<p>I believe i'm an enigma...
Everything is pretty much finalized..
I'm an african american male from atlanta from a family that makes less than $20k
Father was abducted while i was a child, havent seen father (my essay topic)
Upward Trend (2 Deaths in family Freshman/Sophomore year)
GPA: 3.42
Ranked right outside the top 25%
ACT: 32
SAT II: MATH IIC - 700, MATH IC - 710
Great Recs</p>
<p>EC's:
Part time worker for 4 years
FBLA Secretary
French Club Treasurer
Psychology Book Club President
Cultural Diversity Club
100 hour's of community service
Volunteer at Local Hospital & Dentist Office</p>
<p>Senior Classes:
AP World
AP Govt
AP Econ
AP Statistics
AP Calculus
Honors Lit
Honors chemistry</p>
<p>Essays: Excellent
Recs: Excellent, Including 1 from a world-renowned Georgetown Professor.
Took 2 classes at UCLA (2 B's)</p>
<p>I actually wrote kind of a creative essay, comparing myself to a painting. How some aspects of the painting correlate to my ability to endure and overcome my life's challenges. Would that be okay?</p>
<p>i highly doubt you have much of a chance, as interesting as your story is, being outside the top 25% with mediocre ECs will leave you at too severe of a disadvantage for your story to pull you through. Columbia gets just as amazing stories from people who have top grades and unbelieveable ECs, nothing in your profile proves that you can do well/cope with columbia work, sure your father being abducted might have changed your life, and turned you into an amazing person, but you need something to show for it.</p>
<p>These were only a few of the EC's. I am an award winning webdesigner that works for a multi-million dollar importing/exporting company, as well.</p>
<p>I really want you to get in...you have a chance, I think. Your scores are great, but what happened with your GPA. hopefully there is an upward trend, or a very bad year due to the two deaths...you have a shot.</p>
<p>Try applying for NOP. That program looks for students such as yourself, i.e. fairly academically talented with a non-traditional experiences. There is no lock for anyone at the top tier schools, but I think NOP would give you a leg up.</p>
<p>I really don't see anything about applying to NOP. When reading their website, I see that is says:</p>
<p>"There are no additional application forms for HEOP/NOP, and all eligible applicants to Columbia will be considered for these programs. Applicants submit the admissions and financial aid application materials and may be contacted for a phone/in-person interview by a member of the Opportunity Programs and Undergraduate Services (OPUS) staff."</p>
<p>You have to do some leg-work...contact the admissions office or NOP directly and say you are interested in the program and that you would like to learn more etc... See if you could speak with a NOP counselor and go from there. No one will hand you anything in life...carpe diem.</p>
<p>This is really off topic, but at first when I read your thread's title, I thought it was referring to the musical artist named "Enigma," and now I am really dissappointed.</p>
<p>"This is really off topic, but at first when I read your thread's title, I thought it was referring to the musical artist named "Enigma," and now I am really dissappointed."</p>