2008-2009 Columbia College of P&S Secondary Application Thread

[dienekes88]

"If your verbal score is between 13 and 15 please enter 15 in the space provided."
Any other school do this?

Of the 20 secondaries I received, Columbia was the only one to do this.

However, a school might do it internally...

What???

Yeah. Pretty cool, eh?

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[ChemGrad08]

hey, for the second question when they ask to list EC's what do they count as extracurrics? dancing, research, tutoring, notebook grading, horseback riding, public health group ---- do all these count as EC's or should i not list tutoring and grading bc I got paid for them?

I put things like tutoring and grading under the next question that asks for paid employment

 

[bpman14]

Does anybody have any idea why they would want you to change your verbal to a 15 if you are between a 13 and a 15?.... I mean that is great for me but I have no idea why they want me to do this... I feel like I am lying haha!

I have however heard that getting in a 15 almost never happens becuase the difference between the 13 and the 15 can be 2 questions in the verbal... maybe this is why?!

 

[shemarty]

Some number of years ago in the not too distant past, you'd literally get a 13-15 on your MCAT score report. Yea, it's because it was that rare to do that well on verbal that they couldn't distinguish between 13's 14's and 15's.

 

[BDNF]

I put 3 too, atleast thats what I thought initially, but some people are putting 4?

i put 3 because i thought they were asking how many years of coursework i have completed already

 

[BDNF]

(ONLY IF THEY ARE SENDING A LETTER ON YOUR BEHALF)"

Does that mean I should write packet if my pre-health advisor is actually writing me a letter?

or does that mean I should write packet if my pre-health advisor is compiling letters from my other professors, but there is no actual committee letter?

According to the person on the phone from the Columbia office:
"If they're coming as a packet, do not list the individual names. Write "packet" under the "Name of your advisor (ONLY IF THEY ARE SENDING A LETTER ON YOUR BEHALF)"

"I can have more than 3 letters in my packet?"

"That's correct"

 

[copingmethods]

I put 3 too, atleast thats what I thought initially, but some people are putting 4?

I'm putting 4 because I've completed 4 years.

 

[shemarty]

I'm putting 4 because I've completed 4 years.

Me too. I just graduated this June and am applying next year during my year "off" between undergrad and med school. So, I put 4.

 

[8mile]

Me too. I just graduated this June and am applying next year during my year "off" between undergrad and med school. So, I put 4.

shemarty, why are you taking a year off? Your app was probably more than strong enough to get in last year if you took the MCAT a bit earlier.

 

[BDNF]

anyone know the answer to my letter of rec question?

Should I write "packet" even though, my school doesn't do committee letters?

 

[costadelsol]

I think if a premed committee advisor is writing a letter for you, in addition to your other LORs, then write that advisor's name. If your packet consists only of your LORs, then write Packet. What does everyone else think?

 

[shemarty]

shemarty, why are you taking a year off? Your app was probably more than strong enough to get in last year if you took the MCAT a bit earlier.

The experiences I've had over the past year, and that I'll continue have over the next year, have made me really really really look forward to going to medical school. A year ago, I didn't have any of that. Last spring, I was just another bio major who was thinking about medical school, did some research, and volunteered a bit at a free clinic. I was freaked out about having to take the MCAT, and I don't think I even realized why I wanted to become a physician in the first place. So, I went and tried to answer some of those questions. This "time off" has given me the chance to really get to know faculty, residents, and med students and talk to them about this whole "going to medical school" thing. It's also given me a chance to try out clinical research and teaching, which I've now realized that I want to continue doing. Also, I have time to shadow a lot of physicians in different fields, so it's almost like a preview of what's to come. By the time I finally start med school in 13 months or so, I'll be really pumped up for it and ready to go. If I had applied last year and started this year, I would have been totally burnt out from school and have very little understanding as to why I'm doing this in the first place. So as jealous as I am of all my friends who are starting this fall, I'm glad I made the decision to take the year off. I'm going to be spending most of that year around the hospital anyway, soaking it all in.

It's gonna be a good year, I'm excited


Edit: That totally sounded like it could be a secondary essay, minus some of the colloquialisms. I've been writing too many of these things, haha.

 

[shemarty]

Oh yea, I submitted the Columbia secondary yesterday!

Whoo! One more done

How's everyone doing on this? It took me awhile to buckle down and write the main essay, even though I had filled the rest of it out last week.

Lets all submit so we can start a running list of submit/complete dates

 

[copingmethods]

Oh yea, I submitted the Columbia secondary yesterday!

Whoo! One more done

How's everyone doing on this? It took me awhile to buckle down and write the main essay, even though I had filled the rest of it out last week.

Lets all submit so we can start a running list of submit/complete dates

I've got about a third of the big essay done, and as soon as I finish that I'll be submitting!

 

[Isis24]

ah yes, the big essay....I've just finished mine, but I'm going to have a couple people read over it before i submit (anyway...my AMCAS isn't verified yet....)

Shemarty, you should start the official submit/complete list. I will add to it when i submit today (or tomorrow )

 

[shemarty]

Secondaries
Shemarty: Submitted: 6/23, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??

 

[BDNF]

Secondaries
Shemarty: Submitted: 6/23, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??

so when you submitted your secondary app, you checked the box saying "no" to letters of rec being sent? Even though you will probably send them soon?

 

[shemarty]

so when you submitted your secondary app, you checked the box saying "no" to letters of rec being sent? Even though you will probably send them soon?

I actually clicked "yes" because I'm going to send them soon. It seemed like a checklist. Like.. do this... do this.. do this, and then SUBMIT!

So I took clicking "yes" to mean "yes, I'm going to send you my LORs"

 

[ar2388]

AHH!!! i was about to submit... until i was reviewing and saw that they want everything converted to a 4.0 scale.. i have one A+ as a 4.3 and now i have to recalculate my gpa!!
argh!

 

[shemarty]

Are you not verified by AMCAS yet?

I just opened up my AMCAS and copy/pasted my GPA from there. I only have ONE unit of A+ , so it didn't really change by much

 

[ar2388]

Are you not verified by AMCAS yet?

I just opened up my AMCAS and copy/pasted my GPA from there. I only have ONE unit of A+ , so it didn't really change by much

No...:cry: not yet verified.. i recalculated and cumulative didnt change but BCMP went down a tiny bit. oh well

i get the feeling that i wont be verified for weeks, so shemarty, thanks for posting these secondaries.. i can work on then at least a little.

 

[ar2388]

I put 3 too, atleast thats what I thought initially, but some people are putting 4?

WHen i was reviewing the application, i noticed the typo. the question is actually "how many years of coursework do you expect to complete by september 2009!! while on the filling in one is said sept 2008. it should be 4 for all

 

[bpman14]

Did you guys just list your EC's and work in list format without really describing them at all? Why do they give so many characters?

 

[copingmethods]

Did you guys just list your EC's and work in list format without really describing them at all? Why do they give so many characters?

That's what I did...I can't really imagine how you could give detailed descriptions and keep it in a list using commas. (It does seem like an excessive character limit though...)

 

[Bretzel]

Anybody else having trouble formatting the essay to have indentations at start of new paragraphs? Is there a fix for this?

 

[shemarty]

I used hard returns.

Press enter twice. Makes blank line.

Eh, it looks ok.

 

[ar2388]

i actually was able to indent.. added 3 spaces in front of each paragraph...

 

[Isis24]

WHen i was reviewing the application, i noticed the typo. the question is actually "how many years of coursework do you expect to complete by september 2009!! while on the filling in one is said sept 2008. it should be 4 for all

Wait, wait..... where did you see Sept 2009 written??

 

[ar2388]

Wait, wait..... where did you see Sept 2009 written??

when you go through the submission process, you can look at your application as a pdf file as (i assume) the adcoms will see it. and there is says 2009

 

[ar2388]

Secondaries
Shemarty: Submitted: 6/23, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??
ar2388: Submitted: 6/24 (will send out photo this weekend), Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??

 

[Huey]

when you go through the submission process, you can look at your application as a pdf file as (i assume) the adcoms will see it. and there is says 2009

So what do we do if we've already submitted the application? Should we email them and ask them to switch it from 3 years to 4 (or 3.5 in my case)?

 

[ar2388]

So what do we do if we've already submitted the application? Should we email them and ask them to switch it from 3 years to 4 (or 3.5 in my case)?

yeah, thats probably the best idea

 

[Severus]

g'luck everyone!

sorry our secondary is kind of confusing (and a bit of drag as I recall).

 

[waterlilly]

ah yes, the big essay....I've just finished mine, but I'm going to have a couple people read over it before i submit (anyway...my AMCAS isn't verified yet....)

Shemarty, you should start the official submit/complete list. I will add to it when i submit today (or tomorrow )

The big essay? What big essay?

 

[rowerlauren]

The big essay? What big essay?

The "big" essay: "What satisfactions do you expect to receive from your activities as a physician? LIMIT WRITING TO 2475 CHARACTERS"

Yeah I know it's not really long...

 

[sss403]

So what do we do if we've already submitted the application? Should we email them and ask them to switch it from 3 years to 4 (or 3.5 in my case)?

Has anyone called Columbia to ask about this? It is definitely a typo in both the app and the HTML version.

Tnks!

 

[sss403]

Secondaries
Shemarty: Submitted: 6/23, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??
ar2388: Submitted: 6/24 (will send out photo this weekend), Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??

sss403: Submitted 6/15, Letters: Sent Via VirtualEVals; Picture: Mailed 6/15

 

[Dstone]

I would put in senior. They are much more inclined to understand your situation (esp. if you upload the document explaining your situation) if you indicate yourself to be a senior.

Hope that helps! I'm working on the secondary as well, and it seems to be a repeat of the primary. Trying to give additional examples will be tough.

Take care

 

[talbo]

so i applied to columbia last year and this yr when i go online it wont let me make changes since in the system i have already submitted my application, does anyone know how we are supposed to go about this? thanks!

 

[waterlilly]

Hey...do we need to send our MCAT scores?

 

[chad5871]

Hey...do we need to send our MCAT scores?

They should already have them with AMCAS.

 

[Huey]

Has anyone called Columbia to ask about this? It is definitely a typo in both the app and the HTML version.

Tnks!

Just got an email back from them and they state that the question in the application (Fall 2008) is correct so if you're a rising senior put 3 years.

 

[shemarty]

"We expect the Committee to convene at the beginning of September. The order they are sent for review is in the order of completion."

 

[waterlilly]

Thanks! Sorry but I have another question. Besides sending in our LORs and that page with our photograph, do we have to send in anything else? I know for hopkins we have to send a hard copy of the app in pdf form. Is this also true for Columbia?

 

[shemarty]

Thanks! Sorry but I have another question. Besides sending in our LORs and that page with our photograph, do we have to send in anything else? I know for hopkins we have to send a hard copy of the app in pdf form. Is this also true for Columbia?

I don't think we have to send a hard copy.

 

[sss403]

Just got an email back from them and they state that the question in the application (Fall 2008) is correct so if you're a rising senior put 3 years.

Thanks

 

[waterlilly]

OK. I finally submitted today. I sent in my LORs yesterday and I'm sending the photo tomorrow. YAY

 

[shemarty]

Secondaries

Shemarty: Submitted: 6/19, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??
Waterlilly: Submitted: 6/27, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??

 

[seven87]

Secondaries

Shemarty: Submitted: 6/19, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??
Waterlilly: Submitted: 6/27, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??
seven87: Submitted 6/18, Letters rec'd: ??, Complete: ??

 

[shemarty]

When you add yourself to the list, add yourself chronologically by submit date. It'll make it easier to read once we get dozens more people.