<p>I’m gonna start posting a lot less, maybe let it stew in my mind before saying anything. Lesson learned.</p>
<p>@ Carrot; Case in point.</p>
<p>You can be smart, yes. But for GS, they want smart, AND they want a “War Story” ( Which is the case for all of the Ivies )- For Columbia GS, this is something you cant get in a classroom, its just something that life happens to throw at you, and if you can effectively communicate what you learned from that “experience”, you are in.</p>
<p>So, as you’ve said before, you’re James R. From Glendale, CA. And, what you’re telling us is that you not only exploited connections to gain entry into UCLA and Berkeley, you used them to meet 100% of your financial need - as you admit, perhaps undeservedly.</p>
<p>And then you posted about it on an admissions forum.</p>
<p>Yes, James, I think it is about time that you learned to filter your thoughts a bit.</p>
<p>lol. yeah. when i run for president, it’s gonna come back and haunt me. like i said, lesson learned. i guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone if i don’t get accepted. “you’re a straight shooter Hellojan, and I can’t fault you for that!”</p>
<p>BTW, entry wasn’t a problem. Financial aid (maybe Random, Tsar, or anyone familiar with the CCC to UC process can attest to this) can be really, really good, covering nearly everything. I know the right people to cover the rest. All legally. But yes, this boy needs a filter.</p>
<p>Look, I don’t have to do this. I come on here because I genuinely want to help people who are interested in coming to my school. </p>
<p>I don’t get paid, it’s anonymous, and I have nothing to gain but that bit of satisfaction that I get knowing that I’ve helped make somebody’s Columbia goal/dream a reality.</p>
<p>When you post something about knowing the right people to get 100% funding at some of the best schools in the country, you are actively undermining the efforts of those people on here who are earning their place in the academic world through hard work, smarts, and promise.</p>
<p>i know and appreciate that hellojan. it was an honest mistake on my end. but like i said, i want to do it on my own merits. going to those UCs would involve a whole lot of “personal politics” that make me sick just thinking about them. that is a HUGE reason why i want to go to Columbia. i work hard, not as hard as a lot of other people, but i work hard. i have put in a lot of volunteer work myself. years of it. i paid A LOT out of my own pocket. so i am glad there are people like you standing up for the efforts of others. my connections hurt me by trying to help me. i’ve turned down a lot of things, including a job that i still get reamed for declining because i want to go into a field in order to help others. even if i don’t get into Columbia, i will probably turn down the help with the whole UCLA/Berkeley situation, because i don’t want to spend the rest of my life feeling like i didn’t deserve it. i also want to learn from and with the best. that’s why Columbia is my #1 option.</p>
<p>Hey Hellojan! What’s your major? What do you plan to do upon graduating? As a history major (with a focus on the Middle Ages), do you recommend any courses (outside the realm of history) that might pique my interest?</p>
<p>James, you said you’d post less and you haven’t stopped. If you think writing a wall of text about how much volunteer work you’ve done will win me over, you’re wrong. </p>
<p>I understand that you want to come to school here. I don’t understand your reasons or circumstances nor will I try to. If you have specific questions about the admissions process or Columbia, I’ll be glad to answer them.</p>
<p>As for you Tsar, thinking of cognate departments? Maybe a medieval poetry or literature course would suit you. Also, I know that there a period-specific courses in the religion department. Maybe something like medieval Christianity. Talk to your departmental advisor about investigating your interests and, at the least, they’ll put you in touch with their colleagues.</p>
<p>Thanks! I’ll definitely look into those classes. I should schedule an appointment with my (very wonderful) academic advisor soon. Are you going to write, or in the process of writing, a senior thesis? I am looking, maybe, to do this in the near future (and by near future I mean next semester). While the task seems daunting to say the least, I feel like I would regret it if I didn’t leave here with something tangible (other than a diploma).</p>
<p>Nope, no thesis for me. My department doesn’t currently require one and I’m really happy with my GPA and ECs. I say that because the only incentive to writing one, for me, would be so I could graduate with departmental honors. </p>
<p>But, where I am now, I should hope to graduate with Latin honors and, please God, PBK.</p>
<p>Oh, but I got away from myself. Yes, if you’re thinking about writing one, do it. People find it immensely rewarding!</p>
<p>(After this post, I consider the subject dropped.) First off, posting less doesn’t mean stopping altogether. Second, I didn’t want to discuss it, you egged it on and asked. Third, I’m relatively new to the forums, I’m not here to ■■■■■ or argue. I’ve been nothing but positive on here. I just got ripped for my honesty on top of it. I will post LESS from here on out. I’ll leave it where I tried to leave it.</p>
<p>Sooo…Monday?</p>
<p>What constitutes a brilliant essay? Is it the story or the way it’s written?</p>
<p>@hellojan: If an applicant is rejected, is the applicant told why they were rejected?Secondly, can an applicant appeal their decision and request a provisional acceptance?</p>
<p>Also, what differentiates the applicant who is accepted despite a relatively low gpa versus an applicant who has a high gpa but is rejected.</p>
<p>Not to sound crass but, why would Columbia offer provisional acceptance? It is a relatively selective degree granting Ivy League college.</p>
<p>I don’t know if applicants are told exactly why it is that they’re rejected. If you are, which I hope isn’t the case, you’re within your rights to ask. Beyond that, I can’t guarantee they’ll give much information to go on.</p>
<p>As for provisional acceptances? I’ve never heard of that happening. Appeals? Maybe. If one does appeal, I don’t know if there’s a formal process. Our Dean, Peter Awn, threw out a number in a recent interview that said the admissions department spends an average of four hours scrutinizing an applicant’s file. </p>
<p>That said, appeals are typically reserved for oversights or mistakes. If you just don’t think that you’re seeing eye to eye with the admissions officers, after they’ve spent four hours on it, that may not work.</p>
<p>After re-reading my last post, I feel like I did come off as overly crass. For that, I’m sorry. If one has a gpa below 3.7, she/he would need a strong “life-story,” a compelling essay that relates said story, and relatively high SAT or GSAE score. The whole acceptance proces is quite opaque, and the disparate qualifications they are looking are perplexing. They are, in essence, looking for the right “fit.”. And for the most part, they tend to find those people in he applicant pool (give or take a few who invariably slip through the proverbial “cracks.”)</p>
<p>“What constitutes a brilliant essay? Is it the story or the way it’s written?”</p>
<p>Come up with a great answer for this and they’ll give you a job here. </p>
<p>Tell your story, be yourself, show some brains, and hope for the best. A friend of mine, who has been here for about two years, actually composed a whole opera. He wrote a libretto and set up stage directions, etc. It was his life in three acts. Marvelous stuff. But, he’s a trained musician and probably a genius to boot. I couldn’t have done that in a million years.</p>
<p>The point is, you have some version of that in you. Do a little soul-searching, ask your friends, and be open to the idea evolving as inspiration strikes you. You’ll do great!</p>
<p>To reiterate what Hellojan said, be yourself in writing the essay, and definitely field comments from those you trust. Initially, I wrote an apologetic essay, highlighting the mistakes I made in the past and how I’ve learned from them. A very trusted English professor told me, quite bluntly, to rip it up and start again. I then wrote an essay telling them, ostensibly, that they would be crazy not to accept me.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering my questions.</p>