<p>I was recently rejected from applying to Columbia ED.</p>
<p>SAT I - 1540 (780V 760M)
SAT II - 780 Writing, 750 MathIIC, 750 Biology M
AP's - 8 AP classes total (3's, 4's, and 5's on all exams)</p>
<p>I have taken Linear Algebra and Honors Topics in Calculus at Pomona College and Art History at Pitzer College. I have also taken a physics course at a local community college.</p>
<p>Worked at a speech and debate institute and worked at a Pomona College genetics lab over past two summers.</p>
<p>EC's - Speech and Debate Lincoln-Douglass Debate Captain
Drum Line Front Ensemble Captain
Varsity Tennis
School Site Council Student Rep
CSF Board Member</p>
<p>Good teacher recs</p>
<p>Good essay, proofread by Pomona College admissions officer and high school counselor of 30 years</p>
<p>I have various awards such as AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Commended Scholar, various debate and drum line awards, etc. (nothing really out of the ordinary)</p>
<p>I am applying to the following schools RD: UPenn, Yale, Harvard, UC Berkeley, UCSD, Stanford, Colgate, Northwestern</p>
<p>I realize that some of the colleges I am applying to are reaches and some are safeties, but after seeing how Columbia ED went it doesn't look like scores really count for much. Was outright rejected with mine and saw 1300's and such being admitted and 1200's being deferred. I guess a lot of it is luck, but perhaps you could give me an idea of my chances at the above schools.<br>
Thanks!!!</p>
<p>wow...are you starting to question your essays and recs? I was out right rejected from UPenn with a 1450 and 3.9, so I am thinking there was something wrong with my application. Maybe im just being nervous.</p>
<p>I've been trying to figure out what I did wrong on my app so I can fix it but I'm just not sure. I wrote my essay about how my drum line captain I became friends with freshman year was convicted of attempted murder and how it affected me and changed my perspective on the world. The people who read my essay said it didn't give them the impression that I "frequently associated with people like that" or that I was part of a bad crowd or something, but maybe Columbia thought differently.</p>
<p>Otherwise, I think a lot of it is just luck. I don't know anybody who has been accepted to all the top colleges they applied to. I just thought I had a better chance ED.</p>
<p>Unique EC's? I don't know what really unique EC's there are available at a high school level. Drum line, tennis, and debate seem to encompass a broad range of the high school experience. Outside of high school I have worked at a Pomona College genetics lab and taught at a debate institute. I thought those were pretty unique. If not, maybe you can give me an idea about what a "unique EC" is.</p>
<p>Around 10 hours a week on debate and 10 hours a week on drum line. Yeah, I only really listed the EC's I had leadership positions in. I mean, there are various school clubs and such I was a part of, but I heard unless you have a leadership position or some other way to show you were really involved in the club the colleges won't even look at it really. All of the ones I listed I am very involved in and take up a lot of my time. </p>
<p>Genetics lab: 10 hours a week for 8 weeks. Assisted students studying the cleavage properties of the homing endonuclease I-Cre I. I knew the professor and he pretty much let me do the same things the students working there did. I just had to wash dishes and prepare media too.</p>
<p>My guess is
Reach: Yale, Harvard, Stanford
Match: Penn
In: UCSD, Colgate, Northwestern, UCB</p>
<p>You are sorta low on the matches if you look at this. I would add Brown, Dartmouth, or Duke as another match if you would prefer any of these to Cal or Northwestern. I think you might like Brown especially</p>
<p>Research experience + debate makes you a hard hitter.</p>
<p>I'm so sorry Columbia couldn't see how amazing you seem to be. I saw many of the stats of those who were accepted, and, if I had not been made aware of your (unfortunate) decision, I would have immediately smacked an "accepted" all over your app (mind you, this is coming from a cynic.)</p>
<p>You better get into Penn, damn it.</p>
<p>ETA: Looks like I'm screwed for my ED school as well!</p>
<p>Like you, I'm captain of my debate team (policy + awards), have done research training institutes the past two summers (2 week one/4 week one), and am going to be a research assistant. </p>
<p>Naw, not asian. Unless CAUCasian counts, haha.</p>
<p>It's not over for you, who knows why colleges pick who they pick, I've just learned that you can't rely on scores and grades for getting in. I'm sure you will get into some of your top choices, even if it's not #1. Same for most people I guess, it's a competitive academic world. Where did you apply ED?</p>