Class of 2016/2020
Asian Female from Colorado
ACT: 34 (33E, 35M, 35R, 34S, 29 English/Writing, 8 Essay)
SAT: bad, not sending
SAT II: Math 2- 770 Lit-600 (I know I dropped the ball) planning on taking Bio
GPA: 4.238 weighted, 9/496
4.0 weighted, 1/496
I took 1 AP freshman and sophomore year, 3 classes but 4 exams jr year, and 4 senior year
EC:
2 years of HS volleyball (freshman and sophomore)
4 years of club volleyball
1 year of tennis (JV2)
National Honor Society: 11&12
Journalism: 9-12
Interact Club: 10-12
FCCLA: 11&12
A few other clubs for 11&12
Volunteering: 100+ hours so far through clubs and volunteering at a hospital
Chinese School since I was in kindergarten
Hostess at restaurant
Leadership:
Captain of 14’s club team
Journalism Editor
Awards:
Superior rating at National High School Journalism Convention in Denver for write-off
Silver at FCCLA State
AP scholar with distinction
I would apply ED too, I’m thinking pre-law, pre-med, sciences, or engineering idk yet
Your class rank is nice. Assume you mean 4.28 weighted, 4.0 unweighted. Kind of an inconsistency that your ACT writing/english is 29 and 8 and your Subject Test for Lit is 600 and your big EC is Journalism. Your interests seem to be out of sync with your strengths. EC’s are not spectacular but you seem to be very busy with an outside job on top of belonging to a lot of clubs. I would retake the Lit Subject Test (after studying). I don’t think you need to retake your ACT or SAT unless you did not take the ACT WIth Writing, which is mandatory for students applying in the fall of 2016. Submitting Subject Tests in your area of academic interest is “recommended” which is admissions speak for required. You will need to write exceptional essays. ED admit rate is 20%, RD admit rate is 5% - if Columbia is definitely your first choice and you think you can swing the finances by all menas apply ED. Looking at your summary above, it’s going to be tough for you to get in
You have a chance. With a 6% admit rate, what do you want? A good chance? Your uw gpa / class rank is strong, but I don’t see a distinguishing EC or talent/ability. Your recs will be very important, so butter up those folks, and you’re going to have to knock your essays out of the park. Get your SAT off your transcript.
When you say you “would” apply ED, does that mean you can be talked into it, or you’ve already decided to apply ED? What are your top 3 choices?
@Dunboyne I’m still deciding between Columbia and Duke for ED and I would like to know my chances at getting in aka high reach, low reach, match, etc
@Wje9164be thanks for you input! I’m planning on taking biology instead because I think I would do better at it, or should I retake lit as well? Should I retake the ACT to get my writing score higher? I just don’t do well writing under pressure with a prompt I can’t relate to
It’s a reach with a 6% admit rate. What is it that you’re trying to determine, exactly? Whether you should apply to Columbia at all, or whether you should apply ED?
I would not bother retaking the ACT just to increase your essay score. Your right trying to complete essays during the stress of the ACT is not fun and frankly unnatural given the topics and time constraints. It would be very helpful for you to have two subject tests above 700. As to whether you should apply ED. My D applied ED to Stanford last year and i think it was reall too much of a reach and she wasted her one shot at ED. If you think your chances at Colulmbia are reasonable, apply ED
IMO, if Columbia is not your definitive #1 that you’re emotionally drawn to, look elsewhere for ED. Are there two or three or five schools that you’d be more or less happy with? Have you visited all of the schools in the running for ED?
@ClarinetDad16 I am a low income refugee that is also first generation. I really am considering Columbia. I am an IB student with a 4.25 cumulative GPA, top 2% of my extremely competitive class, literally more than 10 extra curriculars, 2 sports, Captain, treasurer, several awards, have my own programmingprogranetwork developing a social network, and founded a nonprofit for Palestinian and Syrian refugees. Do I have a serious shot at Columbia if I get a 33 on the ACT?
You don’t need SAT subject tests since you took the ACT.
I see a big list of activities but don’t know what you care about and see as a deep passion and interest. You will have to convey that with your essays.
If you don’t really care about Columbia and what it has to offer specifically, don’t apply early.