<p>thanks to everyone who responds to this :</p>
<p>i was just wondering .. columbia doesnt only focus on SAT scores correct
does EC // leadership // sports // and community service // and volunterring ?
im volunterring the entire year lol .. for junior service that probally like 150+ hours ...</p>
<p>anywhose
do these things come into play
even though i havent taken the psat nor the sat I would like to know if i continue to do well in these areas will i have a good chance</p>
<p>thanks =]</p>
<p>SATs and grades are by far and away the most important factors. If you don't have them, you're screwed. The rest of the stuff matters once you have good enough numbers.</p>
<p>right the only way they're going to be lenient with SAT scores (like really let you get away with considerably lower scores) is if you're a URM, athlete, or super badass legacy. </p>
<p>With a school like Columbia (which I believe is setting itself up to soon be the 3rd most selective university in the nation) you always want to overachieve and do better than you think you should do. So if you've gotten a lower SAT score, don't let it make or break you. Retake or try the ACT. Good luck.</p>
<p>bronx, new york = decent positive</p>
<p>I think that Columbia seems to seek out interesting individuals, and may cut some limited slack on stats if the applicant will bring something different to the class. Having said that, though, it's true that the number of applicants vs. available spots keeps rising, and it's really, really competitive. Having superb stats AND having outstanding EC accomplishments AND being a bit different would be the best combination. :)</p>