Application Process & Requirements - JUPAS Applicants
Application Process & Requirements
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.
All Hong Kong local applicants, who will be receiving the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) must submit an application to City University of Hong Kong via the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) by December 3 in addition to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program application. More information about JUPAS can be found on the CityUHK website.
Application Deadline: January 2
Preview a PDF version of the application (for reference use only) before creating an account.
Application Process and Requirements for JUPAS Applicants
For all Hong Kong local 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.)
- A completed application to City University of Hong Kong via the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS). The Joint Bachelor's Degree Program must be placed as one of the Band A choices of the JUPAS application.
- Secondary school transcripts, secondary school records (S4-S6), and HKDSE predicted grades
- Standardized test scores are reported directly to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program by the testing service, if required. Please visit the Standardized Testing & Language Proficiency page to determine whether you are required to submit standardized test scores beyond your HKDSE results 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 secondary school principal or college 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 US$80. Applicants using the online application may use a credit card to pay the US$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
All students must meet CityUHK's entry (matriculation) requirements for each of the majors. Please visit 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 part of the application process. Joint Bachelor’s Degree 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 (S4-S6) 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 admissions committee strongly encourages students and their college 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 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.
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 if electronic documents are unavailable. Paper transcripts may not be delivered or forwarded by a student. We strongly encourage students to send documents electronically or by e-mail if possible.
- All non-English language documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
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 undergraduate programmes at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) are required to submit a separate application to City University of Hong Kong via the Joint University Programmes Admission System (JUPAS). Please refer to the JUPAS 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.