Planning Day

GS Planning Days involve a series of events designed to assist students in making a smooth transition to Columbia University.

Planning Day provides incoming GS undergraduate and Postbac Premed students the opportunity to interact with one another, as well as to meet continuing GS students, learn more about educational financing options, become familiar with the Morningside Heights campus, and begin to acquaint themselves with academic life at Columbia University.

Undergraduate & Postbac Premed Students

After attending a Planning Session, students will be given a final assignment as to who their individual academic advisor will be while enrolled at Columbia. Students are required to schedule an appointment to meet with their advisor to discuss course selection (this can be done virtually as well.)

While most of the GS Planning Day activities are optional, attendance at a Planning Session is:

  • Mandatory for all new students

  • A prerequisite for registering for classes and meeting with an academic advisor

During the Planning Session, students will receive an overview of the registration and advising process, general academic requirements, and relevant policies, as well as website links and resources needed to plan their academic schedules.

Students cannot attend a Planning Session until they have formally accepted the offer of admission, signified by submitting the Acceptance Reply Form along with a non-refundable $500 tuition deposit. In order to assign students an academic advisor, these items must be received two weeks prior to attending a Planning Session. To submit your acceptance reply form and tuition deposit online using a credit or debit card, please log in to your application profile.

Students are encouraged to attend a Planning Session at their earliest convenience. The sooner students register for classes, the better chance they will have to register for courses that fit both their interests and schedules. Seats are limited for each Planning Session.

Students may register for only one Planning Session at a time. Students who can no longer attend the session for which they registered must cancel their registration before registering for a new session, by referring to the confirmation email, which provides a link to cancel. After registration has been canceled, please return to this page to register for a new session.

GS Planning Days

Registration Deadline: 12 p.m., three business days prior to the session you plan to attend

In addition to the mandatory Planning Session, students will have the opportunity to take a student-led campus tour, hear from the Educational Financing team, as well as a  representative from the GS Housing Committee, and attend a meet-and-greet with current GS students.

Remote Planning Sessions

Registration Deadline: 12 p.m., one business day prior to the session you plan to attend

Remote Planning Sessions are intended for students who are unable to attend an on-campus Planning Day. They take place online and do not include the student-led campus tour, meet-and-greet, or housing presentations.

Upcoming Dates

Postbac Premed Planning Days

No upcoming events

Undergraduate Planning Days

Tuesday, December 17, 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm