Columbia University Pre-College Programs Game Theory: A Course in Mathematical Economics

In person, Game Theory meets twice every weekday for just under two hours each time. The Summer A sections run from 11:10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:10 to 5:00 p.m. ET, while the Summer B sections run from 9:10 to 11:00 a.m. and 1:10 to 3:00 p.m. ET, usually with a ten-minute break halfway through each class. The Summer B online section meets live on Zoom from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, and the spring section meets on Saturdays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET.

On campus, the two-hour gap between classes is for lunch and activities. Columbia's sample residential schedule adds breakfast and optional fitness from 7:30 a.m., optional clubs in the afternoon, and evening dinners paired with cultural outings, college workshops or a Friday special event. Commuters can join early-evening events but should leave campus by 6:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday. Expect an hour or two of homework a night.

Columbia calls admission selective, but it sets no minimum GPA and doesn't ask for test scores. Your application has to show you have the academic background, motivation and maturity to take an active part. For summer, students from rising 9th grade through current 12th grade can apply from the US or abroad, and seniors can attend the summer after they graduate. To live on campus you must be at least 15 and turn 16 by 31 December 2027, so younger students can commute or take the online section instead. The spring section is open to students in grades 9 to 12.

You apply to the program as a whole, not to Game Theory itself, with an unofficial transcript, a teacher recommendation (Columbia won't accept a counselor or principal in place of a teacher) and your top two course choices. International applicants don't need TOEFL or IELTS scores, but Columbia expects English at the level of 90 on the internet-based TOEFL or 6.5 on IELTS, since classes depend on fast-paced discussion.

For one course, the spring Saturday section costs $2,868, the two-week online summer section $4,018, three weeks commuting to campus $6,381 and three weeks living on campus $12,838. Every price includes the activities, health services and technology fees, and only the residential price covers housing and meals. Columbia calls these estimates pending approval by its trustees. On top, you pay a $95 nonrefundable application fee, and Columbia suggests budgeting about $50 for books and materials. Paying by card adds 2.85% for US cards or 4.25% for international ones, and there's no payment plan.

A nonrefundable deposit holds your place and counts toward the total: $500 for spring, $1,000 online, $2,000 commuter and $3,500 residential. The summer balance is due by 11 June 2027. Withdraw by your session's deadline, such as 24 June 2027 for Summer A, and you get everything back except the deposit. After that you owe the full amount.

Need-based aid worth 25% to 50% of the course cost exists only for the commuter and online summer options, for US citizens and permanent residents living in the US or its territories. You have to tick the aid box before you submit your application, the deadline is 10 February 2027, and Columbia hands out awards on a rolling basis until the money runs out.

Applications go through Columbia Pre-College's admissions page, which links to separate spring and summer portals.

1. 1

   Choose your format: the spring Saturday section, with a general deadline of 21 December 2026, or a summer section, with an early deadline of 1 February 2027 and general deadlines of 1 March 2027 for residential and 1 April 2027 for commuter and online.

2. 2

   Collect your unofficial transcript, ask a teacher to write your recommendation and put Game Theory among your top two course choices.

3. 3

   Submit the application with the $95 fee, ticking the financial aid option first if you need it.

4. 4

   Expect an emailed decision 3 to 5 weeks after your file is complete for summer, or 1 to 2 weeks for spring.

5. 5

   If you're admitted, pay the nonrefundable deposit and complete the enrollment forms, including immunization records and proof of medical insurance if you'll be on campus.

6. 6

   Register yourself for Game Theory once your holds clear (summer early registration opens 3 March 2027 for in-person and 10 March 2027 for online students who met the early deadline), and since there's no course waitlist, a full section means picking another course after you've already paid the deposit.

Residential students have live-in Resident Assistants watching over them around the clock, with professional Resident Directors on call 24 hours a day and a staff-to-student ratio of 6 to 1. Public Safety officers guard the residence hall entrances day and night, and curfew is 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight at weekends. Columbia dismisses students who break it. Without staff, students must stay between 110th and 120th Streets and between Amsterdam Avenue and Riverside Park, and parks are off limits.

Instructors have background checks and training under Columbia's Protection of Minors policy, and program staff are legally required to report suspected abuse. Commuters must live with family or family friends, never in a hotel, Airbnb or hostel. Families arrange their own transport from the airport, since Columbia doesn't meet students there.

Finish the course and you get an official Columbia University Certification of Participation and a written evaluation letter from your instructor, which comments on your effort, participation, progress and potential in the field. Both are uploaded to your online account, typically by mid-October for summer students and 6 to 8 weeks after the end for spring students. You can ask your school counselor to mention them in their recommendation letter.

Attendance decides whether you get the certificate. Miss more than two classes in a two- or three-week session and you lose it, even with an excuse, and for twice-daily classes one missed session counts as a missed day.