Main Essay Prompt?

<p>Hey guys, yes, I've procrastinated like a sonofa*****, but I'm wondering what the main essay prompt is for Columbia (I'll be applying to Fu). I just need to decide whether or not I'm applying, because I doubt I could come up with anything too special for a long essay in the next couple of days, seeing as to how I'm just about done with essays as it is. Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>apply to harvard, or something</p>

<p>Thanks for the useless response. I pretty much know what I'm going to do for all the short answers, I just need to know if I can reuse my personal statement or not.</p>

<p>PERSONAL ESSAY
On a separate sheet of paper, write an essay which conveys to the reader a sense of who you are. Possible topics may include, but are not limited to,
experiences which have shaped your life, the circumstances of your upbringing, your most meaningful intellectual achievement, the way you see the world—the
people in it, events great and small, everyday life—or any personal theme which appeals to your imagination. Please remember that we are concerned not only
with the substance of your prose but with your writing style as well. We prefer that you limit yourself to approximately 250-500 words (or 1-2 pages).</p>

<p>Thanks! Looks like my personal statement fits the bill perfectly.</p>

<p>is it detrimental not to submit additional info on columbia app? it says it does not prefer more writing samples... i want to kno what other people are doing..</p>

<p>I would definitely stay away from additional writing samples. See Denzera's post on the following page: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-university/433070-columbias-app-really-annoying-2.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-university/433070-columbias-app-really-annoying-2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I followed his advice and attached a single page of relevant bullet points, but you really don't have to if you don't think it's necessary.</p>

<p>You won't get in, so why apply? If you don't even know if you're sufficiently interested in CU to send in an application and your essays aren't anything special, you're not what they're looking for.</p>

<p>The tragic reality of it is that Columbia will take these kinds of students over those who see Columbia as their dream school and perfect match.</p>

<p>If the kids are more qualified than the dream-schol kids, then I don't see the problem. Wanting to go somewhere doesn't make you the perfect match.</p>

<p>I dunno, maybe I'm defensive on that count because I'm the same boat as the OP on the procrastinating-like-a-sob count. Gonna go start my essay...</p>

<p>I second C2002's comment. Columbia adcoms actually read the essays. So, if you don't think you're are genuinely interested in the school, don't apply because it'll probably reflect in your writing.</p>

<p>I don't think you have enough time to write the essay unless you plan to pull several all-nighters.</p>

<p>If you are just applying to the school for a BLAH reason, don't do it because there are many other people whose DREAM SCHOOL IS COLUMBIA!!!</p>

<p>Just stick to the schools whose programs you find the most interesting.</p>

<p>
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The tragic reality of it is that Columbia will take these kinds of students over those who see Columbia as their dream school and perfect match.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Tragic reality = in your mind?</p>

<p>I also don't think the essay would require all-nighters. I'm pretty sure I wrote mine on the day it was due, took me about an hour and a half. Showed it to my dad, he had about 3 grammatical edits, and I shipped it off.</p>

<p>I'm not saying I'm some sort of super-genius, but writing about yourself should be pretty easy. Picking a topic can be the hard part, that I'll grant, but if you're a decent writer it should just flow out of you. And even if you have to struggle to put sentences into paragraphs, it still shouldn't require all-nighters. For christ's sake, you've got 48 hours. Well, 36 now.</p>

<p>is it 250-500 words OR 1-2 pages? 2 pages with 0.5" margins can run up to around 900 words...?</p>

<p>margins?? you send it online.. and you pretty much have only an hour so get to it.</p>

<p>I used my CommonApp essay. The topic for Columbia is very open-ended.</p>