2010-2011 Columbia Application Thread

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Got an interview invite yesterday!! =]
Completed 08/26.

In the e-mail and letter attached, Columbia asks us to provide date(s) for when would be most convenient for us to interview. I've seen some posts in this thread about them interviewing Monday-Friday but I was wondering if they also interview on the weekends? Any information would be great. Thank you very much!
 
Quick question:

I got a letter from Columbia in the mail yesterday encouraging me to apply. It came from the office of diversity (I'm an URM). I was really on the fence about applying here, but this letter might give me the impetus to do so. Is it too late to apply here? Are my odds of getting an interview at this point so slim that it's not worth it? All they know about me is that I'm an URM with a good MCAT score, but that will only take you so far.

thanks!
 
UCStudent said:
Got an interview invite yesterday!! =]
Completed 08/26.

In the e-mail and letter attached, Columbia asks us to provide date(s) for when would be most convenient for us to interview. I've seen some posts in this thread about them interviewing Monday-Friday but I was wondering if they also interview on the weekends? Any information would be great. Thank you very much!
Click to expand...

Congrats on the interview, but by weekends the schools mean "fridays"...😎
 
PrettyFishy said:
Quick question:

I got a letter from Columbia in the mail yesterday encouraging me to apply. It came from the office of diversity (I'm an URM). I was really on the fence about applying here, but this letter might give me the impetus to do so. Is it too late to apply here? Are my odds of getting an interview at this point so slim that it's not worth it? All they know about me is that I'm an URM with a good MCAT score, but that will only take you so far.

thanks!
Click to expand...

Dude....apply.
 
UCStudent said:
Also, does anyone know of any good locations for students to stay the night before the interview?
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I am using the student hosting program - they have one, although it isn't really advertised. If you email the admissions office they will forward you contact info!
 
DTUD said:
congratz to our interview recipients!

As for the timing of when they review things. I don't know if it's just different piles with overlapping edges.. they seem to really be jumping around between September and August.
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There's also the fact that depending on who is reviewing they may take longer or shorter to bring their decision to the adcom.

Columbia only interviews Monday through Friday. I could definitely dig weekend interviews though, free coffee every day of the week!
 
PrettyFishy said:
Quick question:

I got a letter from Columbia in the mail yesterday encouraging me to apply. It came from the office of diversity (I'm an URM). I was really on the fence about applying here, but this letter might give me the impetus to do so. Is it too late to apply here? Are my odds of getting an interview at this point so slim that it's not worth it? All they know about me is that I'm an URM with a good MCAT score, but that will only take you so far.

thanks!
Click to expand...

If they reached out to you then no it is definitely not too late to apply. However, I would only apply if you are actually interested in Columbia. No need to go out of your way for a school/location/etc that didn't float your boat.
 
UCStudent said:
Thanks! Also, does anyone know of any good locations for students to stay the night before the interview?
Click to expand...

Definitely email the admissions office about the student hosting program. I think it is a great way to meet lots of students and really get a chance to find out everything you want to know about the school, living in NYC, etc. Also, there are not many hotels (if any as far as I've seen) up here in Washington Heights. Also, it's NYC, so wherever you go it will be expensive, but staying with a student is free.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
Just got an invite! Was complete on 9/2.
Click to expand...

Congrats, Cole!

I've been keeping tabs on your MDApps because I figure if you haven't gotten an interview from a school yet, there's no need for me to start worrying about when I'll hear back. 😀 It's like in high school when the smartest kid in math class couldn't figure out a problem...I was always so relieved because it meant there wasn't anything wrong with me; there was something wrong with the problem.

So I guess I should start keeping my eyes open for news from Columbia!
 
rhesuspieces said:
Congrats, Cole!

I've been keeping tabs on your MDApps because I figure if you haven't gotten an interview from a school yet, there's no need for me to start worrying about when I'll hear back. 😀 It's like in high school when the smartest kid in math class couldn't figure out a problem...I was always so relieved because it meant there wasn't anything wrong with me; there was something wrong with the problem.

So I guess I should start keeping my eyes open for news from Columbia!
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You're too nice dude. I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully the invite is headed your way soon. 🙂

For those wondering about dates, the 11/5 date was filled, so I requested 11/12 and 11/19. I didn't receive a response yet, but I'll be sure to follow-up when I do.
 
SamuelTesla said:
ya congrats cole! Based on your stats I cant imagine any school not giving an interview.

Has Columbia started giving rejections yet??
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Because Columbia is nonrolling, I'm pretty sure they do not reject until March (or whenever they send out their acceptances).
 
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don't know if anyone here cares but i heard that the class of 2012 had a step 1 avg of 237 this year, highest in school history
 
Interview invite this morning!! Complete 9/7. So thrilled!
 
mmmcdowe said:
It's done by pile. The piles are approximately based on completion date but obviously where one pile ends and another begins causes some skewing of dates. The piles are then all read by Dean. Nicholas and also by adcom members. Then interviews are offered. If all interview offers for the recent future are filled, they set your file to the side and offer you interviews when more are available. Some files are no doubt held and reread later. If you have been complete for some time and are getting nervous don't hesitate to send more information on recent events.
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I also graduated from Columbia in 2009. I've heard that at least for the Dental School, Columbia alumni are put in a different "pile". Maybe it's the same for the med school...
 
smartalleck2 said:
the average mcat of accepted students is approx. 36 and according to MSAR for the class of 2013, the 10th percentile MCAT was 32. so stats-wise, your chances are lower but not impossible. as long as you have an impressive story to tell the adcom and show passion for medicine and other interests, the odds against you lessen. besides, columbia is not as much of a numbers ***** compared to other similarly ranked schools. they love diverse individuals more so than other schools imo so keep that in mind. they also interview among the highest number of applicants (>1000) so that tells you something.
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I agree. I got an invite with a 32T MCAT (which is in the <10% range), and both a cGPA and sGPA in the <10% range. I am an alumni, so that may have given me a boost, but otherwise my background is quite diverse. Columbia is definitely a school that prizes diversity (in experiences, etc.).
 
BOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! You guys all suck for getting interviews before me. 😛. Seriously though, I'm hoping to get an interview here. I interviewed at Cornell last week and I would like to do a compare/contrast between the two schools.
 
Wildfire87 said:
I also graduated from Columbia in 2009. I've heard that at least for the Dental School, Columbia alumni are put in a different "pile". Maybe it's the same for the med school...
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The old Dean of admission had certain policies about legacy students of alumni, but I don't know if Columbia undergrads have a separate pile. Regardless of real or figurative piles, Columbia undergrads do very well in terms of the number in attendance here.
 
I received an email shortly after submitting my app which says

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 2011.

Sincerely,

Columbia U College of Physicians & Surgeons Admissions Office
Click to expand...

The first page after login to my app says "Submission Status: Submitted" with my submit date/time underneath

I'm guessing neither of these things means I'm complete? What does a complete email/status from Columbia look like?
 
Make sure you submit the picture form as well to be complete. They also take forever; I didn't get a complete e-mail until about a month after all of my stuff was there by my records. Here's what the complete e-mail looks like:

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
Click to expand...
 
Got an invitation today! Really pumped. Complete Aug 30. 3.5/36, one year out.
 
Here is a video of the P&S first year band playing at Coffeehouse on Thursday night! For those of you who don't know, Coffeehouse is our monthly (more or less) talent show that includes bands, skits, a capella, dance, comedy, and pretty much anything else people want to do in front of a crowd. It was an awesome evening. I hope some of ya'll get to come to revisit and experience is yourselves!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbFhoiELzOU
Video of the other two songs we played should be easy to find.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
Make sure you submit the picture form as well to be complete. They also take forever; I didn't get a complete e-mail until about a month after all of my stuff was there by my records. Here's what the complete e-mail looks like:
Click to expand...

Can anyone tell me please, if when you received the "complete" email whether your status ever changed to "complete?"

I received the "complete" email in mid-September, but my status has never changed.

I have applied to three schools that use the same online system, JHU, Georgetown, and Columbia. On the Georgetown status page, it clearly shows "complete" but on both JHU and Columbia the status still shows as "submitted."

Is this how it went for any of you? I just need to figure out if there is a cause for concern that the online status does not yet show "complete."

Any input greatly appriciated.
 
50Fly said:
Can anyone tell me please, if when you received the "complete" email whether your status ever changed to "complete?"

I received the "complete" email in mid-September, but my status has never changed.

I have applied to three schools that use the same online system, JHU, Georgetown, and Columbia. On the Georgetown status page, it clearly shows "complete" but on both JHU and Columbia the status still shows as "submitted."

Is this how it went for any of you? I just need to figure out if there is a cause for concern that the online status does not yet show "complete."

Any input greatly appriciated.
Click to expand...


I wouldn't worry about it. It's just a minor detail on a web form. You DID receive the complete email, so your status had officially CHANGED. The schools probably think it's too cumbersome to go to the secondary form and go through the trouble of changing the word submitted to complete.
 
50Fly said:
Can anyone tell me please, if when you received the "complete" email whether your status ever changed to "complete?"

I received the "complete" email in mid-September, but my status has never changed.

I have applied to three schools that use the same online system, JHU, Georgetown, and Columbia. On the Georgetown status page, it clearly shows "complete" but on both JHU and Columbia the status still shows as "submitted."

Is this how it went for any of you? I just need to figure out if there is a cause for concern that the online status does not yet show "complete."

Any input greatly appriciated.
Click to expand...

I just told you what the complete e-mail was. Did you get that e-mail? Then you aren't complete according to the admissions office. As long as you've sent everything in, they'll get to you. They're just extremely slow.

Don't worry about what the status says online. That's by no means a useful status page. I remember mine said my application still wasn't submitted for a few weeks after I had submitted it.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
I just told you what the complete e-mail was. Did you get that e-mail? Then you aren't complete according to the admissions office. As long as you've sent everything in, they'll get to you. They're just extremely slow.

Don't worry about what the status says online. That's by no means a useful status page. I remember mine said my application still wasn't submitted for a few weeks after I had submitted it.
Click to expand...

Yes, I received the email stating that I was complete as of mid September. The status on the on-line page never changed from "submitted" to "complete."

It is helpful to know that Columbia's on-line system may not reflect that accurate status of the application, I will sit tight with my "complete" email. Thanks!
 
Has anyone been invited to the Columbia-Bassett program? I am VERY interested in this, I indicated that's the program I wanted, but still nothing. Although I haven't even gotten my complete email :laugh:.

If any of you have, what were your thoughts and feelings after interviewing? Is it as great as it sounds?!
 
DocTraveler said:
Has anyone been invited to the Columbia-Bassett program? I am VERY interested in this, I indicated that's the program I wanted, but still nothing. Although I haven't even gotten my complete email :laugh:.

If any of you have, what were your thoughts and feelings after interviewing? Is it as great as it sounds?!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if they're having separate interview days for the Bassett people. However, I think I have heard from classmates (1st year Bassett students) that they've talked with some applicants about the Bassett program during the admissions lunches. Whether that means people were interviewing for Bassett, I have no idea. Just to let you know, the Bassett program is extremely competitive (harder than regular MD). I think around 700 people applied last year for around 20 offers and 10 spots. Columbia MD had around 5% acceptance rate (300 offers from 6000 complete secondaries) last year and Bassett is probably half that or so.
 
DocTraveler said:
Has anyone been invited to the Columbia-Bassett program? I am VERY interested in this, I indicated that's the program I wanted, but still nothing. Although I haven't even gotten my complete email :laugh:.

If any of you have, what were your thoughts and feelings after interviewing? Is it as great as it sounds?!
Click to expand...

They have started having interviews for Bassett, but they are certainly nowhere close to finished with them. The interviews for Bassett take place on Thursday in Cooperstown and Friday in NYC. It is a two-day process. I believe a student interviewing for Bassett a couple of weeks ago told me they interview 60 people for 10 spots; obviously more offers than that go out, but that's the number in the program this year.

The student was more or less blown away by the program. He said he did not expect to be anywhere close to as impressed as he was with it. My friends that are in it also seem to feel the same way so far, so I would say that it is most likely a great success. I would not worry though about not being invited yet because they still have many, many applications to go through.
 
Last year they interviewed approximately 100 students for approximately 10 spots. They may not interview as many this year seeing as they had almost 100% yield of the students they accepted. There has been at least one Bassett day. There are also normal interviewees during that day too, they just don't go to Cooperstown the day before.
 
Just scheduled my interview for 11/16. Because of the way the scheduling is handled I don't have any idea on what dates are available for the remainder of the season beyond the fact that Mondays and Fridays are booked through January.

Would any of you current students be willing to host a poor applicant for a couple of days? Because of the stark contrast in flight prices I'm flying in on Sunday and leaving Wednesday morning for a Tuesday afternoon interview. If you'd be willing to help me out, PM me and you'll have my love. I'll probably spend most of my time exploring NYC, so I'll be out of your hair/you don't need to worry about entertaining me (unless you just want to).

I'm assuming there's some kind of hosting program, but is there any sort of deal where you get to stay in a dorm for super cheap? I can't seem to find any information on it unless I'm completely missing something.
 
Hey Cole,
I'm interviewing on the 17th-- Ill probably come up from DC on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning to do some exploring too. I'd be down to split a room with you for a night or two if you can't find anyone.
 
jungleland said:
Hey Cole,
I'm interviewing on the 17th-- Ill probably come up from DC on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning to do some exploring too. I'd be down to split a room with you for a night or two if you can't find anyone.
Click to expand...

Yeah sure, that sounds great.
 
anyone send a thank you letter?

i got a response for my thank you letter. it was very nice. it said stuff like how my interviewer enjoyed seeing me and how i can be assured that my application received strong consideration. is this common?
 
Dr Gerrard said:
anyone send a thank you letter?

i got a response for my thank you letter. it was very nice. it said stuff like how my interviewer enjoyed seeing me and how i can be assured that my application received strong consideration. is this common?
Click to expand...

I sent a thank you e-mail, and did not get anything in response. That was a couple weeks ago. Sounds like you had a good run though! I would say that's definitely a great sign. Congrats!
 
I sent my thank you letter on October 15th if that means anything.

Dear Mr. _____:

I am writing to thank you for your letter of _____ to Dr. ______. I appreciate your interest and
enthusiasm for P&S. Dr. _____ also enjoyed seeing you. I can assure you that your application will
receive very strong consideration.

With all best wishes,

Sincerely,

Stephen W. Nicholas, M.D.
Associate Dean for Admissions

I don't know if this is common or not, but it seems so nice. Makes me love Columbia even more.
 
Dr Gerrard said:
I sent my thank you letter on October 15th if that means anything.

Dear Mr. _____:

I am writing to thank you for your letter of _____ to Dr. ______. I appreciate your interest and
enthusiasm for P&S. Dr. _____ also enjoyed seeing you. I can assure you that your application will
receive very strong consideration.

With all best wishes,

Sincerely,

Stephen W. Nicholas, M.D.
Associate Dean for Admissions

I don't know if this is common or not, but it seems so nice. Makes me love Columbia even more.
Click to expand...

It's tradition that the Dean of Admissions responds to thank you letters. I take it your request for travel accommodations was accepted?
 
mmmcdowe said:
It's tradition that the Dean of Admissions responds to thank you letters. I take it your request for travel accommodations was accepted?
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ah figured it wasn't anything special lol

but yeah, they were actually really friendly. i interviewed there probably 2 days after i scheduled it for being in the area. it was great 🙂
 
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