Columbia GS. Is it BS?

Hi,

I found Columbia GS a good looking way to transfer. GS stands for general studies, and they take all the same classes as columbia college students. Same classes, professors, and even the diploma. My major is going to be Econ.

The thing is, Columbia GS consists of non-traditional students such as trasnfer students or people who have not attended college for more than a year for personal reasons like military services.

I'm one of the transfer students, and I was wonering if I will get differently treated from traditional columbia students just because I'm from Columbia GS in terms of recruiting process or network.

11 Comments
 

Actually, the isn't entirely true. GS now houses the Dual BA programs with Sciences PO and Trinity Dublin, they are all applicants straight from HS. I can also add that the last two Rhodes Scholars Columbia have had....were both from the Dual BA program.

 

In addition to the City University of Hong Kong kids as well.

Even so, given the backgrounds of the GS kids that I have met during my time at Columbia, they all aim for entry-level analyst roles and are definitely not in a different pipeline of any sorts because of their "above average traditional college students' ages".

Get Jiggy With It
 
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Fortunately for OP this is not true. You will be in the same undergrad analyst recruiting pool as your counterparts. I applied to the school and also interned with a military vet @ a BB who went through the program. As you stated the gs students share all the classes and professors and that goes for recruiting. As a result of this integration, Columbia is different than UPENN's non-traditional program where the school is separated from another top tier school like Wharton. I would imagine it would be difficult but not impossible competing against Wharton students while you tried to hustle for the same OCR roles at UPENN LPS.

If you are accepted you won't have any difficulty landing a role on the street as no one cares if you go to gs because you'll just tell them you go to Columbia or they'll see it on your resume. I went through a similar program at NYU, but the school is called NYU SPS. It is vastly different than NYU Stern and people often have no idea it even exists till I bring it up. NYU's on-campus recruiting team makes you list your school on your resume as well so it is tough dealing with that. Even with that little setback, it is NYU and because it is a target school I manage to land a roll in banking at a BB through networking and attending every OCR event I could go to that was non-Stern related.

TL:DR : No one gives a shit especially if you're in a program or school inside of target school that has a large presence on the street.

 

Certainly not an expert, but from my understanding, most IB recruiting is done by alumni who are currently in analyst/associate roles. So this means that most of those reviewing your resume will be Columbia College and Columbia Engineering grads.

 

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