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Students gather for a presentation in the Lecture Hall.

Newly Admitted Students

Welcome to the J-School

Prepping for the J-School

Class Overview

Congratulations! After an intensive selection process, you have been selected to become a part of our school’s tradition of excellence. We welcome you to what we hope will be one of the most enriching experiences of your professional life as a journalist. This site is designed to assist you in completing all the necessary pre-enrollment tasks.

This year, the Office of Admission and Financial Aid experienced a record 40 percent increase in applications with the largest growth in the full-time Master of Science (M.S.) program. The admitted students in all programs come from a wide variety of previous jobs, places and backgrounds. For example, in our largest degree granting program, the full-time M.S. program, those admitted hail from 34 states and the District of Columbia. The top states represented among the admitted students are New York, California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. In addition, 29 percent of the class is international, with the largest groups hailing from the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Germany, France and Singapore, and including representation from every continent (except Antarctica).

This year, 63 percent of those admitted to the M.S. class are female and 37 percent are male. Among the Master of Arts applicants offered admission, 45% are male and 55% female, with 47 percent coming from outside of the United States. In terms of racial diversity, 19 percent of the class identified as African American, Asian, Latino or Native American. Finally, along with budding and seasoned journalists, we are also proud of the diverse work experience represented in our admitted class which includes teachers, lawyers, doctors, military commanders, officers and captains, engineers, businesspeople, bakers, chefs, biologists, accountants, photographers, filmmakers, authors and designers.

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Open House

Open House Schedule (PDF)

We hope you will be able to join us for our newly admitted students Open House event April 17 and 18. It will be a great opportunity for you to learn more about the School and your degree program and to get to know the faculty, staff and your fellow students. Please see an agenda and RSVP for the Open House HERE. The deadline to RSVP for Open House is April 10.

Travel Information
Hotel Information
Directions to the School

Virtual Open House

To help students familiarize themselves with the J-school before arriving on campus we are hosting several webcast discussions with members of the J-School faculty and staff about student life, financial aid, technology and much more. For a list of upcoming webcasts please visit: http://bit.ly/columbiawebcasts
If you have topic suggestions, please send an email to: dos@jrn.columbia.edu (subject line = webcast suggestions).

See a full line-up of live or recorded webcasts.

Current Student and Alum Ambassadors

If you would like to speak with a current student or J-School alum during your decision making process, please email Monica Burnette in the admissions office.

Live Events at the J-School

Get a sense of the amazing range of speakers, panels, talks at the J-school by seeing the list at http://bit.ly/columbialectures. If you are in NYC during any of these, please stop by. No RSVP required.

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International Students

Leaving the comforts of home can be a challenge. Add to that the pressures of applying for the correct student visa and it can start to feel a bit overwhelming. That's why the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) of Columbia University has developed an online guide just for you. The Coming to Columbia: Essential Information for New International Students guide is designed to help you meet the challenges of living abroad and enjoy the excitements of living and learning in New York City.

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New Student Checklist

You must complete the following tasks before you arrive on campus.

IMPORTANT: In order to get your Columbia University ID card or to purchase a J-School Press Pass you will need to take a high resolution digital passport-style photo as soon as possible.

  • The photo should be a color, JPEG file
  • The background should be uniform and light-colored
  • You must be facing forward, with your head and shoulders clearly visible
  • No photos with sunglasses or hats
  • The file cannot exceed 100k in size
  • Use any type of digital camera to take your photo


  1. Activate your Columbia email address. Once your $1000 electronic deposit has been received, your UNI (which also serves as your Columbia e-mail address) is generated. Please allow a couple of days for your information to be updated into the system. Follow the instructions on this link to activate your Columbia UNI and email address. Once it is active, you can start using your Columbia E-mail.

  2. Get your Columbia University ID: CUIT has developed a secure web service for students to upload and submit a photo online for their first University ID card. The service is launching May 18 and will be available for new students preparing to enter Columbia in Fall 2009. The deadline for Part-Timers to submit their photo is May 20. If you submit it after May 20 you will have to personally go to the ID Center to get your CUID. For more information about the process and to submit your photo click here. The photo deadline for all other students is Monday, July 20, 2009. You will receive your University ID card during your student orientation.

  3. Emergency Contact Form: Fill out the Journalism School Emergency Contact Form

  4. Certify your meningitis vaccination decision: Record your meningococcal(meningitis) vaccination decision online.

  5. Submit your MMR Form: Complete and submit the Columbia University Measles, Mumps and Rubella form to the Health Services Immunization Office no later than August 31.

  6. Enroll/Waive CU Student Medical Insurance: Full-time students are automatically enrolled in the Basic level of the plan but may upgrade their coverage to the Comprehensive level or request a waiver. Part-time students are encouraged to enroll in the Plan but are not required. Please click here for more information.

  7. Student Account Statement: Review your Student Account Statement online after TBA. Please be sure that you have paid your bill to avoid the $150 late payment charge. Once the statement is available, an alert will be sent to your Columbia email address.

  8. Direct Deposit: Sign up for Direct Deposit through Student Services Online (SSOL) to have scholarship and financial aid refunds deposit directly into your bank account.

  9. Dining Services: Sign up for an optional Dining Plan or purchase Dining Dollars or a Flex account.

  10. Get a J-School Press Pass: Students looking to get a J-School Press Pass can do so after arriving on campus at Columbia Printing Services in room 106 of the Journalism building. The cost of the press pass is $10 plus tax. Please bring a digital copy of your headshot picture either in a USB Flash Drive, or simply e-mail the picture to yourself. A representative from Printing Services will help you to upload the picture into their online interface. More details will be provided in your online orientation booklet.

  11. J-School Class of 2010 Facebook Group: The Columbia Journalism School Class of 2010 will be the main Facebook page for the class of 2010. It's a great way to meet fellow classmates and will help you stay in touch even after you graduate. Students are approved to join this group once we have received both your enrollment confirmation and your enrollment deposit.

  12. Test Message Enrollment: Stay protected! Register your mobile number to receive important communications from Columbia University in case of an emergency situation.

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Orientation and Start Dates

Please note that orientation attendance is mandatory.
(Dates subject to change)

Summer Part-time M.S. Students
Orientation: Friday, May 22, 2009
Classes begin: Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Full-time M.S. International Students
International Orientation: Monday, August 10, 2009
Classes begin: Thursday, August 13, 2009

Full-time M.S. Students (All)
Orientation: Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Bus tours: Friday, August 14, 2009
Classes begin: Thursday, August 13, 2009

M.A. Students (All)
Orientation: Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4, 2009
Classes begin: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Ph.D. Students (All)
Orientation: Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4, 2009
Classes begin: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Info Fair & BBQ (All)
Friday, September 4, 2009

Fall Part-time M.S. Students
Orientation: Friday, September 11, 2009
Classes begin: TBA

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Financial Aid Awards

In order to help you make an informed decision about attending the Journalism School, we will post scholarship and financial aid award letters by April 1 for all admitted students who submitted the appropriate forms, as indicated below.

  • U.S. citizens and permanent residents
    Scholarships and other financial aid will be assigned to those who submitted a FAFSA and a Journalism School Scholarship Aid Form by the February deadline. Without these forms, we cannot award scholarships and the University Office of Student Financial Planning cannot award federal aid and loans. If you require loans and have not already done so, please fill out a FAFSA. The University Student Financial Planning Office cannot develop a financial aid award package for an admitted student without a submitted FAFSA. If you have any questions, about your FAFSA or your federal data, please call the University Student Financial Planning Office at 212-851-0795.
  • International Students
    Scholarships will be assigned to those admitted international students who have submitted the Journalism School Scholarship Aid Form. All scholarships are assigned on the basis of merit and/or need.

Intra-School Fellowships
If you applied for a Columbia University Intra-School Fellowship, please contact Ms. Tarin Almanzar at 212-851-0795, should you have any questions. The Intra-School Fellowship committees make their selections in April, independently of the Journalism School.

You can see financial aid and scholarship award information by April 1 at Apply Yourself by logging in with your PIN and Password. If you have forgotten your PIN or password, email Apply Yourself Technical Support, found under the "User Login" section of the main page.

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Housing

Columbia University has limited housing for full-time graduate students around the Morningside Heights campus. Please note students admitted from the waitlist are ineligible to apply for Columbia University Housing. Please see the housing memo posted with your admissions letter on the Apply Yourself website for additional information. The deadline to apply for Housing is May 15.
Housing Memo PDF

Additional Housing Information and Resources

* International House (I House) Residence:  International House is a privately owned student residence near the campus that provides housing to students from various universities and colleges in the area.  For complete details on the International House resources and the housing availability for I-House, please visit the website at http://www.ihouse-nyc.org

* Off-Campus Housing Assistance (OCHA):  OCHA provides an online housing registry listing room-share and apartments in non-Columbia owned buildings located in the New York City area (mostly surrounding Columbia University).  Only students who have accepted our admissions offer (by submitting their $1,000 deposit) and activated their Columbia ID (UNI) are permitted to use the website.  You will be provided with the full details and website information once you have submitted your acceptance and deposit to the admissions offer. 

* Other Resources (not vetted by the Journalism School):

* Facebook – Columbia Journalism Class of 2010:
Meet and network to find housing: Facebook

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Enrollment Response Form and Deposit

You may submit your enrollment decision online at Apply Yourself by logging in with your PIN and Password. If you have forgotten your PIN or password, email Apply Yourself Technical Support, found under the "User Login" section of the main page.

Please submit your enrollment deposit online at Apply Yourself. If you cannot submit your deposit online, you may submit a personal check, international bank draft or international money order drawn in U.S. dollars from a U.S. bank. Be sure that your name and PID number are on the check. At this point, the Journalism School does not accept wire transfers.

The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid will offer a very limited number of deferrals for admitted students. Deferrals are granted for one year only. We encourage you to send any deferral requests to the office by April 15, 2009, to allow us time to consider them before the May 1 response deadline. Requests that arrive after April 15 will be considered as quickly as possible, but we cannot guarantee that you will receive a response by May 1.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

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