Columbia or NYU?

Track87
Wed, 19 Dec 2007 01:32:40 +0000

Oh no…I’m sorry if that’s the impression I gave…I KNOW GS is a real undegrad school and I know the program is virtually identical to Columbia College so I have nothing but the utmost respect for GS students…

I only meant I don’t know how people outside of GS view the GS program and its students. I just felt from all the posts I have read that many people hold GS out to be some “Continuing Ed” program or something else with a negative connotation. I do not hold that belief, my only concern was completing such a rigorous curiculum and then have someone “look down” on my degree because they think it is not a legit Columbia degree in some way.

I wish they would change the name of the school too,lol…CU loves to advertise how GS is different from any other program for non-traditional students because it’s a full degree granting undergrad school of CU. So why the name “General Studies”? Other universities have “General Studies” programs that are indeed inferior to the regular undergrad schools of those universities…General Studies actually SOUNDS like a continuing ed program. They really should get away from that perception. It’s a full undergrad program people, surely you can come up with a more appropriate name that doesn’t link it to all the other generic and inferior “General Studies” programs around.

I feel the University could go a long way towards helping to, once and for all, dispel this myth. If they consider GS degrees legitimate Columbia degrees and they hold ALL students to the same high standards once they attend, I don’t see why they try to make a special distinction for CC & SEAS over Gs.

Ok, I know the admission standards are less stringent to attend GS but is that my fault? If the school wants to lessen entrance criteria in order to attract a non-traditional pool of older students, then maybe it’s a good idea to make entrance requirements less difficult but once here, the truly unqualified don’t survive so why should not the remaining and truly deserving GS students be FULL members of the Columbia family?

In addition, with the dearth of financial aid for GS students, they are also helping to support the school financially which shouldn’t be overlooked. I’m paying full tuition, I take the same classes and I’m doing well in my studies but I can’t access career services, I’m not included in the alumni network and I won’t be listed in the graduate/jobs database?? THATS TOTAL BS.

If GS is “equal” with SEAS and CC in terms of the coursework and the degree is the “SAME” according to the University, then they have no legitimate explanation for excluding GS students the way that they do…they are only perpetuating the myth that GS students are somehow not on par with SEAS and CC students.

I agree with some restrictions like exclusion from dorms, I have no desire for 18 year olds out of high school to lose that college “experience” by having to share housing with older students but the rest of it is just pure elitist crap. I just feel like CU is using me as a capital resource and then trying to deny me the full recognition and privileges that any legit Columbia undergrad student deserves.