2015-2016 Columbia University College of P&S Application Thread

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xiquarius said:
What exactly is meant by collegiate extracurriculars? Just things that are specifically related to the undergraduate college (i.e.: student government, clubs, research if on campus)?
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I have a question about this too! Should we just list everything in a bullet fashion? In addition, should I mention other things I did not list on my primary? I do not want to be redundant at all.


HelpMe212 said:
How is the collegiate activities different than your activities list from the primary application?
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I have activities that I did during college, such as research, community service, abroad experiences, and leadership. I wasn't going to list my research experiences since they are already on my primary application as well as my abroad experiences, and some of my leadership. I was going to add and mention everything else, that I could not include in my application.
 
dermocrat88 said:
I have a question about this too! Should we just list everything in a bullet fashion? In addition, should I mention other things I did not list on my primary? I do not want to be redundant at all.

I have activities that I did during college, such as research, community service, abroad experiences, and leadership. I wasn't going to list my research experiences since they are already on my primary application as well as my abroad experiences, and some of my leadership. I was going to add and mention everything else, that I could not include in my application.
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The section is meant to be redundant. Just do as it says – simply list the activities you did in college.
 
Bummer to read that the e-mail (in response to thank you letters) from the dean is more of a general e-mail 🙁
rainieday said:
Hey - can anyone who interviewed write about how the interview went? aka open/closed file, questions asked, really intense/laidback, etc? Thanks! Recognizes it differs from interviewer to interviewer but trying to get a feel for what i'm in for.
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My one open file interview was very relaxed! Super friendly interviewer, felt like I already knew them! The entire staff was very friendly which made it for a great experience. Just about as chill as a med school interview day can be lol
 
Lisha said:
I submitted my request for a student host over a month ago and still no host. Interview is in less than a week. Should I just give up or can I email/call admissions? Anyone in this boat?
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I got assigned a student host 3 days before my interview.
 
Hi all, looking for a bit of advice from everyone.

I applied to the PhD-to-MD program this year. In the secondary, I had confirmed that my DPhil would be finished by August 2016. However, in light of some recent circumstances, it is no longer certain that I am able to reach this August 2016 finish line. Though it is still possible, I'm conscious of the fact that my degree may slide into Autumn/Winter 2016.

My dilemma comes from the fact that I had confirmed a August 2016 graduation. I'm wondering if I should send them a letter, and be upfront with my circumstances/situation? The alternative I suppose is to not mention it, and see what happens.
 
AmICrazy said:
I guess then it is 3-year program or bust? Would there even be any seats left to be considered for the standard 4-year track if you did not qualify for the 3 year that late in the game?
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Hey! I didn't realize those who applied to the PhD-to-MD program would also be considered to the regular MD. That's pretty cool. Columbia is the only school I applied to (PhD-to-MD) - nice to hear we get two options.
 
lincolnite13 said:
Hey! I didn't realize those who applied to the PhD-to-MD program would also be considered to the regular MD. That's pretty cool. Columbia is the only school I applied to (PhD-to-MD) - nice to hear we get two options.
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Yes.. see bullet 5 here http://columbiamedicine.org/education/3Y_PhD-MD1.shtml
If I were you, I would let them know that you will not complete the PhD per schedule... that way they might pick up your application earlier? It seems like the three year program candidate decisions are made much later in the cycle, at least according to SDN.
Best wishes!
 
Just FYI I was informed that a significant portion of the PhD to MD people at columbia have switched back to a 4 year track after starting. Make of this what you will.
 
Ochemphd said:
Just FYI I was informed that a significant portion of the PhD to MD people at columbia have switched back to a 4 year track after starting. Make of this what you will.
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Interesting. Probably because they didn't want to be limited in their residency options?!
 
nvrsaynvr said:
Interesting. Probably because they didn't want to be limited in their residency options?!
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sounds like a good hypothesis, i wonder what the match list will be like for the students who remained in the 3 year program? Residency programs love MDPhDs and especially any MD who has a strong research track record. Wonder what these residency programs will make of the shortened rotations...
 
Montisumo said:
Residency programs love MDPhDs and especially any MD who has a strong research track record.
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Depends on the program. Some programs don't care for research enough to invest in a PhD
 
I would ask if any of my fellow Ph.Ds have gotten a II yet from Columbia, but I know this website well enough to know that any of you would have made a post about it in this topic as soon as you got it.
 
Doug Underhill said:
I would ask if any of my fellow Ph.Ds have gotten a II yet from Columbia, but I know this website well enough to know that any of you would have made a post about it in this topic as soon as you got it.
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No invite, but I can't apply for the PhD to MD program, so just the regular stream here
 
Doug Underhill said:
I would ask if any of my fellow Ph.Ds have gotten a II yet from Columbia, but I know this website well enough to know that any of you would have made a post about it in this topic as soon as you got it.
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Yes I was wondering about the Phd to MD interview invitations as well! It is good to hear that others are still waiting also....
 
Bae_md93 said:
What dates were left? Trying to decide whether it's worth it to send an ITA interview and don't want to send it if it's already all booked up at that time.
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I don't remember exactly, I'm sorry. I believe a few in Nov.
 
AmICrazy said:
I guess then it is 3-year program or bust? Would there even be any seats left to be considered for the standard 4-year track if you did not qualify for the 3 year that late in the game?
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Yea I actually feel not so great about this. I specifically applied 4 yr MD only because I felt interviewing and being first considered for the PhD to MD would lower my chance at 4 yr if I were passed over. Then come mid August Columbia contacted me (phone and email) urging me to apply the 3 yr track and stated that it wouldn't affect the timing of my interview. Then it seemed I may have equal chance at both. Seems like now it's just hoping I get that 3 yr II although I still don't like how this whole situation was conducted. Still love P&S though.
 
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d.r.256 said:
Yea I actually feel not so great about this. I specifically applied 4 yr MD only because I felt interviewing and being first considered for the PhD to MD would lower my chance at 4 yr if I were passed over. Then come mid August Columbia contacted me (phone and email) urging me to apply the 3 yr track and stated that it wouldn't affect the timing of my interview. Then it seemed I may have equal chance at both. Seems like now it's just hoping I get that 3 yr II although I still don't like how this whole situation was conducted. Still love P&S though.
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wow... 13 IIs? damn. super jealous.
 
Has anyone sent an ita to columbia and are they accommodating to that?
 
Hello everyone! While perusing through old Columbia threads, I found this interesting post that seems to elucidate the admissions process post interview. Since the Dean is different now, I'm not sure if this is still relevant or accurate - wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this? If this is reflective of the current process, it seems that the interview plays a critical role in the final decision:

"I hear all the time many myths about admission to P&S, so I thought I'd set the record straight once and for all.

So it's actually a misconception that Dean Frantz hand picks the class. The way it works is that Frantz screens all candidates for an interview. Once someone has been selected for an interview, the admissions office staff randomly assigns them to one of the 30 committee members. In very rare cases, Frantz specifcally asks to interview someone after screening them, but maybe only one or two per year since he wants to interview an accurate cross-section of the entire applicant pool.

Each interviewer will not necessarily interview the same number of applicants. Frantz interviews the most since it's his full-time job, whereas the others are all busy faculty members. Then before the committee meeting in February, each committee member ranks their interviewees. Every year the number of students who are admitted in the first round is the same (250). If N students were interviewed, then 250/N is the fraction of interviewed students who are admitted. This fraction is then multiplied by the number of students each committee member interviewed to get a number, let's call it Q. Then the first Q students on that committee member's ranked-list are admitted.

Example: if Dr. Smith interviews 60 students and 1500 students are interviewed, then Q = 60*250/1500 = 10, so the first 10 of Dr. Smith's list of 60 students are admitted.

Frantz interviews the most, probably a few hundred, but he still gets the same proportion of admitted students as all other committee members.

After the first round, everyone is put on the waitlist according to the rank their interviewer originally gave them. Then it really does become Dr. Frantz's game. About 30 to 50 students (for a class of 150) will eventually be admitted off of the waitlist. The only way this happens is if the student expresses that P&S is his or her first choice. Dr. Frantz will frequently give waitlisted students a second interview if they ask for one, and then often even offers them admission during their second interview (I know of several current students who had this happen to them as well as others who received a letter later). Second interviews can often help waitlisted students because then Frantz gets to evaulate them himself, and it's unlikely that they can hurt. Frantz also likes to know that students who come to P&S have turned down other top schools. So if P&S is your first choice, and you've been admitted to Yale, writing a letter saying that you have been admitted to Yale but are hoping to get off the waitlist at P&S will probably help you."
 
LightBearers said:
Hello everyone! While perusing through old Columbia threads, I found this interesting post that seems to elucidate the admissions process post interview. Not sure if this is still relevant or accurate - wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this? If this is reflective of the current process, it seems that the interview plays a critical role in the final decision:

"I hear all the time many myths about admission to P&S, so I thought I'd set the record straight once and for all.

So it's actually a misconception that Dean Frantz hand picks the class. The way it works is that Frantz screens all candidates for an interview. Once someone has been selected for an interview, the admissions office staff randomly assigns them to one of the 30 committee members. In very rare cases, Frantz specifcally asks to interview someone after screening them, but maybe only one or two per year since he wants to interview an accurate cross-section of the entire applicant pool.

Each interviewer will not necessarily interview the same number of applicants. Frantz interviews the most since it's his full-time job, whereas the others are all busy faculty members. Then before the committee meeting in February, each committee member ranks their interviewees. Every year the number of students who are admitted in the first round is the same (250). If N students were interviewed, then 250/N is the fraction of interviewed students who are admitted. This fraction is then multiplied by the number of students each committee member interviewed to get a number, let's call it Q. Then the first Q students on that committee member's ranked-list are admitted.

Example: if Dr. Smith interviews 60 students and 1500 students are interviewed, then Q = 60*250/1500 = 10, so the first 10 of Dr. Smith's list of 60 students are admitted.

Frantz interviews the most, probably a few hundred, but he still gets the same proportion of admitted students as all other committee members.

After the first round, everyone is put on the waitlist according to the rank their interviewer originally gave them. Then it really does become Dr. Frantz's game. About 30 to 50 students (for a class of 150) will eventually be admitted off of the waitlist. The only way this happens is if the student expresses that P&S is his or her first choice. Dr. Frantz will frequently give waitlisted students a second interview if they ask for one, and then often even offers them admission during their second interview (I know of several current students who had this happen to them as well as others who received a letter later). Second interviews can often help waitlisted students because then Frantz gets to evaulate them himself, and it's unlikely that they can hurt. Frantz also likes to know that students who come to P&S have turned down other top schools. So if P&S is your first choice, and you've been admitted to Yale, writing a letter saying that you have been admitted to Yale but are hoping to get off the waitlist at P&S will probably help you."
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This is the link where I found this info: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...dean-frantz-and-admission-to-columbia.255600/
 
Has anyone interviewed for Bassett yet?
 
2z9dsmujpg.gif
 
LightBearers said:
Hello everyone! While perusing through old Columbia threads, I found this interesting post that seems to elucidate the admissions process post interview. Since the Dean is different now, I'm not sure if this is still relevant or accurate - wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this? If this is reflective of the current process, it seems that the interview plays a critical role in the final decision:

"I hear all the time many myths about admission to P&S, so I thought I'd set the record straight once and for all.

So it's actually a misconception that Dean Frantz hand picks the class. The way it works is that Frantz screens all candidates for an interview. Once someone has been selected for an interview, the admissions office staff randomly assigns them to one of the 30 committee members. In very rare cases, Frantz specifcally asks to interview someone after screening them, but maybe only one or two per year since he wants to interview an accurate cross-section of the entire applicant pool.

Each interviewer will not necessarily interview the same number of applicants. Frantz interviews the most since it's his full-time job, whereas the others are all busy faculty members. Then before the committee meeting in February, each committee member ranks their interviewees. Every year the number of students who are admitted in the first round is the same (250). If N students were interviewed, then 250/N is the fraction of interviewed students who are admitted. This fraction is then multiplied by the number of students each committee member interviewed to get a number, let's call it Q. Then the first Q students on that committee member's ranked-list are admitted.

Example: if Dr. Smith interviews 60 students and 1500 students are interviewed, then Q = 60*250/1500 = 10, so the first 10 of Dr. Smith's list of 60 students are admitted.

Frantz interviews the most, probably a few hundred, but he still gets the same proportion of admitted students as all other committee members.

After the first round, everyone is put on the waitlist according to the rank their interviewer originally gave them. Then it really does become Dr. Frantz's game. About 30 to 50 students (for a class of 150) will eventually be admitted off of the waitlist. The only way this happens is if the student expresses that P&S is his or her first choice. Dr. Frantz will frequently give waitlisted students a second interview if they ask for one, and then often even offers them admission during their second interview (I know of several current students who had this happen to them as well as others who received a letter later). Second interviews can often help waitlisted students because then Frantz gets to evaulate them himself, and it's unlikely that they can hurt. Frantz also likes to know that students who come to P&S have turned down other top schools. So if P&S is your first choice, and you've been admitted to Yale, writing a letter saying that you have been admitted to Yale but are hoping to get off the waitlist at P&S will probably help you."
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Thanks for all this information. Do you have any idea how they handle the process post-secondary? Are all the applications randomly assigned to committee members?
 
hey - when you submit an update via the online portal, do you get any confirmation aside from "your file has been uploaded!" message on the page

Maybe it's just me being super neurotic but there's no email confirmation or any other way of checking whether it was actually uploaded? lol thanks~
 
rainieday said:
hey - when you submit an update via the online portal, do you get any confirmation aside from "your file has been uploaded!" message on the page

Maybe it's just me being super neurotic but there's no email confirmation or any other way of checking whether it was actually uploaded? lol thanks~
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So, when I first submitted the update, a brief message of "your update has been submitted" flashed in red on the screen, then nothing, I was so confused haha about 24hr later I received an email saying that my update had been successfully added to my file, but nothing shows on the portal. Hope that helps!
 
Does anyone know if Columbia accepts community college coursework for their prerequisites?
 
Hi all, in previous years there has been extensive debate as to the wording of the "thank you for your thank you note", particularly how the Dean wrote a nice, personalized reply back.

Is is still the case this year? Have people received personalized thank yous?
 
rainieday said:
Hi all, in previous years there has been extensive debate as to the wording of the "thank you for your thank you note", particularly how the Dean wrote a nice, personalized reply back.

Is is still the case this year? Have people received personalized thank yous?
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The wording doesn't matter. Everyone should send an update in early-mid January if you have anything at all substantial to report.
 
WedgeDawg said:
The wording doesn't matter. Everyone should send an update in early-mid January if you have anything at all substantial to report.
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Meaning that it doesn't matter what is written in the thank you note? People still get waitlisted? Does everyone get a thank you note from the Dean himself? If its personal/generic it makes no difference?
 
Thego2guy said:
Meaning that it doesn't matter what is written in the thank you note? People still get waitlisted? Does everyone get a thank you note from the Dean himself? If its personal/generic it makes no difference?
Click to expand...

If you go back and look through previous years' threads, you'll see that the "personalization" is really a bunch of stock phrases that are mixed and matched for each applicant. If you interviewed with Dean Nicholas himself, there might be something about your conversation in there, but otherwise it's "generically personalized". Everyone who sends a thank you note gets one in return as far as I was able to tell.

Everyone and their mother will get waitlisted (Columbia seems to like doing that).
 
WedgeDawg said:
If you go back and look through previous years' threads, you'll see that the "personalization" is really a bunch of stock phrases that are mixed and matched for each applicant. If you interviewed with Dean Nicholas himself, there might be something about your conversation in there, but otherwise it's "generically personalized". Everyone who sends a thank you note gets one in return as far as I was able to tell.

Everyone and their mother will get waitlisted (Columbia seems to like doing that).
Click to expand...

I'm guessing we shouldn't read too much into the notes, but I did find an old thread that found a loose correlation with the type of language in the letter v. decision outcome:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/wording-in-frantz-letters-acceptance-to-p-s-poll.263646/

Haha SDN neuroticism at its finest 🙂
 
LightBearers said:
I'm guessing we shouldn't read too much into the notes, but I did find an old thread that found a loose correlation with the type of language in the letter v. decision outcome:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/wording-in-frantz-letters-acceptance-to-p-s-poll.263646/

Haha SDN neuroticism at its finest 🙂
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Lol... I shouldn't have clicked on that link.

Not to succumb to the neuroticism..... but what do you guys think if the letter contains both similar elements from the survey in the link? Both the "we will keep your app strongly in mind" and the "you seem like a good fit and we'd love to have you" all in one letter? Besides, Dean Nicholas is not Dean Frantz, maybe his team runs things differently. I can't believe I am getting suckered into over-analyzing this; but, thoughts?!
 
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