2012-2013 Columbia University Application Thread

[doc5]

Well I guess that could be good or bad.. here is to hoping for big movement all at once

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[thetiger]

hmmmm that is not so true... I know several people called off of the waitlist and I think some have even posted here.

hmm weird..I guess the person i spoke to was not up-to-date with the process, or they are making a distinction between the pre- and post-May 15 list

 

[Moldycheese432]

hmmmm that is not so true... I know several people called off of the waitlist and I think some have even posted here.

perhaps she was referring to after the 15th ?

 

[wangers5270]

Just to chime in, the facebook group has 6 people added on Monday and 7 people added one week ago, so I assume at least 13 people have been taken off the waitlist so far. Or all of these people decided on Columbia last minute, but probably not. So, it's safe to say the waitlist movement has started and will certainly continue into the foreseeable future. The group only has 122 people, for a class of ~165.

Then again, Penn's group has 133 for a class of ~165 and I would think their yield would have been significantly higher with all that endowment money they have...

Who would have thought that using Facebook would be like cheating on med school admissions

Good luck everyone!!

 

[Sanj04]

Just to chime in, the facebook group has 6 people added on Monday and 7 people added one week ago, so I assume at least 13 people have been taken off the waitlist so far. Or all of these people decided on Columbia last minute, but probably not. So, it's safe to say the waitlist movement has started and will certainly continue into the foreseeable future. The group only has 122 people, for a class of ~165.

Then again, Penn's group has 133 for a class of ~165 and I would think their yield would have been significantly higher with all that endowment money they have...

Who would have thought that using Facebook would be like cheating on med school admissions

Good luck everyone!!

I think we should also maybe consider that not everyone uses facebook or some people don't join the group or wait until later to join it.
But I have to say that your comment was very encouraging and I appreciate it because I am currently waitlisted at my top choice school

 

[rose18]

I wouldn't use the facebook group as a metric unless people say they have been accepted off the waitlist explicitly...the numbers as people mentioned are inaccurate because also current first years join to post about housing options etc. It's P&S graduation this week so I have a feeling Dean Nicholas may be a little busy!

Just to chime in, the facebook group has 6 people added on Monday and 7 people added one week ago, so I assume at least 13 people have been taken off the waitlist so far. Or all of these people decided on Columbia last minute, but probably not. So, it's safe to say the waitlist movement has started and will certainly continue into the foreseeable future. The group only has 122 people, for a class of ~165.

Then again, Penn's group has 133 for a class of ~165 and I would think their yield would have been significantly higher with all that endowment money they have...

Who would have thought that using Facebook would be like cheating on med school admissions

Good luck everyone!!

 

[AnonJohn87]

Just to chime in, the facebook group has 6 people added on Monday and 7 people added one week ago, so I assume at least 13 people have been taken off the waitlist so far. Or all of these people decided on Columbia last minute, but probably not. So, it's safe to say the waitlist movement has started and will certainly continue into the foreseeable future. The group only has 122 people, for a class of ~165.

Then again, Penn's group has 133 for a class of ~165 and I would think their yield would have been significantly higher with all that endowment money they have...

Who would have thought that using Facebook would be like cheating on med school admissions

Good luck everyone!!

Wait, how do you know how many people are on Penn's FB page? You "withdrew" before decisions came out...

 

[mmmcdowe]

I had a quick question about the curriculum. I was looking at the 4 year plan, and I noticed that during 3rd year clinical rotations end in late December and step 1 must be taken by the end of February. How do students manage all of that in such a short period? It seems so stressful! You finally finish rotations only to be hit with step 1. Do they just skip new years/Christmas w/ family for a year?

Also, what is BP review classes (it takes place during last few months of MCY before step 1). I assume it is board review courses. Are they Columbia directed/created classes? I guess they help offset the quick turn around b/w MCY and step 1?

Rotations end about Dec 15, so you have 10 weeks off to study. Most people study for 5-7 weeks. Frankly, I really don't think the MCY gap between pre-clinicals and step 1 makes a big negative impact. You're going to forget the krebs cycle and the mechanism of thyroid hormone production pretty fast after the course, whereas the core content sticks pretty well. Any additional losses are balanced my tremendous increases in clinical processing speed and knowledge of disease features. Remember, step 1 questions are two part essentially. You can't answer the basic science question without knowing the disease, and the MCY makes you very good at that while allowing for a better framework to re-insert forgotten material.

BP = board prep. Columbia creates them and they are recorded.

 

[wangers5270]

Wait, how do you know how many people are on Penn's FB page? You "withdrew" before decisions came out...

All the groups for each school/class are closed but viewable if you type the name in and search them on facebook. For the privacy of others I won't post the links here, but you can definitely find them and see everyone in each group...you just can't see what people are posting if it's a closed group. I call it extreme facebooking

 

[dahassa]

Rotations end about Dec 15, so you have 10 weeks off to study. Most people study for 5-7 weeks. Frankly, I really don't think the MCY gap between pre-clinicals and step 1 makes a big negative impact. You're going to forget the krebs cycle and the mechanism of thyroid hormone production pretty fast after the course, whereas the core content sticks pretty well. Any additional losses are balanced my tremendous increases in clinical processing speed and knowledge of disease features. Remember, step 1 questions are two part essentially. You can't answer the basic science question without knowing the disease, and the MCY makes you very good at that while allowing for a better framework to re-insert forgotten material.

BP = board prep. Columbia creates them and they are recorded.

Awesome. Thanks so much for replying!

 

[doc5]

Hey mmmcdowe any word on potential waitlist movement this year? There hasn't been a peep on this thread since before the 15th. Maybe they are just busy with graduation...

 

[Dingo Mango]

All the groups for each school/class are closed but viewable if you type the name in and search them on facebook. For the privacy of others I won't post the links here, but you can definitely find them and see everyone in each group...you just can't see what people are posting if it's a closed group. I call it extreme facebooking

That's pretty darn stalkery bro.

I wouldn't use facebook as an exact measure of how many people have been taken off the waitlist, but there definitely are many that have been, but I'm sure there are still more to go, so good luck everyone!

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hey mmmcdowe any word on potential waitlist movement this year? There hasn't been a peep on this thread since before the 15th. Maybe they are just busy with graduation...

Wouldn't surprise me. The major adcom members have been at every day of events. Waitlist movement is far from over.

 

[quaren]

has there been any post-may 15th waitlist acceptances? thanks!

 

[FijiGNR89]

I suppose the crickets you can hear in this thread mean not much has really happened post-15th.

 

[organic1]

Chirp

 

[leon sandcastle]

 

[doc5]

Hard to believe that there hasn't been some post may 15th waitlist movement by now... but it's also interesting that no one has posted about an acceptance either. I know not everyone uses sdn but I would think there would be at least something by now... I guess only time will tell

 

[mmmcdowe]

Since most places give you a few weeks to decide, I imagine that a lot of the silence has to do with the fact that the adcom is waiting to see how many people enroll/withdraw before firing out another batch.

 

[rose18]

Has anyone called and asked why there hasn't been waitlist movement yet/when they are planning to start?

 

[FijiGNR89]

Has anyone called and asked why there hasn't been waitlist movement yet/when they are planning to start?

Saw your post and decided to do it. David says that they did do a burst shortly after the 15th and that it basically works exactly like mmmcdowe said. He guesses that every two to three weeks well see big bursts with maybe a little trickling in between. He also added that since they are only one of these "bursts" in that hope should by no means be lost and that the big waitlist movement will be happening all through June.

 

[almost2017]

there's been a lot of wl movement at columbia so far--strangely little in the way of SDN activity though.

 

[mmmcdowe]

For accepted students not on facebook or thoughs considering waitlist logistics, the orientation sit has been updated http://psclub.columbia.edu/orientation

Also, feel free to ask question about Columbia!

 

[bapbap]

Hi all! I have a question for current P&S students. I'm starting this August and I'd love to know, about what percentage of first year students live off campus? Are there some students who apply for Bard housing but don't get it?

Did anyone live off campus and have regrets about it or feel that they missed out on the "bonding experience" of bard?

THANKS in advance everybody!

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hi all! I have a question for current P&S students. I'm starting this August and I'd love to know, about what percentage of first year students live off campus? Are there some students who apply for Bard housing but don't get it?

Did anyone live off campus and have regrets about it or feel that they missed out on the "bonding experience" of bard?

THANKS in advance everybody!

about 75-80% live on campus and it is guaranteed for all medical students. I think a lot of people enjoy the bard hall experience, but I definitely think that if you want to be part of the community it is not a requisite. That being said, living in the surrounding neighborhood off-campus makes that easier than, say, living in New Jersey or the Lower East Side. Definitely still possible and some of the most active members of the P&S club lived in those areas.

 

[doc5]

Just keep swimming.. Just keep swimming..

 

[organic1]

Hahahaha

 

[FijiGNR89]

just keep swimming.. Just keep swimming..

+1.

 

[chocolatemilk77]

Hi all! First time poster. I was hoping to get some insight on my current situation:

I received a phone call from Admissions at the beginning of this week asking if I was still interested, and told that I was in a small group of people who may be offered spots if they were to become available. I was then asked if I needed any more information (which I took to mean financial aid). I said that I was completely interested and would enroll if accepted, but in the excitement of things, didn't ask about when I should to expect to hear back.

Does this mean I've been accepted off this waitlist? Or should I be making a last push to let Columbia know they're my top choice? Is it appropriate to follow up with this call? I hope this doesn't come off as boastful- I just haven't heard anything since and Columbia is my dream school, so I'm a HUGE ball of anxiety right now.

 

[FijiGNR89]

Yeah sounds to me like you should expect the acceptance call in the near future!! Congrats, man

 

[chocolatemilk77]

Thanks! Hopefully I'll hear back soon!

 

[bluereedz]

For those of you still waiting with bated breath on a call, I spoke with the admissions office yesterday and they said that the class definitely isn't filled yet. Whether that means there are open spots available right now or the committee is anticipating open spots, I don't know... take it how you will, thought I'd pass the info on!

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hi all! First time poster. I was hoping to get some insight on my current situation:

I received a phone call from Admissions at the beginning of this week asking if I was still interested, and told that I was in a small group of people who may be offered spots if they were to become available. I was then asked if I needed any more information (which I took to mean financial aid). I said that I was completely interested and would enroll if accepted, but in the excitement of things, didn't ask about when I should to expect to hear back.

Does this mean I've been accepted off this waitlist? Or should I be making a last push to let Columbia know they're my top choice? Is it appropriate to follow up with this call? I hope this doesn't come off as boastful- I just haven't heard anything since and Columbia is my dream school, so I'm a HUGE ball of anxiety right now.

Yeah, it sounds like they are prepping the next batch of acceptances and just want to make sure they can get them what they need to make the decisions rapidly.

 

[MDPhDJourney]

@Current students:

Do you think it's worth it to invest in a bike? Also, what percentage of 1st years live in bard hall?

Thanks in advance,
MPJ

 

[Frisbeegirl91]

The same thing happened to me except I was called a bit earlier, in mid-late May. I finally got the acceptance phone call from Dean Nicholas today!! Have faith, fellow waitlisters! So so so happy to finally get into my dream school!

Hi all! First time poster. I was hoping to get some insight on my current situation:

I received a phone call from Admissions at the beginning of this week asking if I was still interested, and told that I was in a small group of people who may be offered spots if they were to become available. I was then asked if I needed any more information (which I took to mean financial aid). I said that I was completely interested and would enroll if accepted, but in the excitement of things, didn't ask about when I should to expect to hear back.

Does this mean I've been accepted off this waitlist? Or should I be making a last push to let Columbia know they're my top choice? Is it appropriate to follow up with this call? I hope this doesn't come off as boastful- I just haven't heard anything since and Columbia is my dream school, so I'm a HUGE ball of anxiety right now.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

The same thing happened to me except I was called a bit earlier, in mid-late May. I finally got the acceptance phone call from Dean Nicholas today!! Have faith, fellow waitlisters! So so so happy to finally get into my dream school!

Congrats, see you in the fall

 

[mmmcdowe]

@Current students:

Do you think it's worth it to invest in a bike? Also, what percentage of 1st years live in bard hall?

Thanks in advance,
MPJ

Many people do, but have you biked in an urban environment before? If not, you might want to check it out to see if it is to your liking. That being said, there are some great biking trails just across the George Washington Bridge (which has a bike lane).

About 80% live in Bard the first semester.

 

[MDPhDJourney]

Many people do, but have you biked in an urban environment before? If not, you might want to check it out to see if it is to your liking. That being said, there are some great biking trails just across the George Washington Bridge (which has a bike lane).

About 80% live in Bard the first semester.

Thanks!

 

[nazz]

Thanks!

were you accepted off the waitlist?

 

[MDPhDJourney]

@Current Students:

For students pursuing an MD/MBA, is it possible to pursue the MBA at another institution offering an advanced 1 year MBA (i.e Harvard, Penn, Emory, etc.)?

Thanks in advance,
MPJ

 

[mmmcdowe]

@Current Students:

For students pursuing an MD/MBA, is it possible to pursue the MBA at another institution offering an advanced 1 year MBA (i.e Harvard, Penn, Emory, etc.)?

Thanks in advance,
MPJ

Yes, but you have to apply to it and get accepted.

 

[doc5]

Anyone with any credible information on more potential WL movement? Excited to start school this fall but still holding out hope that it can be at my #1 choice!

 

[thewhitewolf88]

I received a phone call similar to chocolatemilk on June 10th. Admissions called and asked if I was still interested in Columbia. They then said that I was in a short list of people who may be offered spots if they were to become available. Excited about the possibility but I'm not sure what this means exactly?? To me it sounds like there are some seats that are still up in the air.

 

[MDPhDJourney]

Would a current student care to elaborate on Note taking at Columbia?

1. Are lectures notes provided before class or the day of?
2. Are the lectures notes printed and handed out to students at the beginning of class?
3. Is there a note taking service?
4. Tablets...how efficient?
etc...

 

[mmmcdowe]

Would a current student care to elaborate on Note taking at Columbia?

1. Are lectures notes provided before class or the day of?
2. Are the lectures notes printed and handed out to students at the beginning of class?
3. Is there a note taking service?
4. Tablets...how efficient?
etc...

1) Before
2) This has varied. Last time I checked concerns for paper waste have allowed people to sign up for notes some times and other times print them off themselves (which is free).
3) Dental school has one, but all lectures are recorded;
4) Pretty efficient if you like that modality.

 

[pya]

is financial aid here is totally need-based? is it possible to get a better financial aid if you tell them you have a full-merit scholarship elsewhere, or do they do everything based on parents' tax returns etc.? thanks

 

[MDPhDJourney]

Me again. So sorry for all the questions.

How does Columbia distribute the loan monies (monthly, per semester)? Also, do 1st year students typically take out more or less than the suggested ~$19,000 for living expenses (housing, food, miscellaneous)...assuming they use loans to cover the total expense? Lastly, do 1st years typically use part of their loan reimbursement for a computer/tablet or housing essentials (furniture, etc.)

-MPJ

 

[nazz]

where should people submit the college transcripts, to the registrar or admissions office? thank you

 

[Sophocles]

where should people submit the college transcripts, to the registrar or admissions office? thank you

I know that you can send them to the admissions office for a fact. I actually sent them electronically, but they said that you could send them electronically or physically to the admissions office; either is fine.

 

[med17]

has anybody recently gotten off the WL without a pre-phone call?