How to Get Into Columbia University: Acceptance Rate & Admission Requirements for International Students

Columbia University is an Ivy League research university situated in New York City. In 1754, it was founded as King's College and thus happens to be among the oldest colleges in the United States. Columbia is well known due to its academic excellence, and students from all over the world study here. Hence, the article will talk about crucial details regarding the acceptance rate, admission requirements, and the application procedure of international students in Columbia University.

Important Highlights Information of Columbia University

In addition to the above, the dynamic community in Columbia offers Morningside Heights, therefore giving students the opportunity to utilize the cultural and professional facilities across the New York City. It has had accomplished alumni as four presidents and eighty-four Nobel laureates. In summary, Columbia graduates are highly solicited by the most prestigious firms and score most placements in organizations like Amazon, ByteDance, Dell, eBay, Facebook, Intuit, mainly in the domain of technology and financial services.

How Hard is it to Get Into Columbia University?

Highly selective, Columbia has an acceptance rate of only 5.2% for the class of 2023. QS World University Rankings places it at position 22 for the year 2023, so the school does stress strong academic performance and extraordinary extracurricular engagement. This normally translates to good GPAs, high test scores, and convincing personal essays.

How to Get Into Columbia University

Ace the SAT/ACT: International students will need to have a minimum score for the SAT or ACT that could be determined to fall somewhere in the general range of 34 to 35 for ACT and 1440 to 1570 for SAT.

Ace the GRE/GMAT: For PMBA, college students need to have got impressive GRE or GMAT scores. The expected range for GMAT scores would be 700-760.

English Proficiency Tests: Applicants who have completed their bachelor's or master's degree from a non-English speaking country have to take an English proficiency test. The minimum scores that are accepted are 100 in TOEFL and 7.0 in IELTS.

Application Procedure: The application procedure is online through Columbia's website; all test scores, mark sheets, letters of recommendations, statement of purpose, and other documents as required.

Interview: Every shortlisted candidate shall be invited for an interview, which will help the admissions committee assess the candidate's skills and interest in the opted stream.

Submit the Application, Pay the Fee and Wait

Men accompanying the application must pay between USD 85-250 for the application fee. After this, he must wait for the admission letter.

Let Your Term Begin

Undergraduate students who are accepted into the university must, therefore, pay the tuition fee before the actual term begins at Columbia University.

Application Deadlines 2024

• Deadline for the early decision applications — November 1

• The QuestBridge National College Match — Nov. 1

• Undergraduate financial aid for the early decision applications — Nov. 15.

• Decision for Early decision applicants are revealed in mid-December.

• Deadline for Application into Regular decision is January 1.

• Deadline for deposit for Early decision is at the beginning of January.

• Deadline for Regular decision on financial aid application is February 15.

• Decision for Regular decision applicants enrollment is released in the lat March.

• The former's deposit deadline is on May 1

• The deadline for enrollment deferred in requests is on May 15

• Final transcript submission is late in June.

Columbia University Admission Requirements for International Students

Columbia seeks students who have outstanding academic records and strong moral character. Students applying to the varsity should have a weighted GPA of 4.1-4.5. The students should have done well in challenging courses. Standardized test scores are critical; this includes ACT, SAT, GRE, and GMAT. There should be a demonstration for making a difference.

Documents for Columbia University International Students Requirements

There are several documents that an international student is required to present, which include:

• Proof of high school credentials

• ACT/SAT scores

• GRE/GMAT scores

• English proficiency test results, TOEFL/IELTS

• Letters of recommendation

• Statement of purpose

• CV

• USA student visa

• Passport copies

• Passport-size photographs

• Proof of funds

Columbia University provides one of the most difficult but rewarding paths in the context of an international student. Performing well academically, actively engaging in relevant co-curricular activities, and successfully meeting the admission criteria and requirements set by the institution will increase your chances of getting into Columbia. Be prepared, make a great application, and experience a rewarding journey of learning at Columbia.

CAREER guidance: The need for a career counsellor

Career choice is, therefore, very important and more so to the students that have undergone schools which emphasize personalised learning with independent study. 

At Jitin Chawla's Centre for Career Development, we understand that sometimes special help may be needed to translate these rich educational experiences into meaningful career choices. Our endeavour at Jitin Chawla's Centre for Career Development is to arm you with the skills to build up a fulfilling and prosperous career. Be assured that we at Jitin Chawla's Centre for Career Development are wholeheartedly committed to bringing your aspirations into being through individual counseling and incessant support with meticulous planning.

Ready to take the next step? Book a counselling session today with one of our expert counsellors and start building your future now.