Getting into Columbia’s Science Honors Program

I got into Columbia’s Science Honors program when I was a freshman in high school, meaning that I started taking the classes when I was a sophomore. What is this program? Columbia University’s Science Honors Program is a “Saturday morning program specifically designed for high school students in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. Classes are held on the Columbia University Morningside Campus during the entire academic year from September through May” (SHP Website). Classes are essentially free, but those in the program are encouraged to donate money (at least $50 per student). Prospective students must first take an exam in order to decide whether they are in the program. Before taking the test, students must send a recommendation from a science or math teacher and their transcripts. However, I believe that these aspects aren’t the deciding factors. To me, the benefits from the program are numerous, so I encourage everyone living near the university to try out and take that test.

When I went to take my test in early April three years ago, I remember being terrified of the sea of Asians that was flooding practically every exam room. In my class, I was fortunate enough to hear from a past SHP student (I believe he was a proctor then attending Columbia University) who explained the decision process–or at least, what he believed were the vital elements that decided whether students were accepted or denied to the program. First off, he explained that the transcripts and recommendations don’t really count for much. Thus, the exam was important. The exam is split into three sections: the science multiple choice questions, the “easy” math, and then the challenge math questions. He explained that the science questions were really easy, so they can’t be the deciding factors. The math questions were pretty easy, too, so they can’t be the deciding factor. Then, he circled the challenge math questions–those were what decided whether a student was entered or rejected into the program. I’m not sure if that’s true. I was very frightened at that point about the exam. After all, I was a ninth grader and I obviously had not learned as much science nor as much math as a tenth or eleventh grader.

When the exam finally began, I breezed throught the majority of the science questions. There were a few (about three) physics questions that I couldn’t answer, since I’ve never taken physics. But for the most part, the science questions were either common sense, graphs, or required some knowledge of chemistry. Luckily, my dad decided to give me a 5-minute teaching of chemistry since I had never taken the course then, so I could answer the chemistry questions.

The “easy” math came next. I remember them as being very simple–similar to the math questions on the SAT I, I believe. Or maybe even easier. But, you should be able to get most if not all of these questions right.

Finally, the challenge math questions came. I remember there were 20 questions and they were…hard. Calculators aren’t allowed on this test, so make sure you are good at simple math! This is the time that those 2-hour homework assignments on fractions in 4th grade pays off. I struggled to write answers for 11 of the 20 questions. Every method of solving was fair game. Try anything you think is possible. Don’t just sit there and stare. An answer, after all, is better than none. I don’t know if points are taken off if you get a question wrong, but even still, the points you gain of getting one question correction would far outweigh the points of getting a question wrong.

When I left that exam, a sense of defeat filled me. I had only answered 11/20 questions, and I heard students exclaim as everyone left in a horde how they had even used calculus. I never learned calculus! So, this is when the curve kicks in.

Ninth graders are obviously not expected to score as high as juniors, which means that they will be admitted to the program at a lower score. The same goes with sophomores. I’m not exactly sure how great the curve is, but it must be a pretty good curve, considering that I was accepted into the program even though I only managed to solve 11/20 questions.

My best suggestion before this test is to relax. If you want to see math with similar difficulty to those on the test, I heard that questions from the American Invitational Mathematics Examination provides sample similar questions. I also suggest just skimming through a book on the science subjects you have never learned. If you are from New York, Regents review books are enough. The science questions really are quite simple.

With that, good luck to all those applying this year! If you get in, do be proud! After all, I believe only 200/2000 people are accepted, so this is a great feat! If you don’t, there is always next year. Get a good night’s sleep!