Difference between revisions of "School of General Studies"

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|Established=[[1947]]
 
|Established=[[1947]]
 
|President=
 
|President=
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|Dean=[[Peter Awn]]
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|Dean=[[Lisa Rosen-Metsch]]
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|Degrees=[[BA]], Postbac Certificate in Premedical Sciences, [[BS]] until 2014
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|Degrees=[[Bachelor of Arts]]
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|Enrollment=2038 (2011)
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|Enrollment=2,600 students (2019)
 
|Website=[http://www.gs.columbia.edu/ www.gs.columbia.edu]
 
|Website=[http://www.gs.columbia.edu/ www.gs.columbia.edu]
 
}}
 
}}
  
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The '''School of General Studies''', commonly referred to as '''General Studies''' or simply '''GS''', is one of the three official undergraduate colleges of Columbia University. GS is highly selective and widely considered to be "the nation’s finest undergraduate college for nontraditional students."<ref>https://gs.columbia.edu/owl-article?ntitle=2308&mgid=2180</ref> GS students themselves are known as '''GSers'''.
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The '''School of General Studies''' is a highly selective liberal arts college and one of three official undergraduate colleges at [[Columbia University]], situated on the university's main campus in [[Morningside Heights]], [[New York]].<ref>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/columbia-university-2707</ref> GS is known primarily for its traditional B.A. degree program for non-traditional students (those who have had an academic break of one year or more, or are pursuing dual-degrees).<ref name="http://gs.columbia.edu">http://gs.columbia.edu</ref>
  
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GS confers the Bachelor of Art degree in over seventy different majors, although until May 2014 it also conferred Bachelor of Science degrees. GS students take the same courses with the same faculty, are held to the same high standards, and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates. GS students, who comprise of approximately 25% of all Columbia undergraduates, have the highest average GPA of all the undergraduate schools at Columbia.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/abstract/enrollment%20headcount%20by%20school%20all.htm</ref>
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GS students make up almost 30% of the Columbia undergraduate population and have been known to consistently earn the highest average GPAs among undergraduates at Columbia University.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/abstract/opir_enrollment_history_1.htm</ref><ref>https://s3.amazonaws.com/BWARCHIVE/2013/may13.pdf</ref> Despite the relatively small size of the college, a disproportionately large number of GS alumni have gone on to win prestigious fellowships, including the [[Rhodes Scholarship]], the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and the [[Fulbright Scholarship]].<ref>http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2015/12/02/columbia-student-wins-rhodes-scholarship-first-time-five-years</ref><ref>http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2016/12/01/gs-alumna-wins-rhodes-scholarship</ref><ref>http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2015/03/02/gs-cc-alumnae-awarded-gates-cambridge-scholarship</ref><ref>https://gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/dual-ba-students-receive-prestigious-grants-pursue-foreign-language-and-global-studies</ref>
  
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GS also runs [[Low]]'s niche programs that don't fit anywhere else. GS introduced Columbia's Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program in 1955, which is the largest and oldest in the United States. Around 90 percent of [[Postbac Premed]] students are accepted to top US medical schools. In 1954, GS introduced the [[Joint Program]] with List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary. In 2010, GS introduced a dual degree program with [[Sciences Po]], a French grand établissement institution. None of its 83 students have any idea what the fuck the program is about.
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GS offers dual degree programs with Sciences Po in France, the City University of Hong Kong, and List College of the [[Jewish Theological Seminary]].<ref name="http://gs.columbia.edu"/> GS is the historical home to dual-degree programs at Columbia University—the school is the first undergraduate college at Columbia University to offer joint programs with other universities.<ref name="ReferenceB">https://gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/glance</ref> GS is also home to the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program.
  
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==Nontraditional students==
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Notable alumni include [[Nobel Prize]] winners Simon Kuznets and Baruj Benacerraf, as well as [[Isaac Asimov]], J.D. Salinger, [[Amelia Earhart]], and Princess Firyal of Jordan.
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GS defines the term "nontraditional" very loosely so as to accommodate the unusual backgrounds of potential students. That said, GSers typically need to have "a break in their education" for more than one year after high school; a previous undergraduate degree; some sort of weird international background; or a compelling reason to obtain the flexibility of part-time status and off-campus housing.<ref>[http://www.gs.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/newspages.dll/pages?sitename=COLAD&record=449&htmlfile=gsnews2.htm Average gap in studies for a GS student in the fall 2006 entering class was 6 years] (Admissions section of the 2006-07 GS Academic Bulletin, pg. 7).</ref>
 
  
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GS students are an eclectic group that includes [[Jonathan Taylor Thomas|world-class artists]], Olympic athletes, and musicians; investment bankers and business owners; published authors and military veterans; and people who come from as far away as China, Israel, and Germany. Many students work full-time while pursuing a degree, and many have family responsibilities; others attend classes full-time and experience Columbia's more traditional college life.
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==Academics==
 +
A Columbia undergraduate class could include students from any of the following schools: the School of General Studies, Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, or Barnard College. GS is unique among colleges of its type, because its students are fully integrated into Columbia's traditional undergraduate curriculum: GS Students take the same classes with the same students and professors and are granted the same degrees as students at Columbia College or SEAS.  
  
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Many have enjoyed successful careers in fields such as investment banking and information technology and quite a few are nontraditional due to previous conscription or community service requirements in their home countries. A substantial portion of the population enter as transfer students; the previous schools of these students range from community colleges to Columbia's peer institutions.
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The School of General Studies confers the degree of [[Bachelor of Arts]] in more than 80 majors<ref>https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/majors-concentrations/</ref>. All GS students are required to complete the [[Core Curriculum]], which includes classes in Writing, Literature/Humanities, Contemporary Civilization/Social Science, Art Humanities, Music Humanities, Global Core, Quantitative Reasoning, Science, and Foreign Language.<ref>https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/the-core/</ref>
  
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It is important to note that whether a student has a one year break or ten year break, most students who choose GS usually see themselves as being more mature and independent than a traditional student.<ref>https://gs.columbia.edu/admissions-faqs</ref>
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In addition to its bachelor's degree program, the School of General Studies offers combined undergraduate/graduate degree programs with Columbia's schools of [[Columbia Law School|Law]], [[Columbia Business School|Business]], [[College of Dental Medicine|Dental Medicine]], [[School of Social Work|Social Work]], [[SIPA|International and Public Affairs]], [[Teachers College]], and the [[College of Physicians and Surgeons]], as well as undergraduate dual-degree programs with [[SEAS]], the [[Jewish Theological Seminary]], and a dual-BA program with [[w:Sciences Po|Sciences Po]]. In 2012, GS launched a pilot dual degree program with City University of Hong Kong. <ref> http://gs.columbia.edu/owl-article?ntitle=7141&mgid=7138 </ref>
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==Background==
 
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A Columbia undergraduate class could include students from any of the following schools: GS, Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, or Barnard College. GS is unique among colleges of its type, because its students are fully integrated into the Columbia undergraduate curriculum: GS Students take the same classes with the same students and professors and are granted the same degrees as students at Columbia College or SEAS.
 
  
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In addition to its bachelor's degree program, the School of General Studies offers combined undergraduate/graduate degree programs with Columbia's schools of [[Columbia Law School|Law]], [[Columbia Business School|Business]], [[College of Dental Medicine|Dental Medicine]], [[School of Social Work|Social Work]], [[SIPA|International and Public Affairs]], [[Teachers College]], and the [[College of Physicians and Surgeons]], as well as undergraduate dual-degree programs with [[SEAS]], the [[Jewish Theological Seminary]], and a dual-BA program with [[w:Sciences Po|Sciences Po]]. In 2012, GS launched a pilot dual degree program with City University of Hong Kong. <ref> http://gs.columbia.edu/owl-article?ntitle=7141&mgid=7138 </ref>
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==Admission==
 +
Admission to Columbia GS is highly selective and "extremely competitive."<ref name="gs.columbia.edu">[https://gs.columbia.edu/our-process]</ref> Admission standards are among the highest in the nation: the SAT score range (25th-75th percentiles) for admitted students is 1330–1530 out of 1600 on the new SAT (680-770 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section and 650-760 on the Mathematics Section). The average GPA of admitted students is 3.9/4.0.<ref>https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/columbia-university-school-of-general-studies</ref>
  
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==Everyone hates the name==
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Admission requires a formal application as well as submission of official SAT or ACT test scores, academic transcripts, essays, and recommendations; if the test scores are older than eight years, applicants may instead take the General Studies Admissions Examination.<ref name="http://gs.columbia.edu/applying-gs">http://gs.columbia.edu/applying-gs</ref> Interviews are conducted in person and on the phone.
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According to Peter Awn, "it will change within a year or so." He has been saying this since 1994.
 
  
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==Admissions==
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==Eligibility==
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Admission to Columbia GS is highly selective and "extremely competitive."<ref>http://www.gs.columbia.edu/our-process</ref> According to the College Board, the GS acceptance rate is 23%. Admissions officers examine high school records, test scores, extra-curricular activities, resumes and essays. They conduct interviews in person and on the phone. They also consider college-level work and real-life experience. For transfer students, most successful applicants attain GPAs of at least 3.8 according to the GS admissions office. GS also requires standardized test scores for entry. The school will use scores from the SAT, ACT, or the school's own General Studies Admissions Exam. A list of admissions requirements and procedures is available from the General Studies website and statistics on application, admission, and matriculation are available at the website of Columbia's Office of Planning and Institutional Research. GS admissions statistics are not reported in conjunction with CC/SEAS statistics. This is related both to GS's different admission deadlines and the fact that CC/SEAS and GS have different applicant pools.
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Eligibility for admission requires that applicants have taken a minimum of one year or more off from academic studies, or have extenuating circumstances which preclude them from attending Columbia College full-time. Prospective Columbia undergraduates who have had a break of a year or more in their education, have already completed an undergraduate degree, or are pursuing dual undergraduate degrees are considered non-traditional and are automatically ineligible for admission to Columbia College.<ref name="http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/">http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/ask/faq?body_value=general+studies&field_question_topics_tid=All</ref><ref name="http://columbiaspectator.com/">http://columbiaspectator.com/2012/03/07/gsjts-students-feel-caught-between-two-worlds</ref> GS students have the option to attend part- or full-time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gs.columbia.edu/program-overview |title=Program Overview &#124; General Studies |publisher=Gs.columbia.edu |date= |accessdate=2014-01-05}}</ref>
  
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Applicants to the School of General Studies must have a break of one academic year or have compelling personal or professional reasons for part-time attendance to be eligible to apply for admission. Prospective Columbia undergraduates who have had a break of a year or more in their education are considered nontraditional and are required to apply to the School of General Studies (such persons are automatically ineligible for admission to Columbia College). GS students have the option to attend part- or full-time unlike Columbia College students, who are required to attend full-time. Also, scholarships at Columbia GS are merit based rather than income based like that of Columbia College or SEAS. In the 2006 class, the average age was 27 for incoming students, and the majority attend full-time.
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==Sciences Po Columbia University Dual BA Program==
 +
The Dual BA Program is a unique and highly selective program in which undergraduate students earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees from both Columbia University and Sciences Po (one of the most prestigious and selective universities in France<ref>http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/studying-in-france/presentation-1988/articles-from-actualites-en-france/article/elite-paris-institut-d-etudes</ref>) in four years. The applicant pool consists almost entirely of high school students.<ref name="gs.columbia.edu faq">https://gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/faq</ref>
  
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Most GS students are transfer students, as 78% of the admitted class in 2006 transferred some college credit.<ref>Source: [http://www.gs.columbia.edu/bulletin_courses/bulletin98/tc.html 78% of 2006 admitted students transferred credit.]</ref> A list of admissions requirements and procedures is available from the [http://www.gs.columbia.edu/index_howtoapply.htm/ General Studies website]
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Students spend two years at one of three Sciences Po campuses in France (Le Havre, Menton, or Reims), each of which is devoted to a particular region of the world. At Sciences Po, undergraduates can pursue majors in political science, economics, law, finance, history, among others.
  
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Additional statistics on application, admission, and matriculation are available at the website of the Office of Planning and Institutional Research. [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/index.html]
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After two years at Sciences Po, students matriculate at Columbia University, where they complete the Core Curriculum and one of over 80 majors offered at Columbia. Graduates of the program are guaranteed admission to a Sciences Po graduate program.<ref name="gs.columbia.edu faq"/>
  
 
==Placement==
 
==Placement==
 +
More than 70 percent of GS students go on to earn advanced degrees after graduation. Columbia GS students have been admitted to top graduate programs all over the country including law schools at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, the University of Chicago, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall), Duke, Cornell, and Notre Dame. They have also been admitted to medicals schools at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, UC San Francisco, Yale, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Cornell, and many others. In recent years, GS graduates have been recruited by investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup.
  
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More than 70 percent of GS students go on to earn advanced degrees after graduation. Columbia GS students have been admitted to top graduate programs all over the country including law schools at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, the University of Chicago, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall), Duke, and Cornell. They have also been admitted to medicals schools at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, UC San Francisco, Yale, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Cornell, and many others. In recent years, GS graduates have been recruited by investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup.
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==The Core Curriculum==
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GS has been progressively bringing its Core closer into alignment with CC, most recently during the summer of 2012 when it replaced the Cultural Diversity requirement (1 class that may overlap with another core class, commonly Asian Music or Art) with CC's 2 class [[Global Core]] requirement. It is possible to [http://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/undergraduates/degree-fulfillment/core/registration-petitions/ petition] core requirements in certain cases.  
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== Academics ==
 
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GS students must complete a total of 124 credits to graduate. Up to 60 of these credits may be transferred from another institution; at least 64 credits must be completed at Columbia University.<ref>Source: [http://www.gs.columbia.edu/bulletin_courses/bulletin98/tc.html GS Credit Policies]</ref>
 
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=== Core Requirements ===
 
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GS has been progressively bringing its Core closer into alignment with CC, most recently during the summer of 2012 when it replaced the Cultural Diversity requirement (1 class that may overlap with another core class, commonly Asian Music or Art) with CC's 2 class [[Global Core]] requirement.
 
 
The following table lists the core requirements for GS and CC for students matriculating Fall 2012 or later:
 
The following table lists the core requirements for GS and CC for students matriculating Fall 2012 or later:
  
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|-
 
|-
 
!Literature/Humanities
 
!Literature/Humanities
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|[[Literature Humanities]], or 1 semester of literature at Columbia and 1 semester of humanities or literature.
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|[[Literature Humanities]] (or 1 semester of literature at Columbia and 1 semester of humanities or literature)
 
|[[Literature Humanities]]
 
|[[Literature Humanities]]
 
|-
 
|-
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|-
 
|-
 
!Art
 
!Art
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|[[Art Humanities]], Asian Humanities (Art) or exemption by similar course taken at another institution
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|[[Art Humanities]]/Asian Humanities (Art) (or exemption by similar course taken at another institution)
 
|[[Art Humanities]]
 
|[[Art Humanities]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
!Music
 
!Music
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|[[Music Humanities]], Asian Humanities (Music), exemption by exam, or exemption by similar course taken at another institution
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|[[Music Humanities]]/Asian Humanities (Music) (or exemption by similar course taken at another institution)
 
|[[Music Humanities]]
 
|[[Music Humanities]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
!Contemporary Civilization/Social Science
 
!Contemporary Civilization/Social Science
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|[[Contemporary Civilization]], which can count as either 2 social science or 1 social science + 1 humanities. Can substitute 2 approved social science classes.
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|[[Contemporary Civilization]] (or either 2 social science or 1 social science + 1 humanities)
 
|[[Contemporary Civilization]]
 
|[[Contemporary Civilization]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
!Quantitative Reasoning
 
!Quantitative Reasoning
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|Exemption by exam: 600 on Math section of SAT  OR sufficient grade on QR test during orientation OR any mathematics, statistics, economics, or computer science course, OR [[Frontiers of Science]], most classes satisfy both the Quantitative requirement and count as a Science requirement
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|[[Frontiers of Science]]; most classes satisfy both the Quantitative requirement and count as a Science requirement
 
|Covered under Science requirement
 
|Covered under Science requirement
 
|-
 
|-
 
!Science
 
!Science
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|3 approved science courses (very wide range, including math, statistics, CS, psychology), one of which can be [[Frontiers of Science]]
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|[[Frontiers of Science]] or 3 approved science courses
 
|[[Frontiers of Science]] and 2 additional science courses
 
|[[Frontiers of Science]] and 2 additional science courses
 
|-
 
|-
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=== Major Requirements ===
 
=== Major Requirements ===
  
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Major requirements are determined departmentally. These are almost always the same for both GS and CC.
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Major requirements are determined departmentally, and are the same for CC and GS students. GS students must complete a major unlike CC students, who can complete a major or concentration.
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==Science Po Columbia University Dual BA Program==
 
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The Dual BA Program is a rigorous, transatlantic program in which undergraduate students earn Bachelor of Arts degrees from both Sciences Po and Columbia University. Students spend two years at one of three Sciences Po campuses in France, each of which is devoted to a particular region of the world and offers a heavy linguistic and cultural focus. After two years, students matriculate at Columbia University School of General Studies in New York City to complete the interdisciplinary social sciences curriculum. High school students may apply. Admission to the program is highly selective.
 
  
 
== Financial Aid ==
 
== Financial Aid ==
  
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GS offers scholarships for both newly accepted and continuing students. These scholarships are merit- rather than need-based like that of Columbia college and SEAS.
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GS offers scholarships for both newly accepted and continuing students. These scholarships are merit- rather than need-based like that of Columbia College and SEAS.
  
 
A common complaint made by GS students is that the financial aid amounts and options offered by GS are smaller than those offered to CC/SEAS students. In the absence of need-based institutional aid, many GS students rely on a combination of loans, external grants, and personal funds. In 2006 the University announced financial aid reforms for CC and SEAS students whose parents earn less than $50,000 annually.  
 
A common complaint made by GS students is that the financial aid amounts and options offered by GS are smaller than those offered to CC/SEAS students. In the absence of need-based institutional aid, many GS students rely on a combination of loans, external grants, and personal funds. In 2006 the University announced financial aid reforms for CC and SEAS students whose parents earn less than $50,000 annually.  
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General Studies students are not eligible for the CC/SEAS [[Room Selection]] process. However, many GS students receive housing through [[University Apartment Housing]].
 
General Studies students are not eligible for the CC/SEAS [[Room Selection]] process. However, many GS students receive housing through [[University Apartment Housing]].
  
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== History ==
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==History==
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GS's evolutionary ancestor is [[Seth Low Junior College]], which was established in [[Brooklyn]] to help alleviate the steady flood of applicants to [[Columbia College]], particularly Jews. SLJC was closed in 1936, and some students were given the option to transfer to The University Extension and finish their studies.
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 +
===Defunct Predecessors===
 +
GS's evolutionary ancestor is [[Seth Low]] Junior College, which was established in Downtown Brooklyn to help alleviate the flood of Jewish applicants to [[Columbia College]]. The entrance requirements for Seth Low Junior College were reportedly the same as those enforced in Columbia College.<ref name="spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu">[http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19280403-01.2.7]</ref> Following completion of the two-year program, graduates could complete their undergraduate educations at the University's professional schools (many of which still conferred terminal bachelor's degrees) or earn B.S. degrees in liberal arts and scientific disciplines as University Undergraduates at the Morningside Heights campus; at the time, the University only conferred the B.A. to graduates of Columbia College.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F39SJn66jF0C&pg=PA271&lpg=PA271&dq=%22university+undergraduates%22+%22columbia%22+%22seth+low%22&source=bl&ots=U826rr4J0b&sig=amyK9MLUkhBfA2-BOuW-iSMMA2o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nMLwUYnzPLL84AOG8IDoDQ&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22university%20undergraduates%22%20%22columbia%22%20%22seth%20low%22&f=false |title=Stand, Columbia: A History of Columbia University in the City of New York ... – Robert A. McCaughey – Google Books |publisher=Books.google.com |date= |accessdate=2014-01-05}}</ref>
  
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The University Extension program was reorganized and renamed the School of General Studies in December 6, 1947, in part to address the influx of GIs returning from World War II. It became Columbia's third official undergraduate school. It is sometimes claimed that [[Barnard College]] is Columbia's third undergraduate school, and GS is its fourth; however Barnard is officially only affiliated with Columbia University, while GS, its deans, and students are formally integrated into the university proper, along with [[Columbia College]] and the [[Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science]]. Prior to the existence of GS, nontraditional undergraduates were classified as "University Undergraduates."
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Seth Low Junior College was closed in 1938 due to the establishment of Brooklyn College in 1930 and the concomitant economic effects of the Great Depression. Henceforth, its remaining students were absorbed into Columbia's undergraduate population as students in the University Undergraduate program (previously, University Extension, which was established by [[Nicholas Murray Butler]] in 1904).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19420602-01.2.16&srpos=12&e=------194-en-20--1-byDA-txt-IN-%22university+undergraduates%22---- |title=Columbia Daily Spectator 2 June 1942 — Columbia Spectator |publisher=Spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu |date=1942-06-02 |accessdate=2014-01-05}}</ref>
  
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The first head of General Studies was Associate Professor of English [[Harry Morgan Ayres]], who was the head of University Extension. Among the first members of the GS Administrative Board were Dean [[Harry J. Carman]], and Dean [[Millicent Carrey Mcintosh]]. In 1954, General Studies had the largest enrollment (9,700) and faculty of any college or school at Columbia.
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===The Establishment of the School of General Studies===
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+
With an influx of students attending the University on the G.I. Bill following the resolution of World War II, in December 1946, the University Undergraduate program was reorganized as an official undergraduate college for "qualified students who, because of employment or for other reasons, are unable to attend other schools of the University" and designated the School of General Studies as of July 1947.<ref name="gs.columbia.edu-2">[http://www.gs.columbia.edu/gs-history History of the School of General Studies]</ref><ref name="spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu-2">{{cite web|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19461210-01.2.2&srpos=2&e=-------en-20--1-byDA-txt-IN-%22general+studies%22----# |title=Columbia Daily Spectator 10 December 1946 — Columbia Spectator |publisher=Spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu |date=1946-12-10 |accessdate=2014-01-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19461206-01.2.5&srpos=1&e=-------en-20--1-byDA-txt-IN-%22general+studies%22---- |title=Columbia Daily Spectator 6 December 1946 — Columbia Spectator |publisher=Spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu |date=1946-12-06 |accessdate=2014-01-05}}</ref>
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GS originally maintained its own faculty, classes, and programs. In 1968 the University Council first decided to allow GS to grant the B.A. degree in addition to the B.S. In the 1980s it was separated from the [[School of Continuing Education|Division of Continuing Education]]. In 1990, the CC, GS, and GSAS faculties were merged into the [[Faculty of Arts and Sciences]].
 
  
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The size of the GS student body continues to swing wildly, from 3,000 students in 1992, to 1,550 in 2004, to 2,213 in 2013.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/18/nyregion/ward-h-dennis-54-for-15-years-general-studies-dean-at-columbia.html</ref><ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/abstract/opir_enrollment_history_1.htm</ref>
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===The Trustees Grant the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)===
 +
In December 1968, the University Council permitted GS to grant the B.A. degree. Despite the objections of some members of the Columbia College Faculty, the Board of Trustees authorized the decision in February 1969.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19681219-01.2.2&srpos=29&e=-------en-20--21-byDA-txt-IN-%22general+studies%22+%22b.a.%22-ARTICLE---# |title=Columbia Daily Spectator 19 December 1968 — Columbia Spectator |publisher=Spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu |date=1968-12-19 |accessdate=2014-01-05}}</ref>
  
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The school's name refers to its diverse student body by alluding to medieval universities, which were also known as ''studia generalia''. ''Studia generalia'' were degree-granting institutions that served a much broader, often international group of students and scholars.<ref>[http://users.manchester.edu/Facstaff/SSNaragon/Kant/Universities/UnivIntro.htm Universities: Introduction<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=Glossary%2Fstudium Janus: ` studium<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
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===The Merging of the Columbia College and General Studies Faculties===
 +
In 1990, the Columbia College (CC), School of General Studies (GS), and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) faculties were merged into the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, which resulted in the complete academic integration between the School of General Studies and Columbia College.<ref name="columbiaspectator.com">http://columbiaspectator.com/2014/02/26/gs-eliminate-bs-degree-option-may-2014</ref> As a result, both GS and CC students receive degrees conferred by the Trustees of Columbia University through the Faculty of Art & Sciences,<ref name="columbiaspectator.com"/> and GS is recognized as one of the two official liberal arts colleges at Columbia University, along with Columbia College.
  
 
== Myths ==
 
== Myths ==

Latest revision as of 22:12, 3 June 2021

Columbia University School of General Studies
GS-Shield.gif
Established 1947
President
Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch
Degrees Bachelor of Arts
Enrollment 2,600 students (2019)
Website www.gs.columbia.edu

The School of General Studies is a highly selective liberal arts college and one of three official undergraduate colleges at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights, New York.[1] GS is known primarily for its traditional B.A. degree program for non-traditional students (those who have had an academic break of one year or more, or are pursuing dual-degrees).[2]

GS students make up almost 30% of the Columbia undergraduate population and have been known to consistently earn the highest average GPAs among undergraduates at Columbia University.[3][4] Despite the relatively small size of the college, a disproportionately large number of GS alumni have gone on to win prestigious fellowships, including the Rhodes Scholarship, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and the Fulbright Scholarship.[5][6][7][8]

GS offers dual degree programs with Sciences Po in France, the City University of Hong Kong, and List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary.[2] GS is the historical home to dual-degree programs at Columbia University—the school is the first undergraduate college at Columbia University to offer joint programs with other universities.[9] GS is also home to the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program.

Notable alumni include Nobel Prize winners Simon Kuznets and Baruj Benacerraf, as well as Isaac Asimov, J.D. Salinger, Amelia Earhart, and Princess Firyal of Jordan.

Academics

A Columbia undergraduate class could include students from any of the following schools: the School of General Studies, Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, or Barnard College. GS is unique among colleges of its type, because its students are fully integrated into Columbia's traditional undergraduate curriculum: GS Students take the same classes with the same students and professors and are granted the same degrees as students at Columbia College or SEAS.

The School of General Studies confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts in more than 80 majors[10]. All GS students are required to complete the Core Curriculum, which includes classes in Writing, Literature/Humanities, Contemporary Civilization/Social Science, Art Humanities, Music Humanities, Global Core, Quantitative Reasoning, Science, and Foreign Language.[11]

In addition to its bachelor's degree program, the School of General Studies offers combined undergraduate/graduate degree programs with Columbia's schools of Law, Business, Dental Medicine, Social Work, International and Public Affairs, Teachers College, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as undergraduate dual-degree programs with SEAS, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a dual-BA program with Sciences Po. In 2012, GS launched a pilot dual degree program with City University of Hong Kong. [12]

Admission

Admission to Columbia GS is highly selective and "extremely competitive."[13] Admission standards are among the highest in the nation: the SAT score range (25th-75th percentiles) for admitted students is 1330–1530 out of 1600 on the new SAT (680-770 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section and 650-760 on the Mathematics Section). The average GPA of admitted students is 3.9/4.0.[14]

Admission requires a formal application as well as submission of official SAT or ACT test scores, academic transcripts, essays, and recommendations; if the test scores are older than eight years, applicants may instead take the General Studies Admissions Examination.[15] Interviews are conducted in person and on the phone.

Eligibility

Eligibility for admission requires that applicants have taken a minimum of one year or more off from academic studies, or have extenuating circumstances which preclude them from attending Columbia College full-time. Prospective Columbia undergraduates who have had a break of a year or more in their education, have already completed an undergraduate degree, or are pursuing dual undergraduate degrees are considered non-traditional and are automatically ineligible for admission to Columbia College.[16][17] GS students have the option to attend part- or full-time.[18]

Sciences Po Columbia University Dual BA Program

The Dual BA Program is a unique and highly selective program in which undergraduate students earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees from both Columbia University and Sciences Po (one of the most prestigious and selective universities in France[19]) in four years. The applicant pool consists almost entirely of high school students.[20]

Students spend two years at one of three Sciences Po campuses in France (Le Havre, Menton, or Reims), each of which is devoted to a particular region of the world. At Sciences Po, undergraduates can pursue majors in political science, economics, law, finance, history, among others.

After two years at Sciences Po, students matriculate at Columbia University, where they complete the Core Curriculum and one of over 80 majors offered at Columbia. Graduates of the program are guaranteed admission to a Sciences Po graduate program.[20]

Placement

More than 70 percent of GS students go on to earn advanced degrees after graduation. Columbia GS students have been admitted to top graduate programs all over the country including law schools at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, the University of Chicago, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall), Duke, Cornell, and Notre Dame. They have also been admitted to medicals schools at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, UC San Francisco, Yale, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Cornell, and many others. In recent years, GS graduates have been recruited by investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup.

The Core Curriculum

GS has been progressively bringing its Core closer into alignment with CC, most recently during the summer of 2012 when it replaced the Cultural Diversity requirement (1 class that may overlap with another core class, commonly Asian Music or Art) with CC's 2 class Global Core requirement. It is possible to petition core requirements in certain cases. The following table lists the core requirements for GS and CC for students matriculating Fall 2012 or later:

GS[21] CC[22]
Writing[23] University Writing University Writing
Literature/Humanities Literature Humanities (or 1 semester of literature at Columbia and 1 semester of humanities or literature) Literature Humanities
Foreign Language 4th Semester of a Language OR exemption by university exam 4th Semester of a Language OR exemption by university exam
Art Art Humanities/Asian Humanities (Art) (or exemption by similar course taken at another institution) Art Humanities
Music Music Humanities/Asian Humanities (Music) (or exemption by similar course taken at another institution) Music Humanities
Contemporary Civilization/Social Science Contemporary Civilization (or either 2 social science or 1 social science + 1 humanities) Contemporary Civilization
Quantitative Reasoning Frontiers of Science; most classes satisfy both the Quantitative requirement and count as a Science requirement Covered under Science requirement
Science Frontiers of Science or 3 approved science courses Frontiers of Science and 2 additional science courses
Global Core 2 courses from the Global Core List 2 courses from the Global Core List
Physical Education None Swim test, 2 courses

Major Requirements

Major requirements are determined departmentally, and are the same for CC and GS students. GS students must complete a major unlike CC students, who can complete a major or concentration.

Financial Aid

GS offers scholarships for both newly accepted and continuing students. These scholarships are merit- rather than need-based like that of Columbia College and SEAS.

A common complaint made by GS students is that the financial aid amounts and options offered by GS are smaller than those offered to CC/SEAS students. In the absence of need-based institutional aid, many GS students rely on a combination of loans, external grants, and personal funds. In 2006 the University announced financial aid reforms for CC and SEAS students whose parents earn less than $50,000 annually.

GS does not offer parity with the packages offered to CC/SEAS students. This is because the scholarship system at GS is independent of the financial aid system for CC/SEAS and funding is sourced from a separate GS-only pool. GS has made some recent efforts to address the issue, both through campaigns to increase the endowment and by increasing its scholarship offerings by 10 percent (in 2006). Starting summer 2012 GS is offering merit institutional aid for summer study, in addition to fall and spring semesters.

Housing

General Studies students are not eligible for the CC/SEAS Room Selection process. However, many GS students receive housing through University Apartment Housing.

History

Defunct Predecessors

GS's evolutionary ancestor is Seth Low Junior College, which was established in Downtown Brooklyn to help alleviate the flood of Jewish applicants to Columbia College. The entrance requirements for Seth Low Junior College were reportedly the same as those enforced in Columbia College.[24] Following completion of the two-year program, graduates could complete their undergraduate educations at the University's professional schools (many of which still conferred terminal bachelor's degrees) or earn B.S. degrees in liberal arts and scientific disciplines as University Undergraduates at the Morningside Heights campus; at the time, the University only conferred the B.A. to graduates of Columbia College.[25]

Seth Low Junior College was closed in 1938 due to the establishment of Brooklyn College in 1930 and the concomitant economic effects of the Great Depression. Henceforth, its remaining students were absorbed into Columbia's undergraduate population as students in the University Undergraduate program (previously, University Extension, which was established by Nicholas Murray Butler in 1904).[26]

The Establishment of the School of General Studies

With an influx of students attending the University on the G.I. Bill following the resolution of World War II, in December 1946, the University Undergraduate program was reorganized as an official undergraduate college for "qualified students who, because of employment or for other reasons, are unable to attend other schools of the University" and designated the School of General Studies as of July 1947.[27][28][29]

The Trustees Grant the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

In December 1968, the University Council permitted GS to grant the B.A. degree. Despite the objections of some members of the Columbia College Faculty, the Board of Trustees authorized the decision in February 1969.[30]

The Merging of the Columbia College and General Studies Faculties

In 1990, the Columbia College (CC), School of General Studies (GS), and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) faculties were merged into the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, which resulted in the complete academic integration between the School of General Studies and Columbia College.[31] As a result, both GS and CC students receive degrees conferred by the Trustees of Columbia University through the Faculty of Art & Sciences,[31] and GS is recognized as one of the two official liberal arts colleges at Columbia University, along with Columbia College.

Myths

  • GS is night school.
GS students attend the same classes as students in other colleges at the university. Columbia offers some classes at night, but they are available to all students.
  • GS is an extension program.
GS should not be confused with the separate School of Continuing Education, which offers individual courses on non-degree basis. GS is one of the two official liberal arts colleges at Columbia University along with Columbia College. Students are expected to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Relationship to Columbia College

In December 1968 the University Council decided, over the objections of some members of the Columbia College Faculty, to allow GS to grant the B.A. degree in addition to the B.S. The Board of Trustees authorized that decision in February 1969. The creation of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 1991 merged the GS, CC and GSAS faculties. As a result, GS and CC students are nearly academically indistinguishable – they both receive instruction in the liberal arts and sciences from the Columbia Faculty of Arts and Sciences and receive the Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University. Until 2014 some did receive the Bachelor of Science degree, like SEAS students. GS students participate in nearly the same Core as Columbia College students, with a little additional flexibility, and the waiving of the swim test, PE, and Frontiers of Science. GS students have the same curriculum, but their own sections of, University Writing, Literature Humanities, and Contemporary Civilization although non-GS students may enroll if they wish and can gain permission. GS students may substitute certain other classes for the traditional Lit Hum, Art Hum, and CC that focus on non-western culture, if they wish.

The wide range of students that form the GS student body, from professionals or dropouts returning to school for a degree, to military veterans, to students who took 2 years off before attending college, to 'traditional'-age students enrolled in the Joint Degree Program with List College at JTS, to postbac pre-med students, makes it hard to say just what specific identity GS students have that makes them so different from their fellow students in the College. In 2007, the administration floated the idea of a CC-GS merger.[32] However it quickly died down.[33]

References

  1. ↑ http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/columbia-university-2707
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://gs.columbia.edu
  3. ↑ http://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/abstract/opir_enrollment_history_1.htm
  4. ↑ https://s3.amazonaws.com/BWARCHIVE/2013/may13.pdf
  5. ↑ http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2015/12/02/columbia-student-wins-rhodes-scholarship-first-time-five-years
  6. ↑ http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2016/12/01/gs-alumna-wins-rhodes-scholarship
  7. ↑ http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2015/03/02/gs-cc-alumnae-awarded-gates-cambridge-scholarship
  8. ↑ https://gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/dual-ba-students-receive-prestigious-grants-pursue-foreign-language-and-global-studies
  9. ↑ https://gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/glance
  10. ↑ https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/majors-concentrations/
  11. ↑ https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/the-core/
  12. ↑ http://gs.columbia.edu/owl-article?ntitle=7141&mgid=7138
  13. ↑ [1]
  14. ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/columbia-university-school-of-general-studies
  15. ↑ http://gs.columbia.edu/applying-gs
  16. ↑ http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/ask/faq?body_value=general+studies&field_question_topics_tid=All
  17. ↑ http://columbiaspectator.com/2012/03/07/gsjts-students-feel-caught-between-two-worlds
  18. ↑ Template:Cite web
  19. ↑ http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/studying-in-france/presentation-1988/articles-from-actualites-en-france/article/elite-paris-institut-d-etudes
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 https://gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/faq
  21. ↑ School of General Studes Core Requirements
  22. ↑ Columbia College Core Curriculum
  23. ↑ University Writing is required of both GS and CC students, but the sections are divided by school.
  24. ↑ [2]
  25. ↑ Template:Cite book
  26. ↑ Template:Cite web
  27. ↑ History of the School of General Studies
  28. ↑ Template:Cite web
  29. ↑ Template:Cite web
  30. ↑ Template:Cite web
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 http://columbiaspectator.com/2014/02/26/gs-eliminate-bs-degree-option-may-2014
  32. ↑ http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2007/11/12/university-may-merge-gs-cc "University May Merge GS with CC." Columbia Spectator. November 12, 2007
  33. ↑ http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2008/03/10/merits-gs-cc-integration "The Merits of the GS, CC Integration" Columbia Spectator. March 10 2008

External links

Columbia University Schools
Architecture, Planning and Preservation • Arts • Arts and Sciences (Graduate School) • Business • Columbia College • Dentistry • Continuing Education • Engineering • General Studies • International and Public Affairs • Journalism • Law • Medicine • Nursing • Public Health • Social Work
Affiliated Institutions
Barnard • Jewish Theological Seminary • Teachers College • Union Theological Seminary
Defunct Schools
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