<p>Hey everybody, I have an interview with columbia university this weekend and want to know if the interview really matters and if getting an interview means something. Also I might as well ask, does columbia look highly at ec's and legacy because my grades and scores and a little low for columbia. Thank you so much for the input everybody.</p>
<p>My experience is with Yale but I’m reasonably certain this applies to Columbia. Getting an interview means nothing since there is no pre-selection process and this depends on alumni availability. Some areas have applicant growth far exceeding interviewer growth and it is just not possible for all to be interviewed. Acceptance rates for non-interviewed students are slightly lower nationally at Yale but not enough to think an interview is mandatory for admission. The interview is one of the less important parts of the holistic process. At most schools including Columbia, your transcript is the most important part of the equation. Unless your ECs are of the level to cause athletic recruitment, strong ECs and legacy are not going to effectively balance out lower grades.</p>
<p>Alright thank you for the input, my gpa is a 3.6 and I received a 29 on my act. I have hundreds of hours of cc and I will be a commercial pilot before I graduate. I also have jazz band the. The whole legacy thing as well. My dad donates money to the rugby club about a thousand a year. Do these spicifics change anything ?</p>
<p>I think your GPA and stats are a little low for Columbia. EC’s and legacy will not likely make up for it. The acceptance rate last year was 8%, and 92% of incoming freshmen had ACT scores 30-36.
It is still worth trying but it is clearly a long-shot.</p>
<p>Columbia gives interviews if there’s an alum in your area- no personal preference. In my opinion, the interview only matters if you do something awful or if you’re superb and your interviewer falls in love with you and your application. If you mess up big time (ha), your interviewer will certainly say something to admissions. But they’ll also probably push your application if they really like you and think you’d be a good match for the school. If your interview is fine or just good, I don’t think your interviewer will say much to impact your admissions decision. </p>
<p>When I had my interview, it was OK- my interview was a little awkward but I think I was articulate and answered her questions well. I couldn’t get a sense of what she thought of me, though. My advice- just don’t bomb it and the interview won’t have much of an impact.</p>
<p>Also, about your application- push your ECs and community service if you don’t think your grades/test scores are good enough.</p>