<p>Originally, I did send my Part 1 application as early decision because Columbia was my top college choice, but I felt that there were many factors that conflicted in having a strong application by doing early decision. I felt I could have improved my ACT score by testing one more time, which was on December 1. The scores would have been released after the early decision acceptance date anyway, so this was definitely an impossibility. I also felt that I would have been more prepared for the SAT Subject tests in December rather than November. One of my teacher's hadn't finished my recommendation before the deadline, and I felt my application would have been rushed if I tried to get her to complete it too soon. I then submitted Part 2 of my application as regular decision and contacted a representative at the Undergraduate Office to clarify the change. The representative told me it was fine to do so, and that Columbia University wouldn't review the application until it was fully completed anyway, which I later found out was false. He said he would take care of it, and to also e-mail my request to ugrad-confirm. I sent an e-mail out on October 26 during my school hours because I felt it was necessary to inform Columbia as soon as I could about my changes. Once this e-mail was sent, I waited for a response but nothing came through. I assumed you had got the message, because the representative said he would make sure that I would be put down as a regular decision candidate. I got no notifications in the meantime regarding any missing supplements, such as my scores, recommendations etc. I even checked my online tracking account and saw that not all parts to my application were sent in, as I hadn't even got my new standardized test scores or teacher recommendations sent through. So I was definitely shocked to see that Columbia had released it's decision for the early decision date, and I thought this must have been a mistake. I opened up my account to find a rejection letter, and I was extremely shocked and felt lugubrious as to how this happened. Since then, I contact Columbia University by phone and they a representative said to me that I would have been contacted yesterday on 12/13/07. I wasn't contacted so I decided to call in and I spoke to Lorraine, who helped me out with the process. My counselor had also sent an e-mail to the undergraduate offices regarding my application and she hasn't received a response yet. </p>
<p>What do I do in this situation? I spoke to an undergraduate official today who said that it probably would have been the same decision under regular decision. How could he say that? He was missing quite a significant portion of my application. I admit I don't have the strongest GPA, but I'm doing the IB diploma which is the hardest course available at my school. Only 13/346 seniors are doing it.</p>
<p>Please give me some advice as to what I should do now, how I should pursue this issue. I would really appreciate your help in this situation.</p>
<p>I seriously have no idea what you’re saying. My head is spinning. If Columbia rejected you, move on. There’s nothing you can do; no appeals, you can’t sue them, you can’t take out a full-page NY Times ad trashing them.</p>
<p>What I was trying to say was that Columbia University made a mistake, they evaluated me on an incomplete application that wasn’t even intended to be early decision.</p>
<p>Both teacher recommendations, two SAT subject test scores, and my new ACT scores. I was hoping they would get my mid-year report too, as well as a supplemental essay.</p>
<p>so this begs the question…when you checked the document tracking thing online did it say ED or RD?</p>
<p>i mean this is how columbia bureaucracy runs …nothing gets done and you really have to be the proactive one and not assume when someone doesnt answer your email that they’ve actually done something.</p>
<p>i dont know who this “undergraduate official” you talked to was but that person may have just been a secretary or some lowly work-study person. </p>
<p>Despite all that however i think you should just live and learn and move on…the only way you can really get anything changed though is through your counselor</p>
<p>As for your GPA…i know u didnt give a number but taking the hardest course available at ur school is not an excuse to have subpar grades.</p>
<p>Thankyou Shraf for your helpful advice, I appreciate it. I’m starting to think that it may be too late already to change anything, and you’re right, I should have been the proactive one. It’s easy to assume a lot, and that was something I regret doing.</p>
<p>[q]What do I do in this situation? I spoke to an undergraduate official today who said that it probably would have been the same decision under regular decision.[/q]</p>
<p>You probably don’t want to hear this, but I’d say move on. Unfortunately, I think the answer this undergraduate official gave you is probably the most honest one, and the one they are going to keep repeating. </p>
<p>However, to be fair, I’m not real sure I understand everything you are saying or questioning. Are you saying you officially requested to have your application withdrawn and they didn’t? If that’s the case, then maybe you do have grounds on which to pursue this further. </p>
<p>Good luck - I hope everything works out for you.</p>
<p>yes, I did officially request a change in my application and the representative said it was perfectly fine. I even did this change before the Early Decision deadline, so I don’t know why it was such a hassle to follow through with my requested transaction. By e-mailing and speaking to a representative, I thought Columbia University would be smart enough to arrange for this. It seems like they are blaming me for their own mistake, and that’s what I can’t stand about contacting them about this issue. It seems that they won’t accept their mistake and directly confront me, but rather send vague e-mails claiming that they don’t understand my situation thoroughly enough.</p>
<p>I have moved on, so how about you stop giving me advice because I don’t need it from you of all people. I’m just addressing what happened to me in that past so other people understand the admissions process and how highly selective it is.</p>
<p>Your OP was totally unclear. I can see why Columbia wouldn’t understand your situation. Write more clearly. It helps to break things into separate paragraphs; it’s easier on the eye, and helps your organization.</p>
<p>He said he emailed Columbia. “e-mail” is mentioned like 6 times in his posts.</p>
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<p>I’m not here to be sympathetic or not sympathetic; I’m giving a rational explanation as to why the OP didn’t get in. I don’t know why reality is exempted in the month of December. And I’m Jewish.</p>
<p>By the way, I have accepted that Columbia is a no for me, and that it is a highly selective institution. I probably wasn’t qualified enough, but there’s no point finding sentences throughout this post and using them to mock me. If you didn’t notice, it’s been 3 days since my first post, so my emotions have changed about the issue, and I am over it. This is a discussion, so people can learn from situations like mine and accept the fact that Columbia is an extremely tough school to be accepted in to. So before you go on criticizing, just realize that I’m done with you and your snide remarks. I am actually thankful for not being admitted into an institution of such snobbery that you have demonstrated. It truly has been a learning experience, so thank you Columbia2002 of helping me realize that I am above the arrogance of an Ivy League.</p>
<p>And before you decide to call me bitter and wallowing over my sorrows, just realize that I HAVE MOVED ON! Stop bringing that up you ******bags. And confidentialcoll, don’t call me buddy, because I’m far from being your buddy.</p>
<p>I’m sorry you didn’t get in. And you all should stop bashing him the college application process is extremely long and stressful, and wimbledon’s reaction is understandable.</p>