Late Columbia Interview

[itsallabout18]

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Hey everyone,

I was granted a late interview to Columbia, which is such an honor. I have a lower GPA (3.5/3.4), decent DAT (20AA,19TS,22PAT), normal amount of shadowing experience (60 hrs GP, 40 hrs assorted specialties), extensive organic chemistry research, and leadership positions within my fraternity. My grades are definitely an upward trend. My majors are Latin and Chemistry, which I think is unique, and I also studied at a small liberal arts school. I feel confident as a candidate, but I never expected an interview at a place like Columbia.

Could anyone tell me what my chances are there at this point? I'm going to go for the experience, but is it safe to say that it's a big roll of the dice now? What percentage of interviewees do they normally accept, and does that number change significantly late in the process?

Just so you know the two interview date options were the last two (Feb 17, Feb 24). I took the earlier date.

Any and all information would be appreciated, (but please be kind).

 

[DMDomer12]

Hey everyone,

I was granted a late interview to Columbia, which is such an honor. I have a lower GPA (3.5/3.4), decent DAT (20AA,19TS,22PAT), normal amount of shadowing experience (60 hrs GP, 40 hrs assorted specialties), extensive organic chemistry research, and leadership positions within my fraternity. My grades are definitely an upward trend. My majors are Latin and Chemistry, which I think is unique, and I also studied at a small liberal arts school. I feel confident as a candidate, but I never expected an interview at a place like Columbia.

Could anyone tell me what my chances are there at this point? I'm going to go for the experience, but is it safe to say that it's a big roll of the dice now? What percentage of interviewees do they normally accept, and does that number change significantly late in the process?

Just so you know the two interview date options were the last two (Feb 17, Feb 24). I took the earlier date.

Any and all information would be appreciated, (but please be kind).

Hey Itsallabout18, I also got a late Columbia interview yesterday and I am debating what to do as well. I would imagine that at this point we are interviewing for alternative seats, but I'd also appreciate any solid information from previously interviewed candidates or current CDM students.

 

[itsallabout18]

Hey Itsallabout18, I also got a late Columbia interview yesterday and I am debating what to do as well. I would imagine that at this point we are interviewing for alternative seats, but I'd also appreciate any solid information from previously interviewed candidates or current CDM students.

Their alternate list is already long according to predents. I can't imagine the school asking students to interview when they know the chances are so low, but maybe I am wrong.

 

[SupDanLOL]

Guys, that's not necessarily how it works. Those applicants are alternates for a reason-- Columbia wanted to see if some later interviewees are perhaps a better fit for their program. If they like you a lot, despite interviewing later, you're going to get an acceptance. They don't just queue everyone up behind the people who didn't get accepted the first time around.

 

[FROGGBUSTER]

Guys, that's not necessarily how it works. Those applicants are alternates for a reason-- Columbia wanted to see if some later interviewees are perhaps a better fit for their program. If they like you a lot, despite interviewing later, you're going to get an acceptance. They don't just queue everyone up behind the people who didn't get accepted the first time around.

yeah that's how it works

 

[SupDanLOL]

yeah that's how it works

I'm not sure if you are agreeing with what I said or not... but just to clarify for other people who might genuinely care (and I can only say this for sure about Columbia) -- I spoke with the admissions office and they explicitly clarified for me that you are not interviewing for a spot on the wait-list as a "late" (read: post-Decemeber) interviewee.

 

[FROGGBUSTER]

I'm not sure if you are agreeing with what I said or not... but just to clarify for other people who might genuinely care (and I can only say this for sure about Columbia) -- I spoke with the admissions office and they explicitly clarified for me that you are not interviewing for a spot on the wait-list as a "late" (read: post-Decemeber) interviewee.

i'm agreeing with you, no sarcasm intended

 

[SupDanLOL]

i'm agreeing with you, no sarcasm intended

Fair enough. I wasn't taking it personally or anything haha.

Just wanted to clear up any confusion.

 

[FROGGBUSTER]

Fair enough. I wasn't taking it personally or anything haha.

Just wanted to clear up any confusion.

yup

 

[DMDomer12]

I'm not sure if you are agreeing with what I said or not... but just to clarify for other people who might genuinely care (and I can only say this for sure about Columbia) -- I spoke with the admissions office and they explicitly clarified for me that you are not interviewing for a spot on the wait-list as a "late" (read: post-Decemeber) interviewee.

Hey SupDanLOL, thanks for the info! I have already written back and confirmed that I will be attending the interview. I don't think I could pass up the chance to see such a great school, and I really haven't heard anything negative about Columbia this entire cycle. I'm very excited to visit New York and CDM!!

 

[imrealgerman]

Hey SupDanLOL, thanks for the info! I have already written back and confirmed that I will be attending the interview. I don't think I could pass up the chance to see such a great school, and I really haven't heard anything negative about Columbia this entire cycle. I'm very excited to visit New York and CDM!!

definitely go! I loved my whole day at the school and dr. zubiaurre said that spaces will remain open until the last interview because she said that she doesn't want to miss out on great applicants who may not have interviewed yet. based on the stats of those waitlisted, on predents, they must really be looking for people who fit the program more than just high dat scores. though im sure that those applicants are likely outstanding so I mean nothing negative by that. who knows, they may not think im a fit either lol. but good luck on the interview!

 

[385835]

I

 

[dansou5]

I don't like Manhattan. Not just the area around the dental school, but the whole city is kind of too congested for me. I used to live there and it made me feel a bit depressed.

The school seems like a nice place.

I thought the same thing when i was there. Its such a great school, I just wish it wasnt in NYC...

 

[itsallabout18]

I thought the same thing when i was there. Its such a great school, I just wish it wasnt in NYC...

I've never been a proponent of Manhattan except to visit, but I think that I would be interested in a change of pace. It's only 4 years, and it'd be a great test for me. After all, NYC is a really great place for a dental school in a lot of ways.

I'm glad to see these other responses, but I feel helpless with the other statistics I'm up against. I'd have to give an academy award winning interview to compete with some of these students. I'll give it my best. Who knows? Everybody loves an underdog.

 

[imrealgerman]

stand out when you're there. I had close to 15 fill the table at my interview and at least 5 of them had dat scores that were in the top 20, out of the 8000 people that take the exam. the people columbia interview are at a caliber that is almost impossible to describe. im not trying to intimidate you about of an interview, but I could tell by my interview that your stats will likely come back up when they review yourinterview the following week, so give him or her something amazing to say, assuming they start out the review by introducing you to the committee using your numbers. this is all my theory on the matter, so just take it with a grain of salt - just seems like the logical approach to me.

 

[dansou5]

stand out when you're there. I had close to 15 fill the table at my interview and at least 5 of them had dat scores that were in the top 20, out of the 8000 people that take the exam. the people columbia interview are at a caliber that is almost impossible to describe. im not trying to intimidate you about of an interview, but I could tell by my interview that your stats will likely come back up when they review yourinterview the following week, so give him or her something amazing to say, assuming they start out the review by introducing you to the committee using your numbers. this is all my theory on the matter, so just take it with a grain of salt - just seems like the logical approach to me.

How did you know others DAT scores? Maybe my group was different but i didnt hear one person state their scores... However, one thing that surprised me is the Universities the other interviewers came from. Everyone came from an Ivy or a Public Ivy and i was the one exception coming from a no name public university in the midwest

Anyways I wouldnt be to worried about the interview. They tell you right away that everyone at the interview has competitive stats. Just be yourself and dont be nervous, they already like you if you have an interview. One thing that set Columbia's interview apart from the rest of mine was how personable it was. They knew everything about your application and i was really surprised when mine referenced the name of one of my LOR's. makes you feel like your talking to an old friend.

 

[imrealgerman]

How did you know others DAT scores? Maybe my group was different but i didnt hear one person state their scores... However, one thing that surprised me is the Universities the other interviewers came from. Everyone came from an Ivy or a Public Ivy and i was the one exception coming from a no name public university in the midwest

Anyways I wouldnt be to worried about the interview. They tell you right away that everyone at the interview has competitive stats. Just be yourself and dont be nervous, they already like you if you have an interview. One thing that set Columbia's interview apart from the rest of mine was how personable it was. They knew everything about your application and i was really surprised when mine referenced the name of one of my LOR's. makes you feel like your talking to an old friend.

It came up casually in conversation when we talking amongst each other and I saw another's from his predents profile. Surprisingly, the few I talked to didn't come from Ivys or Public Ivys. The schools I remember were mine (no-name school in central jersey, Monmouth U), Rutgers, UCF, UVA, CUNY and one in Canada. I guess we had "opposite interviews" haha.

And ditto to that entire second paragraph (to whoever is reading), even the referencing of a letter of recommendation. It was laid back interview, but mine was definitely more "interview" than "conversation," as some other people said theirs was closer to the second. I probably should have known my AADSAS app better, because I didn't realize I put in there that my dad was military and my guy brought that up. He also brought up a 2 week trip to Chile I took, which took me a second to catch up. Hope he didn't think I was lying about either... 😕 And I also had a longgg interview - close to 45 minutes - whereas most people ended around 20 minutes. But they'll tell you that the length of your interview is irrelevant, so I dunno what to make of that.

 

[RalphMouth]

I haven't heard back from Columbia or NYU imrealgerman (answering your question from the other thread)

I actually thought my interview was less conversational than my other 2. At NYU and UMDNJ had great flow and was really like a normal conversation with interview questions sprinkled in casually. At Columbia, my interviewer stopped me a few times and seemed really intent on writing down everything (much of which was already in my app). I mean don't get me wrong, the guy was really nice and it was not a stressful interview, but it definitely was not a casual chat either.

 

[imrealgerman]

I haven't heard back from Columbia or NYU imrealgerman (answering your question from the other thread)

I actually thought my interview was less conversational than my other 2. At NYU and UMDNJ had great flow and was really like a normal conversation with interview questions sprinkled in casually. At Columbia, my interviewer stopped me a few times and seemed really intent on writing down everything (much of which was already in my app). I mean don't get me wrong, the guy was really nice and it was not a stressful interview, but it definitely was not a casual chat either.

Yup, that was better wording than I could come up with for mine. It was like we had the same interviewer in different rooms haha. And mine at UMDNJ and NYU were the same - I don't know if you remember, but at NYU, my guy came in and was like "It's cool. I reject everyone." Let me know where you end up! And good luck at Stony Brook <-- I promise I will not be there haha

 

[RalphMouth]

Thanks man, I'll definitely let you know what happens. Hopefully you'll do the same.

And yeah I do remember that, it was pretty funny. Actually I think there were lots of funny moments at the interview, it was a good time (well for an interview anyway).

 

[Oonjuk]

It came up casually in conversation when we talking amongst each other and I saw another's from his predents profile. Surprisingly, the few I talked to didn't come from Ivys or Public Ivys. The schools I remember were mine (no-name school in central jersey, Monmouth U), Rutgers, UCF, UVA, CUNY and one in Canada. I guess we had "opposite interviews" haha.

And ditto to that entire second paragraph (to whoever is reading), even the referencing of a letter of recommendation. It was laid back interview, but mine was definitely more "interview" than "conversation," as some other people said theirs was closer to the second. I probably should have known my AADSAS app better, because I didn't realize I put in there that my dad was military and my guy brought that up. He also brought up a 2 week trip to Chile I took, which took me a second to catch up. Hope he didn't think I was lying about either... 😕 And I also had a longgg interview - close to 45 minutes - whereas most people ended around 20 minutes. But they'll tell you that the length of your interview is irrelevant, so I dunno what to make of that.

How are you imrealgerman? I am that Rutgers kid. Haha. I've been staring at my email inbox and calling home to make sure I didn't miss any phone calls from Columbia.

 

[imrealgerman]

How are you imrealgerman? I am that Rutgers kid. Haha. I've been staring at my email inbox and calling home to make sure I didn't miss any phone calls from Columbia.

haha I remember you - the biomedical engineer whose friends thought "engineer" meant that you'd know how to hack wikipedia during the "blackout" haha. I've been good and doing the same with my email, aadsas and phone.

 

[Oonjuk]

Hey everyone,

I was granted a late interview to Columbia, which is such an honor. I have a lower GPA (3.5/3.4), decent DAT (20AA,19TS,22PAT), normal amount of shadowing experience (60 hrs GP, 40 hrs assorted specialties), extensive organic chemistry research, and leadership positions within my fraternity. My grades are definitely an upward trend. My majors are Latin and Chemistry, which I think is unique, and I also studied at a small liberal arts school. I feel confident as a candidate, but I never expected an interview at a place like Columbia.

Could anyone tell me what my chances are there at this point? I'm going to go for the experience, but is it safe to say that it's a big roll of the dice now? What percentage of interviewees do they normally accept, and does that number change significantly late in the process?

Just so you know the two interview date options were the last two (Feb 17, Feb 24). I took the earlier date.

Any and all information would be appreciated, (but please be kind).

To OP: Dr. Zubiaurre (Director of Admissions and Student Affairs) told our group that she met many wonderful students who came to late interviews in her past and she tries to make sure there are seats left for these late interview students. My interview was more laid back and conversational, although I did feel little rushed because my interviewer was talking slightly fast and took notes of what I was saying at same time. Just make sure you are completely aware of what's in your AADSAS because Columbia interviewers seem to memorize the information contained in AADSAS app. Also, be yourself!

 

[itsallabout18]

stand out when you're there. I had close to 15 fill the table at my interview and at least 5 of them had dat scores that were in the top 20, out of the 8000 people that take the exam. the people columbia interview are at a caliber that is almost impossible to describe. im not trying to intimidate you about of an interview, but I could tell by my interview that your stats will likely come back up when they review yourinterview the following week, so give him or her something amazing to say, assuming they start out the review by introducing you to the committee using your numbers. this is all my theory on the matter, so just take it with a grain of salt - just seems like the logical approach to me.

Good advice, but to be fair, it will be an awkward conversation if they do bring up that my grades are lower. After all they are the ones who granted me the interview. I can't do anything at this point to change those grades. I do have great writing skills, considerable research experience, and what I would guess are excellent recommendations, so hopefully I will be able to steer the conversation towards those.

I was hoping more people would respond to the question: what is their interview:acceptance ratio?

By my calculation:

78 seats * 2:1 acceptance:enrollment ratio = 156 acceptances
156 acceptances / 256 interviews = 61% acceptance rate once given an interview

I would assume this drops off at this stage?

Also, in following with y'all's theory: would you guess that she saves 10 seats or more like 1 or 2? It would make sense for her to save 10 and then take who she thought she should and fill the rest with the waitlist, but maybe that's wishful thinking. 🙄

 

[BiomedEngineer]

I'm glad to see these other responses, but I feel helpless with the other statistics I'm up against. I'd have to give an academy award winning interview to compete with some of these students. I'll give it my best. Who knows? Everybody loves an underdog.

To the OP, it's important to remember that your interviewer is your advocate. Basically, he/she is there to try to convince the admissions committee to accept you. So you're going to have to first convince him why you want to go to Columbia and what you can contribute to the class. The interview setting is unlike the other schools I've been to, since everyone interviews in the same room, and it gets pretty loud in there.. it seemed more like chatting with an old friend at a restaurant than anything else. From what I hear, everyone who gets an interview at Columbia has a fair shot, so don't lose hope. Good luck!

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

To the OP, it's important to remember that your interviewer is your advocate. Basically, he/she is there to try to convince the admissions committee to accept you. So you're going to have to first convince him why you want to go to Columbia and what you can contribute to the class. The interview setting is unlike the other schools I've been to, since everyone interviews in the same room, and it gets pretty loud in there.. it seemed more like chatting with an old friend at a restaurant than anything else. From what I hear, everyone who gets an interview at Columbia has a fair shot, so don't lose hope. Good luck!

I did recall a lot of people interviewing right outside of the presentation room but my interviewer led me off to his own little private office and we chatted there. When we sat down, the first thing he did was pick up my app and read my GPA and DAT out loud... can you imagine this?

@itsallabout18
Don't worry too much and just blow them away with who you are. There were a lot of big players there during my day, including the H-bomb... but hey my public school behind still got in on day 1.

 

[385835]

Op:

 

[DMDomer12]

Wow everyone's been so great on this feed. Thanks for all the encouragement, advice, and info about the interview at CDM!!

To the OP, good luck, maybe I will see you there!

To everyone still waiting to hear from Dr. Z, I hope you all get some good news very soon 🙂

 

[imrealgerman]

Good advice, but to be fair, it will be an awkward conversation if they do bring up that my grades are lower. After all they are the ones who granted me the interview. I can't do anything at this point to change those grades. I do have great writing skills, considerable research experience, and what I would guess are excellent recommendations, so hopefully I will be able to steer the conversation towards those.

I was hoping more people would respond to the question: what is their interview:acceptance ratio?

By my calculation:

78 seats * 2:1 acceptance:enrollment ratio = 156 acceptances
156 acceptances / 256 interviews = 61% acceptance rate once given an interview

I would assume this drops off at this stage?

Also, in following with y'all's theory: would you guess that she saves 10 seats or more like 1 or 2? It would make sense for her to save 10 and then take who she thought she should and fill the rest with the waitlist, but maybe that's wishful thinking. 🙄

They said that they interview "...only about 200 applicants," so it could be higher. Plus the class I only 50-75% full so you do stand a fair shot. You also have to account for those who get waitlisted and don't want to be on it, those that get accepted and turn it down, those that put in deposits and pull out in May and those who withdraw post-interview. Even if each is a small number, it may make even 61%the an underestimate. Either way, post on here and let us know how it went!

 

[itsallabout18]

They said that they interview "...only about 200 applicants," so it could be higher. Plus the class I only 50-75% full so you do stand a fair shot. You also have to account for those who get waitlisted and don't want to be on it, those that get accepted and turn it down, those that put in deposits and pull out in May and those who withdraw post-interview. Even if each is a small number, it may make even 61%the an underestimate. Either way, post on here and let us know how it went!

Well my reasoning took into account that only about 1/2 enrolls (even in the long run) once they are accepted. Last years class had 256 interviews according to the school's website.

At what point was this information accurate? 50-75% would be crazy. Do you think their quote on 200 interviews was the amount they planned to give out, or just how many they had so far?

With your info:

78 * 2:1 = 156
156 / 200 = 78%

 

[itsallabout18]

To the OP, it's important to remember that your interviewer is your advocate. Basically, he/she is there to try to convince the admissions committee to accept you. So you're going to have to first convince him why you want to go to Columbia and what you can contribute to the class. The interview setting is unlike the other schools I've been to, since everyone interviews in the same room, and it gets pretty loud in there.. it seemed more like chatting with an old friend at a restaurant than anything else. From what I hear, everyone who gets an interview at Columbia has a fair shot, so don't lose hope. Good luck!

OP: Go in there with confidence. Confidence is not just a feeling. You wouldn't be there in the first place if it were "out of your league." As a factual statement, you belong there for that interview.

Wow everyone's been so great on this feed. Thanks for all the encouragement, advice, and info about the interview at CDM!!

To the OP, good luck, maybe I will see you there!

To everyone still waiting to hear from Dr. Z, I hope you all get some good news very soon 🙂

@itsallabout18
Don't worry too much and just blow them away with who you are. There were a lot of big players there during my day, including the H-bomb... but hey my public school behind still got in on day 1.

If these are the kind of people that Columbia is associating itself with, count me in.

 

[imrealgerman]

Well my reasoning took into account that only about 1/2 enrolls (even in the long run) once they are accepted. Last years class had 256 interviews according to the school's website.

At what point was this information accurate? 50-75% would be crazy. Do you think their quote on 200 interviews was the amount they planned to give out, or just how many they had so far?

With your info:

78 * 2:1 = 156
156 / 200 = 78%

Dr. Davis said "We only interview about 200 applicants." Those were his exact words. I assume it means in the long run. Him and Dr. Z both stated that Columbia is not a top choice for many applicants, which I thought was unusual since everyone I talked to that day said it was. I learned a lot that day, come to think of it haha. The website isn't accurate, because even the 120 hours they state that is offered in the third year to pre-specialize, isn't offered any more.

 

[Floralia]

Do you think expecting an interview invitation from Columbia is slim at this point?
I have a 3.8 and 22/22. Application submitted in July.
The admission officer at Columbia said that they will interview until the end of February. If invitations are sent out 2-3 weeks prior to interview dates. It's really close to the end of giving out interview invitations already.
Any thoughts?
and good luck to the post above. Your chance is really good for acceptance already, given that you have an interview. =)

 

[itsallabout18]

Do you think expecting an interview invitation from Columbia is slim at this point?
I have a 3.8 and 22/22. Application submitted in July.
The admission officer at Columbia said that they will interview until the end of February. If invitations are sent out 2-3 weeks prior to interview dates. It's really close to the end of giving out interview invitations already.
Any thoughts?
and good luck to the post above. Your chance is really good for acceptance already, given that you have an interview. =)

I was told I got one of the few remaining interview slots. So chances are low, but who knows? As for your stats, they seem right in there, and they're definitely higher than mine.

 

[imrealgerman]

Thanks man, I'll definitely let you know what happens. Hopefully you'll do the same.

And yeah I do remember that, it was pretty funny. Actually I think there were lots of funny moments at the interview, it was a good time (well for an interview anyway).

Oh I'll definitely let you know. Columbia was probably my favorite interview out of the 3. I felt like the Columbia group was a little better than the NYU group (no offense to any NYU interviewees from 01/23). Not to mention Dr. Davis' classic line "I don't drive a Mercedes, I drive a (fixes tie), *used* Mercedes."

 

[imrealgerman]

Do you think expecting an interview invitation from Columbia is slim at this point?
I have a 3.8 and 22/22. Application submitted in July.
The admission officer at Columbia said that they will interview until the end of February. If invitations are sent out 2-3 weeks prior to interview dates. It's really close to the end of giving out interview invitations already.
Any thoughts?
and good luck to the post above. Your chance is really good for acceptance already, given that you have an interview. =)

How were your letters of rec? Are you international? What about extra curricular stuff? Aside from test scores, I've heard these are the other big factors that influence if you get am interview invite from them (from other threads at least). Your numbers are a little above mine so you def have a shot.

 

[Floralia]

My letters of rec and extra curricular are good. I also have extensive research experience and I'm not international. I had interviews from Upenn and UCSF and acceptances from a few other schools if that makes me sound competitive as an applicant?!?! I just wish I have a chance at Columbia because I really want to go there. However, I'm starting to lose hope at this point since it's already end of January and interviews will conclude soon. What to do? =/

 

[imrealgerman]

My letters of rec and extra curricular are good. I also have extensive research experience and I'm not international. I had interviews from Upenn and UCSF and acceptances from a few other schools if that makes me sound competitive as an applicant?!?! I just wish I have a chance at Columbia because I really want to go there. However, I'm starting to lose hope at this point since it's already end of January and interviews will conclude soon. What to do? =/

Wow, I got rejected by Upenn and didn't even bother with Californian schools. I wish I knew the criteria Columbia uses, but even their waitlist has some impressive applicants. My personal statement was tailored towards Columbia so that may have had an influence on my invite from them and rejection from Penn - even in Penn's secondary, I said medicine and dentistry need more overlap, which I'm sure wasnt well-received since they separate their medical and dental schools. Do you think you may have presented yourself as a better fit for certain schools in that way? You seem like you could succeed anywhere, so maybe that's it (the being a "fit" concept that some schools use). I probably didn't help much, but Columbia is less busy now so you may have some.luck by calling them.

 

[Floralia]

Surely I did not target Columbia specifically in my application because I thought it was risky. And since they did not offer secondary, it was hard for me to express interest for Columbia. I was very honest in my application so I guess maybe the fit concept that Columbia perceived might have played a role. I really don't know at this point what type of students they look for or why they don't like me. Thanks for the advice.

Wow, I got rejected by Upenn and didn't even bother with Californian schools. I wish I knew the criteria Columbia uses, but even their waitlist has some impressive applicants. My personal statement was tailored towards Columbia so that may have had an influence on my invite from them and rejection from Penn - even in Penn's secondary, I said medicine and dentistry need more overlap, which I'm sure wasnt well-received since they separate their medical and dental schools. Do you think you may have presented yourself as a better fit for certain schools in that way? You seem like you could succeed anywhere, so maybe that's it (the being a "fit" concept that some schools use). I probably didn't help much, but Columbia is less busy now so you may have some.luck by calling them.

 

[itsallabout18]

Surely I did not target Columbia specifically in my application because I thought it was risky. And since they did not offer secondary, it was hard for me to express interest for Columbia. I was very honest in my application so I guess maybe the fit concept that Columbia perceived might have played a role. I really don't know at this point what type of students they look for or why they don't like me. Thanks for the advice.

This happened to me applying to undergraduate. The stats could be there, but sometimes they just don't see something they want in you. You seem like a pretty good candidate to me. Don't let your head down, man.

 

[imrealgerman]

Surely I did not target Columbia specifically in my application because I thought it was risky. And since they did not offer secondary, it was hard for me to express interest for Columbia. I was very honest in my application so I guess maybe the fit concept that Columbia perceived might have played a role. I really don't know at this point what type of students they look for or why they don't like me. Thanks for the advice.

Ditto to itsallabout18. I truly don't mean "oh, maybe my statement was better and blah blah blah," because you definitely have some credentials over me and sometimes I think they get so many applicants, that I may have just gotten lucky lol. But if you don't mind me asking, where else did you get in to? Congrats again on UPenn and UCSF though! I know UPenn has the name, but what is it about UCSF that's made it such a top choice for so many people? I'm not doubting the program - I just haven't done enough research on it to know what it offers.

 

[Floralia]

I also got into Tufts, Pitt, USC, UF, and Nova.
About UCSF, from my experience, it is a very well rounded program and one of the few P/F schools. The facility is high innovative, including the technology and research. It claims itself as "one of the top dental schools" since it was the first dental school of the West and I do believe so based on the students and the faculty that I saw while visiting there. I'm not sure what else. I think partly because its med school is top 5 and pharm school is the top. Research is number one funded by NIH both for medicine and dental. It's a very well regarded school for a non-ivy. I would consider going there over my other choices. Columbia is just still in the back of my head.

 

[DMDomer12]

Ditto to itsallabout18. I truly don't mean "oh, maybe my statement was better and blah blah blah," because you definitely have some credentials over me and sometimes I think they get so many applicants, that I may have just gotten lucky lol. But if you don't mind me asking, where else did you get in to? Congrats again on UPenn and UCSF though! I know UPenn has the name, but what is it about UCSF that's made it such a top choice for so many people? I'm not doubting the program - I just haven't done enough research on it to know what it offers.

Since Columbia doesn't have a secondary application, I think that they may be looking for a few different things in applicants over the course of the application process. Initially, it seems like they took those applicants with amazing DAT scores. As the interview process continued, they started to interview those people with slightly lower scores. I think that now, in the last 2-3 interview days, they are looking at applicants who are not nearly as competitive score-wise, but who have other ECs and leadership experience that would help contribute to the class's diversity. Personally, I didn't expect to get an interview, and I am so thrilled. It is refreshing to see a really great school looking at something other than just the numbers. (Not that I wouldn't trade my soul for a 24AA, haha, and I have major respect for those applicants achieved such a score!!). I think this hypothesis may be semi-true because someone posted on here a few weeks ago saying that Columbia Adcoms told him they were now considering offering interviews to applicants with lower DAT scores for the last few interview slots.

 

[imrealgerman]

I feel like we'll need to wait for other interviewees from prior weeks, as well as the waitlisters, to committ or not, so we wont hear back in 1 week, even if that's when they review our interview.

 

[dansou5]

I feel like we'll need to wait for other interviewees from prior weeks, as well as the waitlisters, to committ or not, so we wont hear back in 1 week, even if that's when they review our interview.

Just gave up my spot. Good luck to everyone!👍

 

[imrealgerman]

Just gave up my spot. Good luck to everyone!👍

how long did they give u to decide on it?

 

[dansou5]

how long did they give u to decide on it?

30 days or Feb 3rd

 

[imrealgerman]

30 days or Feb 3rd

ahhh. well good luck at michigan! im a little jealous, considering you'll likely be closer to snowboarding slopes more than i'd be (even if i got into all my schools lol)