Columbia waitlist?

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slipperyslope said:
soooooo (i'm not sure if i want to know the answer to this) has anyone ever gotten off the list w/o a second interview?? that would be one thing if they only looked at instate applicants, but it just seems unfair to people on the other side of the country who maybe don't have the time/money to take a potentially meaningless trip...
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It's definitely happened before. It happened last year to my friend, who, I believe, got a call on the phone from Dean Frantz in response to an LOI she wrote; Dean Frantz just accepted her over the phone. I'm sure it's happened to others as well.
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I got in last year off the waitlist through a phone call, also.
 
does anyone get in without sending a letter of intent?
 
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Stolenspatulas said:
does anyone get in without sending a letter of intent?
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Knowing Frantz, I really doubt it.

Just think about it from his perspective. When he picks up that phone to tell someone they are in, he doesn't want to hear 'no thanks, I've decided I like new haven better than washington heights'. He has enough letters that he can limit his calls to individuals who he is sure will matriculate if he extends the offer.
 
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dbhvt said:
Knowing Frantz, I really doubt it.

Just think about it from his perspective. When he picks up that phone to tell someone they are in, he doesn't want to hear 'no thanks, I've decided I like new haven better than washington heights'. He has enough letters that he can limit his calls to individuals who he is sure will matriculate if he extends the offer.
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what sucks is im on three waitlists. i dont know if i want to pigeonhole my chances with an LOI.
 
Stolenspatulas said:
what sucks is im on three waitlists. i dont know if i want to pigeonhole my chances with an LOI.
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Hmm, one thing you could do is write really really enthusiastic letters of interest to Columbia but not commit until you get a second-interview invite (at which point it would probably be safe to start sounding more committed).

Maybe I'm dense, but I don't really understand how writing an LOI to one school could reduce your chances of getting into the other schools. I mean, let's say you're on three waitlists, at schools X, Y, and Z, and your chances of getting off these waitlists are currently x%, y%, and z%, respectively. If School X is your top choice and you write an LOI to School X, then your chances of getting off the waitlists will increase to, say, (x+10)%, y%, and z%, respectively. Now, let's say that after you write an LOI to School X, you get accepted to School Z but do not get accepted to School X. Then, even though you did write an LOI to School X, there's no obligation that stands in the way of your accepting School Z's acceptance. If School X accepts you after that, then you'll have to drop School Z and take School X, but my point is that writing an LOI doesn't negatively affect your *chances* in any way; it just locks you into going to School X if School X does indeed eventually accept you. So my advice is to figure out which of your three waitlists is your favorite and write that school a letter of intent. As long as you don't later change your mind about School X being your favorite, writing a letter of intent to School X and letters of interest to Schools Y & Z can only help you. I think.
 
you exaggerate, we'll probably just start getting post cards soon. Didn't that happen last year?
 
and i reallly hate to keep going over the letters/notes/postcards again and again and again, but those of you who got in off the waitlist last year, be honest, if he really liked you and wanted to accept you, when he receives your loi he most likely won't continue to respond with those "keeping you in mind" letters, he will just call you up and ask you for a second interview or just accept you. right?
 
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slipperyslope said:
and i reallly hate to keep going over the letters/notes/postcards again and again and again, but those of you who got in off the waitlist last year, be honest, if he really liked you and wanted to accept you, when he receives your loi he most likely won't continue to respond with those "keeping you in mind" letters, he will just call you up and ask you for a second interview or just accept you. right?
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yes, i think we'd all like to hear it straight regarding this. if dean frantz is interested in you, will he mostly show that interest right away in his response?

does anyone ever return from the depths of a waitlist limbo form letter?
 
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It's been 7 weeks since my last letter to Frantz. I wrote my last letter right before decisions came out. He did not write back to me. It is now near the end of April, did I wait too long to write a second letter? Am I going crazy or do am I right in thinking that Frantz will think I'm not really into Columbia if I didn't write a letter in March. Also I did not write a follow up letter after my interview....
 
madaboutyou said:
It's been 7 weeks since my last letter to Frantz. I wrote my last letter right before decisions came out. He did not write back to me. It is now near the end of April, did I wait too long to write a second letter? Am I going crazy or do am I right in thinking that Frantz will think I'm not really into Columbia if I didn't write a letter in March. Also I did not write a follow up letter after my interview....
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it's never too late, just send another letter.
 
Does most people who gets off Columbia waitlist get notified by phone call from Dean Frantz?

I am going to be out of US until August, and my chance of answering a phone call during regular US business hour is quite low. I bet if Columbia likes me enough to call me, they will contact me somehow. But when I called admissions office yesterday regarding my summer foreign contact, the lady told me notification will be sent via snail mail????? Getting confused once again.
 
madaboutyou said:
It's been 7 weeks since my last letter to Frantz. I wrote my last letter right before decisions came out. He did not write back to me. It is now near the end of April, did I wait too long to write a second letter? Am I going crazy or do am I right in thinking that Frantz will think I'm not really into Columbia if I didn't write a letter in March. Also I did not write a follow up letter after my interview....
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I don't think he got your letter. Write him another one. Soon. Both the postal service at 10032 and the CUMC mail services have their problems.
 
madaboutyou said:
It's been 7 weeks since my last letter to Frantz. I wrote my last letter right before decisions came out. He did not write back to me. It is now near the end of April, did I wait too long to write a second letter? Am I going crazy or do am I right in thinking that Frantz will think I'm not really into Columbia if I didn't write a letter in March. Also I did not write a follow up letter after my interview....
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I doubt he would respond to you right before decisions were coming out - that period of time is crazy in admissions
 
madaboutyou said:
It's been 7 weeks since my last letter to Frantz. I wrote my last letter right before decisions came out. He did not write back to me. It is now near the end of April, did I wait too long to write a second letter? Am I going crazy or do am I right in thinking that Frantz will think I'm not really into Columbia if I didn't write a letter in March. Also I did not write a follow up letter after my interview....
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Just write another letter. In the waitlist letter they specifically said to update them about once a month about your continued interest, so it really can't hurt to write another letter. Also, I didn't write a follow up letter after my interview either. I think our status on the waitlist (hopefully) means that we've gotten past that, and it's the stuff you send from now on that matters.
 
this thread is exploding suddenly!! i can smell change and spring in the air. =)
 
Pagz09 said:
this thread is exploding suddenly!! i can smell change and spring in the air. =)
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or may is 10 days away and everyone just broke the period of calm to start stressing again.
 
yea when i called frantz, he said like...everyone and their mom is writing LOI's and that they limit their waitlist to people who have indicated that columbia is basically their first choice. so... im not feeling particularly optimistic about my chances anymore. .not that i haven't indicated P&S is my first choice, but i think a lot of people have also said so too.
 
oh so i have a real question. when you are sending your LOI's, have you been sending them to [email protected] or dr frantz's personal email? or do you use the US postal service?
 
I snail mailed as well.
 
ok, so a lot of us have sent snail mail letters.

have you always received a written snail mail response from frantz, and if so how long before you received a response?
 
8 days later....i doubt the fast turnover bodes well, though.
 
Pagz09 said:
ok, so a lot of us have sent snail mail letters.

have you always received a written snail mail response from frantz, and if so how long before you received a response?
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He got back to me in just under two weeks. It was a typed letter through snail mail. Are other people getting actual written notes?

Just trying to figure out if I need to start freaking out... :laugh:
 
CEEJAY000 said:
He got back to me in just under two weeks. It was a typed letter through snail mail. Are other people getting actual written notes?

Just trying to figure out if I need to start freaking out... :laugh:
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I've gotten written notes every time.

I think I'm not going to LOI Columbia so realistically I have no chance (I'm not because Im scared of the financial package being ridiculous.....).
 
no need to freak out, just my own anxiety here.

so his response to my first letter was a hand-written note scrawled on the bottom of my wait-list confirmation letter. that came back to me really fast...within a week, probably because the waitlist confirmations were already about to go out, and he just added the extra note.

ok, so he usually makes a point to respond in some way, then. i'll keep waiting and see.

would you all say that the columbia waitlists moves a bit quicker and more efficiently than other schools, since dean frantz makes most of the decisions himself as opposed to waiting for committee meetings? just a thought. i'm trying any way i can to rationalize pre-may 15 movement, because i don't know how i can hold out that long.

maybe this week will bring something, since financial aid and revisits are all done, and there's no need to delay withdrawals for another two weeks...
 
Stolenspatulas said:
I've gotten written notes every time.

I think I'm not going to LOI Columbia so realistically I have no chance (I'm not because Im scared of the financial package being ridiculous.....).
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have you heard that columbia fin aid is bad? that would be a shame...

hmmm, Pagz, I don't think I would call it quicker or more efficient seeing how it would just spontaneously happen when he feels like it, but from reading past year's threads it seems that columbia's list starts to move around end of april and ends late may, whereas other top schools apparently draw from their waitlists more may-june? this is all hearsay though, who knows
 
Stolenspatulas said:
I've gotten written notes every time.
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normally this would freak me out since all of mine have been the standard typed letter, but all past speculation has led to the conclusion that these notes mean next to nothing, right? even if you aren't receiving a response, i wouldn't assume anything. (this is me pretending i'm calm and rational)
 
slipperyslope said:
normally this would freak me out since all of mine have been the standard typed letter, but all past speculation has led to the conclusion that these notes mean next to nothing, right? even if you aren't receiving a response, i wouldn't assume anything. (this is me pretending i'm calm and rational)
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Standard typed letter here. I think I'll freak out now.
 
CptCrunch said:
Standard typed letter here. I think I'll freak out now.
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Last year, some people who got only typed letters still got in. IMHO, this isn't the thing to be freaking out about, guys. Good luck!
 
slipperyslope said:
normally this would freak me out since all of mine have been the standard typed letter, but all past speculation has led to the conclusion that these notes mean next to nothing, right? even if you aren't receiving a response, i wouldn't assume anything. (this is me pretending i'm calm and rational)
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well he replied to my thank you card. no note there. that was back in december.

the last two communications ive had with him (one was a letter of interest, one was a request for second interview), have both had little notes.

and yes, these notes mean next to nothing.
 
moomix906 said:
have you heard that columbia fin aid is bad? that would be a shame..
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yea i hear they dont have the most generous fin aid. i think they have loans that are better than the 6.8% staffords but not a lot of grant money. again, i cant say anything for certain but this is what ive heard. also living in new york means 12 dollar drinks and expensive ''value'' meals, which doesnt bode well or the med student, heh.

im getting a decent package from duke and would feel pretty bad if i went back on my word if i sent a letter of intent to columbia and it miraculously became an acceptance. letters of intent can be a 250K in-debt noose.
 
Two things.

1) Fin aid is a little unpredictable, for some reason. Some people have gotten better packages here than elsewhere, some got better packages elsewhere.

2) For christ sake, who told you to email Dean Frantz? If you want him to pay attention, WRITE HIM A LETTER. He is pretty old school.
 
dbhvt said:
2) For christ sake, who told you to email Dean Frantz? If you want him to pay attention, WRITE HIM A LETTER. He is pretty old school.
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actually i didnt even know we could email him, but when i called columbia admissions, thats EXACTLY what the admissions lady told me to do. he replied by letter to my email.
 
Stolenspatulas said:
actually i didnt even know we could email him, but when i called columbia admissions, thats EXACTLY what the admissions lady told me to do. he replied by letter to my email.
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That really surprises me. He's told me himself that he doesn't like email.
 
Stolenspatulas said:
well he replied to my thank you card. no note there. that was back in december.

the last two communications ive had with him (one was a letter of interest, one was a request for second interview), have both had little notes.

and yes, these notes mean next to nothing.
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so, if you don't mind me asking, did he grant you the second interview even w/o the letter of intent?
 
all i can do is sit around whining about how i want to go to columbia. le sigh.

i hope whining helps.
 
all we can do is invent silly topics to talk about to fill up our days, hoping they pass a little bit quicker.

does anyone else find themselves being unusually mindful lately about keeping their cell phone around, just in case dean frantz decides to call? kinda sad? just me?
 
so where are you fellow waitlisted going if you dont get into columbia?
 
dbhvt said:
That really surprises me. He's told me himself that he doesn't like email.
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Well, how much do you wanna bet that his secretary is really the one reading his public email account, and just prints out emails that are worth The Franz's attention?
 
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