申請哥大夏校，哪份材料最“王牌”？

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10月29日，哥倫比亞大學(xué)高中生夏校說明會(huì)在啟明星學(xué)校舉行。

這是哥大夏校在中國大陸的獨(dú)家校園分享活動(dòng)。

哥大專業(yè)研究學(xué)院助理院長Debra Lambert親臨現(xiàn)場介紹項(xiàng)目。

Lambert女士分享了夏校申請的關(guān)鍵信息：

• 提供線上和線下（住宿或走讀）課程；

• 各個(gè)項(xiàng)目時(shí)長不同，但全部在 6月到8月進(jìn)行；

• 涵蓋2026年升入9年級和正在讀12年級的學(xué)生；

• 申請夏校無需托福或雅思成績，但看重推薦信；

• 包含幫助學(xué)生大學(xué)申請的工作坊和活動(dòng)……

下圖：夏校主要信息

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Lambert女士接受了啟明星10年級學(xué)生秦序和袁思成的采訪，也回答了現(xiàn)場其他同學(xué)和家長的提問，干貨整理如下！

Q

和其他暑期項(xiàng)目相比，哥大夏校的特點(diǎn)是什么？

首先，我們不給學(xué)生的課程學(xué)習(xí)打分。我們希望你認(rèn)真完成課程內(nèi)容，但你不會(huì)背負(fù)“分?jǐn)?shù)壓力”。這讓學(xué)生有機(jī)會(huì)發(fā)自本心地去 “探索”一個(gè)主題。

其次，我們非常重視學(xué)生的社交能力鍛煉。他們可能要第一次自己洗衣服、第一次跟室友商量各種事情——這些本來是大學(xué)生活的日常，但他們提前幾年就體驗(yàn)到了。這些經(jīng)歷，都是讓他們變得更獨(dú)立、更成熟的“基石”。

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Q

哥大夏校的線下課程和線上課程，各有什么優(yōu)勢？

參加線上項(xiàng)目的學(xué)生，很多都是全情投入運(yùn)動(dòng)或音樂的學(xué)生，所以很難抽出時(shí)間來校園上課，因?yàn)槟菚?huì)影響他們在課外活動(dòng)中的訓(xùn)練。

對一些家庭來說，選擇線上項(xiàng)目也可能是出于經(jīng)濟(jì)考慮。

哥大夏校的線上和線下課程都很棒，但我想強(qiáng)調(diào)的是——線下項(xiàng)目的優(yōu)勢在于，你能體驗(yàn)到課后的人際互動(dòng)。

課程之間的時(shí)間，也是你和同班同學(xué)建立聯(lián)系、加深友誼的時(shí)刻。

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Q

夏校課程類似哥倫比亞大學(xué)真實(shí)的本科課程嗎？

是的，也不完全是。

哥大夏校課程學(xué)術(shù)上非常嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)，但只有3周時(shí)間，所以它是一種濃縮版，更像是本科課程的預(yù)備課程。

所以，夏校幾乎就是本科課程的感覺，但不會(huì)完全和本科課程一模一樣。

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Q

您最欣賞參加夏校學(xué)生的哪些特質(zhì)？

這些學(xué)生真的非常了不起——學(xué)術(shù)能力強(qiáng)、社交能力強(qiáng)、情緒管理能力也很強(qiáng)，各方面都非常出色，令人驚嘆。

有些學(xué)生已經(jīng)創(chuàng)辦了非營利組織，有些在經(jīng)營自己的生意，16歲就有完整的商業(yè)計(jì)劃書——真的很不可思議。

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Q

哥大夏校有類似芝加哥大學(xué)夏校那樣的作用嗎？就是如果你參加這個(gè)夏校，就會(huì)在申請哥大本科的時(shí)候獲得一些優(yōu)勢？

這個(gè)問題很好，但答案是“沒有”。

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Q

這個(gè)項(xiàng)目是否能獲得學(xué)分，以后轉(zhuǎn)到本科或研究生階段？

我們有另外一個(gè)名為 College Edge 的預(yù)科項(xiàng)目，它是帶學(xué)分（credit-bearing）的。學(xué)生會(huì)和哥倫比亞大學(xué)的本科生一起上課，所修學(xué)分可以被認(rèn)可和轉(zhuǎn)移。

但我們介紹的夏校項(xiàng)目是不帶學(xué)分的，因?yàn)檎n程沒有打分評估。

從另一個(gè)角度來說，參加這種不帶學(xué)分的課程，學(xué)生可以用旅游簽證（tourist visa）來美國，但如果參加帶學(xué)分課程，就需要申請F(tuán) 類學(xué)生簽證。

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Q

你們對 GPA 或 IB 成績有沒有最低要求？

我們并沒有設(shè)定一個(gè)固定的 GPA 成績門檻，但仍然會(huì)參考學(xué)生的成績單，并且非常依賴學(xué)校升學(xué)指導(dǎo)老師或輔導(dǎo)員的推薦信，來判斷學(xué)生是否有能力在項(xiàng)目中取得成功。

因?yàn)橄男５暮诵哪康木褪恰疤剿鳌保覀儾幌Ｍ驗(yàn)槟硞€(gè)學(xué)生在某一科成績不夠理想，就剝奪他/她探索興趣和未來方向的機(jī)會(huì)。

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Q

每天只上 4 小時(shí)課，剩下的時(shí)間做什么呢？

可以做的事情非常多！

項(xiàng)目里有大量課外活動(dòng)（co-curricular activities），比如：

* 大學(xué)申請準(zhǔn)備類活動(dòng)（如大學(xué)申請規(guī)劃、如何寫申請文書的工作坊）

* 紐約城市探索活動(dòng)（如 SoHo徒步參觀、High Line 空中步道漫游）

* 體育活動(dòng)（你可以去體育館和同學(xué)們打籃球等）

不只是上課，要有真正的體驗(yàn)感和社交活動(dòng)。

另外，4 小時(shí)的課程之外，你還會(huì)有作業(yè)，大概每天會(huì)有1到2小時(shí)的學(xué)習(xí)時(shí)間需要安排。

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會(huì)后，Lambert女士和同事也向啟明星教師特別介紹了哥大專業(yè)研究學(xué)院的職業(yè)發(fā)展項(xiàng)目。

老師不是“獨(dú)行俠”！

小神獸的“旋風(fēng)”一日

On October 29, Daystar Academy hosted an information session for Columbia University’s Pre-College Summer Program.

This was Columbia’s exclusive on-campus presentation in Chinese mainland.

Ms. Debra Lambert, Assistant Dean, Marketing and Continuing Education, School of Professional Studies, Columbia University, joined us in person to introduce the program.

During the session, Ms. Lambert shared key details about the program:

• Courses are offered both online and in-person (with residential and commuter options).

• Program lengths vary, but all run between June and August.

• Open to students entering ninth grade in 2026 through those currently in twelfth grade.

• No TOEFL or IELTS scores are required to apply.

• Includes workshops and activities designed to support students in the college application process.

Details can be found in the PPT below,

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Ms. Lambert was interviewed by two Daystar tenth grade students, Justeen Chirko and Carson Yuan, and also answered questions from other students and parents in attendance. Here is a summary of the key takeaways from the session!

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What makes Columbia’s Summer Program different from other summer programs?

First of all, we do not give grades for coursework.We expect students to do the work and be fully engaged with their studies, but without the burden of “grade pressure.” This allows them to explore subjects out of genuine curiosity, without worrying about performance metrics.

Second, we put great emphasis on social learning and personal growth.For many students, they have to do their own laundry, or learning how to negotiate daily life with a roommate. Familiarizing themselves with these everyday experiences of college life helps to lay the foundation for greater independence and maturity.

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What are the advantages of the in-person and online options at Columbia’s Summer Program?

Many students who choose the online program are deeply committed to sports or music and can’t take time off from their training schedule to attend an on-campus program.

For some families, financial considerations may also make the online option more practical.

Both the online and on-campus programs are excellent, but I want to highlight one special advantage of the in-person program—the social connections.

The time between classes is when you bond with your cohort and build deeper connections, which is a big part of the summer experience.

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Q

Are the summer courses similar to Columbia University’s actual undergraduate courses?

Yes—and not exactly.

The Columbia Pre-College courses are academically rigorous, but since they last only three weeks, they’re like an intensive introductory preparation for real undergraduate courses.

The summer program gives you a taste of what college classes feel like, though it’s not identical to the full undergraduate experience.

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What are your favorite attributes of Columbia Pre-College program students?

These students are truly incredible—academically savvy, socially savvy, and brimming with emotional intelligence.

Some have already founded nonprofit organizations, while others are running their own businesses. I’ve even seen 16-year-olds come in with fully developed business plans. It’s truly remarkable.

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Does attending Columbia’s Summer Program give students any advantages in undergraduate admissions, similar to the University of Chicago’s ED0 (Early Decision Zero)?

That’s a great question — but the answer is no.

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Q

Does this program offer credits that can be transferred to college or graduate studies?

Columbia has another pre-college program called College Edge, which is credit-bearing.

Students in that program take classes with Columbia undergraduates, and the credits earned can be recognized and transferred.

However, the summer program we introduced today is not for credit, because courses are not graded.

Another key difference: Students in the non-credit summer program can participate on a tourist visa, whereas students in credit-bearing programs must apply for an F-type student visa.

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Q

Is there a set GPA or IB score required for admission?

There is no fixed GPA cutoff.

We review transcripts carefully, and we also rely heavily on counselor recommendations to determine whether a student is prepared to succeed in the program.

Since the core purpose of the program is exploration, we do not want to deny a student the opportunity to discover their interests or potential future paths simply because of one less-than-perfect grade.

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Q

If students only have four hours of class each day, what do they do with the rest of the time?

There is actually a lot for students to do!

The program offers a wide range of co-curricular activities, such as:

* College application preparation workshops (for example how to write your personal essay)

* Exploring New York City (like walking tours in SoHo or strolling along the High Line)

* Sports and recreation (you can head to the campus gym and play basketball or other games with your classmates)

Students also have 1–2 hours of homework daily, in addition to structured and social activities.

The goal is not just about academic learning—it’s also about having real-life, immersive experiences and building social connections.

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After the main session, Ms. Lambert and her colleague also met with Daystar faculty to share information about Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies career development programs.

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