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Your Questions Answered

Payments

  • Students will pay the deposit and tuition online. All payment information will be made available after admission.

  • The deposit is non-refundable. The deposit will act as the first payment toward tuition. The remaining tuition balance will be due at a later date indicated in the admissions letter.

  • Students who complete the Foundations course will be eligible for a discount on the Advanced Dialogue and Research course. The discount will be applied automatically to the program tuition. 

Application

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  • Rolling admissions means we begin reviewing applications and making decisions before the final deadline. We recommend that applicants not wait until the final deadline, as courses may fill up before then.

  • We recommend applying early as classes may fill up weeks before the final application deadline. Students are encouraged to seek recommendations or submit their self-nominations as soon as they are ready.

  • Students who miss an application cycle are encouraged to seek future course offerings.

  • Future classes will be announced 3-4 months in advance, and the application portal will open approximately 2 months before each new course cycle begins.

  • We strive to keep class sizes small. No more than 20-25 students will be admitted per course.

Program

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  • Yes. Students may enroll in both the Foundations of Dialogue and the Advanced Dialogue and Research course. Both courses are complementary and build on each other. We typically offer our Foundations courses during the school year (in spring and fall) and our two-week intensive Advanced courses in the summer (July and August).

  • Our Foundations course provides the basics of dialogue competencies. The Advanced course delves deeper into the material, and enrolled students work on a research portfolio.

  • The curriculum of both courses is identical, the only difference is the dates they are offered.

  • Our Foundations course runs on Saturdays from ca. 10am to 3pm. The course instruction may be accompanied by occasional short homework assignments. Advanced Dialogue and Research courses run Monday through Thursday from ca. 10am to 3pm. Students should expect some homework assignments. (Exact times will be confirmed after program admission.)

  • Yes. We will provide lunch daily to all our students free of charge.

  • We do not recommend that students miss any of the classes. If students are unable to attend a class, we ask that they contact our program staff in advance. We cannot prorate or discount tuition, or offer special materials to cover missed classes.  Personal emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

  • Yes. Columbia students will act as mentors in this program. Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with Columbia students during on-campus practice sessions.

  • Yes. Students will have full access to the Columbia campus and be able to interact with our academic community. We will offer campus tours, and students will receive IDs to access core facilities, including the university libraries.

  • Students who accept their offer and start one of our courses are given two full days to withdraw without penalty. Students who withdraw after 5:00 pm on the second day of the program are responsible for the full tuition.

  • Our program advisor will be announced in the admissions letter.

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