<p>Im thinking about going to columbia this summer for session 1
but i dont know if they will accept me</p>
<p>I will have like a 3.4 uw, 3.55w by time i apply</p>
<p>and like over a 30 act</p>
<p>how picky are they
iwant to take creative writing</p>
<p>Regular is really easy to get into, and you have to be pretty good to get into Advanced (I took advanced) but if you think you can handle it, chances are, you're pretty good and they'll take you. </p>
<p>And they don't really care about your grades or ACT scores for writing, I don't think. I'm pretty sure they focus on your writing samples.</p>
<p>It's not really that hard to get in, as the program has space for so many people (like 1000, I think). It's a really awesome program, though. The teachers and kids are amazing and it's a lot of fun.</p>
<p>how much was it total for 1 session (i would be a residential student since im from california)</p>
<p>do they offer aid</p>
<p>on the website it says 1400 out of 1600 were accepted, so i doubt it's very selective. kids in my school got in w/ lower stats than you.</p>
<p>1400 applicants out of 1600 applicants*</p>
<p>Yeah, but certain classes actually are selective.</p>
<p>College Prep and the Arts class (for example) aren't selective at all, really, but a lot of people get rejected from the Physics class and some of the other sciences... Creative Writing is interesting, because only the people who think they can do it (in Advanced, at least) apply, so the pool of applicants is already self-selected. Everyone in my class was very good.</p>
<p>but would you say that most people are accepted who apply for the begginer creative writing classes</p>
<p>Oh, yeah. I think pretty much everyone who applies for the beginner creative writing class gets in. You need to know how to speak English, but you don't need to necessarily be good.</p>
<p>how much does is cost?</p>
<p>BIGTWIX: The website (<a href="http://www.ce.columbia.edu/hs/%5B/url%5D">http://www.ce.columbia.edu/hs/</a>) says around $2800, but once you add housing and other various fees, it's more like $6000.</p>
<p>I have a few questions for PurpoisePal.</p>
<p>1) Could you describe the advanced creative writing program in a little more detail?</p>
<p>2) Could you list some of your writing-related credentials. (i.e., contests, programs, classes, etc.)</p>
<p>3) How free were you to explore the city? (did you have to tell someone where you were going? was there a curfew? did someone over 18 have to come with you? metro? things like that.)</p>
<p>4) Did you get the feeling of closeness while you were there? Like, between your fellow creative writing people or your dorm mates? (my school has over 2900 people and when i go to summer programs, i like the smallness feel, but i wonder if at Columbia i would get that because there are 1400 people)</p>
<p>Thanks! I would really appreciate it if you answer the questions because I'm really considering this program.</p>
<p>1) Classes start at 10. In the morning, we have creative writing seminar with our first teacher. At seminar, we read works by famous/published people and try a few writing exercises (prompts and such). This sort-of teaches you techniques on how to write better. You do get better with seminar. With the workshops too, though. Then, we have a short ~15 minute break. After the break, we have our morning workshop with the second teacher. At both workshops, we analyze and constructively-criticize the work of our peers (like the teacher makes photcopies of all of our poems, for example, and passes them around, and we read them out loud and say what we like and what we think could be better, and suggestions on how to fix it). Then we have lunch. During lunch, there's an optional writing elective you can take. I took translation, and it was lots of fun. There are other ones like newspaper, literary magazine, graphic novel, an acting one, etc. Then you have another half hour break and then you have the afternoon workshop, which is pretty much the same as the morning workshop in structure, but with a third teacher. The classes end at 4:30. Once a week you have a one-on-one meeting with your advisor (one of the three teachers). You go over your work with her. </p>
<p>2) This was my first writing program, I had never entered anything into any contests, and my school doesn't let us pick our classes, so I had a full college-prep load but no writing classes, just English. However, a lot of the kids in my class did contests. I never did, but I think I'll start this year. The reason why I think I got in is because a) I had a really good recommendation, and b) not to brag or anything, but I'm good at writing. And I don't mean in the teen-angst sense. </p>
<p>3) You could go wherever you wanted as long as you didn't drink or do drugs and you were back by 11. You didn't need to tell anyone, but it's a good idea not to go to Harlem by yourself at night, for example.</p>
<p>4) I got really close with the kids in my dorm and the kids in my writing class. Columbia has a ton of people but the classes and dorms are small, so you get close to them, but you don't really get to meet most of the program participants.</p>
<p>*not all of the advisors are girls.</p>
<p>what about session 2 for the genetics/cell biology course? is that selective?</p>
<p>Session 2 is probably a lot less selective than session 1, but be aware that session 2 isn't residential.</p>