<p>Would anyone like to share experiences on how to get into Columbia or any personal anecdotes? Thanks</p>
<p>I wrote a relaxed essay, with simple language and a laid back, slightly sarcastic, slightly self-deprecating tone. I also educated my interviewer on international politics which he greatly appreciated and probably gave me points for. there are no formulas, they have to like you, and believe you will be an asset to the univ.</p>
<p>I've written about this many times, but I'll say it again: The key to getting admitted to Columbia is having a passion and showing it. To give some examples:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>If you're interested in acting, have you starred in any plays? Done any internships?</p></li>
<li><p>If you're interested in music, have you joined bands/orchestras outside your school? Written any music yourself?</p></li>
<li><p>If you're interested in science, have you done any research? Published any papers?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>You get the idea. Basically, take an interest you have and run with it. Do everything you can to ensure that Columbia knows you have a passion and are dedicated to it. </p>
<p>While there are minimum standards for acceptance, these are (relatively) low. That is, you should be worried if you're getting Cs Ds and Fs in all of your classes, but As/Bs in relatively hard classes and a 2000+ SAT should be more than enough to get you considered(so they won't just throw your application out). Beyond this, it's a matter of wow-ing the adcom with what you've done. As long as you meet the low minimum requirements, it's quite possible to gain acceptance if you've done an outstanding job outside of your normal academic classes. When Columbia says they're holistic, they mean it. I speak from experience.</p>
<p>I agree with 100% with mikesown. I might phrase it differently - they want to see excellence all-around and sustained effort in academics, not just As in things you care about and Cs in other things - but the concept is true. Depth is more important than breadth; they will take the future rockstar in history research, or the kid who started an investment club at age 12 and has made a ton of money in the stock market, over the proverbial "bright, well-rounded kid" 9 times out of 10. They want to see excellence.</p>
<p>And as Mike says, excellence isn't just getting A's in your classes. In public school, it's not that hard to get A's (by comparison to, say, top private / exam schools, or columbia itself). You don't have to be an entrepreneur, but you should have a little entrepreneurial spirit in the way you approach the things you're interested in - a little extra motivation, a history of being proactive. Take some risks, push yourself, that's the pattern they want to see more than anything.</p>