The School of General Studies is the undergraduate college at Columbia University devoted to students taking a nontraditional path to a rigorous, traditional, Ivy League education. GS is also home to the oldest and largest Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program in the United States.
Thanks GS and Elegance for such a powerful, insightful film. Had it not been for the many evening GS courses I took, this lifelong night owl would've had a hard time graduating from CC. Do consider me an honorary GS alum! Regretfully, I had to leave before the post-screening Q&A (though glad to be able to show my appreciation to Elegance as I left), so this video is a wonderful opportunity to hear about his journey. (Please list this video soon so the rest of the community can more easily enjoy this!) Boot camp scenes have been a staple of many films set in the military milieu, but the scenes here are as raw and suspenseful as the best of them, and yet it also manages to deal so tenderly with the stolen gay intimacies that provided some saving grace for that searing, persecutory initiation. When Elegance mentions he had to condense 80 pages on the fly during the shoot, I would really love to know more about what would've been (icing on an already superfine film)! I hope he has a chance to tell the full story soon. If Elegance is reading this, I also hope he finds time and funding to make something of his homelessness backstory. When he mentions learning from those many stolen/fenced art and film books during his street years, I can already imagine a great sequence for a(nother) film inspired by his incredible life.
I don’t understand well the meaning of General Studies. Is it different than getting in as a freshman? Do you get a different degree or get treated differently?
With a bachelor of general studies degree; you'll gain a broad base of liberal arts education, exploring social sciences, natural sciences, history and humanities. Honestly pretty useless lol but their site claims you can still be pre-med; computer science, etc. although that doesn't make sense honestly, unless the General Studies is the name of the Columbia School too?
What a joke! Awn made my life a living hell while and undergrad at CU. He cancelled my program and then sided with a CC student who harassed me and threatened me with expulsion should I continue to file charges against my harasses. I was forced to leave school for two years and hire an attorney, because Awn failed to uphold the contract I had with the university. When I returned, Awn made sure I lost my named scholarship. When I finally graduated Magna Cum Laude I did not even attend my own graduation, because of Awn. Burn in hell. You were a monster!
If it weren't $50,000/yr, I'd consider it. I can get a full ride through my state's flagship university (a T25) as a transfer, though, and that just makes more sense for me.
As a veteran myself, I have always noticed that there is this stigma (especially in the infantry community) about education. I always hear my peers says something along the lines of "college isn't made for me" or "I don't think I'm smart enough to go to college". While I do think there are fine options for veterans, such as trade-schools or transitioning into the public sector, I think veterans downplay their capabilities when it comes to education. As an infantryman, I shared the same sentiment that there is no way my experience can translate well into college. I couldn't have been more wrong. The discipline, commitment, and eagerness to extend beyond my own capabilities - all of which were instilled into me throughout my military career - helped me with my first year in college. I decided to go the software path and started my education at a community college to study CS and, later, moved on to a 4 year university. Each semester so far has been successful and I'm happy to say that I'll be attending Columbia GS this upcoming fall to further pursue my CS degree. My success and fruitful experience in college can honestly be attributed to my experiences in the military. I hope that someday I can help my peers see that education is a viable path. I think that this is a conversation that needs to be focused on more for transitioning veterans.
Hi,I’m 12 years old and I’m looking into becoming a wildlife veterinarian when I’m older,does your school have good wildlife veterinarian programs? Thank you,Francisco
Former Marine (Afghanistan) veteran. My job was not as a linguist, but once I got out, I went to the Middle East to work as a private contractor. I was first in Kuwait, and now I am in Saudi Arabia doing IT work. It has been almost 7 years and learning Arabic has been a journey. In a few years when I am done, I plan on applying to Columbia Phd program in Middle Eastern Studies and taking my Middle East experiences back into education. As an American female, it has been quite the experience from the Marine Corps, to Kuwait, and now Saudi Arabia. If you saw where I lived in Saudi Arabia, you would never believe t.v. again. Semper Fidelis!
I went through this program (1983-1985). It was the hardest thing I ever did! (More stress than medical school- because when I was in medical school I knew I could finish that). Once I was done at Columbia I really felt like I accomplished something- it was well worth the weekends in the library watching everyone else live life. If you complete this program and do reasonably well you WILL get into medical school. At my interviews there was no doubt about my abilities. I had proven myself at GS.
Working full-time and raising a family while taking the traditional program is difficult, but not impossible. Its a matter of balance and how well prepared you are for the rigorous curriculum, which is something we assess in our one-on-one advising sessions. Please review our website or contact our Admissions Office at 1-800-895-1169 with any questions.
