Is it realistic for me to apply to Columbia next year?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

Hey everyone! I’m a junior, so obviously I’m not applying to any schools this year. Although I have most top state schools on my application list for next year, I like to entertain the thought of getting into Columbia, my dream school (and possibly other Ivy’s as well).

GPA: 4.4 or 4.5 weighted, and 3.9 or 4.0 unweighted
Rank: 5 out of ~650 students
SAT I: 2290 (730 CR, 770 M, 790 W, 12 essay) - don’t plan on retaking
SAT II: Haven’t taken but planning to take Chem (currently in AP Chem) and Math II in spring and summer
AP Classes: Took World History sophomore year, got a 5. Currently taking AP Lang, APUSH, AP Chem, and AP Physics 1. Next year I’ll be taking AP Lit, AP Govt, AP Physics C, AP Calculus BC, and AP Spanish.

ECs: So this is where I messed up, not really with my grades haha.
Editor for Key Club, several articles accepted into the regional newsletter.
Historian for United Nations club.
HOSA member (competitions coming up, hope that gets me somewhere)

Honors/Awards: District’s 2015 Superintendent Scholar, National Honor Society.

Work Experience: Created many websites for a family friend’s consulting business from 2013-present, though I haven’t been able to do as much work right now but still maintain some websites for clients.

Background & Finances: Currently live in Texas. I’m black, and my family immigrated to the U.S when I was 5 from an African country. Income is under $60K.

So during my freshman and sophomore years, I didn’t understand the importance of actually doing something worthwhile with your high school career. There was a ton of misinformation in my community that spread lies about what it actually took to get into top colleges, causing me to seek activities that I now know are completely trite.

I recently read a book this year called “How to be a High School Superstar” that talks about the deep interest and accomplishment that top schools look for, and to make up for the last two years, I’m trying to live a life where I actually seek genuinely interesting activities. Obviously I have very limited time left to accomplish something “big”, but I’m interested in what my prospects are now in that case that nothing spectacular happens between now and application time next year.

Thanks for looking into this! I appreciate all criticism and advice!

2

Yes. It’s realistic. Is it likely? Probably not, but it isn’t for any applicant at such a high-level institution. However, even with your lack of EC’s, you have a lot of positives. The fact that you’re an African-American immigrant helps a lot. Your GPA and SAT is great, just make sure to keep that GPA up. Now, regarding your EC’s: obviously, you don’t have that many. However, colleges truly don’t look for the student who has 10+ EC’s, perfect scores, and a perfect GPA. It’s extremely hard to do all three as an adolescent in high school. What they do look for is someone who is passionate about one or two areas and has the background to show for it, along with someone who obviously works hard to keep a good GPA and test scores. If you look at the current ED thread, you see many people accepted with lower test scores while some with very high ones were rejected or deferred. The reason is simple: you have to use the essays and rest of the application to convey who you are as a person, why you fit into Columbia (or whatever school), and what you’ve done to prove it. Are you planning on pursuing a future in the medical field? If so, prepare for your HOSA competition so you can do very well. Advancing to HOSA nationals and doing well there means more than being part of a Student Council or a Student Body president, because it shows that you are interested in the medical field and want to pursue it. Secondly, try and find one or two more activities that interest you, and use the rest of this school year and summer to pursue those and get involved with them. Lastly, use the summer to start on your essays. If I were in your position, I would write about your past in Africa, your immigration, the effects it had on your family, and your assimilation into a new culture.

Simply put, yes, you are very qualified in terms of statistics. However, most applicants are and in my opinion, what separates the applicants who are accepted from those who are not is the way they prove why they fit into Columbia’s environment. I know the situation you are in, feeling as if you haven’t done enough and time is running out. Relax, whatever happens, you are a very qualified student and will end up at a university that you love, whether that be Columbia or elsewhere. Good luck, and feel free to message me if you have any more questions!

3

@javaislife Couldn’t have wished for a better response. Thank you so much man. Not only did you alleviate my fears, but you were also realistic and gave me excellent advice.

I used to want to go in the medical field, so that’s why I joined HOSA, but I’m currently more interested in Engineering (with applications in space technology). My real and passionate interests are in Astronomy, so I guess I’ll definitely get involved in that. Again, I can’t thank you enough.

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@neoking No problem. Like I said, it isn’t a statistical game. Truly, just work on showing your interests through your activities and essays. Also, keep pursuing HOSA, even though you don’t plan on going into that field anymore. If you can win advance to nationals (or something similar), it never hurts to have that on your record.

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You need to stand out in a crowded applicant pool