Do I even have a shot at Columbia?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>About me:
Major: possibly business, but most likely undeclared
Male
Asian-American (Korean)
Live in Southern California</p>

<p>School does not rank
GPA weighted: 4.24
GPA unweighted: 3.76
UC Eligibility in Local Context ELC (indicates top 4% of class, very weak class of 2010)</p>

<p>About my GPA, my sophomore year I was taking 3 APs and I got 4 B's first semester and 2 B's second semester (3.91 GPAW). My junior year I took 5 APs and got straight A's for both semesters (4.8 GPAW). Hopefully, this shows at least an upward trend and that I can handle an extreme courseload.</p>

<p>SAT: 790 Math, 780 Writing, 730 Crit Reading, 2300 overall
SAT IIs: Math 780, US History 720, Chemistry (taking in October, expecting around 750+)
APs:
Sophomore year:
AP Calc AB – 5
AP Euro Hist – 3
AP Environmental Science – 4
Junior Year: Again, hopefully my AP scores also show an upward trend from my sophomore year
AP Calc BC - 5
AP Physics C - 5
AP US Hist - 5
AP English Language – 5
AP Chemistry - 4</p>

<p>Senior Year: AP Stats, AP Physics EM, AP Eng Lit, AP Gov, Spanish 7-8 (did all 4 years of HS), Comp Applications(for requirement)</p>

<p>ECs:
-Math Tutoring Club Secretary (11), Treasurer (12)
-Investment Club founder (12)
-Volunteer at local Hospital (10-12) over 100 hours
-National Honors Society (11-12)
-various local writing and math competition semifinalist
-School JV tennis (9-10), MVP for Sophomore Year
-Piano National CM test Level 10 (9-12)
-participate in city's Youth Symphony (9-12)
-Youth Symphony Marketing Committee
-kiva.org member and participant (9-12)
-smaller school clubs that I might or might not write down
-Stanford EPGY Summer program (11)</p>

<p>Work Experience:
-Internship at IBM Korea and Deutsche Bank Korea (2 weeks each, not sure which one to write down), can get a 3rd optional rec letter from either
-Volunteer work at North Korean refugee camp in rural South Korea (3 weeks)
-Work at UPS for 4 hours per week during the school year</p>

<p>Rec letters:
-pretty sure of 2 very good recommendations, one from physics another from US History to balance it out
-can get a 3rd optional from one of my internships</p>

<p>Essays: I have one very, very unique experience at the North Korean refugee camp and another talks my overarching passion for business that I’ve shown through my ECs and and the different types of work experience.</p>

<p>Hooks: Can pay full.</p>

<p>Antihooks: Asian, Korean, I have alot of ugly B's, upper middle class</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>First, Columbia does not offer an undergraduate business major.</p>

<p>Grades and SATs are at the bottom of where you want to be (Top 5%, upper quartile of SAT for admits), but ECs appear to be directionless. For example, while the NK work is admirable, where has that taken you? I’ve seen the successful candidates to Columbia use that type of experience as a springboard to other similar projects, but on a grander and deeper scale. Likewise, the tennis appears to have taken you nowhere past sophomore year, and the work at IBM and DBank just took a couple of weeks during the summer.</p>

<p>So the question is, how do you intend to position yourself? There’s no discernible pattern to your portfolio.</p>

3

<p>If Seas I’d say you’re in ED 50/50 Regular</p>

<p>If College I’d say 50/50 ED 25% chance regular</p>

<p>Good luck</p>

4

<p>^that’s a load of ■■■, noone is every in close to 100%, seas is probably more like 50/50 ED and 25% regular, seas is possibly more difficult to get into than the college.</p>

5

<p>I never meant 100%. SEAS applicants are self-selecting and imo he looks like one of those self-selecting applicants.</p>