Getting Started 2022

WELCOME 

Congratulations on your acceptance to one of the world's great educational institutions—Columbia University School of the Arts. We extend to you a warm welcome to our thriving community, a place where you’ll study alongside the next generation of artists, who may just become your lifelong friends and collaborators.

We understand that as you consider joining us, you may have questions about financial aid, housing, jobs, outside financial resources, and more. International students may also have questions regarding the visa process. Therefore, we have prepared this webpage, which will provide some of the information and resources you need, as well as outline important steps to take if you decide to join us this fall. 

We hope you choose to join our dynamic community of artists. Please feel free to contact the appropriate offices listed below with any inquiries you may have as you make your decision. We are all here to help.

Sincerely,

Julie Dobrow 
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid 

Laila Maher 
Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs

 

NEXT STEPS   |   UNIVERSITY NETWORK ID (UNI)   |   HOUSING
VISA INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS   |   FINANCING YOUR DEGREE   |   CONTACT INFORMATION

SAY YES 

Pay your tuition deposit by the date listed in your admissions letter. The $800 deposit is nonrefundable and will be credited in full toward your Fall tuition payment. Tuition deposits can be paid by credit card through the online application system (https://apply.arts.columbia.edu/apply/), check, or money order. 

If you are paying by check or money order, please mail it to: 

Columbia University School of the Arts 
Office of Admissions & Financial Aid 
305 Dodge Hall, MC 1808 
2960 Broadway 
New York, NY 10027 
U.S.A. 

Please indicate program, concentration (if applicable), and date of birth on your check or money order. We must receive your admissions deposit or proof of submission no later than the deadline listed in your offer of admission; otherwise, you may forfeit your place in the incoming class.

Once your deposit has been processed by the School of the Arts Admissions Office, you should be able to set up and activate your UNI (University Network ID). Once your UNI is activated, you will be able to use your Columbia email. You should begin checking your Columbia email immediately and on a regular basis, as this is the School’s official means of communication with all students. See UNI Activation for more information.

If you are considering Columbia housing, we recommend you apply as soon as possible, even if you’re not sure you’ll need it. See Housing for more information.

Apply for your I-20 student visa as soon as possible. See International Students: Visa Information for more information.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents: If you wish to be considered for federal loans and work study, file a FAFSA if you have not done so already. See the Financing Your Degree section below for more information. Please note the separate financing guidelines for international students. 

All applicants must file the School of the Arts Financial Aid Application to be considered for institutional scholarships.

Your offer of admission is provisional until we receive a final, official transcript, showing the conferral of your undergraduate degree. 

All students who have attended schools in the U.S. must have electronic transcripts submitted directly from their school, or from the vendor that provides that service for their school, to [email protected]. If the school does not offer electronic delivery, applicants must write to [email protected] and provide the link to their institution’s webpage concerning transcript orders. 

Please visit https://arts.columbia.edu/admissions/graduate for more information regarding official transcripts. We must receive your final transcript no later than June 30, 2022.

If you are not exempt from submitting a TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score, and we have not received proof of a score of at least 100 on the TOEFL, or 7.5 on the IELTS, or 120 on the Duolingo English test, your offer of admission will be provisional until we receive proof of a sufficient score. 

We must receive your score no later than June 30, 2022.

If you have a disability that may require an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, (212) 854-2388 (Voice/TTY), fax (212) 854-3448, or email [email protected] as early as possible. For a Disability Access Map.

Mandatory Orientation Week begins Monday, August 29, 2022. Classes begin Tuesday, September 6, 2022. You will receive more information about Orientation, as well as course and registration information, from your Program and Student Affairs this summer. 

Full 2022-2023 Academic Calendar

Please notify Student Affairs at (212) 851-0248 or [email protected], if your email and/or mailing address change at any point over the summer. 

ACTIVATE YOUR UNIVERSITY NETWORK ID (UNI) & COLUMBIA EMAIL

Once your deposit has been processed by the School of the Arts Admissions Office, you should be able to set up and activate your UNI (University Network ID). Once your UNI is activated, you will be able to use your Columbia email. You should begin checking your Columbia email immediately and on a regular basis, as this is the School’s official means of communication with all students.

To activate your UNI, proceed to the following website: http://cuit.columbia.edu/cuit/manage-my-uni. Click  “Activate UNI or email.” On the next two pages, accept the “Computer Network and Use” policy and the policy outlining “Your Responsibility on the Columbia Network.” You will then be directed to a page asking that you enter your UNI. On this page, click next to “Don’t know your UNI” to begin the UNI activation process; then follow the instructions from there.

APPLY FOR HOUSING 

If you are considering Columbia housing, we recommend you apply as soon as possible.

Columbia has a limited supply of graduate student housing. Therefore, not all students who apply will receive an allocation. Columbia-owned housing is managed by Columbia Residential. Columbia Residential inventory consists of apartment shares and dormitory-style rooms, with a limited number of studio/efficiency, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. While most student housing is located within walking distance of campus, some is accessible by public transportation. Students who apply for Columbia housing but do not receive an allocation will be placed on a waitlist. Additional information regarding the Columbia Residential’s Waitlist process can be found here: https://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/wait-list

To apply for Columbia housing, visit http://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/how-apply.

A few important hints about University housing: 

  • Housing approval decisions happen between March 1 and June 8. Students approved for housing will receive self-selection appointment information directly from Columbia Residential. Additional information regarding the self-selection process can be found here: https://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/essentials.The waitlist opens on June 15, 2022. (Note that the required New Student Orientation Week begins Monday, August 29, 2022). 

  • If you decline the offer, or if you do not make the required reservation fee payment of $750 before the expiration date indicated in the offer, the offer will expire and the unit will be reassigned. If, at a later date, you want University housing, you will need to reapply and will likely be placed on the waitlist.

  • You may retract your housing application at any time. 

  • If you have questions regarding housing availability, waitlists, or assignments, please visit the Columbia Residential website at http://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/overview or contact Columbia Residential directly at [email protected].

VISA INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 

Apply for your I-20 student visa as soon as possible. Additionally, all incoming International Students should visit the ISSO website and review their Getting Started section.

If you need an F-1 student visa, you will need an I-20 form issued by Columbia’s International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO). 

Watch ISSO’s video on how to get a visa. 

You will need to: 

  1. Prepare your documents (bank statements, passport, and other supporting documents)
     
  2. Login to Compass to apply for your I-20 (AFTER accepting your admissions offer)
     
  3. Receive your I-20 by mail (you will choose where to have it shipped)
     
  4. Apply for your visa at a U.S. consulate (the visa cannot be issued more than 120 days in advance of your program start date): https://isso.columbia.edu/content/applying-visa-students

If you have any questions regarding the visa application process, please contact the ISSO at [email protected].

Some important things to consider:

  • Columbia’s International Students and Scholars Office requires all incoming students to provide proof of ability to fund their education.

  • Funding sources for international students are extremely limited. Therefore, it is critical that international students arrive with a plan in place to fund the entire length of their program, not just the first year. Tuition and fees can be found at https://arts.columbia.edu/tuition. Costs for the 2022–2023 academic year will be posted as soon as they are finalized.

  • While the School of the Arts offers some fellowship support based upon a combination of merit and need, such funding is not guaranteed and, if granted, would likely not be applied during the Research Arts years.

  • While loans to international students by U.S. lenders are available, the vast majority require a co-signer who is a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident. For more information, visit https://www.sfs.columbia.edu/financial-aid-international-students.

  • A per-semester monthly tuition payment plan is available. Information about the Payment Plan can be found at https://sfs.columbia.edu/pay-plan. There is also a single prepayment option available. Information on this plan can be found at https://sfs.columbia.edu/content/single-prepayment-plan.

FINANCING YOUR DEGREE 

Columbia University School of the Arts and the Office of Student Financial Planning can work with you to arrange the financing of your degree. Institutional scholarships, federal aid (including federal work-study and federal loans), and other options are available for eligible students. 

Some important resources to help answer your financial questions: 

The School of the Arts’ Financing Your Degree Page 
https://arts.columbia.edu/tuition  

This is the School’s specific website that describes the types of financing available. 
 

Columbia’s Office of Student Financial Services 
https://sfs.columbia.edu  

This comprehensive website covers topics like: 

  • Payment Options (including the monthly Payment Plan through Nelnet)

  • Graduate Institutional Aid

  • Graduate Federal Aid (including information about loans and federal work-study)

  • Graduate Private Loans

  • Loan Repayment

  • International Student Loan Information 
     

The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Website 
https://studentaid.ed.gov  

This website is geared toward U.S. citizens and permanent residents and provides comprehensive information regarding the types of graduate loans available, application instructions, repayment options, and other helpful topics.
 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or “FAFSA” 
https://fafsa.ed.gov  

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have not yet completed this important application must file this form if they wish to be considered for federal aid. Columbia’s School Code is 002707. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who wish to be considered for one or more of the School’s “service positions” should also complete this form as soon as possible. 
 

SOA Financial Aid Application 
https://apply.arts.columbia.edu/apply  

Priority for institutional aid will be given to students who submitted a School of the Arts Financial Aid Application by the February 1, 2022 deadline.

Students may contact the Financial Aid Office at [email protected].

CONTACT INFORMATION

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
Dodge Hall, MC 1808
2960 Broadway
New York, NY 10027 
https://arts.columbia.edu 

PROGRAMS

Film 
[email protected]  
212-854-2815 

Theatre
[email protected] 
212-854-3408

Visual Arts + Sound Arts
[email protected]  
212-854-4065 
[email protected] 
212-854-2134

Writing
[email protected] 
212-854-4391 
 

DEAN'S OFFICE

Student Affairs 
[email protected] 
212-851-0248 

Financial Aid Office (Institutional Aid) 
[email protected]  
212-854-2134 
 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Student Financial Planning (Federal Aid) 
[email protected] 
212-854-7040

Columbia Residential 
[email protected] 
212-854-9300 
https://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/overview  

Off-Campus Housing Assistance (OCHA) 
[email protected] 
212-854-2773
https://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/intro-ocha-3 

International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) 
[email protected]  
212-854-3587 
https://isso.columbia.edu 

Disability Services
[email protected] 
212-854-2388 (Voice/TTY)
https://goo.gl/B8ZyBn  

For a complete list of Columbia Health services: 
https://health.columbia.edu/

University Life
https://universitylife.columbia.edu/
212-853-1628
[email protected]