The Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) is a science program at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

that runs during the school year for tenth-, eleventh-, and twelfth-grade

high-school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

students.

Curriculum

Since 1958, SHP has offered courses spanning the full range of the pure and applied sciences, from

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, ...

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

and

physiological psychology Physiological psychology is a subdivision of behavioral neuroscience (biological psychology) that studies the neural mechanisms of perception and behavior through direct manipulation of the brains of nonhuman animal subjects in controlled experime ...

, to

computer programming Computer programming is the process of performing a particular computation (or more generally, accomplishing a specific computing result), usually by designing and building an executable computer program. Programming involves tasks such as anal ...

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and

calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

in the complex plane, as well as introductions to

special relativity In physics, the special theory of relativity, or special relativity for short, is a scientific theory regarding the relationship between space and time. In Albert Einstein's original treatment, the theory is based on two postulates: # The laws ...

quantum theory Quantum theory may refer to: Science *Quantum mechanics, a major field of physics *Old quantum theory, predating modern quantum mechanics * Quantum field theory, an area of quantum mechanics that includes: ** Quantum electrodynamics ** Quantum ...

particle physics Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) an ...

and

physical cosmology Physical cosmology is a branch of cosmology concerned with the study of cosmological models. A cosmological model, or simply cosmology, provides a description of the largest-scale structures and dynamics of the universe and allows study of f ...

. The program was directed by educator Donald Barr from its inception until 1964, and during that period admitted students as young as ten years old. It boasts many famous alumni, including the creator of GNU, Richard Stallman, and several Nobel Laureates. The program was run by Professor Allan Blaer for many years, and has recently been taken over by Professor Jeremy Dodd.

Administration

Classes are held each Saturday throughout the academic year, from September through May at

Pupin Hall Pupin Physics Laboratories , also known as Pupin Hall, is home to the physics and astronomy departments of Columbia University in New York City. The building is located on the south side of 120th Street, just east of Broadway. In 1965, Pupin was ...

at Columbia University. There are no tuition charges for the program, but students must provide their own transportation expenses, to and from Columbia's campus in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. The program receives funding from the university, and donations from corporations and foundations, as well individual donations from students.

Admission

To apply to the SHP, students must go online to the Columbia SHP website; however, this was not the procedure in 1958 when the program started. The main portion of the application process is a rigorous, three-hour examination proctored in the Columbia University campus that contains questions in both mathematics and

science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

. The exam is tripartite, consisting of a 50 question "easy" mathematics section, a 75 question survey science section, and a 15 question "challenge" mathematics section. The average acceptance rate for the program is usually around 10%. There are 300-400 participants in the program across all 3 grades (10,11,12). Applications are mailed to schools within a 75-mile radius of Columbia's New York City campus, and there are several more requirements besides the test: A transcript of the student's grades, a recommendation by a science or math teacher, and a student

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are also required.

References

{{Columbia Gifted education Columbia University