Am I delusional? (chance)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>This is a chancing thread, just to avoid any confusion the title may have caused.</p>

<p>I'm a columbia college applicant.</p>

<p>Legacy from grandfather (School of Journalism and General Studies.)</p>

<p>I'm male, white, lower-middle class and from Long Island.</p>

<p>I have a 2120 on the SAT 780W (12 Essay), 700M, 640CR and a 29 on the ACT. I have a 710 on Math Level 1 (expecting a 760 next time) and I'm expecting around a 730 in Literature.</p>

<p>I am in the top 15% of my grade (about 200 kids.)</p>

<p>I have a 3.8 unweighted and a 4.0 weighted. The reason this is so low is because in the first two years of high school I wanted to be a musician, and then in junior and senior year I realized I didn't so I tried harder. My junior/senior GPA will be about a 4.2? (102) and unweighted will be about a 98. This is a big part of my essay, and the lesson I learned from it.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Community Band (9-12) section leader, everyone is like 45+ except for me and I am the saxophone section leader, I have also been a featured soloist in it. 160 hours of community service from it for each year.</p>

<p>Mock Trial (12) </p>

<p>Jazz Band (9-12) section leader</p>

<p>Marching Band/Pep Band (9-12) Section leader</p>

<p>IB Leadership Group (12) only year available and I am the president</p>

<p>Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division (12) worked to contribute about $3000 so I could attend</p>

<p>Interact Club (9-12) event coordinator.</p>

<p>Saxophone Lessons (9-12) two a week in classical and jazz</p>

<p>Work Experience: Every summer to help my family. I worked this last summer to help pay my way through the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College, contributed about $3000, instead of doing an archaeological dig. I have been tutoring a young boy with learning disabilities for a little more than a year. I also tutored a girl a few grades lower than me for a few months. Both tutoring jobs are for pay.</p>

<p>Recs: Music Teacher's is glowing. One from counselor and teachers will be amazing as well. I also have one from my principal who I took an independent study with and it is very laudatory, although it kind of restates my resume. But the few good things he says in it are worthwhile.</p>

<p>Courses: All honors for 9th and 10th grade. 6 IB courses over junior and senior year, most of which are 2 years. I should be getting 6's or 7's (out of 7) on all of them. 1 AP.</p>

<p>Senior Year:
IB Physics SL
IB Biology HL II
Physical Education Electives
Honors Band
Applied Music
Science Research Honors
IB Spanish HL II
IB History of the Americas HL II
English 12H
IB Math Studies SL </p>

<p>Avg for first quarter of senior year is a 97.00</p>

<p>Honors and Rewards: Outstanding Achievement in Band (9-12)</p>

<p>Outstanding Achievement in Spanish (11, maybe 12)</p>

<p>High Honor Roll every quarter, every year</p>

<p>National Junior Honor Society (9,10)</p>

<p>National Honor Society (11,12)</p>

<p>National Spanish Honor Society (9-12)</p>

<p>Musical performances for board of eduaction (10,11)</p>

<p>Community Service: 500+ hours from community band, Relay for Life, Interact, helping out church, etc.</p>

<p>Essays: A lot of people have lauded my essays, even people who are being paid to find fault with them.</p>

<p>Supplement: My music supplement is, in my (I feel like a jerk, but world-renowned) teacher's opinion, gorgeous. I play the classical alto saxophone. I also compose and play piano, but not as well as my saxophone skills, and none of that went in on the supplement.</p>

<p>Hooks (if any): I'm a musician (does that count?). My step-father has been best friends with the guy (Michael Price) who is in charge of some big financial stuff at Yale since they were like 10 years old. Hopefully that will get me some cred. I'm assuming if he's in charge of such big financial stuff, he most know the president, who carries a ton of weight.</p>

<p>There may be some stuff I am forgetting, but this is the bulk of it. And if I am forgetting anything, let me know so that I can fix it.</p>

<p>What do you think? Am I deluding myself thinking that I may have a shot?</p>

2

<p>Yes you have a shot! I don’t think my credentials are as good as yours, but I got deferred in ED, so that means I have somewhat of a chance. You probably do too</p>

3

<p>Haha, my mistake. I copied this over from Yale’s board, forget about the second hook everyone :P</p>

4

<p>Well you haven’t done any national music competitions or won any regional/state/national awards.</p>

<p>You paid an essay tutor yet you are a low-income student who worked to get through pre-college?</p>

<p>You should have two academic recommendations, a music recommendation can come second to that.</p>

<p>Your awards are very limited to school/band.</p>

<p>You say you are applying to Columbia COLLEGE in the Columbia UNIVERSITY board…I’ll assume you mean university.</p>

<p>I mean you still have a shot…but it seems like your application is going to try to focus on your musical abilities. You have obviously done well with your community band, but most applicants have competed in some composition/performance competition. You still have a decent chance of getting in as long as your teachers’ recommendations validate your essay about turning around in high school.</p>

5

<p>Definitely try to convey your passion for music in your essay AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I also had bad grades Freshman year, but actually I asked my counselor to explain it in her letter, which freed up my essay to focus entirely on my passion. Because your word count is somewhat limited, I believe that trying to explain your passion and explain your grades will result in a mediocre explanation of both. Even if you are no longer pursing music as a main interest, present yourself as a man possessed. </p>

<p>The most important thing in college applications for a college which can hand-select their class is uniqueness. Look at the acceptance/rejection topic. Even those with amazing GPAs/ECs/Test scores were rejected. You have something unique about you through your passion for music. Utilize it. </p>

<p>And study hard from those standardize tests.</p>

6

<p>HYPhoper, thanks for pointing out some of the things I forgot. This may seem like I am making these up on the spot because of the impressions you gave, but I am not.</p>

<p>All-State Symphonic Band, Winds Symphony and Jazz Band Alternate</p>

<p>Participation in NYSSMA (state music competition) grades 9-12 and for Jazz and received grades of: 9th - 98 Classical, 10th - 97 Jazz, 99 Classical, 11th - 99 Jazz, 100 Classical; each year I did the grade lvl 6 pieces (out of 6). </p>

<p>I also won statewide awards for Outstanding (highest rating) in all of the mentioned years. It’s like A+ = Outstanding, A = Great, etc…</p>

<p>Also did lvl 5 (out of 6) Piano NYSSMA after self-studying Piano for less than a year and received a 97.</p>

<p>Also, Columbia College is the undergraduate school at Columbia University, I don’t know what the confusion is there. I didn’t pay an essay tutor, I’m referring to guidance counselors and some english teachers as people who are paid to find fault in it. I have one rec from my music teacher, one from my guidance counselor, two from academic teachers and one from my principal, my mistake on the discrepancy. And the Manhattan School of Music is kind of a regional ‘award’, it draws a lot of talented kids from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.</p>

<p>Winjitsu, I appreciate your concern on the essay and I did the same thing with my guidance counselor. However, mine is less of an explanation and is more the lesson I learned. The main point of the essay is not limiting myself to saying “I did bad; I do better now”, it’s much, much more than that. I really say devote only about 20-30 words that are focused on my previous grades, and even those link back to my passion and my lesson.</p>

7

<p>By “paid to find faults” I had assumed you meant essay tutor.</p>

<p>Anyway, those awards DEFINITELY address the shortcomings I had mentioned. With those, your application is certainly much stronger.</p>

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<p>Bumping… Please wait…</p>