<p>Would someone please tell me if it is worth it to apply Early Decision if you're not sure you're a TOP TOP candidate.</p>
<p>(in retrospect the following totally turns this post into a chance-me, and I officially hate myself for this.)
For example, my ECs are AMAZING. I PROMISE.
However I worry because:
I'm white.
I haven't won a lot of awards or done many prestigious things.
I've got at 3.7, 15/290. SATs are 610,690, 760. ACT 31. (all pretty average.)</p>
<p>So I guarantee I'm pretty damn competitive,
....I'm TOP.
but maybe I'm not TOP TOP...</p>
<p>Columbia is really where I want to be. </p>
<p>Will it help or hurt to do Early Decision?</p>
<p>^with that little info I CAN’T TELL, I PROMISE.</p>
<p>but none of the above excludes you from getting in.</p>
<p>well. does it really matter if I put all of my ECs ? I could jsut skip that b/c I know they are fitting for a VERy comp. school. I was feeling lazy.
and still am. at least in regards to this site. </p>
<p>I just wanted to know how weak my weak points are.</p>
<p>you still need to be more specific</p>
<p>GPA- 3.7/4.0 UW
rank- 15/300 UW
SATs: 610 math, 690 reading, 760 writing (retaking in NOV)
SAT IIs 690 US HIs., 630 Bio, 720 English
ACT - 31</p>
<p>APs US -5, ENGLISH-5, BIO - 4 (AP SCholar)
taking 5 more APs this year
and independent study of biochem</p>
<p>Research - Mentoring/Interning with Microbiologist at Williams College- 6+hr/wk
Volunteer Snowboard Instructor since 9th (hundreds of hours)
School Paper -Staff member 9, 10 - Assc. Editor, 11 - Editor-in-Chief, 12.
Film Club- President
Vegan Society - cofounder, co-Leader
Model U.N./ Model Congress - since 9th, Outstanding Delegate for 2 yrs, ICJ Chair.
Scholar’s Bowl
Art Club
Student Activist Network
National Honor Society
Spanish Honor Society</p>
<p>Volunteering at Animal Shelter since 9th.
last summer - studied language in Japan on full scholarship</p>
<p>Chocolate Barn salesperson - 15-20hr/wk ended last november
KMART salesperson - 15-20hr/week cont. and since April</p>
<p>finally some sense of direction.</p>
<p>SAT math hurts.</p>
<p>Bio Sat 2 and AP hurt the ‘research with the Microbiologist’, research is meant to show deep commitment and interest in a field that you already like and are good at, i don’t know if you like bio, but you aren’t outstanding at it by any means from this profile.</p>
<p>the snowboard instructor is pretty cool and different. the summer is japan is a plus also.</p>
<p>otherwise you’re ECs aren’t AMAZING as you claim. I know an African guy here, who volunteered with kids through high scool, did the usual activities, was on a his country’s basketball team and was a junior olympics silver medallist in tae kwon do. He’s an exception, but the whole spectrum of amazing EC profiles is present here. Your ECs are good no doubt, but they won’t get you in on their own.</p>
<p>Applying ED is worth it, you’re on the fence i’d say, you have a good chance not a great chance.</p>
<p>“I was feeling lazy. and still am. at least in regards to this site”</p>
<p>make sure it doesn’t go beyond this site, and don’t let any such sentiment show up anywhere on your app.</p>
<p>hm. thought I’d argue that you’re a little naive to say SAT scores are a high indication of weakness or skill in an area, I thank you for honesty. </p>
<p>I am great at biochemistry.
period.</p>
<p>Standardized tests aren’t my bag, baby.</p>
<p>So from this website experience I’ve come to the conclusion that this was a terrible idea. I know where I stand, what I’m good at, and that I don’t need strangers to give me direction. </p>
<p>meh.</p>
<p>Thanks anyways.
I need to come to this conclusion on my own.</p>
<p>'hm. thought I’d argue that you’re a little naive to say SAT scores are a high indication of weakness or skill in an area, I thank you for honesty."</p>
<p>firstly i said SAT and AP, secondly you misconstrue me, i wasn’t suggesting that you suck at bio because of test scores, (that’s specifically why i added “from this profile” at the end). all i’m saying is that ad coms have no other way of guaging talent and ability in an area apart from grades and test scores, research helps, but it’s usually to show comittment, and deep interest after a demonstrated ability. one could also win big science competitions and such, but cracking an 800 on an SAT2 would be a cake walk for most of those.</p>
<p>I think that you may be a little overly confident. </p>
<p>While you’re right in saying that we have no experience with actually being an admissions officer, we do actually have some idea of what we are talking about.
The people on this board are either going to an ivy league school, or prepping heavily to get into one – meaning that we’ve all, to some extent, done research about how to become a top candidate.</p>
<p>We all really just want to help each other out so instead of being combative and saying that test scores don’t matter and that they’re not indicative of your biology knowledge/ability take our advice! It wouldn’t take much effort for you to retake the SAT II if you really are so great at biology. And collegeconn is right in saying that kids who are adept in the subject, those who persue it further in research, generally do score well on these relatively simply standardized tests. I speak from experience! My friends have done it as well!</p>
<p>You say you know you’re on the right track for Columbia, but how hard you work is completely relative. You may be working the hardest at your school (doubt it because you’re number 15, but that may just be your extracurricular involvement getting in the way), but there are other kids at other schools that I’m willing to garuntee are sacrificing and putting in a lot more effort than you are. And what’s more, kids at this point push themselves even harder to ensure that they are accepted.</p>
<p>Bottom line: wouldn’t it suck if you didn’t get into columbia because of a couple, easily ameliorable, test scores? Wouldn’t it suck if you were rejected or waitlisted simply because you totally discredited anyone had to say on this website?</p>
<p>ok. ok, guys.
sorry about all that.</p>
<p>I just tend to get a little defensive about this stuff, I’m feeling pretty stressed because I know my SAT scores suck.</p>
<p>And I’m really hoping that I can manage to get into Columbia with them.
I don’t know why I suck at them. Especially since I feel “fairly confident” in lab environments and that I’m intuitive with sciences anyway.</p>
<p>I also didn’t include that I have a legacy there and my cousin is setting me up with the dean of ad. which should help. And that I’m a female and Volunteer Firefighter. This could all help, correct?</p>
<p>OK, so - long story short. SORRY. I know you’re just being honest, trying to help me. </p>
<p>So. How do I fix this? I’m signed up for SATs again in November which is just after the ED due date. And I’ll study to bring them up. I can do that, easy. So that’s OK. </p>
<p>How about these BIO scores? I took environmental instead of molecular. Molecular is definately my stronger area…I made a bad choice during testing. Ah, well. Can I take those on December 1st and still be in for ED?</p>
<p>" Can I take those on December 1st and still be in for ED?"</p>
<p>no but they can count for RD if you get differed.</p>
<p>nov sats count for ED.</p>
<p>“I also didn’t include that I have a legacy there and my cousin is setting me up with the dean of ad. which should help. And that I’m a female and Volunteer Firefighter. This could all help, correct?”</p>
<p>legacy = sibling, parent alum, parent prof, sibling prof?</p>
<p>setting you up with the dean of ad? - how? what for?</p>
<p>the volunteer firefighter is rare and interesting. it’ll help i feel.</p>
<p>so I’ll retake the SAT IIs in Dec. in case I get deferred, or get rejected and need them for my RD schools.</p>
<p>Actually. Considering my low scores on both - Would you say it’s more important that I retake my SATs first? Or the SAT IIs?</p>
<p>^ tough to tell, SAT 1 math is pretty low, and SAT 2 bio is low, it would help if both are improved so def do one now and one in december, i’m pretty divided, but i’m leaning towards SAT1 retake in nov.</p>
<p>hmmmm…</p>
<p>and my bio score was actually a 660.
I don’t think that makes too much of a difference, but it’s there.</p>
<p>There’s no way Dec 1st SAT IIs could be submitted directly to Columbia in time for ED? </p>
<p>well if not…I’m going to think about this myself.
but in the meantime I think I’ll just continue to study for SAT I in November.</p>
<p>thanks for the input</p>