Just got an email saying most of the spots are filled but that I can choose to be placed on the extended waitlist
Released from the waitlist here
Good luck to everyone.
Released 
hopefully next year, Columbia.
released,
released. was quite heartbroken for awhile but here’s a reminder: there are good things ahead guys!!! keep pushing !!
just got released
feels bad man
Hello All. I have been following this forum anxiously during my own wait list process. Let me add some capstone commentary. I was a double-legacy candidate and I was released from the wait list! It is sad and disappointing beyond belief. Both my parents have undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the SEAS/Fu Foundation (they each have a B.S. and M.S.). My grandparents went to Columbia College. Yet I was rejected. I have very good scores (enough said). I am a performing pianist, soccer player, tennis player, avid volunteer and was recently recognized as the top STEM student at my high school.
My parents met in a mechanical engineering class and my grandparents met at Columbia as well. Getting accepted to Columbia would have made a beautiful story. It’s so sad. You wonder how they arrive at these decisions. I wish there was a way to appeal this decision (I tried). They just read me the party line. I am trying to pick myself up and move ahead, but it is difficult.
@enstarman Thank you for sharing. Did you apply early decision or regular decision? Where are you going to college now that you have been released.
@enstarman Sorry to hear of your results. Three things come to mind though. Did you apply early? The legacy tip usually only applies to early applicants. Also, Columbia does not consider legacy that strongly these days (never really has). Certainly not as much has a Princeton or Penn. Lastly, were your parents consistently active alumni? This can often make a difference.
I’m afraid in today’s world of hyper-competitive admissions, playing soccer, tennis and volunteering is not particularly noteworthy. Performing piano can be but the bar is set extremely high in this activity.
I applied regular decision - something that I deeply regret. I always thought that with my solid academics and double legacy status that Columbia would still be waiting for me at the regular decision stage. Not the wisest move, but hindsight is 20-20 as they say.
I am going to Rensselaer (aka RPI). No, my parents were not heavily involved in alumni activities. In a way I respect Columbia for not blindly considering legacy status. Everyone gets a fair shot this way. But this felt so “personal” - perhaps it was just the opposite - the decision to release me from the waitlist was an “impersonal” decision.
I wish there was a way to somehow appeal this or seek some some authority of last resort. You go through your whole life listening to your parents (both practicing engineers) talk about their days at Columbia. I just never seriously contemplated any other path. As you can imagine, my parents are deeply saddened by this as well. We are all hurting.
@enstarman Again, I’m terribly sorry you were not accepted and can understand your disappointment. RPI is an excellent school , however, and I’m sure you’ll look back at this as just a blip in the road. I don’t know how hard it is to transfer to SEAS but perhaps this is something you can consider. Also, were you accepted into any school that is on the Combined Plan with SEAS? Maybe you can consider seeing if you can still attend that school and eventually get an engineering degree from Columbia. Good with everything!
@enstarman Sorry to hear this. Perhaps you can transfer, or perhaps RPI - which is truly an excellent school - will provide a better foundation in engineering as an undergraduate. It seems like applying early, if you were so sure that Columbia was your first choice, might have been advantageous. Nevertheless, if you were a strong applicant with all the wonderful extracurriculars that you mention, including being a top STEM student with national awards perhaps?, the double legacy status, logically, should help. The Ivys are looking for the well rounded class - 50 States, 90+ countries, varsity athletes and given the limited number of seats, they are giving up some of the top applicants in the country, and schools like RPI are probably in a position to further strengthen their program. RPI is a great school, congratulations!
I’m afraid there is no way to appeal the decision or it would open the floodgates. Not sure what your appeal would be even if you could. There are simply way too few spots for qualified applicants.
It sounds as though you didn’t love Columbia as much as you now think you do because you rolled the dice at another school(s) first and then applied to Columbia. Columbia (and other ED schools) think “Why should we give a legacy boost away to someone if we’re not even their first choice”. You were probably offered a waitlist spot instead of an outright rejection as a nod to your parents and grandparents.
I should have applied early admission, but felt it was prudent to consider all my options. I always knew that Columbia would be there for me (wrong).
Thanks IvyLeague987 and Multiverse7 for the kind words about RPI! That means a lot as I am still saddened by all this. I am confident that RPI will make me a better engineer. Their facilities and curriculum are more impressive than Columbia’s (certainly from the standpoint of an undergraduate student). So much more hands-on instruction. It is truly an engineer’s engineering school. But it was not just about the education itself - it was the expectation of being able to carry on the family tradition. I have no interest in transferring – it would be too hard to uproot myself. So I guess this is the end of the legacy.
In a bit of sad poetry, we received a hard mailer today from the Fu Foundation today – asking for donations. Minimum donation - $1000 (Pioneer) or we could get into the “Dean’s Circle” for a mere donation of $25,000 (or more). If it wasn’t so sad, it would be funny.
My parents have been incessantly hounded (almost weekly by email/mail) for contributions in the 30 years since they graduated. I gather this will continue until their dying day (and beyond).
It seems as though the legacy lives on – at least where the solicitation of donations is involved.
Glad that you are embracing RPI. You will undoubtedly have a great experience there and afterward have your choice of grad schools (including Columbia - so the legacy lives on) if you so choose.
Good luck with everything!
@enstarman All the best to you.
Any extended waitlist updates?