Columbia Admissions Question

<p>I have a 3.8-4.0 at George Washington University in an honors type program and I am considering transferring to Columbia for sophomore year. I have never applied, but I almost applied ED last year. PoliSci-History-Philosophy concentrations. </p>

<p>In high school I had a 3.85 GPA at a top prep school that sends loads of kids to Columbia each year. </p>

<p>SAT 790M, 760V, 620W <---such BS, I was Editor of HS Paper</p>

<p>SATII: 760 M2C, 730 USH, 720 LIT</p>

<p>Do these stats make Columbia realistic? Any input is appreciated, especially if you attend and have transferred, or know people who have transferred in the past.</p>

<p>Your numbers are fine, but there are a ton of applicants and you'll probably need something to stand out among the pack.</p>

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620W <---such BS, I was Editor of HS Paper

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<p>Maybe that's a testament to the quality of your HS paper. ;) I'm sure you do realize that most HS papers are terrible!</p>

<p>collegeboard has 1223 applied, 78 admitted. Columbia has gotten damn tough in recent yrs. Thought about General Studies if you really want to got there?</p>

<p>Nobody's going to transfer from George Washington University to Columbia GS.</p>

<p>columbia2002--
my HS paper actually wins annual awards from the NSPA, CSPA, JEA consistently as one of the top 10 papers in the country. ive personally won many national writing awards as well. i think the writing section was just a fluke. </p>

<p>charlie--i would not apply to the school of general studies, are my chances that bad?</p>

<p>i wouldnt be applying for financial aid and my HS counselor is a former adcom member as of 4 years ago. my HS has pretty good ties to columbia so im hoping that will give me an edge or something too. </p>

<p>thanks for the input guys.</p>

<p>Maybe it's a fluke. Maybe you didn't study how to beat the test. Who knows. You have a high SAT-V. If you have good humanities grades at GW, they won't question whether you can write. Your chances aren't great because you're competing against tons of other people, not because of the SAT-W.</p>

<p>Your chances are also not that great because you are applying from a college that Columbia would not consider a peer institution. Sorry to be harsh, but that is the truth.</p>

<p>Remember--the most compelling reasons for transferring are academic ones, such as interest in a program that GW does not offer. Do you have such an interest? Also, professor recommendations are much more important than the ones were from your high school teachers. Make sure you cultivate some professors who will write strongly on your behalf.</p>

<p>ivyalum,</p>

<p>im aware this is not a peer institution, but i turned down some other schools which you may consider peer institutions to come to the east coast (berkeley, ucla, wash u). in any event, here i am and im doing pretty damn well. </p>

<p>the reasons i want to transfer are primary academic: i realized during my freshman year that i am more interested in a traditional, perhaps even "old fashioned," liberal, "great books" type education. my current school is overwhelmingly pre-professional, and i would prefer to read and write about the great historical thinkers in my undergraduate studies. columbia's "colloquia" seminars really excite me in that they right into that. likewise, i think that i would be one of those people who actually likes the core curriculum. </p>

<p>so ill have good reasons in my essays and a pretty solid recommendation from my honors seminar professor. i guess you are right in that itll really just depend if they think my GPA/SAT are sufficient from GW.</p>

<p>It made me so sad to read the answers to your post. Of course you can get it if it is a passion of yours. I happen to know 2 kids who transferred from GW to Columbia and that was last year alone. Not to mention others who transferred from lesser known schools to other Ivies. Believe in yourself and not what others tell you and you can do whatever you push yourself to do.</p>

<p>
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Believe in yourself and not what others tell you and you can do whatever you push yourself to do.

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</p>

<p>This is BS, especially when dealing with a process that's entirely up to someone else. It's not like studying for a final exam, where you can put in the time and work your butt off. You fill out your application, mail it in, and just sit around and wait to see what happens.</p>

<p>Gburg mom,
On this forum, we speak from statistics. Of course it is POSSIBLE for anything to happen. But, here we are referring to the LIKELIHOOD of the admission happening. The reality of the situation is that transfer admission is very difficult - even for candidates who would be considered stellar for first-year admission. While it would certainly be nice for anyone who was considered capable of doing well at Columbia to be admitted, this is not possible in reality. Columbia has a set number of spots to fill, and the university is simply not able to accept everyone qualified who applies due to space and faculty constraints.</p>

<p>That said, I do not think it's a waste of money to apply. Fill out the app, pay the $65 and hope for the best. Admissions at any ivy league institution are a crap-shot, so don't expect an easy acceptance, but still apply.</p>

<p>thanks all. gburg mom, i appreciate your enthusiasm but i do realize what others have said in this space, namely that my efforts alone, no matter their conviction, cannot necessarily earn my acceptance. i know this is a game of hooks and i am playing mine as best i can. i figure that so long as my statistics are plausible for admission, i may be able to earn a spot.</p>

<p>When it comes to meeting goals, we can all learn something from our GPS systems. When you take a turn that is not part of the original Plan, little Tom Tom simply reconfigures and approaches the goal from a different vantage point. You may not obtain your immersion in Great Books by way of Broadway, but you will get it if you really want it. And who knows, you may pass through Morningside Heights on the way after all . . .</p>

<p>i see. well, i dont need a GPS when i drive. i just get to where i'm going, and the path i take is of my own choosing. i understand the point of your metaphor, though, im just hoping to not fail exceedingly beforehand.</p>

<p>after a semester at USC Film School ( 3% admissions rate) i realize that what i need more than lots of hollywood contacts is a stimulating, intellectually challenging education. I need to be with kids who have more on their minds than becoming the next big shot hollywood director. You might say i should have known better, but i didn't. Now i do. I am from Maine, and really wanted something completely different..wanted a new experience. Anyway...i am craving the company of kids who are really interested in understanding the world, and in expanding their minds. If i can immerse myself in that kind of environment, i'm sure i can go on to make movies if i want..and maybe i'll even have something interesting to say! I had a 2030 SAT, 4.0 average in high school..and looks like i'll have an A- average from USC and an excellent recommendation from a prof who actually agrees that i belong at a more intellectually serious institution. I'm also a jazz pianist and want to get involved in the jazz scene in New York.
so..not sure what i'm really asking..i guess i'm just looking to hear that i have a shot as a transfer applicant...
thanks!</p>

<p>aqwillis: Transfers are a crapshot for anyone. If you are asking if you are competitive, based on those preliminary(non-detailed) stats, I'd say yes. That is, assuming you took challenging(AP) classes in HS, and are continuing to take hard classes in college. The SAT is a bit low for Columbia(post what your CR/Math is; this is what Columbia focuses on), but the SAT certainly is not a be-all end-all evaluation of academic performance. Do you have good ECs?</p>

<p>Exactlty. That was entirely my point (not the naivety that others chimed in with). I counsel kids in my area on college apps and my point to you was that nothing is guaranteed...you have good stats and it is worth your best try. GW is a respected University and the honors program is known to be challenging. Your reasons for the Columbia environment are sound. Good luck!</p>

<p>I'm assuming a 3.94 will help...Working on those essays now and I'm thinking of a Philosophy concentration too...Who else is transferring in? I'm curious to see what the pool looks like...</p>

<p>GodfatherBob Wrote:</p>

<p>["Nobody's going to transfer from George Washington University to Columbia GS."]</p>

<p>Why would you say that? There are plenty of GS related posts on this board and I also posted my problems with the GS structure but everyone who knows Columbia says the same thing, A GS degree is considered a REAL Columbia Degree, on PAR with a degree from the Columbia College or SEAS division in terms of requirements. The only diffference is the applicant pool and rate of acceptance for the different schools but once enrolled, everyone is expected to be successful in the same tough courseloads.</p>

<p>The Columbia website lists 3 degree granting, undergraduate schools at the university, Columbia College, SEAS and General Studies. The GS students take the same courses for their majors including the vaunted "core" , sitting right next to students from CC, SEAS and sometimes Barnard. So its the same curiculum, same classes, same professors, same tuition,lol....</p>

<p>So going to GS would result in the same Columbia Degree all CU students end up with (Obviously the SEAS kids take some different courses for thier science related majors). </p>

<p>Why would you think that a degree from GW would be any more valuable?</p>