no chance?/chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>location: virginia
race/gender: white/female</p>

<p>GPA:
freshman- 3.56 (1 honors course)
sophmore- 3.64
junior- 3.78 (1 AP)
senior- decent schedule (1 AP)</p>

<p>SATs:
1060/1600: 500v and 560m
i'm taking a class and am going to take it again as well as ACT</p>

<p>OTHER:
4 years of field hockey (possible captain)
1 year of soccer (sportsmanship award)
1 year of track and field
placed 1st in science fair
3 years of national honor society
2 years in DECA
65 hours+ of community service
internship at an elementary school (want to major in education)
played years on a soccer team outside of school </p>

<p>i know these stats wouldn't get me into Columbia but is there anything i can do that will? thanks!</p>

2

<p>I'm going to go with "no chance" given the 1060 and the lack of any sort of hook (let alone an amazing one).</p>

3

<p>unless your HS doesnt offer that many APs, only taking two is a very very big disadvantage....they want to see people who have taken the most rigorous schedule that is offered at their school and i dont think one AP per year is that rigorous. </p>

<p>Also, there is absolutely no way columbia would even consider an SAT score with two values below 600....with one of them below 600 ur at a big disadvantage but both there is no way. Unless you can get that SAT score up 300 points or unless you are recruited for one of these sports, then i would have to agree with Columbia2002. Also, there are SAT IIs and Writing section of SAT I that count heavily as well.</p>

4

<p>yeah, your SAT score will definitely hurt you. if you can't pull up your score, you can try and become a recruit. columbia athletics has a form on their page.</p>

5

<p>Since nobody here actually works on the admissions committee I wouldn't take their advice too seriously. Nobody on this board knows what screens Columbia actually uses. So, does a 500/560 score go directly into the wastebasket? Nobody knows. They also don't know how much weight CC puts on the SAT scores when looking at the full application.</p>

<p>What we do know is what Columbia posts as it's 25-75 percentile range, aka it's 'middle 50' which is 670-770 V and 660-760 M. This means half the students had scores in this range. That means 25% had scores higher than these and 25% had scores lower. Contrary to what people say on this board, people with lower scores do get accepted. The problem is, we don't know how low...</p>

<p>Suffice to say, there are no empirical studies of 'what works' to get into Columbia. Anybody who claims to know anything solid other than that posted range of SAT scores is selling something - most likely snake oil.</p>

<p>That being said, you ought to focus on improving those SAT scores - the higher, the better. Also, you should think about which SAT IIs to submit. </p>

<p>In sum, don't listen to the naysayers here. Focus on getting into the best possible college you can get into. Try to get into CC, but have a solid plan B you can live with as well.</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
Since nobody here actually works on the admissions committee I wouldn't take their advice too seriously.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm an alumni interviewer. Anyone who goes to Columbia should know a something about Columbia admissions. I would take some advice somewhat seriously. This isn't exactly a tough question.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Nobody on this board knows what screens Columbia actually uses. So, does a 500/560 score go directly into the wastebasket? Nobody knows.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Columbia doesn't use any "screens." There aren't cutoffs at all. Nobody said a 1060 goes directly into the wastebasket. What happens is that the application gets read and the officer sees a dismal (relative to the rest of the applicant pool) SAT score, sees nothing special about the applicant worthy of salvaging the application, and then marks it for rejection.</p>

<p>
[quote]
They also don't know how much weight CC puts on the SAT scores when looking at the full application.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Your entire academic record (SAT I and II scores, grades, strength of schedule, etc.) is still the most important factor. Columbia says that. </p>

<p>
[quote]
This means half the students had scores in this range. That means 25% had scores higher than these and 25% had scores lower. Contrary to what people say on this board, people with lower scores do get accepted. The problem is, we don't know how low...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>People with very low numbers need some sort of "hook," whether it be that they're celebs, athletes, from mega-donor legacy families, from under-represented races/states, etc. Nothing indicated that the OP has any hook.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Suffice to say, there are no empirical studies of 'what works' to get into Columbia.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>There is no recipe for automatic admission to Columbia. However, it is pretty easy to pick out who has very little chance of admission.</p>

7

<p>It's definitely easy to pick out who has a very low shot at admission--much harder to pick out who has a good shot of admission.</p>

8

<p>yea, u should be more skeptical if someone tells u that u r a shoe-in at columbia cause they are definately full of it because u r never guaranteed when it comes to college admissions to highly selective schools....however, since it is highly selective they usually do not need to compromise and accept people with 1060 SAT scores unless of course they are athletes or something of the sort. I mean, by all means go ahead and apply, its ur $60.</p>

9

<p>I think you are all fooling yourself with the 'hook' thing. One man's hook is another man's steaming pile of BS - that's to paraphrase somebody I know who actually does work in admissions. </p>

<p>You are correct that the relevant information is publicly available. But, beyond that, anybody here is merely guessing as to low/high probability. And the amount of information about an applicant is paltry compared to what is found in a real application. There's barely enough to make any assessment.</p>

<p>Finally it looks like this person flubbed on their SATs and should probably take them again before deciding that CC is an impossibility.</p>

10

<p>....Columbia 2002..........How much input does an alumni inteviewer have with admissions at Columbia? I know that at some other schools the alumni interviews is really just a way for the perspective student to learn about the school and really has no weight on the admissions process. How does it work at Columbia?</p>

11

<p>"Also, there is absolutely no way columbia would even consider an SAT score with two values below 600....with one of them below 600 ur at a big disadvantage but both there is no way."</p>

<p>TOTALLY NOT TRUE!!! I think that Columbia and all of the selective schools look at applicants holistically. I recommend that you do apply if columbia is really where u wanna go. I applied for the class of 2010 and I didnt break the 600's on any section of my SAT and I got waitlisted at Columbia and Dartmouth, but as of rite now im going to Georgetown. I do have minority status, but I don't think that that alone compensates for my medicore scores. Your extra-curricalurs sound fine, just try to score higher on the SAT and keep up with your sports and others activities psu! Best of luck and don't be discouraged by certain ppl in this thread and throughout this forum!</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
I think you are all fooling yourself with the 'hook' thing. One man's hook is another man's steaming pile of BS - that's to paraphrase somebody I know who actually does work in admissions.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You need more than a "hook" to get into Columbia with a 1060. You need to be simply amazing in some other way. Nothing the OP has indicated that she's saved the world or found the cure for cancer or anything of that nature.</p>

<p>
[quote]
You are correct that the relevant information is publicly available. But, beyond that, anybody here is merely guessing as to low/high probability.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Obviously nobody can predict the future. Even admissions officers can't do that. Some predictions are simply not hard to make, while others are. Predicting that someone with a 1060 will not get into Columbia is not a difficult undertaking.</p>

<p>
[quote]
And the amount of information about an applicant is paltry compared to what is found in a real application. There's barely enough to make any assessment.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>An SAT score that is nowhere near what the lowest of accepted students get is enough to make a good assessment.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Finally it looks like this person flubbed on their SATs and should probably take them again before deciding that CC is an impossibility.

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</p>

<p>Well, if she retakes and gets a 1500, obviously that's a different ball of wax. But, based on her current stats, CC is an impossibility.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I think that Columbia and all of the selective schools look at applicants holistically.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>And grades and SAT scores are still the #1 factors.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I applied for the class of 2010 and I didnt break the 600's on any section of my SAT and I got waitlisted at Columbia and Dartmouth, but as of rite now im going to Georgetown. I do have minority status, but I don't think that that alone compensates for my medicore scores.

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</p>

<p>1) You're a minority, and she's not. 2) You didn't get into Columbia. I'm not sure how your own experience tends to show that she actually has some chance at getting into Columbia.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Your extra-curricalurs sound fine,

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Fine, but not an unbelievable hook.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Best of luck and don't be discouraged by certain ppl in this thread and throughout this forum!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>People should set reasonable and achievable goals for themselves. Rather than wasting time going after unreasonable goals, effort is better spent finding a school that she can get into and be happy at.</p>

13

<p>
[quote]
....Columbia 2002..........How much input does an alumni inteviewer have with admissions at Columbia? I know that at some other schools the alumni interviews is really just a way for the perspective student to learn about the school and really has no weight on the admissions process. How does it work at Columbia?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>It is a secondary factor. Academic record (SAT, grades, APs) is #1. A really bad interview will almost certainly ruin you, since they're looking for any excuse to get rid of applications. A great interview might help if you're borderline. The interview also allows the interviewer to write a report and allow the adcoms to learn something else about you that isn't on the application that might help your chances.</p>

14

<p>Columbia2002, How do they choose who gets an interview? (or maybe the better question is Why?)</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
How do they choose who gets an interview?

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</p>

<p>Depends how many alums and applicants are in your area. It has nothing to do with merit.</p>

16

<p>I kinda had an inkling that that was the case. There were only a handful of applicants from my area (only two from my high school) and neither one of us got an interview.</p>

17

<p>Hey Columbia 2002, my experience is an indication that she has some chance of getting into Columbia. Although I didn't get in, I stated that I was waitlisted. Therefore, there still is a chance that I can get into one of the ivies that I have been waitlisted at. Hence, the adcoms did see something in me, even with my mediocre SAT scores; if they didn't, I would have been rejected. Thus, the door is not shut and SAT scores are not the "do all, end all!" Gosh...I loathe pretentious ppl!!!</p>

18

<p>He's already pointed out: you are a minority. That holds a lot of weight.</p>

19

<p>Jayson, 1) you are a minority and 2) you still didn't get accepted. Your experience only makes the OP's case worse.</p>

<p>Not that it matters, but did you have a 1060, by the way? Or something closer to 1200 (you said two scores below 600)?</p>

20

<p>"An SAT score that is nowhere near what the lowest of accepted students get is enough to make a good assessment."</p>

<p>Ok, Columbia2002, where do you get the information on what the lowest of accepted students get?</p>