Admissions Supporting Materials

Please see below for detailed instructions regarding letters of recommendation, transcripts, and standardized tests.

Important: Applicants must submit all materials directly, and not through an agent, consultant, or other third-party vendor. The sole exception to this rule is for submissions by the US Department of State’s Fulbright Program and its three partner agencies IIE, LASPAU and AMIDEAST, and by the Danish-American Fulbright Commission (DAF) and Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD).

In addition, applicants will be required to attest to the accuracy and authenticity of all information and documents submitted. If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact the Admissions Office at [email protected].

Failure to submit complete, accurate, and authentic application documents consistent with these instructions may result in denial or revocation of admission, cancellation of academic credit, suspension, expulsion, or eventual revocation of degree. Applicants may be required to assist with the verification of application materials.

Please contact your recommenders before filling out your application to confirm that they are interested and able to supply a reference. We recommend that you share the following information with them:

  • An email will be sent from [email protected] with instructions for reference submission; they may wish to add [email protected] to their address book or list of contacts to ensure that the message is routed to their inbox.
  • Columbia GSAS has contracted with Re Vera Services to assist with the verification of letters of recommendation as part of the credentials verification process required by the University. Please tell your recommenders that a representative from Re Vera Services may contact them and confirm that they are able and willing to respond promptly.
  • Please inform your recommenders of your program’s application deadline. Letters should be submitted no later than two weeks after this date.
     

Important Policy Information

Under no circumstances should you upload a letter on behalf of a recommender.

All letters must be submitted by the letter-writers themselves. If you upload a recommendation yourself, disciplinary action may be taken. Consequences may include the immediate rejection of your application or the revocation of an offer of admission.


All letters must be uploaded by the recommender directly to the application system.

  • Letters of recommendation may not be sent via email, nor may paper letters be sent via postal mail.

Two letters from academic sources are required for all applicants to GSAS.

  • These references should be submitted by individuals with direct knowledge of your academic background and abilities, such as an instructor, tutor, or academic advisor.
     

Additional Information

GSAS will accept up to four recommendations. Most programs require three letters of recommendation; some MA programs may only require two letters. For information about the application requirements for the program to which you are applying, please visit that program's page on the GSAS website.

The Graduate School strongly prefers academic references. If you choose to include a recommendation from an internship supervisor, many programs find references related to an in-person experience that lasted for more than two months to be the most helpful. However, there are some individual programs that are also interested in other kinds of experiences, particularly when there is a substantial academic or research component. Therefore, before requesting such a reference, please review the “Special Admissions Requirements” section of your program's page on the GSAS website for additional information. No more than one letter should be from a professional supervisor or colleague (including internship supervisors).

You may submit your online application even if your letters of recommendation have not yet been submitted. When the letters arrive, we will append them to your application.

If a recommender submits a letter after the deadline date, it will be added to your file. If a letter arrives more than two weeks after the application deadline, however, there is no guarantee that it will be seen by the admissions committee when they begin their review.

You will be notified via email when a recommendation has been submitted for your file. You may also monitor receipt of recommendations by viewing the materials checklist on your Applicant Status page, which will be accessible to you after you have submitted your application.

Reapplicants

Applicants who applied previously should log in to the application account created during the prior application season and use the same profile to create an application for the new term. Letters of recommendation from the earlier application can then be included in the new application. See the Recommendations page in the online application for more information.

Instructions for Submission of Transcripts When Applying

Applicants should upload a transcript or record (e.g., web-based transcripts, mark sheets, relevé de notes) of any academic work from each university-level institution you have attended for use in review of your application.

In addition to all required transcripts, applicants to the Sustainable Development PhD program and the Statistics MA program must provide a separate list of specific courses. Please see the “Course List” section of the application for detailed instructions.

Official transcripts are required only after an offer of admission has been made and accepted.

GSAS retains official documents for admitted applicants only. If an official document is sent to us by an applicant who does not enroll, the document will not remain accessible, even if an offer of admission is made at a later time.

Uploading Your Transcript to the Online Application System

Transcripts should be uploaded on the Educational History page of the online application. Transcripts should not be combined into one document; they should be uploaded as individual documents.

Follow these guidelines to ensure that you are able to upload your transcript:

  • Scan at the lowest DPI that results in a legible document. (We recommend to use under 300 DPI whenever possible.)
  • Ensure that the institution name and other identifying marks are not missed during the scanning process and that your scanned copy is clearly legible and can print on letter-size paper (8 ½" x 11").
  • Include the transcript legend (found on the back page, in most cases).
  • Save your document as a PDF file.
  • Make certain that its size is less than 2000 KB (2 MB). Scanning in grayscale or black and white may produce the best results.
  • If the scanned file is too large, first make a photocopy (experimenting with different settings until you find one that results in the smallest file size), then scan the photocopy.

Applicants may be required to take standardized tests to be considered for admission. 

You should confirm the particular admissions requirements for the PhD or MA graduate program to which you are applying. Consult this list of PhD programs or this list of MA programs.

Tests that may be required:

All test scores should be reported to the GSAS Office of Admissions electronically.

Official Score Report Submission Instructions

All official standardized test scores (for the GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT) must be received in the GSAS Office of Admissions within two weeks of the application deadline for the program to which you have applied.

GRE Scores

The ETS Institution Code for Columbia GSAS is 2162. Scores reported to any other institution code cannot be accessed by GSAS for inclusion with your GSAS application.

In the space provided for department or program code, please enter “0000.”

GRE scores are valid for five years from the date taken. For more information, see the GRE website.

Please note: GRE Test scores that have been officially reported to GSAS cannot be deleted from an applicant's account, even if the current program to which the application is being submitted does not require them.

 

TOEFL Scores

The ETS Institution Code for Columbia GSAS is 2162. Scores reported to any other institution code cannot be accessed by GSAS for inclusion with your GSAS application.

In the space provided for department or program code, please enter “99.”

TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the date taken.
For more information, see the TOEFL website.

IELTS Scores

You must contact the IELTS test center where the test was taken to request that your official electronic test results be sent to GSAS.

E-Delivery account name:
"Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences"
New York, NY 10027
US

An institution code is NOT required.

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the date taken.
For more information, see the IELTS website.

GMAT Scores

To send GMAT scores to your program, search for "Columbia University" from the list of schools on the GMAT website, and then select the name of the program to which your scores should be sent.

Please note: The MA Programs in Mathematics with a Specialization in the Mathematics of Finance and Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences are the only GSAS programs that currently accept GMAT scores.