My chances...

Colleges & Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>.....ARE slim...</p>

<p>Yea, i expected everyone in here to say that i have a slim to none chance of making it at CC (academically, im weak, by columbia's standard). But who knows...</p>

<p>Background: </p>

<p>18 years old, Black
Parent are well-educated, but internal and international conflicts practically ruined the family. </p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>4.0 weighted GPA (3.5 unweighted)
Rank 38 out of 138 students (the most competitive class in our school)
620 Verbal, 570 math (ouch), 610 (writing)
650 U.S History (awaiting Math I score)
AP U.S.History: 4
Currently taking:
AP statistics
AP Economics
AP english IV
Communication Application (required to graduate)
Physical education (required)
U.S. Government
Pre-Calculus</p>

<p>Extra-Curriculars:</p>

<p>Speech and Debate
• Speech and Debate member (16 hours a week, 10th-12th)
• Degree of Merit and Honor from National Forensic League
• Currently attains two state points for Texas Forensic Association State Tournament.
Kerr H.S. Choir
• Kerr H.S. Choir Member (7.5 Hours a week, 10th-12th)
• Kerr H.S. Varsity Choir member (7.5+ Hours a week, 11th-12th)
• Vice-President
• Member of the 04-05 Texas Music Educators Association Region Choir.
• Member of the 05-06 Texas Music Educators Association Region Choir.
• Currently a 05-06 Texas Music Educators Association All-State Choir Finalist.
• 04-05 State Finalist on University Interscholastic League Solo & Ensemble (2nd Division).
UIL Academics
• Member of the UIL Current Events & Issues team. (16 Hours a week, Starting on 2nd semester. 10th-12th)
• 1st Place Team 04-05 District & Region University Interscholastic League Current Events & Issues.
• 4th Place Team 04-05 State University Interscholastic League Current Event & Issues.
Class Officers
• 2006 Senior Class Vice-President.
French Club
• “Mr. French Club” (Club Spokesman).</p>

<p>Outside of School</p>

<p>YMCA Youth Basketball League
Member of 03-04 Alief YMCA Youth Basketball League 2nd place team. (9 hours, 10th).
• Team Captain.
LAFABAH: La Famille Bamileke De Houston. (Non-Profit Cameroonian Organization).
• Member of LAFABAH (6 hours a week, not including volunteering activities).
• Assistant Treasurer (9th-10th)
Sears, Roebuck, and Co.
• Employee of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. (Summer of 2005: 23 hours a week, 9 weeks. School year: 8 hours a week).
• Among top salesmen for month of August 2005.</p>

<p>Other stuff:</p>

<p>Basketball
• Practices 12 hours a week.
Selling and Advertising.
• Set up an online book store during summer of 2004.
• Best seller for 04-05 Varsity Choir Annual Fundraiser.
Languages
• English
• French (Fluent)
• Spanish (Not Fluent).</p>

<p>Great Essay (imo) and great recs.</p>

<p>Sry for the long post guys.</p>

<p>Basically, ECs are my strenghts, but will it be enough? I personally doubt it. But miracles do happen <em>shrugs</em>.</p>

<p>Post your thoughts.</p>

2

<p>You do have strong ECs and you are black, but your grades and scores are on the low end of things. I don't think you're automatically out. If you had applied ED, you might have had a solid shot, but I'd say that it is less likely for RD.</p>

3

<p>I applied ED to columbia</p>

<p>Im a Dutch citizen, born in Peru, living in Geneva Switzerland, multiracial</p>

<p>SATs....are really bad
560 math
590 writting
640 verbal
SAT II's
chem 520 (ouch)
math II 600
french w/listening 800</p>

<p>go to the international school of geneva...we dun rank, but i've been on the honor roll every year except for last year</p>

<p>doin the ib diploma programme (sort of like AP's)
higher: chem, math, spanish A2 and english A1
standard: bio, geo, french A2</p>

<p>only person in my year to follow 7 ib subjects, with 4 at higher level</p>

<p>EC's
piano (10 years)
student coucncil - head of advertising and decorating
dutch
hip hop
students league of nations (sort of like model united nations)
went on 2 different humanitarian projects to india and tanzania
student representative on the latin america week board
student representative on the ib diploma programme evaluation committee
swahili
primary pottery club assitant</p>

<p>my essay is good, my recs are good too</p>

<p>but my sat scores really bring me down </p>

<p>do i have a chance?</p>

4

<p>^^^</p>

<p>Hmm....In a way you are in the same boat as I (Average to Low SATs), but ur are ECs are iffy, IMO. Our chances are pretty low, unfortunately.</p>

5

<p>Perhaps you're right (about the ED)</p>

<p>The way I see it, if you're a good candidate you're a good candidate. Is there really a better chance of admission via ED? I don't buy it, but who knows...</p>

6

<p>There are lots of good candidates. There isn't room for them all. That's the catch. ED is slightly easier because there are less people applying.</p>

7

<p>wahts the poitn of listing all the ec's if columbia only lets you write down your top 5?</p>

8

<p>divonne :</p>

<p>A low SAT I verbal could be accepted for internationals but not Math. 560 is way too low.</p>

9

<p>dats not true for the ECs...they ask you for top 7 in school and top 4 out of school activities</p>

10

<p>I guess you could all just apply and see. I don't really see the point of a 'chances' thread; people are going to tell you that you don't have a chance even though you have the best stats in the world.</p>

11

<p>shinwon - that's just not true.</p>

<p>divonne - your ec's and scores are both week. i don't think your chances are too high.</p>

<p>stk2k2 -- your ec's are not amazing, but they're really good. just pray that they and your urm status help you. also, i agree w/ you about ed. imho, ed lets in most of the legacies, athletes, and urm's who were on the edge, and gives people who are really dedicated to the school a chance to not have to do any more apps (if they get in). but standards are exactly the same, so for most people, it really doesn't help. it's not like a school will admit some people ed that they wouldn't have admitted regular bc they're afraid they won't have enough people for their class.</p>

12

<p>yeah ...i got dat feeling too...compared to americans...but suprisingly tho Ive got one of the best ECs list in my school...i think we dun get as many opportunities here as u guys do...</p>