advice on columbia application

[valliumv]

Hi everybody-
I'd like to ask some advice from students who've been admitted at Columbia in previous years...or anyone who has any insight.

I thought I was done with the Columbia app when I called the admissions office and the secretary(?) told me that many applicants attach a longer personal statement to their application.

What have Columbia applicants done in the past? Is there anything else, like high school education or AP credits, etc., that I should add to the application?

Basically, what will the admissions committed be willing to look at and what will they be annoyed by?

Thank you

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[jed2023]

You haven't offered much in the way of specifics, which might be helpful in trying to answer your question. Speaking generally, however, I would say that if the "secretary" (or whoever answered the phone) took the time to recommend a longer personal statement, it would probably be dumb to totally blow off that advice.
How long is your personal statement currently? As far as high school education credits, that seems kind of silly. (Not sure about AP credits if that's what you are referring to.) Few medical schools care about what you did in high school.

Columbia P & S 2006

 

[valliumv]

yeah, the reason I didn't post any more specifics is because I dont know any. My premed advisor is not too helpful and I dont' think a lot of people from my school apply to Columbia. I wouldn't really know, for some reason I just don't know a lot of premeds at Northwestern. Most of my friends are applying to grad school--its probably because I'm graduating early that I dont' know others who may be applying from here.

I think I'll attach my AMCAS personal statement along with the application...This just means I need to write another shorter essay to answer the question they do ask, right? I originally had a shortened version of my AMCAS to submit, but I'm trying to write an entirely new essay.

I wanted to know if other applicants in the past have sent anything that they think helped them.

Do people think a like a fuller resume (the application gives me something like 500 characters to list my college extra currics and jobs) is a good idea?

Since I'm graduating early, would writing out AP credits be a good idea (I'm actually not using them to fulfill my graduation requirements, I'll have enough credits to graduate by this June, and they are on my transcript anyway).

Is there anything else that I can't even think of that might help?

Thank you.

 

[ERMudPhud]

I don't remember writing a particularly long personal statement to Columbia when I applied. I did ultimately end up going there. I would just make sure that your essay or essays addresses each of their questions. Don't bother with high school stuff on your CV but if Andrew Franz is still the admissions director then include any experience you might have which would be relevant to theater, music, or rugby. These are strong personal interests of his and the feeling in the classes was that many of the successful applicants had some ties to these areas. One of my classmates who knew nothing about rugby half-jokingly claimed to have put college rugby coach on his application