Grats to everyone who was accepted! I just got my last letter of rec in today. Just curious - should my status page have changed significantly after uploading all supporting documentation? I’ve got lots of green check-marks but no obvious indication that my app has changed state. Maybe it’s in a queue?
Your app status will state “submitted” while you wait for your decision. Once you’ve submitted all documentation and essay, you’ll receive an email stating that your application is ready for review.
Hmm…wonder why I haven’t gotten that email. I’ve definitely submitted all required documentation and the essay. Maybe it’s not instantaneous or isn’t quite 100% automated.
Congrats for those accepted!! Would be helpful for this forum’s users to provide your brief stats!
Accepted:
-Active Duty Marine
-Part-time Southern Calif CC GPA 3.8 (32cr)
-High School GPA 2.1
-Marine Corps Leadership Scholar Program (highly recommend for any Marines)
-S2S
-2 Warrior Scholar Project courses (Penn, USC)
-Uploaded heavily revised - business orientated resume
-3 LOR’s (Ivy League Professor, Marine Commander, CC professor)
-Was 2 words under the max word limit for the 1500-2000 word essay. Wrote about my struggles in my childhood with academics and behavior and how the military shaped me - traveling the world - failures etc. Also about specific programs within Columbia that I want to be a part of.
One of the biggest things that helped me was just talking to students at GS. It’s pretty easy for the mil/vets because most of us already have that connection. Get on LinkedIn and reach out to GS students. Everybody is willing to help.
College GPA: 3.97 from Arizona State University (90 cr)
HS GPA: 2.5 (wasn’t interested in academic pursuits back then)
Experience: 14 years in the Army
*Took the GSAE
*No extra curricular activities
Essay: Wrote about how my life experiences and detours have culminated in my decision to pursue an education at Columbia. I defined the struggles and influences that have led me to where I am and how my work ethic, curiosity and motivation shaped my outcomes.
Just wanted to clarify - did everyone who applied get an email saying their app was finalized and ready for review after uploading all documentation?
@arguewithplato I didn’t receive an email. All of my documentation was received in mid to late September.
Accepted on my 2nd try.
1st college: 3.33/4.00 a year
2nd college: 3.38/4.00 a year
3rd college: 3.48/4.00 a year with last semester 4.00/4.00
Drop out from high school in Asian country being sick of test-oriented culture there.
After months of wandering, left home to go a community college in US.
Had to move to another community college on other side of the country to live with my uncle.
Transfer to an east coast 4 yr state school.
Came back to home country for military service and utilize time before and after the service to pursue preparation for professional careers through internship.
I used to work for companies like McKinsey, hedge funds, UBS etc.
Wrote essay about how I moved to US for better educational environment and had to wander around. And how I get myself into finance/investing and how people I met in the journey changed my life and want to pursue investing career based on liberal arts knowledge (Charlie Munger). Also emphasized how have I changed since the last time.
LOR: one from former boss who’s Columbia alum and the other from a finance professor.
Had interview with an officer on 20th for 40min.
Really glad it worked out on my 2nd try with not that stellar academics.
Happy to answer any question.
@CUGS19SP Wow! Impressive story. I’m guessing you’re from Korea, which I am. How did you end up in McKinsey and hedge funds? I would love to connect with you through LinkedIn or whatnot.
Congrats to the newly admitted Columbia students!
Has anyone had a phone interview? I’m scheduled for one next week and I don’t know what to anticipate. Advice and experiences would be very much appreciated!
@Mimi2018 The School of General Studies is for any and all non-traditional students, as @elkinsIII pointed out.
Your daughter would be eligible for GS; my understanding is that, if you are more than a year out of high school, you will apply for GS as opposed to Columbia College or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. (A GS acquaintance of mine tried to transfer to CC from her original undergrad school, but because she had taken more than a year off of school, she had to apply to GS instead.)
The average age of GS students is something like 26, but the age range is pretty wide. I believe the most recently admitted class had ages ranging from 16 to 64. There are also traditionally aged GS students who entered the school as part of GS’ dual-degree programs. So your daughter would be younger than most GS students, but there would definitely be plenty of other students who are close to her age.
That said, age is just a number within GS. Everybody had their own path to getting there (“There is no royal road to geometry,” as the School likes to say), and everybody has their own unique background and contributions to the GS community. So I wouldn’t consider young age to be a problem, if you really want to be part of this great community!
@dan0543 Not every GS student who is admitted gets interviewed during the application stage. So if you didn’t get an interview request, that should not have any negative sway on your chances!
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Just registered for my GS Entrance Exam. Does anyone know approximately how long it takes to complete?
Thx. Leave your Kakao, I’ll text u
Just finished the GSAE. You can view your scores through Accuplacer with your Columbia ID, Name, and birthdate.
Writing: 272/300
Reading: 293/300
Essay: 6/8
@dan0543 how did you find your score? I can’t get to mine.
@CUGS19SP Kakao ID is yh269
Thanks!
Good morning everyone!
Does anyone know if GS releases their decisions to each applicant as they are completed, or, do they wait and notify everyone from your application period at the same time?