<p>What does it take test/rank wise for a white male to get into the Fu Foundation ED?</p>
<p>good numbers, demonstrated interest in science; apply ED and the odds of getting in are much in your favor...</p>
<p>What's their best major/dept?</p>
<p>Rankings-wise, their best department would seem to be Biomedical Engineering, but they look rather solid throughout. I'm actually considering changing my planned major there from Biomedical Engineering to Applied Physics or Math, just because the curriculum is beginning to appeal more to me. Computational Biology as a subfocus, with plenty of room for added nontechnical electives? It sounds wonderful.</p>
<p>Like 2250+ SAT I, 750+ SAT II for testing? Would taking an engineering elective in high school demonstrate an intrest in mechanical engineering?</p>
<p>...bump...</p>
<p>I just graduated from High School in June. Columbia was my top choice, but I did not apply Early Decision and I applied to Columbia College and not SEAS because I thought I was more interested in Neuroscience than Biomedical Engineering. Therefore, I got rejected. I got in to my second choice, which was Michigan, but they gave me no money. So now I'm going to be a Freshman at Drexel University on a full ride, in a 7-year BS/MD program. However, I really don't like the place. I'm dreading going there in the fall. For the whole summer I am at Columbia University doing research in one of the Biomedical Engineering Labs, and it has been so great thus far. </p>
<p>My point is, I want to transfer to Columbia. If my High School Stats still matter, I had:
1470 SAT (770V 700M), 730 Writing, 730 Math IC, 690 Chem, did some volunteer work, have been a Violinist for nine years, ran track and cross-country all throughout HS, speak three languages fluently (Farsi, English, Spanish in that order) and ultimately I finished high school ranked 16th out of a class of 500...while applying to colleges I was 11th (Senioritis!). </p>
<p>With the addition of A) A summer spent researching at Columbia Biomed Lab, with possibly a recommendation from the professor I'm working for, B) Applying to SEAS and not the College and C) Hopefully some good initial grades at Drexel, how are my chances looking this time around? I am even considering applying to Barnard for transfer for January 2006, which I think would be an easier transfer than SEAS, but I want to graduate with a Biomed Degree from SEAS. </p>
<p>Any Input?</p>
<p>those numbers would definitely make you competitive (especially ED). Landing some research would take you a long way....</p>
<p>Layla,</p>
<p>Philadelphia and a guaranteed acceptance into med school are wonderful things. But if you're truly passionate about going to SEAS, I'd reccommend a few things:</p>
<p>1) If you get into Barnard, you could easily study both Neuroscience and BME-- Barnard has the 3/2 dualdegree program with SEAS.</p>
<p>2) Transfer into another liberal arts college, that you'd actually love to be at, and take place in their own 3/2 program with SEAS. I'd ensure that they are an official affiliated school.</p>
<p>3) Try for SEAS in the fall of '06. If you kick heavy ass in the fall of '05 (I'm talking 3.8+) and get a great faculty letter from your experience, I think you might have more than a decent shot.</p>
<p>I'm taking place in the combined plan from Albion with SEAS in a few years, and plan on doing BME. Can you tell me what the labs and facilities are like? I'm rather jealous of you right now.</p>
<p>How did you go about getting BME research? Any tips? What kinda work are you doing there?</p>
<p>I am very close with the Director of Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University. She is essentially my Mentor. She is friends with a few of the BME Professors at Columbia, and asked me if I wanted to try for an Internship at Columbia, to see what the school was really like and possibly give me a leg up in transferring if I still wanted to by the next year. I said of course, and I started talking with one of the professors at CU, met her once or twice, did some reading, subletted an apartment, and now I'm here. My advice: get close with professors at your school/potential school; if they are big-shots in their field, odds are they have Ivy-League connections and most will have no problem setting you up with an Internship. In short, Have Connections. I think that goes without saying when it comes to ANYTHING regarding the Ivy League!</p>
<p>albionguy, I'm going to Private Message you with specifics. But I'm doing work in Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging. I'm still learning a lot about the subject, the reading is endless.</p>
<p>Hey cool, I am doing research this summer, right now. It has a lot to do with radiology and biomedical imaging. Which of Columbia's BME tracks interests you, Imaging, biomechanics, or cell/tissue engineering?</p>
<p>Well right now I'm doing Imaging, although the professor here says she could at least introduce me to the Cell/Tissue Engineering Aspect. But honestly, I'm not sure. All three are interesting although I obviously know more about Imaging right now than either of the other two. I think I would probably end up in Cell/Tissue Engineering, though.</p>
<p>are your ultimate goals to do an MD? That sounds great, I am sure you will have an upper leg in admissions to Fu.</p>
<p>Yes, I plan on going into Med School.</p>
<p>I've only been here for a month, but I'm getting accustomed to Columbia and NYC and I don't want to leave it!</p>
<p>Do you know where anyone can find information about research opportunities?
Also, will the engineering class help my chances?</p>
<p>Your scores are DEFINITELY high enough, and that engineering course shows interest and admissions people want to see that you are interested in your potential major, so yes. I found out about this research through the Director of Biomedical Engineering at my current University. Columbia does have summer programs for High School students though, I just don't know what exactly.</p>
<p>Here's some insight for you: my boyfriend is White, Jewish, and from Westchester Country, New York. He is going to be a Senior at Columbia, majoring in Applied Physics with a minor in Music. He took the SATs once and got a 1570 but his grades in high school weren't terribly impressive--he had, however, taken MANY math courses at a local college (several courses of calculus and linear algebra). So we're looking at a White Jewish Male from a wealthy suburb of New York--you can be assured that MANY applications looked similar in that regard. He had, however, a great recommendation from a Mentor and some research experience. So his obvious interest in math/science and a great reccomendation essentially got him in, Regular Decision. I doubt he would've been rejected if he had gotten, say, a 1470.</p>
<p>It's funny how once you graduate high school you realize that the numbers didn't mean much in your application. Look at it this way, your SAT scores will show them that you are competitive with kids from all across the country. And they're really just looking for a range. If you're around a 1450 Math-Verbal, chill, that's in the range, you're doing fine. Just think of it as a measure of how hard your school really is: if your GPA is very high but your SAT scores are very low, you either study ridiculously hard (in which case your SAT score shouldn't be that low, you can master the SAT through test prep) or your classes aren't very challenging. That's it. Focus on a really memorable essay and getting a great recommendation. How about getting to be fast friends with that Engineering Class Teacher!</p>
<p>This is a great post. Thanks Layla, not only do you point out that the application is more than numbers, but emphasize the passion for the sciences that should be demonstrated, just as his app probably conveyed. I know that Fu likes students interest in research because it is a big research intstitution itself. Taking College level courses only supports this. So while grades/scores may be important, it is still only one measure of the application. It only shows that you can handle it and are equally as competitive as someone who got, say 30 points less than you or something. It also should tell people that SEAS is no slouch. There are plenty of Fu'ers that have top-notch scores. A 1570 aint too shabby.</p>
<p>Yeah, about the research, I have been trying to find some opportunities for research and internships on google, yahoo, etc., but to no avail. Do you know where you can find information about opportunities such as these? By the time I graduate, I will have 6 Math Credits, 6 Science Credits and the Technology credit for engineering. Do you think this will show my love for math and science if I apply ED to Fu?</p>