columbia University Admissions Consultant

What makes Columbia University so special?

Columbia University is one of the world’s leading research institutions and one of the best universities in the country. Originally founded as King’s College in 1754, today Columbia attracts top-performing students from all around the globe with its combination of a world-class academic program and its location in the social and cultural hub of New York City. It is one of two Ivy League schools located in New York, the other being Cornell.

Columbia Quick Facts

Location: New York City, New York

Year Founded: 1754

US News Ranking: 5

Application Deadline: January 1

Must receive SAT/ACT scores by: February 1

2017 regular decision acceptance rate: 5.6%

Total applications received (2017): 33,531

Such a world class university located in such a storied city is sure to have some amazing history, and Columbia doesn't disappoint:

The MGM Studio’s Lion was inspired by Columbia’s Lion mascot.

Out of all the university halls in the US, Columbia’s Havemeyer 309 lecture hall is home to the most Hollywood movies, like Spiderman, Kinsey, Ghostbusters, and Mona Lisa’s Smile.

Columbia is the 2nd largest landowner in NYC after the Catholic Church. The iconic Rockefeller Center was built on the land that was once owned by Columbia.

Prompts for Columbia's 2017-18 Undergrad Supplemental Essays

In 150 words or fewer, please list a few words or phrases that describe your ideal college community.

For the four list questions that follow, list each individual response using commas or semicolons; the items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order. No narrative or explanatory text is needed. It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications. Author names may be included, but are not required. You do not need to fill the entire space or use the maximum number of words; there is no minimum word count in this section, so please respond to the extent that you feel is appropriate.

Please list the following (150 words or fewer for each question):

the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year;
the titles of books read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year;
the titles of print or electronic publications you read regularly;
and the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most in the past year.

Please answer the following short answer questions (300 words or fewer for each question):

Please tell us what you value most about Columbia and why.
If you are applying to Columbia College, tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Member Questions section. If you are currently undecided, please write about any field or fields in which you may have an interest at this time.
If you are applying to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Member Questions section.