Student faq - Columbia GSAPP

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Admissions

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Admissions FAQ

Please also reference the Admitted Student page for a timeline of next steps following your admission to GSAPP.

Accepting Your Offer of Admission

How will GSAPP notify me of my admissions decision?

All notifications are made via email to the address provided in the application.

How do I confirm my enrollment?

Master’s degree candidates must accept their offer of admission with a non-refundable enrollment deposit by April 15 using the link provided in their offer letter.

Does GSAPP require a deposit if I’m accepting the offer of admission?

Admitted students are required to submit a non-refundable tuition deposit upon accepting the offer of admission, which must be paid by credit card using Visa or Mastercard.

What should I do if I have technical difficulties when paying the enrollment deposit?

First check that you have correctly entered the following information on the payment page:

Name and Billing address (discrepancies can cause a card to be declined)
Credit card number
Credit card expiration date
Credit card verification code

If the above items do not resolve the issue:

Try logging in to the application using a different browser.
Try using a different credit card.

Financial Aid

When will I receive my financial aid package?

If you are eligible for Federal Aid and have submitted a FAFSA, you will receive an email generated by Student Financial Planning (SFP) with instructions on how to view your financial aid package through NetPartner. Notification will be sent out within a week of receiving your admission letter.

2024 FAFSA Update: The Department of Education has announced a delay in FAFSA processing. Students who have submitted a FAFSA can expect a financial aid package at the end of March.

Does GSAPP offer Scholarships?

GSAPP scholarships are available for both international and domestic students. All applicants who submit a completed application for our degree programs are reviewed by the admissions committee for funding. GSAPP scholarships are merit based and awarded at the time of admissions to select applicants.

Additional scholarships are available to enrolled students during their studies. Please see the GSAPP Scholarships page for more details.

How do I find additional funding sources?

You can reference the External Funding webpage for additional resource and external sources of funding. Other external scholarship opportunities can be found on search sites like FastWeb, FinAid, InternationalScholarships, Scholarships.com, and Scholly.

Credit Transfer and Advanced Standing

Can I get credit for courses taken in undergraduate to count toward GSAPP degree requirements?

GSAPP’s policies on transferring credit are determined by program, and transfer credit may apply to advanced standing or waivers.

For Master of Architecture there are two ways that a student may receive advanced standing:

Advanced placement into the second year of the MARCH program or
Advanced standing or waivers in individual required MARCH courses; credit will be evaluated on an individual basis (maximum 9 points).

For more detailed information on advanced standing and waivers, please see the Credit Transfer page.

Deferrals and Leaves of Absence

Does GSAPP offer deferrals?

GSAPP offers admission with the expectation that students will matriculate in the semester specified during the application process.

Requests for deferrals prior to matriculation are only considered in the case of personal medical emergencies, and additional documentation is required. Please see the Deferrals Policy and contact the Admissions Office at arch_admissions@columbia.edu for more information.

How can I request a Leave of Absence?

Upon satisfactory completion of one year in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, a leave of absence may be requested in writing. Requests must be made by December 15 for leaves beginning in January, and by July 15 for leaves beginning in September.

Please see the Leave of Absence page for additional details on this policy and a link to the online form.

Official Transcripts

An academic transcript/record from each university attended and credit earned is required for all applicants, and unofficial scans or PDFs of transcripts are accepted for review purposes only.

Enrolling students must provide official transcripts before the end of their second semester at GSAPP.

Read full details on the Credentials Verification webpage.

How do I submit my official transcripts?

Students who attended a College or University in the United States

Electronic transcripts must be sent directly from your school to the GSAPP Admissions Office.

Most electronic transcript delivery options will require an email address and you can input arch_admissions@columbia.edu. If a point of contact is required for electronic requests, all can be addressed to Sara Konekeo, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

If your prior institution does not offer electronic delivery, you must send a message to arch_admissions@columbia.edu with link to the institution’s webpage concerning transcript orders to confirm that paper is the only option, and obtain permission from the GSAPP Office of Admissions to submit a paper transcript.

Students who attended a College or University outside the United States

International transcripts require a course-by-course evaluation from World Education Services (WES). Please note we require the WES-ICAP (International Credential Advantage Package) option which includes verified transcripts. WES-ICAP should be sent electronically from WES to the GSAPP Office of Admissions. Copies of WES-ICAP uploaded during the application process will be considered unofficial.

Students who completed their studies in China can utilize the CHESICC, the credentials verification service affiliated with the PRC’s Ministry of Education. Students should arrange for submission of a Verification Report of China Higher Education Student’s Academic Transcripts and a Verification Report of China Higher Education Qualification Certificate. These should be delivered electronically.

Please feel free to reach out to the Admissions Office at arch_admissions@columbia.edu if you have any questions about transcripts.

How do I supply foreign language transcripts?

If the original language of the transcript is not English, the translation must be certified as an accurate translation of the original and should be notarized or otherwise authenticated (either by the degree-granting University or third-party). Either WES or an official translation (certified/notarized/authenticated as accurate) is appropriate.

The certified translation needs to be accompanied by the transcript in its original language.

Admissions Office Contact

arch_admissions@columbia.edu

+1 212-854-3414

GSAPP Admissions
407 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
USA