Columbia ED 2021

Hi all! I’m from Virginia and I’m wondering what kind of chance I have in acceptance. Extracurriculars, leadership, are good. President of some school clubs, Varsity athletics, certified Domestic Violence advocate, a lot of volunteer work. My ACT is a 33 composite, but I don’t know if I’m showing that I’m special in any way. I’m not first generation, my family is very typical… Please let me know if you have any insight or are in the same position!

I also got into a magnet high school in Virginia, have done several individual research projects on literary theory, taken 10 plus AP courses and scored several fours and fives (not on all of them though). I think my essays and recs are good, but my interview was average.

Oh, and my GPA is a 4.6 weighted.

did u apply ed or rd?

early

You certainly sound qualified but there are plenty who are and are not admitted. It’s just how these very competitive schools are. I assume you also have applied to some matches and safeties just in case. If you attend the magnet school your counselor would have the best guess of your chances as they have lots of admits to competitive schools every year so they would be able to evaluate your exact situation in terms of your peer group more effectively.

Columbia is one of the most competitive schools in the country.
Once you take out the athletes, you’re looking at roughly 5% acceptance rate.
Taking 10 A/P courses and getting a 33 on your ACT is not enough to put you into the top 5%.
Even a perfect SAT or ACT won’t guarantee admissions.
You’ll need something else in your application to sway admissions.

I’m sure you will end up somewhere wonderful. Whether that is Columbia or some other school is anyone’s guess (though Columbia is definitely an option). I am not a huge fan of chance threads because getting into a specific school shouldn’t be a huge priority. Trust me, it won’t make or break your life. In one year, regardless of where you go, you will face a set of wonderful experiences as well as challenges that you never thought you would face. In one year, this whole process will be miles behind you. Enjoy the ride and take it easy. You will be fine.

Thanks all!