General Studies vs. Columbia College

cjrs123
Mon, 08 Jun 2015 06:34:09 +0000

From my understanding (and I’ve researched the schools extensively), the schools are geared toward different individuals. Columbia College is for people, lets say, coming straight out of high school and are looking for an undergrad education. The School of General Studies is for people who have had a significant gap (a year or more) in their learning and would like to finish their degree full or part time. A common example is a war vet who wants to come back to school and finish their education.

There is a MAJOR difference between students at Columbia College and Columbia GS… More than just age. It is that most people in GS are not just trying to pursue their education… But they’re also balancing jobs, kids, bills, a house, etc. Being placed in an environment where others are on the same “mission” as you are definitely makes you more motivated and less likely to give up on finishing your education. On the other hand, CC students are college kids, and while they may have some jobs, they don’t have a family to raise in addition to the rigorous workload of an Ivy League education.

Nonetheless, even though it is not as selective as CC, GS still is an extremely competitive school and you should still have above-average grades/test scores to be considered for admission.

Also, if you are rejected from Columbia College once, you have to wait at least three years to apply to GS.