<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT: Didn’t take… see ACT score below
[</em>] SAT IIs: 680 US History and Math II, 580 Lit.
[<em>] GPA: 4.15 W, 3.97 UW
[</em>] Rank: 1/188
[<em>] Other stats: ACT - 33
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: I thought they were ok. Commonapp essay about growing up in South Dakota
[<em>] ECs: Varsity Swimming, Debate, Student Council, Student Body Treasurer, Young Democrats, Improv, NHS, etc.
[</em>] Teacher Recs: I thought both were good
[<em>] Counselor Rec: I thought it was really good?
[</em>] Hook (if any): South Dakota?
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: South Dakota
[</em>] School Type: Public
[<em>] Ethnicity: Caucasian
[</em>] Gender: Male
[/ul]Other Factors: Wasn’t a recruited athlete, but varsity coach wrote letter of recommendation on my behalf. General Comments: So happy!</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT: 2210 (770W, 770M, 670R)
[</em>] SAT IIs: Physics 750, Math II 800, Chemistry 780
[<em>] GPA: 3.46UW (from freshman to junior)
[</em>] Rank: N/A (school doesn’t rank)
[<em>] Other stats: AP 5s on USH, Eng Lang, Calc BC, Stats. 4 on Physics BC and 3 on Latin (did not report).
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: Supplementary essays were really prospective and forward-thinking. Common app essay was nostalgic, looking back on my connection to my community.
[<em>] ECs: Tech theatre, Boy Scouts of America (Eagle Scout), Varsity Fencing captain (not recruited), Class President (1 yr), ran community service program at local elementary school
[</em>] Teacher Recs: Didn’t read. By English, physics and math teachers. Pseudo-teacher rec by school theater director.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Didn’t read
[</em>] Hook (if any): none.
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: New England, USA
[</em>] School Type: Small (~120 class size) private preparatory day school.
[<em>] Ethnicity: Asian
[</em>] Gender: M
[/ul]**Other Factors: ** General Comments:
My GPA is rather low, especially compared to the Ivy pool in my school. I think this gave my teacher recs greater weight. Having a teacher who gave me a B to write a glowing recommendation does go a long way. </p>
<p>My Columbia rep (Ms. Marinaccio) visited my school and made a specific attempt at outreaching towards those with theatre stage tech experience. I don’t know how much of an effect it had on my acceptance, but as a hardcore stage techie (8+ hrs/wk) I did heavily emphasize that work/experience in my app. </p>
<p>Regardless, if I have one piece of advice to someone in a similar situation as mine (for future years), it’s to be yourself. As an Asian accustomed to the WORK HARD, GET REWARD doctrine, I am very grateful for my parents granting me some freedom in deciding my interests and extracurriculars. Asian parents have the right intentions, and in a perfect world, their plan will get you anywhere, but this world isn’t perfect. Thus, find things you enjoy doing. Become yourself, and break the mold. At the same time, take risks and don’t be afraid of failure. Lastly, don’t let others be your limitations.</p>
<p>[ b]Stats:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT: 2180
[ *] SAT IIs: 750 Bio, 800 math
[ *] GPA: 4.08
[ *] Rank: 21 out of 600
[ *] Other stats: National Latin Exam Silver medal, Teen Poet Laureate, District Poetry Contest first place, International AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, blah blah blah
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Essays: I thought it was good
[ *] ECs: DECA VP for two years: competed and got internationals 7th place; Science Olympiad officer for two years: competed at regional; We the People; Independent research; volunteering works; tennis; marching/concert band
[ *] Teacher Recs: good
[ *] Counselor Rec: good
[ *] Hook (if any): I moved to the United States five years ago from Taiwan, and learned my English in five years. I overcame many barriers, and I am really sad that Columbia couldn’t see my progress. I tried so hard in everything in my life, and this is one of them. I know that in life, hard work doesn’t mean success, but it still hurts me a little.</p>
<p>[ /list][ b]Location/Person:[ /b][ list]
[ *] State or Country: CA
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: Taiwanese
[ *] Gender: Female
[ /list][ b]Other Factors:[ /b]
[ b]General Comments:[ /b] I feel I have so much to give to Columbia, and honestly I don’t know what else I could have done in this process. I guess it just never meant to be, and I just feel very sad because I thought Columbia would be the school for me.</p>
<p>It’s ok Pups. If it makes you feel any better, many people on this thread who were obviously qualified (even overqualified, just looking at their stats and EC’s) got rejected. I’m in the same boat as you, but it seems like Columbia ED admission this year was brutal. Rejection now, especially this year, doesn’t mean we won’t get into similarly great schools come April.</p>
<p>@ post 155 Isn’t Intel Science Talent Search is only for senior and the results is not come out yet. How do you know that you are Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist ? Am I miss something?</p>
<p>Stats:
ACT: 31
SAT IIs: US History: 800, Bio E: 720
GPA: 4.4 weighted, 4.0 unweighted
Rank:10/527
Subjective:
Essays:I wrote about my travels to Tibet to build a girls’ school with the non-profit organization I am secretary of. I also talked about my two grandfathers and their influence on every facet of my life and how going to a third world country changed my perception of the world and my own life.
ECs: President of Art Club, Green Club, and the Tibet Club. Secretary of Habitat for Humanity. Varsity Track Captain. Editor and Chief of my school art magazine. Volunteer each week to teach art to autistic children. My art has been in galleries. Ranked in the top 35 in California for the triple jump. Holder of two school records on my track team. Published writer. Violin awards. Speech and debate awards. I hold monthly food drives. I volunteer at the Hunger Defense Fund.
Teacher Recs: BEYOND AMAZING
Counselor Rec: BEYOND AMAZING
Hook (if any): first generation
State or Country: California
School Type: no-name public
Ethnicity:white
Gender:female</p>
<p>I don’t actually know if I’m a semifinalist. I’m just extremely confident, given that I have two publications in Biochemistry for very similar work.</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT:2240 - 800 CR, 640 Math, 800 W
[</em>] SAT IIs: 800 Lit, 790 US Hist
[<em>] GPA: 100.82 (Weighted)
[</em>] Rank: Don’t publish rank, but 1/130
[<em>] Other stats: 5 AP Eng Lang, 5 AP US Hist; Senior APs: AP Bio, AP Gov, AP Lit, AP Latin IV
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: Common App one was good; everyone who read it said it was unique, funny, and very much me. Supplemental probably a little lackluster.
[<em>] ECs: Drama Club (Theater Executive council), International Thespian Society, 14 years of classical ballet and performances, Junior Classical League (VP), volunteer at shelter for victims of domestic violence, involved with every high school theatre production since freshmen year, went to Edinburgh International Fringe Festival to perform with school, Missouri Scholars Academy, Math Team, Science Knowledge Bowl, work at local coffee shop 5 hours a week, NHS, National Merit Semifinalist, blah blah blah
[</em>] Teacher Recs: my homeroom/Honors Algebra II teacher and my English teacher of the last two years; didn’t read but likely very good
[<em>] Counselor Rec: very good, she really likes me
[</em>] Hook (if any): ?
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul] Midwest
[<em>] State or Country: Missouri
[</em>] School Type: private, all girls
[<em>] Ethnicity: white
[</em>] Gender: female
[/ul]Other Factors: General Comments: I’ve been a long-time lurker of CC, but I felt I had to step in with my results. I was devasted at first, but after reading about all the other amazingly qualified applicants who posted here that they were rejected, I feel lucky. This site has been so helpful to me over the past couple weeks. I’m trying to move on and get some of my other apps done now. However, if I were to (pleaseGodplease) be accepted RD, I’d go to Columbia no question. I’m still just really sad…but a tiny bit hopeful.</p>
<p>ccny, I hope your Columbia education teaches you the difference between fact and expectation. I’m not belittling your achievements, but folks expect truth-telling when you “post stats.”</p>
<p>gshak13-My parents are actually extremely laid back for Asian parents. Both are artists, and they always wanted me to work on origami above schoolwork. They still hope I’ll end up an origami sculptor instead of a scientist, but they compromise when I tell them about the applications of the mathematics of origami folding to protein folding.</p>
<p>pbr-The reason I’m so confident I will be a semifinalist is that I studied protein folding with the eye of an origamist and found extremely intriguing results.</p>
<p>First, I want to say that I have been lurking on this board for quite some time but I’m being pulled out by this thread. Whenever I needed a pick-me up with these applications or needed verification on something, you all gave it to me. There are a lot of wonderful people on here who are going to do great things in the world, CU or not!</p>
<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT: 1970
[</em>] SAT IIs: 730 in Lit, 740 in U.S. History
[<em>] GPA: 4.2 W/3.73 UW
[</em>] Rank: 6/68
[<em>] Other stats: Dual-enrolled at a local university since 2008 and have made a 4.0 GPA there in every class (have attempted and completed about 42 hours thus far)
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: Very meticulously edited. Common App essay addressed my idolization for Alex Cabbot (from Law and Order) in choosing to go pre-law and my struggles with getting comfortable with public speaking since making that decision. Supplement essay received as much attention as CA essay and talked about the three big reasons I wanted to go to Columbia.
[<em>] ECs: Volunteers with a local hospital healthcare conference, tutors at a local homeless shelter, serves as Community Service Chair in NHS (and has put on two of the most successful events in NHS chapter history thus far), re-established the school newspaper and serves as Associate Editor, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, served as Sophomore Rep in Beta Club, and joined Speech and Critical Thinking. (Whew…)
[</em>] Teacher Recs: Very good. Sent 3: One from teacher in best subject, one from teacher in worst subject, and one from professor at university.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Very good.
[</em>] Hook (if any): African-American female, first-generation college student, low income (less than $40,000), Urban area, dual-enrolled.
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: North Carolina
[</em>] School Type: Public
[<em>] Ethnicity: African-American
[</em>] Gender: Female
[/ul]Other Factors: General Comments: I was honestly shocked because the scores weren’t as high as I would like, but I tried to make everything I did distinctly me. I didn’t make myself more or less than I am. I listed Arabian Nights as a reading for pleasure, but I also listed Skinny Women are Evil. I guess my best comment is that even if you aren’t Super(wo)man, if you put out the best you can, good things come.</p>
<p>ccny, I think you missed my point. No worries, though; you will learn the lesson from someone else down the road. Good luck, and embrace modesty!</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT:2140 (750 Critical Reading, 660 Math, 730 Writing)
[</em>] SAT IIs:680 Literature, 660 Spanish, 650 US History
[<em>] GPA: 3.38 UW, 4.1 W
[</em>] Rank: School doesn’t rank
[<em>] Other stats:
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: Very unique, personal and heartfelt. Columbia Supplement was particularly strong
[<em>] ECs: Mock Trial, Teen Court, Model UN, Suicide Prevention volunteering
[</em>] Teacher Recs: 3, One incredible, One great, One decent
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Beyond amazing.
[</em>] Hook (if any): A supplemental writing submission sent after my overnight visit that was really hard to say no to
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: Florida
[</em>] School Type: Private college-prep (Though attended parochial school freshman year)
[<em>] Ethnicity: Native American, but since I’m not enrolled essentially I’m counted as being white
[</em>] Gender: Female
[/ul]Other Factors:I was very genuine in all of it and very forthright about how much I wanted to be there. I had a really crappy past that I was very blunt about and I basically was just building everything on my earnestness and my passion. General Comments:I think they saw that. What I can’t tell now is if they’re looking to see how mid-year goes so that they can tell if I can put my potential into use or if they really just felt bad saying no as of yet.</p>
So happy!</p>