<p>I like movies. I like music and I like concerts. I get nothing from sitting still- and I think best in the night. I write poetry and like learning mathematics. I play guitar, piano, and I can't sing worth crap, but I scream along to every car radio in every car. I do scientific research in a lab and win awards but I get B's in AP science classes. I speak 3 languages fluently but get B's in Spanish. I can't bring myself to study umpteenth hours for every standardized test, though the others in my grade are famous for staying at borders from opening to closing poring over every testing book possible. I like to think I have a personality, and I am sure that my personality has gotten me whatever success I've attained so far in my seventeen years or so. </p>
<p>But tell me this. Does having a personality, a curiosity, a desire to learn truly outweigh a mediocre GPA? I've got the leadership, the standardized test scores (somehow), and out-of-school success in several clubs and competitions. and 5 B's in the past two years in a top 5 school in the state (known for its rigorous curriculum) and in the hardest course load available(after a change of schools, a death of a grandfather, and perhaps a diagnosis for depression (I don't know how that happened, but it was a tough year.). </p>
<p>Does this one glaring deficiency hurt my chances when it comes to early decisioning to Columbia, the school that I've fallen in love with? I plan to do extremely well the first quarter of my senior year, write the best essays I possibly can, and have my counselor explain some of the circumstances, but so far, it seems that my GPA has dropped year to year, even though every other aspect has grown. </p>
<p>Please, any advice would be great. Should I just wait until regular decisions so more of my senior grades have come out?</p>
<p>As long as you express yourself as “a real person” in your app, I don’t see how the objective data (i.e. GPA and SATs) should bar you from Columbia. If you come off as inquisitive and well-suited to the Core, then I would say your chances are pretty good.</p>
<p>I just read the columbia app top to bottom. I think it’s awesome that they ask so many questions that dig into who we truly are. Thing is, I have an 8/9 on that AI calculator thing but the only thing holding my GPA at 3.75 UW is my freshman year. My sophomore/junior year UW GPAs suck, even though they matter most. Couple questions: do interviews help students out in Columbia? How easy are they to schedule?</p>
<p>“But tell me this. Does having a personality, a curiosity, a desire to learn truly outweigh a mediocre GPA?”</p>
<p>No. I mean, EVERYONE has a personality here…and they had the stats as well. That’s what makes elite schools so competitive. It’s definitely not a either/or system for grades and ECs/voice. Admitted students are seen as having both in spade. </p>
<p>In your situation, you can try to offset the GPA, a key factor, by really standing out (not to pile it on but liking music and movies is NOT standing out) and having the best possible SAT score. Generally, I would say that SAT score is more forgivable than GPA.</p>
<p>Definitely don’t go assuming that you’re competing with shy and quiet bookworms whose hobbies include homeworks and broccoli.</p>
<p>Interviews can be helpful and shed more light on an applicant’s character, personality, and passions. But they are hardly, if at all, important or crucial components of one’s application. There are tons of students admitted without interviews.</p>
<p>Apropos scheduling, the volunteer interviewer contacts you after you will have submitted part 1 to schedule an interview session (at most 1 hour long). If you don’t get an interview, that can mean:
a) there are no interviewers in your area
b) the interviewers in your area are all busy
c) you submitted your app too late.</p>
<p>It does not mean that you are judged as a lesser applicant in any way. Whether you get an interview depends on location and availability.</p>
<p>undisclosed, I would argue that the GPA is much more significant than your SAT scores. After all, the SAT measures your achievements in one morning; the GPA measures achievement throughout four years.</p>
<p>I think the adcoms would see someone with high GPA and low SATs as a bad test-taker; someone with high SATs and low GPA as a lazy underachiever. Which one would you admit?</p>
<p>haha, I wasn’t saying that those are what cause me to stand out. not even a little bit. I just happen to come from a school where the top 20%, even 10%, are asians who’ve done nothing but bust their asses for better scores and can’t find a purpose to actually exploring the city or anything. They define themselves by those scores. I can’t say the same, though I have comparable numbers. I’m pretty sure I’m in the top 5%, or top 10% at least. It’s just this one aspect, a key aspect like you said, that’s really screwing my application. </p>
<p>If I thought Columbia was full of those kids who enjoy doing homework as a hobby, I wouldn’t be so interested now would I? It’s a wonderful school because I realize that everyone is amazing. I want to know if it’s still possible to be considered to be of the same caliber if this aspect is not nearly as strong as other applicants, though other aspects may surpass their achievements.</p>
<p>I think undisclosed meant that the SATs are all I can do to help, but even then, low SATs are forgivable while low GPAs are not. But I have an lower GPA with good SATs, not due to laziness, but to the situations mentioned above.</p>
<p>Well, your personal aspects need to be really amazing to offset your low grades. It’s pretty simple, actually.</p>
<p>P.S. stand in the adcom’s shoes and think “What are the reasons I should accept this kid [you] over someone with perfect scores and a full plate of ECs?” The answer is not always pleasant.</p>
<p>and epaminondas, thanks for the info on interviews! I just hope that I can get one scheduled so I can set a good impression for the school in person as well as writing.</p>
<p>Then what you want to do is hand in your application very early so that the chances of you getting an interview are greater.</p>
<p>you are right, I’m competing with some of the most talented individuals in the country. that’s why I wanted to know if there’s anything at all I can do to make them believe that I, too, am capable – just happened to be under bad circumstances. I was ranked #1 at my old school. Crap happens. I should’ve dealt with it. I didn’t. My brain didn’t. So what do I do now?</p>
<p>Earlier than early decision deadline? End of summer good?</p>
<p>Are you applying ED or RD? I would say definitely 3 months ahead of whichever deadline if you crave the interview.</p>
<p>I think early. But I’m afraid that they’ll flat out reject me if they don’t see my senior year grades, which I hope will bring up my GPA.</p>
<p>^ Columbia asks for first quarter grades… maybe you should read their application and website.</p>
<p>and most people that apply to Columbia are “real” people. Certainly they only accept “real” people with awesome personalities, so liking movies, music, and cars don’t set you apart.</p>
<p>i just read their app. i guess i missed that part.
like i said in post #7, those aren’t things that set me apart. i just wanted to give you an introduction. hi, i’m a normal person. i am not a super geek and that’s not what i can count on to get myself into college, and most of my achievements are not school related. i cannot count on outstanding statistics in the academic area, so i wanted help to figure out what i could do to make myself stand a chance. i want to be part of a community that is full of people who are normal, but extremely talented. that is not the case in my current situation. the real person thing had more to do with the kids at my school, not columbia.</p>
<p>“undisclosed, I would argue that the GPA is much more significant than your SAT scores. After all, the SAT measures your achievements in one morning; the GPA measures achievement throughout four years.”</p>
<p>That’s what I meant (sorry for the confusing sentence). To clarify I mean that a bad SAT score is more forgivable than a bad or mediocre GPA because of the reason you yourself stated.</p>
<p>I get the impression that the interview is relatively useless, but can help in some cases.</p>
<p>I wasn’t interviewed for Columbia, yet I got a likely letter and was admitted.</p>
<p>However, of HYP, I was waitlisted at the two I interviewed for, and rejected at the one I didn’t, so the interviews could have helped me there. </p>
<p>Basically, don’t expect an interview to outweigh a low GPA, by any means.</p>