Columbia University Pre-College Programs College Edge

Columbia wants a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3, two strong recommendations and clear proof of strong writing, and it reviews each application as a whole. Fall and spring are open only to domestic students in grades 11 or 12, while summer also takes international students and students entering grade 11, so a 10th grader can start the summer after 10th grade. You also have to stay enrolled in high school the whole time.

International students can join only in summer. After admission they apply for an F-1 student visa, which requires a full-time load of at least 6 points in a six-week session. Non-native English speakers need a TOEFL iBT score of 100 or more or an IELTS of 7.0 or more (7.5 is preferred), unless they already attend a US or English-medium school.

• Writing sample

  A graded assignment from your high school, 3 to 10 typed, double-spaced pages, sent as a PDF. Columbia suggests a history or English paper on a novel or historical event, and it won't accept creative writing, lab reports, math proofs, journal entries or group work.

• Statement of purpose

  600 to 800 words covering your academic background and goals, why College Edge appeals to you, and a time you helped classmates learn.

• Two recommendations

  One comes from your school counselor, college counselor or principal and one from a teacher in a field close to the courses you want, both filled in as online forms from school email addresses.

• Transcripts and school profile

  Unofficial transcripts for grades 9 to 12 plus your latest report card, and a school profile from your counselor. If your school has no profile, you'll need official PSAT, SAT or ACT scores instead.

Columbia tells you to plan on two to three hours of study outside class for every hour in it, so a single three-hour class can mean up to nine hours of preparation. Fall and spring courses start after 3 p.m., and you can take up to 12 points a semester. In summer the cap is 6 points per session, which is typically two courses, and Columbia expects you at every class meeting because summer courses are more intensive.

If you miss more than two class meetings, Columbia suggests thinking about withdrawing from the course, and individual instructors can set stricter attendance rules. You can stay for up to four consecutive terms and 30 points in total, with each new term depending on completing the one before it.

You leave with Columbia University undergraduate credit and an official Columbia transcript showing your final grades. Whether that credit counts toward a degree is decided by the college you go on to, not by Columbia, so check with the colleges on your list, and bear in mind that courses taken pass/fail may not transfer. The one transfer promise in writing comes from Columbia's own School of General Studies, which accepts up to 15 credits from the School of Professional Studies toward its B.A. or B.S.

Columbia won't release your transcript until every high school you've attended since 9th grade has sent official transcripts, so it's worth asking for those as soon as you're admitted.

One typical 3-point course in spring 2027 comes to about $8,790. That's $8,016 in tuition at $2,672 per point, plus the $311 student activities fee, the $36 technology fee, the $228 health fee for 1 to 5.99 credits, the one-time $105 document fee and the nonrefundable $95 application fee. Two courses (6 points) cost $16,032 in tuition, and the health fee rises to $380 at that load. The same $2,672 rate covered summer 2026, and Columbia hasn't published summer 2027 tuition yet.

Columbia's fee list also includes a University Services and Support Fee ($490 for part-time students in spring 2027) and a $175-per-term international services charge, so check which apply to you. Its summer page also suggests budgeting at least $50 for course materials. Columbia offers no financial aid or scholarships for College Edge, and the discount for children of Columbia employees doesn't apply here.

Once admitted, you pay a nonrefundable $1,000 deposit, which counts toward tuition. Withdraw before classes start and you get all your tuition back except that deposit. After the change-of-program period (until the second Friday of a fall or spring term, or the fifth day of a summer session), you only get money back by dropping every course, on a sliding scale. In a six-week summer session that's 100% in the first week, 60% in the second, 50% in the third and nothing after that. Fees are only refundable up to that point, and dropping everything during or after the change-of-program period adds a $75 withdrawal fee.

You apply through Columbia's School of Professional Studies portal, which has separate links for the academic year and summer, and you can apply to only one Pre-College program per term.

1. 1

   Create an account and choose the application round labeled Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Summer 2027 if you're aiming for spring or summer 2027.

2. 2

   Submit the form with the $95 application fee by credit card, your writing sample, statement of purpose and unofficial transcripts by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 2 December 2026 for spring or 1 April 2027 for either summer session.

3. 3

   Add your two recommenders and ask your counselor to upload the school profile. These can come in after you submit, but Columbia reviews applications on a rolling basis and won't look at yours until everything has arrived.

4. 4

   If you're admitted, pay the $1,000 deposit and have each high school email your official transcripts from 9th grade onward, which Columbia takes 5 to 10 business days to process.

5. 5

   Complete Columbia's immunization requirements, then meet your academic advisor to register from the pre-approved list, with backup choices ready because a place in your first-choice class isn't guaranteed.