What is the 3:3 Program with Columbia?

Colorado College is proud to sponsor a special program with Columbia Law School in New York. The 3+3 program allows qualified CC undergraduates admission to Columbia's College of Law after the conclusion of their junior year.

Things to consider before pursuing this option:

• Your major and your all-college requirements must be complete by the end of your junior year, no exceptions. You do not need to have the 32 credits required to graduate but the main requirements do need to be completed.
• You must have the score requirements to be admitted to Columbia. This includes your GPA (roughly a 3.6-4.0) and LSAT score (above a 174 preferably).
• The best time to take the LSAT is in June before your junior year. You could take the September test during your junior year if necessary.
• You will not apply through the typical admission cycle. It is very important for you to meet with the pre-law advisor at CC in order to understand the timeline and get a letter of recommendation. This means building a strong relationship with the pre-law advisor. This recommendation letter will take into account:
  • Academic performance
  • Maturity (you will most likely be several years younger than all your classmates)
  • Desire to attend law school - are you able to articulate that interest well?
  • Contribution to the law profession - are you prepared for this lifestyle?
• You'll have to make some sacrifices since you'll be leaving CC early. It's very possible you will give up a semester of study abroad experience, senior year activities, and walking at graduation with your classmates.
• You will need to work with your academic department to make sure all Columbia class credits will transfer back to CC. These classes will be considered electives but this must be approved by the academic department.
• If you are on financial aid at CC, this will not transfer to Columbia. If you need financial assistance for Columbia, you will need to have that conversation with them individually.

If you have questions or would like to talk through this option with the pre-law advisor, please call us at 719.389.6893 to make an appointment. This is a big and exciting decision to make and we want to make sure you weigh all the possibilities.