2018-2019 Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

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Hey for people who were WL, when do you think offers might start to come out? Do you think there’s any chance that they may start after April 15? Considering that people have to narrow they choices down to 3 at that point.

Unlikely. I highly doubt many people have a top 3 that doesn’t include Columbia. Top 20 acceptances are rare and hard to come by.

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Hey for people who were WL, when do you think offers might start to come out? Do you think there’s any chance that they may start after April 15? Considering that people have to narrow they choices down to 3 at that point.
If they accepted more than their class size, I don’t think WL movement will happen until May 1 when people will hold only one acceptance. Unless a significant amount of people withdraw from Columbia on April 15, which seems unlikely.
 
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Anyone else get an update regarding their financial aid? Mine said it would be provided at revisit, which is a little later than I had hoped but at least I know it's coming.
 
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Have any other MSTP acceptees received an email with details about the hotel accommodations and who you'll be rooming with for revisit? I remember an email in February saying this info would be sent "later," but revisit is this week, so...? :p
All I've received so far was the name of the hotel. This is obviously not a very important question, I am just getting excited and was curious.
 
Have any other MSTP acceptees received an email with details about the hotel accommodations and who you'll be rooming with for revisit? I remember an email in February saying this info would be sent "later," but revisit is this week, so...? :p
All I've received so far was the name of the hotel. This is obviously not a very important question, I am just getting excited and was curious.

I have my travel itinerary but nothing else so far
 
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Just found out I received a Dean’s scholarship! Wow! Didn’t know P&S gave merit aid!
 
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Top 20 acceptances are rare and hard to come by.

Lol wut? Even a school like Columbia has to make 2-3 offers per seat. Keep in mind that there is a significant group of people that have a handful of Top 20 acceptances.
 
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When would be the best time to send a letter of intent here? Closer to WL movement in May or ASAP?
 
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If anyone is around already for the revisit and wants someone to grab dinner with, PM me! :)
 
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Students were able to pick up financial aid info from the financial aid office. If you were not able to do so I believe they mentioned that they would have everything emailed out by Monday.
 
Worth reaching out to see if P&S would match a merit scholarship from WashU?
 
Worth reaching out to see if P&S would match a merit scholarship from WashU?
They don't have a lot of merit money since they put so much in the debt free financial aid, but you can try!
 
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Worth reaching out to see if P&S would match a merit scholarship from WashU?
Idk if Columbia's been known to match offers, but from my own financial aid experience and talking to some others at revisit, they seem to be in a generous mood this year...so it's 100% worth a try!!
 
Have anybody received the email with the financial aid award? I am waiting for it to make my final determination
 
Does anyone know what percentage of the incoming class comes from the waitlist?
 
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I received an email with my financial aid offer a bit ago, so I'm guessing they're all being sent out now
 
Does anyone know what percentage of the incoming class comes from the waitlist?

I asked an alum from my school and they estimated ~30%, but also said they're looking to shrink their class size this year so that number may get lower
 
I asked an alum from my school and they estimated ~30%, but also said they're looking to shrink their class size this year so that number may get lower

If that’s the case, it might be possible that the waitlist has already been shrunk hopefully.
 
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I also have spoken to insiders who say that the class size has shrunk by 20 spots. I'm not sure if they proportionally shrunk the # of initial acceptances and waitlist spots. It certainly appears as though they interviewed the same number of students this year.
 
Are they shrinking the class size as a strategy to sustainably continue their debt free model? Or because they’re making moves to go tuition free? Or just cus? Any thoughts from #insiders
 
Are they shrinking the class size as a strategy to sustainably continue their debt free model? Or because they’re making moves to go tuition free? Or just cus? Any thoughts from #insiders

I wish they'd gimme a hint if they're going debt free because that would seriously change my calculus
 
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Are they shrinking the class size as a strategy to sustainably continue their debt free model? Or because they’re making moves to go tuition free? Or just cus? Any thoughts from #insiders

seems like they just accidentally overenrolled by a tiny bit for a few years. but I hope I'm wrong!
 
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Are they shrinking the class size as a strategy to sustainably continue their debt free model? Or because they’re making moves to go tuition free? Or just cus? Any thoughts from #insiders

I heard that they reduced their number of spots by 25 this year... something about them losing space in one of their hospitals to Mt. Sinai

I heard the same as AussieChase. It's a logistical thing. Not enough clinical sites for students.
 
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I wish they'd gimme a hint if they're going debt free because that would seriously change my calculus
I think Columbia would currently classify themselves as "debt-free" with the Vagelos Scholarship. I highly doubt they'll go "tuition-free." My logic behind that is that a debt-free system better allocates money to those who need it (a student, for example, coming from a family in the top 1% doesn't need* his/her tuition payed for by donors). A tuition free system is definitely able to recruit highly competitive students from wealthy backgrounds, but that's what individual merit/recruitment scholarships are for.

*The debt-free system only falls short when parents are unable/unwilling to meet their expected family contribution (which I recognize is the case for many students)
 
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I think Columbia would currently classify themselves as "debt-free" with the Vagelos Scholarship. I highly doubt they'll go "tuition-free." My logic behind that is that a debt-free system better allocates money to those who need it (a student, for example, coming from a family in the top 1% doesn't need* his/her tuition payed for by donors). A tuition free system is definitely able to recruit highly competitive students from wealthy backgrounds, but that's what individual merit/recruitment scholarships are for.

*The debt-free system only falls short when parents are unable/unwilling to meet their expected family contribution (which I recognize is the case for many students)

This is valid, and I commend Columbia’s model. They’re generous with a lot of people who need money— and I think ultimately that brings in many exceptional classmates who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend. That’s so awesome, and I wouldn’t wanna change that.

That said, your family doesn’t need to be in the top 1% to not qualify for aid. I bet there are a lot of people hovering around the upper/middle class who won’t qualify, or who won’t qualify for much— whose families are certainly comfortable but who will still feel burdened because they’re footing a HUGE bill for their 30 year-old kid’s medical education.

My parents could mortgage their home or liquidate assets. Instead, they’ll keep working even though they want to retire so that they can minimize the amount of loans I need to take out. (Even with solid income, they can probably only cover COA in NYC.) That makes me want to go to a cheaper school, even though I like Columbia better.

I don’t think NYU went tuition free to recruit more rich students. I think they did it simply because people will know when they apply that they’ll be able to afford it, and they won’t have to take out outrageous loans or continue to be a huge burden on their family. I’d wager that confidence alone will increase the SES diversity of their classes. (Although, again, COA in NYC is significant so I bet NYU will still struggle with that aspect.)
 
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This is valid, and I commend Columbia’s model. They’re generous with a lot of people who need money— and I think ultimately that brings in many exceptional classmates who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend. That’s so awesome, and I wouldn’t wanna change that.

That said, your family doesn’t need to be in the top 1% to not qualify for aid. I bet there are a lot of people hovering around the upper/middle class who won’t qualify, or who won’t qualify for much— whose families are certainly comfortable but who will still feel burdened because they’re footing a HUGE bill for their 30 year-old kid’s medical education.

My parents could mortgage their home or liquidate assets. Instead, they’ll keep working even though they want to retire so that they can minimize the amount of loans I need to take out. (Even with solid income, they can probably only cover COA in NYC.) That makes me want to go to a cheaper school, even though I like Columbia better.

I don’t think NYU went tuition free to recruit more rich students. I think they did it simply because people will know when they apply that they’ll be able to afford it, and they won’t have to take out outrageous loans or continue to be a huge burden on their family. I’d wager that confidence alone will increase the SES diversity of their classes. (Although, again, COA in NYC is significant so I bet NYU will still struggle with that aspect.)
I’m nowhere near the top 1% and I didn’t qualify for aid. There are people that have to pay full price for Columbia.
I'm not sure exactly what income brackets people are talking about here but just for some perspective on specific numbers. My finaid email said that up to $125,000 parental income is not considered to contribute ANYTHING to efc. That limit may be set by number of siblings in college or total household size, or just standard for everyone. I'm not sure. I have two siblings in college, but 6 person household in total so maybe someone else with less can confirm or refute.

What this means is the only thing parents are expected to contribute when below $125,000 income is a very small percentage of their assets (we're talking like 1% per year based on my package). If the student has no significant assets on top of that and comes from a middle or upper middle class home making less than $125,000 a year they get over full tuition and close to full COA.

After the $125,000 mark I don't know what percentage of income goes into efc. What I will say is the people who get screwed are students from very wealthy backgrounds who's parents refuse to pay and older adults who are career changers and already have a lot of personal assets because it appears that Columbia will expect you to contribute almost all of your personal assets over the four years
 
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I'm not sure exactly what income brackets people are talking about here but just for some perspective on specific numbers. My finaid email said that up to $125,000 parental income is not considered to contribute ANYTHING to efc. That limit may be set by number of siblings in college or total household size, or just standard for everyone. I'm not sure. I have two siblings in college, but 6 person household in total so maybe someone else with less can confirm or refute.

What this means is the only thing parents are expected to contribute when below $125,000 income is a very small percentage of their assets (we're talking like 1% per year based on my package). If the student has no significant assets on top of that and comes from a middle or upper middle class home making less than $125,000 a year they get over full tuition and close to full COA.

After the $125,000 mark I don't know what percentage of income goes into efc. What I will say is the people who get screwed are students from very wealthy backgrounds who's parents refuse to pay and older adults who are career changers and already have a lot of personal assets because it appears that Columbia will expect you to contribute almost all of your personal assets over the four years

I met with financial aid and can confirm that siblings in college does change things a lot.
I’m not going to extrapolate my personal situation too much, because I realize there are a lot of factors that I can’t fully appreciate. All I’m saying is that my family is not outrageously well off (certainly not approaching 1%) and the tuition here would be a real burden on my family and I’d need to take out a good hunk o’ loans

(With that said I will reiterate that Columbia has an excellent aid model and I think they’re doing good work.)
 
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I'm not sure exactly what income brackets people are talking about here but just for some perspective on specific numbers. My finaid email said that up to $125,000 parental income is not considered to contribute ANYTHING to efc. That limit may be set by number of siblings in college or total household size, or just standard for everyone. I'm not sure. I have two siblings in college, but 6 person household in total so maybe someone else with less can confirm or refute.

What this means is the only thing parents are expected to contribute when below $125,000 income is a very small percentage of their assets (we're talking like 1% per year based on my package). If the student has no significant assets on top of that and comes from a middle or upper middle class home making less than $125,000 a year they get over full tuition and close to full COA.

After the $125,000 mark I don't know what percentage of income goes into efc. What I will say is the people who get screwed are students from very wealthy backgrounds who's parents refuse to pay and older adults who are career changers and already have a lot of personal assets because it appears that Columbia will expect you to contribute almost all of your personal assets over the four years

For perspective, I'm from a 4-person household, I'm the only one in higher education, and my letter also said no parental contributions required over $125k, either. Seems standard I think? So we ended up having no expected family contribution.

I also know a few current students who qualified for aid again even tho their parents have pretty high incomes. Maybe that takes into account the COL in their state/region, kids in college, unusual circumstances? In any case I always hear people saying "never settle for the first offer" so negotiation may be key here :)
 
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For perspective, I'm from a 4-person household, I'm the only one in higher education, and my letter also said no parental contributions required over $125k, either. Seems standard I think? So we ended up having no expected family contribution.

I also know a few current students who qualified for aid again even tho their parents have pretty high incomes. Maybe that takes into account the COL in their state/region, kids in college, unusual circumstances? In any case I always hear people saying "never settle for the first offer" so negotiation may be key here :)

I doubt you can negotatiate with the finaid office. That's more of an admissions thing for merit scholarships. But it couldn't hurt to try!

And yeah looks like the $125,000 cut-off is standard then, which is very high for no contributions required. Maybe it's just because I grew up in the Midwest but to me $125,000 is a lot of disposable income! My parental efc is still greater than zero because of parental assets but still not a lot which is awesome!
 
That is awesome!

You can negotiate for aid, but only if there are true financial considerations for them to factor in that they might not have. They were very helpful when I spoke with them, and they did everything they could to try to increase my package . (They did 3 seperate calculations to try to protect my family’s assets.) In the end it didn’t help too much for me personally. But also, my parents live in a place where 125k/yr is not much money, especially for a 4-person household. I’m grateful to the finaid office for trying.

It’s clear they want to give people the most AID they can. But I don’t think there’s much wiggle room for merit this year.
 
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I was waitlisted here and I really thought I wanted to go here. I sent a letter of intent clearly saying I would definitely go if I got it. Now I have had a change of heart and think my top choice is elsewhere. What should I do? Do I need to withdraw now? What would happen if I got in off the waitlist and did not attend? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I was waitlisted here and I really thought I wanted to go here. I sent a letter of intent clearly saying I would definitely go if I got it. Now I have had a change of heart and think my top choice is elsewhere. What should I do? Do I need to withdraw now? What would happen if I got in off the waitlist and did not attend? Any advice would be appreciated.

Nothing would happen. Your letter of intent is not binding. Don't withdraw if you're still unsure of whether you'd go there or not. Just wait it out until you're certain.
 
I doubt you can negotatiate with the finaid office. That's more of an admissions thing for merit scholarships. But it couldn't hurt to try!

And yeah looks like the $125,000 cut-off is standard then, which is very high for no contributions required. Maybe it's just because I grew up in the Midwest but to me $125,000 is a lot of disposable income! My parental efc is still greater than zero because of parental assets but still not a lot which is awesome!
One thing I will add is that in places like the Bay Area, 125K household income is poverty level. Applies to parts of SoCal, NYC, NJ, CT, MD as well. It’s great if Columbia takes in cost of living in these locations when determining EFC.
 
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One thing I will add is that in places like the Bay Area, 125K household income is poverty level. Applies to parts of SoCal, NYC, NJ, CT, MD as well. It’s great if Columbia takes in cost of living in these locations when determining EFC.
Ya that was basically my mental justification for why it seemed so high to me. Regardless I don't think they necessarily have an exact COL modifier, but if I remember correctly things like rent and mortgage payments are reported in CSS, so relative cost of living is reflected at lesst secondarily through these figures.
 
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Just withdrew my acceptance and scholarship. Hoping one of you guys will get it!
 
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