Application Process & Requirements - Non-JUPAS Applicants
Application Process and Requirements for Non-JUPAS Applicants
All applicants to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program must apply by January 2 for fall enrollment. The admissions process includes a review of the applicant’s academic history, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, a personal essay, and an interview conducted in English. Applications will be reviewed by a joint committee featuring admissions representatives from both Columbia University and City University of Hong Kong.
Students must meet the general admission and programme-specific requirements for CityUHK and Columbia University.
Application Deadline: January 2
Preview a PDF version of the application (for reference use only) before creating an account.
Application Process and Requirements
For all applicants, a complete application for the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University includes all of the following:
- Submission of the online application. (Please note that it is not possible to apply to the Joint Degree Program via the Common Application.)
- High school transcripts, secondary school records, or GED test results.*
- Transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. Additional details can be found in the Transcripts section below.
- Standardized test scores are reported directly to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program by the testing service. Please visit the Standardized Testing & Language Proficiency page to determine which standardized test scores you are required to submit as part of your application.
- One admissions essay. See the admissions application for the essay question.
- Two letters of recommendation from teachers and/or a guidance counselor familiar with your academic career. Please note that the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program admissions committee will not accept more than two letters of recommendation.
- A nonrefundable application fee of $80. Applicants using the online application may use a credit card to pay the $80 fee. If paying the application fee via credit card is not possible, applicants may also submit their application fee in the form of a check or money order payable to Columbia University.
*See note on official documents below
Students must meet CityUHK's entry (matriculation) requirements for the major to which they are applying. Please visit the the Academic Requirements page for more information on matriculation and major-specific requirements.
Students applying for admission to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program must submit transcripts from all secondary/high schools attended, as well as any college or university transcripts, if applicable, as part of the application process. Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program students come from a broad range of high schools and educational backgrounds, and the admissions committee is experienced in reading academic records from around the world.
Transcripts should include grades from the previous three years of secondary/high school study as well as any grades available from the current academic year (the equivalent of 9th-12th grade in the U.S.). Wherever possible, the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program admissions committee strongly encourages students and their counselors to include school profiles along with their transcripts. Please note that transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
The Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program admissions committee also requires predicted or preliminary grades where available, and mid-year grades, which can be submitted after the January 2 application deadline, are strongly recommended. For non-U.S. applicants, please refer to the International Academic Records section below for further details on transcript requirements.
Applicants will have the opportunity to upload unofficial copies of these documents in the “Previous Education” section of their application.
A Note on Official Documents
Unofficial documents are only accepted as part of the application review process. If offered admission, in order to enroll, you will be required to submit official documents using one of the methods below.
- Official Electronic Documents: Your college or school counselor may submit your official electronic documents through Slate.org. See more about Slate.org below.
- E-mail: If electronic documents are not available from your high school, or your school does not participate through Slate.org, students may also instruct a school administrator to email transcripts from their school email account to [email protected] and they will be counted as official.
- Physical Mail: Mailed copies of transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions of the School of General Studies will be accepted. Paper transcripts may not be delivered or forwarded by a student. All non-English language documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
- All non-English language documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
Please consult the list below for further clarification on the types of international academic records required by the admissions committee. Please note that this list is not comprehensive, and that transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation. If you have questions about the types of documents required for your personal academic background, please contact our offices via email at [email protected].
- Canada
- Secondary school transcripts from grades 9-12.
- China
- Senior secondary school records from grades 10-12, as well as any available Gaokao results.
- France
- Bulletins de Notes from Seconde, Première, and Terminale, as well as all available Baccalauréat results (including results from the Epreuves Anticipées du Baccalauréat).
- Germany
- Gymnasium transcripts from grades 10-13, as well as any available Abitur results.
- Hong Kong
- Secondary school transcript and records from S4-S6 as well as HKDSE predicted grades.
- International Baccalaureate
- Students enrolled in a secondary school offering only the IB curriculum (such as a United World College) must submit transcripts from their first two years of secondary schooling in their home country, as well as from both of their years in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The admissions committee also requires IB students to have predicted IB exam scores sent as part of their transcripts. IBDP results should be sent to GS directly from IBO.
- Ireland
- Formal school reports for the last two years of secondary school and official Junior Certificate results and any predicted Leaving Certificate grades, if available.
- Singapore
- All available Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level and A-Level exam results.
- United Kingdom
- All available GCSE and A-Level exam results, including predicted scores when available. GCE A-levels should be sent to GS directly from the awarding board.
Simultaneously Applying to Other Undergraduate Colleges within Columbia University
Columbia University
The admissions process for the Columbia University International Dual Degree Programs is administered by the School of General Studies and is highly selective. Thus, applicants may not simultaneously apply to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program and to Columbia College (CC) or Columbia Engineering (SEAS). Additionally, candidates are not eligible to apply to the School of General Studies, including the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program, if in the last three years they were rejected by CC/SEAS. Finally, students may not submit an application to more than one Columbia International Dual Degree Program for any given academic term.
Students who have applied Early Decision to CC/SEAS are not eligible to apply to the Dual BA Program, regardless of their admission decision, including if the student was waitlisted.
City University of Hong Kong
Applicants who are interested in being considered for CityUHK undergraduate programmes (for four years of study at City University of Hong Kong) are required to submit a separate application via the CityUHK online application system. Please refer to the CityUHK website for details.
Transferring into the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program
Due to the unique structure of the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program, there is no transfer admissions process option for students not currently enrolled at City University of Hong Kong. Please see more information about the Third Year Transfer Entry Process.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Admissions policies for the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program are governed by and adhere to the policies of Columbia University and City University of Hong Kong.