2020-2021 Columbia VP&S

BU Medical Sciences
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Phoenix King said:
I'm pretty sure it doesn't make a difference at any school people don't mean what they write.
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I mean what I write! Folks take quite a bit of time out of their days to speak with us applicants, and I want to acknowledge that in some way. Plus isolation is getting to me, and I really am thankful for the opportunity to connect with other people 😊 That said, I only spend about 10-15 minutes on each thank-you note. Still brief (~1-2 paragraphs), but I recount what we talked about and, if I appreciated any insights they offered, I note that.
 
Does anyone know when Columbia usually stops sending II's? Their admissions team told me that I have to retake a lab in the Spring (due to AP credit) and it is the only school I applied to that is requiring me to retake this. I really would like to not retake this lab during my final semester of college and wish I could know if I will be getting an II here or not so I can drop it haha. I was complete in late July, LM 82, OOS.
 
frenchfries7 said:
Does anyone know when Columbia usually stops sending II's? Their admissions team told me that I have to retake a lab in the Spring (due to AP credit) and it is the only school I applied to that is requiring me to retake this. I really would like to not retake this lab during my final semester of college and wish I could know if I will be getting an II here or not so I can drop it haha. I was complete in late July, LM 82, OOS.
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Why not hedge your bets by signing up for the lab with the intention to drop it by your drop/add deadline if you haven't heard from Columbia by then? That should probably be sometime in January, right? By then, even if Columbia is not yet done with IIs, you'll know more about your other applications and be in a better position to make a decision regarding what value to place on taking a lab you don't want in order to keep possible matriculation at Columbia as a possibility.
 
KnightDoc said:
Why not hedge your bets by signing up for the lab with the intention to drop it by your drop/add deadline if you haven't heard from Columbia by then? That should probably be sometime in January, right? By then, even if Columbia is not yet done with IIs, you'll know more about your other applications and be in a better position to make a decision regarding what value to place on taking a lab you don't want in order to keep possible matriculation at Columbia as a possibility.
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That is what I was planning on doing! Thank you for your thoughtful response, it makes me feel a lot better knowing others would be doing the same in my position.
 
Any idea if they review in chronological order? I was complete on 7/26 and radio silence 🙁
Is it considered a soft pre-II R at this point?
 
does anyone know what the last anticipated interview date here is? last year seems like end of jan not sure if this year is the same/different because of COVID
 
I also got an II earlier today! Did anyone else's email not include dates though? My email just notified me of an II, but didn't have scheduling info.
 
futuredoc507 said:
I also got an II earlier today! Did anyone else's email not include dates though? My email just notified me of an II, but didn't have scheduling info.
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You have to log into your application portal to schedule the interview. There should be a new tab on the left hand side that says Interview; click on that and you can see a calendar for scheduling. I think you also need to complete a few tabs (SSN and consent signature) too.
 
I have a question for those who have received an II for the Bassett program. I received an II last Tuesday for Bassett and scheduled it for the first part of January. The email said I'd be getting another email from the NYC office for scheduling the more traditional Columbia interview. Does anyone know when I can expect to get the II from the NYC office? Also, can someone speak to the structure of the Bassett interview? The letter just says "two interviews with faculty", but I was curious about length, etc. Thanks!
 
tms99 said:
I have a question for those who have received an II for the Bassett program. I received an II last Tuesday for Bassett and scheduled it for the first part of January. The email said I'd be getting another email from the NYC office for scheduling the more traditional Columbia interview. Does anyone know when I can expect to get the II from the NYC office? Also, can someone speak to the structure of the Bassett interview? The letter just says "two interviews with faculty", but I was curious about length, etc. Thanks!
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Same! I was in contact with them last week but haven't heard anything since. Also, does anyone know if they're still doing VP&S interviews the day after Bassett interviews?
 
Avonbarks said:
Same! I was in contact with them last week but haven't heard anything since. Also, does anyone know if they're still doing VP&S interviews the day after Bassett interviews?
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Okay, I'm definitely glad I'm not the only one... Any past interviewees have some insight here?
 
Did folks get a response or acknowledgement to their thank-yous post II? Wondering if the admissions office just sends a canned response
 
anotherpremed2020 said:
Mind if I ask what they said?
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This was their message to me last cycle.
_______________________________________________
Dear ****,
Thank you very much for your notes. We enjoyed welcoming you on your interview day and Drs. ****** and ****** enjoyed their interview with you. I appreciate the enthusiasm for VP&S that you have expressed. It is a very special place.
Although it is too soon to know definitely how things will go this year, I can assure you that the Admissions Committee will keep you very strongly in mind. If you have any further updates for the Committee, please upload them directly to the Secondary Application.

Take Care,
Anne Armstrong-Coben, M.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Admissions
_______________________________________________

Was not kept strongly in mind lmao
 
chezchef said:
looking at this thread, doesn't seem like VP&S sends pre-II rejects on a rolling basis - anyone know if that's true?
trying to assess odds as interview season ticks on
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I think they are one of the few schools that send out all of their R's at the end of the cycle but I could be wrong
 
MooseKaboose98 said:
What are the traditional MD interviews like? Any tips?
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Interviewed in October. Both my interviews were ~30mins each with faculty. Open file interview and it seems like they had both read my file thoroughly because there were some really specific questions about my research (easy questions though not like trying to sus me out or anything, more along the lines of "oh i see you did this, how was blah blah blah"). Overall, really chill and relaxed interview experience. The worst part was just the waiting before my actual interviews. Tip is just try your best to relax and present yourself like a human being! The interviewers just want to talk to you and get to know you a bit. Good luck!
 
Got the follow up email to schedule my II, but only Dec 9th was available. Called admissions and they said they will open up more dates once the current ones are filled (which now they are).
Good luck!
 
MooseKaboose98 said:
What are the traditional MD interviews like? Any tips?
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Seconding the response above that the interviewers really know your file, and they keep the vibe super relaxed and kind! Mine ended up being ~40mins interviewing and 10-15mins to ask them questions of my own. The questions typically start open-ended, like "I read that you worked on blah blah, tell me more about that!/that sounds challenging, how was it?/that's interesting, how did you get into that?" and the questions went from there, which felt really conversational. Also, the other interviewees on my day (there were ~6-7 of us I think) were all really chill and down to earth, which helped with relaxing between interviews. Good luck!!
 
Has anyone who interviewed at Columbia-Bassett heard back yet? I heard they will be accepting a few people this month, does anyone happen to know when they might release decisions?
 
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