Who Would YOU Choose?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>Just based on the stats here, who would you pick for admission to C College?</p>

<p>Applicant 1:
GPA: 4.0
SATs: 2200
AP European HIstory:3
AP U.S.:5
ECs: Violin, basketball (JV,) Model UN, NHS, volunteers at food bank</p>

<p>Applicant 2:
Legacy
GPA: 3.9
SATs: 2230
AP European History:5
AP U.S.:5
AP Spanish: 4
ECs: volunteers, Drama, NHS, Model UN </p>

<p>Applicant 3:
GPA: 3.93
SATs: 2150
AP U.S.: 4
AP Calculus: 5
ECs: Volunteering, NHS</p>

<p>Applicant 4:
GPA: 3.9
SATs: 2230
AP U.S.: 3
AP Calculus: 4
ECs: Volunteering, NHS, orchestra, </p>

<p>Applicant 5:
GPA: 3.8
SATs: 2300
AP European HIstory:5
AP U.S: 5
ECs: Violin, National Merit Finalist, track & x-country, Robotics, NHS, Club president, volunteers, JSA, internship</p>

2

<p>All have weak ec's except for app 5. Clearly applicant five over the rest.</p>

3

<p>I wouldn't choose based solely on stats and ECs. I think you're trying to get at the point that a higher SAT, AP score, and better ECs would overcome a slightly GPA, which in would agree with in my opinion.</p>

4

<p>Uh... well, actually, these are the stats of all my friends in school applying to CC along with me...</p>

5

<p>All those people look very similar based on stats and ECs, although applicant 5 seems to be more involved than the rest (but then again, if there's no depth to these ECs, having a lot of them won't help). I think it would come down to essays, the "Why Columbia?" short answer, and teacher recs.</p>

<p>Good luck to you and your friends!</p>

6

<p>Thanks...How much of an advantage do you suppose #2 have from a double legacy?</p>

7

<p>Eh in his case it may be the tipping point given everything else is "okay" but not spectacular</p>

8

<p>Are these actually what people have for ECs a lot of the time. I only had sports down, because I didn't do anything else but sports.</p>

<p>I would pick applicant 1 or 5. I find sports to be a bigger time commitment that almost anything else you can do and demonstrates a wider range of abilities besides just academics. It also requires leadership and dedication, which are promising traits. 5 obviously has better ECs, and even manages to keep her grades up.</p>

<p>It's pretty clearly number 5, but I would also be considering Applicant 1 strongly.</p>

9

<p>ahh I was gonna say no for all 5. But I think #5 have a chance.</p>

10

<p>I would pick Applicant 3
Reasons
1) AP Calculus 5 indicates he/she did a work prepared for college
2) All ECs are just for you to get in, after that, not very useful
3) GPA and SAT if in cerain range, that will be fine.</p>

11

<p>I would pick applicant 5.</p>

12

<p>You're applicant 5, aren't you? :)</p>

<p>Sorry nogardder, I was referring to Inaina; I didn't read the thread very carefully.</p>

13

<p>I am applicant 5??!! My stats and ECs are much stronger than applicant 5's.</p>

14

<p>IMO...# 2...3 APs-two were 5s...Drama takes alot of time and commitment</p>

15

<p>i think 2 would get in. 5 demonstrates a range of ec's, yes but theres no clear indication of a 'passion'. Plus legacy helps a lot.</p>

16

<p>How many community service hours??
What are their community service??
How many years at other ECs?</p>

<p>I ask this because they look like every one else, and there is really nothing that special that I can tell that would differenciate them from 23000 other apps.</p>

<p>The closest is 5, but I have seen everything before even in this app.</p>

17

<p>Yea, 5 looks like the strongest applicant.</p>

18

<p>Ok... sorry, my bad, I'll add some more data on my school's Columbia applicants... :)</p>

<p>**Applicant 1:<a href="Deferred%20ED">/B</a>
GPA: 4.0
SATs: 2200
AP European History:3
AP U.S.:5
ECs: Violin (school orchestra) 4y, basketball 3y (JV,) Model UN 2y , NHS 2y, volunteers at food bank 4 y, plays rec soccer 4y , varsity track 3y , Girl Scouts
Currently taking: AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP U.S. Gov, AP Spanish
CS Hours: +220</p>

<p>Applicant 2:
Legacy (Deferred ED)
GPA: 3.9
SATs: 2230
AP European History:5
AP U.S.:5
AP Spanish: 4
ECs: volunteers, Drama 4y , NHS 2y , Model UN 3y (Drama is a major commitment at our school, btw. There are several productions throughout the year and our drama d. is suppose to be pretty prestigious.)
Currently taking: AP Chemistry, AP U.S. Gov, AP U.S. Gov, AP Comparative Gov
CS Hours: +190</p>

<p>Applicant 3:
GPA: 3.93
SATs: 2150
AP U.S.: 4
AP Calculus: 5
ECs: Volunteering, NHS 2y
Currently taking: AP U.S. Gov, AP Comparative Gov, AP Spanish
CS Hours: + 130</p>

<p>Applicant 4:
GPA: 3.9
SATs: 2230
AP U.S.: 3
AP Calculus: 4
ECs: Volunteering, NHS 2y, orchestra 4y
Currently taking: AP Chemistry, AP U.S. Gov, AP Comparative Gov
CS Hours: +70</p>

<p>Applicant 5:
GPA: 3.8
SATs: 2300
AP European History:5
AP U.S: 5
ECs: orchestra 4y , National Merit Finalist, track & x-country 3y, Robotics 3y (FIRST & stuff with NASA,) NHS 2y, Club president 2y (founder, aid underdev. countries), volunteers 4y,2y(hospital, fair trade) JSA, internship (lab research/microbio,) Debate 3y
Currently taking: AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP U.S. Gov, AP Comparative Gov, AP Japanese
CS Hours: +170</p>

<p>Oh... and there is one more person applying, but I'm not very to close to him so I really know nothing about him other than what his friends told me...</p>

19

<p>Frankly I dont think any of the applicants really sound that astounding. Perhaps the last applicant sounds the best. Almost every appliccant to Columbia has high SAT scores and grades in the range that is considered comptitive. Schools like Columbia look to see what sets the applicant apart. Thousands of applicants have similar extra curriular activitites. The applicants who get accepted tend to be those who either show unbelievable passion in their extra curicculars and commumity service spanning years to the same organization/activity showing leadership, or have individual international and or national achievement in extracurriculars that show extraordinary talent where they can bring that talent to the school community. As for community service, there are applicants out there who have commited over 1,000 hours to something they are passionate about - not the 100 or so hours that most high schools recommend. Colleges like Columbia can tell the difference between who volunteered every now and then at a soup kitchen so that it looked good on their application.
As for things like band ect, and drama, it is not to say that those who have participated in their school drama productionss for years as the lead wont get accepted. Many will. However, one has to realize that mixed in with these applicants are those who are performing on Broadway, have sang solo at carnegie hall. For every applicant who writes on their application that they played in their band or orhestra for four years there are those who are part of all state, or performed as a soloist (not as part of a school group trip) internationally and nationally. The applicants who have extraordinary individual and national achievement in their extra curriculars and community service and have the grades and scores will stand out more. The list you provide as to who will get in shows applicants who are generally considered the same. Perhaps something in the application might tip the scale in their favor but it is not something that would blow them over</p>

20

<p>I think it is absolutely impossible to tell which of these will be accepted. They have all surpassed the threshold to get them into a better look pile. At this point, it would be intangibles that we can't see here--essays, interview, recs, how they described those EC commitments, etc--that will make the difference.</p>

<p>I can tell you that if I were to post my son's stats and ECs in the above format, you would all say that his stats were fine but not earthshaking and that his ECs were not good enough (lots of band commitment but no state, etc awards of any kind, and some other random things.)</p>

<p>Yet, he is a happy junior at Columbia today. </p>

<p>And if you read the decision threads from past years, you would scratch your heads trying to figure out patterns, which you can't because you don't have all the information.</p>

<p>I hope all of you here good things, and thank God there are only a few more weeks to get through till you know.</p>