<p>I've seen those schools that regularly churn out Ivy League students as if it were no trouble. However, my school isn't one of those. Out of the entire class of 08 we had one student make it into Brown, with all other students going to the State U and one or two heading off to places like NYU or USC.</p>
<p>Still, I have decided to take advantage of the 'small pond' by taking leadership roles (winning ASB president for 08-09, starting clubs), and competing in extracurricular competitions (4th in the US for Natl. History Day, 2nd in state for some FBLA things). Even so, I have a fear that my high school's decidedly mediocre reputation will keep me from attending a top school like Columbia. </p>
<p>Will Columbia (and any top college, for that matter) automatically look less highly on an applicant because his/her school was very average?</p>
<p>"Will Columbia (and any top college, for that matter) automatically look less highly on an applicant because his/her school was very average?"</p>
<p>my theory is that coming from a lesser known school, it's easier to stand out, but your burden of proof is heavier. So a 3.7 at andover, or stuyvesant is more certain a qualification (not neccessarily better) than a 4.0 at an average public school. Because columbia would trust the school less. If you have high scores to compliment a high gpa and the EC involvement that you talk about, there's no reason columbia won't take you. </p>
<p>I can't say whether columbia looks less highly on applicants from normal schools, it's often that they just can't gauge your in-school qualifications well. But at same time, they recognize that higher level qualifications were easier to come by at top schools (like higher AP scores because of better training), and they realize that you doing badly in APs or taking too few could just have been your small pond, you just have to show how you've maximized your pond. Tons of kids from normal and average schools attend columbia.</p>
<p>I got into Columbia and I go to an average public school. I have a 3.98 GPA and got a 2150 on my SATs. I just do your average extra currics, but I somehow did a really good job of highlighting my involvement in those activities. </p>
<p>In some cases, I think it's easier to get into an ivy if you go to a public school than if you went to some crazy private school--there's way more competition at a private school, so much more to live up to, and you really have to work hard amongst your peers to distinguish yourself. I am only the second person to apply to Columbia in the history of my school and the first to get in. I still don't know how I got in, but I wouldn't worry at all.</p>
<p>i got into columbia from an average public school (lol we got 4 ivy admissions this year including me). same exact stats at highfiver. all you pretty much have to do is focus on your extracurriculars in your essays and hopefully achieve something. i had 3 research abstract publications and finalist in the siemens competition when i applied. keep in mind that college look for different things.</p>