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Sciences Po/Columbia Dual Degree 2020 Admissions
adwin17
14 replies1 threads Junior Member
Post info/questions/concerns/stats/etc. Best of luck to everyone!
Replies to: Sciences Po/Columbia Dual Degree 2020 Admissions
Hope you are doing well! This is the @GSTourGuides account, run by a Dual BA student on behalf of the Office of Admissions at the Columbia University School of General Studies. Please feel free to reach out to this account by tagging us in posts or sending us direct messages. We are always happy to be in touch! You can also contact us at [email protected], (212) 854-2772, or (800) 895-116.
As for the essay prompts, you can find a PDF of all of the information you will be expected to provide on your application, including essay questions, here: https://sciencespo.gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/files/sciencespo/content/dual-ba-regular-application-19-20.pdf. Please note that you cannot submit this PDF copy; it is just for reference and only complete applications submitted online will be reviewed.
The prompts for the two required essays are as follows:
1) Describe how your experiences or ideas have shaped your decision to pursue the Dual BA Program. Why are an international academic experience and a two-year focus on the social sciences important to you as you consider the ways in which it may influence your future? Successful essays should not only identify and describe specific elements of the Dual BA Program that meet your needs as a student, but should also explain why the region of focus that you have chosen for your time at Sciences Po is compatible with your aspirations, academic or otherwise. (750–1,000 words)
2) As a mathematician in ancient Greece, Euclid made a famous statement to King Ptolemy, “there is no royal road to geometry.” Given your success, can you describe a failure, either personal or academic, that you have experienced (where you lacked a “royal road” to be followed), and what you have learned from the experience? (500–750 words)
Please be in touch with more questions! The Office of Admissions looks forward to reading your applications.
You are right! My apologies and thank you for pointing that out. This year, the only the first essay will be required.
Best of luck with the application process and please feel free to continue posting your questions here!
@GSTourGuides , I was wondering if there is an opportunity to submit some extra supplementals (such as an art portfolio) on either the Columbia or Sciences Po applications, and if so, if it would help my chances at admission ? Also, if I take extracurricular classes outside of school, would those teachers be eligible to write one of the letters of recommendation ? I feel like my extracurricular teachers know me much better than my schoolteachers, as they have had me as a student for far longer and have had more chances to interact on a meaningful level with me.
Thank you for taking the time to read and answer these questions !
Are all SAT scores required when applying (including SAT Subject Tests)?
In late March, I took the STAMP Test (a language test) for Japanese. I received credits for elective requirements at my high school as well as the State Seal of Biliteracy. Will there be a section on the application where I can include this?
Thanks!
Kindly clarify. TY
It would be preferable to have at least one recommendation letter from a teacher who has seen you in a classroom setting, as it is important for the admissions office to have the perspective of somebody who knows you in an academic setting. However, you may include another letter from somebody you know outside of the classroom, like a mentor or extracurricular supervisor or something similar.
Students from non-anglophone systems are still "strongly encouraged" to submit their SAT/ACT scores with their application.
As @adwin17 said, you can also submit a resume where you can include any other certificates or standardized testing that you would like admissions to see.