<p>Desk123,</p>
<p>Again, re-read my posts…please…no really…re-read it. And then think about it.</p>
<p>You can’t apply to a school as “back up” when it’s harder to be admitted in the first place! You can’t have “no chance” at HYPSM, but have a chance at Columbia. Read the data. Use logic… Your anecdotal evidence from people at your school is just that, anecdotal. If they share the same mentality as you, they should also dig into the actual facts. </p>
<p>Data is louder than anecdotes.</p>
<p>I’m skeptical of where the data is coming from on the website you posted, but assuming Stanford wins in the cross admit pool with Columbia, that does not mean Columbia is “back up.” It only means of the universe of applicants who applied to and were accepted to both, Stanford was the preferred choice. There is also a large universe of Columbia admits who never considered Stanford to begin with. This is not surprising since the environments of these schools have little in common with one another.</p>
<p>The bottom line is, based on facts (i.e. admissions data) the bar for admission to Columbia is higher than the bar for admission to Stanford. The bars are both REALLY REALLY high, but the Columbia bar is just a little higher. Those who perceive Columbia as a back up are misguided. That’s like saying you’re shooting for the 5 ft high jump, but in case you don’t make it, you’re going for the 6 ft one.</p>