Any chance? Should I bother?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>SATs: (assume these are the scores I'm sending)</p>

<p>Top 4% of class (ELC) Competitive San Francisco Bay Area school.
Awesome Couns. rec, pretty good teacher recs </p>

<p>800 critical reading 730 writing 520 math = 2050</p>

<p>SAT IIs:
US History: 790
Literature: 740</p>

<p>UC culmulative GPA weighted: 4.165 unweighted 3.9</p>

<p>Fresh: 4.0/4.0</p>

<p>Soph: 4.1/4.1 (1 weighted: AP European History)</p>

<p>Junior: same grades both semesters. (4 weighted)
AP Art: A
AP English: A-
AP US History: A-
Honors Spanish 4: A-
Algebra II: C <- tried my hardest, but that's what I got.
Chemistry: B </p>

<p>Senior Schedule:
AP Stats
AP Enviro Sci
AP Art
AP English
AP Spanish
Econ/Gov
Gym</p>

<p>School ECs:
Art/Literary Magazine: Editorial Staff 4 years, Art/Photo editor 2 years
NHS
CSF
Science Alliance: 3 years
Speech and Debate: 2 years</p>

<p>My best ECs:
Girl Scout Gold Award (same as Eagle): Created educational program about city wildlife and presented it to innercity kids
b]School for Field Studies** Summer environmental science research in Costa Rica/recieved college credit.
Summer volunteer @ the city zoo, 100+ hours
Volunteer at a wildlife museum for 5 years
Illustrated paperback book cover for small illustration company
Named California State Arts Scholar for Animation: Attended State Summer School for the Arts, received college credit.</p>

<p>(some other not as important ECs...)</p>

<p>Interests: Spanish/Swahili, study abroad, international relations, environmental science, history, art...</p>

2

<p>Columbia takes about 3 times as many kids ED as RD, percentage wise. So if financially you can afford not to see competing offers of aid, ED might be a strategy.</p>

<p>The math on the SAT is a pretty small subject area such that I'm sure you could raise your score with additional prep but you have a shot even without improvement.</p>

<p>D got into Brown with a Gold Award as one of her 2 main EC's.</p>

3

<p>Ok, thanks! I am studying for the math and going to retake, so hopefully I will do better.</p>

4

<p>there is no harm in trying. </p>

<p>here is my advice. everyone that applies to the ivies looks exactly the same on paper, 4.something gpa, honor roll, extracurriculars, ~1400-1600 SAT, president of every club you can name. what sets you apart is how you stand out as an individual and if the admissions staff thinks you will be a good fit in the community; this can only be expressed in the personal essays. so case in point, spend a lot of time on your essays and remember who your audience is, ask columbia students what it is like, or better yet, take a visit.</p>

<p>the admissions counselors read hundreds of applications each, there has to be something that makes their eyes focus again and think, wow this person is compelling. at least that's what the admissions officers at columbia told me at the last alumni event.</p>

<p>no harm in trying. good luck! hope you join our columbia family.</p>