<p>Hey guys.</p>
<p>I learned a few days ago that I was put on Columbia's Waitlist.
Do any of you have experience with the Waitlist process?
How many students are selected from the Waitlist?
Should I only send the one page of essay that was asked for? Would extra material be bad?
Also, if anyone you got into Columbia via the Waitlist: can you just summarize what you wrote? What should I write in my essay?
I know I have more questions but I can't think of them right now. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi! I was waitlisted as well, and while I don’t have any prior experience, I have done some research on what waitlisted students should do. It looks like Columbia puts about 2,000 people on the waitlist each year, and 1,500 people accept their places on the list. After people who were admitted have accepted (or declined) their offer of admission, Columbia heads to the waitlist. Sometimes no one from the waitlist is admitted, but I think 40-50 people is typical. </p>
<p>Columbia’s waitlist is not ranked, so everyone’s given equal consideration, according to them. This is kind of true; what they’re actually doing is trying to replace specific people who were admitted but decided not to come. So if they really wanted a violin-playing bio major who declined their offer of admission, they’ll look for someone similar to admit from the waitlist. </p>
<p>I get the impression that submitting extra materials in addition to your one-page letter is frowned on. Definitely refrain from submitting extra recommendations, as they specifically mentioned not to do that. </p>
<p>Most people recommend including recent achievements and re-stating your love of and commitment to Columbia in the letter. Beyond that, I’m not sure what would give you an advantage. </p>
<p>Good luck! </p>