Columbia University, School of General Studies Requirements for Admission

What are Columbia University, School of General Studies's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

  • GPA requirements
  • Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
  • Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Columbia University, School of General Studies and build a strong application.

School location: New York, NY


Admissions Rate: 29.6%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at Columbia University, School of General Studies is 29.6%. For every 100 applicants, 30 are admitted.

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This means the school is very selective. If you meet Columbia University, School of General Studies's requirements for GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and other components of the application, you have a great shot at getting in. But if you fall short on GPA or your SAT/ACT scores, you'll have a very low chance of being admitted, even if you meet the other admissions requirements.


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Columbia University, School of General Studies GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.83

The average GPA at Columbia University, School of General Studies is 3.83.

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(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.83, Columbia University, School of General Studies requires you to be near the top of your class, and well above average. Your transcript should show mostly A's. Ideally, you will also have taken several AP or IB classes to show that you can handle academics at a college level.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.83, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.


SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

Columbia University, School of General Studies hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Columbia University, School of General Studies will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

Columbia University, School of General Studies SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1495

The average SAT score composite at Columbia University, School of General Studies is a 1495 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes Columbia University, School of General Studies Strongly Competitive for SAT test scores.

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Columbia University, School of General Studies SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1470, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1530. In other words, a 1470 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1530 will move you up to above average.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SectionAverage25th Percentile75th Percentile
Math780763790
Reading + Writing735703750
Composite149514701530

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.


Columbia University, School of General Studies ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, Columbia University, School of General Studies likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 34

The average ACT score at Columbia University, School of General Studies is 34. This score makes Columbia University, School of General Studies Extremely Competitive for ACT scores.

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The 25th percentile ACT score is 32, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 34.

Even though Columbia University, School of General Studies likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 32 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 34 and above that a 32 will look academically weak.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 34 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Columbia University, School of General Studies, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 34.


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SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

Columbia University, School of General Studies hasn't reported their stance on SAT Essay/ACT Writing, but most likely they consider it to be optional. Thus you don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require or recommend it.



Final Admissions Verdict

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Because this school is very selective, strong academic scores are critical to improving your chances of admission. If you're able to score a 1530 SAT or a 34 ACT or above, you'll have a very strong chance at getting in.

For a school as selective as Columbia University, School of General Studies, rounding out the rest of your application will also help. We'll cover those details next.

But if you apply with a score below a 1530 SAT or a 34 ACT, you unfortunately have a low chance of getting in. There are just too many other applicants with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.


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Want to build the best possible college application?

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We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.


Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at Columbia University, School of General Studies?
Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test: SAT ACT

SAT Score
Your GPA

Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
  • 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
  • 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
  • 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
  • 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
  • 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

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Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Columbia University, School of General Studies here.

Application Requirements Overview

  • Common Application Not accepted
  • Electronic Application Available
  • Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
  • Letters of Recommendation 2
  • Interview Required for some
  • Application Fee $80
  • Fee Waiver Available? Not available
  • Other Notes

Testing Requirements

  • SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
  • Scores Due in Office May 15

Coursework Requirements

  • Subject Required Years
  • English
  • Math
  • Science
  • Foreign Language
  • Social Studies
  • History
  • Electives

Deadlines and Early Admissions

  •  
    • Offered? Deadline Notification
  • Regular Admission
    • Yes May 15 July 7
  • Early Action
    • Yes March 1 May 1
  • Early Decision
    • No

Admissions Office Information


Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Columbia University, School of General Studies, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Columbia University, School of General Studies.


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Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Columbia University, School of General Studies. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Harvard University Cambridge, MA 1550 35
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 1540 35
Brown University Providence, RI 1540 35
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 1540 35
Yale University New Haven, CT 1540 34
University of Chicago Chicago, IL 1540 35
Stanford University Stanford, CA 1540 35

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Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Columbia University, School of General Studies, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 1510 32
Tufts University Medford, MA 1500 34
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH 1500 34
Northeastern University Boston, MA 1500 34
Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA 1485 34
Emory University Atlanta, GA 1484 33
Georgetown University Washington, DC 1480 33

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Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Columbia University, School of General Studies, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Columbia University, School of General Studies is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Villanova University Villanova, PA 1440 33
Binghamton University Binghamton, NY 1430 31
Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA 1430 32
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 1428 32
Boston University Boston, MA 1418 32
University of Washington Seattle, WA 1410 32
University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 1355 29

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.


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Want to build the best possible college application?

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.


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