Chance Me ED (class of 2025)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

Hi guys! I’m a junior, but I just want to see where I am and where my application needs work :slight_smile: Columbia is my top choice, so I’ll be applying ED for sure.

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1600
SAT II: not taken but aiming for 800 on Math II and Biology (considering taking English?)
ACT: 36
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Weighted GPA: 5.12 (not counting junior year)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): Mandarin (4), APUSH (5), Calc BC (5), Lang (5), Gov (5), French (5), Human Geography (5), currently taking Biology, Physics C, Seminar, Statistics, and European History.
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
(Planned) Senior Year Course Load: AP Research, AP Microeconomics, AP Chemistry (double block at my school), AP Literature, Multivariable Calculus, French senior project
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Assorted awards from math competitions, mainly at the regional and state level (very competitive area)
Assorted awards from debate competitions, mainly at the regional level (very competitive area)
Assorted piano awards (mainly pre-high school, should I even include them on my app?)

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
NHS
NEHS
Mu Alpha Theta (Treasurer, aiming for President senior year)
Vote16 (Director of Field Organization)
Piano (since I was 5, so 12 years when I apply—I’m sending in a professional recording of my playing too)
Flute (since I was 10, so 7 years when I apply)
GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science)
Debate
Math Team
Ballet (I quit sophomore year—should I include it?)
(planned) Lacrosse

Job/Work Experience: N/A

Volunteer/Community service: minimal but I think I have ~60 hours total

Summer Activities: Debate camp

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Biology (I want to go to law school though)
State (if domestic applicant): IL
School Type: selective enrollment public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Queer, female applying to major in STEM

2

Definitely include ballet. Would highly recommend you include any allergies/ religious aversions as It really helps to make you stand out. Personally I declared my allegiance to the hezbollah, and they took me right in!

1 Like
3

Hey there! Your resumé is INSANELY impressive. Please take a breather and focus on doing that things YOU love to do, not what you think others want to see on a resumé. I was just accepted with half your stats and not nearly as many awards. I hope this calms you down a little bit ?

  1. 32 ACT (33 super scored) and no other standardized tests
  2. AP: Art (3), World history (5), American history (5), English Comp/Lang. (5), Statistics (4), Psychology (5), Physics (no test)
  3. 4.55 weighted GPA
  4. I'm not a minority of any kind (white heterosexual female)

I took 5 classes senior year (AP Spanish, AP Art (2D), AP English Lit, AP European history, AP Economics/Government) and 1 dual credit Calculus class (that I got my first C in lol)

I’ve never won any big fancy awards and honestly thought I was behind the pack because of that. Something that I did realize I had was a big focus on the one career I wanted to do.

I applied to Columbia as a Film and Media Studies major. I had a PA internship at New Mexico PBS, make short films on my spare time (no awards but I tired entering festivals), design characters/storyboards for animations, and started a film club at my school. I wrote essays about my filmmaking experiences and had my screenwriting mentor write me a recommendation.

Needless to say, I think I was accepted because I have a passion for what I do and a serious focus on that activity. Columbia also loves to brag about how global of a university it is (because I REALLY is). I tried to bring the focus of some of my essays on how I love travel and experiencing new and diverse cultures. Finally, Columbia loves the humanities! My common app essay was about how I’m a Francophile living in a Russian household lol In it, I basically raved about my love for French history and culture and how my Russian parents helped me with that.

If you center your activities more around your major/career of choice you’ll immediately get accepted with your Statistics. Especially if you show how much you love foreign things and the humanities ? you’ll be golden, hon.

4

Your numbers meet the criteria, but it’s hard to see from your resume where your passions lie. That’s not something that can be faked, but if there is something you love to do above all else, use this year to really dig into it! Enter competitions, publish writing, search around for summer opportunities related to said interest to optimize your last summer before your senior year.

Beyond that, the important thing at this point in the application process will be to use your essays as an opportunity to convey the nuance of your personal narrative to Columbia and show that you really fit the campus!

On the topic of SAT IIs, If you took APUSH relatively recently, I would suggest the US History subject test – getting a 5 on the exam equated to an 800 in my experience. The Math II should be a breeze if you’re into STEM (unlike me haha).

If you aren’t playing piano at a level that will truly set you apart from other applicants, then I would take time to consider if it’s worth sending a tape in. I wouldn’t include ballet, as colleges typically like to see prolonged commitment. It’s okay if you don’t fill out all the slots on the common app activity section-- you don’t need to.

Good luck with your application! Hope you’ll be joining us on campus in a few years.

5

Hi, I am also interested in applying to Columbia ED for the class of 2025, can you please review my resume so far?

  1. Background: heterosexual white male, upper-middle class from NYC metro area. idk if this matters but I have had many uncles go to Columbia (no direct legacy though).
  2. stats: 34 act (35, 35, 31, 35) may retake it. 97 unweighted gpa, 780 chem sat ii and planning on taking math ii, bio m and us history.

3: extra curricular: Pre med club treasurer, science olympiad and science bowl competitor. Political economy club treasurer and president next year. DECA state competitor (3x), Jazz orchestra lead alto, private lessons for guitar, piano, and sax for 9+ years. Also History Bowl treasurer.

Achievements:

Science research regional competition winner, submitting to various international competitions but results dont come out for 4 months. also won a state award for a science research history project in freshman year.

History bowl: 3 times nationals. captain of team ranked top 50 in US. also individually ranked in top 55 for geography olympiad. Also qualified for history international olympiad in the Carribean this summer but I will likely not be able to attend.

Deca states, might make internationals this year

A rating on all state exam for sax.

additional:

Likely working in an MS lab this summer, I intend on obtaining data to use for regeneron and other competitions during my senior year. I plan on majoring in bio for premed track with a minor in government and music (both major passions of mine)

P.S. congrats on getting in! if you don’t have the time to read this I completely understand.

6

What classes did you take freshman and sophomore year? I really like where you are at as a junior and I am almost a freshman.

7

Would you share your instrument portofolio? I could help!

8

Hi, I am planning on applying to Columbia ED in the fall.

My background:
-Asian male immigrant (moved here in 8th)
-Middle class
-applying for bio-related majors

Stats:
4.0 GPA (Might get a B this semester but Columbia won’t see)
36 ACT: 35 E 35M 36R 36 S
SAT II: 800 Chem, taking Math 2 and Bio
AP: 5 on Chem, Bio, CSA, Lang, Chinese, 4 on APES(self-studied)
Senior course load: AP Calc BC, AP Physics, AP Lit, AP art, AP Econ, multi(at community college), health, civics , Biomedical innovation

Awards:
-USA Bio Olympiad Semifinalist
-University of Toronto Biology competition top score/certificate of achievement
-LA Brain Bee 4th place finalist
-LA Science Olympiad Chemistry Lab 2nd place individual
-JPL invention challenge 3rd place finals
-National Merit Commended

ECS:
-BU RISE(research in science and engineering)-highly competitive research internship program
-Science Club/Team: President/captain
-Biology club: president
-ELD Club(dedicated time helping immigrant students): founder/president
-UCLA summer session Molecular bio
-EDX online courses: several courses taken in bio
-Volunteering at Down Syndrome Learning center
-Varsity Badminton
-Piano performance at hospital lobby
-JPL invention challenge
-Science Bowl, etc
(Just a bunch of science stuff ig)

-Recommendation letters will be nice
-Unique essay on my sweaty hands and how my condition has impacted me.

Please give me some useful advice on applying ED to Columbia and tell me what my chances are.

If possible, please also chance me at schools that I am applying to EA:
MIT, Caltech, Uchicago, UMich, Northeastern.

Thank you so much!!