2011-2012 Columbia Application Thread

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I'm waiting until the invitation, or at least until it doesn't say "2011" anymore on it. The 2011 AMCAS application didn't have the option for describing your three most meaningful experiences, so for Columbia to have it on their 2011 makes sense, but not their 2012.
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Self said:
I'm waiting until the invitation, or at least until it doesn't say "2011" anymore on it. The 2011 AMCAS application didn't have the option for describing your three most meaningful experiences, so for Columbia to have it on their 2011 makes sense, but not their 2012.
Click to expand...

It should be up already. It says this on the column on the left, "P and S First Year Application for Class Entering August 2012".
 
It should be silly question, but
If we apply for only MD, not for MD/PhD,
can I skip this section ?
It has extra essay, Please describe your goals as a Physician/Scientist. Who are your role models?
also language, other questions.

Thanks
 
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orchestra said:
It should be silly question, but
If we apply for only MD, not for MD/PhD,
can I skip this section ?
It has extra essay, Please describe your goals as a Physician/Scientist. Who are your role models?
also language, other questions.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, you skip the MD/PhD question if you are applying MD. You skip the Basset program stuff too if that is visible unless you are applying to it.
 
i'm waiting until the invitation, or at least until it doesn't say "2011" anymore on it. The 2011 amcas application didn't have the option for describing your three most meaningful experiences, so for columbia to have it on their 2011 makes sense, but not their 2012.
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+1
 
How come there are fewer essays for this cycle than last cycle? Last cycle had that huge essay "1. What satisfactions do you expect to receive from your activities as a physician? (2475 characters)"

This cycle seems much less essay intensive. Am I just missing a segment? Also, in the Downloadable Forms section it says to e-mail the passport sized photo, but in the Checklist section is says to print it out and mail it in??
 
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Hey folks, I applied here last year and was waitlisted and this school truly is really awesome.

I remember reading the secondary last year and thinking "wtf" because I thought it was essentially a re-hash of the AMCAS, but do take it seriously, I didn't really understand the purpose of it until I interviewed. I got the impression that they really like interesting people and they want to give you every opportunity possible to present that side of yourself. My interviewer and I talked about the stuff on my application that I thought no one in the world would've cared about (and almost omitted on my AMCAS).

Good luck guys.
 
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Hm ya how are you guys tackling that first question because we did the EXACT same thing for the AMACS application...I don't want to write the same thing, but if I already picked 3 most significant activities, I can't all of a sudden change them.
 
Just thinking out loud here...

You know the unofficial "you should turn in your secondaries within 2 weeks rule?" I wonder if the time the school sees is from starting the secondary even without an invite or from the invite time. Also, do you think those of use who started the secondary will still get an invite?
 
JSU said:
Just thinking out loud here...

You know the unofficial "you should turn in your secondaries within 2 weeks rule?" I wonder if the time the school sees is from starting the secondary even without an invite or from the invite time. Also, do you think those of use who started the secondary will still get an invite?
Click to expand...

I started my Baylor secondary early but still got an invite, so maybe Columbia will do the same.
 
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kkoopman said:
I'm confused... is everyone who is applying MD only just finishing the application before getting invited and hoping either that the Columbia-Bassett question will automatically disappear or that the application will be fine to submit with a blank essay?

Also, it says "Have you requested your College Premedical Committee, Advisor or Letter Service to send us a recommendation?"
I checked yes, but then it says "If your letters are being sent by any of these services DO NOT LIST THE NAMES BELOW. Only if you are having individual letters sent, or are an MD/PhD applicant, should you list the names below.
Name of your advisor (ONLY IF THEY ARE SENDING A LETTER ON YOUR BEHALF)"

So it first says not to list the names below, but then it wants my advisors name... is that AMCAS, in my case the Dean who submitted the committee letter and other letters for me, or do I just leave it blank...
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While I wasn't invited for secondary, I was technically invited to apply to Columbia in this minority recruitment letter they sent two weeks ago. I'm URM though, don't know how this would fly with others.

BTW, how are you guys formatting the first essay? How do you make a list "using commas," when the entry cannot use returns.
 
JSU said:
Just thinking out loud here...

You know the unofficial "you should turn in your secondaries within 2 weeks rule?" I wonder if the time the school sees is from starting the secondary even without an invite or from the invite time. Also, do you think those of use who started the secondary will still get an invite?
Click to expand...

Columbia does not throw out applications based on the two week rule.
 
Just got the official invite for the secondary. Probably the shortest invite I ever received:

Dear Prospective applicant,

You can now access our secondary application. Log on to http://ps.columbia.edu/
 
Their instructions are the worst. List your activities. Briefly discuss only the three most significant. Use list format. Only commas, no line breaks. 760 characters.

Also, you can't put plus signs in the email address box.

Then it tells you not to put your premed committee/advisor's name below. Then it asks for your advisor's names.
 
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does anyone know their specific LOR requirement?....I see 3 slots on the secondary to add letter writers...I just can't find out if they need to be academic, research, etc.
 
Verifiefd 6/29
Secondary Invite 6/21 (before being verified).
Another secondary Invite 6/29
Secondary Submitted 6/29

How are you guys sending the photograph?
Email or snail mail?
 
I called P&S admissions, and they said that nothing needed to be mailed -- we should just e-mail the picture.
 
In order to complete your application, please e-mail a passport size photo to:
<[email protected]
The photo box below is an approximation of the acceptable size of your photo

you can find this from Downloadable Forms on the secondary application web site.
 
I am so confused:

"In what collegiate extracurricular activities did you engage?
Please briefly discuss no more than three that have been most meaningful to you. Enter your response in list format using commas. (760 CHARACTERS)"


so are we supposed to list all of them AND describe 3 of them? In that case, 760 characters are definetly not enough.
 
Dr Frenchie said:
I am so confused:

"In what collegiate extracurricular activities did you engage?
Please briefly discuss no more than three that have been most meaningful to you. Enter your response in list format using commas. (760 CHARACTERS)"


so are we supposed to list all of them AND describe 3 of them? In that case, 760 characters are definetly not enough.
Click to expand...

Time to be really brief :p
 
"If you have additional information that you would like to include with your application, compose a document offline in a word processor and upload it here."


What, if anything, are people adding for this segment ... ?
 
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Dr Frenchie said:
I am so confused:

"In what collegiate extracurricular activities did you engage?
Please briefly discuss no more than three that have been most meaningful to you. Enter your response in list format using commas. (760 CHARACTERS)"


so are we supposed to list all of them AND describe 3 of them? In that case, 760 characters are definetly not enough.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm confused here. I think we list first. then describe. Otherwise it is HUGE run on sentence haha. Can someone second this?
 
Maybe giving a logically impossible prompt - commas only, describe three, no return - is part of the evaluation process. Do they not want complete sentences? In that case, you can't use more than about 250 characters to describe 3 activities and still make any sense.
 
I submitted my secondary prior to being invited--literally the day before. Do you think they'll hold this against me? I know Einstein withdraws your application if you do that.
 
BlockM said:
I submitted my secondary prior to being invited--literally the day before. Do you think they'll hold this against me? I know Einstein withdraws your application if you do that.
Click to expand...

Uh oh, I submitted before getting the official invite too ....
 
For the collegiate activities question, are you simply describing their activities or are you talking about their significance/why they were meaningful? Considering we already discussed our activities in depth in the primary, I feel like Columbia might be looking more towards the latter...?
 
What exactly do they mean by "collegiate extracurriculars?" Can I include extracurriculars that weren't associated with college (like summer work in a hospital abroad?), or the volunteering I did after I graduated college 2 years ago?

Also should I include work like TA and note-taker, or my thesis research since it was basically a class?

One last thing - are people going over the 760 characters or is that seen as pretty strict? Its just so short.
 
Does anyone know how to pay for the secondary application? I cannot find a section which asks for a payment but the instructions require that you pay $85 for the secondary.

Any ideas?

Thanks. What a horrid secondary...
 
if we're not applying to the bassett program do we have to answer the question about it???
 
jfoster5366 said:
What exactly do they mean by "collegiate extracurriculars?" Can I include extracurriculars that weren't associated with college (like summer work in a hospital abroad?), or the volunteering I did after I graduated college 2 years ago?

Also should I include work like TA and note-taker, or my thesis research since it was basically a class?

One last thing - are people going over the 760 characters or is that seen as pretty strict? Its just so short.
Click to expand...

From what I understand (and from what was said previously in this thread) it seems that they mean you list any activities as extracurriculars.

But to ask another question- how do they want the format of your extracurriculars? Do they really want you to list them all w/o any periods??

Really confused.....:confused:
 
jfoster5366 said:
What exactly do they mean by "collegiate extracurriculars?" Can I include extracurriculars that weren't associated with college (like summer work in a hospital abroad?), or the volunteering I did after I graduated college 2 years ago?

Also should I include work like TA and note-taker, or my thesis research since it was basically a class?

One last thing - are people going over the 760 characters or is that seen as pretty strict? Its just so short.
Click to expand...

Confused by this as well...any non-trads applying who have contacted the admissions office? Pretty much any meaningful experience I would list occurred after college since I'd been out for a number of years when I decided to pursue medicine.

And does the 760 characters include spaces?
 
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I'm still not sure how to enter ECs or what the letter requirements are, after calling them with no answer and emailing to no reply. :(
 
jfoster5366 said:
What exactly do they mean by "collegiate extracurriculars?" Can I include extracurriculars that weren't associated with college (like summer work in a hospital abroad?), or the volunteering I did after I graduated college 2 years ago?

Also should I include work like TA and note-taker, or my thesis research since it was basically a class?

One last thing - are people going over the 760 characters or is that seen as pretty strict? Its just so short.
Click to expand...

Include anything you like during or after college, do not go over. They aren't going to instantly reject you if you do, but it may get cut off abruptly after the limit. It is up to you how you want to format it (list vs a few in depth activities).

sexycani said:
if we're not applying to the bassett program do we have to answer the question about it???
Click to expand...

No, you don't answer it.
 
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grt398 said:
Confused by this as well...any non-trads applying who have contacted the admissions office? Pretty much any meaningful experience I would list occurred after college since I'd been out for a number of years when I decided to pursue medicine.

And does the 760 characters include spaces?
Click to expand...

I assume that the 760 does include spaces. Include any experience you care to, during or after college.
 
I want to emphasize to folks that:

1) Many of the answers to your questions have been posted already (people have called about them, etc) in the last few pages.
2) The essays are not meant to be super stressful. Put what you want in the format that you want. List vs summary vs picture made out of commas, it's all good. Decide what you think is best for the image that you are selling.
 
On the checklist it says to email the photo document and to have "filled out your First Name, Last Name and SSN prior to emailing the Photo Document", but I don't see the sections for these on the PDF at all. Are we supposed to just include these in the email text?
 
sunnysideup12 said:
On the checklist it says to email the photo document and to have "filled out your First Name, Last Name and SSN prior to emailing the Photo Document", but I don't see the sections for these on the PDF at all. Are we supposed to just include these in the email text?
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as a generic word of warning, you should never send your SSN over email as plain text. at the very least embed it into the PDF
 
I managed to contact Columbia, they said that they don't have a strong preference for letters beyond having 3+. The person SUGGESTED 2 science fac/1 non-science, but you definitely don't have to adhere to that if you can't.

Also, you're only supposed to describe your 3 most meaningful, forgo listing all of your extracurricular involvements. Recap your most meaningful from your primary, pick new ones, it doesn't matter (or so they say :D).
 
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SCL said:
I managed to contact Columbia, they said that they don't have a strong preference for letters beyond having 3+. The person SUGGESTED 2 science fac/1 non-science, but you definitely don't have to adhere to that if you can't.

Also, you're only supposed to describe your 3 most meaningful, forgo listing all of your extracurricular involvements. Recap your most meaningful from your primary, pick new ones, it doesn't matter (or so they say :D).
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this. So, we can have more than 3 letters of rec? Is there a limit?
 
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