Janitor Graduates from IVY League School
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47408737/ns/us_news-l…
pretty cool story
Trending Content - Off Topic Forum
Career Resources
Very cool, good for him.
General Studies. That is NOT Ivy League. Any one can sign up for GS, and keep taking a few courses until the requirements are fulfilled.
Look up the difference between Columbia College and School of General Studies.
Way to completely miss the point.
Okay, now that you’ve heard the traditional opaque message board conjecture, let’s get some facts about Columbia GS on the table.
The GS program at Columbia University is, in every way, an Ivy League college within an Ivy League university. GS students take the same classes, with the same faculty, alongside all other Columbia undergraduates. They are also held to the same academic standards and are graded on the same curves as their Columbia College and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences counterparts. Columbia GS students also have to complete a Core Curriculum – a curriculum that is, ostensibly, exactly the same as Columbia College’s Core. Furthermore, GS students can join, and are regularly apart of, Columbia’s athletic teams. The Ivy League, despite its altered meaning in the American lexicon, is, at its core, an athletic conference. As such, GS students are, by proxy, Ivy Leaguers. An education between a Columbia College student and a General Sutdies student is virtually identical.
Core Curriculum comparision: http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies#Core_Requirements
“The School of General Studies, commonly known as General Studies or simply GS, is one of Columbia University's three official undergraduate colleges. It is a highly selective liberal arts college known for its non-traditional and international students. GS confers the Bachelor of Art and Bachelor of Science degrees in over seventy different majors. GS students take the same courses with the same faculty, are held to the same high standards, and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates.” http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies
Simple logic here: Columbia Univeristy is in the Ivy League. Columbia GS is an official undergraduate college of Columbia University. Therefore, Columbia GS is an Ivy League school.
Here are few more facts (many of the links are furnished by Wikicu, which is Columbia University’s unofficial encyclopedia):
Columbia GS students have the highest overall GPA of all of Columbia’s undergraduate colleges:
“The school awards both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. GS students, who comprise of approximately 25% of all Columbia undergraduates, have the highest average GPA of all the undergraduate schools at Columbia.” Link: http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies#Background
And while Columbia GS’ admissions rate is much greater than Columbia College’s, it is still “highly selective.”
“Admission to Columbia GS is highly selective. According to the College Board, the GS acceptance rate is 23%. Admissions officers examine high school records, test scores, extra-curricular activities, resumes and essays. They conduct interviews in person and on the phone. They also consider college-level work and real-life experience. For transfer students, most successful applicants attain GPAs of at least 3.8 according to the GS admissions office. GS also requires standardized test scores for entry. The school will use scores from the SAT, ACT, or the school's own General Studies Admissions Exam. A list of admissions requirements and procedures is available from the General Studies website and statistics on application, admission, and matriculation are available at the website of Columbia's Office of Planning and Institutional Research. GS admissions statistics are not reported in conjunction with CC/SEAS statistics. This is related both to GS's different admission deadlines and the fact that CC/SEAS and GS have different applicant pools.”
Aside from the their different admissions policies, GS and CC students are, in essence, academically indistiguishable. For Gac Filipaj to graduate with honors, comepting for grades with students from across Columbia’s three official undergraduate colleges, while working full-time as a janior, is rather incredible. In fact, it is almost unbelievable.
Columbia GS students earn the same degrees as all other Columbia undergraduates:
Per Columbia’s webiste: “GS students take the same courses with the same faculty, are held to the same high standards, and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates.” http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs
Academically, GS students are fully integrated into the undergraduate curriculum:
“GS students take the same courses as all other Columbia undergraduates, are taught by the same professors in the same classes, and are fully integrated into Columbia's undergraduate curriculum.” http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs
GS students are a part of the Ivy Council:
“The Ivy Council draws its membership from the Brown University Undergraduate Council of Students, Columbia University (in particular the Columbia College Student Council, the Columbia Engineering Student Council, and the Columbia General Studies Student Council), the Cornell University Student Assembly, the Dartmouth College Student Assembly, the Harvard University Undergraduate Council, the University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Assembly, the Princeton University Undergraduate Student Government, and the Yale College Council.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Council#Member_schools
Is GS as competitive as Columbia's traditional undergraduate colleges?
“Yes. Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) is as competitive as Columbia's traditional undergraduate colleges, which include Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and affiliate Barnard College. Though admission requirements differ slightly from the aforementioned schools because of our nontraditional student applicant pool, GS admits only the best and the brightest prospective students.” http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs
Do GS students go on to prestigious graduate schools and finance careers?
“More than 70 percent of GS students go on to earn advanced degrees after graduation. Columbia GS students have been admitted to top graduate programs all over the country including law schools at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, the University of Chicago, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall), Duke, and Cornell. They have also been admitted to medicals schools at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, UC San Francisco, Yale, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Cornell, and many others. In recent years, GS graduates have been recruited by investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup.” http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies#Placement
So, in conclusion, Columbia GS students earn the same degrees (BA/BS) as all other Columbia undergraduates. They can join Ivy League athletic teams. They take the same classes, with the same faculty, alongside all of Columbia’s undergraduates. Is the admission’s process different? Yes. But, is Columbia GS still highly selective (given its much smaller applicant pool)? Yes. And, aside from admission rates, SAT scores, and high school performances, let us focus on what is arguably the most important measure of one’s merit – within the context of an Ivy League school: how one performs while in college. Columbia GS students have the highest overall GPA among all three of Columbia’s official undergraduate colleges. The admissions committee, while admitting a higher percentage of people, must be doing something right. Gac Filipaj graudated with honors, thus he obviously performed quite well, and fully deserves to be labeled an Ivy League graduate.
What nonsense. There are GS students in class on oxygen tanks who are only here because Columbia wants their money. Admitting old high school and college dropouts and having them pay full is Columbia's pathetic way of funding the Core.
And shut up with the highest GPA nonsense. You people take 1 or 2 classes a semester (half are part-time). A monkey could get a decent GPA at Columbia taking two classes a semester.
Don't even compare GS-trash to CC. It seems the admissions office over at GS is spending a little too much time on internet forums.
"What nonsense. There are GS students in class on oxygen tanks who are only here because Columbia wants their money. Admitting old high school and college dropouts and having them pay full is Columbia's pathetic way of funding the Core.
And shut up with the highest GPA nonsense. You people take 1 or 2 classes a semester (half are part-time). A monkey could get a decent GPA at Columbia taking two classes a semester.
Don't even compare GS-trash to CC. It seems the admissions office over at GS is spending a little too much time on internet forums."
Through this response it is quite clear that this person has never even stepped foot on Columbia's campus, and has virtually no knowledge of the University outside of a few lazy internet searches. His entire worldview, as one could easily deduce through his uninformed, vitriolic posts screams of insecurity - an insecurity grounded in a kind of rapacious ignorance.
Now, lets break down his nonsensical response:
"There are GS students in class on oxygen tanks who are only here because Columbia wants their money."
-How do you know this? Are you in some way privy to the inner-workings of the Columbia University undergraduate system? Again, this statement is pure conjecture and not based on any kind of factual information. I, on the other hand, have provided links and facts to buttress my points.
"And shut up with the highest GPA nonsense. You people take 1 or 2 classes a semester (half are part-time)"
-Again, another nonsensical point that has no grounding in reality. No facts back up this claim. It is merely this poster's uninformed opinion. Here, however, is a fact: "... the average age was 27 for incoming students, and the majority attend full-time." Last I checked, a majority is far more than half - or whatever number this poster culled from thin air. http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies#Admissions
"A monkey could get a decent GPA at Columbia taking two classes a semester."
-This point really crystallizes this poster's utter lack of knowledge regarding the rigors of a Columbia education. Only someone who has never been in a Columbia classroom, or competed for grades with some of the brightest undergraduate minds in country, could make such a claim. I'm guessing any actual Columbia student would laugh at this ridiculous statement.
Columbia and the other Ivies would be much better and much more interesting schools if they took everyone and only allowed 1/3 to graduate.
Congrats to this janitor. He earned it. He should be as proud as any other Columbia student. Just seems like he doesn't have the prestige baggage that Seedy and many Columbia graduates seem to carry. Maybe they're worried they might not actually be able to compete with janitors.
Oh well, back to my rusty honda with the peeling "University of Illinois" sticker on the rear window.
IIRC, that's also how the European schools do it, including T.U.M, and I believe Oxford and Cambridge to some extent. They take everybody- or at least have a more permissive admissions policy than a US private school, but then they really make you earn that degree. The accomplishment is not in getting IN to Oxford or Technische Universitat Munchen, but GRADUATING.
I was first year engineering at a non-target and transferred out on my own volition (I was pushed into it by my parents) and the admissions criteria were far lower than MIT's.
I actually like this system.
No one outside of a few silver spoon snobs care what the difference is, and I know people from both CC and GS working side by side at the same jobs at the same companies. I come from a non-target and work with people from Columbia. Outside of academia, educational pedigree takes a back seat to WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH.
What a douchebag. Just be happy for the guy. He had a tough life, worked hard and now comes out with something to show for it.
You are wrong. You have to apply, and the acceptance rate is extremely low.
Severely misinformed. Columbia GS is an Ivy League.
Same cost of tuition, same rigor, same professors, similar OCR, just a different school tittle for non-traditional students
cool
asshole, that's a man with pride
"I was educated in my family — not to look for fame and fortune, but to have a simple, honest, honorable life,"
I guess the dude got 15 minutes of fame without trying. Cool story
Much Respect
Good for him. Glad he is happy.
inspiring... "The richness is in me, in my heart and in my head, not in my pockets," said Filipaj,
this is an awesome story. Do you think there could be a movie about it?
Bingo. It seems like many people in New York are unhappy with their lives, and this guy seems pretty darned content simply with what he has. We should be happy for him and his own form of richness. Congrats to the 52 year old Janitor who graduated Columbia and enjoys reading the classics.
I like this guy. He's got things figured out.^ 3.7 GPA taking 6 classes last semester, buddy.
And if it weren't for you GS guys constantly interrupting lecture with stupid, pointless, nonsensical questions, maybe us CC students wouldn't give you such a hard time.
PS: Your facts and links are dubious. Most people don't trust anything coming out from the strange bureaucracy that is Columbia. Now, I think you should go back to your GS admissions office. I'm sure you must be pretty busy trapping a few more naive community college students into paying 60K for a largely worthless degree.
I highly doubt that you go to Columbia, sorry. Your posts are extremely unbecoming of a Columbia education. I'm really sure that Gac Filipaj had an easy time obtaining his degree while working 16 hour shifts as a janitor:
"For Filipaj, the degree comes after years of studying late into the night in his Bronx apartment, where he'd open his books after a 2:30-11 p.m. shift as a 'heavy cleaner' -- his job title. Before exam time or to finish a paper, he'd pull all-nighters, then go to class in the morning and then to work." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144043/Columbia-University-jan…
I hope that one day you will appreciate this truly inspiring story and come to realize how immature and small you sound. All you have done, by spewing this nonsensical conjecture, is expose yourself as a truly insecure individual - an individual who is not only insecure, but emotionally immature. And posting your dubious gpa further implies this notion.
"paying 60K for a largely worthless degree."
A degree that is, in the real world, an Ivy League degree, as evidenced by the all of the news stories covering this extraordinary man and his accomplishments. Tens of millions of people heard or read about this story, and they all came away learning that this man is an Ivy League graduate of Columbia University. In their eyes, and rightly so, his GS degree is worth just as much as any CC or SEAS degree. Because in the real world, these distinctions do not exist. This story, and the throngs of stories covering this man, stated that he obtained an Ivy League degree. Nobody cares about the petty issues that you seem to care so deeply about. When you graduate your going to come to realize that, in the real world, this bifurcation between GS and CC doesn't exist. In the real world CC=GS=SEAS. Sorry, but your just going to have to accept this fact. Why? Because it's true.
Watch out guys, we've got a badass over here.
Holy shit. Try going to a state school before you bitch about stupid, pointless, non-sensical questions.
You need a psychologist, dude. GS students bring up great points.
I just don't understand why Seedy Underbelly cares so much. This guy did well for himself but you want to shit on him because he didn't go to the 'real' Columbia? Why do you care? Aren't you trying to transfer anyway? If its true that GS isn't the 'real' Columbia then the people who 'matter' will know and if it isn't true then you're wasting your time. Seriously, what the guy did was commendable, just leave it at that.
You need to learn to pick your fights.
You need to STFU. Clearly this 19 year old college student that has been spoon fed his entire life and has no real world experience in anything knows what he is talking about.
I've seen too many GS students, veterans, hard working single parents, etc. worry about the enormous debt they've been essentially forced to take by GS admissions. And I've seen the recruiting tactics that GS uses and, honestly, they don't look any different from the University of Phoenix's.
That is why I care about this. Not only is this program hurting the vast majority of its students, it is also very much hurting Columbia.
Dear god I hope you are not really a Columbia undergrad, you come across as a spoiled entitled brat. I know of a significant number of military veterans who have attended or are attending Columbia on the GI Bill who picked GS because it gave them a great education and a little bit of distance between themselves and the small number of entitled suburban brats that unfortunately seem to make it past school admissions interviews. You are likely not fit to carry books to class for these guys.
http://www.gs.columbia.edu/military-veterans
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2012/05/13/nontraditional-students-mil…
While you were likely attending a private high school and sitting with over priced SAT prep tutors to groom your application, it seems that a lot of your classmates were mucking it up in Iraq and Afghanistan so that you would have the comforts that you enjoy.
As a Columbia alum, I hope that you are recognized for what you are early in your career and dealt with appropriately. I for one would much rather hire one of your highly motivated GS classmates who have pulled themselves into and through school.
Best of luck to you, as you might find that you need it when you reach the real world.
I don't see any evidence its hurting CC students. GS students would likely be mature ones anyway and are highly unlikely to be active in the same networking circles or seeking the same jobs, so I dont know how it hurts. In fact, aside from this case, I'm sure many of the students learn from one another as much as anything else. I would have killed to get a broader perspective while in undergrad, rather then immature minds much like my own.
happypantsmcgee Thank you. Good point! Most Columbia students as well as the decision makers in Columbia University's admissions department would say that Columbia GS is just as "real" as every other school at Columbia University.
There is no such weed-out process for high school. Let's give everybody a shot so we can let in as many interesting people as possible. One of the most interesting people I know- who added a lot of richness to UIUC's engineering community- would have never been accepted at a Northeastern private school. With a 3.2 HS GPA and a C+ in AP Calculus BC, he barely cleared admissions at Illinois. Then he went on to start a club that wound up with two-hundred active and dedicated members a year later, became the president of the largest SIG in ACM at Illinois, led a team to a national coding competition, and landed a job as an architect at Microsoft on graduation. Cornell is kicking themselves that they would have passed this kid over.
There are smart people everywhere. Take everybody who thinks they're up for the challenge, and then find out who really is.
Sure. Not sure how it was at your school, but at Illinois, we had about 2000 students start in engineering and about 1000 left by the end of sophomore year. Some people leave because it is a boring major, but a lot of people left because they put us through the meat grinder our first two years- particularly sophomore year.Sophomore year, you take Differential Equations, Thermodynamics, Quantum Physics, and for the more physical engineering disciplines, Statics and Applied Mechanics. Some kids fail out; a lot of kids get Cs and B-s and realize that it's a lot easier to get As in non-STEM majors where you're not competing against ten kids hand-picked by the Government of Singapore to get a free engineering degree.
This is how a college education should work. Take everyone; have a horrendous curve; make it easy to transfer out.
Right so why not make that case rather then say 'Its not Columbia'? There is clearly some element of you not thinking they are equal, which is probably fair on some level, but to say this is because you want to take a stand against Columbia 'preying' on people is just true or you would have phrased your argument in a much more effective way.
Look, I'm just thrilled that Columbia is encouraging a whole lot more socioeconomic diversity and recognizing that there's smart people everywhere. Illinois and Baruch would have always admitted smart, motivated 52-year-old janitors, and now Columbia is starting to catch on, too.
I think anyone who can get a 4.0 out of GS taking the same classes and facing the same curve as an ordinary student is as qualified as someone with a 4.0 out of the regular college.
whether its columbia or whatever cool story. this guy probably has a better work ethic than many on this board.
I just love how everybody who has actually worked a real job shit on seedy underbelly. Once again, douchebag college students thinking they're the shit when they're just shit.
This guy is a badass, he definitely adds character (and value) to the University.
OK, I think the bus that Seedy got thrown under needs to come to a stop now.
Let's all just be happy that a hard-working 53-year-old janitor can get the same degree and credentials that Seedy can get if he works hard enough at it, and move on.
Seedy, all seriousness, you come across as an insecure, entitled jackass. I've met a lot of your type when I was at Oxford (the real Oxford btw). You're young, have time to change, otherwise good luck making it any industry, let alone one as competitive as banking.
I dont even understand why you give a shit. How does this one guy affect you? I know people who've taken the DPhils at the Department of Continuing Education at Oxford and tout on their resumes about how they have a doctorate at Oxford. I know people who went to Oxford colleges and got their doctorate. Do you know the difference between them? Very little. They're just in different stages of their life and are looking to maximize their potential, as anyone else on this board is. I don't look or treat them any differently.
FinancialNoviceII Great point.
This was a great thread until "Be happy for the 52 year old janitor" turned into "Attack the douche".
The poor guy has enough to deal with with the realization that anybody can earn the same degree as he did. Once he learns to accept this, he's going to mellow out.
Really inspiring. Nothing I can say can add to or take away from this man. I can only hope it gives me the courage to go back to school while working full time.
Regards
Seedy is like Brady 2.0
Guys spitting truth. Hot fire.
Immortal Technique.
Say what you guys want, but I'm sick of meeting hard-working single parents and veterans in GS in six-figure debt who were told that an "Ivy League BA" would change their lives. Now they have a BA in English/Political Science/Anthropology,etc. enormous debt, and few job prospects. It's for that reason that I abhor the GS administration. They play with the lives of these hard-working people promising them something that simply isn't true, and then act as if they're angels on earth for "giving everyone an opportunity" (where's the financial aid, then?).
I do hope, however, that some people read my posts not as an attack on the guy in the link (he had everything $-wise covered since he was a university employee (but still kudos to him)), but as a lesson in how much better the state schools are when the Ivies are unaffordable (and GS is certainly unaffordable for most of the people who qualify to attend). If the GS students who are drowning in debt with their BA's in English or whatnot had chosen a state school Engineering or Business or Nursing/Med program, they would've been much better off. I'm sure they would've thrived there as well.
But, unfortunately, it seems, people will continue chasing the "Ivy" label regardless of how irrelevant or impractical it is to their future.
Yes, GS students are the only undergraduates in significant debt. CC and CE have very good financial aid (under 60K annual family income, it's free, under 130K it's half-price--and that includes tuition and room and board). GS has a separate admissions office, which is very, very stingy with financial aid.
Think what you want.
You were attacking the fact that this janitor had the 'audacity' to gain a prized Columbia degree. Your point holds no merit. If they're parents or mature students, they're wise enough, old enough and intelligent enough to determine that they want a degree. Whether thats in weak majors, its their business. No one is forcing them to take these worthless degrees. Columbia offers a service, people take them up on it. Supply and demand. Additionally, schools endowments arent bottomless pits either. Rightly or wrongly, schools tend to focus on their undergraduate students (case in point, I applied for the International Relations/MBA dual degree at Columbia, was accepted but offered not a single dime. Later was informed that Columbia offers no financial aid to grad students in their first year. If someone wants to take out colossal loans, its not Columbia's fault.), so aid beyond that is always limited. Again rightly or wrongly, not particular to Columbia.
Perhaps you ought to have taken your own advice and headed to a state school, instead of Columbia and their awful aid packages.
seedy underbelly Dude, if you feel that way, why not just say that about the debt instead of initially going into attack mode? You are right in saying that it is expensive. 40k debt is a lot. I have heard of some GS students swimming in $100k debt. However, I have also heard of many succesful GS graduates. One is a Nobel laureate. One is a famous actor. I think Amelia Earhart also graduated from GS.
1.) Seedy is a 22-year-old college kid with a LOT of growing up to do. Many of us were 22-year-olds at one point. 2.) Some of us are wise enough to know the truth- that there's really no difference between a smart person with a Baruch degree, Columbia College degree, and Columbia GS degree. 3.) One of the marks of wisdom is to know when the flame wagon probably has enough passengers on it and to let it pass by.
Seedy, I wish you well, but please just let this go. And try to smile for this guy- even through gritted teeth if you have to. One day you'll be glad you did.
Back to my rusty honda and big ten bachelor's degree.
Whenever IP says 'back to my rusty Honda,' I picture him getting in through the window like a NASCAR driver.
Ok, actually, it's less cool than that. More like Matt Foley's Van Down By The River.
There is a fine line between giving a bully/elitist his comeuppance and becoming bullies ourselves.
IP, I keep taking the bait. That's me done.
Thanks. Mark of wisdom noted.
Seedy, as a fellow ivy alum, I want to come to your defense, but your posts are indefensible. You have a lot of growing up to do, kid.
Seedy Underbelly is SexyLikeEnrique's cousin and I've concluded that he must be at at least one of the following: 1. incredibly insecure (and immature) 2. got beat out by a GS student for a job he wanted
You're a fucking disgrace and embarrassment to Columbia. I'd much rather have a humble yet hardworking military vet as my classmate over a douchey entitled spoiled brat who thinks his daddy's legacy-status makes him more deserving of a degree that someone from a non-traditional background who did just as well in the same god-damn courses. I'll be at Columbia in the Fall (grad school, not GS) and sincerely hope that you are in no way representative of the general student population at Columbia.
K. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I wont be returning to Columbia in the Fall.
So in other words, seedy just traded being a 22-year-old whiny insecure college senior at a school that stands in Harvard's shadow for being a 22-year-old whiny insecure college sophomore at a school that stands in Harvard's shadow.
Don't do it, kid. Just graduate and get a job.
LOL. I'm 20 and a college sophomore. :) I think you even posted last year on my thread debating Columbia and Duke for first-year college.
But, yeah, I was hesitant about starting over but there were just far too many things I disliked about Columbia for me to have stayed. Only realized them in full after coming back home last week.
Sure, there is that Yale-Harvard nonsense but I honestly couldn't care less about Harvard anymore. I've given it two good tries (one in high school, and one as a transfer from college), and I'm pretty happy with Yale, and just want to move on now (my other option was NYU Stern, which made the decision easy even though I had kinda wanted to study Finance).
Congrats on the transfer acceptance. Yale only accepts around 5% for transfers, so it's quite an accomplishment. Where else did you apply to, aside from stern, yale, harvard? Why did you dislike columbia so much?
Good luck at Yale. In my opinion, it offers one of the best undergrad experiences in America.
So what's so different about Columbia and Yale? People usually transfer from non-targets. I'd be a little skeptical if I'm a hiring manager.
I didn't apply for transfer seeking better recruiting. There's more to colleges than just OCR.
More importantly, hiring managers will be skeptical that it took Seedy 6 frigging years to graduate.
I don't understand how he enrolled? Is it one of those college programs for adults, and he got in?
The problem is that (1) Yale isn't Harvard and it drives the Yalies as crazy as the Columbians. More importantly (2) Seedy will never make it into Skull and Bones or Scroll and Key as a Sophomore transfer, which (3) will leave him with an even bigger inferiority complex.
I foresee an angry Senior-year Seedy trying to burn down The Tomb. Don't worry man, I don't hold the secret societies in high regard either.
Dude, the hate wagon had just about stopped until you came back and shot yourself in the foot by announcing your transfer from Columbia to Yale. Only though you're not really a Yalie- you're a transfer student. You've actually got a lot more in common with us state school folk.
Back to my rusty honda and Illinois engineering degree.
Come on now. Don't be so negative. Yale is part of the sacred trinity, along with Harvard and Princeton. Those 3 schools are on a league of its own. So seedy did a major upgrade by going from columbia to yale.
Reminded me of good will hunting, minus the high IQ, actually that's still very impressive as I was just reading a post here about 100k college students dropping from schools, this man is going against the tides. Good for him :)
Seedy, congrats on Yale. You're still a twat but congrats.
I actually agree with the argument that these programs like GS are in some ways selling a dream that isn't 100% real. At Penn we had the LPS (I think that's what it was called) which is basically night school for old people, and I took a lot of those classes for my electives and there would be like 5 or 6 old ass people, like 70 years old, in there and they were always the hardest working/trying students. Nothing wrong with that and certainly nothing annoying about them, but I talked to plenty of these people and they were paying the same amount in tuition dollars that I was, but were graduating with an LPS degree. For those who matter, they know the difference. And let's say even if the difference is minimal (which I can assure you it is not) then what's the point of getting your degree at 70 years old anyway? You hoping to get a nice internship and start your career on the right foot?
And that pride argument just doesn't make any sense to me. The schools love these people and are happy to admit them because they aren't "sullying" the school's degree when they graduate, and they still pay the $55k/year. Not taking anything away from the janitor or any people like this, but what exactly are they trying to accomplish?
I agree with this. Programs like LPS at Penn, GS at columbia, and extension at Harvard, are cash cows for the schools. At the same time though, the vast majority of people in these programs know that the product they're getting is not the "real deal." I don't think any ALM student at Harvard extension honestly believes that his degree is the equivalent of Harvard undergrad or HBS. But many of these people have the money and just want to beef up their resumes and learn. Nothing wrong with that.
Columbia GS, UPenn LPS and Harvard Extension are all three very different programs, and thus, I would caution against equating the three. Columbia GS is an official undergraduate college of Columbia University. Thus, its students are fully integrated into the undergraduate curriculum: same classes, professors, and degrees (BA and BS). Academically, a Columbia GS education is, ostensibly, exactly the same as a Columbia College education. With this rubric in mind, a degree from Columbia GS is the “real deal.” Employers with knowledge of Columbia will know this fact, as I know people who have interviewed for and received job offers from places like Citibank and Goldman Sachs who were Columbia GS students.
"GS graduates have been recruited by investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup." (http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies#Placement)
I don't see how such placement opportunities equates to "selling a dream that isn't 100% true."
The main difference between GS and CC is admission rates. Columbia GS is between 20-30% (this number fluctuates from year-to-year) while CC’s admit rate is much much lower. And while this distinction is obvious, GS’s admit rate is still quite selective, especially given GS’s smaller applicant pool.
Harvard Extension is, by its very name, an extension school. Its students take extension courses, receive AA and ALB degrees, and are separated from Harvard College students. Columbia GS students receive BA/BS degrees and they “take the same courses as all other Columbia undergraduates, are taught by the same professors in the same classes, and are fully integrated into Columbia's undergraduate curriculum.” (http://www.gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs) Columbia has an extension school, like Harvard Extension, called the School of Continuing Education.
UPenn LPS is different from Columbia GS in that it is, primarily, a night school. While “GS students attend the same classes as students in other colleges at the university.” (http://www.wikicu.com/School_of_General_Studies#Myths)
Admissions into Harvard Extension is open-enrollment, while for GS:
“Admission to Columbia GS is highly selective and ‘extremely competitive.’ According to the College Board, the GS acceptance rate is 23%. Admissions officers examine high school records, test scores, extra-curricular activities, resumes and essays. They conduct interviews in person and on the phone. They also consider college-level work and life experience. For transfer students, most successful applicants attain GPAs of at least 3.8. The school requires standardized test scores for entry, and uses scores from the SAT, ACT, or the school's own Admissions Exam.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University_School_of_General_Stud…)
@tsar10027" UPenn LPS is not a night school. You can take any class during the day. It is also expensive like Columbia GS is expensive.
^ I'm sure you're right, but it really sounds like you made your account just to defend the GS school, and you sound like an admissions person or something. Nobody in real life cites with quoted sources.
So tsar10027 created a wso account just to defend columbia gs. No doubt that he's a student or alum.
@Brady4MVP" It doesn't matter. Columbia GS has good placement on Wall Street. I know because I have had several friends who went to GS and ended up working in BB IBD. Also, GS has an extremely low acceptance rate, so GS is really respectable in that regards. It is very expensive, though. I am happy for the janitor.
For the sake of full discretion, I am in fact a senior at Columbia GS. I came across this website via a Google search regarding the initial story posted in this thread. After perusing the subsequent comments regarding the story I came across some alarming, and rather vitriolic, inaccuracies regarding Columbia GS. My reaction to such claims was quite visceral and thus I decided to create an account to set the proverbial record straight. Perhaps this action was tad self-serving, but I felt uniquely motivated to fully elucidate the GS program at Columbia.
Must you subject us to this ejaculatory exudation of verbal excreta?
How else is he going to show he has a college degree? A Columbia one at that.
If he has richness in his soul, why does he need a degree?
seedy is the typical insecure CC student that "hates" GSers. I ran into many of them during my time at Columbia.
A transformation occurs when these sophomores turn into juniors and can legally drink. They become "normal" and want to suddenly befriend GSers. I have it before my eyes.
You always have some bad apples ruin it for the bunch, but thankfully I encountered many more open minded CC and SEAS students than people like seedy. I have met my fairshare of GSers that don't belong at Columbia along with CC students. Both programs allow people to slip through the cracks...
As for seedy's complaints, some of them are valid, as a former GSer I can attest to the many times I was left shaking my head from an idiotic and nonsensical comment made by a GSer. Sometimes, I was ashamed of fellow GSers and would try to distance myself from them. However, to say that GS is "below" CC is ridiculous because both programs take the same courses. If anything, Barnard is below CC and GS. Any argument is over semantics.
At the end of the day, it's a name on a diploma. It will hopefully help open some doors, after entering that door, the rest is up to you and very few care less about Columbia.
Sint id accusantium ratione cum corporis est qui. Nesciunt accusamus eaque quo omnis illum quam.
Natus et minima et sint minima eos. Recusandae quia necessitatibus sed itaque reprehenderit.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Sint non nesciunt nulla provident. Temporibus delectus magni similique nam possimus alias delectus. Velit quia perferendis aut magnam necessitatibus numquam. Eos animi quisquam numquam ea quo.
Atque ut magnam est et eum aut consequuntur. Est similique et excepturi alias sequi. Natus explicabo molestias tenetur id enim vero.
In voluptatibus velit dolorem et ut fuga aliquam veniam. Libero sapiente ratione deleniti qui et sit. Fugit eveniet aut ut et omnis nisi.
Sit veritatis quia qui minus qui delectus. Debitis reprehenderit distinctio error quia ut consequatur delectus. Voluptate sunt delectus odio incidunt tempore nulla voluptas. Facilis qui hic et rerum id dignissimos praesentium. Alias non suscipit sit culpa.
Officiis aut quia accusantium. Facere et magnam debitis repudiandae. Natus et rem quia nisi sit reprehenderit aut atque.
Et expedita officia sed non quod enim rerum aut. Eos delectus iure mollitia ea harum eligendi. Sapiente voluptas consectetur soluta sed perspiciatis. Qui commodi asperiores et fugiat et asperiores. Voluptatem veniam ducimus quia quas sed earum.
Quae doloremque unde sed enim nisi cupiditate et. Mollitia nihil ea dolores aspernatur ratione.
Aut beatae ullam minus eius. Minima in natus ab cupiditate. Et repudiandae necessitatibus quia. Ipsum dicta qui deleniti nostrum unde id a repudiandae. Et autem occaecati vitae quos earum est repellendus unde. Quidem corporis magni id eum quia quia.
Sed quod tenetur totam eum quis voluptas. Ut sed amet ab cupiditate commodi et est. Odio rerum numquam hic optio.
Sed dignissimos ut a qui perspiciatis repudiandae. Eaque qui corrupti et ducimus commodi et. Qui nisi possimus eum vel quae inventore doloribus.
Asperiores voluptatem eos modi explicabo sunt. Aut aut non voluptas et doloremque voluptates doloremque quis. Eum architecto placeat et veniam aut explicabo modi. Fuga architecto consequuntur ut aut ipsum eos.
Quisquam quas quo aut rem molestiae. Ipsa quisquam et rem quod aperiam et sed. Voluptas sequi ut voluptatem consequuntur est at. Ea officia debitis excepturi culpa.