First-Year Admission

We look forward to getting to know you through your application. If you are not already receiving information from Columbia, please request information here and join our mailing list. Please scroll down to read all of the contents in this First-Year Admission Section and the Application Instructions carefully before beginning an application. Please note that Columbia only accepts The Common Application. All first-year candidates must apply online unless they do not have access to the internet.

Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science are undergraduate divisions of Columbia University; both serve full-time students only. Potential applicants to Columbia College who have taken a break of more than a year in their education (with the exception of those in mandatory military service) should consider instead Columbia's School of General Studies; the same is true for all students who wish to attend a part-time program.

There is no separate application for international students. Please visit our International Students section to learn more about applying as an international student and about the global community at Columbia.

Application Requirements

Find out the requirements for first-year admission to Columbia College and Columbia Engineering.

What Does Columbia Look For In a Candidate?

Learn more about the holistic evaluation of candidates at Columbia and how the Committee makes decisions.

Required Standardized Testing

Details on the standardized tests required for admission, which vary by school and applicant.

Early Decision

Columbia offers both Regular Decision and Early Decision. Find out more about the binding Early Decision program.

Interviews

Interviews, when available, are conducted by alumni volunteers around the world and are not required for admission Columbia. Please review the Policy on Interviews for more information.

Supplementary Materials

The Committee welcomes supplementary materials in science and engineering and the creative and performing arts. Please read more about specific requirements.

Columbia-Juilliard Exchange

Columbia College partners with The Juilliard School for two programs. Find out more about the programs and applying to the Columbia-Juilliard Exchange.