<p>Has nobody taken a sociology course?</p>
<p>^
I have. Which particular study applies to this conversation and which argument does it support?</p>
<p>Race, being a social construct, evolves through time. During one period, the Census Bureau offered a Colored and a Black box on its forms. Now, the races arenāt in any particular order, but white comes first.</p>
<p>The anecdotal evidence suggests that whites miss out because of these URM policies (whatever those URMs may be at that particular time). The truth is, one of the biggest advantages you can have during the admissions game is to be white. A handful of sociologists and statisticians have suggested, with empirical evidence not anecdotal, that if colleges and universities were to offer admission based strictly on class rank, GPA, and test scores (including SAT, subject tests, and APs), thereād be nearly 25% less white students at post-secondary institutions. The difference, they say, would be made up by South and Southeast Asian students.</p>
<p>James Chen isnāt a white name. Heās obviously of Asian descentāprobably Chinese.</p>
<p>I was just making a point about how race is a fluid concept. However itās interpreted, this country values whiteness above all.</p>
<p>took my GSAE last Friday to complete my application. I remember they said it could take until middle of July to finish all notifications.</p>
<p>hellojan, in anthropology, race isnāt a biological entity unto itself. Instead it is (as you said) a construct of the human mind.</p>
<p>The proper term is āclineā which I think means genetic diversity over geographic space. So in strict biological terms, people from Africa need to have a darker complexion because their skin reacts to sunlight and forms enough melanin to block out UV while letting enough in to make vitamin D.</p>
<p>While I donāt want to encourage a flame war, I do like to address false information when I see it, lest potential GS applicants be discouraged.</p>
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<p>Iām not sure where that statistic comes from or even whether it matters. GS is obviously self-selected, not every non-traditional student would consider it. If the point was to insinuate that GS students are less qualified than CC/SEAS/BC, then why are these supposedly less qualified students earning better grades than their peers in the āreal ivyā of CC? I had an OK GPA at Columbia, not honors by any means, but even the 2 Cs I earned put me ahead of most students in those classes. The percentage with grades lower than mine was higher for classes in which I earned an A or B.</p>
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<p>I went to Columbia on a full ride. Tuition, fees and health insurance. About 35-50 GS students attend on a full ride in any given year, <a href=āhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/07/02/PALS.html[/url]PALSā>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/07/02/PALS.htmlPALS</a> and <a href=āhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/gs/pressroom/080715.html[/url]Serranoā>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gs/pressroom/080715.htmlSerrano</a> Scholars. Some of the criteria for the scholarships are URM, first generation college student, ability to succeed at an Ivy, extreme need/inability to pay/borrow and willingness to perform community service. Iām unaware whether there are other full ride programs within GS.</p>
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<p>Given its extremely limited funding, I would hope GS did not give, say, Julia Stiles, a full ride, when she clearly had the means to pay full freight. Iād hate to think GS would squander its scholarship funds like that, when so many people struggle or are forced to drop out for lack of sufficient aid.</p>
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<p>Clearly, given my performance alongside my CC/BC/SEAS peers, the ability to earn good grades in high school isnāt the only indicator of the ability to succeed at an Ivy. Many people I knew in GS either overcame their circumstances ā child abuse, cancer, homelessness, poverty, first generation college student, learning disabilities ā or first pursued acting/music/athletic/military careers and then decided to return to school. Usually, there was some life-changing event that put them on that road. So, on paper, they might not appear as qualified, but they are capable and ready to do Ivy-level work (in class, alongside CC students).</p>
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<p>I was a little busy getting my head beaten in and guns waved in my face to study consistently in high school. I guess I should have accepted never challenging my intellect for my entire life because of the circumstances into which I was brought into the world?</p>
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<p>Actually, when I tried to apply at Barnard (I wasnāt interested in Columbia, initially), I was told the only undergraduate college at Columbia available to a woman of my age was GS. It is the only surviving Seven Sisters college without a non-traditional program. I can only guess it was regarded as redundant because GS had existed for decades.</p>
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<p>Thanks, I did. Thoroughly. The highest concentration of brilliant, committed, engaged people Iāve met in my life were GS students, even within Columbia. SIPA would be next, then Barnard, then CC.</p>
<p>Columbia_Insider- thank you for your replies.</p>
<p>Anybody got an interview yet??
Any acceptances yet??</p>
<p>You know, Columbia Insider, usually Iād entertain people here with a few comments of ill nature for the sake of laughter, but since you seem to pride yourself so much in your GS, allow me to oblige and give you the source of my FAKE information.</p>
<p>[How</a> To Sneak Into The Ivy League, Or Why Columbia Is Not As Selective As You Think It Is > 3/2, Barnard, Columbia, general studies, ivygate guide to admissions, Jewish Theological Seminary, SEAS, transferring | IvyGate](<a href=āhttp://www.ivygateblog.com/2009/01/how-to-sneak-into-columbia/]Howā>http://www.ivygateblog.com/2009/01/how-to-sneak-into-columbia/)</p>
<p>says: āIf you havenāt taken a year off college at some point since youāve graduated high school, itās going to be tricky to explain why youāre applying to the non-trad division of Columbia. If youāre say an Iraq War veteran, Jewish (see below), a trapeze artist, or a single mother living in the Bronx, itās going to be easier. As long as you have decent grades, reqs, and a great ālife story,ā GS should be a shoo-in. Ideally, youāll want to have a huge outside scholarship or a boatload of cash: the only financial aid most students qualify for are loans.ā</p>
<p>Not enough? The last OFFICIAL data from GS was from 2007:</p>
<p>[Columbia</a> University, School of General Studies Admissions Information - CollegeData College Profile](<a href=āhttp://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1436]Columbiaā>Columbia University, School of General Studies Acceptance Rate | CollegeData)</p>
<p>PROFILE OF FALL 2007 ADMISSION
Overall Admission Rate 47% of 248 applicants were admitted</p>
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<p>oops! I guess I did lie, huh? It wasnāt 48% - it was 47%.</p>
<p>Hereās the breakdown:</p>
<p>-You can say you did much better than all of the students at Columbia College - it doesnāt matter. All of the Columbia College students did much better than you in High School. Am I wrong?</p>
<p>-Attending GS on a full ride based on a sob story isnāt even mentionable to my standards. Who the hell takes pride in saying: āI got in because my life sucks?ā If thatās your thing, they heyā¦ whatever. Not everyone is your average āmy life is hell but I turn it aroundā person, who grabs the attention of Columbia through pity. In fact, 98% of the people are regulars who depend on their grades.</p>
<p>-Iām sorry, but you mentioned your performance. You said "C"s? You understood roughly 70% of the material taught and you deem yourself better than traditional Ivy Students? No comment.</p>
<p>-You were lied to in terms of applying for Columbia College, even āfor a women of your ageā, whatever that is. Go to a Community College and apply as a transfer student. If youāre true Columbia Material, youāll get in, while competing for 10 spots in every 100 applicants.</p>
<p>Finally, Iām glad you enjoyed your experience at GS. Now you get to hang your diploma which says: āColumbia School of General Studiesā on your wall, written in English instead of Latin, and you get to memorize an explanation as to why GS and Columbia College is the same thing - when they are not - just in case someone asks.</p>
<p>Now, explain to the rest of the applicants of GS why THEY arenāt getting a full ride to GS like you did. And I suggest not encouraging them to go live in the Bronx or the bad parts of Brooklyn.</p>
<p>NY80, I was called in for an interview just last week. I havenāt heard anything yet, I know itās only been a few days but Iāve never been more worriedā¦</p>
<p>Well with damning evidence like an internet blog how can anyone ignore Dretzerikās facts?</p>
<p>Give me a break, Forum Observer. Do you think Columbia would admit to any of this stuff? As far as I know, EVERYTHING not DIRECTLY from Columbia is heresay.</p>
<p>Howeverā¦ there are entities, (as you prefer to call it, a āblogā) that go out of their way to dig up stuff - be it for business, prestige, or just good journalism (or not).</p>
<p>One thing is certain though: Columbia GS is THE ONLY āIvy Leagueā that sends scouts to community colleges to look for students (and the reason I quote Ivy is because to me, GS is not an Ivy).</p>
<p>Oh, did you check the rate of attendance in terms of those who were accepted into Columbia GS? 59% Now hereās the laugh: Most regular colleges have a better enrollment than GS (which is supposed to be an Ivy League). I guess 41% know that it is not worth buying your way into college - or, they think it is, but just canāt afford it :)</p>
<p>Columbia Insider, your comments were heartfelt and helpful. Dretzerik, you seem to be a spiteful little urchin who needs better hobbies. Ultimately inherent qualities, professional experience and work ethic determine oneās future far more than oneās degree. I know people who went to Harvard who sit around peeling potatoes and others who went to no name state schools that are in the top of their field given their age group. No need to harp on something so trivial, if someone wants to go to GS and ends up benefiting from it, no amount of baseless verbal defecation can undermine that.</p>
<p>I havenāt heard anything yet. I still have about 2 weeks before my ā4-6 weekā window has come. Anyways, good luck to everyone. This appears to be one of the few threads on the net with fall 09 gs applicants. Iāll post as soon as I hear anything.</p>
<p>Oh wow never mind, as soon as I posted that, I got a call back from Kay. I got in!!! :-D</p>
<p>Good luck you guys!!! So if you guys go, what are you going to do about housing? I donāt even know what I should do on that front- I donāt really want to dorm, nor do I think they even have them available at this pointā¦ Maybe not, Iām not sureā¦</p>
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This is perhaps one of the most foolish things Iāve read in a while. A 59% yield rate is quite highāhigher than the yield rates for Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Williams, Middlebury, UChicago, Northwestern, etc were in 2006.</p>
<p>Haā¦ They asked for my spring grades a couple of weeks ago but l havenāt gotten an interview yetā¦ I guess i might be outā¦</p>
<p>I had an interview. I think it went well. Hopefully we will all get good news soon =D</p>