<p>i’m assuming all you guys above are eligible for the yellow ribbon program (free tuition)?</p>
<p>i’m wrestling if i want to spend twice as much on Columbia or just stick to going to a Cali school, UC Davis or Santa Barbara - it’s half the cost and I could probably get the remainder of my degree done in half the time…</p>
<p>It just made it a sweeter deal when I heard GS was supporting the yellow ribbon program, and my backup school in SoCal would be 99% paid for from the new Chap. 33 benefits. So either way it will work out OK. And I’m sure this applies to all of you guys, as long as you have benefits remaining, the new GI Bill is going to rock.</p>
<p>Surf and sand … or a huge metropolis … hmm decisions decisions</p>
<p>ben8jam,</p>
<p>hey man, I looked at your profile a bit and I just want to mention that if I were you, I’d go the UC route. Not only will your time at Columbia be far more expensive but you’ll have a reduced opportunity to take courses more pertinent to your professional interests along with less free time in your “nontrad” life. </p>
<p>My little brother goes to Columbia (CC kid) and from what it seems like, your preprofessional (B-school route) is best served by what a school like UC Davis would give, You don’t want to spend a lot of time mucking around doing the core curriculum and ivory tower major requirements. Whatever time you have left in your undergrad years will involve a lot of bureaucratic and academic suckage trying to get your degree in as short a time as possible with all the requirements you have to finish at Columbia. </p>
<p>I’m sensing that a lot of your decision has to do with the Columbia brand - about that, it really does not matter in this regard. My buddies from Davis are graduating and (the ones who studied at least) are getting into great programs and jobs that I feel are fitting to their drive and motivation. Granted, a lot of kids at Davis were idiots. The ones who are suffering come graduation were either reckless or spent their time plugging away without vision in directly unmarketable majors (like Poly Sci) thinking that fun and riches were awaiting them at the end. If you have a vision for your career and are proactive, I don’t see how going to Davis is going to stop you. </p>
<p>Columbia just doesn’t seem like a good cost to benefits decision. If I wanted to do something like break into finance (what my little bro wants to do), I’d finish strong at Davis or Santa Barbara in Econ or some other quant major (math, engineering) and then go do a MS in Financial Engineering at Columbia or some other school. Much less expensive and far more appropriate for your career in terms of what you learn than reading the Bible in LitHum/CC. </p>
<pre><code>Me on the other hand. I’m 23 and got out of active duty recently. I have plenty of time to waste running around NYC, chasing girls and living the life of the mind (not necessarily in that order).
</code></pre>
<p>PS, I had a good laugh at your blog when it mentions your grades at Tulane. Sorry to be blunt but I can understand this after hanging out in NOLA during Mardi Gras couple years back.</p>
<p>i told wikki through email about this…</p>
<p>but guys, got quite good news for all of us.</p>
<p>someone anonymous online said he got his mail (not fedex) just yesterday (5/1) which was sent on 4/23. and im pretty sure he was talking about his acceptance mail.</p>
<p>any comments would be encouraging. to me… :)</p>
<p>thanks Wikki, you are echoing my sentiments exactly. The Columbia brand is alluring and so is the idea of heading back to the East coast, but the 6 digit cost and the added time of completing the “Core” is probably not worth it… Kinda sucks, cause I was so excited to be accepted to Columbia and now have to go tell the people who wrote my rec letters that I’m not going there (and I’m going to need them to write me new ones for grad school too…) My biggest concern with Davis is that I will be far removed from professional opportunities that are going to be vitally important to building a strong B.School application…</p>
<p>Check out the poll I just created on my blog and tally your vote. It’ll be interesting to see what the “web” thinks…</p>
<p>[Undergrad</a> School Poll - Harvard or Bust](<a href=“http://harvardorbust.com/hobpoll.php]Undergrad”>http://harvardorbust.com/hobpoll.php)</p>
<p>hmm… i thought all acceptances were fedexed - and were preceded with a personal phone call? Good luck to you guys though! Enjoy Columbia for me! :)</p>
<p>ben8jam, i sure will do that if i really get in…</p>
<p>which i highly doubt to happen as of now… sad sad…</p>
<p>Did anyone hear from GS?</p>
<p>I was fed up with waiting for GS, so I called in today to check my status:</p>
<p>WAITLISTED.</p>
<p>They say i’ll know before JULY 6TH, and considering I have an SIR due on June 1st for my backup college, it doesn’t look good.</p>
<p>What’s the point of applying for EA if they just delay it anyway …</p>
<p>floatus: are you serious?</p>
<p>i thought they don’t tell decision over the phone.</p>
<p>waitlisted too here man. ***. I think I’m crossing GS off my list at this point.</p>
<p>They said it was mailed out 4/30, so maybe that’s why they told me.</p>
<p>****ing hell, more waiting on GS …</p>
<p>what the he ck…</p>
<p>why do they waitlist people?</p>
<p>so if i give them a call, should they be able to tell me if i’m in, rejected, or waitlisted?</p>
<p>Almost 50% of accepted students go on to matriculate at another school. If you really want CU, I would wait it out.</p>
<p>ladygirl, what have you got to lose? Just call and find out.</p>
<p>yea that’s true, but i thought u couldnt find out over the phone though. i called the other week, and they said that they r sending out decisions may 1st. so they just told u over the phone that u were waitlisted, floatus?</p>
<p>damn.</p>
<p>they didn’t tell me the status. and i directly asked them.</p>
<p>uh oh.</p>
<p>Yes. Oh and get this everyone, I told them that I had a June 1st SIR, she tells me to hang on, then says I can email the admissions director (matthew) to find out why I’m waitlisted and what the decision will be … or something to that effect, she didn’t make that much sense. Basically if I can’t wait any longer, she recommended I email him. </p>
<p>So. I’m waiting until May 15th to hear back from a few other schools, then if nothing comes from GS, i’ll give matthew an email and then I’m done. I’m ready to pick a school on the 15th, if GS can’t give me an answer by then, forget it.</p>
<p>that’s rough floatus. I’m not waiting for Columbia. I already got into NYU. So I pretty much don’t care at this point</p>