2010-2011 Columbia Application Thread

[tlaloc87]

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I started filling it out but still got an invite.

Check your spam.

I'm really hoping there was no invite in my spam folder when I cleared it at 9:21 p.m. tonight 🙁 Did a lot of people's get marked as spam?

 

[Doodl3s]

a question about the secondary... question 4 asks about work during the college year. What if you didnt have a job that you were "recompensed" DURING the school year?

i ask this because the next question then seems to be a follow-up (the way its worded) but then INCLUDES summer employment, which for most people, summer is NOT part of the college year...

 

[Avoidthetiger]

I'm really hoping there was no invite in my spam folder when I cleared it at 9:21 p.m. tonight 🙁 Did a lot of people's get marked as spam?

I didn't get in my spam either so don't worry. It's a coming.

a question about the secondary... question 4 asks about work during the college year. What if you didnt have a job that you were "recompensed" DURING the school year?

i ask this because the next question then seems to be a follow-up (the way its worded) but then INCLUDES summer employment, which for most people, summer is NOT part of the college year...

I think for question four they are trying to figure out how many hours you worked during the school year (as this might effect your GPA or ECs... weirdly I started doing better in school when I started working 20 hours versus 5-10..... hmmmm). Question 5 is asking what you did during those jobs AND also is curious what type of jobs you did over the summer. But I might be wrong about this.

 

[Kip]

I didn't get in my spam either so don't worry. It's a coming.




I think for question four they are trying to figure out how many hours you worked during the school year (as this might effect your GPA or ECs... weirdly I started doing better in school when I started working 20 hours versus 5-10..... hmmmm). Question 5 is asking what you did during those jobs AND also is curious what type of jobs you did over the summer. But I might be wrong about this.

Are they only looking for paid employment?

 

[tlaloc87]

I didn't get in my spam either so don't worry. It's a coming.

I'm not too worried because all the unsolicited mailings (e.g. Army's HSPS, Columbia's MS in Nutrition) have not been marked as spam. Just thought "what if?"

 

[MLK25]

Quick questions,

1. Should I list research and volunteering opportunites as part of my extracurricular activities for question # 2?
In what collegiate extracurricular activities did you engage?*

2. My AMCAS GPA and my transcript GPA are different. However, my transcript GPA is a bit higher than my AMCAS GPA. Should I fill in the higher GPA and attach a document stating the discrepancy amongst the two or just fill in my AMCAS GPA.?

 

[NickNaylor]

1) I didn't.

2) I'm in a similar situation. I listed the AMCAS GPA.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Under recommendations.

So if my career services center sent them to AMCAS (which I has then on file), do I still have to write the individual information? My career services center sent each letter to AMCAS as an individual letter.

Assuming that Columbia is now a AMCAS letter recipient, then the question becomes is the AMCAS letter sending service one of the programs listed? Even if it isn't, I don't think you need to list their names. They do that to make it easier for them to match letters of rec to the files if people send the LORs directly. If they are getting them through amcas, there is no need for them to match because it will come out when they print your primary.

Also...

"Have you requested your College Premedical Committee, Advisor or Letter Service to send us a recommendation?"

Do we put "yes" if we sent it to AMCAS? I mean my career center didn't send it to Columbia directly...a bit confusing.

Can you just type in "AMCAS only". Otherwise I would say no, because this is more for students who get their letters compiled into a committee letter.

a question about the secondary... question 4 asks about work during the college year. What if you didnt have a job that you were "recompensed" DURING the school year?

Don't list one. That question is specifically targeting people who worked during academic years.

Quick questions,

1. Should I list research and volunteering opportunites as part of my extracurricular activities for question # 2?
In what collegiate extracurricular activities did you engage?*

2. My AMCAS GPA and my transcript GPA are different. However, my transcript GPA is a bit higher than my AMCAS GPA. Should I fill in the higher GPA and attach a document stating the discrepancy amongst the two or just fill in my AMCAS GPA.?

1) I personally would unless there is a more appropriate question for it in the application. It depends on what is implied by collegiate.

2)I'd go with AMCAS, you are one of a billion kids who have different AMCAS and transcript GPAs.

 

[Doodl3s]

Don't list one. That question is specifically targeting people who worked during academic years.

Okay, thats what I figured. But question five seems like a Follow-up... but says (include summer employment), which i DO have...

Do I then start talking about my summer employments, or only if the summer employment was while taking summer classes?

 

[gobears112]

How did all of you format your answer for question 5 "What sort of work did you do?" It says list format with commas. That is kind of hard for me to picture. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[MLK25]

For question number 6, I joined the military straight out of high school before attending college. Is that considered an interruption to my education or they just talking only about undergrad?

 

[UCStudent]

How did all of you format your answer for question 5 "What sort of work did you do?" It says list format with commas. That is kind of hard for me to picture. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Yeah, I'm also wondering this too. 1000 characters is enough write full-sentence descriptions...so I'm confused as well.

 

[sml5t]

Yeah, I'm also wondering this too. 1000 characters is enough write full-sentence descriptions...so I'm confused as well.

I did: "Position - Location (Time)" separated by commas

e.g. Burger flipper - McDonald's (July 2007-May 2008), Intern - National Institutes of Health (May 2008-August 2008), etc

Don't worry about the fact that there are way more characters than you need...I only used about half the character limit and I'm sure it'll be fine...

 

[MB333999]

WUDDDUP LADIES AND GENTLEMAN

hope everyone's having a mighty fine day 🙂

 

[mmmcdowe]

Okay, thats what I figured. But question five seems like a Follow-up... but says (include summer employment), which i DO have...

Do I then start talking about my summer employments, or only if the summer employment was while taking summer classes?

I would consider any summer employment open territory.

For question number 6, I joined the military straight out of high school before attending college. Is that considered an interruption to my education or they just talking only about undergrad?

I personally would write something. Even if that isn't exactly what they meant this seems like a reasonable reason to write it.

 

[Crisco]

does "collegiate" apply to only undergrad? what if i'm in grad school? 😱

 

[rafflecopter]

I think collegiate implies affiliation with the school, so as long as whatever your involved with was a school-sanctioned club/event/experience, put it down.

Question or two for all of you: In the work part, it says to list work during the college "year." I took that to mean only this past year, but they could mean all of your college years. What did you all think? My other question is about "interruptions." I'm a non-trad who graduated then decided to pursue medicine, so I was out of school for a year working. I'm thinking I should briefly explain this, although I'm not positive this prompt is meant for me (seems more for people who dropped out before finishing their degrees).

 

[runawayclock]

A girl. It's pretty tame. I wanted pink or purple for the summer... but well, I never know when I might get an interview (and I had to take those photos), so I figured I would be on the safe side. Maybe the white coat ceremony... hmmmmm...

I even considered going all blonde this summer. But I figured I already act enough like a ditz at times, that I didn't need my hair to emphasize that in pictures or interviews. haha.

I had platinum blonde hair for a month and baby blue hair until like a week before my columbia interview last cycle. Hahaha. Ugh, re-applying while on the waitlist. I can't quit you, Columbia!

Can't wait to get into med school already so I can start looking like how I normally look.

 

[BrainBuff]

I had platinum blonde hair for a month and baby blue hair until like a week before my columbia interview last cycle. Hahaha. Ugh, re-applying while on the waitlist. I can't quit you, Columbia!

Can't wait to get into med school already so I can start looking like how I normally look.

Hmmm.....maybe med schools are getting a vibe of how you normally look and they don't like it. Something about true colors coming through the application and interviews and you are looking more like a fake, pretending to be something else so you can fit in...

Careful with that...

 

[tonypiggy]

😍I eventually got the secondary invite email this morning. I hope others who had the same concerns as me last week all received the email together with me moment ago. The format is actually the same as the one MB333999 provided

 

[BrainBuff]

Yup, I got the secondary invite today as well. Let's get ready guys!!

 

[wheredshego]

Yeah I got it too, and I haven't even been verified!

 

[UrsusHorribilis]

Yeah I got it too, and I haven't even been verified!

Same. I must have started the app at some point and already forgotten a few days later haha. Weird =P

 

[MLK25]

Do schools accept and hold onto letters even if they did not give you a secondary to fill out yet? I do not know exactly how AMCAS distribute the letters. Do they send it out all at once when they receive them?

 

[JubJub603]

Hi all,

sorry if this question has been answered before, but I'm just not seeing it:

What are the letter of evaluation requirements for S&P? All that I'm seeing on the application is: List here the names of three persons familiar with your work whom you have asked to support your application with individual letters of recommendation.

Are there any specific constraints to this, as in, two science professors or something of that nature? What is everyone else doing? Also, would it be wise for me to send all four of my LOE's in if there are no specific constraints?

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hi all,

sorry if this question has been answered before, but I'm just not seeing it:

What are the letter of evaluation requirements for S&P? All that I'm seeing on the application is: List here the names of three persons familiar with your work whom you have asked to support your application with individual letters of recommendation.

Are there any specific constraints to this, as in, two science professors or something of that nature? What is everyone else doing? Also, would it be wise for me to send all four of my LOE's in if there are no specific constraints?

😱😱😱😱😱😱

As much as I am a fan of the S, it's P&S 😀

Judging by the instructions, I would assume that there are no requirements in terms of who. I picked my best three I believe which was a professor, a personal reference, and a doctor.

 

[Thom1986]

Looking this over- question 1 seems to be the real essay of importance. I have plenty of expected satisfactions- but am finding it hard to write an essay on my expectations of medicine without sounding "preachy" about the profession. I wish to avoid explaining to adcom members what medicine is all about, while also avoiding an essay that sounds like pure speculation. Should I be tying this back to my own experiences with health care thus far? Any thoughts?

 

[minka]

For the essay regarding recompensed work, would performing research while receiving a stipend count? Thank you!

 

[NickNaylor]

For the essay regarding recompensed work, would performing research while receiving a stipend count? Thank you!

I would include it. You're being "recompensed."

 

[runawayclock]

Hmmm.....maybe med schools are getting a vibe of how you normally look and they don't like it. Something about true colors coming through the application and interviews and you are looking more like a fake, pretending to be something else so you can fit in...

Careful with that...

lol thanks for the advice but,
1) talking with one of the admissions officers from one of the schools i was rejected at, my problems were the late application/late MCAT score, and the lack of clinical hours (especially as compared to my research hours)
2) my preference for candy colored hair is purely aesthetic. i'm pretty comfortable in my interview suit, having worked in a cube f/t for a while. 😛 all the same, itching to change my hair!

 

[athenalux]

Columbia's app won't allow me to submit b/c I haven't answered the Recommendations "Name of Advisor" blank even though it specifically states to only fill it in if an Advisor is sending a letter on my behalf :/

Should I just fill it in to apease the computer? Or is there a way around this glitch?

 

[rafflecopter]

For those of you with some questions, I just called the Columbia Office and asked a bunch.

Q: Do post-bac's who worked before starting pre-med need to fill out the "school interrupted question?"

A:No, the question is only for people who left school before receiving their bachelor's degree.

Q: Does the question "About how many hours per week, if any, did you spend in work for which you were recompensed during the college year" apply only to work in the past year, or any of your years in college?

A: No, it only applies to the past year.

Q: What should I list for my GPAs if I'm a post-bac?

A: Just list your AMCAS GPAs, if you haven't been verified yet just enter 0.00 for both.

Q: If I've attended the same school, once for undergraduate and again for post-bac work, how do I list it in the schools attended section?

A: It doesn't really matter, either list them together with one date range or twice with the two different set of dates, or don't list them at all if they're on your AMCAS primary.

 

[anders11]

For those of you with some questions, I just called the Columbia Office and asked a bunch.
[/I]

Oh, man. I was reading over this and realized I answered all these questions the wrong way last year... (talked about some cool stuff I had done between high school and college, talked about ALL the work I had done and not just in the last year). They still gave me an acceptance, so it's all good - but still. Secondary fail.

 

[RB93]

For those of you with some questions, I just called the Columbia Office and asked a bunch.

Q: Do post-bac's who worked before starting pre-med need to fill out the "school interrupted question?"

A:No, the question is only for people who left school before receiving their bachelor's degree.

Q: Does the question "About how many hours per week, if any, did you spend in work for which you were recompensed during the college year" apply only to work in the past year, or any of your years in college?

A: No, it only applies to the past year.

Q: What should I list for my GPAs if I'm a post-bac?

A: Just list your AMCAS GPAs, if you haven't been verified yet just enter 0.00 for both.

Q: If I've attended the same school, once for undergraduate and again for post-bac work, how do I list it in the schools attended section?

A: It doesn't really matter, either list them together with one date range or twice with the two different set of dates, or don't list them at all if they're on your AMCAS primary.

Thanks rafflecopter. #2 is confusing. I thought this was referring to the average throughout the college years

 

[nyy]

were you guys able to copy and paste your responses into the secondary application or did you have to type it into the box.

 

[rafflecopter]

Thanks rafflecopter. #2 is confusing. I thought this was referring to the average throughout the college years - what is you are a nontrad?

I worked in the film industry for a year at a development company and as a screenwriter. Decided being a doctor was a better idea, which as I'm told is the opposite direction most people take lol.

were you guys able to copy and paste your responses into the secondary application or did you have to type it into the box.

I copy and pasted, just make sure you don't have any formatting problems.

 

[RB93]

.

 

[JubJub603]

😱😱😱😱😱😱

As much as I am a fan of the S, it's P&S 😀

Judging by the instructions, I would assume that there are no requirements in terms of who. I picked my best three I believe which was a professor, a personal reference, and a doctor.

OOF, my bad. Was sort of in auto-pilot as I wrote that...

So looks like that's a "no" to sending in all four letters. Hm. Thanks!

 

[nyy]

For the first essay (satisfactions of being a physician), was anyone able to make multiple paragraphs? When I print it in HTML format, it combines all my paragraphs into one long paragraph even though when it was typed it had a line in between the paragraphs. Did anyone else have this problem? Thanks!

 

[rafflecopter]

No they said only include stuff over the past year only and only time where you were also enrolled in school, so lets say you werent enrolled over fall and worked full time then, but were enrolled in spring and worked part time then, you'd only put the stuff that happened during spring since it happened while in school.

 

[takk]

On the question where they ask "how many years of coursework you have completed, or will complete before September 2009"...am I missing something, or does that seem like a really arbitrary cutoff date? Because that question sort of implies that one could go back in time and complete coursework before Sept. 2009...😕

 

[BrainBuff]

These essays are getting kind of old for me already (old and fake, I should add)

To adcoms they must sound like a lot of bull****.. How creative can one be with a topic like that? Way too predictable, in my opinion..

 

[takk]

On the question where they ask "how many years of coursework you have completed, or will complete before September 2009"...am I missing something, or does that seem like a really arbitrary cutoff date? Because that question sort of implies that one could go back in time and complete coursework before Sept. 2009...😕

I called the office and they made a mistake on the secondary. It should read 2010 instead of 2009...

 

[RB93]

No they said only include stuff over the past year only and only time where you were also enrolled in school, so lets say you werent enrolled over fall and worked full time then, but were enrolled in spring and worked part time then, you'd only put the stuff that happened during spring since it happened while in school.

Hey rafflecopter, I also called and they told me it would be fine to avg my four years of undergrad, excluding summers. 😕 So I think I'll just do that and a note that my post-college experiences are in the additional document.

 

[thebillsfan]

For the GPA questions--

For the "undergraduate gpa" I am putting my AMCAS, but the GPA for primary undergraduate institution gpa should I put the university gpa (as opposed to the amcas gpa just taking classes for that undergraduate institution into account)?

 

[thebillsfan]

Also, for "other undergraduate institution"---I took CC classes in high school for credit, but it was through a high school program, should I put that CC on there?

 

[NickNaylor]

Also, for "other undergraduate institution"---I took CC classes in high school for credit, but it was through a high school program, should I put that CC on there?

Did you get a transcript from that institution? In other words, did you list it as an institution you attended in AMCAS and send in a transcript? If not, I wouldn't mention it.

 

[Mute98]

Looking this over- question 1 seems to be the real essay of importance. I have plenty of expected satisfactions- but am finding it hard to write an essay on my expectations of medicine without sounding "preachy" about the profession. I wish to avoid explaining to adcom members what medicine is all about, while also avoiding an essay that sounds like pure speculation. Should I be tying this back to my own experiences with health care thus far? Any thoughts?

I agree with you-- I found it to be a very tough question to answer. First of all, I avoided saying anything directly stating what a doctor SHOULD do or what medicine should be about, and I also tried to avoid a sense of idealization

A major focus of my app is underserved communities so I mainly talked about that. I essentially reworded the question to say what my goals are. I tried to set a tone of "restrained ambition" if that makes any sense. I still want my friend to look over my essay to see if it sounds ok and not cocky (i personally think it doesnt but I am biased of course)

I know Im speaking very generally but I hope that helps. I figure you need to show ambition for them to consider you but try not to show too much of a romanticized attitude about the profession

 

[Mute98]

another question-- I submitted my transcript to AMCAS before my spring quarter grades were in (we finish around June 13th so I did not want to start sending transcripts a week or so AFTER that date). However am I allowed to include those grades in the GPA I report to columbia or should I just use the AMCAS gpa?

 

[NickNaylor]

another question-- I submitted my transcript to AMCAS before my spring quarter grades were in (we finish around June 13th so I did not want to start sending transcripts a week or so AFTER that date). However am I allowed to include those grades in the GPA I report to columbia or should I just use the AMCAS gpa?

I would just use your AMCAS GPA. I think that'd be strange for your AMCAS GPA to be one number and your GPA on the secondary to be another.