<p>CC's low admit rate is amazing. Part of the popularity is NYC and the general reputation, but one has to assume that the Core is part of the appeal.</p>
<p>Actually I hear many people dread the Core. Definitely not for everyone, but thats whats great about Columbia. You are forced to become brighter. Given the revealed info, I also expect more people from North Dakota applying next year. LOL</p>
<p>"You are forced to become brighter."</p>
<p>A good way to put it, ^^</p>
<p>That's really crazy... I am in the other 91.4 percent that got either rejected or waitlisted. I was rejected. But then again I don't feel that bad as many suberb applicants were rejected as well... And plus I dread the core... I'd probably be stressed out and and depressed</p>
<p>By now every student and parent has either read or heard about the record low admission rate at Columbia. Stastistics such as these should be taken with a bit of scepticism.As all of you know post 9/11 took a toll on the number of applicants applying to New York schools. Two of my children were planning to apply to Columbia and filled out a pre application,later they had decided on another ivy as their early decision choice. They liked Columbia very much however they knew it was not their number one choice. They were both accepted to their early decision ivy and notified the state schools that they would not be attending. They did not notify Columbia because an application was never submitted. A few days after their acceptance to the other school Columbia was sending them information as though they were applicants. I became concerned when the e-mails began followed by phone calls for interviews. We contacted Columbia several times to insure that they were aware that our sons had accepted the early decision.We were concerned that there would be a problem accepting one school while another school still had them listed as perspective students. Please note Columbia appears to be the only ivy with this pre-application I believe that every student who filled out this form was counted as an applicant when in fact they had never completed the process due to the decision to go elsewhere. Now back to my original thought, I think it is possible that these stastistics are particularly skewed to make Columbia appear to be the most selective ivy. I do not believe that students from around the world have suddenly viewed Columbia as THE school to apply to. Beware of stats they do not necessarily prove statistically correct.</p>
<p>What is a "pre application"? Can you show me one? Is there a link?</p>
<p>it's like getting pre-approved for a credit card.</p>
<p>It's simply an application for an application.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Stastistics such as these should be taken with a bit of scepticism.As all of you know post 9/11 took a toll on the number of applicants applying to New York schools.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm "sceptical" of your "statstistic" that Columbia's applicant pool was adversely impacted by 9/11. If someone wants to search the Spec archive, it'll be pretty easy to prove this.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Please note Columbia appears to be the only ivy with this pre-application I believe that every student who filled out this form was counted as an applicant when in fact they had never completed the process due to the decision to go elsewhere.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I believe you believe wrong.</p>
<p>There is a 2 part application - part I asks for demographic data (name, address, date of birth, etc.) whereas Part II had the essays. The instructions encourage applicants to complete part I as soon as possible, and does require payment of a nonrefundable application fee- so it would tend to encourage early application by some who ultimately do not complete their applications. </p>
<p>I don't know what the practices are of any other college, so it is hard to draw comparisons -- but I do think momma-three has a good point that the overall numbers of many colleges may be exaggerated because of failure to account for students whose applications are not completed either because they do not follow through or are accepted ED/EA at another college. On an individual level, that may indicate that odds of acceptance are slightly better than the raw numbers would indicate.</p>
<p>this may explain why my d received an unsolicited letter from columbia encouraging her to apply, that she was the type of student they were seeking or something to that effect...when most likely she would not have been accepted</p>
<p>could it be they did some clever marketing to drive up the number of applications?</p>
<p>
[quote]
this may explain why my d received an unsolicited letter from columbia encouraging her to apply, that she was the type of student they were seeking or something to that effect...when most likely she would not have been accepted</p>
<p>could it be they did some clever marketing to drive up the number of applications?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Every top school encourages people who have no chance to apply. More applications means better numbers and more $$ for the admissions office.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't know what the practices are of any other college, so it is hard to draw comparisons -- but I do think momma-three has a good point that the overall numbers of many colleges may be exaggerated because of failure to account for students whose applications are not completed either because they do not follow through or are accepted ED/EA at another college. On an individual level, that may indicate that odds of acceptance are slightly better than the raw numbers would indicate.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Most top schools have a two-part application. You're right that the ED-at-another-school issue slightly inflates the acceptance difficulty. But what's true as to Columbia is true as to most other schools. That's why momma-three is totally off-base.</p>
<p>"I do not believe that students from around the world have suddenly viewed Columbia as THE school to apply to. Beware of stats they do not necessarily prove statistically correct."</p>
<p>All my friends at International Schools applied to CU this year. None of them got in. In fact, I'm so far the only person from country, afaik, that got into CU this year. I certainly viewed it as the school to apply to and so did many other ppl "from around the world".</p>
<p>Also, your statement about CU being the only school which has a pre-application is wrong. Dartmouth has one and even Duke uses one.</p>
<p>You were the only one from Germany? How did you find that out? Impressive..</p>
<p>WAIT! I said afaik, not that I'm definitely the only one. I know about 10 other Germans who applied to CU and none of them made it. That's all.</p>
<p>You are all missing the point.You should be aware that stats are easily manipulated and it is certainly possible that Columbia has included these pre applicants in their numbers. There is no need to come to the rescue of this fine institution. If you do not question the validity of these stats then the whole process of admittions can continue to scare the c--p out of every kid applying. Top schools such as Columbia or any school for that matter has plenty of applicants -they do not need to include the numbers of those who have not even applied.</p>
<p>typing too fast -sorry for the spelling mistakes</p>
<p>momma-three, I think you are wrong. Columbia does not count an application to the school unless it is an actual application. I applied and was accepted and there was no pre-application that I am aware of, and if there was, I did not fill it out nor did the rest of the country fill it out. The New York Times is the mos accurate newspaper in the country. They do not report bogus statistics. Columbia is putting the information out there that their acceptance rate was second in the nation right under Yale. That is just a reality. Go to the Harvard site on college confidential where there is a thread called which ivys did you get into. Scroll down and you will see on page after page that those who got into Harvard were rejected from Columbia. Those who got into yale were rejected to Columbia. Those who got into Princeton were rejected. It was the second hardest school to get into.
It sounds to me that your daughter was accepted to her binding first choice school, and now it bothers you that Columbias selectivity was so high.</p>
<p>Maybe momma-three means the first part of the application? With the basic details and stuff?</p>