2009-2010 Columbia University Application Thread

[erotangos]

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Question: Obviously too late to fix this for the Columbia app, but I'm just rethinking.

I have finished two years of college and obtained senior standing-- all prereqs and most major requirements are finished.

Am I a junior or a senior?
-- It is my third year, but I have senior standing and intend to graduate in may.
Have I finished two years of coursework or three?
-- I've spent two years in college, but have three years' worth of coursework finished...

For Columbia, I put Senior and Two years of coursework. Any thoughts on whether this was correct?

 

[trueBelief]

I think this is fine. You obviously cannot say 3 years because you have been in school for 2. I am sure they will look at your AMCAS and figure it out. If in doubt, you can always email/call them and find out.

 

[trueBelief]

Why wouldn't you proofread your secondary before submitting it?

I did proof-read it a lot. I was going back and forth between it being too much like my personal statement and now that I have done a lot more secondaries, I feel the Columbia one was not as good as it could have been. Oh well, nothing I can do now but just make sure the others are good before I submit them.🙂

 

[ziggydoc]

Question for you guys, does all of your app. status just say submitted? Cuz I send in my photo, but never heard anything from them about it, just wondering if others heard something after they send their photo, or should I just assume I am complete.

 

[FML]

Question for you guys, does all of your app. status just say submitted? Cuz I send in my photo, but never heard anything from them about it, just wondering if others heard something after they send their photo, or should I just assume I am complete.

I haven't heard a thing since I submitted in June 🙁

but they said they would be slow... I think I'm gonna call early August just to check in.

 

[ziggydoc]

I haven't heard a thing since I submitted in June 🙁

but they said they would be slow... I think I'm gonna call early August just to check in.

aw, ok keep us updated if you call 🙂

 

[straubest]

aw, ok keep us updated if you call 🙂

i actually called most of the schools that i applied to last week in regards to my fee waiver, to ensure that they received it. when i called colombia they said they were getting things organized and would email everyone in the first week of august to let them know what they have, what they are missing, and what must be done next. so just be patient, only another week and you should from them.

 

[LAman10]

Ok so i'm ready to submit and when reviewing the pdf, it only shows one of my mcat scores (I took it in jan and march, but it's only showing my jan score). anyone have this problem?


Also, for the "how many years of college you will have completed?" question, the app says sept 2009, but the pdf says sept 2010... should we just input it as if it's for sept 2010?

 

[MaryLennox]

Hi fellow Columbia applicants!

I havent filled out the secondary yet because i dont have the $ but I hope to do it within 2 weeks or so.

This is my enormous REACH school . . . however i heard that they like artists and they like high verbal scores . . . hopefully those two things can push me over the I-have-a-low-GPA hurdle. We shall wait and see . . .

 

[eeeeee]

scientific illustration? that's awesome.

 

[onb2014]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/health/policy/25doctors.html?em

I assume this is the same Bassett Healthcare as Columbia-Bassett?

 

[MaryLennox]

scientific illustration? that's awesome.

thanks 😀 what kind of art do you do? (saw that in your MDApps . . .)

I took a photography class in college and I loved it . . . we used SLR cameras and developed our own film and photographs, I thought it was so cool. Do people still do that? Do you, or are you into digital? (I took it like 5 years ago so i know film is probably dead by now, or close to it) 🙁

 

[scaZ]

For this question, "About how many hours per week, if any, did you spend in work for which you were recompensed during the college year? (limit 200 characters)"

Does this include summer employment or ONLY semester employment (as in when you're taking classes and working for money at the same time?)

It says to include summer employment in the following question, kind of tricky, so I wasn't sure.

 

[johncalvin]

For this question, "About how many hours per week, if any, did you spend in work for which you were recompensed during the college year? (limit 200 characters)"

Does this include summer employment or ONLY semester employment (as in when you're taking classes and working for money at the same time?)

It says to include summer employment in the following question, kind of tricky, so I wasn't sure.

"About how many hours per week...." refers to semester employment only.

The following question, as you pointed out, refers to any and all employment/work during the four years at college including summers.

 

[LAman10]

Ok so i'm ready to submit and when reviewing the pdf, it only shows one of my mcat scores (I took it in jan and march, but it's only showing my jan score). anyone have this problem?


Also, for the "how many years of college you will have completed?" question, the app says sept 2009, but the pdf says sept 2010... should we just input it as if it's for sept 2010?

no one else had these issues? 🙁

 

[Petemoss]

When it says "Do not use return or enter" does that mean we can't space our paragraphs?

And when making lists, do we just separate the entries with commas?

 

[FML]

1. yes that's correct
2. i used semicolons

 

[Petemoss]

1. yes that's correct
2. i used semicolons

FML: thanks!

 

[scaZ]

Wait, do collegiate extracurriculars include research and shadowing a doctor or no?

 

[OneMCATAway]

i got an email from them today to consider their MS in nutrition program.. i didnt even apply here!

 

[swimchick]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/health/policy/25doctors.html?em

I assume this is the same Bassett Healthcare as Columbia-Bassett?

Yes, it is......

 

[jtink]

Wait, do collegiate extracurriculars include research and shadowing a doctor or no?

if the extracurriculars are done through your university ie your research was done through some sort of program at your university/the doctor shadowing was part of some university affiliated thing, then yes they are collegiate extracurriculars.

 

[Bbon]

Is anyone else with me here? If Columbia doesn't seem to be in any hurry to look at our applications, I'm in no hurry to submit mine, even though I got the email forever ago. Heck I've got plenty of other ones to look at, including schools that do rolling admissions. Columbia might be one of the last ones I do.

 

[LAman10]

Is anyone else with me here? If Columbia doesn't seem to be in any hurry to look at our applications, I'm in no hurry to submit mine, even though I got the email forever ago. Heck I've got plenty of other ones to look at, including schools that do rolling admissions. Columbia might be one of the last ones I do.

In any relationship, someone is gonna be calling all the shots and the other person is gonna be whipped into submission. In this relationship, I'm gonna say Columbia is calling the shots.

 

[Mashizhao]

Do we send in just the picture form or the entire pdf application?

 

[FML]

Do we send in just the picture form or the entire pdf application?

Only the picture form

 

[trueBelief]

In any relationship, someone is gonna be calling all the shots and the other person is gonna be whipped into submission. In this relationship, I'm gonna say Columbia is calling the shots.

👍

This is a game that we can only win if someone else (aka med school admission committees) wishes so

 

[scaZ]

if the extracurriculars are done through your university ie your research was done through some sort of program at your university/the doctor shadowing was part of some university affiliated thing, then yes they are collegiate extracurriculars.

Thanks a lot!

 

[erotangos]

In any relationship, someone is gonna be calling all the shots and the other person is gonna be whipped into submission. In this relationship, I'm gonna say Columbia is calling the shots.

LOL nicely put, LAMan

 

[robocop1998]

so for the essay question ".What satisfactions do you expect to receive from your activities as a physician?" should I just talk about various "satisfactions" or just focus on a couple and try to link them to my past experiences? thanks!
.

 

[dw2158]

so for the essay question ".What satisfactions do you expect to receive from your activities as a physician?" should I just talk about various "satisfactions" or just focus on a couple and try to link them to my past experiences? thanks!
.

it's a fairly large character limit, so i wouldn't just list off a bunch of "satisfactions."

 

[LAman10]

k i've asked this already but didn't get a response (please don't hate me for posting again!)

I took the MCAT twice and inputted both scores into the app where it asked for it. but when I view the pdf, it only shows one of my scores (the first one, which is the lower one). did anyone else have this problem?

 

[anxietypeaker]

k i've asked this already but didn't get a response (please don't hate me for posting again!)

I took the MCAT twice and inputted both scores into the app where it asked for it. but when I view the pdf, it only shows one of my scores (the first one, which is the lower one). did anyone else have this problem?

so i took a look at the PDF before submitting, so i just switched the order i input my scores (more recent on bottom row)...that way the more recent score and higher score showed up on the pdf

BUT...my understanding is that theyll be using the amcas app for your numbers/gpa/etc.

 

[trueBelief]

k i've asked this already but didn't get a response (please don't hate me for posting again!)

I took the MCAT twice and inputted both scores into the app where it asked for it. but when I view the pdf, it only shows one of my scores (the first one, which is the lower one). did anyone else have this problem?

I think something like that almost warrants an email or a phone call to admissions just so that they are aware of it. Also, I remember someone posting that they are not getting to our applications until the first week of August so I would call/email them next week.

Rest aside, I am sure they would verify your numbers with the AMCAS.

 

[onb2014]

k i've asked this already but didn't get a response (please don't hate me for posting again!)

I took the MCAT twice and inputted both scores into the app where it asked for it. but when I view the pdf, it only shows one of my scores (the first one, which is the lower one). did anyone else have this problem?

yea, i think i had the same issue where they only showed the more recent score -- i had no problem with that, since my 2nd score was much higher!

 

[LAman10]

so i took a look at the PDF before submitting, so i just switched the order i input my scores (more recent on bottom row)...that way the more recent score and higher score showed up on the pdf

BUT...my understanding is that theyll be using the amcas app for your numbers/gpa/etc.

I think something like that almost warrants an email or a phone call to admissions just so that they are aware of it. Also, I remember someone posting that they are not getting to our applications until the first week of August so I would call/email them next week.

Rest aside, I am sure they would verify your numbers with the AMCAS.

yea, i think i had the same issue where they only showed the more recent score -- i had no problem with that, since my 2nd score was much higher!

cool beans! I guess I'll just rearrange them to show the higher score. I know they'll be looking at my AMCAS for the numbers, but still, I was just like, "honestlY? wtf?"

 

[CrimsonMirage]

it's a fairly large character limit, so i wouldn't just list off a bunch of "satisfactions."

Apart from listing off satisfactions, did you guys just address why you chose medicine?
I am trying really hard to answer this question in a way that is NOT identical to my personal statement... 😕 And I haven't been too successful, so I thought I would ask.

THANKS!😍

 

[torino]

Apart from listing off satisfactions, did you guys just address why you chose medicine?
I am trying really hard to answer this question in a way that is NOT identical to my personal statement... 😕 And I haven't been too successful, so I thought I would ask.

THANKS!😍

I poured my heart out into the personal statement essay, so what I have decided to do with all of my secondaries is approach the same theme from a different angle using other activities on my application. I don't know if it's applicable to you, but I wrote about one major activity in my personal statement so it works out for me.

Also, for the additional info document, did anybody add other essays from other secondaries, or would that be a big no-no?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Doe87]

I would recommend against that. They already asked for an essay specifically for them. And they don't want all that extra to read. The additional documents are better for adding information that you feel is important, but didn't have a place anywhere else.

 

[torino]

Fair enough. The response I got from admissions via e-mail was, "You may add any information at the end of our application that will enhance your file." I think I'll give their eyes a nano-break by just putting the bare essentials.

Thanks Doe!

 

[LAman10]

Aside from mailing in the photo form, is there anything else we need to mail in to be complete? what about the payment receipt? thanks

 

[trueBelief]

Aside from mailing in the photo form, is there anything else we need to mail in to be complete? what about the payment receipt? thanks

Just the photo.

 

[CdnHopeful]

What does Chinese fall under in the ethnicities???

Asian-Pacific Islander????? lol

Anyone?

 

[torino]

I would figure so as China does not fall in South Asia nor does it fall in Southeast Asia...

 

[torino]

Damnit - I just realized I left off my minor on the four apps I submitted earlier today. Oh well, I hope they see it on AMCAS!

 

[daisy44]

you guys need to read directions. it says on the top of the page what to do for listing extra majors (use the uploadable document).

i looked through the instruction booklet, but I still cant figure out how to list a double major. Can someone point me to where I might find this info? Thanks 🙂

 

[torino]

You just list the info on your extra document. I made sure to list it with my institution and when I planned to receive it. Hope this helps!

 

[Food]

Do you guys think I should bother applying? I know I have the MCAT score for it, but I'm a reapplicant and a lot of my medically related activities are sort of rushed at the end of my senior year (after I realized I wasn't getting any interviews). Also I don't have any amazing awards or societal memberships...

 

[litconsultant]

Not sure if someone asked this already, but for the recommendation section, if your letters are required through AMCAS, then there's no need to resend them from your school right? And are we limited to three letters?

 

[aquariuscharm]

If I intend to earn a second degree in my second major, would that necessitate an uploaded document? I just relisted my university with the other degree since it said to use the uploaded doc if the space provided was inefficient.

Thanks!