Unofficial Transcript 
Min GPA Requirement .svg)
Statement of Purpose 
Writing Sample 
School Profile 
2 Recommendations 
English Test C1-C2 
Online Application From 
Application Fee 
Standardized Test Scores *
Application is closed
Academically exceptional high school students can apply to take courses with Columbia students and earn full college credit. College Edge is an in-person, commuter program on our Morningside campus.
Credit
Commuter
Accepts International Students
Final project
College Edge students typically enroll in lower-level courses (1000–2999) courses and must obtain special permission from the College Edge Advisor to register for upper-level courses (3000 and above). Course Options can be found on the College Edge website.
College Edge students have access to a wide variety of class options across the University. To assist with course selection and the registration process, all students have access to a dedicated Academic Advisor who can guide them through many aspects of their time at Columbia University. Students are required to consult with their advisor prior to registering.
Students may enroll in no more than 12 points during the fall or spring semesters and no more than 6 points during a summer session. Additionally, students may take no more than 30 points during their entire course of study, unless they are granted special permission from the department.
In addition, College Edge students are restricted from enrolling in graduate level courses, workshops, seminar courses. Courses offered through Barnard College and through Columbia CORE office are also restricted to College Edge students. Coursework Plan to spend two to three hours of study outside class for every hour spent in class. A three-hour class session could require up to nine hours of preparation. Transfer Credit College Edge students should consult their intended undergraduate institution regarding the transfer of college credits earned through the College Edge program.
Courses taken as P/F option may not be transferable to your home institution.
Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences may confer up to 15 credits toward the M.A. or Ph.D. for work completed as a Postbaccalaureate Studies student. Courses must be completed with a grade of B or better and must be approved by the department.
Columbia's School of General Studies will accept up to 15 credits from the School of Professional Studies towards the B.A. or B.S. degree.
On-campus housing is not available for the College Edge program. Students who will not reside in their primary residence during the program must live at a residence that includes direct adult supervision in the form of family members or family friends who will live in the same domicile. Students must not take unsupervised housing in the form of hotel rooms, Airbnb rentals, hostels, or other such accommodation.
COURSE CREDIT
All courses must be taken for credit. Auditing is not permitted.
COURSE LEVELS
To register for classes, students must first meet with their College Edge academic advisor and obtain approval.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
Course prerequisites are specified in the individual course descriptions, which can be viewed in the Directory of Classes.
Departments and individual instructors place prerequisites on courses to indicate the information or capabilities they will take for granted in the course. Students should take prerequisites seriously to prevent encountering academic difficulty in courses too advanced for them. Students without the stated prerequisites but with some equivalent coursework may apply through their academic advisor for permission to take the course.
Classes offered through the Psychology Department and Economics Department require special permission from the department, even if the student meets the prerequisites. Students must consult their academic advisor to obtain permission. Note that the Economics Department only considers classes taken through Columbia College as meeting the prerequisites.
COURSEWORK
Plan to spend two to three hours of study outside class for every hour spent in class. A three-hour class session could require up to nine hours of preparation.
ATTENDANCE
The instructor should be notified in advance of any absences. If unforeseen circumstances cause a student to miss more than two class meetings, the student should consider withdrawing from the course. Individual instructors may impose their own more rigorous attendance requirements.
Students may not attend class unless they are officially enrolled, and a class cannot be added to a student's program after it has been completed.
Classes take place on Columbia's Morningside campus and students are expected to attend all classes and laboratory periods. Instructors may take attendance into account in assessing a student's performance and may require a certain level of attendance for passing a course. Students are held accountable for absences incurred owing to late enrollment.
Due to summer courses being more intensive than academic-year courses, students enrolled in the summer term are expected to attend every class meeting.
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
It is the policy of the University to respect its members' religious beliefs. In compliance with New York State law, each student who is absent from school because of his or her religious beliefs will be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study, or work requirements that he or she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No student will be penalized for absence due to religious beliefs, and alternative means will be sought for satisfying the academic requirements involved.
TRANSFER CREDIT
College Edge students should consult their intended undergraduate institution regarding the transfer of college credits earned through the College Edge program.
College Edge Students have access to Columbia Resources such as Health Services, Libraries, the Alfred Lerner Hall, the Academic Advising Office, Fitness Center, Writing Center, Student Discounts for NYC Museum tickets, Computer Access, and Disability Services
Students must be actively enrolled in their secondary school throughout their studies at Columbia. They are permitted to study for three terms, with subsequent terms contingent upon successful completion of prior terms. Students may not exceed a total of 30 credits during that time.
Fall and spring programs are open to students in grades 11 or 12.
The summer program is open to domestic or international students entering, or currently enrolled in grades 11 or 12
Unofficial Transcript
Min GPA Requirement
Statement of Purpose
Writing Sample
School Profile
2 Recommendations
English Test C1-C2
Online Application From
Application Fee
Standardized Test Scores *
1 - Completed application form. $80.00 nonrefundable application fee payment in U.S. currency must accompany the application. Applicants must include credit card information through the online application to make the payment.
2 - Writing sample (3-10 pages)
The writing sample must be a graded assignment from your high school that showcases an example of your best expository writing and bears your name on the document itself.
3 - Statement of Purpose (600–800 words)
The statement should address the following:
- A brief summary of your academic background and your personal and academic goals.
- Clearly articulated ideas regarding why the College Edge program appeals to you and how participation in the program will help you realize your academic and personal goals.
- A description of a situation in which you contributed to the learning of your fellow students in the classroom that will allow the admissions committee to consider how you would fit into a learning experience at the university level.
4 - Transcripts
Applicants must list all institutions attended in grades 9-12 and should upload their unofficial academic transcript(s) within the application system at the time of application, including the most recent report card for the current school year.
Transcripts must be in PDF format as provided by your school. PDF downloads of unofficial transcripts from student portals can be accepted only if they clearly show your full name, your school’s name, the full name of all courses taken, and all grades achieved in those courses.
International students must submit a transcript for the US equivalent for grades 9-12. We require grades starting 4 full academic years before your anticipated high school graduation date.
All applicants, if offered admission and before being permitted to enroll, must request to have their official academic transcript sent electronically from their school to the Office of Admissions. Official transcripts must be emailed by a school administrator to [email protected] or mailed in a sealed envelope from the school to our address listed on this page. Applicants are strongly encouraged to arrange for the submission of official transcripts at the earliest possible stage to avoid a delay in registration.
5 - School Profile
The School Profile must be submitted by your guidance counselor, headmaster, or principal as an uploaded document on the Guidance Counselor recommendation form. It can also be included as part of the transcript uploaded on the student application.
The school profile is created by a student’s school. It usually includes information about the types of classes offered (AP, IB, etc), GPA distribution and/or ranking, graduation rates, and other notable facts about the school. Each profile is different, but they all give our admissions team more information about students’ academic performance in the context of their high school.
6 - Two letters of recommendation
The letters of recommendation should attest to your intellectual strengths and commitment to personal and academic growth. One letter must be from your school guidance counselor, college counselor, or principal commenting on the student's intellectual ability, level of maturity, and motivation for participating in the Columbia University Pre-College Programs. The second letter must come from an instructor who teaches in a field closely related to the applicant's curricular preferences. The recommendation must describe the student’s qualification to engage in concentrated study.
The letter of recommendation must be submitted through the online application. During the application process you will add your recommender's information (name, title and school affiliated email). Once you add and save their information, an email will be sent to your recommender with a link to our recommendation form. Please note, recommendations submitted from non-school affiliated email addresses will not be accepted and must be resubmitted. Applicants may submit their online applications in advance of the recommendations.
7 - English Language Proficiency
Applicants whose native language is not English will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores.
Official TOEFL scores must be submitted through the ETS portal using the Columbia school code 2594.To report official IELTS scores, please email the TRF number (located on the bottom of your score report) to [email protected].
English Language Proficiency Test - Minimum Required Score:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBt - 100+
TOEFL PBT* - 600+
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - 7.0+
This requirement is only waived if the applicant is currently enrolled in a high school program at a U.S. school or at a school where the language of instruction is English.
8 - Official test scores (optional)
Standardized test scores are not required unless a school profile is unavailable. If a school profile is unavailable, students should provide official PSAT, SAT, or ACT test scores. Test scores submitted otherwise will not be considered in the application review. Unofficial test scores cannot be considered.
9 - INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International students may only participate during the summer term.
Students who are not United States citizens or permanent residents must be a full-time student at Columbia – registered for at least 6 points of credit-bearing courses in a six week session or 12 points of credit-bearing courses in the entire 12-week summer period, in order to be eligible for a student (F-1) visa.
Please visit the ISSO website for detailed visa instructions.
Deadline
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Applications are processed on a rolling basis and will not be reviewed until all application materials have been submitted.
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date listed below.
Application Deadline (Spring)
Applications are reviewed while space is available.
Spring 2024 - November 30
May 22 - Jun 30
6 weeks
Commuter
Jul 03 - Aug 11
6 weeks
Commuter
Sep 05 - Dec 22
15 weeks
Commuter
Jan 16 - May 10
16 weeks
Commuter
Tuition
Program Cost
$2,376 per point (6 points is typically equivalent to 2 courses)
FEES
This listing is intended to summarize possible charges that could be incurred against a student's account. Certain charges depend upon specific circumstances, as noted. Fees that are not billed to the student account, such as course fees or placement test fees, may be required but are not listed here.
Required Application Fee $80.00
Student Activities Fee $65.00 per term
Technology Fee $35.00 per term
University Services and Support Fee (formerly University Facilities Fee)*
Full-time Students (12 or more credits per term) $543.00 per term
Part-time Students (1-11 credits per term) $411.00 per term
Document Fee
One-time fee for all new students $105.00
International Services Charge
Required of all international students $135.00 per term
Health Service Fee $25 per session
Additional Fees
Withdrawal Fee $75.00
Language Resource Center Fee $15.00 per foreign language course
Late Registration Fees
During late registration period $50.00 per term
After late registration period $100.00 per term
Expanded CUIT Account Fee (optional)
Entitles students to extended CUIT computer lab privileges. $35.00 per term
Tuition and fees are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees and may change.
Financial Aid
Financial aid funding is not available for this program. Students are advised to check with their guidance counselors for information on securing financial assistance from outside sources.
Unofficial Transcript
Min GPA Requirement
Statement of Purpose
Writing Sample
School Profile
2 Recommendations
English Test C1-C2
Online Application From
Application Fee
Standardized Test Scores *
Application is closed
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