<p>For the Columbia supplement, is there anything we should avoid talking about (e.g. too cliche, etc.)? Oh, and what actually works? Lol. Sorry if this has been asked a trillion times but I'm new to College Confid. I don't know what they want, so please, enlighten me!</p>
<p>Thanks people <3</p>
<p>Maybe I was a little vague. I mean, should we try to hit all the expected points (we love diversity, the Core, etc.) or try to be unique in why we love it? Or both? We aren’t allowed many words. How important is it, anyway? Could somebody who knows help me? Thankssssss</p>
<p>I know you all haunt this website… So please, reply!!!</p>
<p>Well, this is a lively thread… it’s a conversation with myself… Lol! Can no one be prevailed upon to respond? These answers will help all of us, not just me. :)</p>
<p>there’s no formula that will make your supplement answers perfect. just be honest. if you make it seem like you’re someone you’re not, they’re going to admit someone that is not you. and that’s almost like lying. i mean, you’re pretty much at the admission officers mercy, and if they reject you, you gotta understand, just like we all have to understand, that it’s not because your answers weren’t perfect or you were too cliche, it’s because they felt like you weren’t a good fit. the supplement questions are supposed to be a glimpse into who YOU are. so whether you’re cliche or not, just write about you. no sense in fitting yourself into a mold of something/someone else</p>
<p>Very true… and thanx for answering me. Good luck with all your apps… are you doing ED to Columbia, too?</p>
<p>I completely agree with you Katalina! I’m applying ED to Columbia too and I’m not sure what is expected of the supplement. I’m scared to write anything cliche, because I feel like everyone talks about their love of the Core, city, etc. But I think what I’m going to do is just be as honest as I can about it–not exaggerate anything (i.e.: I felt an unexplainable rush of joy as I walked on the beautiful green campus) but talk about what I love about Columbia, which IS the Core and the city and all that.</p>
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<p>I lol’ed at this. xP </p>
<p>I agree with the others; just be honest. :)</p>
<p>yeah, i’m ED’ing too.</p>
<p>and smile99, that’s what i wrote about. well, not exactly. but i did write about how i felt when i stepped onto the campus for the first time. when trying to tackle the question i just started writing and that’s what came out. i tried to be as much from the heart as i could, cause it’s how i truly felt. good luck to both of you as well :)</p>
<p>I think it is important to keep in mind what the admissions officers are seeing when they’re reading applications. While it might not be wrong to write about the general stuff, the admissions officers probably see hundreds/thousands of essays like that. Your essay would have to be nearly perfect to stand out compared to all the others like it. On the other hand, students who answer the supplemental questions in novel and original ways are more likely to be remembered and make an impression on the people reading their applications.</p>
<p>" I felt an unexplainable rush of joy as I walked on the beautiful green campus" … hahaha totally the kind of thing I would be tempted to say, too!! 
No but I agree with all of you, and am just going to be as honest as I can without being overly over the top, know what I mean? I think you just have to spend some time thinking about why you really want to go there, and formulate it from the heart. Good luck everyoneeeee! It’d be so cool if we all got in.</p>
<p>And Courtney, that’s a really good point about them getting thousands upon thousands of the same stuff… totally agree with you. You gotta make it original but maintain the kind of vibe you know they want. Haha good luck with that everyone… we’ll all pull through in the end, I know it. :)</p>
<p>I hope none of you are implying that “I felt an unexplainable rush of joy as I walked on the beautiful green campus” is something that anyone should say… o_O It sounds not only cliche, but also kind of fake in my opinion :P</p>
<p>Hahaha no… I’ll resist the urge to put that just because its funny. LOL. Still makes me laugh cuz when I first sat down to write it that’s what came to mind. Even though it does totally sound fake to, well, other people lol. No but I think I’m just going to try and personalize it as much as is humanly possible, you know? I’ve been told I’m a decent writer … though don’t judge me from the random incoherent things I post. Lol. We’ll see what happens, I guess… :)</p>
<p>Just to clarify… There’s only one essay-the “why Columbia” statement right?</p>
<p>^ on the supplement, yes. but for the common app as a whole you’ll have to write 3.
<p>Anyone else have suggestions about topics to shy away from, besides the Core and NYC?</p>
<p>If you talk about your true opinion and be honest, the words will come naturally. And yes, obviously at first thought it will sound cliche. But I would say pretend someone asked you why in real life and you needed to give them a good answer. Just write what you would say. Write your true opinion. If it is truly sincere, it will not sound cliche (assuming it’s well-written). Obviously staying away from the city, the prestige, the core, and some others are important. But you can incorporate those, as long as you have other stuff. For example, you could talk only about the change in climate and how you look forward to it, or something. Look at it from a non-academic perspective.</p>
<p>“Look at it from a non-academic perspective.”</p>
<p>I’m not so sure about that. Most of the advice I’ve read says to stay focused on academics – lots of schools might offer a change in climate, but perhaps only one has some political-science program you’ve been interested in.</p>
<p>@engineer</p>
<p>Yes and no. If you’re attracted to the Core or the city, it makes sense to mention that, but try not to dwell on it if you’re just repeating what you learned in infosessions. At the same time, DO NOT be overly general. Writing “I’m excited for a change in the climate” begs the question “Why not NYU, Fordham, Hunter, let alone Vassar or Brown?” Focus on things that are specific to Columbia, and the real reasons that you want to go to Columbia. If you’re applying ED, this should be fairly easy since you must love the school. If you’re applying RD, then think about why you would love to go to Columbia if you were admitted ED. If you find that you wouldn’t love to go to Columbia, then why even bother applying?</p>
<p>@Photo</p>
<p>Exactly. You can talk about non-academics (the student life, the extracurricular opportunities, etc.) but make sure they’re specific to Columbia. Or at least make sure that only Columbia offers the combination of things that you’re looking for.</p>