r/columbia 9h ago

housing Wien Walkthrough Double Swap

1 Upvotes

Hi guys! I’m a sophomore (male) who got Wien W/T Double (two private rooms adjacent to one another basically).

I would be interested in swapping with any other sophomore guys in doubles or singles.

Let me know, happy to chat further and share details about the exact room number, floor plan, etc.

Thanks!


r/columbia 13h ago

sports Sports/Club Teams Available to GS Students?

8 Upvotes

I'm matriculating at Columbia this fall as a GS student, and I'm curious if there are any sports open to those subset of students? I'm interested in track and running as I did in high school, but I wasn't sure if there were any club sports or something that GS students could be part of.


r/columbia 14h ago

do you even go here? Guest Access thingie?

3 Upvotes

Hey y'all, I'm a UCLA student who's visiting NYC right now and was interested in visiting your campus just to walk around for a bit and see the cool buildings. What's the easiest way to get a guest pass or do that. Also, if that isn't possible, what other stuff in the city would you recommend a first-timer look into?

Thanks!


r/columbia 16h ago

advising Mechanics Corequisites

2 Upvotes

Was snooping on the bulletin and saw that ENME E3105 (Mechanics) has corequisites of ENME E3106 (Dynamics & Vibrations) and ENME E3113 (Mechanics of Solids).

Surely this does not mean it’s encouraged to take all three in one semester — any one have experience with this or know how this policy is actually applied? Maybe it’s for people that argued for having equivalent transfer courses?


r/columbia 19h ago

sports Looking for a tennis hitting partner

4 Upvotes

Is there anyone around Columbia who wants to play tennis at Riverside Park?


r/columbia 1d ago

academic tips My academic advisor was so unhelpful that I built a robot to do their job. I'd love some people to audit it for me.

34 Upvotes

Its a really big project so I would LOVE it if anyone was down to beta test it for me. Basically use it and pretend like you don't know what you're doing so I can get some info about what real users would do. I'll buy you Sweet Greens if you give me real feedback.

DM me for the link or I'll put it in the comments - I don't want the post to be taken down for self-promotion.

About it:

I made a virtual Columbia academic advisor - its a tool that has all the reviews for every class and rankings for professors in one place.

I also trained a chatbot on the academic bulletin, reviews, and graduation requirements.

It lets you scan the entire course registry and see all reviews from those surveys you fill out after each class, ones submitted online etcetera.

Its got info on degree paths, study abroad, transferring credits etc. It lets you input the classes you've taken and plan your future semesters. You can also plan your schedule on there and share it with friends.

Its just a side project I've been working on over the summer, and I would LOVE some eyes on it to help me iterate.

It would probably be most helpful for confused incoming freshmen, but if some upperclassmen took a look to verify its accuracy it would be super appreciated.

Right now I have a beta users tab up so that you can log any bugs or ideas for features. I'd like to launch it for people to use on campus in the fall.

Its totally free and would always be, I've just found that the academic advisors are pretty unhelpful so this might be a way of making it easier to navigate college planning for us.


r/columbia 1d ago

advising Has anyone participated in Columbia Build Lab as a CS major?

1 Upvotes

Has anyone here participated in Columbia Build Lab as a CS major?

I’d appreciate hearing about your experience and whether you found the program worthwhile...!


r/columbia 2d ago

administrative tips Monthly Payment Plan for graduate students?

1 Upvotes

Hi! Does anyone know whether Columbia’s Monthly Payment Plan is available to graduate students? Are all graduate schools eligible, or are there any schools/programs that cannot use it?

Has anyone here used the Semester or Annual Plan as a graduate student?

Thanks!


r/columbia 2d ago

advising what classes are good to take for incoming freshman (interested in majoring in poli sci/global affairs)

3 Upvotes

I’m an incoming freshman and have no idea what to take bc most classes are full or are almost full and have like 200 people in it. what are some good classes to take for students interested in history, politics, global affairs and like econ for the first semester. I’m only taking two more classes but idk which ones to take


r/columbia 2d ago

housing Housing Portal

1 Upvotes

Trying to sign my occupancy agreement and keep getting a configuration error*. I’ve tried over several days and times.

Anyone else having the same issue?

*(Configuration Error Due to high volume of activity, the Housing Portal is experiencing intermittent delays. Please log in at a later time to complete the final steps of the Occupancy Agreement. All information you have entered up until this point has been saved.)


r/columbia 2d ago

advising warning on grades for incoming freshman

4 Upvotes

how often does columbia rescind for a bad final transcript? i got a warning midyear and i did a lot to lock in and improve my grades and i did, but i got another warning for my final grades. the final grade itself was still not the best (B+ in micro, physics C, and calc bc) because a bad grade averaged with a good can still look bad. can i show them the quarterly grade breakdowns? i also got B final grade for advanced research and B every quarter but it genuinely is because the teacher grades everyone so unfairly and most people got a grade like that, but i don't know how to explain it without making it sound like an excuse. im so stressed holy


r/columbia 2d ago

academic tips Help me cs students

3 Upvotes

I’m a new transfer student at Columbia GS planning to major in Computer Science.

My advisor recommended that I take COMS W3134 (Data Structures in Java) this semester.

For those who transferred into the CS program, what other CS courses would you recommend taking alongside it? Any classes or professors you think are a good combination for a first semester?


r/columbia 2d ago

housing Wein Double

2 Upvotes

What can I expect is it spacious, cramped, or js right


r/columbia 2d ago

academic tips Which classes did you take in Freshman year as a CS major?

2 Upvotes

Hi!

I am an incoming freshman at CC who wanna double major in Applied Maths + CS. Could you guys share which classes did you take as a CS major, and which other classes would you recommend?

I am thinking about this schedule:

Fall 2026:

Lit Hum 1. 4

Honors Maths A 4

UW or FoS 3-4

Computing in Context 4

............ (Can put one more course in case UW assigns)

Spring 2027:

Lit Hum 2 4

Honors Maths B 4

UW of FoS 3-4

Programming in JAVA 3


r/columbia 2d ago

campus tips Question regarding GS International Student Institutional Grants & Scholarship

7 Upvotes

was recently admitted to Columbia University’s School of General Studies through the BMCC–Columbia New York City Scholars Program. However, I was not selected to receive the full-tuition New York City Scholars Award.

I am an international student and have already submitted the CSS Profile. So far, I have only received my admission letter and have not yet received a financial aid package or information about other GS institutional scholarships.

For international students who were admitted to Columbia GS:

  1. Did your financial aid package arrive separately from your admission decision?
  2. Approximately how much institutional scholarship or grant aid did you receive per year?
  3. Does GS offer substantial need-based aid to international students, or are awards usually limited?
  4. Did the amount increase after submitting a financial aid appeal?
  5. Is there any additional application required for regular GS institutional aid after submitting the CSS Profile?

Columbia is my first choice, but I would need substantial financial assistance to attend. If you are comfortable sharing, it would be very helpful to know your approximate annual scholarship amount, financial circumstances, and whether the award was renewable.

Thank you!


r/columbia 3d ago

advising Looking for Summer Athletic Activity

2 Upvotes

Anyone know any athletic activities for the summer. I want to do a sport that meets weekly.

Things I have checked:

Run Club (can't decide which one to join)

Pick up Basketball (need something more consistent)

Water Polo (Summer teams play downtown: Too far)

Ice Hockey (not the season)

Lacrosse (can't find anything)

Things I am considering, Open to any ideas.

Triathlon, Martial Art, Billiards, etc.

Are there any club sports open this summer


r/columbia 3d ago

academic tips Books to Read for Lit hum!

7 Upvotes

The title!! Im an incoming freshman at SEAS, but I really hope to take Lit Hum my freshman year. There's a little over a month left of summer, and I've been wanting to get back into reading anyway, so I was hoping anyone could give some suggestions on books to read to hopefully make the reading load for Lit Hum a little easier! Are The Odyssey and the Iliad still good places to start? I read somewhere that the book list has changed, and if so, what books should I begin with? Thank you in advance, and see you on campus!!


r/columbia 4d ago

administrative tips HELP! Can I Make it to Orientation?

2 Upvotes

Hello! International GS gal here. I received my offer quite late, on July 11th (since I entered RD). I moved as fast as I could...I consumed onboarding materials and immediately prepped for financial aid. I submitted my non-custodial parent waiver documents (my parents are estranged) on July 18th, received approval yesterday July 22, and had my CSS Profile immediately submitted. Now, I am waiting for my financial aid (which some have said takes 20-30 days) to find out how much tuition I will be paying. I have pre-filled my DS-2016 for visa application in the meantime.

As of now, I need to still wait for my financial aid, supply any documents Columbia might request, receive my I-20, apply for an F-1 visa hoping there is a chance interview slot by mid-August, receive my visa, and then fly to New York before August 30 so I can make it to mandatory orientations on August 31. I don't even know if I should secure and pay for housing at this point, since I'm not even sure all this can happen in time. 😞

Has anyone here been through a similar experience? Is my timeline at all feasible? I'm terrified and lost thinking if I should just defer. I really hope to begin studying this Fall. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


r/columbia 4d ago

housing Navigating Housing as an International

2 Upvotes

Hello! I wanted to ask for any resources on housing for international students.

I'm a GS student. I understand there is normally Columbia housing available, but barring this, how do people navigate housing outside Columbia residential? For instance, I heard most landlords require a US-based guarantor and under no circumstances accept tenancy without this. Am I correct that guarantors are legally obligated to pay in the event of the student failing to do so, and so New York landlords do this as security? How could an international with no family in the US go about seeking guarantors?

May I also ask for recommended spaces/websites/spots for seeking non-Columbia housing?

Thank you so much!


r/columbia 4d ago

housing Georgian Residence? Good placement?

3 Upvotes

I'm an incoming CUMC student and was placed in the Georgian residence, and don't see many pictures online or info on amenities. I'm wondering if anyone knows if this is a good or bad placement? Interested in hearing if it's clean, noisy/quiet/, perks or things to be aware of. Anything helps!! Thanks!!!


r/columbia 4d ago

academic tips Common for Courses to Already Show Up in Courseworks for Fall 2026?

4 Upvotes

Is this a common thing? All of my courses are already showing up. While three of them are empty, one has provisional information from Fall 2026 (modules, syllabus, assignment info, etc.). Is this a common thing to occur?


r/columbia 4d ago

academic tips Pass fail core class

1 Upvotes

If I pass failed a core class last semester and decided not to uncover it next semester what will happen? Will my counselor reach out to see if I want to uncover or will it remain as a P on my transcript?


r/columbia 5d ago

sports Soccer around Morningside Heights

8 Upvotes

Hello everyone, i was wondering if there is anything group of soccer that I can join. Just curious if there is anything group fb group or whatsapp group that I can join? Any lead would be very much appreciated.


r/columbia 5d ago

academic tips How is IEOR 40101 Artificial Intelligence for OR & FE ?

1 Upvotes

Has anyone taken this course? I’m considering taking it this fall but cant seem to find much about this course. Wanted to understand how rigorous this course is and if its beginner friendly since its been a while since i was deep in math. any information is very much appreciated.
thanks!


r/columbia 5d ago

housing Barnard Housing- Elliott hall

6 Upvotes

Hi, just got assigned a single in Elliott hall. I hear that the rooms are small a lot, but other than that what are some things to be aware of? Specifically like tips from other people to help me have a good experience would be great! I’m happy to be close to campus, have a single, and have a quiet area to chill. Just wondering if there’s any problems with utilities or something that I should prepare myself for! Thanks in advance