If you end up at Columbia, get ready for an Empire State of Mind all day everyday. But while you are still in high school trying to get into Columbia, you are more likely going to have an Advanced Placement class state of mind at all times.
If you do great in a few AP® classes, your chances of getting into Columbia are going to be higher because your great grades have proved to the admissions committee that you have what it takes to succeed there. But once you get in, what are you supposed to do with all the credits you earned in your AP® classes? It’s time to sit back, relax, and let us tell you.
This article will walk you through all the important information you need to know about Columbia AP® credits. We’ll make sure you understand how they affect your application and what the school does with them once you get there. We’ll also cover some fast facts about Columbia’s general vibe and academic requirements for undergraduates.
All right, here we go!
Fast Facts about Columbia
• Columbia University is located in New York City’s Upper West Side (read: super nice, super wealthy area). It’s a great place to be if you plan on living in the City as a young adult, as you have plenty of time to make important connections.
• Columbia is a private university, a member of the super selective Ivy League, and was founded way back in 1754.
• The school’s colors are pale blue and white
• All of Columbia’s sports teams are supported by its mascot: the lion.
The Numbers
According to the CollegeBoard as of 2015, Columbia has…
• 6,102 undergraduates (including Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science).
• 15,736 postgraduate students
• 1,398 first-time freshmen
The school also boasts a $9.369 billion endowment fund and a super competitive6.1% admission rate.
In 2015, 36,250 students applied for 2,220 spots.
It is really hard to gain admission to Columbia. You will need amazing standardized test scores, recommendations from teachers that absolutely adore you, and an impressive academic record. You will definitely need a few AP® classes to build this record. Not only will you need to take them, but you will also need to ace them. Although once you get your scores back, what are you supposed to do with them? Keep reading and we will tell you!
Advanced Standing at Columbia University
Before really break down the specifics of the Columbia AP® policy, we just want to ensure that you understand what it is that AP® credits can do for you when you get to college.
If you take AP® or honors classes while you are in high school, you can earn what is called Advanced Standing at Columbia. While all recent high school graduates enter the university as 0-credit freshmen, at the beginning of their sophom*ore year, select students might have the option to “accelerate” their Columbia education and do any of the following things:
• Qualify as a junior by their second year of college.
• Take a semester off and still graduate on time.
• Graduate a semester or even an entire academic year early.
• Skip lower-level classes to take more interesting ones.
If you go on to attend Columbia and find yourself in this position, you will need to contact the Center for Student Advising at the beginning of your sophom*ore year, and present them with the appropriate documents.
Columbia’s AP® Credits Policy
Undergraduate work at Columbia is divided into two schools: Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. While both schools have different requirements for graduation, they share an AP® policy.
There is more than one way to earn Advanced Standing at Columbia. While article will only discuss AP® Exam results, Columbia will also consider the following options:
• International Baccalaureate (IB) higher level exams
• British A-Level exams
• SAT® subject tests
• Placement tests offered by some academic departments
So, if your high school did not offer any AP® classes, or maybe just not the one for the courses you are hoping, you still have a few options to choose from.
Now, the moment you have all been waiting for, here is what your AP® scores will get you at Columbia University:
English
AP® Exam Name | Minimum Score Required | Number of Credits Awarded | Equivalent Columbia Courses |
| AP® English Language and Composition | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® English Literature and Composition | 5 | 3 | N/A |
Language
AP® Exam Name | Minimum Score Required | Number of Credits Awarded | Equivalent Columbia Courses |
| AP® French Language and Culture | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® German Language and Culture | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Latin | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 3 | N/A |
Math
AP® Exam Name | Minimum Score Required | Number of Credits Awarded | Equivalent Columbia Courses |
| AP® Calculus AB | 4 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Calculus BC | 4 / 5 | 3 / 6 | N/A |
| AP® Macroeconomics | 4 | 4 | ECON W1105 |
| AP® Microeconomics | 4 | 4 | ECON W1105 |
| AP® Statistics | 5 | 3 | N/A |
Science
AP® Exam Name | Minimum Score Required | Number of Credits Awarded | Equivalent Columbia Courses |
| AP® Biology | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Chemistry | 4 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Computer Science A | 4 | 3 | COMS W1004 |
| AP® Physics B | 4 | 6 | N/A |
| AP® Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 3 | N/A |
Social Studies
AP® Exam Name | Minimum Score Required | Number of Credits Awarded | Equivalent Columbia Courses |
| AP® European History | 5 | 3 | N/A |
| AP® Comparative Government and Politics | 5 | 3 | POLS V1501 |
| AP® United States Government and Politics | 5 | 3 | POLS W1201 |
| AP® United States History | 5 | 3 | N/A |
We found all this information on the Columbia website so if you want to check it out for yourself, feel free! You can also see how your IB credits, SAT® II subject test scores, and, if you’re a British student, A-level results will serve you at Columbia.
As you can see from the table above, like pretty much every other Ivy, if you intend to continue the study of a foreign language while at Columbia transferring in AP® credits can help you!
Here are some other quick facts about Columbia’s Advanced Placement Credits:
According to Columbia’s Admissions website:
College Board Advanced Placement scores cannot be used toward exemption from any of the Core Curriculum courses; however, scores may be used toward satisfying the foreign language requirement. Each year, individual departments review the College Board AP® curriculum and determine appropriate placements, credit, and/or exemptions.
Good to know right? At Columbia, you are required to follow its recommend course of student via its Core Curriculum course (we will discuss those in a little bit!) but you are totally able to transfer in your AP® credits to opt out of lower level classes, and the language requirement altogether.
As always, make sure to check with your academic advisor and the professor of the class you wish to take to ensure that you are qualified and have met all of the prerequisites.
Undergraduate Academic Requirements
Like many schools, Columbia offers certain classes that each and every student must enroll in. At Columbia, it’s called the Core Curriculum.
Let’s here what the team there has to say:
Columbia University’sCore Curriculumis one of the nation’s oldest and most renowned Core programs and defines the Columbia experience. In existencesince 1919, it is comprised ofa series of small, discussion-based seminars exploring foundational texts, enduring documents and exemplary experiments inliterature,philosophy,history,music,art,writing,scienceand more.
It offers rigorous training in the new century’s essential skills: analysis, argument, quantitative reasoning, logical inference and creative thinking. The Core createsa community of shared inquiry that ranges across intellectual disciplines, historical eras, cultural contexts and contemporary concerns – and connects generations of Columbia students with each other.
To earn a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College, a student must take the following classes:
• Three science courses
• Two courses with a global perspective
• Two foreign language courses
• Two Physical Education courses
To earn a Bachelor of Science from The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, you must take the above core classes, save for one global perspective course. You will also take:
• Calculus
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Design Fundamentals Using the Advanced Computer Technologies
• Physics
Campus Vibe
Columbia is right at the center of it all. Its location in New York City means that you will never be bored. In fact, you won’t even have to leave campus to find awesome things to do. Who needs Broadway plays or a Yankee’s game when you have world-class theater and sports right on campus?
Being in New York also gives you an edge if you want to do an internship to gain valuable real-world experience during your time as an undergraduate. New York is the place to be for fashion, publishing, real estate, banking, and more!
A quick caveat: Columbia students are New Yorkers through and through. They are driven, goal-oriented, and move a fast pace. So, if you love the hustle and bustle of a city full of dream-chasers, Columbia is the school for you. Just make sure you study hard for your AP® tests so you have a better chance at getting in!
A Quick Review
Here are a few things to remember as you plan your Columbia course load with AP® results in mind:
• Columbia accepts AP® scores of 5 (and rarely 4) for course credit.
• These requirements vary by department.
• Columbia has certain classes that everyone has to take called the Core Curriculum.
• You can’t use AP® credits in place of these required classes – except for the language requirement.
So now you know everything you need to about Columbia AP® Credits!
What are the next steps?
As you can know see, taking AP® classes will not only help you gain admission to highly selective universities by proving to the admissions committees that you have what it takes to succeed there, but they will also help you out once you get to college.
Taking multiple AP® classes can be stressful, but it definitely does not have to be. We’ve done most of the hard work for you; now all you have to do is learn the material.
First, you should read our lists of the hardest AP® classes here, and the easiest ones here. After you’ve done that, take a look at this handy timeline of when to start studying for the AP® exams, as well as this blog about AP® tips and tricks.
After you’ve picked your classes, make sure to check back with us. We have class-specific information that will make your life a whole lot easier.
Best of luck out there in the academic jungle and remember, Albert.io is always here for all of your AP® needs!
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