Columbia University has an  of 3.9%. To put that into perspective, that's l🗹ess than 4 students out of 100.

But havi꧋ng a high GPA doesn't guarantee💃 your admission. 

Many students have dreams of ඣgetting into an Ivy League school, but few ever make this a reality. And the reason? It's not a matter of luck.

Aside from working hard, a successful application hinges on knowing what's required years before you even a🦄pply.

But getting into Columbia University doesn't have to be a far-off 💜dream. In our guide, we'll outline exactly what you need to do, from studying for the SATs to acing your supplemental essays.

And while it w🔥on't be a cakewalk, it's certainly possible to increase your chances with the right preparation. Let's dive in!

Why Should You Attend an Ivy League School Like Columbia?

Columbia was started in 1754 by the royal charter of King George II. Th🦩is makes it the  institution of higher education in the United States.

The fa𓆉ct that it has so many famous alumni also shows the world-class education this school gives. Famous Columbia alumni🍌 include:

• -Former US President Barack Obama
• -Investor Warren Buffet
• -Actress Julia Stiles
• -Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov

-Some of t🐬he best-known programs at Columbia are its business, social science, and writing programs. Columbia is also home to the prestigious Pulitzer Prize!

But it doesn't matter which program you attend. Being an Ivy🦄 League graduate means you'll have more opportunities than the average college graduate.

This is because Ivy League graduates are seen as highly intelligent, dedicated, and hard-working. And this can lead to higher job offers right out of college.

Columbia University GPA Requirements

If you're wondering how to get into Columbia University with a low ⛎GPA, it's just not possible.

Yes, you can make up for a slightly lower GPA with near-perfect SAT scores and outstanding extracurriculars. But&ꩲnbsp;having a high GPA is crucial to even being considered. 

That being said, Columbia admissions does look at youꩲr application holistically. This means that if you got🍎 a bad grade at the start of high school or in one course, you may still have a chance if you can show growth.

Take note that many schools list the minimum GPA you should have to apply. This minimum GPA is the bare minimum. If you meet the minimum GPA, this only means that your application won't ཧget immediately rejected.

The avera𒊎ge high school GPA of incoming . Now, how is that even possible when GPAs are calculated on a 4-point scale?

This is because 𓂃Columbia looks at what's called a weighted GPA. A weighted GPA means that it includes the 🐼difficulty of your classes in the calculation. 

So while regular 🌜classes have grades on a 4.0 scale, advanced classes are on a 5.0 scale. In a𝕴 lot of these classes, an A grade translates to 4.5 on the scale.

So with Columbia's weighted GPA, this means that students are getting As in their classes. But💧 it also means that they're taking advanced courses like AP and IB. We'll get into these a little later.

Remember that Columbia will also look at your GPA over time. You want to keep your grades high ♏in your junior and senior years especially.

You also want to show either improvement over the years or a steady, hig♋h performance. 

SAT Scores

Applying to Columbia doesn't stop at your GPA.🍎 You also have to have a very high (or nearly perfect) SAT or ACT score. Keep in mind that Columbi⛎a doesn't have a preference for which test you take. 

See which one you tend to do bet♌ter on during prep ꦛand think about which test you want to focus on.

Remember that the maximum SAT score is 1600. The SAT scor💛es of students admitted to Columbia &nbs🎐p;1450 and 1560.

Even if your GPA is higher than 4, a low SAT score will send your applica🧜tion straight to the rejection pile. The only exceptions to this are if a student fills an institutional need or is an exceptional standout, which&nbs🍃p;is rare.

Score Choice Policy

Each school has what's called aꦿ score choice policy. This means that you can decide which test dates you want schools to consider.

Columbia's score choice policy is "Highest Section." T🐎his means that the people who read your application will look at your highest scores in each section. This will be across all the SAT tests you've taken!

For example, let's say you to🍰ok the SAT twice. You did a lot better on ♎math the first time but did better in English the second time.

Instead of 🥂having to decide whi🎃ch test scores to send the school, your application readers will only consider your best scores on both tests. 

Some students ඣtake advantage of this by doing something called Superscoring. This is where you re-take the SAT but focus🦩 on a different subject each time.

By focusing your energy on one subject at once, you can improve each subject score to create a high SAﷺT score. Remember that this only applies to schools that take the Highest Section score po෴licy, so make sure to do your research!

Keep in mind that most schools also want you to send all your test scores, even i♔f they don't consider all of them when making a decision.

ACT Scores

For Columbia, the average ACT score is 💯. While Columbia says it doesn't have a minim🍃um ACT requirement, don't be fooled!

You'll need at least a 33 on your ACTs if you want to have an easier time in the application process. Remember that many applicants score 34 and abo💫ve, so a 33 won't look as str🌄ong in comparison.

If you decide to take the ACT instead of the SAT, you do have ꦰone big advantage—you can ✱decide which test scores to send.

So even thoug🍌h Columbia admissions will only look at your highest SAT subject scores, they'll still have all your test scores. 

With the ACT, you can🍌 technically take the test as many times as you want and send only the ꦇbest one. 

The disadvantage to this is that you can't use the Superscore method. This means that wღhen you send in your test, the admissions team will look at the whole test. They won't look at your subject scores separately like with the SAT.

If you're planning on sending your ACT scores to Colum🌜bia, focus on test prep and improvꦯement. Aim for scoring a 35 and send that test to Columbia.

With both the ACT and SAT, you must take the essay section. This is an optional section, but Columb𓆏ia requireඣs it. 

Recommended High School Classes

The high school classes you take affect both you💎r application and your preparedness for Columbia.

Columbia recommends taking:

• -3 to 4 years of math (especially pre-calculus)
• -3 to 4 years of history/social studies
• -3 to 4 years of a foreign language
• -3 to 4 years of a laboratory science
• -4 years of English literature/composition

You also want to look at what your 168极速赛车官方入口:desired major recommends. For examp൲le, Columbia's engineering program recommends one year of physics and one year of chemistry, as well as calculus.

If you're not sure which courses t🐼o take, contact a program representative at Columbia. They can help advise you on what courses to take as you go through high school.

What About AP and IB Courses?

You may not want to take any advanced classes because you're worried that their difficulty will bring down your GPA. But if you want to get into an Ivy Le♎ague schoo𓆏l, this is a mistake.

Remember how Columbia consi🃏ders a weighted GPA? Well, let's say you have a 4.0 weighted GPA. 

This doesn't mean you'll get automatic admജission to a prestigious college. You could be getting all As in lower-level classes, or you could be getting all Bs in advanced♎ classes.

And guess which one Ivy Leagues like Columbia will prefer. Th🧜ey're more likely to prefer the student who has Bs in advanced classes.

Why? Because that student is ๊more willing to take on academic challenges. This student is ♎also more likely to excel in Columbia's courses as well.

So to boost your qualifications for Columbia University, ta♚ke AP and IB courses wherever you can (especially in your future study area). 

If your school doesn't offer many chal✨lenging courses, see if you can take some courses at a community college. 

Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars help you stand out amongst other students with similar grꦇades and SAT scores to yours.

So how do you diꦗfferentiate yourself from ♕them?

Think about where you excel, and thi🏅nk about how that ties to the rest of your application. Do any of your extracurriculars show your dedication to a field? 

These could include publishing a mobile app online, writing your first novel, or doing well in a Science Olympiad. These show that you managed to create meaningful achievement t🌞hrough dedication to a subject over time.

Columbia is also looking for three ✅aspects to extracurriculars: 

• Significance
• Integration
• Continuity

Significance is the most important part of your 🐲extracurriculars. The appl𝕴ication reviewers want to see that you've done things that give you credibility. These activities include serious research experience and publications.

Columbia also wants to see how yoꦯur extracurriculars integ🀅rate into your whole story. Compare these two students:

• A math student with sports volunteer experience
• A math student who tutors disadvantaged math students for free

Finally, Columbia also looks at continuity. Theyꦑ want to see🧸 that you've shown a time commitment to your extracurriculars. Otherwise, it could look like you only joined those extracurriculars because of your application.

Joining an 168极速赛车官方入口:honor society in high school is als♒o a great way to show your commitment to academics. Honor society networking opportunities can help you get volunteer experience. They can also help you get internships that you can write about 🐻in your application.

Your Supplemental Essays

During the Columbia University Admi♌ssions process, you ꩲneed to write six .

Thre😼e of these are three short essay p♓rompts (200 words or less) and three are list questions (75-100 words). You must write all six to be considered for admission.

These essays are meant to be thought-p🐟rovoking and challenging. They 𒁃include questions about:

• Books/essays/poetry you enjoyed most while at school
• Why you want to attend Columbia
• How your experiences attract you to your chosen field

Make sure to give yourself enough time to write several drafts of each essay. 🎀For example, if you're not a huge fan of reading, you'll want to plan enough reading in the year before the essays so you can craft a good one.

Make sure to draw on all your experiences to answer the questions, from volunteer to 168极速赛车官方入口:work experience. Even if you only held a part-time job at a shop, dig inꦗto the experience for valuable lessons you learned.

Letters of Recommendation

You will need three letters of recommendation to get into 🌞Columbia. 

Two of these letters must be from your teachers. These teachers should know you well and have good knowledge of your academic work (especi🌱ally in difficult classes). These will give more 🔯credibility and strength to your application.

The third letter must be from a counselor. And while Columbia allows for one supplemental letter, only do this if it adds to your application.

To get the best letters possible, make sure to ask early. This will also help you give your teachers an🌄d counselor any extra information if they need it.

Look at online samples 🦩of recommendation letters, especially ones that got students into Ivy League schools. Take notice of how the recommenders talked about the students. This includes their academic achievements and 🧔personality. 

Make the Columbia Dream Come True

Applying to Columbia University can seem daunting, but preparedness is the key to a successful ap🍸plication. 

Start early and stay focused on taking on courses and meaningful extracurriculars. Remember to show the admissions officers your dedication to&nꦉbsp;your field! 

If you feel overwhelmed, write ev�൩�erything down in a step-by-step plan. And if you need more support in getting there, then why not become a member of Honor Society? 

Our networking and leadership opportunities can help you be an even stronger candidate. 168极速赛车官方入口:Become a member today!