Prospective JIE Scholars must be nominated by a teacher, professor, re-entry professional, or an alumnus/a of the program.* If you are interested in becoming a JIE Scholar, ask one of your teachers to recommend you. In rare instances, we have accepted applicants by self-nomination, provided that the self-nominating applicant can procure recommendations and/or transcripts from past coursework.

To be eligible for the JIE Scholars program you must:

• Be formerly incarcerated
• Have no open cases
• Have a GED or High School diploma

The steps to admission: 

• Once we receive your (1) nomination, we will invite you to 
• (2) submit a student interest form in anticipation of your first meeting with the advising team, with whom you will discuss the program in further detail. If the program mutually seems like a good fit, we will invite you to 
• (3) submit an application consisting of a personal statement, a writing sample, and teacher recommendations. After we receive all components of your application, we will invite you to 
• (4) attend an interview with the faculty. 

All incoming JIE Scholars participate in a mandatory, one-credit preparatory course called Transitioning to the College Classroom: Strategies for Academic Success. It is designed to help you practice study strategies and habits of mind to help you succeed in Columbia coursework; access academic resources both on and off campus; and build community with your fellow JIE Scholars and other Columbia faculty, staff, and students dedicated to fostering a more just society. Transitioning to the College Classroom is held on Wednesday evenings during the Fall semester (September to December). After successful completion of the course, you will enroll in University Writing in the Spring.

*To join the list of nominators from whom we regularly solicit applications, please write to JIE Academic Advisor Neni Panourgiá (np255@columbia.edu).