What do you think?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>....About my chances?</p>

<p>Pre Info
1. Gender:Male
2. Religion: Jewish
3. School (out of state): 400 students in the class, number one in state</p>

<p>Grades/Test Scores
1. GPA: **3.6 UW
**2. Class Rank: Top 20%
3. SAT: 1400/1600 and 2100/2400
**4. AP: **US Government and Politics (5), US History (4), World History (4), Enviromental Science (4), Comparative Government (4)</p>

<p>Course Load
1. All AP/IB/Honors classes, except for math/language in 10th and 11th grade.</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities:
I believe my EC's are pretty strong and will hopefully counteract my GPA/SAT, I have divided up my interests by field.</p>

<p>A. Law:
1. Internship at Real Estate Law Firm between 8th and 9th grade summer.
2. **Internship at Insurance Subrogation Law Firm between 9th and 10th grade summer.
**3. Internship at Legal Aid Society between 10th and 11th grade summer.
4. **Founder of an international group that helps administer advice and counsel to students looking at careers in corporate law. I have advised students in Germany, France, India and China. This started in 9th grade, and it is now a network of over 80 people.
**5. **Completed 40 classroom hours at Emory University Law School.
**6. Created a non-profit service in 9th grade that helps citizens living below the poverty line find attorneys to help them with their legal issues.
**7. **Professor of Coporate Taxation for an International Orginization that aims to teach working adults skills to advance in their jobs and run their own businesses (since 10th grade).
**8. **Volunteer Paralegal for the National Campaign for Election Reform. (since 10th grade)
**9. **Member of Georgia Paralegal Association
**10. **Member of FBLA and compete in the Business Law Division, won various regional tournaments (since 9th grade).
**11. **Have a published essay on the death penalty.
**12. **Quoted in the New York Times on the foreclosure crisis.</p>

<p>B. Debate:
**1. **Captain of Novice Policy Debate team in 9th grade. Captain of JV Policy Team in 10th Grade. Captain of Entire Debate team in 11th and 12th grade.
**2. **Top 10 speaker awards at over 10 tournaments.
**3. **Semi-Finalist and Finalist at state tournaments every year I debated.
**4. **Attended a National Debate Institute.
**5. **Intern during 9th grade year at the International Debate Education Association.
**6. **Coached Policy Novice, JV, and Varsity debate (since 10th grade)
**7. **Varsity Letter</p>

<p>C. Military:
1. Volunteered for VA hospital (since 10th grade)
2. Started an awareness project for homeless vets (since 10th grade)
**3. **Navy League-Legislative Affairs Volunteer (since 10th grade)
**4. **Will be completing my Private Pilot certification in the near future.</p>

<p>D. Cycling:
**1. **Have been cycling since 8th grade.
**2. **On a semi-pro team that competes nationally, joined in 10th grade. The team is a feeder team for a professional cycling team.
**3. **Have won multiple regional races.
**4. **Put in atleast 10 hours of training per week for a total of 160 miles a week.</p>

<p>Technology:
1. **Website designer and maintence for two non profit orginzations.
**2. Certified Electrical Inspector
3. **Certified in JavaScript
**4. **Certified in C++ programing
**5. **Certified Computer Hardware Technician
**6. Do various computer work for neighbors and non-profit orgnizations.
7. Two Page newspaper spread regarding my work for non-profits.</p>

<p>Additional Volunteering/Certifications/Activities:
1. **Editor of a newsletter and International Correspondant for Refugee Education Sponsorship Program International (since 10th grade)
**2. Board Member for Global Citizens Corps-Awareness and fundraising group (since 10th grade)
3. **Advisor for a Hospital Located in rural India (since 10th grade).
**4. **Certified Junior Instructor for Tae Kwon Do. I no longer take lessons (for time reasons), but I am now self taught.
**5. **Have been playing golf since the age of 8.
**6. Have been taking guitar lessons since 8th grade.
7. **Certified in Business Writing
**8. Started an Ebay Business in 9th grade that made $900 a month
9. Comm. Service trip to Israel where I helped repair a town destroyed by Hezbolla attacks
10. Fluent in Hebrew</p>

<p>Essay/Teacher Recommendations:
**1. **Very strong recommendation from political science teacher and english teacher.
**2. **Recommendations from various military personnel including a colnel in the army for 20 year, spec ops officers in the navy, retired navy vets, etc.
**3. **Recommendations from my bosses at all the law firms.
**4. **My essay (which I think is pretty strong), is about my life long commitment to my country, my plans on serving my country as a naval officer in JAG, the imporatnce of country, lol you get the idea. </p>

<p>Additional Explanations:
I've always lived by this philosophy that it doesn't matter what you learn in school if you can't apply it into the real world. Who cares if you can solve in advanced physics problem if you utilize that in the real world? For that reason I focus a lot of my time on out of school activities. I guess this has effected my GPA, but it was something I was willing to sacrafice to be able to work at law firms, fly planes, etc. I guess if I were to have one thesis it would be...Sure I don't have a 4.0 GPA (no offense to all you 4's out there!! lol), but I sure as hell have already proven I can contribute to my country without a number 4.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Really? Are you seriously going to put that mammoth list on your application?</p>

3

<p>Romulus-
No I don't. I'll pick the top 2-3 from each section I've listed.</p>

4

<p>hmm.... what country to defend? israel or the US?
not trying to be pessismistic or anything.. but your essays may turn against you if read by a pro-arab!!!! or maybe not..consider that just in case</p>

5

<p>What do you mean by that comment, michael92?</p>

6

<p>u.. nothing.. now that I read his nickname, I realize his essays were about the US (when he says commitment to country)..
Its just that I thought he may talk about defending israel in the army in a certain future (I dunno why I thought that) and there are people at columbia that are pro-arab (not in a bad way, they just protest against the gaza blockade issue or west bank issue and so on...)!! and well, if they read those essays, there could have been a problem of interests when the persons read the application (like a republican reading an essay about volunteering for obama e.g.). but I now that I read it again, my advice just sounds stupid. ignore me :)</p>

7

<p>For clarification purposes, the United States Navy is what I plan on serving in. Never would I serve for any other country unless under some form of US alliance. Also, if I were to serve for the Israeli army, I would be in support of the jewish state (which I am in support of). A pro-arab would not serve in the Israeli Defense force he would serve in the PLO. So even if I wanted to join the IDF, they'd have to be a complete idiot to think I support palestineans.</p>

8

<p>Your ECs are great. I think you have a great shot.</p>

<p>Are you a road cyclist? I ride as well, though not as much as you and probably not nearly as well. I've been meaning to start training seriously so I might be able to ride for Columbia, though.</p>

9

<p>thebeef-</p>

<p>I am a road cyclist! Do you currently attend Columbia? I would find it difficult to train in the city, I'm assuming you have to stick to rollers/trainers? You should consider joining a bike shop's team. That way you can get some mentor's and a training schedule.</p>

<p>Ride on!</p>