SEAS BME chance

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>K, I really really want to go to Columbia SEAS to study BME. After having applied, do you guys think that getting into Columbia SEAS for BME is likely? </p>

<p>well here r the stats:
SAT: 2150 [720 Reading, 750 Math, 680 Writing]
IB: Predicted 38
Rank: N/A
SAT IIs: 760 Math2, 780 Biology M, 750 Chemistry
APs: N/A
Currently taking: IB HL Chem, Bio and Math. IB SL English, Chinese [I'm Indian tho] and Economics
Activities and stuff: Lots of time spent in service with an autistic school, also a lot of time with the Missionaries of Charity. Leadership is not a problem, I've been House captain and Student Council Rep. Play Basketball. Doing Model United Nations for ages. Quite a bit of various other debating as well.
Recs: 1 from bio teacher. all boxes ticked as Very Good [well above average] and top 10%.
1 from Chemistry teacher, really glowing ref, all top 10% and up.
1 from counselor
essay:
My essay is about the experiences in the autistic school [called Hope School], how I learnt the meaning of Hope. Got loads of people to read it and they've said it's good.</p>

2

<p>I think you have a really good chance of getting accepted by SEAS.</p>

3

<p>Unless you're URM it's doubtful</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
I think you have a really good chance of getting accepted by SEAS.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>this is flattery, I had a very similar profile to yours and short of being wait-listed, I think I just scraped into columbia, because my essay was really fresh and I blew my interviewer away. You probably have a small chance like everyone else, because:</p>

<p>1) your scores are nothing to write home about, (but meets the thresholds, so don't retake anything)
2) 38/42 predicted is the lower end at which they accept kids, if it's 38/45 then you stand a very small chance indeed.
3) Being in the top 10% for recs is merely expected.
4) most people who read your essay don't know what admissions officers want to see, they "oohh and ahh" at proper sentence structure and flowery language, the adcoms only look for personality. A lot of times a really passionate and emphatic essay is lauded by everyone around you, when it might come off as excessive, full-of-yourself, overbearing or insincere to adcoms. </p>

<p>If in fact your essay is a good fit for columbia, and sounds cool + your extracurricular seriousness comes through, then I can see you at columbia because your academics aren't substandard.</p>

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<p>^^^^You sound really bitter. Renegadeshark is applying to SEAS, and his SAT IIs show that he's a very good candidate. Plus, his SAT I is well within range, his ECs are good, and his essay sounds unique.</p>

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<p>^ we are talking about columbia here... Sat IIs are not that important, his EC's are nothing to brag about and that is a common essay topic. Like confidential said it comes down to how he presents his essay and if his interview goes well. Of course he has a chance, but many applicants will outshine him.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
^^^^You sound really bitter. Renegadeshark is applying to SEAS, and his SAT IIs show that he's a very good candidate. Plus, his SAT I is well within range, his ECs are good, and his essay sounds unique.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Why did he sound bitter? A lot of people are "within the range"--most of these people are rejected. Besides, anything short of 800 on an SAT II demonstrates insufficient mastery of the subject matter (especially Math II).</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Why did he sound bitter? A lot of people are "within the range"--most of these people are rejected. Besides, anything short of 800 on an SAT II demonstrates insufficient mastery of the subject matter (especially Math II).

[/quote]

this might be true for math II, but alot of other subjects aren't as generous with the curve</p>

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<p>I know for a fact that the chemistry curve is extremely generous, having taken it myself. Likewise, the curve is generous for physics and US history. </p>

<p>Even if we assume that only Math II has a generous curve, a 760 in Math II is fairly mediocre. Many of my friends who were average at best in Math Analysis (precalc and trig) got 800s.</p>

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<p>Yes, SAT IIs are not as important as SAT I, but the OP is applying to SEAS. Because of his obvious strength in math and science, he would make be a good candidate. And I realize that there will always be a better applicant; it sounded as though confidentialcoll was dwelling on the negatives.</p>

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<p>His obvious strength in math and science is not so obvious when we look at his failure to obtain an 800 in even Math II. You'd best believe that admissions officers will dwell on the negatives--with such a large [and qualified] applicant pool they're looking for reasons to reject people more than they're looking for reasons to accept.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
His obvious strength in math and science is not so obvious when we look at his failure to obtain an 800 in even Math II.

[/quote]

Since when is a 760 on Math II a weakness?!?</p>

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<p>Since you could get 90%> and still get an 800.</p>

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<p>What exactly is your point? Do you somehow think you've become the benchmark to being accepted to Columbia? My opinion that renegadeshark has a very good chance at being accepted still stands.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
^^^You sound really bitter. Renegadeshark is applying to SEAS, and his SAT IIs show that he's a very good candidate. Plus, his SAT I is well within range, his ECs are good, and his essay sounds unique.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No. Confidentialcoll sounds informed. </p>

<p>The OP's SAT I is very much sub-par. Despite the fact that it's "within the range," the VAST majority of applicants with SAT scores in the 2100s are rejected. His Math II score is quite low for SEAS, and so is his SAT I Math score. </p>

<p>His EC's are good, but they're far from setting him apart from the pact. All I see is community service and club leadership, which is nothing special.</p>

<p>Lastly, his essay doesn't sound unique at all to me. Unless it's super-spectacular, it's just an essay about his community service.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
What exactly is your point? Do you somehow think you've become the benchmark to being accepted to Columbia? My opinion that renegadeshark has a very good chance at being accepted still stands.

[/quote]

No, I don't think that I'm a benchmark. I don't think that there is any such thing as a benchmark to being accepted to Columbia.</p>

<p>I also think that your opinion is fairly worthless. In fact, as an applicant still in the applicant pool, you shouldn't even be chancing people--your own pending applications make for an unavoidable bias. While most chance threads are inherently foolish (although understandable for the anxiously awaiting high school student), you assuming that you are qualified to chance people is even more foolish. In this case, it's clear that your own fairly low standardized test scores have created an insurmountable bias in how you feel about other people's scores.</p>

<p>Normally, I don't bother posting in these threads, but your uninformed opinion will only lead to unrealistically high expectations on the part of OP.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
You assuming that you are qualified to chance people is even more foolish.

[/quote]

Not once did I say that I felt qualified to chance anyone. I thought it was common sense that someone that posted a thread would want answers from CC users--whether they've been accepted to the college or not. Being accepted does not put you at an advantage of knowing what the admissions committee is looking for. And yes, I'm bias, but isn't everyone: you think that because you have 800s on your SAT IIs, anything less is deplorable. Your opinion is no better than mine or anyone else's...you're the only one that doesn't seem to know that.</p>

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<p>Whatever Mr. Trojan. </p>

<p>While we're still comparing sizes, are you a Magnum? :)</p>

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<p>Yes I am, thanks for asking :)</p>

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<p>all right I have many problems with the replies:</p>

<p>
[quote]
You sound really bitter. Renegadeshark is applying to SEAS, and his SAT IIs show that he's a very good candidate

[/quote]
</p>

<p>neither his scores nor his grades show that he is an exceptional candidate, his scores while not "sub-standard" are merely average for accepted applicants, they don't exclude him but they don't get him in either, a 38 IB predicted is nothing great at all, more so if his school doesn't predict credibly, in which case a 38 could be perceived as inflated and he'll definitely get rejected. His ECs could be seen as substantial but also might not be since he isn't quite regional or national material in anything, and how would you know whether his essay is good/bad from merely a topic sentence.</p>

<p>Secondly why on earth would I be bitter? I'm a student at columbia, i'm in seas, i've been here multiple years, i know what it takes, and have a decent radar for people's chances because I know my classmates pretty well and i've seen many real life applicants, and i've scouted the ED/RD threads substantially.</p>

<p>here's the problem:

[quote]
Not once did I say that I felt qualified to chance anyone

[/quote]

then please don't offer under-qualified opinions</p>

<p>
[quote]
Being accepted does not put you at an advantage of knowing what the admissions committee is looking for.

[/quote]

I'm pretty sure applying with classmates who didn't get in, actually showing up here and living and working with students around campus does give you a knowledge advantage, if after even a year in your college you don't understand, at a basic level, what your college looks for, then I would feel very sorry for you.</p>

<p>overall i'd wager he has an average to above average chance, they perhaps take 1/4 or 1/3 like him.</p>