Columbia Chances

[forkshoehat]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello, I was hoping you could help me get a sense of the admissions standards at Columbia for the Postbac. One post seemed to indicate you could count on admission with an undergraduate GPA above 3.0, is this true?

 

[student1799]

Hello, I was hoping you could help me get a sense of the admissions standards at Columbia for the Postbac. I graduated in 2006 from a small liberal arts college with a 3.65 GPA and specialized honors in Philosophy. I did not take any science courses. I have scored very highly on all the standardized tests besides the MCAT, and have taught preparation courses and tutored for these tests during the last few years while I tried to determine what I wanted to do with my life: 1550 SAT, 177 LSAT, 1570 GRE, and 760 GMAT. I live in Manhattan and would strongly prefer to attend Columbia to all the other options. I am wondering if I will need to apply to other schools, or can I count on admission? One post seemed to indicate you could count on admission with an undergraduate GPA above 3.0, is this true? Also, recommendations are optional, but would I meaningfully reduce my chances by not submitting one? I'd rather not bother my professors for an optional recommendation if I do not need to. Thanks for all your help!

I just finished the Columbia postbacc last spring, and I'd say that business about having a 3.0 is out of date. I'd heard that too when I applied 3 years ago, but after I got in I heard the admissions director say that it had tightened up considerably: they only took about 25% of those who applied. Having said that, I don't think you'll have a problem with your numbers--they look just fine. I think Columbia's main concern is admitting people who have a good shot at getting into med school with their existing undergrad record, so the program can have a high success rate.

BTW, if you live in New York, I HIGHLY recommend you look into Hunter. It's a fraction of the cost, I think the grading is a bit easier over there (which is important, because GPA is crucial in med school admissions), and the culture may be more positive as well. I really didn't think Columbia gave me a whole lot for the small fortune it cost; the grading was harsh, most the professors were of indifferent quality, and the administration didn't really care about the students very much. I did get into med school, but not because of my adviser--rather, in spite of her. (I got a very disappointing MCAT score, and she said I didn't need to add lower-stat schools to my app. I did so anyway, and ALL my interviews came from those schools.) And, as you may have heard, their attrition rate is sky-high (I'd say it's 30-50%), so their success rate in getting students into med school is way overstated. (Those who drop out before reaching the point of applying aren't counted.)

 

[drizzt3117]

Hello, I was hoping you could help me get a sense of the admissions standards at Columbia for the Postbac. I graduated in 2006 from a small liberal arts college with a 3.65 GPA and specialized honors in Philosophy. I did not take any science courses. I have scored very highly on all the standardized tests besides the MCAT, and have taught preparation courses and tutored for these tests during the last few years while I tried to determine what I wanted to do with my life: 1550 SAT, 177 LSAT, 1570 GRE, and 760 GMAT. I live in Manhattan and would strongly prefer to attend Columbia to all the other options. I am wondering if I will need to apply to other schools, or can I count on admission? One post seemed to indicate you could count on admission with an undergraduate GPA above 3.0, is this true? Also, recommendations are optional, but would I meaningfully reduce my chances by not submitting one? I'd rather not bother my professors for an optional recommendation if I do not need to. Thanks for all your help!

To be totally honest, if I had that applicant profile, I would go to BM. I know it's not in NY, but you have the type of profile that is perfect for a top tier postbac. If it's really not an option to leave NYC, I think the other poster's recommendation of Hunter is a better option than Columbia.

 

[pietachok]

I had the same adviser as student1799. I had horrible advising. I did not get into med school for the first to years I applied out of Columbia's postbacc program. I had to ditch their committee letter.

The classes are huge, so you don't get to know your profs to get great LOR's. The classes are graded harshly, so even if you are an excellent student, you might end up with low grades. I had some profs who were from Fordham and were downright dumb, and I had one Columbia prof who probably needed some psychiatric help. This did not help in getting LORs or establishing a supportive learning environment. My 2 yrs at Columbia were some of my most miserable. When I got my first round of rejections and informed my adviser I would be applying Caribbean, and D.O., I was told nothing of D.O. shadowing as a necessity for HALF of the D.O. schools, for instance. If you cause them the slightest risk to their stats, they just do not care.

They will accept you, however, b/c you make them money...even if you drop out.

The bad experience isn't mine alone. You can PM me if you want further details.

I have since known several graduates of Hunter's post-bacc program, and I cannot say that I feel they were worse educated or have done worse at getting into med school. The only thing that I feel they have to be more vigilant about is pursuing their LOR's earlier b/c their profs have been more scattered when it comes to returning them (although even one of mine just never returned hers!).