I am applying early decision, and I need motivation and advice. Throughout my life, I went to schools that were bad. My high school is inflated, and doesnt have enough resources for its students. I havent had experience with research, or any outside practices. Is Columbia right for me, even though my school isn`t rigorous? I am not sure if I am even ready for the Core Curriculum, but I have a huge passion for physics and math. Is Columbia out of my league? I just want to try something new and hard so I can learn and grow.
Columbia is right for you.
You state that you want to challenge yourself with new and difficult things so that you may achieve the real aim of an outstanding undergraduate education: learning and personal growth.
You have exactly the attitude that great colleges seek in their students.
Don’t set your sights lower than the best. Go for Columbia, and dig into all it has to offer. Best of luck,
T
My kid’s HS dean said once that admissions officers do an excellent job of accepting people they feel sure will succeed at the college. This is especially true at a school like Columbia which has a 6% acceptance rate and turns down many extremely well qualified candidates. If accepted you should feel confident you can succeed at the school.
go for it!
If you love Columbia for its core, then you may also want to consider UChicago or Reed.
St. Johns in Annapolis/ Santa Fe also uses great books for its foundation.
Boston College has a strong core as does Notre Dame–in the Catholic tradition.
There are probably other schools.
Best of luck to you.