As afraid as I am to ask this question, could I get into Columbia?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>Should I apply ED?</p>

<p>Background:
1st generation African American female, senior in the fall
Public high school in south Jersey
Mother is a registered nurse at the HUP and NYU grad. Father is a civil engineer at the DOT in NYC and a CUNY and University of Miami grad.
I have 3 younger siblings that I’ve invested a majority of my time into.</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA: 4.51 Weighted
Rank: 1 as of now, next yr I’ll probably be in the top 5 out of 130
Junior Year: AP Bio (4)
Senior Year: AP English, AP Chemistry (school only offers 6 APs), plan to self-study for AP Calc
Yet to take SAT Subject tests
SAT: 800 Critical Reading, 720 Writing (12 essay), 640 Math</p>

<p>ExtraCurriculars:
V.P. of the student body for Student Council (Student Council Award), Editor-in-Chief of Newspaper (The "Flash" Award), Big Brothers Big Sisters, Peer Coaching, Future Teachers (Award), Science League, Math Club(Top Scorer), NHS, Kumon Math</p>

<p>Awards and Honors:
Burlington County Times: Lockheed Martin (picture and article) Register News: Inauguration (article), Poem published in Teen Anthology, Honor Roll, Principal’s List, Selected (after interview process) to attend the HOBY leadership seminar
Awarded by the school: Excellence in English, Algebra 2, Enthusiastic Reader, U.S. History</p>

<p>Community Service:
Teddy Bear Drive (for the CHOP), Kumon Learning Center, afterschool tutoring for NHS along with various other after school activities, holiday drives for Student Council, HUP Volunteer in the Epilepsy Unit</p>

<p>Summer Experiences:
HOBY leadership seminar, GYLC Vienna, Budapest, and Prague, HUP Volunteer, Career Summer Institute, French 102 @ Mercer County Community College (French 1, 2, 3 in HS), Princeton Driving School</p>

<p>Work:
Babysitting extensively, daily chores without allowance, office work (primarily paper work, design for logo and website and signs, filing and other organizational aspects of running a business) for Quality Healthcare Staffing, LLC (family owned) </p>

<p>Hobbies and Interests:
Reading Novels (F. Scott Fitzgerald) and the New York Times, Watching the News, Computers
Interests: Investigative Reporting, Medical Research, Human Rights, political satire, sociology, psychology, comedy, writing, etc.</p>

2

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<p>How can you be 1st generation if both your parents went to college in the US? I don’t get it…</p>

<p>Overall, I think you could very well get into Columbia. You seem to show dedication and a good academic record. Make sure to write unique essays. Good luck.</p>

<p>(PS To answer your first question, Columbia likes to accept students with courage.)</p>

3

<p>Your parents must have a very long commute from south Jersey.</p>

4

<p>

maybe she means 1st generation immigrant</p>

<ol>
<li>Do well on your subject tests</li>
<li>improve that mat sat score</li>
<li>Apply ED! (I didn’t and regretted it deeply)</li>
</ol>

5

<p>1st generation immigrant is correct and thanks!</p>

6

<p>And it is an extremely long commute…which is why I’m always in charge when they’re away.</p>

7

<p>I would be surprised if columbia didn’t accept you, honestly.</p>

8

<p>Well, I wouldn’t use the phrase “daily chores without allowance,” but my advice would definitely be to emphasize how much you take care of your family, especially younger siblings, somewhere on your application, since that isn’t clearly visible to the adcom unless you use an opportunity (essay most likely) to make it visible. Aside from that, your SAT score is about the same as mine (CR 20 pts lower, M 30 pts higher), and your GPA and rank are better, and I got in. I’m not going to say I would be shocked if they didn’t take you, because Columbia is a hard school to get into, and one never knows what is going through the minds of those admissions counselors. But I’d say that you have a compelling app that would certainly make any college consider you, and once you add the fact that you’re african-american and you seem to be (from what little I’ve seen on this post) particularly a fit for Columbia, and you’ve certainly done enough to get the adcoms to take a long, hard look at your app. From then on, it’s just fate, right? </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

9

<p>I say you’re in. I think most people on these boards take their lives too seriously. They have to let somebody in, and you’re very very well qualified. Good luck!</p>

10

<p>Worth trying. It might be better to ask in the chances forum though…</p>