@digony: you’re violating the “keep calm and act rationally” rule – you’re pining away for a Likely Letter when it’s been repeated 100s of times that NO ONE should do so. The majority of admitted students never see one. To “get fidgety” is as rational as to getting fidgety about the PowerBall drawing.
@ProximaCentauri : As I recall, my son got his likely letter in early Feb, but we didn’t really know what it meant other than what it said in the letter. We didn’t get the Financial Aid package or the formal admissions letter until late March that year, which was where we found out they named him a John Jay Scholar.
Congtratulations.
I just got emailed a likely letter less than an hour ago. I’m a Columbia College applicant from New Jersey. As someone who massively regretted not ED’ing this school, this feels soooooo nice right now. Has anyone else received a letter today? Guess I’m part of later wave of likely letter recipients?
Got one as well (applied CC, from Texas). Absolutely stunned.
Yes, they have accepted you, so long as you don’t commit a felony etc. Congratulations!
I just received one today, too!!
Thank you! I went 1) Undecided 2) Medicine, Literature, and Society and 3) Neuroscience.
thanks! i did not remember what i put and had to go onto commonapp to check. not a place i thought i’d ever return to haha. 1. american studies, 2. philosophy, 3. sociology.
I’m still waiting on mine, what course are you guys taking?
Just got one as well! I actually found mine in my “Spam” folder, so I immediately came here to authenticate the email, knowing full well that some of the CC posters would have probably received some too. 
For all of those wondering, I applied to Columbia College with a interest in Biophysics, Urban Studies, and Economics. My application very heavily focused on global health, but I had significant achievements in the hard sciences during high school—make of that what you will. 
@abriboi Yeah, I know the feeling - I thought it would just be another advertisement. It was pretty shocking, given that I didn’t have that many achievements worth talking about - but I applied for music composition, and I guess they really liked my portfolio!
What are the stats on applicants without likely letters at a school where another has received one? “Asking for a friend,” haha. But to clarify, one of my friends received one and I’d just like to know if that is an indicator that I have a reduced chance of admittance now (not to imply that it was a good one prior).
I’m confused. Are we supposed to get it? If we didn’t get it, does it mean we got rejected? And why would it say “likely”? Why not just say congrats? And I thought results come at the end of March, not now
I just received an email from Columbia University letting me know that I have been chosen as a “likely candidate for admission to Columbia College.” Does this mean that they have accepted me? I’m too scared to get my hopes up in case if I end up being rejected.
Also, has anyone else received this email? Or has any current Columbia student received this before?
@room101thehorror Only a small portion of accepted applicants will receive a likely letter. This means that Columbia finished reviewing your app and that you should expect to be accepted in late March. Not getting it doesn’t mean you got rejected.
You answered your own questions :). The results come out at the end of March. The letters say “likely” because you haven’t been officially accepted and won’t be until the official decisions date (I think its an agreement among the Ivies). For this reason they cannot say you were accepted.
Also, the tone of the letter is one of “congratulations,” so you know they mean it.
@room101thehorror this will further explain LLs
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/804816-quick-facts-about-likely-letters.html
Basically, they are extreme anomalies and no one should be wondering if they may or may not get one. Assume NO. If you hit the jackpot, nice.
But otherwise, no rational person should be pining away for one. Ever.
(unless you’re a top recruited athlete and you would already have it by now).
- Astrophysics 2) History 3) Literature/English
@ProximaCentauri Thanks!
@T26E4 Mind your own business. You’re putting too much meaning to a little sentence I wrote here… I NEVER said I was pining for a likely letter. I was just curious, geez.
Congrats to everyone who got it
My apologies @digony. I have inferred too much. There are plenty of nervous ppl posting that exact sentiment. Sorry for assuming that with you. GL