post application blues what do u think for my chances

Colleges & Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>columbia e.d. suburban california, columbia college
Ethnicity ,Race : White, Cauacassian male
Rank: 38/838 top 5 percent bad frosh grades but competitive high school 3.7 unw 4.0 weighted </p>

<p>SAt : 760 m ,760 v, 650 w
Sat II : 760 ushistory 740 math 2c </p>

<p>E.C.
Debate Team, competed in National Forensics League,
Worked in USC at the Biomedical Lab. Did mitochondrial research, contributor in publishing
Also at the USC Institute of Politics, published on Electoral College ,] started research on reconstruction ,
Tutor for 8 years underpriveleged kids in low income areas
Hospital Volunteering all 4 years
theatre work for local community college 2 years ,
California Scholarship Federation ,AIME and CML Particpant kEy Club international</p>

<p>Interview : had interview oct. 28, thought it went well he was also a history major we talked about politics thought we hit it off because we were both left-leaning really laid back we both talked about flaws of conservatism , bushisms </p>

<pre><code> essay- talked about my passion in history and politics talked about the Debate CLub, USC history research, and third thing should of mentioned this in e.c about how i was a youth volunteer for a congressional campaign we held rally with sen. boxer (D-CA). how my interests in this area activities were limited in hs looked outwards, how columb. would help me do more in these fields
</code></pre>

<p>reccs- one counselor and teacher recc were fantasttic, other teacher rec was ok</p>

<p>hooks- going to columbia in a week or so to visit the campus I have a family friend who is an alumni family donates 50,000-100,000 a year he e-mailed an adcom and gave me an honorable mention hoping i can see this adcomwhen i go there</p>

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<p>o sorry forgot to mention 10th grade ap world ap bio 11th eng, us, chem, spanish 12th eng ,calc, econ, phys c
5's in world , bio, ush 4's in eng chem 2 in spanish</p>

<p>took some commumity college classses : theatre, poly sci, philosophy, sociolgy talked about how philos. helped me in debate and for e.c. i was given an award for my activity with the congressman</p>

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<p>Decent shot, average applicant though...so average chance...GPA could hurt you a lot.</p>

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<p>ne1 else... and wont the legacy connection give me a boost</p>

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<p>I think your GPA and test scores are well within the range. You seem to have some interesting EC accomplishments that may make you stand out. The legacy connection can't hurt. Write a compelling essay and I think you have a good chance.</p>

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<p>thanks for ur response columbia mom ne1 else? 120 views and only 2 responses people r u mute feel free to comment</p>

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<p>bump bump bump</p>

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<p>You've got an OK shot. I disagree with ColumbiaMom -- the alum isn't going to do much for you. He's not YOUR family. Many people <em>know</em> important people.</p>

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<p>"You've got an OK shot. I disagree with ColumbiaMom -- the alum isn't going to do much for you. He's not YOUR family. Many people <em>know</em> important people."</p>

<p>So would an applicant whose father went to Columbia but didn't donate anything have a better hook than this guy?</p>

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<p>Simply being a legacy is not a "hook." It merely gives you a slight edge. And, every legacy has an edge. If a parent is a huge donor, then you might have a "hook."</p>

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<p>"Simply being a legacy is not a "hook." It merely gives you a slight edge. And, every legacy has an edge. If a parent is a huge donor, then you might have a 'hook'."</p>

<p>Yes, I know. I didn't mean hook. I was just asking if a person whose father went to Columbia would have a greater advantage over someone like this guy. I didn't mean a real hook, just wondering which would be considered a greater advantage. I guess it would be hard to judge because you don't know that much about either of the two people. They always say that it is not what you know but who you know...Would you believe it if I told you that I was accepted to Sidwell Friends (Chelsea Clinton went there, as well as many others) for free this freshman year (the headmaster at my school in New Orleans knew the headmaster of Sidwell...and I got in free because I was from New Orleans) in high school and turned it down? And the admissions officer/man that showed me around the school just retired a few years ago from being a Columbia admissions officer. Man, I'd have a lot of connections there. But I turned it down because I thought I'd be more comfortable at this huge public school here...</p>

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<p>well the person i know donates 80-100k a year and since columbia has one of the lowest donation rates from alums 20 percent i believe , i guess it wont hurt</p>

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<p>and for clarifcation on the alumni rates harvard 47 % princeton 61 percent yale 46 percent penn 40 percent columbia 34 dartmouth 49 percent cornell 35 percent brown 38 percent</p>

<p>o and to golden boy ur writing "this guy" in a derogatory way having a father as an alumni vs. knowing an alumni who donates that much i'd think the latter is more important cing that columbia has the lowest giving rate among ivies</p>

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<p>Nobody is saying that it will hurt.</p>

<p>Columbia is the 7th richest university in the nation (only Harv, Yale, and P'ton are ahead among the Ivies). Columbia is not hurting for money. Yes, Columbia's giving rate is very low (and the worst in the Ivy league).</p>

<p>You can't have a family friend buy you into Columbia. And, $100K is peanuts in the grand scheme of things (a $5 Bn endowment). Either your family friend thinks he's more important than he is or you simply think so.</p>

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<p>buy me in! my stats arent exactly meager is just an added advantage in addition to my actvities and relativly high scores</p>

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<p>Nobody said your stats were meager. You've got a decent shot, even without this guy, but the process is so competitive. There is no added advantage.</p>

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<p>over 240,000 people have graduated from columbia, many have done great things. Thousands of people have donated money to columbia, thousands have been faculty and administrators. Unless you are in the immediate family of one of the above people, the benefit is going to be minimul. I.e. my friend's dad teaches at columbia but that will in know way help my admission as the are literally thousands of applicants who have some sort of connection to columbia. In sum, the added benefit of the letter may help, and i hope it does, but is probably negligible.</p>

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<p>samt although i agree with some of things but u pulled 240,000 out of ur ass columbia was founded in 1754 as Kings College so it has been around for about 250 years so ur asssuming 1,000 people graduated every year when the enrollment right now is 1,000 per class i dont think even 100,000 have graduated from columbia especially when you consider graduation rate and as an end quote only immediate family who do things for the college i.e. donate money help if they did nothing for the college its less than nothing</p>

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<p>a contact who donates money is more valuable then a family legacy member who does jack</p>

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<p>sorry, i meant for columbia university as a whole including: CC, SEAS, Law, Medicine, Business, SIPA, Teacher's College, etc...i read that figure online, the website says "253,593 alumni throughout the 50 states and 180 countries"</p>