Do I want to apply to Columbia? (in a binding process)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I can't decide whether or not to apply to Columbia... Here's my situation:</p>

<p>-The core seems amazing, and so does living New York City, and relating everything we learn with things in the city. But, all of my other schools are very different. All of my schools have a more defined "college experience". My list of schools suggests I'm trying to add an outlier. People say things like "you have your entire life to live in NYC, but only 4 years to experience college life". Is Columbia worth forgoing "college life"?</p>

<p>-Applying to Columbia would mean I need to go through yet another application, and have my teachers and counselor go through yet another set of recommendations, since Columbia doesn't use the common app. This is a big negative.</p>

<p>-If I do apply to Columbia, it would be through Questbridge.org's CollegeMatch process, which means that if accepted, it is binding, unless a higher ranked school accepts me. I would not bother applying to Columbia through RD, because it is only in the binding Collegematch process that they read my extra essays (which will probably provide my only chances at acceptance).</p>

<p>I don't know if I should rank it or not / if I should commit. I don't want to miss my chances at acceptance to Stanford (or Yale etc) through the regular decision round, if I'm suddenly bound to Columbia. Then again, I don't want to miss my chances to Columbia completely if none of the other schools accept me in either round. And, maybe I wouldn't mind being bound to Columbia? That's what I want to figure out. Sometimes Columbia seems like my first choice, and other times it seems like Stanford is my first choice......</p>

<p>Questbridge list:</p>

<ol>
<li>Stanford (non-binding)</li>
<li>Yale (non-binding)</li>
<li>Princeton (non-binding)</li>
<li>Wharton (binding, but I wouldn't mind being bound)</li>
<li>(Columbia??) (binding, but I'm not sure. Do I have the nerve to not want a full ride to Columbia?)</li>
</ol>

<p>If I didn't explain myself well enough, just ask for clarification. Questbridge is a rather complicated process. If you're curious, I'm also applying to Duke, Dartmouth, USC, Alabama, and ASU.</p>

<p>I don't want to decide in ambiguity. This is a binding process similar to ED so it's a rather big decision. So, please sell me on either ranking Columbia, or not. e.g, Why should I NOT want to go to Columbia, and forget about it completely? Or, why should I embrace the possibility of being bound to such a great school, in exchange for the others? That would help seal the deal... All I'm asking: should I apply or not? thanks. :)</p>

2

<p>I have personally been debating back and forth with myself about doing SCEA at a school like Yale, or ED at a slightly less selective school that I will be happy at, but will likely not get into RD. Ultimately, I think that if you apply ED somewhere, you should be POSITIVE that it’s where you want to go. Maybe consider an overnight to see whether it’s really right for you.</p>

3

<p>I think you answered your own question.</p>

<p>Siren, I believe it’s OK to use ED as a strategy if you’re able to get happy with the school you choose. SCEA/ED does not make a top school easier to get into if the stats are not there. More kids need to be honest with themselves about where they have a chance and make strategic decisions regarding applying early.</p>

4

<p>Haha, hmom it might sound like I answered my own question, but I definitely didn’t, and I still don’t know whether to rank it or not. What did you assume I had decided?</p>

5

<p>Columbia is the most socioeconomically diverse of top universities–it gives preference to Questbridge applicants. It’s your best bet out of all the schools you’ve mentioned.</p>

6

<p>thanks for the replies. though i am still not completely sure, so any other opinions would be welcome.</p>

7

<p>You sound like you’ll always wonder ‘what if’ if you ‘settle’ for Columbia. You’re just the type that should not ED.</p>

<p>Bottom line is if you have the goods for these schools you should apply RD and have your pick. ED does not help if you don’t have what they want. That ED can help a marginal candidate slip in is a concept that only works at far lower ranked schools.</p>

8

<p>but in this case, ED actually helps because it’s questbridge, and columbia would read my extra essays. columbia doesn’t read questbridge essays in the RD round. so if i have a chance, it’s probably ED… then again I could be wrong. the difference extra essays might bring could be minimal.</p>

<p>i think you’re right on the “what ifs”. I might just do RD for columbia and forget the questbridge advantage for that particular school</p>

9

<p>What is so special about your extra essays? Would it not be possible to apply to Columbia RD and simply incorporate the ideas from your Questbridge essays into your Columbia essay?</p>

10

<p>^ yeah that’s the conclusion I’m coming to. That way I get the best of both worlds; problem solved. thanks everyone</p>

11

<p>I don’t know much about Questbridge accept what I’ve read here. All of the no matches this year suggested to me that while it’s a great and meaningful program, colleges don’t lower their standards for it’s candidates. Again, just anecdotal evidence.</p>

<p>In the RD round you’ll still be URM and/or low income and probably get the same boost.</p>

12

<p>and on top of that, I don’t need the full-ride the QB scholarship offers, since at 20K/year, I’m pretty sure just getting into Columbia would mean an almost/full ride anyway (right?). thanks again for helping me solve this dilemma</p>

13

<p>

So, I guess you should go to Yale over Stanford (assuming you get into any of these schools) then since this is THE DETERMINING FACTOR for you…</p>

<p>People really give way too much credence to rankings. What happens if the rankings change next year…</p>

14

<p>hahahah no I didn’t mean “higher ranked” according to the USNEWS rankings.</p>

<p>in the questbridge process, we rank the schools as we like, and we are notified of the highest-ranked school that accepts us in a full scholarship package. some of them are binding, some are not. i didn’t want to get bound to columbia and miss a chance for “my” higher ranked schools in the RD round</p>

15

<p>Here’s what no one has said:</p>

<p>Columbia is at the bottom of the list, if you are bound to Columbia you have not made it to the other schools ED/EA, and if you don’t get in to those schools ED/EA you are very likely to be rejected RD as well unless you profile improves substantially. So it’s most probable that you’ll either get into one of the top 4 first time round or you’ll be rejected by all Regular. I would keep Columbia there, you loose virtually nothing by having it at #5.</p>

16

<p>That’s also a very good point. The only possible counter-argument: I will be taking SAT Subject Math Level 2 in November, and that is a score that schools won’t see for ED/EA. (I might also retake the SAT in December.) However, I doubt that would have the potential to sway the “upper schools” / change their mind from ED. Therefore your logic is very reasonable. And again, I just couldn’t imagine any regrets for having a binding full ride to Columbia, and if all the others had rejected me, screw them. That way I don’t have to wait till Spring for decisions, it would relieve stress. And if Columbia doesn’t accept me (which is obviously very likely for anyone), I will still have RD available, combining with those 5 initial schools, plus a few others. I guess I wouldn’t have much to lose. And that way I get rid of most applications (and all teacher recommendations) by the Quesbridge Nov. 2 deadline, relieving stress as well.</p>