Chance me for 2016 ED please?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>I'm considering applying to Columbia ED next year but I'm unsure if I have a chance. Of course, with Columbia practicing a holistic admissions process, asking random people to assess my chances is admittedly somewhat silly. But perhaps you could give some insight onto my situation? My other top choices for schools are Williams, Wesleyan, and Brown. If any of these seem more realistic/a better use of the increased chances ED provides, please say so. </p>

<p>STATS:
ACT Composite: 34
ACT English: 35
ACT Math: 28 (is this going to hurt me a lot in the admissions process?)
ACT Reading: 36
ACT Science: 35</p>

<p>SAT II's: Biology-710, Literature-750, US History-790</p>

<p>GPA: 3.96 UW, 4.15 W (the latter definitely will go up first semester of next year because I'm taking all AP)</p>

<p>APs: Euro History-5, Lit. and Comp., Lang. and Comp., US History (ones without scores haven't been reported yet)</p>

<p>Senior Schedule: AP Bio, AP Studio Art, AP World Lit., AP Calc AB, AP Latin V, Orchestra</p>

<p>School profile: Highly ranked suburban public high school.</p>

<p>ECs: - Employment on a teen council at a major contemporary art museum. My job involves creating programming that will attract teens to the museum.
- DJ on a teen-run radio show through the University of Minnesota college radio station
- Cello (participation in school and non-school ensembles and private lessons for the past 6 years)
- Currently volunteering at a camphill community in Ireland for people with intellectual disabilities. </p>

<p>Prospective Major: Art History, potentially also a concentration in a social science or history. Hoping to go into arts administration/curatorial work after college and grad school.</p>

<p>Also, because I imagine it will impact my application to some degree, I'm white, from the midwest, and not a first generation college student. I'm not sure how legacy works/how long your family needs to have attended a school for you to have legacy, but my grandfather was head of international legal research and a prof at Columbia in the '60s and '70s and my dad went there for grad school. </p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to read this and letting me know if I realistically have a chance at Columbia, or if I should apply ED elsewhere.</p>

2

<p>Columbia ED seems like a fine idea, but don’t apply ED just for boosted admit rates. Make sure you really want to go there. Really, really want to go there. I don’t know enough about you to say whether you’d enjoy a liberal arts school or Brown or Columbia more. Like you said, chancing on CC is pretty worthless as admissions comes down to pure luck a lot of time. You are definitely a good candidate with interesting ECs and nice course load.</p>

<p>Just a few pointers to improve your chances:

  1. You still have plenty of time, so try out the SAT. Statistically, Ivy adcoms tend to prefer the SAT. I know you live in the Midwest (I do, too) and the ACT is the norm, but try it out if you have time to study a little.
  2. Retake the ACT and focus solely on your mathematics. Columbia will still see your 28 but if you do well on math this time around, your superscore will certainly reap benefits.
  3. Improve that GPA! Go all out your senior year even when your friends are slacking off.
  4. Do some local volunteering and show passion for your community. Ireland is cool, but so is your own town.</p>

<p>Legacy will help a little, but don’t count on it heavily.
Hang in there! Good luck.</p>

3

<p>I read on Columbia’s site that they don’t superscore the ACT. Also, I have taken the SAT twice but my best composite is only a 2110, so I figured I would just work on improving my ACT. Also, considering that I got a 31 on math the other time I took the ACT, my superscore would be slightly improved but my composite would still be a 34.</p>

4

<p>I’d say you have a good shot. You only have a slight weakness which is your weighted GPA but with other solid extra curricular activities and good essays i’m sure you’ll be fine. For columbia they appreciate applicants who are well-read, knowledable, and of that sort and therefore your 28 Math score won’t matter when you have a perfect reading score. Unfortunately,if you apply ED, your first semester transcript will not be sent and therefore your weighted GPA will probably not change. Anyway good luck</p>

5

<p>“I read on Columbia’s site that they don’t superscore the ACT.”</p>

<p>Not sure where you got that from, but it says on the Standardized Testing page of the Columbia website: “if you take the test more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest composite score you receive.” They superscore for both the SAT and ACT. </p>

<p>[Required</a> Standardized Testing | Columbia University Office of Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/applications/firstyear/testing]Required”>http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/applications/firstyear/testing)</p>

6

<p>Whoops, I see now that you were correct in saying that they don’t superscore. Sorry!</p>

7

<p>Lol… yep.</p>