If you're a high school student who lives near Columbia University and wants to participate in an extracurricular honors program, you can't do much better than the Columbia University Science Honors Program (Columbia SHP).
The Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) is a Saturday morning academic program for high-achieving students. It's held on the Columbia campus, and high school students in ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade who are accepted into the program can participate. The Columbia SHP is specifically designed for high school students who have a strong interest in the sciences and mathematics, and classes are taught by real scientists and mathematicians from Columbia University.
Columbia University Science Honors Program Test
The Columbia SHP is only open to students who go to high school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut and who live within a 75-mile radius of the Columbia campus. If you attend a high school in one of these areas, you're lucky enough to be eligible to apply to this program! If not, there are other honors programs you can join that are closer to home.
One big misconception about the Columbia SHP is that participating in the program will help you gain admission to Columbia later. While that's not true, listing Columbia SHP on your resume will definitely help your college applications stand out from the crowd. The Columbia SHP is one of the most elite science and math-focused high school honors programs in the country. Seeing that you participated in this program will show admissions committees across the nation that you're already prepared to meet the challenges of college coursework!
Just like college, SHP students get to choose what they study as part of their honors program. Students can select courses from among the ones offered by completing and submitting an online course selections form prior to the first day of SHP classes in September.
First things first: the application process for this Columbia high school honors program is notoriously competitive and highly selective. You'll have to complete an online application to the program and take a two-hour online entrance examination that covers topics pertaining to algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability, and elementary knowledge of science subjects. (We'll talk more about the exam in just a minute.)
The Columbia SHP calls its admissions test an "entrance exam"...but just taking the exam doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to enter the program. Scoring well on the entrance exam is an important part of the application process, although the SHP never allows you to see your results.
So how will you know if you've been admitted? Applicants to this Columbia high school science honors program are notified of admissions decisions through an admissions acceptance letter that's sent out in mid-July. To access admissions decisions, applicants have to login to the online portal where they submitted their application to check for updates.
Because of this, Columbia University Science Honors Program sample tests and practice questions aren't made available online. Students who want to prepare for the entrance exam might consider talking with their high school's guidance counselor or their math or science teachers about helpful ways to study!
The Columbia science honors program test is definitely the most challenging part of the program's application process, so we've come up with three tips to help you do your best on the exam.
Whether it's in advanced or honors courses or extracurricular activities, the best thing students who hope to get accepted to Columbia SHP can do to prep for the entrance exam is to excel in math and science courses in school.
The more experience you have with science and math-related topics and subjects, the more likely you are to develop the skills and subjects that the SHP exam assesses. Students who take honors or AP courses are more likely to encounter the kind of material that appears on the entrance exam. If you have the chance to take challenging math and science courses before applying to the program, you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity!
Like we mentioned earlier, the best way to prepare for the Columbia SHP program is to do well in your math and science courses in school. That means you'll need to hit the books! But not all studying is created equal. We can teach you how to study smarter and harder so you can get the most out of your classes.
The Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) is a science program at Columbia University that runs during the school year for tenth-, eleventh-, and twelfth-grade high-school students.[1]
Since 1958, SHP has offered courses spanning the full range of the pure and applied sciences, from organic chemistry, neuroscience and physiological psychology, to computer programming in Java and calculus in the complex plane, as well as introductions to special relativity, quantum theory, particle physics and physical cosmology.[2][3] The program was directed by educator Donald Barr from its inception until 1964, and during that period admitted students as young as ten years old. It boasts many famous alumni, including the creator of GNU, Richard Stallman, and several Nobel Laureates.[4] The program was run by Professor Allan Blaer for many years, and has recently been taken over by Professor Jeremy Dodd.
Classes are held each Saturday throughout the academic year, from September through May at Pupin Hall at Columbia University. There are no tuition charges for the program, but students must provide their own transportation expenses, to and from Columbia's campus in New York City. The program receives funding from the university, and donations from corporations and foundations, as well individual donations from students. [1]
To apply to the SHP, students must go online to the Columbia SHP website; however, this was not the procedure in 1958 when the program started. The main portion of the application process is a rigorous, three-hour examination proctored in the Columbia University campus that contains questions in both mathematics and science. The exam is tripartite, consisting of a 50 question "easy" mathematics section, a 75 question survey science section, and a 15 question "challenge" mathematics section. The average acceptance rate for the program is usually around 10%. There are 300-400 participants in the program across all 3 grades (10,11,12).[5]
Applications are mailed to schools within a 75-mile radius of Columbia's New York City campus, and there are several more requirements besides the test: A transcript of the student's grades, a recommendation by a science or math teacher, and a student essay are also required.
The Science Honors Program is a long-standing successful program for high school students who have a strong interest in science and mathematics. The program runs for 12 weeks during the academic year with Saturdays classes in the spring and fall semesters. Courses are offered in the physical, chemical, biological, behavioral, and computing sciences, as well as materials science and other topics. During the past few years, some of the courses offered were:
Hey! Good to see a fellow applicant. I have no tips, because I haven't taken the test yet lol. But I'm studying some chemistry and earth science right now. How are you studying?ALso have you noticed that they haven't updated their website from last year? Now I have no clue when the application is due lol
Hey thanks for making thisI am currently a freshman in high school. I want to apply to Columbia SHP, but I'm kinda worried for the test. As a freshman, my STEM courses are: Bio honors, Geometry, Algebra 2 Honors. How should I prepare? Especially for the challenge math and the science section. I know they curve the grades for freshman because we don't know as much as sophomores or juniors, but still. Thanks in advance.
Hi Glen, I wouldn't say the interview process is difficult, just very thorough and very important. From what I can remember from my interview 4 years ago, I was asked general interview questions (why are you interested, what experience do you have, etc) as well as more science oriented questions. I'd also be happy to answer any specific questions you have about the program over email: tanzerina@gmail.com.
Thanks for sharing this unique piece of information. I think science programs are highly useful for kids to groom them about science and technology from an early age. Super Science for kids has been doing a wonderful job in offering holistic stem courses to children in the most friendly and easiest way possible.
The majors in the Department of Computer Science provide students with the appropriate computer science background necessary for graduate study or a professional career. Computers impact nearly all areas of human endeavor. Therefore, the department also offers courses for students who do not plan a computer science major or concentration. The computer science majors offer maximum flexibility by providing students with a range of options for program specialization. The department offers four majors: computer science; information science; data science; and computer science-mathematics, offered jointly with the Mathematics Department.
All majors should confer with their program adviser each term to plan their programs of study. Students considering a major in computer science are encouraged to talk to a program adviser during their first or second year. A typical program of study is as follows:
The elective courses must be chosen with a faculty adviser to focus on the modeling and use of information within the context of a disciplinary theme. After discussing potential selections students prepare a proposal of study that must be approved by the faculty adviser. In all cases the six courses must be at the 3000-level or above with at least three courses chosen from computer science. Following are some example programs. For more examples or templates for the program proposal, see a faculty adviser. 2ff7e9595c
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