Columbia waitlist?

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Spatulas, did you initially interview with Frantz? I did and received the same thing when I asked for a second meeting...
 
i've never met Dr. Frantz, and I got a letter that essentially disregarded my interview request...and i sent a loi a week after my waitlist

yeah, im watching my missed calls constantly for that 212 area code
 
Stolenspatulas said:
nope. he said he cant right now but he'll "keep me strongly in mind"
Click to expand...

of course he did.

i still don't have the guts to ask for one, or even pretend i'll be in the area...i'm afraid he'll just say "Oh no, we won't be needing that."
 
you'd think i would have done this already, but i read some of the older columbia waitlist threads for the first time (2003, 2004, 2005). it's very, VERY sobering. painfully eye opening. for most schools, what went on several years ago wouldn't be relevant because policies could change, but at columbia frantz has been doing this a LONG time, and it's all set.

it appears that the class is "overcommitted" every year, and movement is unexpectedly slow every year, and these are the responses people get over the phone. the scribbled handwritten notes, the standard frantz phrases and lingo...they have been the same year after year after year. complaining about frantz and the necessity for groveling is also a well established tradition over the years. even drawing attention to the yearly trend, our self-awareness, has become somewhat of an annual tradition.

but just to inform ourselves about what we're all dealing with here, i would highly recommend reading the threads, not just from last year, but as far back as you can tolerate.

am i giving up? hell no. but it's still important to know.
 
SkiUtah said:
Spatulas, did you initially interview with Frantz? I did and received the same thing when I asked for a second meeting...
Click to expand...

nope never interviewed with him.
 
quote from 2005 that i found rather amusing:

This guy must have a ridiculously large brain, to be keeping us all in mind, don't you think?
 
I know people get off the waitlist, so I'm just hoping that maybe I'm one of them..
 
wow, look at the 2005 waitlist thread in mid-may. it was like christmas!
 
Pagz09 said:
but just to inform ourselves about what we're all dealing with here, i would highly recommend reading the threads, not just from last year, but as far back as you can tolerate.
Click to expand...

links?
 
haha i've read those all a billion times and they just make me unhappy, like it seems like some of the kids who wrote the most times and wanted it the most were still unable to get in, and my gpa isn't like the hottest gpa ever, so i just feel terrible. and i can't speak spanish. =(
 
ghsieh said:
haha i've read those all a billion times and they just make me unhappy, like it seems like some of the kids who wrote the most times and wanted it the most were still unable to get in, and my gpa isn't like the hottest gpa ever, so i just feel terrible. and i can't speak spanish. =(
Click to expand...

ya it was always the first time poster who said they got the call and got it. that is pretty depressing. i wouldn't worry about your gpa, though, if you are on the waitlist then you have passed the numbers game.
 
i also feel like years of doing science has degraded my ability to write coherently and/or with any feeling, and I might not be able to communicate to him just how badly i want to go to P&S. Also, i feel like no one else could possibly want to go to P&S more than me because i lie awake thinking about it at night and stalk this thread religiously, except then i realize everyone posting in this thread feels exactly like i do and we're all equally qualified. but .... a magic 8 ball told my bf that i'd get into P&S (haha... if only).
 
yup, we're all in the same boat, here. perhaps there are degrees of longing, though, and i assure you that i'm right up there with you, ghsieh.

well, there's been no real movement yet (except for the MD/PhD guy), so nobody is missing out. i can't wait until those "accepted!" posts start to roll on in...should be an exciting time. but if i'm not one of them, then wow...that will be disappointing.

so, may 1 to may twenty-something should be the biggest move time, based on previous years. let's hope this year resembles 2005 more than 2006!
 
what is it about columbia that makes you long for it?
 
just got off the alternate list!!!!!!!! Dr. Frantz called me today, so psyched.
 
pjl2505 said:
just got off the alternate list!!!!!!!! Dr. Frantz called me today, so psyched.
Click to expand...

ahhhh!!! can't believe it!! congrats, but my feelings are a bit hurt...dr. frantz, why didn't you call me?

so pjl, what have you done? how many letters have you sent, and when? did you second interview? we'd appreciate your story!!
 
hey you guys, i'm at work right now, but i promise i'll post my whole story later tonight, in between celebratory beers.
 
congrats!!!

what did i say? the first person to get in is someone who hasn't posted on this thread before. maybe we should all just take a break from sdn for the next month.
 
Hey guys, I've been following this thread, but I never posted and only half-heartedly visited SDN over the past couple months bc I was a little frustrated about the admissions process, until today. Anyways, here's my story. I interviewed with Dr. Frantz in early September; I felt like we hit it off, but so does everyone it seems like. I loved Columbia from the get-go. I expressed this first in my thank you note, and then in two other updates before the regular admissions decision. To my thank you note, I got the "very much in mind" typed letter from Dr. Frantz. I also got another standard letter in response to one of my other updates. After being waitlisted, I sent two updates. Furthermore, I spoke to Dr. Frantz on the phone twice (we talked about my Spring break trip to Puerto Rico, and then discussed LOIs). I offered to come for a second interview, but he said it wasn't necessary as he had already interviewed me. Throughout, he always said "we think very highly of you" and "we'll keep you very much in mind." He responded to one of my letters, in type, that it would give him great personal pleasure if I came to Columbia and that he knew I would add a lot to the school. At this point, since he had already interviewed me and didn't accept me at the first crack, I thought my chances were nil. Just last week, one of my professors, in whose lab I've worked for 1.5 years and with whom I published a couple of papers, wrote a letter of rec. for me. Also, I sent my letter of intent last week. Apparently one of those two, or maybe a combination of both, convinced Dr. Frantz how much I wanted to be at Columbia. So, although Dr. Frantz sends some notes to lots of people, it can mean great things. He's really a great, genuine guy, and a big part of the reason I'm going to Columbia. Also, I don't think it matters whatsoever whether he sends you typed or written responses. Good luck to everyone, hope to see you at P & S next year!
 
congratulations pjl2505!

i think slipperyslope is right, and that we should stop checking this forum. my obsession with the columbia waitlist is taking over my life and bad for my mental health. if i get in then i'll post again...and so if i don't post it would be safe to assume that i got the small envelope. man... that makes me really sad.
 
Hi! I've never posted before, either, but felt compelled to do so now. Like many of you, I've been stalking SDN for the past few weeks hoping for news!

I got the call from Dr. Frantz yesterday (April 30) -- and I'm in off the waitlist! So it appears the movement is starting to happen. It was kinda weird how it happened...I called the Admissions Office that afternoon and was told he was unavailable (at a meeting) and to call back in 15 minutes. The secretary didn't take my name or number. So I went out, ran some errands, but left my phone at home...and returned to a voicemail from Dr. Frantz asking me to call him back! When I called and asked for him, the same secretary answered. I gave her my first name and started to spell my last name (it's a tough one), but she cut me off, pronounced my last name correctly, and got Frantz on the phone. So perhaps they have a list of people by the phone that Dr. Frantz expects/waits to hear from...?

This acceptance came as a total shock -- I had my second interview at the end of March (sent a letter of interest to Frantz and he called within 3 days with a second interview appt time). The interview was 40 minutes long, a bit awkward...definitely not as smooth as many of the interviews I've had. Sent him an email thank you, but didn't get a response. I thought I was done for.

So hopefully this will give you all some hope -- there should be some more good news coming soon!
 
tigers42 said:
Hi! I've never posted before, either, but felt compelled to do so now. Like many of you, I've been stalking SDN for the past few weeks hoping for news!

I got the call from Dr. Frantz yesterday (April 30) -- and I'm in off the waitlist! So it appears the movement is starting to happen. It was kinda weird how it happened...I called the Admissions Office that afternoon and was told he was unavailable (at a meeting) and to call back in 15 minutes. The secretary didn't take my name or number. So I went out, ran some errands, but left my phone at home...and returned to a voicemail from Dr. Frantz asking me to call him back! When I called and asked for him, the same secretary answered. I gave her my first name and started to spell my last name (it's a tough one), but she cut me off, pronounced my last name correctly, and got Frantz on the phone. So perhaps they have a list of people by the phone that Dr. Frantz expects/waits to hear from...?

This acceptance came as a total shock -- I had my second interview at the end of March (sent a letter of interest to Frantz and he called within 3 days with a second interview appt time). The interview was 40 minutes long, a bit awkward...definitely not as smooth as many of the interviews I've had. Sent him an email thank you, but didn't get a response. I thought I was done for.

So hopefully this will give you all some hope -- there should be some more good news coming soon!
Click to expand...

Dear FutureNeuroStud,

Thanks for you letter of [date]. I appreciate your continuing interest in P&S, and want you to know that we haven't forgotten about you.

Withdrawals seem to be coming in somewhat later this year than last, and there has been very little activity so far with respect to the alternate list. This may change in the weeks ahead, however, and you may rest assured that your candidacy will remain under very active consideration.

With all the best wishes,
Sincerely,

Dean Frantz
------------

Anyone else get one of these guys recently?
 
hey neurostud, i interpreted my letter as:

dear moo:

I don't plan to admit you, but who knows...maybe I'll change my mind.

Sincerely,

Dean Frantz

I think im screwed and im tired of being upset about it. Congrats to everyone who got in, enjoy it for those of us who won't
 
moomix906 said:
hey neurostud, i interpreted my letter as:

dear moo:

I don't plan to admit you, but who knows...maybe I'll change my mind.

Sincerely,

Dean Frantz

I think im screwed and im tired of being upset about it. Congrats to everyone who got in, enjoy it for those of us who won't
Click to expand...

I was thinking something along those lines. But who knows?
 
yes, it seems that the letters do have that sort of meaning. dean frantz is taking the students he wants now, and for the rest of us, it's "maybe later, who knows".

and congrats to lujcpassion, too. also got in off the waitlist...
 
I'm speechless right now, just got the call on my cell phone. I've been stressing about this for two months now, and now it's finally over. Just to summarize my situation here, I completed 12 interviews and was stuck with 2 acceptances and 10 waitlists. Most importantly, I had no overlapping cities with my fiancee, who committed to matriculate in a PhD program in NYC. I was on the waitlist at every school in NYC, too, and Columbia was by far my top choice. And now I am at peace...OK, so here's all the details.

- Interviewed with Dean Frantz in November. Sent him a thank you note, and he sent me back a "keep you in mind" letter in December.

- I was waitlisted at the beginning of March. Within a week, I had sent Dean Frantz my waitlist reponse form, as well as a short letter letting him know Columbia was my first choice. On my waitlist confirmation letter, Dean Frantz wrote a small handwritten note thanking me for my interest and "keeping me in mind."

- I sent a longer, stronger letter in mid-April, updating about my spring activities, assuring him I would withdraw all other acceptances and waitlists. I received a form letter back from Frantz..."under active consideration", "very much in mind".


- Two weeks ago, I called Dean Frantz, talked for only 5 minutes, and he assured me that there was almost no movement thus far, call any time, "keeping me in mind."

- Yesterday or today, the director of undergraduate studies of the chemistry department at my school called Dean Frantz to recommend me. He is not a premed advisor, but someone who has supervised my studies over the past 5 years, served as an advisor for my major, and I have also worked with him in the past year as a Teaching Assistant for a few of his courses. he told me that his conversation with dean frantz was EXTREMELY short, but that frantz told him i am high on their waitlist and there is a good chance I will receive an offer.


- Half an hour ago, my cell phone rings. The call waiting says "Unavailable" and my gut tells me that this is it. I nervously answer the phone, and recognize that old man's voice at the other end, and I know that there's only one purpose for such a call. Frantz promised me a spot, and i thanked him profusely and probably sounded like a blithering fool. but i'm so excited, and I swear, i will never complain about bard hall! i will be grateful and content, knowing how much work i put into getting this, and perhaps my medical school years will be all the better for me having gone through this. I know this all sucks, and waiting is intolerable, but so far this seems like a decent year for waitlisters. i'm really, REALLY hoping it works out for you guys, especially the dedicated few i've chatted with in the last couple months. good luck! ok, now i've got a lot of phone calls to make... =)
 
Congrats! What a great post 👍
 
i just randomly checked this thread... i didn't even apply to Columbia... but I loved your post. CONGRATS, Pagz!!
 
Congrats all around 🙂
 
so I withdrew from the columbia waitlist. good luck to everyone else.
 
nooooo, don't give up!!! there's still plenty of time!!
 
I posted on the waitlist movement thread, but I'll post here as well. I got a call today (yes Saturday) from Dean Frantz letting me know that I'm in.

The waitlist is definately moving, good luck to all of you who have P&S as your top choice!
 
hi everyone,

first time poster in this thread, but since i've found your posts rather helpful, thought i'd chime in.

just got back from a 2nd interview w/ dean frantz this morning... was basically told that i will be kept under "very active consideration" but that he can't predict when movement will occur, and that there have been fewer withdrawals than he expected to have at this point in the year.

judging by last year's thread... i'm not holding my breath at this point, although i will probably try to hold out until the very end if my housing situation permits. my best guess is that the wl may continue to move slowly... but that perhaps he already has people in mind that he wants to admit when spots open up (aka, not me).

congrats to garrison & all who have gotten off the wl though! 😀
 
The WL appears to be moving really slowly this year...
 
maybe the med schools saw that there were a high volume of refusals last year and offered too many acceptances this year for a substantial waitlist movement....😴
 
another business day come and gone, still waiting on the call...any news from anyone out there?
 
Hey,

I interviewed w. dr. frantz today and was offered a spot from the waitlist. There is def movement. Good luck to everyone waiting and hopefully will see you in NYC!
 
Hi all,
Long time lurker, first time poster. Just thought I'd send out some encouragement to those on the waitlist -- I'd all but given up hope and got the call from Dean Frantz this past Tuesday.

I didn't interview with him back in January and was not offered a second interview (I live in Arizona), but I did write two letters, one immediately after the waitlist was sent out (after which I received a handwritten note) and another about a month later (after which I received a form letter), and also called about a week ago. After much phone tag with the secretaries, finally got through to Dean Frantz. He gave the general spiel about overacceptance and a slowly moving waitlist, but that they always pull a good number of people from the waitlist. We spoke briefly about my summer plans and graduation, and then he said that he was optimistic that they would be able to make me an offer, but couldn't do so yet. He double checked my contact info and said that I should feel free to call anytime. A week later, my phone rang and he offered me a spot, which I immediately accepted.

It's my opinion that being pro-active is the main reason I got off the waitlist, so the advice from past posts about making sure Dean Frantz knows how much you want to be there is good advice. Best of luck to everyone, hope to see you at Columbia in August! Don't lose hope!
 
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