Chance me for Columbia ED1 for Econ [NY resident, 3.65 GPA, 36 ACT, 1580 SAT]

Chance Me / Match Me
,
1

NY resident go to a tier 2 high school right below private schools.

UW: 3.6 (had As and A-s in freshman and junior year with max rigor, had a serious bad trend 10th grade due to external circumstances my counselor is well aware about it and writing about it in her LOR. )

SAT: 1570
ACT:36 including science sending both scores

Awards:

Accepted into YC AI Startup School (not a full batch) its a startup school consisting of 2 days in SF. Its pretty decently competitive to get picked they base it on ur tech profile and what you have built. So it ranges from highschool kids to like stanford kids and like some phds. (I dont know if this counts)

AP Scholar

Math Honor Society

Seal of Civic Award

ECs:

Activity 1: Startup (could be called passion project ig)

  • Position/Leadership Description: Co-Founder and main technical head

  • Description: Developed a desktop where designers can connect all their creative apps and have AI natively draw on each app with shared context from different apps (if there was a thread where your PM asked for something in Jira or anywhere we can get that context and natively update ur figma file etc). Product got noticed by a startup enthusiast with 216 followers on a live stream when he was hunting startups and got interest from Tier 1 VC, and took 3.5 months to build, generated 29k in a 4 month window. Had Stanford alumni as our COO and a few tech roles from students studying at Virginia Tech

Activity 2: Another startup product I pivoted from my first activity to make

  • Position/Leadership Description: Co-Founder and main technical head

  • Description: Built a canvas where as designers shape and build interfaces with their hands like they do in Figma; real time React code is generated on the side. This was a deep browsing rendering pipeline we built and modified where it let anyone ship interfaces faster without turning it to code, and also add motion to their components so they can build the motion aspects of their components too. Currently pre-beta had 100+ designers worldwide including few designers from Wells Fargo be our earliest users.

Activity 3: Research

  1. co-authorship on which will prolly get published in Q1

  2. and currently is under mentorship from a professor at NUS ranked #8 worldwide and arguably the best in the world for AI ML research.

Only concern is the paper might not get published by tmlr before nov 1st.

Activity 4: Multi agent pipeline to predict low float stocks 24 hrs before

  • Position/Leadership Description: Independent Machine Learning Researcher

  • Description (149 characters): Fine-tuned Chinese SLM with custom weights/agents for low-float stock forecasting. Led to 140%+ portfolio growth; sold pipeline code for $25K

Activity 5: Internship at an early stage VC backed Startup

It was a startup related with training models on predicting how human consumers will react to advertisements and content. Getting a LOR from the founder since I worked my ass.

Activity 6: Currently building an SDK where its a new integration layer for mobile apps where they can make extra money by adding this SDK into their app where we collect data, clean it, and see if labs or companies would pay for it and make a legal contract towards it. In talks with angel investor might raise before ED1 deadline

Activity 7: Varsity Badminton all 4 yrs

everything else is normal hs stuff.

LORs: My AP physics teacher had me for physics 1 and C he likes me a lot. And my AP Research teacher (prolly my fav teacher and we always have very deep talks so ig he will write a good letter)

How cooked am I? I really wanna go to Columbia but I feel like my gpa is going to cook me. Additionally, I am not sure if I should write about my external circumstances in my essay, as I do not want it to come across as a sob story.

2

The “36” composite on the ACT will indeed benefit your applications.

You will need to provide an explanation of extenuating circumstances in all counselor recommendations. Whether or not to also discuss these issues in essays and/or interviews will depend on the school.

You need to construct a list of at least ten colleges, including Columbia University. Are you interested in schools in NY, the tri-state, east coast, only Ivy+, or open to almost anywhere?

Q: Also, what is your planned major, if known?

3

Could you please complete the chance me/match me template answering all of the questions. You gave us part of the info, but not all of it…like…what courses did you take in high school? Does your family have financial constraints? Possible major?

And would you like any other suggestions for colleges?

You can’t get accepted if you don’t apply. Honestly, with a school with low acceptance rates, like Columbia, it’s hard to chance you. But in my opinion, you have a chance just like any other well qualified applicant (I say that pending the additional information I hope you will provide).

In my opinion, your counselor should be explaining this extenuating circumstance. Your essays should focus on things about you that tell about YOU…and also aren’t things that might make a college have second thoughts. Your counselor has handled these situations before. Speak to them before you decide to include this in your essays.

But please please…go back and complete the entire Chance Me/Match Me template.

For any student applying to elite colleges ED, they need to also have some other college ideas just in case they need them. So look at the characteristics you like about Columbia and look for similar colleges.

Also, I would suggest your parents run the net price calculator for Columbia to see your potential net costs…and whether these will be sustainable for all four years of your undergrad studies.

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4

The responses from your previous thread last week about Northwestern remain relevant, though Columbia represents an even higher statistical hurdle. Structuring a resilient application strategy will require identifying and adding more viable target institutions.

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5

My reply is the same here as it was on your post about Northwestern.

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I don’t know if you get in or not but I know you are not a good candidate for ED because if you swap schools in the course of a week, then you don’t have a true favorite. ED is not a game. You want to be at the right place for you.

As I said last week, no one here is an Adcom but with a 3.6 and two STEM Cs I can’t imagine you’d get in.

But apply and see. You never know.

But it’d be smart to have some schools a few rungs down - like a UMD, Brandeis, Richmond, maybe Miami level - not a Vandy, Wash U level if you’re worried about the big name which clearly you are by your moving ED target. .

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7

I didn’t reply on your Northwestern thread, but I will here.

Last week you were going to ED 1 to Northwestern. Now you are saying you really want to go to Columbia. I have to ask…what made you change your mind. And you are now considering an equally competitive college for admissions.

At this point, I wouldn’t recommend ED anywhere. You could easily change your mind again next week…and the week after….and the week after that.

Given the financial challenges your family had, are you sure you don’t have any financial limitations?

As I said above, you need to make a list of the characteristics you want in a college, and come up with a list that has varied levels of selectivity.

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8

SAT: 1580 (800 Math and 780 eng)

And what about your SAT scores? Is this a typo, or did your composite score go down by 10 points since last week? Also, did you just receive your ACT results? You didn’t provide any ACT data in last week’s Northwestern post.

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9

My bad it was a typo.

I didnt provide my ACT because my friend told me SAT is more standard so not point of including the ACT.

10

Ahh yeah you are right, I mean I am set on Columbia since it close to home, nice campus, social life etc.

Also I should have clarified I dont need aid, the reason is my dad has his job back and we are pretty comfortable the reason I worked is because you couldn’t operate a household with just my mom’s paycheck since and plus since they were using up all the money they had saved (not including my college fund)

11

Okay so just to confirm the SAT 1570 & the subscores posted on the Northwestern post are the correct scores.

Q: Can you provide us with your ACT subscores: English, Reading, Math, Science? I also assume that your ACT composite score of 36 is correct.

FYI, ACT and the SAT are equally accepted by all colleges & universities in the U.S. It may have been true in the past at certain schools that there was a strong preference for one exam over the other (typically SAT on the east & west coasts & ACT in the midwest) with a few schools only accepting one test over the other, but this is no longer the case.

12

Columbia will also evaluate whether you have the capacity to go through its core. Your profile doesn’t give confidence that you have the breadth to handle the core.

13

Please complete the whole chance me/match me template. Please. You were asked to do this on your other thread.

You are asking for advice but aren’t providing all of the info that is on that chance me/match me template.

Are you now saying you are now only interested in schools in the greater NYC area?

Re: the SAT and ACT. Your 36 ACT is a perfect score. Submit that.

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14

One thing that I am wondering about: What is your likely major?

Your SAT and ACT scores are superb and will help you.

Columbia is a reach even for students who had straight A’s for their entire lives up through high school.

A few things to keep in mind:

One is that there are a LOT of very good universities in the US. In my experience very smart people who end up being very successful in life are coming from a HUGE range of undergraduate colleges and universities. Some do attend highly ranked universities such as Columbia or Northwestern. However, a lot of students start off at what you might think of as more “average, very good” universities for their bachelor’s degree. A fair number of these people who end up being very successful start off for example at an in-state public university.

Graduates from top schools such as Columbia and Northwestern routinely end up working alongside graduates from a huge range of other universities. With the exception of a tiny subset of careers (management consulting and very high end investment banking come to mind as possible exceptions), in most cases no one cares where anyone got their degree.

It is quite common, for students who end up wanting to attend some form of graduate program, to start off in a more moderately ranked university for a bachelor’s degree and then go on to a highly ranked school for a graduate degree. However, for some graduate degrees the schools that are highly ranked for that specific field are not necessarily the ones that are highly ranked overall. This is all something that students can figure out at the time that they start thinking about graduate programs, which might be senior year of university or after getting a bachelor’s degree and working for a year or two or three.

Some of this makes me wonder whether you will end up with a major for which some form of graduate degree is possible. If so, then Columbia and Northwestern will still be there. I do for example know someone quite well who got their bachelor’s degree at a university ranked in the 100 to 150 range (which would be a safety for you), got their master’s degree at Columbia, and way more recently told me that the quality of education really did not vary significantly between the two universities that they attended (both were very good).

I agree with this. ED is only appropriate if a schools is clearly your top choice, and you know that you will be able to afford it.

Which all leads me to a conclusion: If Columbia is clearly your top choice, then apply. However, you also need to think about safeties and you need to apply to safeties. Then have faith that this will work out one way or another. Whether you also apply to match schools may depend upon how you feel about your safeties, but it is often a good idea to also apply to match schools in addition to reaches and safeties.

In the long run one mediocre year of high school might or might not keep you from attending Columbia for your bachelor’s degree. However, it will not stop you from attending a very good university, and it will not stop you from being successful in life.

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If you really want to go to Columbia, apply. You don’t need to ED but could if you want. Not sure if you are male or female but if female, you could also apply to Barnard.

There are many schools in NY or nearby - from Fordham to NYU to Manhattan and Hofstra to CUNY and more. Stony Brook and Rutgers are both excellent and nearby.

But if you really want to go to Columbia because it’s close to home - so I asked about ED’ing to Northwestern? Makes no sense.

Don’t talk to your friends - well talk to them but talk to your counselor. A 36 is perfect so will win out over a 1570 although statistically they’re pretty much the same. Schools will take either.

And you couldn’t afford Northwestern but now dad is back to work and you can swallow $100K a year?

Nonethelss, @thumper1 is right - rather than do a post next week - ED to Dartmouth, am I cooked -

Put down what you want in a school - is it small, mid, large, urban or rural or suburban, greek life or sports, weather - whatever is important to you.

Give us your stats including classes taken - not just that I maxed out rigor.

And we can then chance you on your list or give you recommendations based on your criteria.

But if you’re just going to ask about every top 15 or 20 school, the answer is going to be the same.

But again, we are not adcoms and you can apply anywhere you want regardless of what anyone here says - as long as you have an assured and affordable safety, just in case.

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yrah I posted a new thread for some reason I cant delete this one

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For everyone…here is the complete chance me/match me.

Demographics

  • US citizen (green card)
  • State/Location of residency: New York
  • Type of high school: highly competitive public high school
  • Other special factors: Prolly non, first to go to a US college i guess

Cost Constraints / Budget
Full Pay

Intended Major(s): Operations Research: Engineering Management Systems
or Financial Economics

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.65/4.4
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.05/4.4, +.5 honors, +1 for APs
  • Class Rank: Doesn’t rank
  • ACT/SAT Scores: ACT:36 (36 on all subjects including science), SAT: 1580 (800 Math and 780 Eng)

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: English 9 H, English 10 H, AP Seminar, AP Research
  • Math: (including highest level course(s) completed): Geometry H, Algebra 1 &2 H, Intro to Calc H, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC
  • Science: (including which ones, such as biology, chemistry, physics) Bio H, Earth Science H, AP Bio, AP Physics 1, AP Physics C
  • History and social studies: Global history 9 H, AP World, AP USH, AP Cogo
  • Language other than English: (including highest level completed) Spanish 1-3
  • Visual or performing arts: Studio in Art
  • Other academic courses: AP Pysch, AP Stats, AP Personal Biz

Awards
Accepted into YC AI Startup School (not a full batch) its a startup school consisting of 2 days in SF. Its pretty decently competitive to get picked they base it on ur tech profile and what you have built. So it ranges from highschool kids to like stanford kids and like some phds. (I dont know if this counts)

AP Scholar

Math Honor Society

Seal of Civic Award

Extracurriculars
Activity 1: Startup (could be called passion project ig)

  • Position/Leadership Description: Co-Founder and main technical head

  • Description: Developed a desktop where designers can connect all their creative apps and have AI natively draw on each app with shared context from different apps (if there was a thread where your PM asked for something in Jira or anywhere we can get that context and natively update ur figma file etc). Product got noticed by a startup enthusiast with 216 followers on a live stream when he was hunting startups and got interest from Tier 1 VC, and took 3.5 months to build, generated 29k in a 4 month window. Had Stanford alumni as our COO and a few tech roles from students studying at Virginia Tech

Activity 2: Another startup product I pivoted from my first activity to make

  • Position/Leadership Description: Co-Founder and main technical head

  • Description: Built a canvas where as designers shape and build interfaces with their hands like they do in Figma; real time React code is generated on the side. This was a deep browsing rendering pipeline we built and modified where it let anyone ship interfaces faster without turning it to code, and also add motion to their components so they can build the motion aspects of their components too. Currently pre-beta had 100+ designers worldwide including few designers from Wells Fargo be our earliest users.

Activity 3: Research

  1. co-authorship on which will prolly get published in Q1

  2. and currently is under mentorship from a professor at NUS ranked #8worldwide and arguably the best in the world for AI ML research.

Only concern is the paper might not get published by tmlr before nov 1st.

Activity 4: Multi agent pipeline to predict low float stocks 24 hrs before

  • Position/Leadership Description: Independent Machine Learning Researcher

  • Description (149 characters): Fine-tuned Chinese SLM with custom weights/agents for low-float stock forecasting. Led to 140%+ portfolio growth; sold pipeline code for $25K

Activity 5: Internship at an early stage VC backed Startup

It was a startup related with training models on predicting how human consumers will react to advertisements and content. Getting a LOR from the founder since I worked my ass.

Activity 6: Currently building an SDK where its a new integration layer for mobile apps where they can make extra money by adding this SDK into their app where we collect data, clean it, and see if labs or companies would pay for it and make a legal contract towards it. In talks with angel investor might raise before ED1 deadline

Activity 7: Varsity Badminton all 4 yrs

Essays/LORs/Other

Personal Essay: My AP research teacher glazed it. (9/10) But I might switch it up since it was my first draft maybe towards my external circumstances but I dont know if I wanna write about it, i feel scared it might come off as a sob story or excuses.

LORs: LORs: My AP physics teacher had me for physics 1 and C he likes me a lot. And my AP Research teacher (prolly my fav teacher and we always have very deep talks so ig he will write a good letter)

Can get an outside LOR from the a professor at NUS (National University of Singapore)

Schools
ED1: Columbia

RD: UMich Ross
RD: Harvard (just for fun)
RD: UPenn
RD: Stony Brook
RD: Suny Buffalo
RD: I am honestly RDing to all t20s

20

Thanks for completing the chance me/match me template. For others…if you click on the link, it’s easier to read.

I’m glad to see you have some less selective but good options on your list. SUNY Buffalo is a great option. @aunt_bea can elaborate.

You can apply ED to Columbia if you would like to. Just make sure you have your other applications either ready to submit…or submitted…just in case Columbia doesn’t work out.

I think applying to all of the T 20 schools might not be the best strategy…that’s a LOT of applications to do well. You might want to look at that list and perhaps make some decisions about that.

Also, there are a lot of schools out of the top 20 that could meet your educational goals. Maybe look a little at those.

1 Like