2009-2010 Columbia University Application Thread

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So when I read "You will be notified promptly if the Committee votes to request an interview with you" and interpret it as "if you are not notified promptly, the committee has decided not to interview you" and determine that 16 days is well beyond any reasonable definition of "promptly" so I must have been rejected, am I just being neurotic?
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benny345 said:
I gotcha, was not trying to refute your point! Just sharing my own experience
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late august? and interview only now?

congrats..

i was complete late-ish august too... but no interview heh
 
FluffyRabbit said:
I don't think Columbia does things in chronological order. I was complete in August, and when I recently emailed them regarding being in the NYC area they told me my application was still being reviewed. Don't worry and cheer up! :)
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It's just so frustrating. Columbia was a stretch for me, and I think I may have been overly optimistic in thinking that my MCAT (40T) would earn me an interview here. Just goes to show you how competitive these schools are.
I'm sorry if this post, and the one which preceded it came off as a bit self-centered just writing them helps me accept the fact that I might not get in here...
 
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MCATBear said:
So when I read "You will be notified promptly if the Committee votes to request an interview with you" and interpret it as "if you are not notified promptly, the committee has decided not to interview you" and determine that 16 days is well beyond any reasonable definition of "promptly" so I must have been rejected, am I just being neurotic?
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Yes, you are being neurotic. The adcom is behind right now, and also you aren't rejected just because you don't get an interview on the first pass.
 
mmmcdowe said:
Yes, you are being neurotic. The adcom is behind right now, and also you aren't rejected just because you don't get an interview on the first pass.
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Thank you that is (re)assuring. I will calm down and eat some turkey.
 
PhiAlpha said:
mmmcdowe, could you please comment on the form letters from dean frantz in response to a thank you note and their relative importance / unimportance?

thanks a lot
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I think we talked about it on the last page, but they seem to be pretty universal. Some of my classmates didn't get them after sending in thank yous, but it clearly wasn't a bad sign and was probably a clerical/backlog thing. They are very seductive though, especially the ones that say "we will keep you very much and mind" or say something about your chances being good. It's best to restrain yourself emotionally until you have the acceptance in hand. Otherwise, it makes the waitlist/rejection a lot more painful.
 
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I've been complete since September, I guess this one isn't happening :(
 
Girfaroo said:
I've been complete since September, I guess this one isn't happening :(
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Last year I was complete in July, invited to interview in November. So being complete in September, this doesn't have any meaning yet. They interview until mid-February and are definitely backed up this year. I remember how frustrating it all was though-- just keep your head up.
 
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OO

did they have any dates for earlier?

crap :(
 
interview invite yesterday for 1/20, also complete in early October. I called after got the invite because I'm going to be in the area in a few weeks, but they said that they have no interview slots available in December
 
looks like im out of the running on this one
 
Hey guys...long-time lurker, first time poster (I'm a Canadian applicant so I am more active on Can. Premed forums).

Anyways, I am a little concerned about my application here. I submitted back on 10/10 (and my photo form was mailed out around this time as well), and I still have not been marked complete. I sent Columbia an email asking whether they received all of my documents but I have not obtained a response.

Is this normal? (I.e., should I wait things out)? Or should I send the photo form again somehow (perhaps it was not received)? If anyone else has submitted around my time and is now complete that would be a good indicator.

Thanks in advance! :)
 
madskillz99 said:
Hey guys...long-time lurker, first time poster (I'm a Canadian applicant so I am more active on Can. Premed forums).

Anyways, I am a little concerned about my application here. I submitted back on 10/10 (and my photo form was mailed out around this time as well), and I still have not been marked complete. I sent Columbia an email asking whether they received all of my documents but I have not obtained a response.

Is this normal? (I.e., should I wait things out)? Or should I send the photo form again somehow (perhaps it was not received)? If anyone else has submitted around my time and is now complete that would be a good indicator.

Thanks in advance! :)
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Call!!
 
madskillz99 said:
Hey guys...long-time lurker, first time poster (I'm a Canadian applicant so I am more active on Can. Premed forums).

Anyways, I am a little concerned about my application here. I submitted back on 10/10 (and my photo form was mailed out around this time as well), and I still have not been marked complete. I sent Columbia an email asking whether they received all of my documents but I have not obtained a response.

Is this normal? (I.e., should I wait things out)? Or should I send the photo form again somehow (perhaps it was not received)? If anyone else has submitted around my time and is now complete that would be a good indicator.

Thanks in advance! :)
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I submitted in early September and wasn't complete until 11/9. I also heard they are backed up in admissions right now, so maybe that explains why you haven't heard anything. But I agree, a call never hurts!
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for the advice. I gave them a call this morning and they told me that they would've sent an email if my application had a missing item. The lady I spoke to said it is because they are so back-logged with applications (~5000) that it can take awhile for people near the bottom of the pile to be marked complete. But she said perhaps next week they would get to me.

She also mentioned that the December 15th deadline for receipt of all items will be extended.

So I suppose all seems well, I will just have to wait longer...sigh..
 
Also,

"Because our selection process is not computerized, and because decisions about your application are made by members of the Admissions Committee, your application may be processed more slowly at P&S than at other schools."

-SIGH-
 
Since I didn't receive a complete email until 10/29, I may be out of luck on this one. Anyone know when interviews stop?
 
Wow, quick reply, thanks! Sorry if this is a dumb question, but do you know if they go through the end of Feb or stop at some point in the middle of the month? It looks like it may actually matter for my completion date.
 
taciturngirl said:
Wow, quick reply, thanks! Sorry if this is a dumb question, but do you know if they go through the end of Feb or stop at some point in the middle of the month? It looks like it may actually matter for my completion date.
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Your application will be reviewed before the last interview day is offered, but no I don't know exactly what day they end. It may be flexible, but jujubee might know.
 
I have a few questions about doing a joint MBA program at Columbia:

1. What GMAT score is required to be admitted?
2. Is it one or two additional years?
3. How competitive is it for a medical student to get in?
4. Is there financial aid/scholarships available?

Thanks!
 
mmmcdowe - I just have a quick question if you have time- you have been so helpful so you seem like the best person to ask!

I interviewed this past week at Columbia and it is is far and away my top choice. I am sending my thank you note to my interviewer today. I was thinking about writing a general thank you note also to dean frantz and the admissions committee, but I plan on sending a letter of intent around january or feb (I guess that is a little random, but that is what I was told to do!). Do you think I should just hold off on the general thank you note in that case and sort of cover that in my letter of intent? I don't want to bombard them with notes...
 
I don't think two letters with a month or two in between would count as bombardment.
 
benny345 said:
mmmcdowe - I just have a quick question if you have time- you have been so helpful so you seem like the best person to ask!

I interviewed this past week at Columbia and it is is far and away my top choice. I am sending my thank you note to my interviewer today. I was thinking about writing a general thank you note also to dean frantz and the admissions committee, but I plan on sending a letter of intent around january or feb (I guess that is a little random, but that is what I was told to do!). Do you think I should just hold off on the general thank you note in that case and sort of cover that in my letter of intent? I don't want to bombard them with notes...
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It's not random at all to do that, I was probably the one who told you to :). Since we are starting to get closer to when admissions decisions are made, let me just make sure everyone is on the same page for this. Columbia likes people who like Columbia. They are actively seeking students that are going to be happy here. So, if you have finished up your interviews (or in January/early February whenever) and are confident that Columbia is your top choice, or even one of several top choices, you should let Dean Frantz know. Just write him and tell him why you love Columbia and what about you makes you a great addition to the class. It won't be considered brown nosing, it won't hurt your chances of financial aid, and you don't have to do it if you aren't comfortable with it. Plenty of people come to Columbia without doing it, but it does have a proven positive effect on your application if you do.

As far as your question, I can confidently say it won't hurt you to write them now and then later in the cycle. Will it help if you are going to write a letter of intent in a month anyways? I do not know, but I did it and don't regret it.
 
Anybody interviewing on 01/11?
 
Regarding interviewing in February: last year they interviewed until mid-February. They are extremely backlogged, so I imagine they will continue until the end of February (especially considering they extended the Dec. 15 deadline), but I will try to find out tomorrow.

This was my time frame (roughly) in terms of corresponding with the admissions committee:

Post-interview: thank you to interviewer, and thank you to Dean Frantz for considering my application
Post all interviews (around mid-February I think?): letter of intent to Dean Frantz
Post waitlist: written letter accepting my spot on the waitlist with an additional phrasing of intent.
2 weeks later: sent Dean Frantz a research paper I was involved in that was published, with my commentaries on its significance and again my desire to attend Columbia.
2 weeks later: called the admissions office and requested to speak to Dean Frantz (one of the scariest moments in the whole process). 2-3 minutes later, I talk to him and request a 2nd interview when I'll be in town in NYC.
~3 weeks later: had second interview, accepted.

Bottom line: it pays to be a squeaky wheel if this is where you want to go. It seems precocious, but it is normal. If I hadn't been accepted after my 2nd interview, I was planning on doing some sort of correspondence about every 2 weeks. Yes, admissions people talk to other admissions people, so don't do this unless it really is your top choice. (Though updating other schools and expressing interest is totally fine, you should only tell 1 school that you will definitely come if admitted and withdraw all other applications.)
 
Just a quick question for any other applicants/students at Columbia about my interview.

I had an interview about a month and a half ago with a neurosurgeon at Columbia. I've been thinking about it lately, and wanted some opinions on it's weight. Before I went into the room, he spent about a good half hour reading my app and then called me in. We talked for maybe 5 minutes about my application, mainly about running (I just did my 3rd marathon a few weeks ago) and studying abroad in Europe, and also why I wanted to study at Columbia. He then stopped with questions, instead explaining to me the admissions process (1100 interviewed, 800 are good candidates, 300 are 'duds') and that he thought I was part of the good category. So, the rest of the interview (maybe 25 more minutes) was him explaining to me why Columbia was a great medical school, adding that I could stop to ask him questions whenever I wanted (which I did). Got into a funny history lesson about the difference between UPenn and Columbia (I work at Penn), and ultimately why Columbia was more awesome in his opinion.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Columbia and my interviewer. But, I was wondering how the interviewer comments are viewed as part of the admissions process. We spent so little talking about me, and more time talking about the selling points of Columbia, that I'm not sure he'll have too much specific to say that isn't already mentioned in my app. I'm not sure if Columbia is my first choice yet (I don't really have one to be honest, having explicitly avoided getting my heart set to prevent disappointment)...so I'd feel weird about writing any sort of update letter quite yet. Thoughts? Opinions about the interview comments in the admissions process?
 
mdeast said:
Just a quick question for any other applicants/students at Columbia about my interview.

I had an interview about a month and a half ago with a neurosurgeon at Columbia. I've been thinking about it lately, and wanted some opinions on it's weight. Before I went into the room, he spent about a good half hour reading my app and then called me in. We talked for maybe 5 minutes about my application, mainly about running (I just did my 3rd marathon a few weeks ago) and studying abroad in Europe, and also why I wanted to study at Columbia. He then stopped with questions, instead explaining to me the admissions process (1100 interviewed, 800 are good candidates, 300 are 'duds') and that he thought I was part of the good category. So, the rest of the interview (maybe 25 more minutes) was him explaining to me why Columbia was a great medical school, adding that I could stop to ask him questions whenever I wanted (which I did). Got into a funny history lesson about the difference between UPenn and Columbia (I work at Penn), and ultimately why Columbia was more awesome in his opinion.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Columbia and my interviewer. But, I was wondering how the interviewer comments are viewed as part of the admissions process. We spent so little talking about me, and more time talking about the selling points of Columbia, that I'm not sure he'll have too much specific to say that isn't already mentioned in my app. I'm not sure if Columbia is my first choice yet (I don't really have one to be honest, having explicitly avoided getting my heart set to prevent disappointment)...so I'd feel weird about writing any sort of update letter quite yet. Thoughts? Opinions about the interview comments in the admissions process?
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I'm also very interested to hear the answer to this.

My interview was similar in that I don't feel my interviewer will have much to add to my application.
 
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this is my (educated) guess, so no one get mad at me! i think the myth that we're all on equal playing field post-interview is just that-- a myth. it's not like once you've made it to the interview phase they only consider things that happen after that point. after the interview, they still look at your *whole* application, and their in-person conversation with you becomes just one part of that.

so... interviews that don't feel extremely interview-ish, or interviewers who tell you you're a sure thing, or interviews that go terribly don't have as huge a weight as we think they do. that's my feeling about the whole thing. :shrug:
 
dw2158 said:
this is my (educated) guess, so no one get mad at me! i think the myth that we're all on equal playing field post-interview is just that-- a myth. it's not like once you've made it to the interview phase they only consider things that happen after that point. after the interview, they still look at your *whole* application, and their in-person conversation with you becomes just one part of that.

so... interviews that don't feel extremely interview-ish, or interviewers who tell you you're a sure thing, or interviews that go terribly don't have as huge a weight as we think they do. that's my feeling about the whole thing. :shrug:
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Yeah, I'd probably guess that's more or less the case too.

But if you have an amazing interview, I'd guess it can push you over the top. Likewise, if you have a really terrible interview, it can be a deal-breaker.

Like you said, maybe it's just a part of the whole package. At least that's what I'm hoping, since my interview here did not go nearly as well as I had hoped.

:oops:
 
dw2158 said:
this is my (educated) guess, so no one get mad at me! i think the myth that we're all on equal playing field post-interview is just that-- a myth. it's not like once you've made it to the interview phase they only consider things that happen after that point. after the interview, they still look at your *whole* application, and their in-person conversation with you becomes just one part of that.

so... interviews that don't feel extremely interview-ish, or interviewers who tell you you're a sure thing, or interviews that go terribly don't have as huge a weight as we think they do. that's my feeling about the whole thing. :shrug:
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I agree.

Anyway, has anyone received an interview with a sub 35 mcat? Just wondering?
 
whoops. thought i was in another thread
 
jolt, quick question. did you by any chance win a noble prize or something?
 
and i mean that in a very complimentary way. nice cycle.
 
i am starting to lose hope with this school. oh, columbia... i just want an interview :lame:
 
dw2158 said:
this is my (educated) guess, so no one get mad at me! i think the myth that we're all on equal playing field post-interview is just that-- a myth. it's not like once you've made it to the interview phase they only consider things that happen after that point. after the interview, they still look at your *whole* application, and their in-person conversation with you becomes just one part of that.

so... interviews that don't feel extremely interview-ish, or interviewers who tell you you're a sure thing, or interviews that go terribly don't have as huge a weight as we think they do. that's my feeling about the whole thing. :shrug:
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Yeah, I more or less got the impression that the interview was mainly to eliminate those 300 "dud" students as he referred to them...at least, I would thought he would have asked me more questions if it had been more important. It could definitely just be my personal interviewer, because I didn't really talk to other applicants about their experience.
 
I mentioned a page or two back that Columbia likes to use the interview in part as a private info session. Columbia's interviews are important, but as others have suggested interviews are part of the whole application. Your interview is not the sole determinant of your acceptance (meaning your application in general is for more than just getting you an interview).
 
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I definitely agree with mmm. Because there is no formal info session by a dean, many faculty will use the interview slot for a bit of that. That's unfortunate that you felt you weren't really heard though. Never a good feeling, but I don't think it necessarily reflects poorly on you.
 
this was my absolute best and favorite info so far-wasn't JUST an info session, but I really was able to connect with my interviewer...it also happens that columbia is my absolute top choice so hopefully things go well !
 
mmmcdowe, awhile back someone posted regarding the role of residency on admission despite this being a private school-i don't think it was in the columbia thread specifically, but i think a combined columbia/penn thread under "what are my chances?" Any way you could comment on that? Are there in fact more accepted students from home state NY in your experience?
 
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