Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Was just invited for a second interview after sending an update letter/request for an interview with the dean last week.
Here we go again!
How were you notified? By email or phone?
-
The 2026-2027 MD School Specific Threads are now live in the School Specific Discussions forum. The 2025-2026 cycle threads can be found here. -
Scholarship Access: Becoming a Student Doctor course
Free access to comprehensive medical school prep. Eligible students include AAMC FAP recipients and HS graduates from underserved areas. Apply today.
2010-2011 Columbia Application Thread
Started by ksmi117
- Status
How were you notified? By email or phone?
Email. I should note that I live in NYC and did not originally interview with Dean Nicholas...
Hey all, I'm sure this has been asked, but any idea about the size of the waitlist/whether it's ranked?
Congrats to those with second interviews! Fingers crossed for the rest of us...
Congrats to those with second interviews! Fingers crossed for the rest of us...
i dont live in nyc and didn't interview with dean nicholas.
anyone know if they do phone interviews for this? after the long and expensive process, i am not sure i can fund another trip to nyc 🙁
got the email about second interview this morning.
out of state student here. doing the interview over the phone in 2 weeks.
what did you say to get a phone interview?
i told ms. perez that the suggested date is during my exam week plus i may not be able to afford a trip to nyc.
i got a response asking some dates it would be convenient for me to travel to nyc and that dr. nicholas prefers these interactions to be in person. i definitely understand this, but i don't have the money and i talked to my parents and they are being really hesitant about funding this trip
i told ms. perez that the suggested date is during my exam week plus i may not be able to afford a trip to nyc.
i got a response asking some dates it would be convenient for me to travel to nyc and that dr. nicholas prefers these interactions to be in person. i definitely understand this, but i don't have the money and i talked to my parents and they are being really hesitant about funding this trip
So called "financial aid" sucked big time...!!!
Just so you know, there are plenty of students that would let you stay with them if you did decide to make a trip, so hopefully that would help with the expense. This goes for other people too that are coming for 2nd interviews or 2nd looks. I have the list, so please feel free to contact me if you need to. Good luck!
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I remember someone posting that they got off the list without a second interview. As for more emails, I would say almost certainly. The waitlist process is much more fluid than the normal process, and it seems especially so at Columbia.
People in my class definitely got in off the WL without a second interview.
mmmcdowe
Duke of minimal vowels
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
And not all of them had interviewed with the Dean (you dont get formal second interviews if you interviewed with him).
so i just scheduled my second interview for the 19th of may. i am so excited for this extra opportunity.
mmmcdowe, after reading your pros in the columbia/sinai thread, i am pretty much convinced that barring any huge financial differences, columbia is where i want to be.
2 questions:
1) if i were to get in post may 15th, how many days would i have to decide
2) if i were to get in at all, but there were huge financial differences, would this burn bridges for me in the future? i did go out of my way to show my interest in columbia and request a second interview.
thanks!
mmmcdowe, after reading your pros in the columbia/sinai thread, i am pretty much convinced that barring any huge financial differences, columbia is where i want to be.
2 questions:
1) if i were to get in post may 15th, how many days would i have to decide
2) if i were to get in at all, but there were huge financial differences, would this burn bridges for me in the future? i did go out of my way to show my interest in columbia and request a second interview.
thanks!
dr gerrard, what were the days they had originally offered you?
1st. May 4th in NYC --- middle of my exam week and can't afford it
2nd. May 13th on the phone --- my graduation ceremony
2nd. May 13th on the phone --- my graduation ceremony
mmmcdowe
Duke of minimal vowels
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
A couple of weeks basically, whatever the amcas rules are.
No, it wouldn't burn bridges.
At this point last year, multiple ppl were already accepted off the waitlist. Hopefully some movement starts soon
mmmcdowe
Duke of minimal vowels
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
Things are a'changing. Less second interviews in favor of bringing in the committee to re-review all waitlist applications rather than Dr. Nicholas absolutely controlling waitlist like Dr. Frantz did. Same rules apply though, send lots of letters and demonstrate interest.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Excellent. It is kind of weird to all of a sudden switch from a committee for regular admissions to the situation most prone to bias for waitlist.
Any updates on waitlist movement?
mmmcdowe
Duke of minimal vowels
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
To clarify, there is no Iranian first generation surgery scholarship, I was just giving a hypothetical example. 😀
Anyone else received this email today?
Dear Mr. BB's,
Thank you for your letters of March __ and April __ expressing interest in attending P&S. Your candidacy as an alternate remains under active consideration by the committee.
It is still too early to know how things are likely to go this year, but we will keep your candidacy very much in mind, and appreciate your continuing interest in P&S.
Sincerely,
Stephen W. Nicholas, M.D.
Associate Dean for Admissions
Dear Mr. BB's,
Thank you for your letters of March __ and April __ expressing interest in attending P&S. Your candidacy as an alternate remains under active consideration by the committee.
It is still too early to know how things are likely to go this year, but we will keep your candidacy very much in mind, and appreciate your continuing interest in P&S.
Sincerely,
Stephen W. Nicholas, M.D.
Associate Dean for Admissions
I received an identical message a couple weeks ago.
Yep, got it a week ago. I thought it was in response to a letter I had sent them a few weeks before though. Did you send them anything?
Haha, re-read your message... durrr, you sent them something 😛
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Me Too! But I got it for March, April and May lol!
Just got a call from dean Nicholas: super excited to get off WL.
Best of luck to you all!
Congrats on getting off the WL! Did you interview with the Dean initially or have a second interview? Did you send updates, etc?
Thanks, synthase.
Did not interview with the Dean and no second interview.
sent a 2-page long update right after WL and a short update a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for posting. I'm in a similar situation so that gives me at least a little hope. Congrats again.
mmmcdowe
Duke of minimal vowels
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
Get anything you were planning to get in by next week. Dr. Nicholas reported to the alumni association today that he intends to try to get most waitlist movement done by June.
New paper accepted for publication today - sent update... Hope this helps!
I also got a call from the Dean this afternoon with an acceptance, but I had to decline as I already decided on another school--good luck to everyone still waiting to hear back!
Also, if it helps, I did request a second interview but was never granted one--I sent this request about two weeks ago. Hope that's useful!
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
mmmcdowe
Duke of minimal vowels
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
I am aware of at least one other acceptance recently during a second interview.
As in by June 1 or by the end of June
Have decided to attend P$S...eh I mean P&$, no no, P&S...
😉
😉
Congrats!! Hopefully rest of us WL will hear some news soon *fingers crossed*. And +1 to Unclephil's post.
mmmcdowe
Duke of minimal vowels
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
I took it as by the beginning of June.
Congrats on getting off the WL!
I requested for a second interview too, but they sent me an email saying they weren't offering any at the moment. Did you get that email as well? If so, did you send them anything else afterward?
Thanks.
If you don't mind me asking, who did you email to request a second interview?
hey, I e-mailed Dean Nicholas.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
- Status
