International (Chinese) student here. Waitlisted by Columbia. GPA N/A bc the school’s system is different. But top 1% in my school. SAT 2380, CR 800, Math 800, Writing 780, SAT subject 2400, math II, Physics, and Chem all 800s. 5 AP 5’s. Computer science international patents. Computer science research. Physics Bowl world ranking No. 24. ARML international team champion. Various volunteers and inventions. School MUN chair.
What should we do when we get waitlisted. Ik we need to write a supplement, but should we submit that ASAP or wait for a while? I’m so scared rn and I’m panicking even though I got accepted to UCB. It’s tough for international students this year. Guys what should we do to be off waitlist???
My friend got waitlisted at Cornell, rejected at HYPM, but got accepted to Columbia! He still can’t believe it. 3.80 GPA (Yes, 3.8, you read correctly), 1550 SAT, and is even an ORM. Any anxious juniors reading this thread, know that there is always a chance you can get in & that everything happens for a reason. He said it’s really the essays that got him and and that he was a good fit. He was super depressed when he learned of his MIT rejection, at first. Remember, everything happens for a reason!
@junior1818 I know someone almost exactly like that!! Granted he didn’t apply to Harvard (instead rejected from Stanford and Penn), had a bit higher GPA, a bit lower SAT (1530); everything else is the same. Waitlisted from Cornell, rejected from MYP, is ORM, had especially good Columbia essays, was depressed after he got deferred and rejected from MIT, etc.
So to juniors: there is always a chance! Don’t give up!
Tbh so many applicants each year are extremely qualified for top universities in terms of academics, test scores, and extracurriculars that a college decision usually comes down to FIT. Being a good fit for a university is kindof vague and sometimes hard to define but it generally means you have some quality (whether it be personality, interests, etc.) that stands out in a way that’s reflected in the student body. So, for juniors, don’t be discouraged if you’re worrying about stats, but focus on what makes you special and how what you can contribute on a college campus fits within the Columbia community. For those accepted, Congratulations! and my advice is to talk to as many Columbia students as you can. Find out what drives them, what other students are like, and if you could picture yourself as a student there. Since this post is already pretty long, feel free to message me if you want to talk more about Columbia life! I’m a current SEAS first year with almost a full year under my belt, but talking to Columbia students before I applied really helped me shape my application and decide to come here.
Also, if you’re trying to figure out if Columbia is the right fit for you, Columbia’s newspaper creates a really helpful site that has articles about student life (http://columbiaspectator.com/spectrum/required-reading/). It’s tailored to incoming students and prospectives
