2016-2017 Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Application Thread

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Waitlisted this afternoon as well. Decided to decline my spot on the waitlist, as I am fairly set on matriculating at another school. However, I loved Columbia on my interview day, it's an amazing institution -- congrats to all who were accepted, and good luck to those who chose to remain on the waitlist!
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congrats to all accepted, Columbia is NOT in a bad neighborhood. Smelly, yes.. But it has very low crime and great restaurants popping up everywhere. NYU is much more dangerous contrary to common misconception.

So.. within walking distance of Campus
Anteka and Draft House on Broadway have some of the best pizza new york has to offer (but Anteka's deserts aren't good, go across the street to Carrot Top for amazing cannoli, among other things)
ROKC has incredible drinks, ramen and oysters. very authentic Japanese
Burger Heights (I think it's better or as good as Shake Shack), Highly Recommend Dulce de Leche Shake

A little further:
-Bodega Pizza
-Dinosaur BBQ
-The Grange

Be sure to Explore Inwood's indescribably beautiful parks. There's really no need to travel far, Washington Heights and Inwood are by far the coolest neighborhoods in NYC.
 
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BadNewsBears2016 said:
This is from US News Compass, so 51.4% ( I was off)
View attachment 214812


But could you tell me if you know what the actual waitlist volume is in early may (at the time by which they start selecting from the waitlist)?

I assume not, but that would be crazy helpful to know.
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50246-soooo-youre-telling-me-theres-P7Ga.jpeg
 
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Columbia's main campus is obviously not in a bad neighborhood. The medical school is in a working class Latino/black neighborhood, which might be bad from the perspective of a particular type of person. Personally I think if you want to learn medicine in an urban environment you might want to, you know, interact with that environment. There will be plenty of time to rub elbows with rich white golfers when you're making attending money.
 
GnothiSeauton said:
Columbia's main campus is obviously not in a bad neighborhood. The medical school is in a working class Latino/black neighborhood, which might be bad from the perspective of a particular type of person. Personally I think if you want to learn medicine in an urban environment you might want to, you know, interact with that environment. There will be plenty of time to rub elbows with rich white golfers when you're making attending money.
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The neighborhood was once high crime and the drug capital of NYC. So much so that in 1994 the NYPD formed an additional precinct. That's why people have a bad impression, not because of identity politics.
 
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pauld said:
The neighborhood was once high crime and the drug capital of NYC. So much so that in 1994 the NYPD formed an additional precinct. That's why people have a bad impression, not because of identity politics.
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I doubt a large percentage of the interview cohort has a significant grasp on the history of the neighborhood in the latter part of the 20th century. I think it's more likely they base their opinion on swift, superficial impressions. As far as identity politics, they always play a part, although the socioeconomic politics are the thing I am more concerned about. It's been a consistently disconcerting element of my interview experience, as every school and their student body makes unreasonably great effort to reassure you that their area is "nice".

This is obviously a particularly personal issue of mine, and I don't intend to take over the thread with it. I just don't like the idea of sanitizing your education, medical or otherwise.
 
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GnothiSeauton said:
I doubt a large percentage of the interview cohort has a significant grasp on the history of the neighborhood in the latter part of the 20th century. I think it's more likely they base their opinion on swift, superficial impressions. As far as identity politics, they always play a part, although the socioeconomic politics are the thing I am more concerned about. It's been a consistently disconcerting element of my interview experience, as every school and their student body makes unreasonably great effort to reassure you that their area is "nice".

This is obviously a particularly personal issue of mine, and I don't intend to take over the thread with it. I just don't like the idea of sanitizing your education, medical or otherwise.
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Sorry to disappoint but it's not sanitizing at all. It's just nice here, the neighborhood, the hospital, med students, faculty. CUMC is a specialty referral center not an urban public hospital, if thats the experience you want probably NYU or Einstein are better as they are connected to Health and Hospitals. You'll be seeing medicaid patients, but you'll also be seeing royalty (literally). But it's also not bushwood country club either.. If you think you're going to be playing golf and rubbing elbows as an attending here you're in for a rude awaking.
 
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GnothiSeauton said:
I doubt a large percentage of the interview cohort has a significant grasp on the history of the neighborhood in the latter part of the 20th century. I think it's more likely they base their opinion on swift, superficial impressions. As far as identity politics, they always play a part, although the socioeconomic politics are the thing I am more concerned about. It's been a consistently disconcerting element of my interview experience, as every school and their student body makes unreasonably great effort to reassure you that their area is "nice".

This is obviously a particularly personal issue of mine, and I don't intend to take over the thread with it. I just don't like the idea of sanitizing your education, medical or otherwise.
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i commend you good sir.


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GnothiSeauton said:
I doubt a large percentage of the interview cohort has a significant grasp on the history of the neighborhood in the latter part of the 20th century. I think it's more likely they base their opinion on swift, superficial impressions. As far as identity politics, they always play a part, although the socioeconomic politics are the thing I am more concerned about. It's been a consistently disconcerting element of my interview experience, as every school and their student body makes unreasonably great effort to reassure you that their area is "nice".

This is obviously a particularly personal issue of mine, and I don't intend to take over the thread with it. I just don't like the idea of sanitizing your education, medical or otherwise.
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^ for the win
 
pauld said:
congrats to all accepted, Columbia is NOT in a bad neighborhood. Smelly, yes.. But it has very low crime and great restaurants popping up everywhere. NYU is much more dangerous contrary to common misconception.

So.. within walking distance of Campus
Anteka and Draft House on Broadway have some of the best pizza new york has to offer (but Anteka's deserts aren't good, go across the street to Carrot Top for amazing cannoli, among other things)
ROKC has incredible drinks, ramen and oysters. very authentic Japanese
Burger Heights (I think it's better or as good as Shake Shack), Highly Recommend Dulce de Leche Shake

A little further:
-Bodega Pizza
-Dinosaur BBQ
-The Grange

Be sure to Explore Inwood's indescribably beautiful parks. There's really no need to travel far, Washington Heights and Inwood are by far the coolest neighborhoods in NYC.
Click to expand...

The area is really pretty nice! I've lived off Broadway by Riverside Park for almost 3 years, and I never wake up without remarking how amazing the view is!
 
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GnothiSeauton said:
Columbia's main campus is obviously not in a bad neighborhood. The medical school is in a working class Latino/black neighborhood, which might be bad from the perspective of a particular type of person. Personally I think if you want to learn medicine in an urban environment you might want to, you know, interact with that environment. There will be plenty of time to rub elbows with rich white golfers when you're making attending money.
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That's not obvious at all. My parents (both grew up in Harlem) were not particularly happy that I applied here because of their experiences here. The students I interviewed with who were mostly out of state also were under the impression that the school is in a high crime area and were actually surprised to learn of how safe it was. When I interviewed in the midwest and in Baltimore they did not tell us that the neighborhood was nice, but warned us not to venture off campus.
 
the fact that we will be the first class to not have tuition here is extremely persuasive.
 
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Dude is definitely honeydicking us.

But I hope not.
 
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Just got spit in the face with that SMP advertisement from Columbia after hearing nothing from them all season.
 
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That's a really great initiative! I love what Columbia has been doing under Bollinger.
 
I also thought that it would not be available for our term, however I was told by a reliable source that it will will begin with this incoming class. I feel conflicted about it because I know that like myself most of the other students here have substantial familial economic resources.
 
Ivyleager said:
I also thought that it would not be available for our term, however I was told by a reliable source that it will will begin with this incoming class. I feel conflicted about it because I know that like myself most of the other students here have substantial familial economic resources.
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:O
I need confirmation from someone official to believe this...


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Ivyleager said:
I also thought that it would not be available for our term, however I was told by a reliable source that it will will begin with this incoming class. I feel conflicted about it because I know that like myself most of the other students here have substantial familial economic resources.
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Wait why conflicted? It's still a need-based scholarship--it's just replacing need-based loans with grants (as of right now), not granting everyone a free ride regardless of familial financial circumstances.
 
alex.jl1994 said:
Wait why conflicted? It's still a need-based scholarship--it's just replacing need-based loans with grants (as of right now), not granting everyone a free ride regardless of familial financial circumstances.
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From Facebook post:

"In 2017 as we celebrate our 250th anniversary, P&S is working to become a “debt-free” school for our medical students. Our aim is to eliminate need-based loans and provide all financial aid through scholarships."
 
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Ivyleager said:
the fact that we will be the first class to not have tuition here is extremely persuasive.
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goldenhelicase said:
From Facebook post:

"In 2017 as we celebrate our 250th anniversary, P&S is working to become a “debt-free” school for our medical students. Our aim is to eliminate need-based loans and provide all financial aid through scholarships."
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This doesn't mean no tuition though. If your family income is high, your calculated expected family contribution would also be high. It's just that the need-based aid portion would be all grants instead of loans. So for high income families who would have paid full price, you still pay full price. For lower income families who would rely on aid though, this is fantastic since there will no longer be loans.
 
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conflicted because those donors money would go much farther at a state school and help students who wouldn't even consider applying to columbia because of cost. I'm aware of the privilege that we have and it seems unfair to me.
 
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It'll probably be identical/similar to how well endowed undergrads give financial aid with no loan policies.
 
Ivyleager said:
confliced because those donors money would go much farther at a state school and help students who wouldn't even consider applying to columbia because of cost. I'm aware of the privilege that we have and it seems unfair to me.
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Yeah this is a thought I've had for several years now. It's great that people give back to their alma maters, but it would be even greater if donors started to think of schools more like they think about charities -- if more people donated to state schools and lower ranked schools, we'd have a stronger education system all around. Still, though, any effort to mitigate the cost of higher education is a noble one.


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billbillbillbill said:
Yeah this is a thought I've had for several years now. It's great that people give back to their alma maters, but it would be even greater if donors started to think of schools more like they think about charities -- if more people donated to state schools and lower ranked schools, we'd have a stronger education system all around. Still, though, any effort to mitigate the cost of higher education is a noble one.


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It's a self serving motivation for donating that you see name brand schools getting donations. Many are alumni and they know money=prestige=greater value for their degree.
 
UNMedGa said:
It's a self serving motivation for donating that you see name brand schools getting donations. Many are alumni and they know money=prestige=greater value for their degree.
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If you're donating millions of dollars, do you really think you're considering how much value a piece of paper in a frame has?

Alumni donate because they want others to have the experience that they had.
 
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Is there any way to predict when waitlist movement will begin? Or does it simply depend on the random withdrawal events by students who were already accepted?
 
Definitely no waitlist movement until after April 30th. After that, I don't know.
 
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after reading througha couple years' threads it starts in the first week of may. At my interview day, however, Dean Nicholas said that they can start accepting people off of waitlist before May 1st, which I foundto be very odd. Maybe since they plan to accept so many people off of thw waitlist, they know they can accept people early?
Really hoping to get off of the waitlist. Best fit for me in nyc. Love the community within and outside the walls of the school and hospital.
pandanongrata said:
Definitely no waitlist movement until after April 30th. After that, I don't know.
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Anyone know how Columbia compares to other similar schools wrt financial aid and scholarship money? (eg vs Yale, duke, penn, washu, Cornell) ... including Cornell cause it's in NYC and the other schools because of similarity in ranking. The other schools are in less expensive areas, though housing options and COL at penn still seem a little expensive. a lot of these second look weekends overlap and fin aid/scholarship money is going to be a huge factor in my decision making process but it doesn't seem like we'll hear about these things until after SLWs finish...so tryna decide which schools I visit and which I don't. I know this Q will prompt a lot of opinionated answers but I'm just looking for a straight forward response to my inquiry about $$: anyone know if Columbia is particularly generous with aid and scholarship money? As in, better or worse than comparable schools? Thank you in advance!!


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I got waitlisted here after I submitted a LOI. Then last week, I got accepted to Penn. Awkward. I would like to withdraw from Columbia, just not sure the best way to do so.
 
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ivantheterrible said:
I got waitlisted here after I submitted a LOI. Then last week, I got accepted to Penn. Awkward. I would like to withdraw from Columbia, just not sure the best way to do so.
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Just email admissions, say thanks but no thanks, nothing awkward about it. That's the way I've done it at two schools with absolutely no issue.
 
ready2go2 said:
Just email admissions, say thanks but no thanks, nothing awkward about it. That's the way I've done it at two schools with absolutely no issue.
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Wait am I missing something here? The OP only sent in an LOI--he didn't get off the waitlist. I don't think he needs to say thanks but no thanks, but instead maybe just take himself off the waitlist.
 
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