<p>Given that Columbia gets thousands of qualified applicants, I've heard from admissions officers (when I visited) and on a couple of online articles, that they're really looking for people who are 'right' for/'fit' Columbia...</p>
<p>So, what do you guys think are the Columbia types?</p>
<p>They eat babies.</p>
<p>^ hahaha :) rofl
Just as I thought</p>
<p>i think this question has been addressed before I would like to change this thread to the Columbia Unfit Thread.</p>
<p>In terms of being unfit for columbia, there really isn't too much that is held against you because it is a diverse campus. I can see a few ways candidates are unfit for columbia. Though they might be stellar in a few other ways, the following might make candidates unfit:</p>
<p>1) thoroughly uninteresting app and little to no passion displayed (whether intellectually or extra-curricularly)
2) very focused on one field without having interest in others
3) lack of demonstrated leadership / initiative
4) wanting to come to the school only for nyc / prestige without giving other reasons. </p>
<p>these are very specific descriptions, so please don't take them more broadly than I have explained and put up your "OMGZZ, I'm-so-f-ing-nervous" threads You can have any of these qualities and get into some other top schools, but at columbia if you demonstrate these characteristics you might not fit the school.</p>
<p>5) being racist or derogatory in your app - this is a non-unique failing criteria though :)</p>
<p>yeah, intellectual passion is the primary differentiator between the hundreds of people I met at Columbia and the hundreds I've met other places. Columbia students have a hunger to go do stuff and learn stuff. It may not always be obvious - they had to survive growing up among people for whom that's not "cool", so they have defense mechanisms like 'appearing not to give a sheit' - but most people on campus have passion about at least one or two things, typically intellectual, that you can find if you scratch the surface a little.</p>
<p>In addition to intellectual curiosity demonstrated in some way beyond good grades and test scores, I think Columbia is probably looking for an indication of independence. Some evidence that a student is not likely to flounder in a big city and, even more important, in a university environment that leaves a lot up to the individual student. Like all admissions committees, they would also like to get a sense of what a student might contribute to the Columbia community, in and out of the classroom, in the way of particular talents or interests and energy. </p>
<p>The part of the "fit" that you can't control is whether your particular talents and interests are what they need in any given year (they may already have that oboe player, and be overwhelmed with applications from editors of the high school paper.) All you can do is honestly pursue a few things that really interest you in as many ways as you can -- whether it's through jobs, clubs, courses, volunteer work -- and present yourself well.</p>
<p>I wonder how much of all that is just opinion...</p>
<p>"I wonder how much of all that is just opinion..."</p>
<p>A lot, probably.</p>
<p>well, given that the actual students and recent alums here are basing their assessments off of (1) knowing hundreds of real, live Columbia students, and (2) talking to admissions officers from an insider's perspective, it may have more value than other opinions you might find out there.</p>
<p>^^OHH. I thought blueducky meant "how much of 'fit' is based on the whim of the admissions officer". Like, having an off day could influence an applicants acceptance.</p>