A Tapestry of Stories: GS Welcomes Its Newest Students at Convocation

Columbia GS recently welcomed nearly 700 students to campus as its annual Convocation Ceremony on Monday, August 25. 

Acting President of Columbia University Claire Shipman, alongside numerous GS Deans, University leadership, and GS student and alumni leaders, addressed the incoming class, underscoring how their nontraditional paths to Columbia will deepen their academic experiences and highlighting the transformative journey they’re all about to embark on.

Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch opened the ceremony with words of encouragement and recognition of the unique journeys that brought each student to Columbia. “Many of you, our newest students, have taken diverse and sometimes non-linear paths to get to Columbia,” she said. “You bring determination, adaptability, and creativity—qualities that will enrich the classroom, inspire your peers, and help you grow in ways you cannot yet imagine.”

Throughout her remarks, Dean Rosen-Metsch emphasized the year’s theme—Curiosity, Kindness, and Community—as guiding principles for students’ time at Columbia. She encouraged them to lean into the challenges and opportunities ahead with openness and resilience. “Curiosity will push you beyond what you think you know,” she said, “kindness will make this intellectual journey possible, and community will be the thread that holds all of this together, ensuring you have the support, encouragement, and shared purpose needed to thrive at Columbia.”

In addressing the incoming class, Acting President Shipman echoed that joining the Columbia community means practicing empathy and respect while embracing the discomfort of having assumptions challenged. “What you get out of the experience will depend on what you put into it. Looking out at all of you today fills me with such incredible hope for the future. I can’t wait to see what you make of it,” she said.

Following Acting President Shipman’s speech, students and guests heard from Professor Amy Hungerford, the Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of the Arts & Sciences of Columbia University; Marlyn Delva, GS Dean of Students; James Colgrove, Dean of the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program; Elle Littlefield '12GS, Founder of Careerwell and member of the Columbia Alumni Association Board; and Oscar Wolfe, GSSC Student Body President and junior in the Joint Degree Program with JTS.

The ceremony underscored GS’s distinction as one of the most diverse and dynamic colleges in the Ivy League, enrolling more military veterans than all its peer schools combined and welcoming a greater percentage of first-generation students than any other Ivy institution. By championing students who have taken nontraditional paths, GS continues to redefine what access and excellence look like in higher education.

As Dean Rosen-Metsch reminded the new class, their individual stories now form part of a shared legacy: “Your stories weave together to create a beautiful tapestry of voices, experiences, and expertise that is the very essence of GS.”

The newest GSers officially joined a community that has, for nearly eight decades, redefined what it means to be a Columbia student.

Fall 2025 Incoming Class by the Numbers
52% of incoming domestic students are eligible for a Pell Grant*
33% of incoming students are international students
24% of incoming students are military veterans
156 incoming students are first-generation college students
21 incoming students are pursuing their second Bachelor’s degree

Enrollment**
Undergraduate: 406
Postbac Premed: 77
GS-JTS Joint Program: 29
Dual BA Program with Sciences Po: 90
Dual BA Program with Trinity College Dublin: 44
Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program with City University of Hong Kong: 19
Dual Degree Program with Tel Aviv University: 31

Demographics
Age Range: 18 - 69
Students who are married: 31
Students with children: 24
U.S. residents hail from 27 states

Citizenship
51 countries represented

*International students are not eligible for federal financial aid, including Pell Grants

**Third-year students in the international dual degree programs who have completed two years of coursework abroad are also beginning their studies at Columbia.

Note: Statistics and counts as of August 27, 2025