11 05, 2023

How To Get In To Columbia University

By |2023-05-11T10:14:55-04:00May 11th, 2023|College Admissions, Columbia, Early Action|2 Comments

How To Get In To Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the more competitive Ivy League schools located in New York City. With an acceptance rate of just 6.1%, it is a dream for many high school students who aspire to attend an Ivy League college.

If you’re interested in applying to Columbia, there are several key areas you should focus on in your applications to increase your chances of acceptance.

Academic excellence is one of the most important factors that Columbia University looks for in its applicants. This means having a strong academic record with a challenging course load.

Applicants should also have a high GPA, competitive standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), and a demonstrated passion for learning.

Columbia also considers class rank, rigor of coursework, and academic achievements such as awards, honors, and research experience.

However, academics are not the only factor that Columbia considers. They are also looking for students who are well-rounded and have a variety of interests and talents.

Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, volunteering, internships, or leadership positions. These activities show that the applicant is dedicated, responsible, and able to balance multiple responsibilities.

In addition to academic and extracurricular achievements, Columbia University also looks for personal qualities in its applicants.

This includes intellectual curiosity, creativity, leadership, and a sense of community. Applicants should have a strong sense of their own values and be able to articulate them well in their application essays. Columbia also looks for applicants who are open-minded, tolerant, and inclusive, as the university values diversity and multiculturalism.

To apply to Columbia University, applicants must submit several components, including transcripts, standardized test scores, recommendation letters, essays, and an activity list.

These components should all be strong and demonstrate the applicant’s academic and personal achievements. The application essays are especially important, as they provide an opportunity for the applicant to showcase their personality, interests, and writing skills. Columbia requires several essays, including the Common Application essay, a Columbia-specific essay, and several short-answer questions. These essays should be well-written, engaging, and authentic, showcasing the applicant’s unique perspective and voice.

In summary, to get into Columbia University, it is important to focus on academic excellence, extracurricular activities, personal qualities, and a strong application. It is a highly competitive process, so it’s important to give yourself plenty of time to prepare and put together the best possible application. If you are accepted, you will be joining a community of highly accomplished and driven individuals who are making a difference in the world. Good luck!

[Looking for more help on your Ivy League college applications? I’m a former Harvard admissions interviewer and Harvard grad, and run the Ivy League college admissions firm IVY LEAGUE ESSAY. Contact me today for a free consultation and get into the school of your dreams!]

Check out this important article, too on the top college ranking list for the U.S.:

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities

Also, these additional helpful blog articles!  Get into the Ivy League!

  1. How to Get Into An Ivy League College:
  2. What Each Ivy League College Is Known For

 

7 11, 2022

Deferred From Early Decision?

By |2022-11-07T13:31:12-05:00November 7th, 2022|Brown, college, College Admissions, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Early Action, Early Decision, Harvard, Ivy League, Ivy League Advice, Ivy League College, MIT, NYU, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn, Waitlisted, Yale|0 Comments

Deferred from Early Decision or Early Action?

Have you been deferred from Early Decision or Early Action?  By now, everyone who was applying for college Early Decision for the Nov 1 deadline has gotten everything in and is in a holding pattern.  In other words: just waiting.

Some of you are already getting invitations for interviews, while others are sitting on their hands trying to not get too anxious while they wait it out for the one decision that could determine their entire future.

But, what if you don’t get rejected OR accepted for Early Decision or Early Action?

What if you get DEFERRED?

What does being “deferred” actually mean, and what everyone really wants to know:  what are your remaining chances?

Here’s the good news:  being deferred, while not the full-out acceptance you were looking for, is GOOD!

Take that in for a second — in lieu of a full-out acceptance from Harvard, Princeton, Stanford or MIT, being deferred is actually not a bad thing, and this is why:

Being deferred from college Early Decision or Early Action, especially when you’re talking about the Ivy League or Ivy League “equivalent” schools means you actually have what it takes.

In other words, it means you have what it takes to be competitive, not only at the Ivy League, but at that particular school.

That’s HUGE news if the college you applied to is in the top 20, let alone the top 10 or even top 3!

If Harvard defers you, that means the Harvard admissions committee thought you were good enough to put “on hold” for the moment, as they wait to compare you to the rest of the regular admissions applicants.

That’s what’s going on when you get deferred.  You are deemed “competitive” enough, because otherwise you would have been flat out rejected outright.  Admissions officers don’t need to make even more work for themselves.

The fact that you were NOT rejected though, means they thought you “competitive enough”.  That’s GREAT NEWS in terms of your opportunity.  It means regardless if you don’t get in to this particular school, you now know in your heart that you are at the level this TYPE of school is looking for, and you’re making the cut.

So, if you get deferred from Columbia, for example, that means that comparable level schools like Brown, Dartmouth, or UPenn might still find you interesting.

That means if you get deferred from Stanford, MIT just might want to snatch you up!

Don’t let a deferment dampen your spirits as though it’s not the ultimate that you were looking for, you are STILL IN THE RACE!

And, yes, that’s a race that you absolutely can still win.

I get many students into top Ivy League colleges every single year who were initially deferred.  Your hope is delayed, NOT shattered by any means.

So, what can you do if you get that deferment notice?  Contact me and let me help you navigate the new situation.  You have to know how to respond to a deferment properly (as in sending the “right” kind of follow up email),

AND, you need to now maximize your strategy for all of your other regular decision schools.

Want more information?  Contact me today for a free consultation.  I’m a former Harvard admissions interviewer + Harvard graduate and run the award-winning Ivy League College Admissions Firm: www.IvyCollegeEssay.com

Contact me today, and get into the school of your dreams!

You might also like to read these articles here on my blog:

20 09, 2022

Early Action or Early Decision: Ivy College Admissions Consulting

By |2022-09-23T23:07:25-04:00September 20th, 2022|College Admissions, Early Action, Early Decision|1 Comment

Early Action or Early Decision: Ivy College Admissions

Choosing Early Action over Early Decision can be confusing. Make sure you’re making the right choice!

Early Action and Early Decision are both college application STRATEGIES.  In other words, by getting your application in early, you will actually gain an advantage over students who apply regular decision.

How much of an advantage, you ask?  That depends on the school, but in my experience it is usually quite a boost — up to a 10% increase in the chance that you’ll get in.  When you’re talking about schools like Harvard, Princeton or Yale that adds up to be quite significant.

It’s hard to understand the difference between these two “Early” strategies though, and to make it even more difficult, each school has its own definition of the terms.  That’s why it’s always important to look on the school’s actual website so you understand what exactly you will be committing to, should you get in.

Early Action versus Early Decision: The Definitions

  1. Early Action is the less “committed” of the two choices, and you can choose more than one school for EA. In fact, you can apply EA to as many schools as you want. It is non-binding, which means you still have full control over where you want to attend, and can wait to make a decision once all of your other EA application results are in.
  2. Early Decision is binding, however, and for that reason you can only pick one college as your Early Decision school.  You usually find out if you got in mid-December and at that point will have to withdraw all of your other applications.  Only pick ED if you KNOW you would be thrilled to go to your school!

To make things even more confusing, there are also categories like ED 1 and ED 2

All you have to remember is that ED 1 is the earlier November 1 deadline, and ED 2 is basically the exact same thing but in December, if you’re just not ready in November to submit your application.

Then, there’s Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA)

Also known as Restrictive Early Action.  SCEA or REA is also non-binding, meaning you don’t have to go if you get in, however, you cannot apply to other schools’ EA or ED until you receive your decision from the school to which you applied SCEA.

In restrictive early action policies, however, you CAN still apply to public or state universities EA.

Now, some universities offer Single Choice Early Action or Restricted Early Action, which LIMITS your choice even more that the “rules” stated above, which is why it is very important to look at each school’s individual webpage first, to make sure you understand what you are and are NOT committing to.

I usually don’t recommend students apply SCEA or REA for this reason, and keep things simple by applying ED or EA alone.

So, should you apply early?

I think yes. It does give you an advantage, it allows you to receive your college acceptances (or rejections) earlier, it helps you make other plans if you get waitlisted or deferred and it give you more peace of mind.

Personally, I tell my students to do ED only, but that’s for another blog post another day!

If you are currently applying to college and looking for expert tips and advice from a former Harvard admissions interviewer + Harvard grad, contact my Ivy League College Admissions Consulting Services today, and schedule a free phone consultation to get into the school of your dreams!  www.IvyCollegeEssay.com

Check out my other Ivy League College Admissions Consulting blog articles too, for even more tips + advice, such as:

I work with all colleges and universities, but I specialize in the Ivy League, and Ivy League competitive schools!

  • Harvard
  • Princeton
  • Yale
  • Dartmouth
  • Brown
  • Columbia
  • Cornell
  • UPenn
  • MIT
  • Stanford
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