Alright CC… It’s that time! I’m currently finishing up my Junior Year of high school, and am planning on applying to Columbia University in the Fall. I’ll be applying either way, but I just want some input from you guys! I may be able to use it to either strengthen my application or not get my hopes up at all. I understand that CU is highly selective, so technically “nobody is safe,” but I personally feel as if I’m at least somewhat qualified. I’ll list my HONEST stats below!
Demographics
Gender: Male
Race: Mixed Race (Black/Caucasian)
School: Public
Location: Oklahoma
GPA W:4.25
GPA U/W:3.70
Rank: Top 10%
ACT (Highest)
Composite:32
English:32
Math:32
Reading:34
Science:34
PSAT (if it matters): 204
Courses taken so far:
“Regular”
•Spanish I
•Spanish II
•Geometry
•Personal Financial Literacy
•Leadership
Pre-AP:
•Algebra I
•Algebra II
•Math Analysis (Pre-Calc+Trigonometry)
•Biology
•Chemistry
•Spanish III
•English I
•English II
•State History
AP:
•World History
•Physics
•Calculus AB
•English Lang&Comp
•Human Geography
ECs:
•Junior Varsity Golf (4 years)
•Model UN Security Council Delegate (2 years)
•Class President (4 years)
•Student Council Senator (4 years)
•Ping-Pong Club Captain (4 years)
•National Honor Society (2 years)
I also held an internship at the local Food Bank, where I led numerous volunteer groups on a mission to fight hunger and feed hope.
Let me know what you guys think… Sorry if I put too much information but I’d rather be too specific than dishonest.
I forgot to add that I’d like to apply to Columbia SEAS rather than CC.
OK, here’s a candid appraisal … I’m an alumnus interviewer. You seem very well qualified academically, but the ECs are uninspiring (to me). As you’re targeting SEAS, try if possible, over the summer and/or first semester next year, to do something with an engineering flavor, perhaps an internship with a local tech or manufacturing company. GL to you.
@Morningsider Thank you for your advice! I’d been thinking about it, but I’ll definitely be working on that. I also have a few other ECs that I avoided posting because they just sound like fluff. These include:
•Paging for the Senate
• Assisting in the financial planning of a local start-up.
• Assisting in the development of another local start-up which provides academic advising to K-12 students.
• Consulting on the creation of a program which reduces unemployment in local communities.
Are these things that I should leave off of my application when the time comes?
A few were relatively time-consuming.
All your bulleted ECs in your May 10 post are potentially impressive and should definitely be on your application. When you say “Paging for the Senate,” do you mean you were a U.S. Senate page in Washington? That’s usually considered very noteworthy. I’ve known a few. They all went to Harvard or Georgetown.
Those last items are far more interesting. There are many class presidents, NHS officers applying to Columbia.
Show what makes you especially interesting and suggests creativity and leadership outside of holding certain posts. Think about your essay as well and what your overall application suggests about what you will add to the campus community.