2009-2010 Columbia University Application Thread

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Hey, so I took a while to finsih up this secondary. I just submitted everyhting. Seeing as Columbia has non-rolling admissions I assume this will not put me at a significant disadvantage compared to eariler applicants. I read that admissions decisions are not made until mid February after all interviews have taken place. Does this seem reasonable?
 
While it is too late now to worry about it, this was probably a poor decision on your part. While it is true that the admission process is rolling here at Columbia, the interview process is not. The longer you wait, the lower your chances are that you will be offered an interview. If you do get an interview, when you do it doesn't matter. I don't mean to panic you, you have good stats (lol at the O writing sample btw), so I think you'll still have a good chance of being asked to interview, but you have several thousand applications ahead of you. Columbia is very old school in the admissions process. There is no filtering, so your application is going to be read in the order that it was received.

See above. To my knowledge you are in the last 30-40% of applications at the highest, and my knowledge is a week old.
 
Oh well. guess i'll just have to keep my fingers crossed for this one. thanks for the info.
 
Yeah...I only just got my complete e-mail a couple days ago. My fault for sending in my picture so late.
 
Interview invite today!!!! I was complete a long time ago, this was the first I submitted. Very very very excited!
 
Invite as well! I was not expecting it since I was complete only about 4 days ago...but I submitted in mid-August. OOS.
 
Interview invite today!!!! I was complete a long time ago, this was the first I submitted. Very very very excited!

Invite as well! I was not expecting it since I was complete only about 4 days ago...but I submitted in mid-August. OOS.

Congrats Guys!

Invite here as well! I submitted this secondary a while ago too but the picture was delayed a lot. So excited about NYC! 🙂

Good Luck to all! :luck::xf:
 
Congrats Guys!

Invite here as well! I submitted this secondary a while ago too but the picture was delayed a lot. So excited about NYC! 🙂

Good Luck to all! :luck::xf:


wowwzies today was a big day, congrats all yous guys! Did you guys apply to Basset?
 
fml no complete email yet... submitted about a month ago. is this normal?
 
wowwzies today was a big day, congrats all yous guys! Did you guys apply to Basset?

I got an invite from Columbia on Monday and did not apply to Basset. I hope that helps 🙂

Congrats to everyone with invites btw!!!!👍:hardy: And best of luck to those still waiting:xf::luck:
 
fml no complete email yet... submitted about a month ago. is this normal?

It is normal - they are slow - I submitted in July and only got the complete about a week ago...I am trying to not read anything into it, but I applied to Bassett, and my guess is that they have not started those invites yet.
 
wowwzies today was a big day, congrats all yous guys! Did you guys apply to Basset?

I didn't apply to Basset and I got an invite on Tuesday morning.

fml no complete email yet... submitted about a month ago. is this normal?

Yep perfectly normal. I know people who submitted before then and still haven't heard back from them about being complete.

It is normal - they are slow - I submitted in July and only got the complete about a week ago...I am trying to not read anything into it, but I applied to Bassett, and my guess is that they have not started those invites yet.

As far as I can tell from this thread the Bassett invites have not gone out yet. Perhaps they have a smaller committee of their own. The exact story only someone who is at Columbia and involved with admissions could tell you.
 
Interviews start tomorrow, good luck to everyone. Don't forget to breathe if this is your first. Columbia's day is a lot less formal than a lot of schools. Some people don't like it, but I honestly got really tired of financial aid meetings by the end of it all.
 
I hope it's normal...I submitted on 8/16 and still nothing...

i think it's pretty normal. i submitted everything 7/20 and wasn't marked complete until 9/10.
 
Interviews start tomorrow, good luck to everyone. Don't forget to breathe if this is your first. Columbia's day is a lot less formal than a lot of schools. Some people don't like it, but I honestly got really tired of financial aid meetings by the end of it all.

mmmcdowe, do you know how long the interview(s) last? I was just given a time to be there by and no other information about the structure of the interviews.

Also, does anyone happen to have the stats on # applied, # interviewed, # accepted for Columbia?
 
mmmcdowe, do you know how long the interview(s) last? I was just given a time to be there by and no other information about the structure of the interviews.

Also, does anyone happen to have the stats on # applied, # interviewed, # accepted for Columbia?

The length of the interview will depend on your interviewer a little, but it should be about 30-45 minutes in length. Just one interview, if it is anything like the last few years (there is potential for waitlist students to get a fabeled second interview, but we will discuss that at another time. I suppose you could also request one if you felt like there was some unique problem with the first). I would just like to emphasize that just because there is only one interview, don't think that Columbia doesn't put weight on them.

Columbia's adcom publishes their admissions stats.

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/ps/admissions/index.html

A little more than a quarter of interviewees are accepted.
 
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Interviews start tomorrow, good luck to everyone. Don't forget to breathe if this is your first. Columbia's day is a lot less formal than a lot of schools. Some people don't like it, but I honestly got really tired of financial aid meetings by the end of it all.

Yeah, I can imagine those getting repetitive and mundane, but nonetheless helpful.

It would be better if they had financial aid plays, circuses, pre-recorded sitcoms, etc. That would be epic.
 
Just added Columbia today. Sent off secondary and photo as well - I know I'm late, but maybe I'll get some attention.
 
Yeah, I can imagine those getting repetitive and mundane, but nonetheless helpful.

It would be better if they had financial aid plays, circuses, pre-recorded sitcoms, etc. That would be epic.

The thing is, they are basically going to go over the same governmental and bank based grants/loans policies, break down the cost for attending that specific school (which is important but not really something that needs a seminar), and then they will tell you that all merit scholarships are automatic or that the applications are sent to you post acceptance at the same time as your financial package. I can understand why its important for schools to do this, because they can't just assume that you have heard it elsewhere, but I wish it was an optional thing at the end of the day or something.
 
Has everyone who has received an interview received a complete email first? If so, how far apart were the 2?

I submitted in July and still no complete email.
 
Has everyone who has received an interview received a complete email first? If so, how far apart were the 2?

I submitted in July and still no complete email.

I got a complete email on 9/1 and an invite on 9/15
 
holy cr*p, interview invite. I have an interview in Boston the previous day (and I've been trying not to miss more than one day of work per week). Is there a way to possibly change your interview date...email doesn't say.
 
does anyone currently at columbia know the progress of the bassett adcom (if it is indeed separate)?
 
Interview invite as well!! Yay! Good luck to everyone 🙂
 
Just got an interview invite!!! Absolutely so excited for this one. I volunteered at the same organization as one of their medical students and I heard so much good stuff about this school. I'm going on the 14th of October. Anyone else going then?
 
Just got an interview invite!!! Absolutely so excited for this one. I volunteered at the same organization as one of their medical students and I heard so much good stuff about this school. I'm going on the 14th of October. Anyone else going then?

October 15th here I think. So....opinions. Live in Philly, interview in Boston on the 14th. Should I

(1) Drive to Boston, drive and hotel it overnight outside NYC (cheaper), then drive to Columbia in the morning, then drive home to Philly
(2) Train to Boston, Bus to NYC, stay with a friend at Columbia Law, bus to Philly.

Gotta keep my finances in order cause I have no parental donations coming in. I hate traveling and shall be a tired mess on interview day. Anyone know if it's possible to change the interview date?
 
October 15th here I think. So....opinions. Live in Philly, interview in Boston on the 14th. Should I

(1) Drive to Boston, drive and hotel it overnight outside NYC (cheaper), then drive to Columbia in the morning, then drive home to Philly
(2) Train to Boston, Bus to NYC, stay with a friend at Columbia Law, bus to Philly.

Gotta keep my finances in order cause I have no parental donations coming in. I hate traveling and shall be a tired mess on interview day. Anyone know if it's possible to change the interview date?

I hope it's possible to change the date. I'm going to be at another one that's close by on the 12th, so I was hoping to do Columbia the day after and miss a lot less school. I'm taking two lab classes right now and those suck to make up. I emailed the admissions office asking if I could change the date so I guess I'll see.
 
Just got an interview invite!!! Absolutely so excited for this one. I volunteered at the same organization as one of their medical students and I heard so much good stuff about this school. I'm going on the 14th of October. Anyone else going then?

me 🙂
 
holy cr*p, interview invite. I have an interview in Boston the previous day (and I've been trying not to miss more than one day of work per week). Is there a way to possibly change your interview date...email doesn't say.

Yeah, just call or email the adcom office with a list of dates.
 
Is columbia med on the columbia med school? My friend was telling me how columbia was surrounded by Ghetto neighborhoods.

Washington Heights is an ethnic neighborhood. It is safe, but if you are scared of Hispanic people, you should rethink whether you want to apply to Columbia. In fact, you should rethink whether you want to be a physician at all.
 
So what's with this oddly formatted lunch email? Are were supposed to print and mail in the form, or email back?
 
Washington Heights is an ethnic neighborhood. It is safe, but if you are scared of Hispanic people, you should rethink whether you want to apply to Columbia. In fact, you should rethink whether you want to be a physician at all.

Lol. I knew Columbia's community programs worked a lot with Hispanics but I didn't know they were right in the middle of a Hispanic neighborhood. That's way tight. Where are most of them from? Mexicans? Central Americans? South Americans? And yes, there's a pretty big difference.
 
Dear bannie:

Thank you for choosing to apply to Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. You have successfully submitted your application for the first year medical school class which will enter in August 2010.

Sincerely,

Columbia U College of Physicians & Surgeons Admissions Office



is this a complete email? or not...
 
Lol. I knew Columbia's community programs worked a lot with Hispanics but I didn't know they were right in the middle of a Hispanic neighborhood. That's way tight. Where are most of them from? Mexicans? Central Americans? South Americans? And yes, there's a pretty big difference.

Dominican.

And I gotta say, that aspect of the location is probably my biggest drawn to the University. I love the idea of being right in the midst of hispanic culture, getting a chance to keep up my spanish. I've spent a lot of time in South America, and I think it's a really valuable thing.
 
Dear bannie:

Thank you for choosing to apply to Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. You have successfully submitted your application for the first year medical school class which will enter in August 2010.

Sincerely,

Columbia U College of Physicians & Surgeons Admissions Office



is this a complete email? or not...

Pretty sure that's only a "secondary successfully submitted" email.
 
yeah. i just got a complete email. and everything was submitted in july. crazy. did they just decide to hide my application for a while or something..
 
..finally got my complete email! I submitted in july..

yeah. i just got a complete email. and everything was submitted in july. crazy. did they just decide to hide my application for a while or something..

I submitted in June and got complete 9/1 so it just takes a while. Rest assured if you mailed your photo to them, they will get to your file!
 
So I just had an interview yesterday. Does anyone have any idea when I should expect to hear a decision?

Also,
Lol. I knew Columbia's community programs worked a lot with Hispanics but I didn't know they were right in the middle of a Hispanic neighborhood. That's way tight. Where are most of them from? Mexicans? Central Americans? South Americans? And yes, there's a pretty big difference.
It's a lot of Dominicans.
 
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