Columbia University Pre-College Programs Drawing Intensive: Developing a Portfolio

Class runs Monday to Friday from 9:10 to 11:00 a.m. and again from 1:10 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, so you're drawing for nearly five hours a day, and the afternoon block runs longer than in Columbia's standard commuter timetable. The two hours in between are for lunch and campus activities. At midday and in the early evening there are talks by instructors on their specialties, which Columbia calls Master Class Moments, along with workshops on preparing for college.

Commuters can join early evening events that finish before 6:30 p.m., but Columbia says they should leave campus by then Monday to Thursday, and Friday evening community events need a parent's or guardian's permission. On Monday 2 August 2027 you check in at Lerner Hall between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m. to pick up your student ID before the first class. Across its summer courses, Columbia says to expect an hour or two of homework a night.

You leave with a set of finished drawings meant for a fine arts college-application portfolio, plus practice in photographing and documenting them digitally. If you complete the course successfully, Columbia also issues a Certification of Participation and a written evaluation letter from your instructor, usually by mid-October, posted to your Slate account and not mailed home.

There are no grades and no college credit. Instructors judge your effort, participation, progress and potential in the field, and Columbia says your school counselor can attach both documents to a recommendation letter. Attendance weighs heavily on whether you get the certificate. In a one-week session, missing more than one class rules you out, and because this course meets twice a day, Columbia counts one missed class as a missed day. Students hoping for an exception have to ask the Student Services Office.

Students from rising 9th grade through current 12th grade can apply, and the commuter option also takes students about to start their first year of college. Columbia calls admission selective and looks for academically exceptional, motivated students, but it sets no minimum GPA and doesn't ask for SAT or ACT scores. For this course it recommends some previous drawing experience, and it designed the course for students interested in applying to a visual arts undergraduate program.

The application asks for an unofficial transcript, a teacher recommendation, a recommendation from a school counselor or administrator (required for commuter applicants) and answers to two short questions. The teacher has to work at your school, have taught you and teach a subject close to the course you want, so an art teacher is the natural choice. International students don't have to send TOEFL or IELTS scores, but Columbia expects English at the level of 90 on the internet-based TOEFL or 6.5 on IELTS.

Columbia lists the one-week commuter program at $2,883 for Summer 2027, an estimate it says still needs Board of Trustees approval. That covers the course plus activity, health services and technology fees. On top come the $95 application fee, a $50 course fee for this class (on Columbia's Summer 2026 fee list) and about $50 of basic art supplies you buy before class, so budget roughly $3,080 before food and travel. Commuters can't buy a meal plan, so you'll pay for lunch on campus as you go, and you'll need your own medical insurance, since Columbia doesn't provide a plan.

A $1,000 deposit, due when you're admitted, counts toward the total but is never refunded. The balance is due by 11 June 2027, there's no payment plan, and paying by card adds 2.85% (4.25% for international cards). Withdraw by 29 July 2027 and you get the program cost back minus the deposit. After that date, you owe the full amount.

Need-based aid covers 25% to 50% of the program cost, though not the fees, for US citizens and permanent residents living in the US or its territories. You have to say you want aid before you submit your application, and the aid forms and parents' tax documents are due by 10 February 2027. Columbia awards the money on a rolling basis until it runs out.

Since there's no housing, Columbia's main rule is about where you stay. Every commuter has to show at enrollment that they'll live with direct adult supervision in the same home, and hotels, Airbnb rentals and hostels aren't allowed, even for students who are 18. Columbia's commuter pages accept family members or family friends as supervisors, but the conduct agreement students sign names a parent or guardian, so check with Columbia before relying on a family friend. A student found living unsupervised has to move on campus at the family's cost or withdraw.

On campus, Columbia's Department of Public Safety runs its own EMS, 24-hour guard booths and safety escorts. Instructors pass background checks and Protection of Minors training, and program staff are New York State mandated reporters. Parents report absences to the Student Services Office ahead of time, and Columbia suggests the 116th Street gates on Broadway or Amsterdam for daily pick-up because they're close to a public safety kiosk. Students and parents both sign the community standards agreement, and serious first offenses lead to dismissal with no refund.

Columbia takes applications through its summer application portal, and the student has to submit it personally.

1. 1

   Once Summer 2027 applications open in mid-November 2026, create an account, choose NYC Commuter Summer Session C and name this course among your top two choices.

2. 2

   Submit the complete application with the $95 fee and your recommenders' details by 1 February 2027 to qualify for early class registration, or by 1 April 2027 at the latest.

3. 3

   Wait for an emailed decision. Columbia reviews applications on a rolling basis and replies three to five weeks after your file is complete.

4. 4

   If you're admitted, pay the $1,000 deposit, upload proof of measles, mumps and rubella immunity within two weeks and complete the enrollment forms, including the commuter eligibility verification.

5. 5

   Register yourself for the course once your holds clear, with early registration opening 3 March 2027 and general registration 17 March 2027.

6. 6

   Pay the balance by 11 June 2027 and have your school send your official transcript before the course starts.