Application Procedure
Columbia University Science Honors Program
2023-2024 Academic Year
The Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) is a highly selective
program for students who have a strong interest in science and
mathematics. Classes are held at Columbia from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM on
Saturdays throughout the academic year. Applicants for the 2023-2024
school year must now be in the eleventh, tenth, or ninth grade and must
apply online. The program is available only to students who attend high
schools in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut and who live within a
75-mile radius of the Columbia campus.
An annual program fee of $600 per year is assessed for all students
(with $300 due at the beginning of each semester). Program fee
waivers may be available for students with documented financial
hardships; waivers will be granted after the admissions process, and
all applications will receive equal consideration regardless of
need.
Application Requirements
- A completed online application, including a report of high school
grades and an essay describing one's interest and background in
science and
mathematics.
- An high school transcript, to be uploaded by the
applicant via the online application.
- An online letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance
counselor,
or principal.
- A $50 non-refundable fee to cover the costs of application
processing and test administration. Application fee waivers may be
available for students with documented financial hardships.
Entrance Examination
As part of the application process, there will also be a 2-hour online
entrance examination. There will be multiple dates available on
several weekends in June. Students will be contacted to choose their
preferred examination date after the application deadline. The
examination will contain questions in mathematics and science.
Students are expected to have a background in algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, and probability, together with some knowledge of
elementary science subjects. No special studying or review is needed
for the examination.
If you are eligible for exam-taking accommodations, we will need a
copy of a letter from, for example, the College Board describing your
accommodations for standardized tests, e.g. SATs or ACTS, or a copy of
your IEP if applicable. An option for accomodations will be available
on the exam date selection form and we will contact those who select
that option to obtain the needed documentation.
Application Deadline
The deadline for SHP receipt of the
completed online application is 11:59 PM on May 31, 2023. The
$50 fee payment, paid by credit card, must also be received by the SHP
by May 31, 2023. No applications will be accepted after this
date.
Applicant upload of the transcript, and online letters of
recommendation, must be received by the SHP no later than June 15,
2023.
Online Application
The SHP online application can be accessed at:
https://apply.engineering.columbia.edu/apply/?sr=d4aceb6c-cea8-46c3-9c4e-273f86dcbdd9
The application for the SHP is managed through Columbia Engineering
school's system, so you will see "Graduate Engineering" on the page.
This is expected.
This site will initially require the student to create an account with
the online application provider for the graduate school. First time
users, should click "Create an account" to start a new application.
Please make sure to store the login credentials that you create in a
safe place as you will need them to access your application throughout
the process.
The person whom the student has selected to write a recommendation
letter will be automatically notified and asked to submit the
recommendation online. Students should discuss with potential
recommenders the waiver of rights option before making a final
selection of recommender. Please be aware that many recommenders will
decline to write a recommendation if you do not waive that
right. A student's choice to waive or not to waive rights to
inspect the recommendation cannot be changed after the recommendation
request has been submitted.
Instructions for making the payment of the $50 application fee are
given at the end of the online application process, immediately after
final submission of the completed application.
If you are requesting an application fee waiver, you must do it before
you submit the application. The link for the waiver request can be
found within the application itself in the section titled "Science
Honors Program Instructions" under the subsection, "Application
Requirements." Once you submit the waiver request, you can go through
and submit the application, but do not pay the fee requested at the
end unless you waiver request is denied. Waivers may take several
business days to be reviewed.
It is the student's responsibility to upload the required
transcript to the SHP by the due date.
After a completed application has been submitted to the SHP, the
applicant should receive a confirmation e-mail indicating successful
submission. The student can subsequently upload the transcript (if
not done previously), and track the SHP's receipt of the associated
recommendation letter, by returning to the application at any
time. Note that no other application changes or edits are possible
after the May 31st submission deadline. After the close of the
application period, applicants will be contacted to choose their
preferred examination date.
Applicants will be notified about admission decisions by August 1,
2023.
Students who are currently members of the SHP in good standing are
entitled to continue in the program until graduation from high school
and do not have to reapply for admission.
Students who applied to the program last year but were not admitted
may submit a new application for the 2023-2024 academic year. Last
year's application cannot be reactivated, and students must create a
new account with new credentials.
The deadline for completed applications is 11:59 pm on May 31st, 2023
including application fee. No applications will be accepted after this
date.
- Deadline for Completed Application and Fee Payment: May 31st, 2023
- Deadline for Receipt of Transcripts and Recommendations: June 15th,
2023
- Entrance Examination Date Selection: Early June
- Entrance Examination Dates: The last three weekends of June
- Admission Decision Notification: August 1st, 2023 (via Email)