Exploring Extracurriculars: The Columbia Summer Program Experience
Picture this: You’re spending your summer at Columbia University, completely experiencing a dynamic learning environment in one of the best universities in the world. Participating in the Columbia Summer Program can become a transformative experience catered to you and your interests.
Through the Columbia Summer Program, you can enjoy academically rigorous content while also getting a sneak peek at what college life is all about!
Understanding Columbia Summer Programs
Columbia’s numerous summer programs are available for freshmen in high school to freshmen in college. You can choose between two types of programs ー either in-person or online. For in-person options, you can choose to be a commuter.
There are three summer sessions running for both types (in-person and online):
SESSIONS
Session 1
In-Person: June 26 - July 14
Online: July 3 - July 14
Session 2
In-Person: July 18 - August 4
Online: July 17 - July 28
Session 3
In-Person: August 7 - August 11
Online: August 7 - August 11
Columbia asserts that the difference in the in-person and online programs will be minimal to non-existent.
What You Can Gain From The Experience
Gain benefits beyond just the academics
Students participate in various extracurricular activities which are carefully designed to help students with their college applications and university life.
Collaborate with people from all over the globe
Networking offers a multitude of opportunities and with the Columbia Summer Program, you’re going to be able to access opportunities as well as gain valuable mentorship and life long friends and maybe even business partners!
Studying alongside other like-minded students from all over the globe will also present you with the opportunity of strengthening your weakness as well as further develop your strengths.
Learn from expert professors and mentors
Columbia prides itself on its world class instructors who are great practitioners in their own fields.
Students are encouraged to come with open-mindedness and face the rigorous material with the help of these instructors.
What Columbia Looks For In An Applicant
Although Columbia does not mention a minimum GPA, you can expect fierce competition in the thousands of applicants for the few available spots. Students are also expected to be able to display the necessary academic background, motivation and maturity for the program. Columbia does ask for evidence of any prerequisite that you might want to include in your application.
SAT, ACT and PSAT scores are NOT part of the application but if a student is going to apply to either math or science, they may be considered.
Letters of recommendation are to be written by the student’s teachers only. Principals/headmasters or school administrators are NOT allowed to write a letter of recommendation.
Campus Resources
Successful applicants of the in-person Columbia programs will have access to its classrooms, laboratories, fitness centers, computer labs, cafés and student activities center, etc.
However, keep in mind that some courses might require you to bring your own laptops.
The campus also has a number of accommodations to assist students with disabilities. If you are accepted to the program and are a student with a disability, please visit this page. Only candidates who have identified disabilities prior to the program will be assured with accommodation on arrival.
Online Learning
Students admitted to the online summer programs are advised to join class at least 10 minutes prior to its official start time.
To accommodate various time zones, the University chooses hours that allow students from all over the world to participate. Classes are taught synchronously and therefore you do have to attend the meeting during set hours. Do remember that these hours are in Eastern Standard Time (EST.)
When you are selecting from one of the time options, try to choose a course that will allow you to attend all meetings.
There are two routes that you can go about taking when enrolling for classes that Columbia Summer Program for high schoolers offer.
Case 1: Enroll in the one week program which will give you the opportunity to register for one class.
Case 2: Similarly, if you register for the two week program, you can take two classes.
Although, some options consist of two or more related classes.
How Academically Rigorous Will The Classes Be?
Columbia looks for high achiever students who want to be challenged and work diligently. Students are not expected to master all of the concepts in the program, but they will be evaluated on the effort they’ve put in and progress they make from when the program started till the very end. Evaluations are not made based on the mastery of the subject.
While instructors do give direct instruction, classes are generally collaborative. The learning experience is filled with class discussions, debates, meeting with guest speakers, group and individual projects.
Therefore, it is imperative that the applicant is proficient in English and attends all sessions. Failure to attend all sessions will end in not receiving a certificate of participation, or even dismissal from the program altogether.
Conclusion
To conclude, the summer programs at Columbia embrace the fusion of academic excellence as well as collaborativeness. This is an excellent program to delve into diversified content and take a sneak peek at the intensity of University life. The opportunities and support given by the instructors may even help you gain a profound love for new topics! But remember this program isn’t just about academics and mastering the subject 一 it’s about fostering and encouraging growth. Embarking on an exciting program like this doesn’t have to be daunting. If you are unsure on whether you should apply or not, I would encourage you to do it. A journey like this with the reputed Columbia University would open many doors for you and you could learn things about yourself that you didn’t even know!
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
