<p>My apologies in advance for the huge post. I just don’t want anyone to make any of the same mistakes I did, so I pretty much just posted my entire application to provide an analysis of what to do or not to do. :)</p>
<p>Decision: Rejected from Columbia College</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[li] ACT: 30 and 31[/li][li] SAT IIs: 800 (U.S. History) and 740 (Biology: Ecology)[/li][li] GPA: 4.29/4.00[/li][li] Rank: 3/600[/li][li] Awards:[/li]Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 10
AP Scholar with Distinction: U.S. History - 5; Biology - 5; Environmental Science - 5; European History - 5; Language and Composition - 5
National Merit Commended Scholar
Discus Award
Bryn Mawr Book Award
Distinguished Honors
[li]Senior Year Courseload:<a href=“6%20APs”>/u</a> AP Spanish Language; AP Physics: Newtonian Mechanics; AP English Literature and Composition; AP Comparative Government; AP Macroeconomics; AP Statistics; Computer Graphics; Gym; Study Hall[/li][/ul]Subjective:[ul]</p>
<p>[li] Essays:[/li]Common App: Well, I can’t really evaluate the quality of my own essays and short answers, but… My main Common App essay was about how animated TV shows and movies like Pokemon, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Howl’s Moving Castle inspired me to leave my awkward middle school shell and embrace the world. d: I suppose it was relatively unique?</p>
<p>Activity: I wrote a short and sweet letter to my little brother about how he’ll love piano in the future, even though he hates it and practicing now. The tone was pretty casual, but honestly, I don’t think I knew how to use the limited amount of space wisely.</p>
<p>[li] Short Answers: I suppose you shouldn’t take originality and uniqueness too far; I thought my short answers were original, but three out of four of them, although they answered the question, didn’t answer the question directly since I dislike direct statements such as “I want to go to Columbia because…,” I’m guessing college admissions officers don’t like that style since they can only spend a limited amount of time reading over each short answer, and they’d prefer clearer and more direct meanings. d:</p>[/li]
<p>I spent hours on the Columbia website and information packets to answer the “Why Columbia?” short answer and several more hours writing every short answer, but as I look back now, I realize only one of them could have been considered as amazing. d:</p>
<p>[li] ECs:[/li]*Piano:<a href=“4%20years”>/i</a> soloist, student director of music at a nursing home, private piano instructor; Grade 10-certified by Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory of Music Achievement Program; performed in solo and group recitals around community for entertainment and/or charity; founded weekly music program at nursing home and arranged student performances; served as introductory piano instructor for two students; self-studied music history, theory, and harmony; self-learned variety of musical genres for performance and pleasure</p>
<p>*Art Club:<a href=“2%20years”>/i</a> co-founder and co-president; club became self-sufficient with high activity and membership rate; completed art requests for school and community organizations, teachers, and staff members; donated artwork to various people and causes, including portraits for orphans and paper cranes for Japan after 2011 earthquake; directed a toy stores monthly artistic events; researched opportunities for members to exhibit artwork</p>
<p>*Literary and Art Magazine:<a href=“3%20years”>/i</a> co-editor-in-chief, contributor, and assistant; revamped and professionalized entire magazine and staff organizational system; redesigned layout and cover, and typeset and edited entries; planned fundraisers and arts appreciation events; ideas and strategic marketing led to increase in funds, submissions, and sales</p>
<p>*Volunteer Elementary School Tutor and Private English Tutor:<a href=“2%20years”>/i</a> tutored elementary school students in reading, writing, and mathematics</p>
<p>*Big Sister:<a href=“4%20years”>/i</a> cared for younger brother; taught him, reviewed homework, and helped him study and practice piano</p>
<p>*Freelance Artist:<a href=“4%20years”>/i</a> self-taught in fine arts and digital media, including Photoshop; fulfilled various art requests</p>
<p>*Asian Culture Club:<a href=“2%20years”>/i</a> co-treasurer; revived club after a several year hiatus; managed treasury and raised money for education in Asia</p>
<p>*Business, Hospital, and Wildlife Biology Intern:<a href=“summers%20for%202%20years”>/i</a> completed internships in three different areas to narrow down future career choices</p>
<p>[li] Teacher Recs: Since I don’t write recommendation letters myself, I’m not the best expert on what constitutes a “good” recommendation…</p>[/li]
<p>But anyway, I only saw one of them from my tenth grade Honors English and creative writing teacher, but I suppose that it was glowing since we have a good relationship.</p>
<p>I didn’t see the one from my AP Biology teacher, but I’m assuming that it’s a relatively good recommendation since I was a relatively good student in his class (I started slacking off really bad at the end of the year…). </p>
<p>[li] Counselor Rec: I didn’t see it, but I’m assuming that it was amazing since we have a good relationship, and the “brag sheet” I had to submit to her was one of her favorite three in her entire career. It also helped that I was one of the first people to request a recommendation from her, so she wouldn’t be sick and tired of writing letters by the time I asked her; same for the rest of my recommending teacher.</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Supplemental Rec: I received an amazing one from my piano teacher, with whom I’ve studied with for six years.</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Hook?: My father father passed away from cancer in 2008.[/li][/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[li] State or Country: In one of the Mid-Atlantic states. d:[/li][li] School Type: medium public[/li][li] Ethnicity: Chinese[/li][li] Sex: female[/li][/ul]Overall:[ul][li]Strengths: Evaluate them yourself, I guess?</p>[/li]
<p>[li]Weaknesses: poor standardized test scores, especially for an Asian; lack of prestigious awards or impressive activities; essays; short answers</p>[/li]
<p>[li]Advice?:[/li]Scout out some college student or graduate CCers to review your essays. They’ll do it for free and get back to you pretty quickly. There should be a large pinned topic in the essay section of the forum where people post if they’re willing to read your essays or not. If you start a topic in that section asking for someone to review your essay, you’ll most likely receive responses from high schoolers. While I admire and enjoy high schoolers’ company, let’s be honest here: there are better essay reviewers than them.</p>
<p>Please, please, please check for typos. I know it’s something that everyone knows already, but typos can make or break your application. I had a relatively strong application with strong recommendations, grades, etc., but I had a huge typo in my first short answer, even after printing out my application and poring over it several times before I submitted it. My advice to applicants is to set aside your application for a day if you have the time, and then review for the last time. And be patient. I had a week to submit my application, but I wanted to get it done and over with, and so I missed that one typo. d:</p>
<p>If I see one more “chance me” thread, I am going to throw a brick through a window. Honestly, those are pointless and a waste of time. People on CC are not college admissions officers–they are simply teenagers and parents with spare time on their hands. Although they do know a decent amount about what colleges look for, they do not know what they look for. So please. Save your breath. Don’t waste your time making or replying to those threads. Work on your essays and short answers instead.</p>
<p>[Possibly</a> helpful article (and website) if you’re interested](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/02/18/want-to-get-into-harvard-spend-more-time-staring-at-the-clouds-rethinking-the-role-of-extracurricular-activities-in-college-admissions/]Possibly”>Want to Get into Harvard? Spend More Time Staring at the Clouds: Rethinking the Role of Extracurricular Activities in College Admissions - Cal Newport)</p>
<p>[*] General Comments: Congratulations to all acceptees! You truly deserve it, and I bid you good luck! :)[/ul]</p>
I’m just a run-of-the-mill Asian high school student who can’t even write decent short answers.</p>