Columbia waitlist/acceptances to those who have NOT attended top tier schools?

[venus0206]

It seems as if most people who are discussing acceptances/waitlists from Columbia have all been to a top tier Ivy-league school. If so, I can obviously see why, but does anyone know of anyone who has gained admission into Columbia having been educated at a lower tier school ?

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[fava]

when i interviewed there, they gave everyone a copy of the student handbook, which has all its students and their undergrad institutions. yes, the majority came from really reputable schools. but not everyone went to a top-tier undergrad. if you're an outstanding applicant, they will recognize that, regardless of where you completed your undergrad.

 

[jot]

agreed with the above post - there are on average 3 students accepted tp p&s from my school (mid-tier school - whatever that means) every year, and a couple to yale (which also has a lot of ivy kids) etc... quite possible, but you have to stand out.

 

[xaelia]

It certainly helps to go to a top-tier undergrad institution and excel, but Columbia interviews >1000 applicants every year. They give plenty of people from all sorts of backgrounds a long close look, and I would doubt it's commonplace for someone from an Ivy background who doesn't deserve to be at Columbia to be offered a position over someone from a respectable non-Ivy institution who does deserve an acceptance.

 

[14931]

when u say top-tier school, do u mean top 10 or top 50 and do they inlcude state schools? sorry for the dumb question i attend a top 50 state school and i just wanted to know
Thanks

 

[xaelia]

I think in top tier they're referring to the Ivies, MIT, Duke, Stanford...your basic top 10 "name" schools that make your parents plaster the sticker on the back window of their car after you're accepted.