Transferring to Columbia GS vs. Columbia College

brink101 · January 5

Hello,

I have been very seriously thinking about transferring to Columbia l but have some questions and
doubts I want to clear up before applying to either GS or CC. I am currently in the army, soon finishing up
and having completed freshman year at CMU.

I heard that GS community is mostly community college transfers or military vets and are not
as academically inclined and that when it comes to job recruiting, there is some discrimination
or doesn't receive as equal attention and benefit from some employers. When wishing to integrate
into the CC community, there can be some cultural clashes and difficulty in general which I can
understand but wish to know more about. Finally, I heard that Columbia GS doesn't get the same look
as CC students when it comes to trying to get an MBA at top schools like Harvard, Yale and etc (GS doesn't
get that chance). I am sure these could be false statements, but I wish to know the degree to which
it is true and does apply.

Let me know your thoughts.

worriestoomuch · January 5

@brink101 - As a Columbia grad, with friends who attended the GS program, both for post-bac to get credits to apply to med school, or because they worked in NYC and couldn't attend an undergrad program full-time, I can tell you with complete confidence that your preconceptions about the GS program are wrong. In general, going to college with older students is a good thing, since they are more motivated and focused and bring depth and breadth of experience to the classroom that recent high school grads generally lack. They were the best students in my classes as well as the moist thoughtful and interesting students I met at Columbia. Here is a link to a press release that discusses a GS grad who was awarded a Rhodes scholarship in 2017: https://gs.columbia.edu/news-press?article=dual-ba-program-alumna-awarded-rhodes-scholarship. FYI, Yale's Eli Whitney Program is also another good option - especially if you are a vet. Thank you for your service and best of luck!

Publisher · January 5

@brink101: I have heard similar comments (but not with respect to MBA schools which primarily are concerned with one's work experience & GMAT/GRE scores). Similar to Harvard's Extension School.. So I would like to read more comments from those with experience at Columbia GS.

Why do you want to leave Carnegie Mellon ?

brink101 · January 6

thank you for the info worriestoomuch. In terms of housing, I heard you live off campus. Is that a big
problem when it comes to connecting to the CC students and are GS students involved in greek life?

brink101 · January 7

@worriestoomuch

Dustyfeathers · January 7

Greek life is a tiny part of Columbia. I think there are like 10% Greek there. In other words I doubt that many students participate -- not just GS.

thestandard · February 2

@brink101 Financial aid is terrible at GS. If you have any interest in saving your post 9/11 for grad school you should be looking at all of Columbia's peer schools, many of whom will cover the full cost for veterans via institutional grants. Look up: Service to School asap as they have a TON of veterans there to help you who have transferred to places like Princeton, Stanford, Yale, Harvard. Free service -- highly recommend!

Transferring to Columbia GS vs. Columbia College

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