<p>Did you include a resume in the "additional info" section? Even though they clearly discourage it, I still can't decide if I should or not.</p>
<p>Repeating what you fill in under the online application?
… yeahh… no.</p>
<p>No. Even though my guidance counselors strongly recommended attaching a “data sheet” or “brag sheet” I decided to attach an employer letter of recommendation instead.</p>
<p>Would it be redundant if you attached a resume? Does it repeat all the things already listed on the app, or does it show significantly more?</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/835399-chance-me-please.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/835399-chance-me-please.html</a></p>
<p>Columbia seems like the kind of school that would look down upon putting unnecessary things, it seems like they have spent a long time crafting the perfect application to fit their needs, and even for the additional info it says don’t feel compelled to include anything. But I guess if you can really showcase things (important things) not available in the rest of the app, then go for it.</p>
<p>I attached a resume and was acceptedddddd (same with my friend). Our school actually requires that we send a resume with our transcripts, so I figured attaching one online wouldn’t make a difference.</p>
<p>can we attach an additional essay?</p>
<p>Absolutely not. Columbia does not ask for an additional essay, so why would you send one? Moreover, they seem to prize brevity; that’s the only rationale for the incredibly small character limits on the supplementary questions. I would be very surprised if you attached an additional essay and were not immediately rejected.</p>
<p>I intend to attach a small paragraph detailing some difficult circumstances during my Junior year (my parents both lost their jobs and we nearly lost our home) that effected my grades. As far as I understand, that’s what the additional information section is supposed to be for, not another resume. A friend of mine, who was admitted ED, didn’t attach anything, and another one just talked about difficult circumstances as well.</p>
<p>I attached one but only because there wasn’t enough room to explain my activities in the actual app. I’m an international and I hardly think they know what the organization names stand for, not to mention the names being too long to actually write them fully, so I think it was more or less necessary if I don’t want the admissions officers scratching their head over what some acronym in my app means.</p>
<p>I didnt attach a resume- because my Interviewer said that my passions, interests and experiences should come through my writing, letters of recommendation and his report and that Columbia wants to see me animated through writing over through a resume. To that effect, I submitted a supplemental cello recording because ,even better, that would show admissions one of my passions with out using words.</p>
<p>@Nelesy, I was wondering the same thing, I mean, most of my activities are way to vague without further explanations!</p>
<p>I’ll just follow the notion of brevitas on the other questions then. I wanted to ask if anyone knows if you are supposed to list everything or make it actual mini-essays? I’d prefer listing the books I’ve read, because the’re already way too many for the character limit WITHOUT explanations. Further question, can anyone tell me what exactly the prompts are for the personal statement? I am an international and have some difficulties with creditcards, thus can’t open part two of the application yet, but would like to start on my essay by now!</p>
<p>do you guys think that adding an extra essay would instantly ruin your application? even if it was really brief like less than 500 words?</p>
<p>i told my GC columbia doesn’t like this kind of thing, but we decided to just include it with the envelope that has my transcript and rec letters</p>
<p>yeah i have a 2 page resume listing all of my activities and going into detail that i attached on the common app, and i was tempted to attach it for columbia but my guidance counselor says columbia prefers we don’t and that it “really annoys them”…so yeah i’m not gonna take the risk.</p>
<p>I didn’t attach a full resume, I just attached decriptions of some of my activities since they were not self-explanitory. they weren’t things like “Feeding the Homeless” or “Varsity Soccer”. the few things that were obvious from their names I didn’t include descriptions of in my additional information. I also needed the space for leadership positions that didn’t fit in the application.
I suggest not attaching a full resume it is really redundant</p>
<p>i don’t understand though. even if we “annoy” the admissions people does it really matter? aren’t they just looking for the msot qualified candidates? i realize they can say that attaching extra stuff shows the applicant doesn’t have the Columbia type of attitude, but is it really so bad to show interest in the school? what’s so wrong with inlcuding a brief essay or resume? shouldn’t we try to show everything that could possibly set us apart from the other applicants?</p>
<p>My guidance counselor sent an activity sheet down with the transcripts and stuff. It’s part of our school’s policy apparently. Well if it came from the school and it was unnecessary, hopefully it doesn’t really matter.</p>
<p>thenatural, keep in mind that Columbia uses its own custom application form that it has refined over many years. It is the only Ivy League school that does not use the Common Application. I infer that it must believe its application is superior to the Common Application, else it would simply succumb to the Common App, like its peers. One distinguishing characteristic of the Columbia application is its emphasis on brevity, with respect to, among other things, “Why Columbia,” the essay and the “resume concept.” Remember also that the folks who wrote the form of application for Columbia are the admissions officers, i.e., the very same folks who are reading your application. They are humans, in a position of power, and most humans in positions of power get annoyed when their requests are understood but ignored by those seeking something from them. It would be nice if power people were always able to eliminate emotion from their decision-making, but most are unable. In this case, it would be difficult for the adcom to avoid the inference that a 17 year-old applicant believes he or she is better equipped to decide what information is appropriate in the application (whether an unsought resume, an essay that exceeds the stated word limit, etc.) than the admissions committee.</p>
<p>feuxfollets, I believe that if your guidance counselor decides to ignore the Columbia instructions, you will not be blamed. My sons’ high school counselor also sends out the counselor “recommendation” in a form that is intended to meet the needs of all the various colleges to which the senior class applies. At my sons’ high school, the counseling staff would be absolutely unable to use every form of every college, due to resource constraints, and I suspect your school is similar.</p>
<p>^^^^^ good answer. the last thing i want to do is show up the admissions people, i just want to do everything in my power to get into this school!!! i hope that shows up in my writing and in my app…</p>
<p>Is the material sent by my guidance counselor separate from the material I submit?</p>