<p>last yr columbia was quirky and looked beyond numbers, will they again go back to the usual ivy (numbers 1st) thing</p>
<p>umm..I don't think any school ever puts numbers (SAT's) first. If you mean numbers as in GPA/Rank, they definately put that near the top of the list of things.</p>
<p>SAT numbers are pretty low down.</p>
<p>All top schools look beyond the numbers...always...past...present..future...</p>
<p>no i meant more like columbia made quirky decisions- people with great ecs but not great numbers, and that sort of gave me some hope, i was wondering if they would do that again this yr</p>
<p>i guarantee you that the best way to get into columbia, or any ivy league school is to have good "numbers", that is to say, high gpa and good sat's (1400+ most of the time). Taking people with incredible EC's and low "numbers" is not exactly the rule at Columbia ED. I mean, I had impressive ECs and a strong GPA, but I was deferred ED. When I called and asked my Admissions counselor why, she wrote me a very informative email, and recommended I try and raise my SAT 1 Math score a little. I did, and lo and behold, I was accepted RD!</p>
<p>oh i know that, but in the ed round columbia did look beyond numbers and accepted people with great ecs and essays and passable numbers, whereas other selective unis tried to lock in high stat people, so i was wondering if columbia changes its policies year to year</p>
<p>Dividpien what was your original SAT math score and how much did you improve it?</p>
<p>Oh no, no, no -- numbers are not everything. I did not have a 1400+ score, nor was I the valedictorian of my class or anything like that, but I was accepted nevertheless. But let me tell you something else: in cases like these, pure EC's are not everything either. Are you doing things that you truly have a passion for and not just for the credentials? Are you doing things besides school-related EC's, such as working a job to provide for your education? Does your essay represent your genuine self? Did your efforts and grasp above obstacles make you stand out in the environment you went to school in? Have you made great academic improvement through your years in high school? For anyone reading this, let me tell you that I do not believe that there is one single "secret" to college admissions. It's not going to be all about your numbers, all about your extracirriculars, all about what you write. Granted, one of these things may give you a leading edge, but it won't be just one factor. This is why you'll see people with supposedly "average" SAT scores (the below 1400'ers) getting into this school -- because they have something else that pulls them in. </p>
<p>And remember, acceptance into a place like Columbia should not be seen as based on how "elite" a person is, but how much of a fit the person would have in such an environment.</p>
<p>Good luck with the apps, guys. It's really not as bad as it seems. Just remember to not try so hard to impress in the writing, and be true to yourselves. I hope this helps.</p>