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

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CourageKid said:
I was told by current students on my interview (and confirmed by my premed advisor who is actually a trusted source) that Columbia definitely values letters of interest/intent. Basically, my tour guide said that if you like the school, you should make it known to Dean Frantz.
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You'd be surprised about the things that current students can get wrong...although the premed advisor sounds more credible. I am content with my inertia but at the very least, how could it hurt?
 
Anotherface said:
Dean Frantz.
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Interesting. I got a snail mail thank you for my thank you from Dean Frantz about a week after I sent it, but I've gotten nothing from my LOI.

Oh well, I'm sending an update letter on Monday anyway, and I'm re-stating my intent in that.

Hopefully they will have both of them when they review my final at the big adcom meeting.
 
Does anyone have any idea when the adcom meeting is? Have they been meeting regularly, or do they review all the applicants together in Feb for the final decision, or both? I interviewed back in mid-Dec and am wondering if it's too late to send a LOI at this point. Thanks!
 
drjm1 said:
Does anyone have any idea when the adcom meeting is? Have they been meeting regularly, or do they review all the applicants together in Feb for the final decision, or both? I interviewed back in mid-Dec and am wondering if it's too late to send a LOI at this point. Thanks!
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I don't know exactly, but I think mid-Feb. They send decisions out March 1st. If you haven't sent the LOI yet, do it right away. :luck:
 
Yeah I interviewed in mid-Nov., sent a LOI a little over two weeks ago via e-mail and haven't gotten a response...
 
By LOI I meant intent. I didn't get a response for my TY letter but that's varied from school to school.
 
I submitted via the psadmissions email.

I received confirmation by snail mail that my letter was received, but I also sent it in early December. My guess is they told you to send regular mail, they're probably inundated with email at this point.
 
anyone know if columbia is still giving out interviews? last time i spoke with them was last week of jan, and they were still handing them out.
 
I received acknowledgement of my correspondence today. It was a postcard stating they appreciate my communication. I wonder if it was in response to my LOI (sent 1/20) or my update letter (sent 2/10). 😕
 
chad5871 said:
I received acknowledgement of my correspondence today. It was a postcard stating they appreciate my communication. I wonder if it was in response to my LOI (sent 1/20) or my update letter (sent 2/10). 😕
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a postcard? hmm... both of my replies from Dean Frantz were in the form of a letter. I wonder why a postcard.
 
I don't want to read into it but it is weird that the mode of his responses are so variable.

So far people have gotten postcards, snail-mail letters, emails, or no responses.😕
 
Anotherface said:
I don't want to read into it but it is weird that the mode of his responses are so variable.

So far people have gotten postcards, snail-mail letters, emails, or no responses.😕
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I think it's been like this every year. I've read one of last year's threads and people were discussing the variation in response from the admissions office and Frantz. They concluded that the method of response (or lack of) had no bearing on admissions.
 
StPlayrXtreme said:
I submitted via the psadmissions email.

I received confirmation by snail mail that my letter was received, but I also sent it in early December. My guess is they told you to send regular mail, they're probably inundated with email at this point.
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I interviewed in october.
 
Bradstein said:
I think it's been like this every year. I've read one of last year's threads and people were discussing the variation in response from the admissions office and Frantz. They concluded that the method of response (or lack of) had no bearing on admissions.
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May be Dean Frantz does it intentionally to keeps us on our toes.
 
this may be a stupid question, but are there people who are accepted who did NOT write an LOI? Are they a minority?
 
drjm1 said:
this may be a stupid question, but are there people who are accepted who did NOT write an LOI? Are they a minority?
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I doubt writing a LOInterest or LOIntent will make or break you since most, but not all, people on this thread will write one after interviewing. It's becoming so cliché as writing a Hallmark card, imo.
 
drjm1 said:
this may be a stupid question, but are there people who are accepted who did NOT write an LOI? Are they a minority?
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Don't feel bad about not writing one
 
When I interviewed there, I met a med student who didn't send a thank you note or LOI (she basically didn't do anything after her interview) but was still accepted in the first round.

It is strange that I received a letter response to my Thank You, but a postcard response to my LOI/update letter. Basically, I think Dean Frantz and the admissions office are incredibly busy, so they just send whatever's most convenient at the time...

At least my postcard was hand addressed and hand-signed. That was a nice, personal touch. 🙂
 
I talked to my brother (currently a resident, used to be a student member of an admissions committee) about sending a letter and he said at this point I should just wait till I hear back, and then if I get waitlisted by somewhere I really want to go, then I send a letter. Because right now I don't have a clear top choice so I don't know which I'd send a Letter of Intent to, and I don't want to send a Letter of Interest because it's a bit late to say "I'm interested but not really sure you're my favorite school yet."

So I've just been sending out late Thank you letters, because I meant to send them right after my interviews, and then I thought it was too late to send them, and now I just feel really guilty for not having sent them so I'm getting them out. I emailed my Columbia interviewer because he gave me his email, but then I also hand wrote the same message and sent it to the office, just in case.
 
quirks said:
I talked to my brother (currently a resident, used to be a student member of an admissions committee) about sending a letter and he said at this point I should just wait till I hear back, and then if I get waitlisted by somewhere I really want to go, then I send a letter. Because right now I don't have a clear top choice so I don't know which I'd send a Letter of Intent to, and I don't want to send a Letter of Interest because it's a bit late to say "I'm interested but not really sure you're my favorite school yet."

So I've just been sending out late Thank you letters, because I meant to send them right after my interviews, and then I thought it was too late to send them, and now I just feel really guilty for not having sent them so I'm getting them out. I emailed my Columbia interviewer because he gave me his email, but then I also hand wrote the same message and sent it to the office, just in case.
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You can always talk about why you're interested in the school in your Thank You letters. For me, I have a very clear cut first choice (Columbia!) so I sent my LOI before decisions were made.
 
chad5871 said:
You can always talk about why you're interested in the school in your Thank You letters.
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That's what I've been doing. =) I figured it's a nice simple way to show that I want to go there without potentially shooting myself in the foot.

I wish I had a clear top choice. I have a clear top two instead (UPenn and Columbia). No idea what I'd do if I got in to both, but I really, really doubt that's going to happen. It's hard enough getting in to one of them.
 
eedoctor said:
anyone know if columbia is still giving out interviews? last time i spoke with them was last week of jan, and they were still handing them out.
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I called Columbia just a few minutes ago, and yes they are still offering invites. I suspect that if you don't hear from them next week, it is most likely the end.

best of luck
 
chad5871 said:
Best of luck to you! :luck::xf:
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Good luck to you too!

Two weeks and a day till I officially start panicking and stop sleeping. I wonder how long it'll take me to hear back... I'm only two days away by First Class mail.
 
I'm two days by postal mail away as well. I'm going to start freaking out on February 28th. I've already got it all figured out. I am really hoping to get something by 3/5 because I'm going out of the country on 3/6 until 3/12.
 
Last edited:
Chad, you're already freaking out, you got the month wrong 3 times 🙄:laugh:...
 
ArtemisEntreri said:
Chad, you're already freaking out, you got the month wrong 3 times 🙄:laugh:...
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😳 Oh dear. Yes, I AM already freaking out (although it was 1 am and I was very tired when I made that post). Columbia is a perfect match for me and I don't want to go anywhere else--I can't believe we only have a couple more weeks to wait!!!

:xf:
 
chad5871 said:
😳 Oh dear. Yes, I AM already freaking out (although it was 1 am and I was very tired when I made that post). Columbia is a perfect match for me and I don't want to go anywhere else--I can't believe we only have a couple more weeks to wait!!!

:xf:
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Chad, your freaking out has been freaking me out! 😛
I'm glad at least this waiting will be over soon. I really hope it happens for us! :luck::xf::luck::xf:

And Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 😍
 
Druzie said:
Chad, your freaking out has been freaking me out! 😛
I'm glad at least this waiting will be over soon. I really hope it happens for us! :luck::xf::luck::xf:

And Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 😍
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😳 Sorry. I've been thinking about this for almost 5 months, and now it's almost 2 weeks away... it's scary.

Happy Valentine's Day potential future classmates! 😍
 
I must admit this is truly comical. I hope you're alright Chad.
happy valentines day everyone
 
chad5871 said:
😳 Sorry. I've been thinking about this for almost 5 months, and now it's almost 2 weeks away... it's scary.

Happy Valentine's Day potential future classmates! 😍
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it doesn't scare you that you're so invested in one school?
 
Anotherface said:
I must admit this is truly comical. I hope you're alright Chad.
happy valentines day everyone
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Ha ha, yeah I'm fine. I'm not nearly as neurotic IRL as I come across on the forums. I'm waiting for my sweetie to get off of work so she'll be able to distract me. 😀

MightyChip26 said:
it doesn't scare you that you're so invested in one school?
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Nah, I do have 4 other acceptances to fall back on, it's just that none of them "fit" me nearly as well as P&S... plus it's the only non-rolling school I interviewed with. At all of my other schools I had an acceptance/rejection/waitlist within 2 months (most within several weeks) so this waiting is making me more tense.

Anotherface said:
May be P&S is a perfect fit for him. I'm sure even you have a top choice. I think I am missing your point. Why should he be scared?
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Ha ha, yeah P&S is just a perfect fit for me - it has everything I'm looking for in a school. Thanks for backing me up.
 
I called them yesterday and they told me that they are interviewing till the 2nd week of March. And they are still sending out interviews (very few i think).
 
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