P&S countdown (yea, I'm THAT guy)

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I guess the consensus on other threads is that Columbia will be sending out decisions early next week (or at least next week), so it seems like an appropriate time to set up a countdown so people can share their collective anguish and stuff. Good luck to all.
 
oh joy ....
 
hmm...I'm gonna stop by the office tomorrow and see what they say about the mailing date.
 
What is it about Columbia that makes people talk about it so much compared to other schools? I mean, I can understand how much people like P&S, it's my first choice. But you don't see "Countdown to Harvard" or "Countdown to Duke" threads. There's even a thread for the P&S enthuisists for people to wildly conjecture about that school specifically and how Dean Frantz's verb tense reflects their admissions status ("He used the future plural possesive participle!!! I'm in for sure!!!!") Everyone's gotta chill a little. I'll admit, I need to follow my own advice as much as anyone, but it'll be worth it. Just don't discuss it or even think about it. Then in two or three weeks, you'll get your decision, and good or bad, you'll be better off for not having spent the past 2 weeks fretting about it. Because unless you've got a breifcase full of Ben Franklins you could send to Frantz, there's not much you can do between now and then.
 
You're kidding me 🙂 I'll start a countdown to Duke thread. It's one of my #1 choices... I just don't know when they're mailing out


Originally posted by AverageMan
What is it about Columbia that makes people talk about it so much compared to other schools? I mean, I can understand how much people like P&S, it's my first choice. But you don't see "Countdown to Harvard" or "Countdown to Duke" threads. There's even a thread for the P&S enthuisists for people to wildly conjecture about that school specifically and how Dean Frantz's verb tense reflects their admissions status ("He used the future plural possesive participle!!! I'm in for sure!!!!") Everyone's gotta chill a little. I'll admit, I need to follow my own advice as much as anyone, but it'll be worth it. Just don't discuss it or even think about it. Then in two or three weeks, you'll get your decision, and good or bad, you'll be better off for not having spent the past 2 weeks fretting about it. Because unless you've got a breifcase full of Ben Franklins you could send to Frantz, there's not much you can do between now and then.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by Rendar5
hmm...I'm gonna stop by the office tomorrow and see what they say about the mailing date.
Click to expand...

cool - definitely let us know.
 
Yeah, why are people obsessed with the school? Is it THAT good?😉
 
Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.

It sounds so ... elite.

But I'll still name my first child Frantz if he gives me some love. :-D
 
I'm equally annoyed by the Texas school threads.
 
Here's my theory why people make major threads about P&S (and NYU too, it seems). Non-amcas schools make people go nuts.
 
OOh, OOh, i don't like all the UC this, UC that threads. F california.
 
Yikes--sorry folks. I didn't mean to cause a backlash, I just thought people might want to post about when letters would be sent out etc. As for the obsession with P&S, well, I think it has something to do with the high rate of interviews. I feel like Columbia interviews a lot of applicants that might apply to top 10 schools but only get an interview there, and give hope to those type of applicants. Plus, it is a damn good school, in NYC, a factory for surgeons, etc. Again, sorry for all the trouble I caused. But, perhaps instead of trashing threads that you find silly or unsettling, just ignore them, and deflect your ill-will towards something else. Not to sound like a softy, but it is sorta trivial to get all worked up about a thread on a pre-med forum, right? Let's just get some perspective here.
 
I think it is funny that Stanford's Thread is led by doctorcynical and populated by his few aficionados and legions of haters. Stanford would certainly be proud! :laugh:
 
Actually there is always an official countdown thread for Harvard. Check out last year! It just isnt up yet b/c they dont send out their decisions until the first week of march.

P&S rules!! Good luck everybody.
 
Just a point of curiosity: I sent a letter of intent to Columbia, but am very skeptical of its efficacy (at least pre-waitlist), especially considering everyone on this forum seems to have done the same thing.
So, post if you have sent a LOIntent to P&S.
 
I sent an LOI in, not because I though it would resurect me from rejection hell, but because if I am so condemed, I would at least like to think that I did everything in my power to help my cause. Should Frantz see fit to give me the mark of Cain, having held onto the LOI would have served little purpose. Should I make it to waitlist purgatory, I can always write another LOI professing my undying passion for P&S.
 
My thoughts exactly AverageMan.
I agree too Mr Reddly. SDN can be kind of intimidating, but helpful--I would have never known what a LOI was if not for this place. Nevertheless, I am still very skeptical about what exactly a LOI can accomplish.
 
I think LOI do matters in certain cases, specifically for people high on waitlist. I'll send the letter if you're interested in Columbia, cause you never know how good of an applicant the school thinks you are.
 
:laugh: Yeah, they sure did interview half of sdn. I bet sending an LOI there just gets it tossed into the huge pile they've already got sitting in Frantz's office.

good luck to those who are waiting

tf
 
I wanted to see if anyone would comment about an impression I got from my visit to P&S during my interview. Most everything I heard/saw there was great, but one negative feeling still bugs me

I felt like I heard a lot of boasting from the students when I visited. Especially from the upperclassman who came to talk to our little group in the waiting room, about how great the students were, how fantastic the school was, how great the placement was, how everyone destroys the USMLE exams, how residency directors love you, how most go into specialties and few into primary care etc etc.

Also, from the P&S 75th anniversary booklet in the waiting room, I read:

"You are normal, in the sense that you have not let the rigors of medical school shut you out from those other activities that make for a balanced and well put together human being. But in another sense you are not normal. You are too good to be normal- too far above the mean in almost every quality that we cherish and value in our fellow human beings....etc."

There's nothing wrong with a little back-patting, but I wonder if a the P&S education/atmosphere is infused with a strong feeling of entitlement...moreso than other schools?

If anyone can comment, including current students if you're reading, I'd appreciate the insight.

Thanks!
 
Originally posted by BaseballFan
I felt like I heard a lot of boasting from the students when I visited. Especially from the upperclassman who came to talk to our little group in the waiting room, about how great the students were, how fantastic the school was, how great the placement was, how everyone destroys the USMLE exams, how residency directors love you, how most go into specialties and few into primary care etc etc.
Click to expand...

I actually felt that when I was there, Columbia was the school that sell itself the least out of most of the schools I applied to. It could be because of that particular date though. The school that sells itself the most (not in the bad way) was actually Vanderbilt. They emphasized a few times how their board scores were one of the highest in the nation, how student satisfaction rate was #1 for a few years, etc.

But I never got the sense that they were being arrogant. It was just a way to persuade people to choose their school. And yep, I've heard that Columbia is a "specialty" school, so are schools like Yale. Beside a matter of interest, I think it's also a matter of practical concern: On average specialists earn more than primary care physicians.
 
Although we take great pride in our school and at times tend to boast, that is simply a product of the students love for P&S and the quality of the medical school experience here. Good Luck everyone. Hope to see you all at revisit weekend.

P&S 2007
 
bump

seeing as there are only a few days left, i thought this thread could use some bumpage!

anyone know how many initial acceptances go out? i heard around 250, but that seems high.
 
That seems high for initial acceptances. I believe their class is 150. 250 seems reasonable for initial acceptances plus waitlist.
 
Originally posted by AverageMan
That seems high for initial acceptances. I believe their class is 150. 250 seems reasonable for initial acceptances plus waitlist.
Click to expand...

True, their class is 150, but in the past I think they've accepted 290-300 total. I remember reading on some old thread that they picked up around 50 from the waitlist, which led me to the figure 250 for initial acceptances.
 
Hey, all. Did anyone notice that last year letters started appearing on Saturday, Feb 22nd? That's pretty much equal to today, calendar-wise...

Anyway, you can see from this page that a total of 280 people were offered acceptances last year. Combine that stat with a post last year quoting Dr. Franz as saying that 30 people usually come off the waitlist, and I'd say about 250 outright acceptances sounds about right.
 
Wow, they interview a lot of people. I know the rumor is that they interviewed less this year. But Jiminy Christmas! that seems like a lot.
 
bump

i'm getting antsy
 
which thread says that? Sorry, I couldn't find it

-Entol
 
The information on the Columbia thread was just posted by applicants, so it isn't any more official than anything you've read right here.
 
I feel like Jaws music should play when you click on this thread... This wait is too freakin suspenseful.
 
Originally posted by medstylee
I feel like Jaws music should play when you click on this thread... This wait is too freakin suspenseful.
Click to expand...

Seriously! All this anticipation is making me crazy. :scared: +pissed+
 
So....what's the verdict? Is it tuesday or what?
 
I don't think you can really predict the decision day. Don't forget that Columbia sends its notices through the mail, so there's going to be a little lag between adcom action and our finding out. That being said, I flipped through the countdown threads from the last couple of years, and Columbia does at least seem to have been meeting its advertised timelines. Last year, the letters started arriving exactly as predicted. The year before they started popping up a day early.
 
No admission and no rejection makes Rendar5 go crazy!
violent-smiley-010.gif
 
Anxiously waiting...bah!

Hang in there Rendar5! I know exactly how you feel. At least the lag time will be short. I'm inclined to head up there and personally retrieve the letter myself...if only...
 
hey guys

I just called the office and she said they will start mailing things out starting tomorrow. so, yes, tuesday has been confirmed.

bonnie
 
I also heard (though not officially) that acceptance letters get sent out priority mail while rejections are sent normal mail. It is possible that someone could get accepted this wednesday. If so, please tell the rest of us. Also - big envelope, small envelope? etc.
 
Originally posted by Jugador75
I also heard (though not officially) that acceptance letters get sent out priority mail while rejections are sent normal mail. It is possible that someone could get accepted this wednesday. If so, please tell the rest of us. Also - big envelope, small envelope? etc.
Click to expand...

yeah, if you read the old posts from years past, the acceptances arrive priority while rejections/waitlists are normal snail mail. i live in boston so i will let everyone know asap whatever the news turns out to be!
good luck everyone!
 
incidentally, have people noticed that there are a couple of profiles on mdapplicants.com that say they've been accepted to columbia in 2004? what's the deal with that?
 
Probabably one of two things

1- typo

2- MD/Ph.D.



One other possibility is that some applicants may have made an super duper connection with their interviewer that they they E-Mailed them with their decision as soon as it was made. Lucky for them 🙁
 
Ok - priority mail...from NY to Philadelphia...leaving NY on tuesday, should arrive here on thursday? If I don't have a letter in my mailbox thursday morning, is that when I can officially start crying?
 
Hey,
I know this is getting a little frivolous, but does anyone know if priority mail can reach ny/nj area the same day, i.e. Tuesday?
 
Originally posted by marimed
Hey,
I know this is getting a little frivolous, but does anyone know if priority mail can reach ny/nj area the same day, i.e. Tuesday?
Click to expand...

I think it'd get there the next day, at the best.

Doesn't priority mail require a signature? I don't think the mail carrier would leave it in the mailbox.
 
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