<p>“I signed up for the Financial Aid session before the APS session, is that considered it?”</p>
<p>No, this session at the APS is a group session. You’ll be talking in broader terms about financing your education. You’ll be introduced to Skip Bailey, our financial aid director. And you’ll be able to make a one-on-one appointment with him sometime in the near future (this’ll probably be over the phone).</p>
<p>“I’ve been doing 14 credits and working part time…”</p>
<p>Most people find that anything over 12 credits in their first year is too much. Also, plenty of people find that they simply aren’t able to work and go to school at the same time - not at Columbia, anyway. What are you planning on declaring as your major? That’ll have a lot to do with it.</p>
<p>I haven’t sent in my deposit yet (Sending next wednesday) but when I do I am going to register for the May 26th APS as well.</p>
<p>@HJ Over 12 is that bad? Or just while trying to hold a job? Because I plan to take more than 12 because I usually find myself with an excess of study time.</p>
<p>That’s good to hear, Jan. I was planning to take 12 credits while I get acclimated.</p>
<p>I’m signed up for the May 26 session too. Patlee, Baxter, hit me up on Storybook! It’ll probably get more active once the semester ends for many of us (and I get my AA degree to boot).</p>
<p>“Because I plan to take more than 12 because I usually find myself with an excess of study time.”</p>
<p>Well, this was the case at another school, right? Unless you went to another top 5 school, you can’t expect your experiences to translate at Columbia. As our Dean always says during orientation, “You may have some idea that things will be different here. Give it about two weeks and it is going to hit you right between the eyes.”</p>
<p>There’s this common misconception that coursework is pretty much the same at most schools. That it’s just the peer group that gets sharper as you go up the rankings. That’s simply not the case. I would say, with some confidence, that during my first term at Columbia I did more reading, writing, and class work than I did during a whole two years of a community college honors curriculum - and you can probably throw high school in there.</p>
<p>In my first term alone I wrote a standard length novel. At the end of that semester, during finals week, I looked through the spring term folder on my computer and tallied up all of my papers at about 250 pages of writing. In one class, and it was only three credits, I remember having a ten page paper due every third week, reading nine or ten books, and taking three exams. Then there’s labs, problem sets, discussion sections, etc. </p>
<p>But, you don’t have to take my word for it. You’ll find out soon enough.</p>
<p>As a current GSers, I can echo Jan’s sentiments.</p>
<p><em>cricket cricket</em> … so most of the hopefuls have been admitted, and I’m still stuck here in the throes of potentially unforgiving circumstance =/ no call, no e-mail… yes, no rejection either, but at this point, I feel like Bon Jovi’s ‘Living on a Prayer.’ Oh well… congrats to all, and I’ll see you at the top someday… bc even if I don’t get in, my ambition at this point is too great to stop me from meeting you there.</p>
<p>Hi Friddesh, my spirit lingers in this forum, every now and then I pop back in 
I’m usually on the sidelines, as it is finals’ week and I try to stay away from the PC as much as possible. (distraction is the devil!..lol :D)
But yes, you are not the only one. I am on the same boat! no rejection, no email, no ANYTHING. I called GS and they said I have to wait for my decision in the mail since they can’t disclose any info. (They wouldn’t even tell me if it went via US mail, which will at least give me a clue as to what the outcome would be:( ). I mean …Come on! it’s past the deadline, confirming or denying acceptance should be acceptable to provide to applicants :o. Anywho, I am also in the dark. At this point I am leaning most towards the negative, but we will see…we will see. Hopefully, we will be in too! :)</p>
<p>I emailed an admissions advisor asking on the status of my application, as i had been told that the committee would decide my fate on monday afternoon. Apparently, a decision has STILL not been made and my app is STILL under review. I had my interview on monday, so i hope i get some news before the end of this week. I sent all my stuff by Feb.22 so they are sure taking their time. Good or bad sign? Has someone ever been rejected after an interview?</p>
<p>@ invictvs - haha I hear you man! Optimism is the only way to be, if for nothing else than to temporarily supplant the realistic inevitability of what our outcomes may possibly end up being lol… but I def. agree w/u in that I also feel we should at least be given the courtesy of knowing what the outcome is via phone call at this point, being that it’s now past the deadline… I was told at my interview two weeks ago that I would be notified within a week… tick tock, tick tock lol… And yes, distractions are the worst, so I wish you best a luck on your finals and hope that you kill them while getting a storybook invite in the mail haha</p>
<p>@CuNy - I would assume that interviews are granted for borderline applicants that are leaning more towards getting in than not, and unless you commit a significant mistake during it, you should be in. I gather that from speaking to a few people I trust that have experience in both being interviewed for prestigious colleges as well as interviewing for other professional institutions. These colleges and institutions were not Columbia, though, so I could obviously be wrong… and ditto… I would love to hear from anyone who’s either been rejected after an interview for GS or knows someone who has…</p>
<p>@ friddesh , thanks for the good wishes!
In the meanwhile, Im back to studying and if you get your acceptance or the BLUE(oh! the pain at the mere sight of that word!) please share with us. I will do the same 
</p>
<p>Going dark again…</p>
<p>take care all!</p>
<p>@friddesh. “…leaning more towards getting in than not…”. Hope you are right! Thanks, I’ll let you know all know the outcome, hope sooner than later…</p>
<p>lol u got it invictvs… good luck again!</p>
<p>n yea cuny, I hope so too haha… def keep us posted</p>
<p>Is there anyone who was accepted to GS that were still waiting for final semester grades? Or were you guys finished with your school semesters by the time you applied?</p>
<p>@Random I am still taking classes now and I’m pretty sure Liz was as well</p>
<p>oh ok, cool, I am just making sure they are actually looking at my application instead of just forwarding me over to regular decision just because of lack of current semester grades.</p>
<p>Random: I’m also still currently taking classes, so I think you’re right about either of the two reasons why they’re waiting for your current grades. (Your “lower” grades from years ago and/or your intended major). Pure speculation of course, but I think they want as much evidence of recent academic success as possible in order to “forgive” your past grades. So IMHO I think we’ll be seeing you in the fall!</p>
<p>I hope so James. I really do want to be there. I had only 2-3 hour naps these past four days because I want my grades as perfect as possible!</p>
<p>does anyone know when we are issued our columbia email addresses?</p>
<p>I am curious about the stats and background of recently admitted students. Anyone, willing to share?</p>
<p>@bernabeu I haven’t sent in my deposit yet so I haven’t been put in but you should be able to search yourself in the directory and it will give you your UNI.</p>
<p>@Newstandard32 If you go back through the pages most people who were accepted on this thread posted their stats and story</p>