<p>Yeah, you sound like you should apply to the College.</p>
<p>And one more note about ED, in addition to the previous good advice about financial aid: yes, the admit rate is higher, so yes, one could certainly argue that it's "easier" to get in ED (I think the biggest advantage of ED is simply the fact that the pool is smaller so your application will get more attention). </p>
<p>But remember--and some people mistakenly brush this off as if it's untrue or unimportant--that small pool is also more competitive than the RD pool. In general, the kids applying ED are a stronger bunch...and even more importantly, the admissions office knows that every single one of them is dying to go to Columbia before any other school. That means the fact that you are also dying to get into Columbia won't especially help you out in ED if you don't do even more to set yourself apart.</p>
<p>Yeah, but then I've heard of students applying ED to Columbia simply because other schools like Harvard and Princeton have eliminated their early admission programs, and they are simply concerned with getting into an ivy. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>Apply ED if Columbia is still your first choice. And yes, the ED pool is "strong," but should you be deferred to the RD round, they'll still recognize your commitment to the school. This might help you because by admitting students who are more likely to attend, their yield could potentially increase.</p>
<p>What I mean by "stronger" is this: the ED pool typically has a higher <em>percentage</em> of strong, Columbia-worthy applicants than the RD pool does. That said, there are about 2,000 ED applicants and over 20,000 RD applicants--so you can figure there is a <em>greater number</em> of kids in the RD pool who are at the level of the strongest ED applicants than there are total ED applicants at all. And that's a lot of qualified kids.</p>
<p>Make sense?</p>
<p>There are pros and cons to each pool. In the end, ED vs. RD is a decision you have to make yourself--you can't ask a message board what to do. Once you've gathered all the information you possibly can about ED and RD (and once you make sure you understand the risks and benefits of both), it's going to come down to gut feeling. Do you know that Columbia is the school you want to commit to? Is it really, truly your first choice? Those are the questions you're going to have to ask yourself when it's finally September of your senior year. Hope any of that was helpful.</p>
<p>no trust me, that was all helpful. now i see what you guys are saying. yeah columbia has been my first choice, i loved the school, i saw it when i was in NYC. but thanks for all the advice, it truly has helped alot.</p>
<p>I talked to my admissions officer when i went to visit and she said that she liked to see people who were independent so that they could do well in their studies and live in NYC as well.</p>
<p>Well, you're doing a pretty good job already. It doesn't take circumnavigating the globe on your own to prove your independence. Just pursuing the things that you love, not because they look good on your transcript or because they're popular, shows that you know yourself well and can take the initiative to develop your own interests. The essay is also a good place to show independence, since it's where you address your more personal qualities.</p>