<p>So, they haven't given me my financial aid package yet. They also haven't mailed me my acceptance package (the big envelope), and they informed me it was because they were not done with my financial aid package (although several other schools in the same boat have sent it to me anyways, like Brown).
So obviously I call the office several days after I get the decision to see what's wrong. They tell me that their system is down. I wait over the weekend, and call in again; they tell me my files have some conflicting information, so I send them a letter to resolve it. After weeks of "The files aren't uploaded yet, call back tomorrow" and "Our system is down, call back tomorrow," it turns out that</p>
<p>a. They have misplaced some of my files.
b. I FAXed in the missing files, which they lost. Again.
c. I FAXed them again, which they did not upload for the past three days, telling me to "give us more time" when I have to make the decision by this week.</p>
<p>At part b I started to think this whole situation is really funny (although my family is very upset, lol). So is this the infamous Columbia bureaucracy? Or do they just not like me because I'm from a poor single-mother family, and my mother has three jobs but still cannot pay for my college?</p>
<p>If i were you i’d try to call my financial aid advisor, admissions officer and the head of financial aid to get things sorted out asap…particularly if you are seriously considering columbia. I can’t see why they are taking so long.</p>
<p>i am sorry, i’ve worked with columbia finaid and admin folks for 4 years and now as an interviewer for 3 more, cu doesn’t work this way. if it is true, i’d apologize for columbia here. but i will say: for a first time poster, i always get skeptical and wonder if this is a flame job.</p>
<p>i know in fact that if they screwed up once, they’d bend over backward the second time to help you out. pm me, let me know who you’ve talked to and i probably can suggest someone to ring.</p>
<p>and for your upset mom, she must work crazy hours so she understands i hope that working 7 days a week with a caseload of a couple hundred students, all of whom want something ‘right now’ for a month is no fun and things don’t happen 100%. this is hell-month for finaid folks, they try their best, but at a certain point they can only do so much.</p>
<p>and for every bad experience there are a dozen good ones. we can’t always get lucky. chalk this unfortunate experience to happenstance, no one is out to get you.</p>
<p>another thing is that sometimes faxes dont go through/ are not received even when it appears they have been from your end. Maybe you should consider mailing the document through fedex or something like that…but id call those three people i mentioned above first.</p>
<p>@ lizzy2009: Thank you. A person on the line today told me it would probably be sorted out by tomorrow, but if it doesnt happen, Id try to contact someone else. I know sometimes FAXes dont work, and Ive sent some things three-four times which all took the entire day, since my family doesnt have a FAX machine and I can only use it after school (which by then their office will be closed, and I wouldnt know if it went through). Thats part of the reason why it took so long.
Yeah, Columbia has been my dream school for a long time. If it was any other school I would give up a by then and move on.</p>
<p>@ admissionsgeek: Thanks, and no, no, you dont have to apologize, Im not angry at anybody. Just wanted to share my story. Columbia has been my dream school for a long time, and even after this incident (and also getting into many other schools) it still is. Ive actually read a lot of your posts about Columbia, so thanks for all of your info
Im not that upset either, as long as it gets to me before May 1st (the only problem is they havent sent me the acceptance package which for other schools had those deposit envelopes, so Im like, where do I make the deposit to?). I understand that they must be so busy it must be hectic down in their office, and that they have to deal with a large number of frustrated kids and parents. Plus, were very poor, so Id probably have to ask for a lot of money. I know talking to financial aid office isnt going to be the most exciting part of my admissions process, so this doesnt disappoint me about the entire school at all.</p>
<p>One Example of actual (and recent) conversation:</p>
<p>Hello, Columbia Financial Aid Office?
Hello. My name is so and so, and Im calling to
Oh. Its you again.
?? Ah
(a long sigh) Well you have to check with us tomorrow. Its not uploaded yet.
Ah, okay, but you told me that yesterday (and the day before that).
You have to give us more time. It can sometimes take days.
Uh-huh, well, I understand you guys are very busy, but I only have a few more days
We understand.
No, I
Call us back later.
(<em>hangs up</em>)</p>
<p>There actually wasnt a deposit envelope in my acceptance packet. I think your supposed to do it online via credit card etc…at least thats what i did.</p>
<p>The star conversation of the day:
“Okay, I checked online, and there are additional documents popping up…”
“We need tax forms of your father.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve indicated in your files that you live only with your mother, right?”
“Oh, ah, I said this in my application, but my father passed away several years ago.”
“Of what?”
“…Ah…heart disease.”
“Oh. Well, we need you to prove that.”</p>
<p>Actually, after that conversation they told me to send in a waiver form (which they e-mailed to me), and two days later, they told me “Oh, that form is completely irrelevant. They must’ve given you the wrong info. (no apologies here) Send in the death certificate.”</p>
<p>I’m kind of mad my mom can’t go to work today because she has to get the death certificate. I’m flipping through my Stanford booklet.</p>
<p>Ok, this situation is pretty awful, but do not let this reflect your idea of Columbia as a whole. Honestly, if they don’t get back to you soon but you still love the school, you should put down a deposit at Columbia and Stanford. I know it isn’t ideal, but people really do do it all the time so don’t worry about that. That would also give you the time you need to make the right choice with Columbia’s aid package in hand.</p>
<p>My advice would be to absolutely go to Stanford. From what I’ve heard–my dad and uncle went to Columbia and my cousin currently attends–this is the tip of the iceberg for the Columbia administration.</p>
<p>Stanford is a more prestigious school, has a better climate, has far better people running your life, and is generally considered to offer better undergraduate programs. If it were me in your position, I’d have a hard time putting my education in the hands of people who can’t even give me a concrete financial aid offer after being given thirty days.</p>
<p>I don’t think this should be a representation of Columbia as a whole… Yes, they could have (and should have) done a better job, but if CU is your dream school, this probably shouldn’t be THE deciding factor. </p>
<p>My financial stuff was redone today after my parents directly called the Dean of FA and they redid the thing on the spot. With very satisfactory results.</p>
<p>Yes i agree with tristan, i appealed my fin aid twice and both my advisor and the dean of fa were very helpful and professional…which is why i think sixyearsdreaming should call the dean directly</p>
<p>I accidentally made a minor mistake on my css profile which was reflected in my financial aid package. when i noticed it, I emailed my respective financial aid officer about it. Even though the office was close, She responded literally within 3 minutes to my email, apologized (even though it was my fault) and fixed it immediately. </p>
<p>Yet another perspective. I made an appeal to my financial aid and they responded in 4 days with significantly more money, via email. Unfortunatley you were very unlucky. In the end even if Columbia doesn’t come through, Stanford, with its California sunshine and sprawling campus awaits. </p>
<p>Frankly I think they just made it easier for you to choose between those two schools.</p>
<p>I think it would be silly to choose a college based on how some bureaucrats in the financial aid office treated you months before you even began college. You will always look back at how you chose your college; do you really want to explain–to yourself and others, for the rest of your life–that you chose ____ (your second choice school) over ____ (your first choice school) because you were frustrated with the financial aid personnel during your senior year of high school?</p>
