<p>The Columbia app says that you should only apply by paper if you can't online. However, I've heard that people who apply on paper have very, very slight advantages for acceptance. This sounds iffy to me. What does everyone else think?</p>
<p>... i applied online and i got in?</p>
<p>Not only is it iffy, but it is also wrong. Columbia has an entirely paperless admissions office and everything on dead trees that you send in is transferred into their computer system.</p>
<p>Last summer when I went to visit, I personally asked this question to the head of admissions, Jessica Marinaccio. She explicitly stated that they prefer that you apply online.</p>
<p>I'm assuming whatever minimizes hassle for them is preferable, and in this instance, it's doing the app online.</p>
<p>the online preference is mostly so they can control how much you write.</p>
<p>Applying by paper is more expensive to process and compensate.</p>
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the online preference is mostly so they can control how much you write.
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<p>Not really. It's because the entire admissions files are online and they don't want to have to scan things in. I've seen a demo of it; it's pretty slick.</p>
<p>I doubt it affects your decision one way or another. They may prefer the online app, but if you want to do paper go ahead.</p>
<p>you can't attach things if you apply online though...</p>
<p>Yes you can...I'm pretty sure there is somewhere for you to attach something else.</p>
<p>it makes absolutely not difference which way you apply. the admissions officers will not be able to tell anyway</p>
<p>Wait, the admissions office is "paperless??"</p>
<p>I thought the site specifically explains that they will print the applications out and review them.</p>
<p>Some schools print the online applications out and review paper version and some schools scan paper applications and review computer version. I think it depends on how much the Green Peace has made donations to the schools.</p>
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Wait, the admissions office is "paperless??"</p>
<p>I thought the site specifically explains that they will print the applications out and review them.
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<p>There's no "file" anywhere in paper. In the committee meetings, the online file is presented on the overhead projector. I don't know if any adcoms actually print the applications when they do their personal reads, or if they are even allowed to do so.</p>
<p>Unless there is no way for you to apply online at all, you should then resort to paper. There are always public libraries with computers or some other family member's or friend's house.</p>
<p>But I can write more on the paper app than i can on the online Columbia app - so if I DID send in paper, would they just scan my app onto a PDF file or retype all my stuff into the computer? If they did retype my stuff into a computer, would they cut my responses off to fit how much we can write on the online app?</p>
<p>They don't have time to retype. They would just scan it on the computer. If you are writing much more than the online limit (like 100 words more or something like that), it may hurt you anyway.</p>