Columbia ED

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Chances @ Columbia ED</p>

<p>GPA:
3-Year; 97% ( F-95%, S-97%, J-98% )
[School does not weight grades]</p>

<p>SATs:
SAT I: Old 1500 (720CR, 780M) / New 2260 (760W)
SAT IIs: 690 Biology, 730 Literature, 760 Math</p>

<p>Rank:
Top 5%
~18/~380</p>

<p>ECs:
Math Club/Mathletes; Officer > CoVPres > CoPres
Newspaper; Feature Editor
International Cultures Alliance: Founder/Pres
explanation-- Every few weeks, my school and a smaller, brotherly elementary school participate in an activity dealing w/ foreign cultures/diversity. So far we've taken a trip to the Museum of Natural History and had a day where some students bring in objects in their homes pertaining to their culture/background and explain the object's significance.
Spanish Club; VPres
General Student Organization.. Students do community service around the school and in the community (volunteering @ school athletic venues, town fairs, etc)
National Honor Society
A few other activites not worth mentioning</p>

<p>Outside of school:
Took a Studio Art course. Love creating my own pieces > Won 2nd place in schoolwide contest. Hope to send a disc w/ photos of many of my pieces.
Summer @ Brown -- Course in Anthropology, which I lovee. Plus it was the first time I was really independent and lived w/o my parents for a prolonged period of time.
Local youth football organization, volunteer Assistant Coach (Aug-Nov each year)
Habitat for Humanity beginning this summer
Some random volunteering (Bronx Zoo, Breakfast w/ Santa @ local preschool)
Job @ Astoria Federal Bank</p>

<p>Not too many awards. =/
Some in County Interscholastic Math League and Catholic HS Math League
(will be) National Merit Semifinalist
A few schools awards (1st place Biology Fair, 100% character rating (meaning I received no demerits every yr), honor rool)</p>

<p>For the essay(s), am thinking about telling how, despite the fact that everyone views me as a math nerd, anthropology is my passion (seems obscure.. but I hope unique). I think I show this through my interest in art, my love of the Museum of Natural History (hopefully I'm going back for my birthday again this year), I write for the Culture Corner, I took a course over the summer @ Brown for it, and I began a school alliance organization to promote the value of different cultures to younger kids.</p>

<p>Location: Long Island NY
School type: Highly competitive, Parochial
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Male</p>

<p>I know my awards are subpar and I suppose my ECs are medioce. My school is well-known throughout Long Island and sends almost 10% of the class to Ivies each year, so hopefully the reputation will help, esp if I apply ED. I've shown interest in Columbia by visiting, sending my admissions officer a personal letter, going to an information session + luncheon w/ a current student, and a few other things.</p>

<p>Appreciate any honest evaluations.</p>

2

<p>ivies are usually reaches for anyone.</p>

<p>your stats are in the ball-park. so, it'll be probably a semi-reach.</p>

3

<p>"My school is well-known throughout Long Island and sends almost 10% of the class to Ivies each year"</p>

<p>If you are top 5% and 10% go to the Ivy League, naturally you should have a good chance at Columbia ED. But it is still a "reach."</p>

4

<p>At schools that send 10% ivy, it's not the top 10%. You have to factor in athletes, legacies, etc.</p>

<p>To answer the OP, your stats are average for Columbia and ECs below average. Being from NY hurts. I don't see it.</p>

5

<p>Meh, alright.
I try to take everything from this site with a grain of salt.
I think Columbia puts a lot of emphasis on the essays, so hopefully I can do well with that.</p>

<p>It's funny how when I post on different boards, I always get mixed responses. Some say I have a good shot, others say not so much.</p>

<p>I think ED would benefit because I consider myself on the border of acceptance to an Ivy. I also think the prestige of my school will help, and I don't think being from NY or from a Catholic school will hurt too much. Kids from my school have been really fortunate.</p>

<p>Oh well, we shall see.
Thanks though.</p>

6

<p>I think you have a shot at an ivy, but I think more in the Cornell and Penn range. Columbia is hot with acceptance rate approaching HYP. Just being mid atlantic hurts, they get so many apps, there are so many great high schools (think top NYC privates and westchester publics) and a ton of legacies and the children of the rich and famous.</p>

7

<p>Better than most chances, though nobody can tell for sure.</p>

8

<p>Okay...you have a 97 average and your not in the top 10 numerically? Somethings fishy...did u take the toughest courseload or are grades at ur school just INFLATED?</p>

9

<p>Why post if you take the advice with a grain of salt? The best thing you can do is go into the archieves and read up on who got in this year. Just trying to tell you you might want to use that ED at a school where you would be a stronger candidate.</p>

10

<p>Why SHOULDN'T I take everyone's opinions with a grain of salt? I've gotten so many different critiques throughout this site that there's no way I couldn't.
And suze, I understand your opinion, that you think I should apply ED elsewhere.. You don't need to restate it, I've heard it three times, thank you. I'm curious as to others' opinions.
Others who say I have a shot.. And thus, I think Columbia is worth my ED. Maybe that's foolish, but if Columbia is my dream school, why would I apply ED elsewhere?
Me being accepted to Columbia.. I'd say stranger things have happened.</p>

<p>insecure101.. The reason I have a 97 average and am only #18 is because my school is UBERcompetitive, and the most prestigious parochial school on Long Island. Most would probably be surprised how insanely competitive the guys (yes, it's all-male) @ my school are. There are so many crazy smart kids that there is less than a 1 point difference in GPA between the students ranked #18 and #10.</p>