Columbia Worthy?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

My gpa is a 94, and I am a junior currently taking multiple college level courses - (my school does not offer AP.) I have taken English 101, Physics 1, and Algebra II and I am currently taking U.S. History, Physics 2, and Trigonometry for college credit. I take the highest level courses my school offers. My ACT is scheduled but I have not taken it yet - my projected score is a 32 and I scored the equivalent of a 2070 on the psat, though I do not plan on taking the SAT.

Here is a list of my extracurriculars: (I omitted the two music festivals I have participated in because the titles give away my location)

Academic
Drama Club, grades 9 and 11
Founded Green Team, grade 11
People to People Ambassador Program, grade 11
Poetry Out Loud, grade 11

Civic
Class President, grades 9-11
Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference, grade 10
Student Council, grades 9-11
Youth and Government, grades 9-11

Community Service
Made/donated blankets to Project Linus, grade 10
Volunteer at the town-wide cleanup, grades 9-10
Volunteer at the community garden, grade 9

Employment
Lifeguard, summer after grades 9-10
Youth Program Counselor, summer after grades 9-10

Honors/Special Accomplishments
High Honor Roll, grades 9-11
National Honor Society, grades 10-11

Sports
Basketball Team, grades 9-10
Soccer Team, grades 9-11
Tennis Team, grades 9-11

Important to note: My Spanish class just visited Columbia’s Casa Hispanica and I talked with the head of the Department - Profesor Velasco. We are planning a joint research project with some of his students and with continued contact I may be able to get a recommendation letter from him (fingers crossed.)

If you need more information just let me know - this is my first post!

2

Nope, not Columbia worthy.

3

^ Lol, you really are harsh aren’t you? Although, I doubt any respectable college will give you credit for a course like Trig. I’m not sure how you’re deduced that you will get a 32 on the ACT. You do have a wide range of ECs, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for Columbia. An Ivy isn’t everything.

4

Columbia doesn’t accept credits obtained before high school graduation, I just pointed out that I am taking higher level courses, as my school does not offer the typical AP classes.

5

Your projected test scores would require a major hook to get in to Columbia.

6

No college has ever admitted anyone on the basis of an “expected” score. I’m afraid that Columbia is probably out of reach for you, but you should qualify for a number of good colleges. What other colleges are you considering, and when do you plan to take the ACT? Why aren’t you planning to take the SAT at least once? It seems as if you are putting all your eggs in one basket by delaying your tests so long. Most students who are considering selective colleges have already taken at least one set of ACT or SAT (both, in many cases) by late May of their Junior year. I hope you are looking at a range of colleges.

7

My ACT is scheduled for June 13th - the 32 is from my P-ACT back in sophomore year so hopefully that will improve. I am also looking at NYU and Vassar. I am looking to be either in NYC or within a short distance of it.

8

I would look at it another way: the three main things that Columbia, NYU and Vassar have in common are 1) they are in NY state and 2) they are selective (albeit to different degrees) and 3) they are expensive. Otherwise? not much.

Does Columbia’s common core appeal to you? It’s urban location? It’s name? I would suggest a little more homework about these schools. Pretty sure you will be significantly happier at one than the others…

fwiw, I also don’t love the idea that somebody can be “Columbia worthy”- it’s not whether you are ‘worthy’ enough to go there, but whether that is a place that is both a good fit and an achievable goal given the specific parameters that the college has chosen as it’s admissions criteria.

9

How committed are you to the Core? That’s one aspect you must think about and have a clear answer for (why you really love the idea of a core curriculum, with details.)