Columbia essay question

[Tropicana100]

6. If your education has been interrupted for any reason, please indicate briefly the reasons, the duration of the interruption and how your time was spent.

Is this asking if you interupted undergraduate? Does taking years off after graduation cout as interrupted education?

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[DreamyKid]

I would say no. I think that refers to interruptions during undergrad

 

[AppleseedCast]

6. If your education has been interrupted for any reason, please indicate briefly the reasons, the duration of the interruption and how your time was spent.

Is this asking if you interupted undergraduate? Does taking years off after graduation cout as interrupted education?

Did you already get an e-mail from columbia p&s adcomms to fill out a secondary?

 

[Tropicana100]

Did you already get an e-mail from columbia p&s adcomms to fill out a secondary?

no, it's available on their website.

 

[sillydoc2230]

I was wondering this too and I decided "interrupted" means more during undergrad. I checked everywhere on their site though and there's no definitive answer. (a sign of things to come from this school...?)

 

[Tropicana100]

I was wondering this too and I decided "interrupted" means more during undergrad. I checked everywhere on their site though and there's no definitive answer. (a sign of things to come from this school...?)

I have a feeling it includes time off after graduation. The whole point of the essay is to make sure you've been trying to keep busy outside of school. Some people take years off between junior and senior instead of after. Don't see why people who do it after should be exempt from the essay.

 

[LolaGene]

Im pretty sure this means time off between high school and college, during college, after college. They want to know if you used the time to do anything cool or if you had any personal challenges

 

[EyeballLove]

This probably means if you took time off while you were in college, right? Almost everybody I know is taking time off after college. There's no rule that says that one must start medical school immediately after college. I think the best bet is to e-mail the admission office.

 

[EyeballLove]

Usually, if a school wants to find out what you're doing between college and medical school, the question would say that explicitly. Again, just my two cents. I'm going to e-mail the admission office just to make sure.

 

[Severus]

I think they just want to know if you took time off during your high school or college years.

 

[Tropicana100]

Man, so many SDNers yet no one can answer with certainty. i posted in the allopathic thread. maybe current students know the answer to this.

 

[Tropicana100]

One more thought: interrupted means "to break the continuity of." Graduation is simply an end to a college career and not a break into to any educational period.

 

[Severus]

Tropicana, for what it's worth, I took three years off after graduation and I didn't answer that question. I was still invited for interview and ultimately accepted.

If you want something more definite, call or email the admissions office. They've been super helpful every time I called this past year.

 

[Tropicana100]

Tropicana, for what it's worth, I took three years off after graduation and I didn't answer that question. I was still invited for interview and ultimately accepted.

If you want something more definite, call or email the admissions office. They've been super helpful every time I called this past year.

haha you shoulda said so. that's definite enough for me. thanks.

 

[Tropicana100]

Years between high school and undergrad, years off in undergrad, and years after undergrad all count as interruptions in your education. They want to make sure that if you are taking time off, you have a good reason/are doing something productive. A lot of people take a year or two to work in a lab before applying, and would use this type of essay to write about what they've been doing. If you did not go directly from high school to college, skipped a year in college, or are taking this year off, leave this essay blank at your own risk. If you decided to take a year off just to apply to medical school - not a great idea - find something worth mentioning to do (volunteering, research, etc..) asap.

quoting johnnydrama's answer to my Q from Columbia waistlist thread. i think he's waitlisted at Columbia. i guess people do different things and still get interviewed at Columbia.

 

[Severus]

Hmmm... well, now I don't know. I'm pretty sure I didn't answer it (because I didn't on any other secondaries unless they specifically asked about post-graduation activities) but since everyone else seems to think it necessary, maybe you should just do it.

Man, I either have the crappiest memory alive or I've just permanently tried to block the entire application process from my memory.

 

[Tropicana100]

One guy from the allopathic thread says year off counts as "interrupted" education. Anyone else have an opinion? We need a verdict on this.

 

[hairyhuang]

just call the admissions office 2123053595

they wont' bite

 

[deleted103644]

What's the problem with writing an additional essay? If you took any time off, write about it in this section. They'll be able to tell from what you've written that you're not talking about getting kicked out for a year or anything negative, so it can only help you. If you are getting essay shy this early in the process, it will not go well for you. Esp Columbia is notorious for wanting people to display an interest in the school, which means e-mails/phone calls to the dean every other week. If you can't write this extra essay, how can you deal with all of those e-mails once you get an interview (assuming you get one...)?

Here's the bottom line: writing an extra essay will not hurt you, omitting one might. Make your decision.



P.S. Tropicana, that was eerily accurate. Stop cyber-stalking me. 😛 j/k

P.P.S. Tropicana (the juice) is by far the best.

 

[Tropicana100]

What's the problem with writing an additional essay? If you took any time off, write about it in this section. They'll be able to tell from what you've written that you're not talking about getting kicked out for a year or anything negative, so it can only help you. If you are getting essay shy this early in the process, it will not go well for you. Esp Columbia is notorious for wanting people to display an interest in the school, which means e-mails/phone calls to the dean every other week. If you can't write this extra essay, how can you deal with all of those e-mails once you get an interview (assuming you get one...)?

Here's the bottom line: writing an extra essay will not hurt you, omitting one might. Make your decision.



P.S. Tropicana, that was eerily accurate. Stop cyber-stalking me. 😛 j/k

P.P.S. Tropicana (the juice) is by far the best.

Okie. I guess I'll just have to talk about my year applying to med schols, getting 4 interviews and 2 waitlists and being forced to take another year off. GREAT. just GREATT 😀