Application Instructions

Students can apply for on-campus housing by completing the on-campus housing section of the admissions application.

Download optional recommendation form

Submit one letter of recommendation from an instructor, guidance counselor or other individual who is qualified to comment on your potential to complete college level work in an arts and communications curriculum. Please be sure your full name and Social Security Number appear on the letter. Additional letters of recommendation are welcomed.

Official transcripts must be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Please see the official application instructions for more details about submitting transcripts.

HIGH SCHOOL APPLICANT
Have your most recent and/or final transcript sent by your school. All admitted students must have final transcripts on file prior to orientation/registration. If you have taken the ACT or SAT, and your scores are not on your transcript, please arrange to have your test results forwarded separately to the admissions office. Although the ACT or SAT is not required for admission to Columbia College Chicago, these tests are valuable tools for advising new students. In many cases ACT scores may be used as an alternative to the college's assessment test. All students are strongly urged to complete one of these tests while they are in high school.

TRANSFER APPLICANT
Have all previous official college transcript(s) and final high school transcript or GED test results (including your scores) sent. there is no minimum required number of transfer hours.

GED APPLICANT
Have an official copy of your GED test results (including your scores) sent from the testing agency (certificates of GED completion are not acceptable).

HOME SCHOOLED APPLICANT
Have an official copy of your transcript sent from a state-recognized home school.

Students are required to submit records showing proof of specific immunizations as follows: one tetanus/diphtheria shot within the last ten years, two separate measles shots during your lifetime, one rubella shot and one mumps shot; or one tetanus/diptheria shot within the last ten years, a combination of one MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and a second measles vaccination. Students born prior to January 1, 1957 and students enrolled in fewer than six credit hours are exempt from complying with this law, illinois public act #85-1315.

Completed applications can be reviewed without immunization records on file. However, all students are required to have complete immunization records on file prior to orientation/registration.

There is a $35 non-refundable application fee payable to Columbia College Chicago, using Columbia's on-line payment form, check or money order. Please do not mail cash.

Students who apply using Columbia's on-line admission application can submit their payment on-line in the final step of the application process.

If paying by check or money order, please be sure to include the students full name and social security number, if available.

Your admission file is considered ready for review only when you have submitted your application and the Columbia College Chicago Office of Undergraduate Admissions receives your essay, transcripts, and letter of recommendation. While it is not necessary to submit all of these materials together, doing so enables the College to process your application more efficiently. If your transcripts or letter of recommendation are mailed separately by your school(s) and/or instructors, please be sure that you give them proper mailing instructions.