<p>Okay, so I may not be able to tell you my favorite professor yet, but I got in on transfer, so I must have done something right, right?</p>
<p>I'm not going to chance everybody (make your own threads, hmm?), but if anyone has any questions - on the process, on why I chose Columbia (as opposed to, say, Brown, my other acceptance), on my stats, or even how successfully transfers are integrated once September rolls around - I'd be happy to provide whatever (perhaps subjective) help I can.</p>
<p>Hey malapropism, I am very indecisive right now. I know I definitely want to apply to Brown, Duke, and maybe Yale for history. I was considering Columbia for its economic/philosophy program, but then I felt it was not for me. Now I am slightly considering it for history. I am shocked by all the historians whose books I have read that graduated from Columbia. Why did you choose Columbia? Are you a sophomore or junior?</p>
<p>Haha my bad, you meant incoming transfers.</p>
<p>Hey, you’re totally allowed to ask questions, too.</p>
<p>I chose Columbia for a few reasons. First (and I’m sure you’ll hear this lots), I fell in love with the Core. Part of what I felt was lacking at my prior institution was common grounds of discussion. Whereas you can find at any school people who are passionate about something, sometimes people wind up confined in what they’re capable of discussing or the points of view from which they consider things. At Columbia you find people who are not only passionate about learning in general (why else would they put themselves through something as rigorous as the Core, or the school at all?), but are given a common grounds for discussion and understanding. The Core facilitates relationships between people who might not come into contact otherwise at a school where students are able to take only courses in their major. Also, that means that you get to hear people all provide to in-class conversations from their unique perspectives (similar to how I tended to argue from the perspective of psychology in my philosophy class this past year, or one girl in my English class related a concept in a novel we were reading to programming). The desire to learn alongside students who have received (and want) that broad educational foundation is part of why I chose Columbia over Brown.</p>
<p>Second, there’s the campus: it’s essentially a little oasis in the middle of the city. Not only does this mean that you get all the benefits of the city (and living in the city, not to mention for much cheaper than NYC generally costs, due to discounts and the like that Columbia offers you), but you have amazing opportunities for internships and jobs. Personally, I’m keeping my paid internship from this summer (in Times Square) part time to help deal with the expenses of the city, not to mention for the fantastic connections it offers. One of the pluses of Columbia is that they try to give you classes off on Friday so that you do have that opportunity. Oh, and the fact that the school actually has a campus in the middle of NYC automatically puts it above other schools in the city.</p>
<p>The faculty is another reason. The accomplishments and awards that these professors have received is fantastic. The diversity of the student population is also pretty sweet.</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore (it would be much harder coming in as a junior, considering the Core). In all honesty, I do like Yale better than Columbia, although that’s probably biased since I spent a summer there in the dorms taking classes with Yale professors alongside Yale students and fell in love with the school, as well as the college system.</p>
<p>I’m pre-law, planning on doubling in Psychology and English, so unfortunately I can’t help you out much with History, but there’s my two cents. I can keep you posted as I start the semester :)</p>
<p>im also open to all questions! (incoming transfer student)</p>
<p>Hey everybody!</p>
<p>Brief about me (I’ll save you the stats, unless you want them):
I’m going into my Sophomore year, which I’m happy to say will be at Columbia. I transferred from Brandeis, which I absolutely loved but didn’t provide me with the academic challenge I’d wanted (my primary reason for transferring).</p>
<p>If anyone has any questions on the process, my method of attack, the decisions I received, or anything, I am an open book.</p>
<p>Ask away :)</p>
<p>Lol stats please?</p>
<p>Haha I figured that was coming.
High school GPA 3.8 unweighted, 4.2 weighted
SAT Superscore (took it twice): 790 Reading, 800 Math, 760 Writing
SAT IIs: a number (Bio, Chem, Math 1, Lit, US History), all between 700 and 760 (not the greatest…)
APs: 11- 7 5’s, 2 4’s, and 2 I don’t care to mention 
Extra Curriculars: Mock trial (three years, co-captain junior year and captain senior); literary magazine (managing editor junior to senior year), French Honor Society (VP junior year), an anti-bias-related club (Prez junior year), and a flurry of other honor societies I didn’t have positions in. Also, decent but constant volunteer work, a few in-school rewards and scholarships, Girl Scout Silver Award, Yale Summer Session (basically, Yale classes over the summer), and 8 hours a week of tutoring.
I’m white, female. Nothing special. No real “hooks,” per se.</p>
<p>College:
GPA: 3.8-something first semester, 4.0 second semester, 3.9-something total
Classes: five each semester, two intro level, no “first year” classes
Clubs: Mock trial, a cappella (web manager), Christian fellowship, tutoring
Recommendations: pretty solid, I think…</p>
<p>Oh, and I got off the waitlist. Submitted a Columbia/ waitlist-related poem as a supplement.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for starting this thread! I wanted to transfer to Columbia this year too but my GPA was unfortunately too low… </p>
<p>Questions- When did you ask your professors for recs? And how did you approach them about it? Any tips on writing the essay? I’m afraid of sounding either too whiny about my current university or too glamorizing the other institution.</p>
<p>Are you worried about completing the core curriculum requirements?</p>
<p>Where did you guys originally attend? Can you post your stats? (sat, gpa at both hs and college, etc.)</p>
<p>Congrats! At what time did you start preparing/thinking about transferring?</p>
<p>ill pm you axel</p>
<p>noob question what is mock trial?</p>
<p>I second Axel3419’s questions. I plan on applying to Columbia as a transfer this year and would love to compare your stats to mine.</p>
<p>I’m not too worried about the core, since I’m hoping to place into my third semester of a language, and out of the Writing requirement. I wrote out an entire schedule and don’t see it as interfering with me being able to get the major/ concentration I want (particularly because I took classes focusing in those areas at Brandeis). Actually, I’m really psyched about the Core and all it stands for. I think I might be a bit worried if I were transferring in as a junior rather than a sophomore.</p>
<p>I decided to apply for transfer sometime first semester, and put together most of my application over winter break.</p>
<p>Mock trial, in short, is where two teams of six (at least, but only six compete in each given trial) carry out a trial of up to three hours, playing both attorneys and witnesses for their respective sides, using the case materials (affadavits, precedents, evidence) provided by AMTA (the American Mock Trial Association). Think Law and Order: pre-trial, opening statements, a case in chief for either side (composed of direct examinations and cross examinations), then closings and an optional rebuttal.</p>
<p>Stats are here:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/1178282-ask-transfer.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/1178282-ask-transfer.html</a></p>
<p>Also, being close with your professors and getting good recs is majorly important.</p>
<p>I am going into the honors program at DePaul in the fall as an incomming freshman. I will be majoring in political science, with a double major of peace, justice and conflict studies. Concentrating on international relations. However, I want to transfer to Columbia and apply next year, b/c I know how strong the political science department is there. However, I did not perform that spectacularly in hs. (gpa uw, was about a 3.0), i took 18 honors and 1 AP class at one of the top 20 hs in my state. My ACT was a 26, which I undersatand I will have to retake. In hs, I was a member of three different orchestras (violin player), member of the music honors society junior year, and president and creator of my hs STAND chapter (a student anti genocide coalition), and during senior year I was part of the national student leadership team for STAND as a core chapter leader. I have recently gained one of twelve national managing committee positions for STAND that puts me in charge of approximately sixteen states. Furthermore next week I will be attending STAND camp for a week in Baltimore that focuses on advocacy training, networking, and strategizing. This includes a congressional lobby event day as well. I understand that my hs gpa was really low, however i was very unhappy where I was, and I had to go through a lot of serious things and medical issues with my parents and unstability within my home that I would rather not get into here. I am also a minority (african american and white) *My main question, is do I look like a competitive candidate for Columbia? In particular with my leadership abilities? And what advice would you give in terms of me being a successful applicant?</p>
<p>Thanks, Malapropism. Right now, transferring seems like a long and difficult process to me, so I’m glad there’s someone out there who can testify to having made it through successfully.</p>
<p>Determined, I really think that what would make or break your candidacy for Columbia is based off of what you do with your upcoming year at DePaul - other than that, as you said, you should retake your ACT. I would say that to prove that you would be up to the rigor of achieving an Ivy education, especially after your high school GPA suggests that you might not, you need to perform spectacularly in college. Not only should you shoot for as close to a 4.0 as you can, but make sure that you stand out to your professors and that they know (and like) you personally. Always do your best work (one of my professors who I had write me a letter of rec included part of my final essay on Dostoevsky, I believe) and go to office hours, even if you have a little question or found something in the work particularly interesting; professors love to see an interest that extends beyond the hours of class. Try to get involved in clubs that interest you, and go for leadership positions within them. Basically, you want to show Columbia (or any other school you’re applying to) that you are going to get involved in college, and that you’re up to the challenge.</p>
<p>You’ll also want to figure out your essay early on. I’d suggest you start working on applications in December, at latest. But please, don’t be married to the idea of transferring before you’ve given your current institution a chance; you might really come to love it.</p>