Do you offer financial aid?

Individual applications for financial aid are not accepted. Scholarships are awarded to students who have been identified by community organizations that work in collaboration with Columbia University Secondary School Programs. Students are advised to check with their guidance counselors for tips on securing summer program financial aid. Unfortunately, Columbia is not able to work directly with individuals who wish to obtain financial aid.

Will participating in this program help me get into Columbia College?

Like any extracurricular activity, participation in this program can help you to present yourself as an interesting candidate. Additionally, the instructor-written evaluations that you receive upon completion of the program can potentially be used as college recommendations.

Do I need to take all the courses in the College Prep Option?

Yes, all four courses in the College Preparatory Option are required.

Where are classes held?

Classes are held on Columbia University’s tranquil, 36-acre main campus in Morningside Heights on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Is there a dress code?

There is no dress code for the High School Program. We recommend that students wear cool, comfortable clothing. Residential students might also want to bring one nice outfit for activities such as trips to the theater.

How much do books and course materials cost?

The cost of books and materials varies from class to class. Students should budget approximately $50 for course materials.

Note: Supplies for Introduction to Architectural Design and Theory cost between $250 and $300. Students in The World's Religion's in New York should budget approximately $100 for course-related field trips. For Introduction to Programming in C, Corporate Valuation, Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Changing the World Via Venture Creation, and The Stock Market, students are required to bring laptops. For Photography: The Camera Craft, students are expected to have their own 35mm SLR film cameras.

Do I need spending money?

Students who commute should bring some money for lunch ($5-$15) if they do not bring a lunch with them. Residential students are expected to cover expenses such as weekend meals, laundry, personal items, and transportation and admission fees for optional activities around the city. We recommend that residential students have access to a minimum of $900.

How much homework do teachers assign?

The amount of homework varies from one class to another. In most cases, students should expect no more than two hours of homework per night.

What are you looking for in an applicant?

The admissions committee looks for highly motivated students who are interested in attending the Summer High School Program because they both have a passion for learning and hope to enrich their knowledge of a particular field.

Though there are no set minimum requirements (such as a particular GPA), the application materials should establish that the student has the necessary academic background and level of ability, motivation, and maturity necessary for the curricular option for which he or she is applying.  Additionally, students must present evidence of the completion of any particular prerequisites identified in the individual program descriptions.

Because so many of the applicants to this program are well qualified and highly motivated, we are able to accept most of them into either their first or second choice curricular options. Because applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and classes do fill up, students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

May I still be in the program if I am already a senior in high school?

Yes, you do still qualify for our Junior-Senior division.

For recommendation letter #1, may I submit a letter from a teacher who knows me well instead of from my principal, headmaster, or guidance counselor?

No. No substitutions are accepted for letter #1. Most principals, headmasters, and guidance counselors check with the student’s teachers before writing recommendations. The perspective of a high-level administrator as well as the teacher’s comments found in recommendation letter #2 is valuable in making admissions decisions.

Is admission preferential toward housing or commuter students?

Whether you are applying for residential or commuter status has no effect on the admissions decision. However, we are at times unable to accept applicants who require housing because we run out of space in the dormitories. We recommend that applicants requiring housing apply as early as possible.

What if my PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores are low?

We do not ask for these scores as part of the application. If they are available, we will look at them, particularly in the case of students applying to study science or math. We do not value one piece of an application packet over another; we look at the whole student.

I took the program last year. Must I reapply?

You should submit a new application form, the Behavioral Standards Consent Form, a letter from an instructor, and an up-to-date high school transcript. You need not submit a personal statement, the application fee, or a recommendation from a guidance counselor or principal. Creative writing applicants should follow the directions for submitting required writing samples. When applying online you should follow the application instructions for past participants.

May I apply to Session I and Session II?

Yes, you may apply to take courses in both sessions. Make certain that you indicate clearly your interest in both sessions on your application form.

May I take more than one curricular option?

You may take only one curricular option per session. Please note that some curricular options include more than one course.

When will I be notified of an admissions decision?

For most curricular options, it usually takes three to five weeks to receive a decision after all application materials have been received.

Should I expect additional mailings after receiving my admissions letter?

You will receive instructional emails after submitting your enrollment form and committing to attend the program, but no mailings will be sent via postal mail.

Do students have access to campus facilities?

Students in the Summer Program have access to Columbia University’s classrooms, laboratories, on-campus cafés, libraries, computer labs, fitness center, and student activities center. Students do not have library borrowing privileges. Only residential students have access to the dining hall and the dormitories.

Will I have access to a computer? Should I bring a laptop? Is the campus wireless?

Students have access to computer clusters and laboratories throughout the campus. These facilities range from informational kiosks to high-end workstations to walk-in consulting centers. Most dorms also have their own computer labs.

Residential students will not be able to work in the labs after curfew, so they may find it useful to bring laptops.

Students in Introduction to Programming in C, Corporate Valuation, Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Changing the World Via Venture Creation, and The Stock Market are required to bring laptops.

Most of the campus, including the dormitories, is wireless. Each dorm room is also equipped with an Ethernet jack to connect to the internet (students will need to bring or purchase their own Ethernet cords; some of the dorm rooms will require especially long cords).

Are there accommodations for disabled students?

The University provides a full range of services and accommodations to assist disabled students. Upon acceptance into the program, students seeking assistance should contact the Disability Services Office. Only students who identify their disabilities well in advance can be assured of accommodation upon their arrival on campus.

Residential students requiring special accommodations should also e-mail the Office of Admissions at hsp-admit@columbia.edu.

Is there an ATM on campus?

There are Citibank ATMs on campus in Lerner Hall and Uris Hall. They accept all major ATM cards. ATMs for most other major American banks can be found along Broadway, within a few blocks of the campus.

What kinds of extracurricular activities are available for commuter students?

Extracurricular activities for all students in the program are offered during the midday break. Students choose from a variety of activities including athletics, arts and crafts, mini field trips, board games, video games, organized discussions about college and other topical issues, and community outreach projects.

Special events include the College Application, College Admission, College Selection Workshop; and in Session II, the College Fair.

Commuter students are not permitted to participate in evening and weekend activities.

Are there practice rooms for musicians and dancers?

There are a number of pianos on campus that can be used by students on an informal basis. Private practice rooms are not available to students in the High School Programs.

If I am under 16, may I live in the dormitories?

Students who are 16 years old by the start of the program qualify automatically for residential status.

Younger students may reside in the dormitories only with the special permission of the Director of Secondary School Programs. The student's parents or guardians should submit a note after the student has been accepted into the program attesting to his or her exceptional maturity. Younger students are housed with the other students in the program and are assumed to be at the maturity level of 16- and 17-year-olds.

If I live in New York or the surrounding area, may I live in the dormitory?

Yes.

If I am late for residential check-in, where do I go?

Go to the front desk of Hartley Hall. There will be someone there to assist you.

May I check into the dormitory before the check-in dates or check-out after the check-out dates?

It is not possible to check in early or check out late. It is possible for a student to leave the night before check-out; the student would follow the standard overnight sign-out procedure. Please note that residential students leaving early would be missing the end-of-program dance.

Are the dormitories air conditioned?

Some of the dormitories are not centrally air conditioned. Where there is no central air conditioning, bedrooms have window air conditioner units, included in the housing fee.

Is there a curfew in the dormitories?

Yes. During the week students must be in their suites, or on their designated floors, by 11 p.m. and on the weekend by 12 midnight, unless they are participating in a supervised activity. Curfew is strictly observed and students who do not abide by the curfew will be removed from the program.

How much supervision is provided?

Live-in resident advisers provide round-the-clock supervision. Scheduled group activities are not mandatory, but students are asked to account for their whereabouts after 7:00 p.m. by means of sign-out procedures.

Is there security in the dormitories?

Yes, there is a guard on duty 24 hours per day. No one is allowed entry to the dormitory without a proper Columbia ID card or clearance. In dorms with suite housing, suite doors are kept locked at all times. In the corridor-style dorms, bedroom doors are kept locked. Students are issued suite keys and room keys upon checking in.

Non-residential High School Program students are not allowed into the dorms. Parents/guardians are allowed into the dorms only during check-in and check-out, when they are helping the students move.

What is the schedule for the dining hall?

Meals for residential students are served three times a day, Monday through Friday, according to the following schedule:
Breakfast: 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 AM - 2:00 p.m.
Dinner: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Meals are not served on weekends; students may purchase food or dine at a reasonable rate in one of the neighborhood restaurants.

Are there vegetarian and vegan meal options?

The Columbia meal plan consists of a wide variety of food that is served cafeteria style and includes vegetarian and vegan options.

Is there a kosher meal plan?

A kosher meal plan option is available and consists of pre-packaged kosher meals that are served in the dining hall alongside the other dining options. Upon acceptance, residential students are given the opportunity to select a kosher meal plan.

May I be away from the dormitory overnight?

Parents must submit written permission to the High School Program Office in order for a student to be away overnight. The permission note must include the dates and times that a student will be away as well as the location and phone number of where he or she will be staying. Permission notes must be submitted at least 24 hours prior to departure.

Are there telephones in the rooms?

Though dorm rooms do not come equipped with phones, each floor has a hall phone that can make outgoing calls in the New York City area; the hall phone cannot receive calls.

What kinds of activities are available in the evenings and on weekends?

Optional evening and weekend activities for residential students include both on-campus social and athletic events and off-campus supervised trips to various recreational and cultural events in and around New York City, including museums, Broadway and Off-Broadway theater, films, Central Park, concerts, and the beach.

Several activities are offered every weekday evening and every weekend day.

Students are expected to cover expenses such as admission fees, food, and transportation.

Please note that only residential students are permitted to participate in evening and weekend activities.

Who are the resident advisers?

The resident advisers are trained undergraduate and graduate students who represent universities all over the United States and have demonstrated a strong interest in working with secondary school students. They complete an intensive two-week training program before the arrival of the students. In addition to supervising the residential students in the dormitories, they lead extracurricular activities, serve as teaching assistants, and staff the High School Program Office. They do not take classes or hold other jobs while working in our program; rather, they are focused exclusively on looking after the students. The ratio of residential students to RAs is approximately 10 to 1.

Will there be sheets, towels, pillows, and toilet paper supplied?

Yes, all of these items will be supplied. Students may want to bring coat hangers and a desk lamp.

Will there be someone to meet us at the airport?

No, transportation to and from airports is up to the student. Taxis from any of the three local airports cost between forty and sixty dollars.

Where should people send mail or packages for current residential students?

To: STUDENT NAME c/o
Office of Student Affairs
High School Program
212A Lewisohn Hall
2970 Broadway, Mail Code 4119
New York, NY 10027-6902

Letters and packages can take several days to get through the Columbia mail system, so anything sent to the student should be mailed by the mid-point of either three-week session.