clueless on the general policies most top universities, domestic or international, have towards transfer students… specifically those that would be considered non-traditional. Is it necessary for me to transfer into a non-traditional student program or am I eligible as an ordinary transfer student to universities and colleges so long as they do not have an upper age limit? Domestically, which top tier schools (I believe Princeton falls into this category) have an upper age cap that would leave me ineligible to apply? As a non-traditional/mature transfer student, would there be more opportunities internationally than within the US for a typical college education (full-time, regular class hours, etc.)? Does anyone have any special recommendations for international schools (preferably in the UK or East Asia… China, Japan, Korea, etc.) that have particularly strong programs in International Studies and/or a good size population of foreign students? Programs in English would be preferred, but programs/classes in Japanese or Chinese would be fine as well. Any specific thoughts or experiences regarding any of the following international schools: Tsinghua, Peking U, U of Hong Kong, U of Tokyo, Kyoto U, Seoul National, or Yonsei?
Thanks in advance for any advice, recommendations and suggestions! I’m in a bit of a panic trying to get a handle on the situation when applications will be due in two weeks. 