<p>There was talk with a merger between CC-GS administration a few years ago but I am not sure if it has made any progress since then, been awfully quiet, nothing about it in the Columbia Spectator since 08 or 09 I believe. By merger they were referring to administering the undergraduate schools jointly such as CC-SEAS merger in '90. This would greatly expand GS financial aid as it would gain access to the large FA pool used by CC/SEAS and admissions selectivity would go up as well. This would definitely help GS and solidify its position as an undergraduate college at CU but I guess the change has not happened yet because those on the CC side wonder what benefits it will have for CC. CC will benefit as CU benefits overall. SEAS has become a much stronger program and increased its selectivity since it merged its administration with CC. Not sure if this would happen in our time if it all though. </p>
<p>I’m still waiting for financial aid though, lets see what happens.</p>
<p>A merger isn’t going to happen. The idea seems like it was quietly dropped last year. If I recall correctly, the reason was that a bunch of the core rich old CC alumni/donors threatened to stop donating if GS merges with CC+SEAS. Something about diluting the prestige/selectivity due to not having mandatory SAT scores that are at the same level of competitiveness as CC+SEAS. Also something to do with not having the kind of super-selective admissions rate of CC/SEAS. IIRC GS is at about 25-30%. CC is 8% and SEAS is 13%. GS argues that the reason for that is that GS’s applicant pool is more highly self-selective than CC+SEAS.</p>
<p>On the GS side, the deterrent to a merger is that GS’s unique admissions process would be compromised. From the Dean’s mouth himself, every serious GS applicant has their material looked at and considered for up to 4 hours. It would also be likely that SAT scores would become mandatory and more central to the admissions process. Either way, you should give up on that a merger will ever happen. If you’re attending with a full-time course load, you’ll be too busy to care and so will everyone else who is actually being put under some serious workloads.</p>
<p>SATs used for for admissions for non-traditional students and transfer students makes no sense as SATs are used to predict the first year performance of prospective students. An undergraduate gpa is the best predictor of a students academic performance rather than SATs. Overtime GS would become more and more selective just as SEAS did. I am not concerning myself with the probability of a CC-GS merger…its just sad to find out that old Columbia alums aka the power elite do not view GS as equal to CC/SEAS. If they threatened to stop their contributions clearly the merger of CC and GS under the same administration was so earth shattering to them? They went to CU themselves and should known if students are put in the same classes as CC students and are competitive against the 8% cream of the crop, then they can obviously “hack it” and should be viewed as equals rather than inferiors. This elitism is just ■■■■■■■■. </p>
<p>As for me, I will attend GS if I can secure housing and receive decent aid, none of that elitism crap is going to deter me from attending. I remember my classmates in HS who went to ivies for undergrad and I did just as well as them on the SAT and in my classes too…not my fault that life got in the way. Perception is very important though, its unfair to people who bust their @$$ off that a bunch of people think their education is not as good as CC kids when they are taking the 95% of the same classes. So because their admissions standards are a lot higher BUT they take the same classes as SEAS/GS kids taught by same professors and graded according to the same curve, somehow a CC student is still better. Cool.</p>
<p>I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that the alums in question are from the years when GS had a separate faculty and the students were in separate GS classes. Their perceptions are very clearly shaped by that.</p>
<p>I just hope the CC kids don’t beat me up and take my lunch money (laughter).</p>
<p>On another note, I hope you all had a fantastic thanksgiving. The APS was very good and I had an excellent discussion with Skip Bailey from FinAid who relieved many of my anxieties about tuition and so forth.</p>
<p>I’m waiting to hear back from housing. I’m leaving my cat with a friend, unfortunately. I’m really hoping to get into UAH: it would simplify my life GREATLY, so I am hoping to hear something next week. Are you on Storybook yet? There’s a good housing thread there.</p>
<p>I applied for Spring 2011 as well. I’d been called for an interview this past Tuesday, and was told admissions decisions were to be made on Wednesday (the 15th). It’s now Friday the 17th and I haven’t heard anything. I suppose it’s hasty for me to be concerned, since it’s only been a couple of days, but as a transfer student, I really need to know ASAP (ideally, today) where I’ll be next semester. I called the office and was informed that my letter was mailed yesterday, although they cannot tell me the answer over the phone. I’ve heard that they call you if you’re accepted, so I don’t think this is a very good sign, since she made no mention of a phone call (if I’d been accepted, wouldn’t she just tell me that they’ll call me later?). I thought the interview was a very positive sign (why would they waste the time calling if they weren’t seriously interested?), and I felt I presented a strong application and that my interviewer seemed very positive, but now I’m starting to think that I’ve been overly hasty in my positive thinking. If anyone here could help out, it would be greatly, greatly appreciated. Thoughts? Should I be concerned? </p>
<p>jsl2203, unfortunately, I do think this is proper cause for some concern. Typically, if you call them once the decision has been made and they’ve accepted you, they’ll let you know. You’re right, normally a call is made before the package is even sent.</p>
<p>Oh cool. No, I haven’t taken the offer yet. I have until the 26th to decide. Yea, it doesn’t look bad, except its a three bedroom. One master and two others. I got offered one of the smaller ones with a shared bath. I think it’s like basement level too. So not diggin’ it. But at this point, can I still afford to resubmit my app? When are you moving it?</p>
<p>The Arbor is generally considered one of the nicest of all undergraduate accommodations. However, it’s about an hour each way, to and from campus, and unfortunately the shuttle doesn’t run all day and night. So, you’ll have to build your schedule around shuttle times. And, God forbid it snows, they cancel the shuttle with very little notice.</p>
<p>T4P: If you’re coming for the spring semester, do you REALLY want to try to hunt for an apartment in NYC at the 11th hour? That was what it came down to for me. </p>
<p>HelloJan makes some valid points. I had no idea that it was an hour out and the whole shuttle situation sounds tricky, especially if you’re burning the midnight oil (and midnight coffee and red bull) in Butler. </p>
<p>I’m on a plane in 4 days. I’m basically all packed: just need to clean this apartment (that I’m in now) and ship these boxes to NY. This has been a ridiculously stressful two months between moving, traveling to and from NYC, and dealing with finals and projects and so on. They could have offered me a mattress in Lewisohn and I’d have said yes. I’m VERY lucky to have the space that I have.</p>
<p>The Arbor is the building up the Henry Hudson Parkway in Riverdale, right? Yeah, that’s a schlep for sure. I live downtown and it doesn’t even take me an hour to get to campus. Although, from what I can tell (and as hellojan mentioned), the units at the Arbor are incredibly nice (it’s basically a brand new condo building that wasn’t even originally designed to be student housing), so at least you’d have that as a consolation of sorts for your commute.</p>
<p>You could probably find some upperclassmen or grad students looking to rent out a room somewhere much closer to campus. But, as hellojan mentioned in the housing thread, if you turn down Uni. Housing now it could be much harder to get anything from them in the future.</p>
<p>BB, let’s get a drink when you get here man. Get GTW in on it, too. I think he’s in NYC now.</p>
<p>From experience, I’d recommend taking what you can get the first semester. Once you’re in New York, you can hunt for something more convenient/cheaper. </p>
<p>These leases with UAH are really easy to break. So, don’t stress that part.</p>