The Priority EA deadline is approaching! Let’s chat!
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Plan to apply for the priority action, still revising the essay…
I’ve finished my application and submitted all my documents on the first day of the application opening and waiting for the decision now.
I share my stats for you 
AP micro/macro econ 5; Physics C Mech 5; Psych 5; Cal bc 5; Cs A 4; Stat 4
High school gpa 90/100
I have done my foundation course at UK and graduated with 77/100(UK system A)
Duolingo 125/160
Worked in national AI project, currently works in a startup.
Non paid tutoring since 2018. Got several partnerships with firms at Singapore and Korea.
2 years and a bit longer gap I have.
I love my essay
Recommendation letter, 1 from my high school teacher and 1 from my current employer.
I apply for the freshmen at Columbia GS and it’s so thrilling now omg haha.
If you or anyone who sees this, please share your situation and thoughts. Best of luck to all of you guys!
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I am also planning on applying by the priority EA deadline!
Hoping that I have a fighting chance… It has been around five years since I graduated. I originally took two years off to take care of my dad when he was diagnosed with cancer, but then I took some social work courses in Finland and I am now studying political science at a good university in Austria with a 3.95 GPA. In the last year, I have worked as an intern at the International Rescue Committee for five months and I am also a volunteer with another organization where I work as a legal screener for unaccompanied minors coming into the US. I had quite a story to tell in my essay, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens!
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Does anyone’s application checklist say that it’s missing High school transcript or GED/TASC scores, even though it is supposed to be waived for Spring 2022? I am worried that this means my application won’t move up to review.
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Just in case anyone else has the same concerns that I did:
I contacted the admissions office and they confirmed that my application was fine even though there was a red x next to “GED/TASC Scores” and the red text on my portal. Of course, you should always do your own due diligence and confirm that nothing wrong happened with your application. You can schedule a phone call with an admissions advisor on their website.
I’m super excited. This is going to be the longest September of my life, haha.
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This thread isn’t as active as the previous ones. I assume that those who come across this thread are thinking hard about their application (like me, haha). So I want to say that whether or not you are accepted to GS, the real W is that you believed in yourself enough to apply and consider yourself a tenacious, nontraditional, Ivy-League-worthy individual who can (and will) achieve great things in life. Writing an essay that prompts you to be brutally honest with yourself and others takes a lot of guts - please pat yourself on the back! And you impressed two people that you admire enough that they were willing to recommend you? That deserves a round of applause.
No matter where your next chapter will be, I hope that you will always maintain the same perspective of yourself that you have at this moment. Your school doesn’t make you. You make the school. Remember that!
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Hi all! I submitted my completed app on Sept 4th for priority EA. Got an email the next day with my CUID and a confirmation email that my application was moved to “ready for review” status although it does not reflect that on my GS status page. It also says my decision will update on oct 1st. Fingers crossed! Not expecting much 
Oh got the “ready for review“ on sept 10th
Hi there 
! I don’t know why you are not expecting much. You believed in yourself enough to apply, and two people you admire recommended you. You are totally worthy, and in the worst-case scenario, this school would have missed out on having someone just like you. My fingers are crossed for both of us! 
My application status also hasn’t changed to “Ready for Review,” even though I had multiple confirmations - so it’s okay. I spent hours going through the previous applicant threads. It seems that the only thing to really look out for is whether any of the required materials have a red X (sometimes it’s fine, but there was one person whose application was never in review because of it).
Also, they release their decisions on a rolling basis, so you will likely hear a decision before October 1st (if they aren’t swamped with applications again this cycle). Keep an eye on your portal on Wednesdays around 5 PM, or so the old threads say lol.
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Thank you for that encouraging message! I guess that is my way of not getting my hopes up. You are right, in reality I have as good a chance as anyone else! I hope we both get in! Do you mind if I ask your stats, age and work experience? Thanks again!
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Sure! I’ll try to be brief. I’m 24. I was academically dismissed from my first college but have since appealed it. During my gap from college, I worked full-time in the real estate industry. I resumed my academic career in 2020 at a community college, where I am an honors student with a 3.77 GPA, participate in research with faculty, compete in national competitions, and hold officer positions at several clubs. My essay is very personal, and I feel that it thoroughly explains why I’m a non-traditional student and why I want to go to GS.
My stats aren’t perfect. I also start to doubt myself sometimes, but it’s not healthy. We should expect that we will get in, and if we don’t, we still maintain that we are extremely bright and qualified students.
Please feel free to share your stats if you are comfortable!
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Sounds like you are exactly what GS is looking for! I wish you all the best and I believe you will be accepted!
I will try to be brief with my stats/story lol.
I am married, 34 and a first gen college student in my family of 7. None of my siblings finish high school but I earned a GED when I was 20. I went to a community college in 2010 and earned a EMT certificate (2.6 GPA) and then became a firefighter. I moved to NYC to take a shot at becoming a FF with FDNY but never got the call. For the past 10 years I have work at JP Morgan and worked my way up to a VP title as a wealth advisor. Throughout my time at JPM I attended online classes at U of Arizona Global Campus, I made the deans list 3 times and had a 3.68 GPA. I just resigned from JPM to open my own practice and I now have time to attend in-person classes. I have always wanted to attend CU and never thought I could until I learned about the GS program. I am worried they won’t take my grades seriously because it was an online school and each class was only 5 weeks long however, the school is accredited. And I worry I rushed my essay. Not to say I didn’t put a lot of time and energy into it but as I reread it now, I wish I would have rearranged the flow and added some detail.
I guess we are at most a few weeks away from know their decision!!!
I wonder why this chat isn’t as active as the last?? I’ll try to stay active and I hope we both get in!
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Sounds like you are the perfect GS student too! Your experience is really interesting!
Yeah, I think we might be hearing back exactly on October 1st.
I think the threads pick up during the EA and RD timeframes. I couldn’t see a lot of activity in the previous Priority EA timeframes, and all I saw were people posting that they heard back on October 1st.
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Thank you! Guess you and I will know soon 
.
Ah ok, you are right, looks like it picks up later for the larger application pool. I’m trying not to think about it in the meantime so that time goes by faster haha. Do you live in NY now or are you planning on moving here once accepted (you will be admitted🙌)
Born and raised in NY 
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Sick! I feel like that helps with the admission (for not particular reason)
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Well, that would be nice if that is true haha! All NY colleges have competitive applicant pools from everywhere in the world, so it’s hard to tell.
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I have no idea if it’s true but when I spoke to the admissions officer a month ago she was like “Oh you live in Harlem? That’s good, no relocation problems there haha!” Not to say that REALLY matters, could have just small talk. Idk. I guess we are a week-ish away from knowing!!
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You’re so lucky that you live in Harlem, I swear they have the best places to eat!
And maybe you are onto something. I did hear that housing is competitive, but that’s standard for NY in general haha. They did mention that they do give “priority” to international students because they will need more time/resources to relocate. By priority, I think they meant that they inform them of their decisions and their financial packages earlier. I feel like that is equitable and fair, especially because international students are disadvantaged in ways that native New Yorkers can’t even realize.
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