2010-2011 Columbia Application Thread

[mmmcdowe]

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Soooo I submitted my secondary to Columbia a couple of weeks ago but my application is not complete since I'm still waiting on one letter of recommendation. The letter should be in by the end of this week, so I am getting ready to have my career center send my letter packet off, but then I realized that I don't actually know what Columbia's letter requirement is. Is it just 3 letters from anyone? And only 3, no more? I can't find the requirements anywhere! Thanks 😀

If you submit a letter packet they will take it, but I think they ask for three in the secondary. You might want to specify which three if you are submitting a full packet.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

Hey, everyone, I'm trying to avoid having to mail or process any actual, physical documents during this whole cycle. So, I would like to know if anyone has uploaded their photo with their secondary rather than mailing it in.

I know they specifically ask for it to be mailed, but it would be so much easier to just include it in the uploaded document where they ask for "any additional info"...

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i think standard operating procedure would be to do as you're told.

 

[mosbius designs]

mmmcdowe, any idea on when interview invitations may start going out? I know that it is early and that interview invitations did not start until the first week of september last year, but this year the complete e-mails were sent out very early compared to last. thank you!

 

[CougarMD]

i think standard operating procedure would be to do as you're told.

👍
I think this post needs to be made a sticky that we can refer to in any situation.

 

[mmmcdowe]

mmmcdowe, any idea on when interview invitations may start going out? I know that it is early and that interview invitations did not start until the first week of september last year, but this year the complete e-mails were sent out very early compared to last. thank you!

I haven't heard anything specific but I will ask next time I stop by. I know they are attempting to streamline the process somewhat this year, so it is possible. It kinda just depends if they want to interview earlier than last year, because if not there really isn't that much incentive to send out invites much earlier. This allows them to review as many applications as possible.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

i think standard operating procedure would be to do as you're told.

rad.

 

[NickNaylor]

i think standard operating procedure would be to do as you're told.

lolwut

 

[RogueUnicorn]

lolwut

 

[Abe468]

so I saw people saying they were getting that complete e-mail and decided to call to see why I hadn't gotten one yet. They said that they send the e-mail out when they start reviewing your application and that they are currently looking at applications from July 16th. Thought I'd let people know

 

[NickNaylor]

I can't view your asl pix due to the hospital firewall, please describe it to me in vivid detail.

 

[FrazzleSnazzle]

I can't view your asl pix due to the hospital firewall, please describe it to me in vivid detail.

It's Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction threatening the lolwut pear at gunpoint.

 

[Tiramisu89]

Hey guys! Are you uploading any additional information where it says you can add additional info? Do you think we're supposed to include info about why we want to go to Columbia med?

Also, what if we don't actually have any collegiate awards? We can't seem to leave the field blank, so can we just put in "N/A"?

 

[TommyJohnMD]

I haven't added Columbia to my school list yet as I am still waiting for AMCAS verification and my MCAT scores, but I am doing the essays given in the prompt.

Can someone comment to make sure this is acceptable.

For question #2, I have the activities in list format with any leadership position I held in those activities in parenthesis.

For question #3, I have the awards in a list format and a brief description if necessary in parenthesis

For question #4, I have two sentences on my paid employment during the academic year only

For question #5, I have in list format all employment (paid or credit) I have taken part in since my freshman year, with the time frame in parenthesis.


Thanks.

 

[mmmcdowe]

For question #2, I have the activities in list format with any leadership position I held in those activities in parenthesis.

Fine


For question #3, I have the awards in a list format and a brief description if necessary in parenthesis

Fine

For question #4, I have two sentences on my paid employment during the academic year only

Fine

For question #5, I have in list format all employment (paid or credit) I have taken part in since my freshman year, with the time frame in parenthesis.

Fine

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hey guys! Are you uploading any additional information where it says you can add additional info? Do you think we're supposed to include info about why we want to go to Columbia med?

Also, what if we don't actually have any collegiate awards? We can't seem to leave the field blank, so can we just put in "N/A"?

The optional essay is intended primarily intended for those who have extraordinary circumstances rather than extraordinary desire to attend. That being said, I'm sure many students use it to write why they are interested and I'm sure the adcom knows that this is bound to happen with an optional statement. Thus, I doubt they give it much consideration seeing as most probably haven't had a first hand experience with the school to write about.

 

[TommyJohnMD]

I think I have all the prompts answered now. I'm a little worried about the first essay because it's awfully similar to my personal statement. I tried to vary it a bit so it parallels the statement but doesn't restate it.

Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Tiramisu89]

I think I have all the prompts answered now. I'm a little worried about the first essay because it's awfully similar to my personal statement. I tried to vary it a bit so it parallels the statement but doesn't restate it.

Anyone else have this problem?

I kinda did, but the question they ask is awfully similar to the personal statement prompt anyway. And if what you wrote about in your PS truly motivates your decision to become a doctor, obviously those reasons are gonna come up again in the Columbia essay. That's how I rationalized it.

 

[lmarina1]

.

 

[MB333999]

i visited nyc this past week and i gotta say columbia is in such a crummy part of town.
i guess thats the price u will have to pay for a good education

 

[etherpentane]

Did your personal statement focus on what satisfactions you expect to recieve as a doctor? Thats not necessarily equal to your motivation. Generally, the PS is retrospective (mostly looking at how you came to this point). the Columbia essay is more prospective ( you are free to be much more presumptious and forward looking; no where do you need to explain explicitly why you want to be a doctor). Obviously the "joys" we will get from being docotrs are tied to our motivation,but usuallly they are not the end all and be all.

Just my 0.02, FWIW. When you look at it that way, it might be easier to approach; having others explain it to me like that helped.
(i.e. try to be very specific in ansering the exact question they ask).

Good luck!! I was so nervous because this is my top choice, but to those who are still struggling, just give it your best shot and press the button!

Whatever. Mine was a spin off of my personal statement. Just answer the question honestly and don't go out of your way to come up with something new if it's just not genuine.

i visited nyc this past week and i gotta say columbia is in such a crummy part of town.
i guess thats the price u will have to pay for a good education

Check the Hopkins thread -- At least you won't get shot walking home. Wash Heights is a small trade off to some of the highest caliber research and clinical opportunities in the country. If you hate it so much, jump on the A train and be downtown in 15 minutes.

 

[lll1I1lII1lll1I]

What's the grading system like at Columbia?

P/F for the first two years, H/P/F for the last two?

 

[yankeesmed]

i visited nyc this past week and i gotta say columbia is in such a crummy part of town.
i guess thats the price u will have to pay for a good education

What's not "crummy" to you? Times Square? Columbia Medical Center is in the center of Washington Heights, a gem of Manhattan. Beautiful architecture, parks, scenery, and good restaurants and transportation. You can maybe complain about Einstein, maybe, but Columbia is in a great neighborhood, especially for a med student. Just because an out-of-towner hasn't heard of the neighborhood doesn't mean it's crummy. Nice part of town with great opportunities for treating wildly diverse populations. And you have easy access to some of NYCs best gifts, ie the Cloisters and the greenway (bike and jogging path along the hudson). Next time you visit, open your eyes.

If you want a good education and can't handle Wash Heights try Dartmouth or New York Medical or something. Neighborhoods will fit you better. And you'll get your education.

 

[pe54]

If you're concerned about the neighborhood surrounding Columbia, do everyone a favor and please go somewhere else.

 

[jaxasp]

location is pretty irrelevant to me honestly, the expected total cost is kinda scary tho (i think columbia estimated it was 82k this year but forget)

 

[mmmcdowe]

Washington Heights is certainly not park avenue. It's extremely residential (for Manhattan) and most of those residents are Hispanic. Hispanic culture prevails in the neighborhood so if you haven't lived in an area with a very large hispanic population (and even then Dominican culture has its unique aspects) it is understandable that the area might not suit some people's tastes. I'm definitely an outlier when I say that I spend most of my free time and weekends in Harlem and Washington Heights. Because of the express train it is very easy to get to other more mainstream parts of NYC like Morningside Heights, Times Square, etc. Many students live in Washington Heights but a sizable minority live south of us throughout the upper west side and even a few further away. So if you want to spend your time living and enjoying the area, there are students who do that here. If you want to live elsewhere and spend your time in east village, etc, there are also students that do that. Both are possible at Columbia and really any Manhattan school to varying degrees. The express A train is a huge blessing in this regard. 20-30 minutes by subway to Times square. 10-15 to Central Park. An hour to pretty much anywhere in Manhattan and parts of the other boroughs. The A is right on campus and this part of Harlem/WH is not the stereotypic danger zone that some parts are known for. In fact, NYC as a whole is one of the safer cities in the US. Either way, if you want to just get an education from Columbia you definitely still can live in an area that you prefer outside of the immediate community. I wouldn't allow it to be a major factor in your decision.

 

[mmmcdowe]

What's the grading system like at Columbia?

P/F for the first two years, H/P/F for the last two?

Yeah, P/F UNRANKED for the first two years and H/HP/P/F for the other two. AOA is based only on clinical grades. This is great because it gives you the confidence to do other things during your first two years. Everyone still studies hard, but not having that overwhelming fear that you are hurting your chances at residency really gives you the ability to take advantage of all of the wonderful things available at Columbia and NYC. It also lets you build your resume up in other ways that are more important than pre-clinical grades are to residency directors. Clinical experiences, volunteering, just figuring out what specialty you are interested in, even research. I was able to do a bit of each during my first year and I would not have had the confidence to do so if I had to worry about grades and ranks. I still work hard and do well, it's just a mind game thing.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I mailed my picture probably about 2 weeks ago and still haven't heard.. should I call?

 

[NickNaylor]

Anyone heard anything yet? Complete e-mail or anything?

 

[tlaloc87]

Anyone heard anything yet? Complete e-mail or anything?

Yes, they sent an e-mail confirming that I was complete about 2 weeks after I submitted everything.

 

[yankeesmed]

Anyone heard anything yet? Complete e-mail or anything?

Submitted secondary 6/30, verified 7/19, received following e-mail 8/2

Dear Applicant,
This email is to inform you that your application for admission has been completed and will be evaluated by the Committee on Admissions.
If any additional letters of recommendation are uploaded on AMCAS after the date of this e-mail, please notify us by sending an e-mail to “[email protected]”. When you send this e-mail, please identify the letter writer in your e-mail.
You will be notified promptly if the Committee votes to request an interview with you.
Thank you
Admissions Office

 

[Evergrey]

I just got my Complete e-mail today. Secondary submitted 3 weeks ago, LORs in a week ago, picture in two weeks ago.

 

[NickNaylor]

Submitted secondary 6/30, verified 7/19, received following e-mail 8/2

Dear Applicant,
This email is to inform you that your application for admission has been completed and will be evaluated by the Committee on Admissions.
If any additional letters of recommendation are uploaded on AMCAS after the date of this e-mail, please notify us by sending an e-mail to “[email protected]”. When you send this e-mail, please identify the letter writer in your e-mail.
You will be notified promptly if the Committee votes to request an interview with you.
Thank you
Admissions Office

Given their "speed" so far, I'm curious to know what their idea of "promptly" is.

 

[MB333999]

i admit I didn't spend too much time in the area exploring and so as a result i clearly missed/did not appreciate some of the "gifts" as someone above put it of the area. It was just sort of my initial feel of the area...

If you're concerned about the neighborhood surrounding Columbia, do everyone a favor and please go somewhere else.

lol u mad? no need to get all aggressive.

 

[pe54]

Sorry, I just feel like an important part of attending school in NYC is embracing the diverse population you're required to serve. It bothers me when people criticize areas because of a brief encounter with a neighborhood. I'm from NY, so maybe it's just me.

 

[yankeesmed]

i admit I didn't spend too much time in the area exploring and so as a result i clearly missed/did not appreciate some of the "gifts" as someone above put it of the area. It was just sort of my initial feel of the area...




lol u mad? no need to get all aggressive.

It is just real close to home and it is distasteful to shoot out ignorant comments based on quick prejudice. Also wondering how you missed the historic and elegant beauty of the neighborhood.

There are a lot of Spanish speakers, but that cannot mean crummy to you, especially if you expect to enjoy the work you do as a physician, or at least your time as a med student.

Next time try to use some discretion before you put a completely unbacked remark out for everybody else to see.

As a New Yorker, I can give you plenty of REASONS why your hometown is really lame. Let me know where you live and I'll give you evidence. But I WON'T just make a half-hearted remark that shows complete indifference to how others will receive me.

And next time you visit Columbia--hopefully for an interview--check out Coogan's or Tawaa for dinner, take a walk to the riverside, walk around the streets and see that most of the natives are good, hard-working people. It's a safe, satisfying place to live. You'll love it. And you'll feel lucky to live in a neighborhood that has history seeping out of it. So many different cultures have owned Washington Heights and so many still do.

 

[pe54]

It is just real close to home and it is distasteful to shoot out ignorant comments based on quick prejudice. Also wondering how you missed the historic and elegant beauty of the neighborhood.

There are a lot of Spanish speakers, but that cannot mean crummy to you, especially if you expect to enjoy the work you do as a physician, or at least your time as a med student.

Next time try to use some discretion before you put a completely unbacked remark out for everybody else to see.

As a New Yorker, I can give you plenty of REASONS why your hometown is really lame. Let me know where you live and I'll give you evidence. But I WON'T just make a half-hearted remark that shows complete indifference to how others will receive me.

And next time you visit Columbia--hopefully for an interview--check out Coogan's or Tawaa for dinner, take a walk to the riverside, walk around the streets and see that most of the natives are good, hard-working people. It's a safe, satisfying place to live. You'll love it. And you'll feel lucky to live in a neighborhood that has history seeping out of it. So many different cultures have owned Washington Heights and so many still do.

This sums up how I feel nicely. It's hard to hear people from out-of-town pass judgment on your area without any true idea of what the neighborhood is like.

 

[lll1I1lII1lll1I]

Yeah, P/F UNRANKED for the first two years and H/HP/P/F for the other two. AOA is based only on clinical grades. This is great because it gives you the confidence to do other things during your first two years. Everyone still studies hard, but not having that overwhelming fear that you are hurting your chances at residency really gives you the ability to take advantage of all of the wonderful things available at Columbia and NYC. It also lets you build your resume up in other ways that are more important than pre-clinical grades are to residency directors. Clinical experiences, volunteering, just figuring out what specialty you are interested in, even research. I was able to do a bit of each during my first year and I would not have had the confidence to do so if I had to worry about grades and ranks. I still work hard and do well, it's just a mind game thing.

Thanks so much for the insider info!

 

[jbz24]

i admit I didn't spend too much time in the area exploring and so as a result i clearly missed/did not appreciate some of the "gifts" as someone above put it of the area. It was just sort of my initial feel of the area...




lol u mad? no need to get all aggressive.

You're not the only one who doesn't like the area surrounding Columbia Med. I've spent 9 years and counting in Manhattan and have spent many days/nights in Washington Heights - I've never really heard of it described as beautiful or safe as is in this thread. Probably one of the most unsafe areas of Manhattan and not much to do in the surrounding areas as a student. The clear winner in terms of being in a safe, fun area is NYU with Cornell being in a close second. Sinai is in a safe area but more on the boring side.

Columbia's reputation is in spite of the location but not because of it...

 

[yankeesmed]

You're not the only one who doesn't like the area surrounding Columbia Med. I've spent 9 years and counting in Manhattan and have spent many days/nights in Washington Heights - I've never really heard of it described as beautiful or safe as is in this thread. Probably one of the most unsafe areas of Manhattan and not much to do in the surrounding areas as a student. The clear winner in terms of being in a safe, fun area is NYU with Cornell being in a close second. Sinai is in a safe area but more on the boring side.

Columbia's reputation is in spite of the location but not because of it...

Sinai in a safe area? It borders a safe area, but certainly is not in one. It is sandwiched between the Upper East Side and East Harlem.

All neighborhoods in Manhattan have their pluses and minuses. To me, Columbia's neighborhood is beautiful and the medical center's presence as the centerpiece of town is majestic.

Columbia's reputation is certainly not in spite of its location. Because of its location in upper Manhattan, Columbia is in prime position to treat patients of all socioeconomic groups. Surely, one of Columbia's greatest assets is the work it does in the community.

Since when are med schools judged by how many rich white people live in the neighborhood?! Both NYU and Cornell are in nice neighborhoods, but they are not necessarily fun. And it is a schlep to the train coming all the way from York Ave. At Columbia, you have instant access to an express line and the 1, taking you anywhere you need in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

 

[jbz24]

Sinai in a safe area? It borders a safe area, but certainly is not in one. It is sandwiched between the Upper East Side and East Harlem. I work at Mount Sinai and really, the only place I wouldn't feel safe living in Manhattan is East Harlem.

All neighborhoods in Manhattan have their pluses and minuses. To me, Columbia's neighborhood is beautiful and the medical center's presence as the centerpiece of town is majestic.

Columbia's reputation is certainly not in spite of its location. Because of its location in upper Manhattan, Columbia is in prime position to treat patients of all socioeconomic groups. Surely, one of Columbia's greatest assets is the work it does in the community.

Since when are med schools judged by how many rich white people live in the neighborhood?! Both NYU and Cornell are in nice neighborhoods, but they are not necessarily fun. And it is a schlep to the train coming all the way from York Ave. At Columbia, you have instant access to an express line and the 1, taking you anywhere you need in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Don't know where I said rich white people and why that would be a negative. It may be a schlep if you're walking from NYU and Cornell but you can just take a crosstown bus. Definitely not a schlep from Sinai as the 6 train is 2 blocks away. And it remains that there's so much to do around the surrounding area of NYU (and to a lesser extent, Cornell) that there's less of a need to travel. Not sure what your definition of fun is, but to me it's basically the restaurants, bars, museums, parks, etc. that are in close proximity to NYU, Cornell, and Sinai, but not so much near Columbia (unless you're a fan of only Dominican food).

I definitely agree that there are pluses and minuses of each area in Manhattan, but I was just defending the previous poster about Columbia being in, well, a boring and not-so-nice part of Manhattan (at least for a student).

 

[mmmcdowe]

Don't know where I said rich white people and why that would be a negative. It may be a schlep if you're walking from NYU and Cornell but you can just take a crosstown bus. Definitely not a schlep from Sinai as the 6 train is 2 blocks away. And it remains that there's so much to do around the surrounding area of NYU (and to a lesser extent, Cornell) that there's less of a need to travel. Not sure what your definition of fun is, but to me it's basically the restaurants, bars, museums, parks, etc. that are in close proximity to NYU, Cornell, and Sinai, but not so much near Columbia (unless you're a fan of only Dominican food).

I definitely agree that there are pluses and minuses of each area in Manhattan, but I was just defending the previous poster about Columbia being in, well, a boring and not-so-nice part of Manhattan (at least for a student).

These are the types of food within a few blocks of Columbia that I can think of:

Dominican
Mexican
Indian
Bar and Grill
Irish
Seafood
Steak House
Chinese
Japanese
Middle Eastern
Soul Food
Fast food x 1000000
Delis

However, I don't deny that the major cultural centers are not located in Washington Heights. I will point out that in terms of travel time we aren't as far away from that stuff compared to some of the other schools that are on local or not on a line at all. We are definitely closer to a number of things in terms of travel time on the West Side (Morningside Heights is one of my personal favorite neighborhoods, good combo of college town feel and high culture), though I will admit I'm not terribly familiar with the 6. It's definitely easy to look at a map and say "Dang, Columbia is far away!", but if there are particular hang outs that you are worried about not having time for I would encourage just popping them into one of those subway mapquests and see what the damage is. The bottom line is Manhattan is really pretty small. If you live in it, you aren't going to be killing yourself to have fun in it at any of the medical schools (and you CAN have fun!).

 

[lmarina1]

.

 

[mmmcdowe]

McDowe or anyone else with insight: I sent everything in to Columbia (letters, secondary, picture, etc.) about a week ago. I am not going to email yet, but how long is acceptable to wait without hearing anything? I just want to get a sense because this is my top choice, so if I can expedite the process, I would like to.

Thanks!

As we get slowly further into the application cycle more and more people are submitting their secondaries every day and the piles are growing. I would wait at least 3 weeks, because chances are they have your stuff just fine but there's a very large pile on top of your file. I would emphasize to people that part of the reason why Columbia is slow is because they read EVERY application regardless of stats. There aren't any grade or MCAT filters here, so unlike some schools they really are swimming through 5000 applications and that takes time to get through.

 

[schlieren]

Since when are med schools judged by how many rich white people live in the neighborhood?! Both NYU and Cornell are in nice neighborhoods, but they are not necessarily fun. And it is a schlep to the train coming all the way from York Ave. At Columbia, you have instant access to an express line and the 1, taking you anywhere you need in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Not only that, but there is a strong correlation between the quality of medical school and how miserable the neighborhood is. Think of Hopkins, WashU, UPenn, Yale, UChicago, Cleveland, et cetera. The logic is that medical students and residents get the most opportunities to practice on poor patients, whereas many rich white people would not want rookies to practice on them.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

complete today.

please love me back columbia

 

[jz50]

For questions 4 in the secondary when they ask about how long we worked during the college year, does that include summer employment??

 

[Kbrock]

For questions 4 in the secondary when they ask about how long we worked during the college year, does that include summer employment??

I don't believe so. But take a second opinion besides mine!

 

[monstarz]

Personally, I don't think so either. Again, I'm not certain though.

 

[Plasticup]

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