RD Chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>Chances 0-100%.
(And I know. My test scores, um, suck.)</p>

<p>*female/white/virginia
*blue ribbon public school
*distance student in the Harvard Extension School
*very low-income, both parents unemployed, disabled father</p>

<p>GPA: 3.9 uw, 4.7 w
RANK: 10/413
SAT I: Critical Reading 740, Math 680, Writing 700
SAT II: Math Level II 760, US History 660, Literature 640 (:/ retake..)</p>

<p>COLLEGE COURSES:
1) Beginning Screenwriting, 4 credits (Harvard)
2) Directing, 4 credits (Harvard)
3) Film Studies, 3 credits (USC)
4) Colonial American History, 4 credits (Harvard)</p>

<p>AP COURSES:
1) US History
2) US Government
3) European History (taken online in addition to HS)
4) English Literature
5) Physics B (taken online in addition to HS)
6) Chemistry
7) Calculus AB
8) Calculus BC</p>

<p>ACADEMIC HONORS/DISTINCTIONS:
1) Quest Program Finalist
2) Early College Scholar (stage program)
3) Lowell Student Scholar (Harvard Extension School)
4) National Merit Commended
5) AP Scholar
6) Junior Marshal
7) International Thespian Society
8) National Honor Society
9) Spanish Honor Society
10) Distinguished Honor Roll, National Honor Roll</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THEATRE: (17 hrs/wk 45 wks/yr)
-Historian of Drama Club
-Student Director for School Play
-Stage Manager for School Play *Best Stage Manager award
-TA for theatre classes
-2005 State Play Festival (school submission): 4th place
-intern at Harvard Summer Theatre 2004</p>

<p>FILMMAKING: (5 hrs/wk 45 wks/yr)
-President/Founder of Student Film Society
-production intern/assistant for various feature films
-volunteer for local film festivals and events</p>

<p>FIGURE SKATING: (3 hrs/wk 35 wks/yr)
-LearnToSkate Program volunteer
-pending Judge certification
-Annual Ice Show soloist</p>

<p>VARSITY CREW: (4 hrs/wk 20 wks/yr)
-Considered a school club, but Varsity-level boat all 4 years
-Vice President of the Crew Club</p>

<p>DESIGN/WEB DEVELOPMENT: (2 hrs/wk 20 wks/yr)
-Owner/Webmaster/Designer of large website for five years</p>

<p>IN-SCHOOL VOLUNTEERING: (2 hrs/wk 10 wks/yr)
-through NHS and Beta Club</p>

<p>VIOLIN for 13 years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>SUMMERS:
2005 USC Summer Seminar in Film Study - received grant to attend
2004 Harvard SSP - received grant to attend
2003 Naval Academy Rowing Camp</p>

<p>-Great recs from AP Literature & AP Calc teachers
-Glowing rec from Theatre teacher
-Essay is very strong</p>

<p>PROSPECTIVE MAJOR: Film Studies, and possibly Theatre Arts or American Studies</p>

2

<p>i was also wondering how good they're financial aid is... considering i'd need... um...a lot.</p>

3

<p>"-Essay is very strong"</p>

<p>"how good they're financial aid is"</p>

<p>Yikes!</p>

4

<p>gimme a break it's quick typing on an online forum</p>

<p>at L3a$t 1 d0n't r1t3 L1k3 th1$...</p>

5

<p>anyone...?</p>

6

<p>Sorry I can't help you with the financial aid question, but your profile is extremely impressive from your gpa, to your test scores, to your EC's, etc. Congratulations on all of your wonderful accomplishments. If Columbia doesn't take you, there's something wrong with them.</p>

7

<p>Thank you ColumbiaMom! I don't think my resume is really THAT great, but hey, if Columbia thinks so that'll be perfect.</p>

<p>can anyone tell me about fin. aid?
or any more chances 0-100%...?</p>

8

<p>tawny, as a fellow senior ivy applicant, i have to say the most impressive part of your application is your dedication to film and theater...it's not the particular field just more that you have demonstrated and achieved on a high level for something you feel passionate...this will show through....i'm not sure how badly columbia is looking for people with your interest, but they will at the very least see you use your time well outside the classroom</p>

<p>p.s. i know it's hard, but whatever % someone gives you is pretty unreliable</p>

<p>i'd say if you're admitted, you have an awesome chance to get maybe your whole ride covered...unless you have a trust fund you forgot to mention</p>

9

<p>"i'd say if you're admitted, you have an awesome chance to get maybe your whole ride covered...unless you have a trust fund you forgot to mention"</p>

<p>Columbia doesn't give merit scholarships.</p>

10

<p>i wasnt suggesting she'll get a scholarship based on merit....if u read the original post, you would have seen both her parents are unemployed....that's my basis for making a comment like that</p>

11

<p>And why is this particular to Columbia? If she's poor, she won't be paying much wherever she ends up.</p>

12

<p>i didnt suggest it was particular to columba either, just because you started an argument you couldnt finish doesnt mean you should persist, just sedate your ego for a little bit and drop it</p>

13

<p>i had a question to continue with my chances for Columbia...</p>

<p>recently my love for the school has grown (I regret not considering ED before)... I had hopes for NYU Tisch but theyre terrible with financial aid...USC Film might be too much to fly out there all the time (since I live on the east coast)... and well, I'm not expecting anything from Harvard...</p>

<p>okay, so basically my point to all this is that I'm starting to really love Columbia... what do you think I should emphasize on my application? what does Columbia like to see? how can I make my app spectacular?</p>

14

<p>60~70%
Your SAT scores doesn't suck at all. Also you seem really enthusiastic about theatre arts and film arts, so they would want you. Don't think I'm everything lol, I might be wrong.</p>

15

<p>and comment on the financial.. I'm EXTREMELY happy with my financial package, columbia made it possible for me to attend while paying the same tuition I would if I attended the local university.
the formula is largely based on your income and to a little extent on your asset (house seem to count for very little since the only real big asset we had was the house) if anyone want anymore details about my financial package, pm me.</p>

16

<p>thanks for the replies everyone.
glad to know that theyre good with fin aid too.</p>

<p>i guess its just time to focus on making my app spectacular :)</p>

17

<p>We have really similar stats, families, and ECs... but you're a little better than me.</p>

<p>How many plays have you worked on? I'm on 16 right now.</p>

18

<p>16? very niiice! i am just on 11 right now.
i've worked on 7 films as well (short and feature length).</p>

<p>i dont do a lot of outside theatre... do you? or do you stick to school productions?</p>

<p>youre applying to columbia, right? were you applying to harvard, too? i thought i saw you on the board... maybe we will end up at the same college and work on some plays together :)</p>

19

<p>soo I just got deferred from harvard EA (it was expected)...
well i would have still applied to columbia anyways, lol, but...</p>

<p>if anyone could give me advice on making my app glow, i'd really appreciate it... i know my scores are not my strong part... i just want to make sure that my passion for theatre/film and intellectual curiousity are really emphasized and presented well....or maybe there is something that columbia really wants to see in its applicants that i can try to show in my own app...?</p>

<p>i was going to contact some people in their film studies and theatre arts dept's... (questions about the classes/productions/opportunities/etc)... do you think that maintaining contact w/ these people would help, or anything?</p>

<p>also, are there any distance education programs through columbia (for example, i take courses online through harvard...wondering if columbia had something similar)...</p>

<p>thanks for any help/advice.
(btw, my rank above changed... now 9/426...cause thats such a big difference from 10/413 lol)</p>

20

<p>9/426? Wow. Last time I checked, I was only like 17/300 something. But my school is super crazy competitive it makes me want to cry.</p>

<p>And it looks like you have lots of ECs. Not just resume-builders, either. It seems like you have a genuine interest in everything you do. Let's hope Columbia sees that.</p>