Official Columbia University 2016 RD Results

PMCM18
Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:24:17 +0000

@theconomist: Have you checked this out? [International Financial Aid | Columbia University Office of Undergraduate Admissions](http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/international/finaid.php)
It seems to be possible, but only if you truly need it.

Wow, people are still posting here? Meh, guess I should too for the sake of future applicants.

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2250 (800 W, CR 800, 650 M)
ACT: NA
SAT II: 700 M Biology, 750 World History, 800 Spanish (don’t think I sent this one)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): School only does weighted, 4.19
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): French (4), Spanish Language (5), Psychology (5), Human Geography (5), US History (5) - took the most AP’s one could sophomore and junior years
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: Anatomy and Physiology, Puerto Rican History, AP English Lit, AP Spanish Lit, AP European History, AP Calc AB
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Presidential Scholar candidate, National Merit Finalist, a lot of school awards in specific classes (Human Geo, Psychology, French, Bio, Chem etc.)

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Community Service Club (Pres 11th and 12th, VP in 10h), United Way student club (Treasurer this year), Model UN (member since 8th, various awards), Film Club (VP last year), Environmental Awareness Club
Job/Work Experience: None, but I did write about how my position as treasurer of the United Way club was basically a job without pay
Volunteer/Community service: Will graduate with at least 100 hours, did many activities like feeding the homeless, Habitat for Humanity, beach clean ups, etc.
Summer Activities: CTY Civic Leadership Institute in Baltimore (2011), The Oxford Tradition (2010), Ecological trip to the Galapagos (2010)
Essays: Good-ish?
Teacher Recommendation: At least one was excellent, the other prob was at least very good
Counselor Rec: She wrote a lot about my intellectual nature
Additional Rec: None
Interview: Didn’t get one

Other
State (if domestic applicant): Puerto Rico
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Private, very competitive. Out of classes of around 45 (mine is the smallest, 38), it tends to send at least like 10 to top ranked schools.
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Did not ask for financial aid
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM?

Reflection:
Strengths:Course rigor (I had taken the most rigorous non-science classes in my school as they became available and graduated with the most AP’s), commitment to community service
Weaknesses: I applied with two B- in my semester report card, so I had resigned myself to a rejection. Also, the math section of my SAT must be borderline for them.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Too many strong candidates, it’s an honor to just have been wait listed.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted - Dartmouth (likely letter), Swarthmore (Early Write), Georgetown SFS, Johns Hopkins, U Chicago; Waitlisted - Columbia, Tufts, Brown, Williams, Harvard; Rejected - Yale, Princeton (originally deferred SCEA)