<p>I know I'm not the ideal candidate, but I'd like to know where I stand for admission to Columbia and how I can improve my application.</p>
<p>Ranked 4 out of class of 140
Weighted G.P.A. of 4.27
ACT Composite of 32, Writing 33</p>
<p>AP Courses:
English III (5)
English IV
World History (3)
U.S. History (4)
Government</p>
<p>ECs:
-State Titles for UIL Literary Criticism and Social Studies
-Varisty Tennis 3 years with Regional and State Titles
-TX Girls State Citizen
-Member, National Honor Society, 2007-present
-Member, Leo Club, 2003-present
-Vice President, Leo Club, 2008-2009
-President, Leo Club, 2007-2008
-Vice President of the Junior Class, 2007-2008
-Assistant Editor, School Newspaper, 2007-2008
-Prom Committee Member, 2007-2008
-Director, Leo Club, 2006-2007
-Secretary of Sophomore Class, 2006-2007
-Lifestyles Editor, School Newspaper, 2006-2007</p>
<p>-Volunteer, Animal Shelter, with about 36 hours of volunteering annually, 2006-present
-Teacher Assistant at Intermediate School, with about 70 hours of volunteering, August 2008-July 2009
-Team Green
-Brown Santa</p>
<p>I will be taking the U.S. History and Literatures SAT IIs.</p>
<p>I, on the other hand, have no qualms with chancing you. I would recommend that you take the SATs as well, since you're taking 2 SAT IIs anyway. If you can score 2250 on the SAT, and 750+ on your SAT IIs, plus good essays, you have an amazing chance. Especially if you apply early. My friends with lower stats were accepted early. Mine were roughly equal to yours, I was waitlisted in RD.</p>
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I, on the other hand, have no qualms with chancing you.
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I was waitlisted in RD.
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<p>No qualms, but also no expertise.</p>
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If you can score 2250 on the SAT, and 750+ on your SAT IIs, plus good essays, you have an amazing chance
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<p>Only a rare few have "an amazing chance." She's got a pretty standard profile; no cures for cancer, parents who are Senators, etc. You mean to say "decent shot."</p>
<p>Nope; I mean amazing chance. You mistake your alma mater for HYPMS. I consider myself a "mediocre" excellent student, meaning that I have great SAT scores, GPA, and ECs, but I know full well that there are thousands of applicants with an identical profile. HYPMS get their pick of the truly talented or otherwise highly distinguished students; Columbia - and the rest of the lower Ivies - has to settle for the "normally" excellent students. These students are obviously highly intelligent and hardworking, but they fell a little short of HYPMS's (somewhat superficial, let's be honest) standards.</p>
<p>As for my story, had I applied early to Columbia from my HS, I likely would have been accepted; everyone who was accepted was a lower rank or had lower SATs/SAT IIs than I had.
So, I would say that if she applies early, being the "mediocre" excellent student that Columbia guns for, she has an amazing shot of getting in.</p>
<p>^It depends on what you mean by "good." If you mean "prestigious," or on-campus food-wise, then sure. But if you are speaking in terms of quality, I do believe you are wrong, especially in certain academic disciplines. </p>
<p>Also, the only good...sorry, "better," thing about Penn is Wharton. :/</p>
<p>I would not describe most of the students here as "mediocre" in any application of the term. I personally probably am (whoo), but many people I've met are quite amazing. I really think you only have to walk into Lerner at night when people are practicing their instruments to understand the talent that we have here, though of course it manifests itself in other ways. You act like everyone who goes here simply are HYPs leftovers, I don't believe that is true.</p>
<p>Also, I would like to point out that due to the unpredictable nature of Ivy League admissions, it is unwise to say "amazing chance." I agree that the OP's stats are pretty good, but she doesn't have a measurable leg up over the people who usually get in, meaning that "decent chance" is probably the more accurate prediction. It doesn't matter that you personally consider Columbia to be a "lower Ivy," because your opinion has nothing to do with the admissions process. This is the most competitive year ever, and the following years will be no picnic for applicants. Almost no one has an "amazing chance." In the case of the OP, I think it will come down to whether the adcom decides that she would be a good fit for the school.</p>
<p>Every time a Columbia person tries to qualify the greatness of their student body, they use the example of their great student musicians. Honestly, though, that's about the only feather in your cap. You get a couple of world-class musicians per year - which many Ivies have in spades as well, by the way - and everyone else is a pseudo-intellectual hipster that prays they don't meet up with an HYPMS graduate, at which point they whither in internal shame while outwardly trumpeting the "virtues" of their school. Columbia ain't what it used to be, but it may take a while for you guys to finally realize that.</p>
<p>Also, in terms of selectivity, I believe Columbia is tied with Penn at 6th, and that's an unbiased ranking that takes into account actual academic merit like SATs, rank and decile, etc. So...</p>
<p>So, therefore, it's incredibly competitive, and thus telling someone they have an "amazing chance" when about 10% are accepted, when most applicants have extremely fine credentials, is misleading and a little unfair.</p>
<p>I agreee with Columbia2002 that "decent shot" is a better descriptor for anyone who doesn't walk on water. That's not about calling Columbia the equivalent of HYPS; there's no need to bring in unasked for comparisons.</p>
<p>It's about the reality of college admissions at this time.</p>
<p>True enough Garland, however I still maintain the belief that the OP has an amazing shot, given that she appears, to me at least, as a bit more qualified than the average matriculating Columbian.</p>
<p>muerteapablo, I can't tell if you're bitter or just really self-important, but the fact is that you have not attended Columbia, and thus have no basis on which to stake claims about Columbia's quality, or how "it isn't what it used to be," and you certainly don't get to tell us how we feel about the school. Many students here have friends and acquaintances at HYPMS, it's laughable to suggest that the bulk of the student body has some kind of inferiority complex. Furthermore, the quality of the student body is much greater than you suggest, and as you have no idea what the "typical Columbia student" is, you should really stop pretending like you do, especially on chance threads.</p>
<p>Also, If you hate it that much, why did you apply?</p>
<p>I would say the OP is possibly on par with the average Columbian. I think the Criticism and Tennis titles are pretty cool. But it's an unfortunate fact that not everyone will get in, as garland noted. Again, it has to be a realistically decent chance coupled with a good fit demonstrated through essays and letters that will get the OP in.</p>
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True enough Garland, however I still maintain the belief that the OP has an amazing shot, given that she appears, to me at least, as a bit more qualified than the average matriculating Columbian.
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<p>So being "a **bit **more qualified" makes you go from a "decent shot" to an "amazing shot"? </p>
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I still maintain the belief
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she appears, to me at least,
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<p>Your uninformed opinion -- which you however have no qualms about giving -- is pretty unhelpful in these parts. Your posts here demonstrate an utter lack of knowledge as to what Columbia is looking for. And that's not surprising given your inability to get into Columbia.</p>
<p>Columbia2002, people who matriculate to Columbia share a 100% acceptance rate. Assuming Columbia doesn't game its yield, someone who is more impressive than most accepted students has a fantastic chance at being accepted. Given that the process is a crapshoot, the OP might be rejected or waitlisted; as I was, for example, even though my stats were obviously good enough, and even though I gained admission at Penn, a school with an identical selectivity ranking as Columbia.</p>
<p>Of course, given your psychopathy, you'll probably just choose to twist the meaning of my words and revel in the Columbian prestige of yesteryear.</p>
<p>weird, it seems like columbia2002 acts like an insecure child all the time. </p>
<p>he made some bizarre condescending posts in my thread and i was confused; why would somebody who graduated from columbia in 2002 join a forum simply to abuse people?</p>
<p>you win tons of points with everybody by comporting yourself like a sociopathic and misanthropic freak who wastes his time bullying kids many years younger than himself on an internet subforum.</p>
<p>i know that you have good advice, but the way in which you deliver your "wisdom" is nothing short of abusive. for the sake of everybody here, why don't you grow up.</p>
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I thought that the Math SAT II was only reccomended for the engineering school. Is it better to take it even if I'm not applying there?
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I am fairly positive that at the information session I attended, they recommended it for anyone applying. Most top-tier schools do for some reason.</p>
<p>You could take the Math in addition to the other SAT IIs, and then only submit the score based on how well you do. I mean, you have little to lose just by taking it and, in my opinion, it's a good thing to have on your app if you can do well. :)</p>