<p>how important is the personal statement to columbia? can it make up for a low gpa?</p>
<ol>
<li>pretty dang important if your stats don't blow the adcom out of the water.</li>
<li>depends how low the gpa is.</li>
</ol>
<p>stats never blow adcoms out of the water...they've seen many a perfect GPA and perfect/near perfect SAT scores....the only things that really do blow adcoms out of the water are ECs, essays, passion, and potential to be an asset on campus.</p>
<p>When I visited this summer, the adcom told us that nothing will make up for bad grades and bad SAT scores. No essay or EC can bring you up. However, I think he was more talking about a 2.0/1500 and less about someone with like a 3.6/1900. If your stats are on the radar, then ECs and essays can get you in, but if they are bellow the radar, good luck.</p>
<p>i highly doubt that you can get into columbia with a 3.6/1900..how great can your essay possibly be?</p>
<p>well, something made up for my 3.3 GPA. but that "something" was 2 years' work experience, taken as a gap year, to demonstrate my maturity and work ethic. i imagine that achievement can make up for poor test scores as long as everything else is in order. But to have both out of line at once suggests that you're really not the kind of applicant that Columbia is looking for, absent being a real superstar at something.</p>
<p>The essay (along w/ all the intangibles) is tremendously important for any applicant given CU's extreme selectivity. Top-notch academic credentials are necessary for getting in (except for the athlete, URM, etc. stuff), but won't alone do the trick. As such, if your academics (grades/SATs) indicate to CU that you aren't all that bright, it really doesn't matter what your essay is.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, I think he was more talking about a 2.0/1500 and less about someone with like a 3.6/1900. If your stats are on the radar, then ECs and essays can get you in, but if they are bellow the radar, good luck.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
i highly doubt that you can get into columbia with a 3.6/1900..how great can your essay possibly be?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think a 3.6/1900 does indeed put you below the radar for Columbia. It just puts you in the "not all that smart" (relative to the rest of the applicant pool) category.</p>
<p>
[quote]
well, something made up for my 3.3 GPA. but that "something" was 2 years' work experience, taken as a gap year, to demonstrate my maturity and work ethic. i imagine that achievement can make up for poor test scores as long as everything else is in order. But to have both out of line at once suggests that you're really not the kind of applicant that Columbia is looking for, absent being a real superstar at something.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, if I recall, you had top-notch AP scores from a lot of tests and good SAT1/2s. All that showed CU that your GPA wasn't reflective of your academic potential and put you into back into the -- to paraphrase your own phrase terminology -- "bright smart kid" category.</p>
<p>Essays are important, but of course they always say transcript comes first. If you are kind of borderline and they still have some consideration of you, your essays will definitely help and possibly tip you into the accepted list. However, there are more than just essays. There are EC's, interviews, activities and awards, etc.</p>