Can I Get Into Columbia and Other Schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey everyone,

I know you guys see a lot of these posts on this website, but Columbia really is my dream school and is everything that I’ve ever wanted from college. Please let me know if I have any chance of getting accepted there or if I should set my sights elsewhere. I would also be liked to be chanced for the other schools that I will list at the end.

ACT: 34 Composite
33 Math
35 Writing
35 Reading
34 Science
10 Essay
This GPA is without my electives, it is only my core classes (World Language, Math, English, Science, Social Studies). After I did research online, I figured that Columbia and other schools usually strip your GPA down to your core classes.

UW GPA: 3.65
W GPA:4.21

AP Classes Grades and Scores

AP Biology: S1-C, S2-B-, 4
AP English Language and Composition: B+, 5
AP United States History, A-, 4
AP French Language and Culture, B+, 4
AP Physics C (Mechanics)- A
AP Chemistry-A
AP Statistics-B
AP US Government-A-

Tests I Will Be Taking On My Own:
AP Calculus BC, AP European History

Other than the AP classes listed above, I have taken only honors and two college prep classes. I am also three years ahead in math, as I am in my second year of Calculus in my senior year.

I have also moved 3 times in high school, from Idaho to California to Massachusetts. In my whole life, I have moved 7 times and have lived in 3 countries and 4 states. Moving around is why I have a few B’s on my transcript.

I have written my common app essay about living in Taiwan and how that showed me my true nature. I also have really good recommendations from my physics , calculus teacher and DECA teacher. As for my essays for Columbia, they are quite good as well.

My extracurriculars are as follows (once again, keep in mind that I have moved a lot, making it impossible to maintain continuity)

Opera Singing, 2 years
Orchestra, 1 year, Principal 2nd Violin
Student Volunteer for Musical Therapy for Children With Special Needs, 1 year
French Club+French Honors Society, 2 years
Theatre, Lead Actor, 2 years
DECA President, 2 years
Teen Mentor for Children from Below Poverty Line Families, 2 years
Historical Society Archives Volunteer, 1 year
Robotics Team Business Officer, 1 year

Awards:
Wellesley Book Award
National Merit Scholarship Commended Student
DECA 3rd Place District, State Qualifier
AP Scholar With Honor
1st Place Quartet (for Orchestra)

Major: Applied Physics at Columbia, Physics everywhere else except Cornell as Industrial and Labor Relations Major
Other Schools I am Applying To:
Boston College
Boston University
Cornell University
Fordham University
Harvard College
NYU
Northeastern
Princeton University
Tulane University
UMASS Amherst
UT Austin
RPI

Once again, thank you so much for your help!

2

FWIW, your chances at Cornell ILR will be enhanced if you can demonstrate that you “fit” at Cornell ILR and wish to study something that is offered at Cornell ILR.

Presumably you have some plan as to what you would do should you decide to attend there.
(No need to tell me what it is though).

3

@monydad, I do DECA, which is a business/labor relations type thing. I also want to eventually get an MBA. Will that hellp?

4

I’m not the best person to ask. I do know people who went to MBA programs after graduating from ILR .
Probably a lot more ILR grads went to law school though.

The reason for my post before was just that your intended major for everyplace but this was physics- a major ILR doesn’t offer.

I would think that if you really want to study physics you would apply to schools that offer that. And if really you want to study some sort of “pre-business” type curriculum you would target places that offer that.

But that’s me.

5

You have a chance, but your GPA and grades might significantly hurt you. You have a really great ACT and extracurriculars though.

6

@junior2017 does it not matter that i moved around a lot though? because that’s a major reason for drop in my grades. I have all A’s other than those grades, so i was just wondering. as for AP Bio, the teacher was verbally abusive (like to the point where i had health issues) should i write that as an explanation? also, do the scores i get on the ap exam even matter, or do they only care about grades?

7

of course you can try to explain the moving around a lot thing and your bio teacher, but I’m not sure that they would accept it as an “excuse” or if they would take it into consideration. and you can self-report scores for APs, but I’m sure your grades matter more.

8

@junior2017 I guess I can only hope for the best I mean I am three years ahead in math and have only gotten two other b’s my weighted GPA (without electives) comes out to 4.21 (honors weighed with +.5 and AP +1) I guess we can only hope for the best and other factors like interview, refs, essays, ec’s etc.

Also, I know this is too icy to ask but could you or someone chance e for the other schools too?

Really appreciate your help!