2017-2018 Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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WedgeDawg

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1. If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so. (250 words)

2. From which languages can you translate scholarly material into English?

3. In what collegiate extracurriculars did you engage? (400 words)

4. If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. (300 words)

5. What challenges do you expect to arise from living and working in a complex urban environment? How will you meet them? (300 words)

6. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (300 words)

7. Please describe your parents' occupations: (100 words)
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Secondary received this morning

EDIT: Anddd submitted. Same as last year.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
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Anyone else get a secondary? I haven't yet
 
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Does a committee letter satisfy Columbia's LOR requirement?

Other schools' websites usually state that they require either three individual letter or a committee letter. This isn't explicitly stated on the Columbia website, so I just want to make sure.
 
For the prompt that asks "In which collegiate activities did you engage?". Does collegiate activities mean clubs and stuff that are a part of the college/university we attended or just activities we did while in college?
 
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For the following question, what kind of things are people writing? "Is there anything else you would like us to know?"

Note: Secondary not received yet
 
@WedgeDawg

1. If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so. (250 words)

2. From which languages can you translate scholarly material into English?

3. In what collegiate extracurriculars did you engage? (400 words)

4. If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. (300 words)

5. What challenges do you expect to arise from living and working in a complex urban environment? How will you meet them? (300 words)

6. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (300 words)

7. Please describe your parents' occupations: (100 words)

There are some other questions, but are just checkboxes.
 
What are people considering the threshold for translating scholarly material into English? I could translate García Márquez into English but probably not a biology paper.
 
aliceofbattenberg said:
What are people considering the threshold for translating scholarly material into English? I could translate García Márquez into English but probably not a biology paper.
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I;m in the same boat! I decided not to put anything in case they ask you to translate during the interview which sounds awful.
 
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Submitted my primary on Sunday 6/25. Not verified yet. Received my secondary today. Anyone know how they screen? What can they even see prior to verification?
 
MDinmythirties said:
Submitted my primary on Sunday 6/25. Not verified yet. Received my secondary today. Anyone know how they screen? What can they even see prior to verification?
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Based on previous years (as well as the fact that you received a secondary without verification), they do not screen at all. I believe that prior to verification they just get your name and contact info indicating that you've applied to the school.

For what it's worth, I was verified 6/2 and still haven't gotten this secondary!

Edit: seems to be the best way to get a secondary is to post about how you haven't gotten the secondary. Received half an hour ago, lol.
 
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bootsandspooky said:
For what it's worth, I was verified 6/2 and still haven't gotten this secondary!
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I wonder what they can see! Maybe just our MCAT? Maybe the whole application, but a big flag that still says, **unverified**?

I assumed that if they do not screen and everyone received a secondary, they would be sent out at a regular schedule, either in bulk, or a set amount of time exactly after primary submission. I wonder if they do some sort of quick review before sending out?
 
MDinmythirties said:
I wonder what they can see! Maybe just our MCAT? Maybe the whole application, but a big flag that still says, **unverified**?

I assumed that if they do not screen and everyone received a secondary, they would be sent out at a regular schedule, either in bulk, or a set amount of time exactly after primary submission. I wonder if they do some sort of quick review before sending out?
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Or hopefully it's not the reverse. I hope the unverified secondaries are not for people they will flat out reject after receiving the secondary.
 
What do you guys think of uploading your CV if it only contains everything you already put on your app? unnecessary or worth it?
 
Secondary Received! However my AMCAS has not been processed yet! How come?
 
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Lamegane said:
Secondary Received! However my AMCAS has not been processed yet! How come?
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I just got an email from the amcas. My application has been successfully processed!!
 
Just got the secondary. This is the first one I got.

Alright, lets do this. LEEEERRROY JENEKINS!!!
 
Are we meant to just list our extracurricular activities or highlight one or two of the most meaningful ones? 400 characters is very little space...
 
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I discussed all of my extracurriculars on my
lexington251 said:
@WedgeDawg

1. If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so. (250 words)

2. From which languages can you translate scholarly material into English?

3. In what collegiate extracurriculars did you engage? (400 words)

4. If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. (300 words)

5. What challenges do you expect to arise from living and working in a complex urban environment? How will you meet them? (300 words)

6. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (300 words)

7. Please describe your parents' occupations: (100 words)

There are some other questions, but are just checkboxes.
Click to expand...


A few of the questions you get from those checkboxes:

Did you work for compensation during college during the year or the summer? If so, what did you do? How many hours a week did you work? (300 words)

Have you previously applied to P&S Medical School? Briefly summarize your activities since your previous application. (300 words)

@WedgeDawg
 
lexington251 said:
@WedgeDawg

1. If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so. (250 words)

2. From which languages can you translate scholarly material into English?

3. In what collegiate extracurriculars did you engage? (400 words)

4. If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. (300 words)

5. What challenges do you expect to arise from living and working in a complex urban environment? How will you meet them? (300 words)

6. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (300 words)

7. Please describe your parents' occupations: (100 words)

There are some other questions, but are just checkboxes.
Click to expand...

#1 and #3 are 250/400 characters not words - significantly shorter.
 
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@WedgeDawg @onceawolverine and anyone else who submitted their secondaries, what was the formatting you used to answer the extracurriculars question?
 
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So, if I apply to Columbia-Bassett, does that preclude me from applying to Columbia in NYC?
 
RufDoc said:
So, if I apply to Columbia-Bassett, does that preclude me from applying to Columbia in NYC?
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From the website:
  1. Can I apply to both the "all New York City" and the Columbia-Bassett Track and decide which I prefer later?
    Yes, you may. You need fill out only one application. Indicate selection of the Columbia-Bassett choice and answer the question specifically related thereto. We suggest you eventually express a preference for one over the other - we think it unlikely that a student would see the two as indistinguishable. Nevertheless, students who are not selected for admission to the Columbia-Bassett program are automatically still considered at the New York City-based program.
 
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MDinmythirties said:
Why are they coming thru at random-seeming times then?
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I've honestly stopped trying to figure out the process. Sometimes I'm the first to write about receiving a secondary on school threads, and other times I receive them a few days after the first report. I think there isn't necessarily rhyme or reason for this, it's just that schools don't expect their applicants to be constantly checking their email or threads like this to compare when they recieve a secondary. If a school says they send a secondary to everyone, I take them at their word for it. Delays might be due to anything, such as schools sending out in batches (to avoid being caught in the spam filter), schools upgrading their secondary portal (apparently WashU is this year), or an intern getting lazy... :rolleyes:
 
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Question: Did you guys consider research, if done directly associated with the university, as an EC? I was unsure of whether to include it.
 
SSM115 said:
Question: Did you guys consider research, if done directly associated with the university, as an EC? I was unsure of whether to include it.
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If it's outside of coursework, it's extracurricular. ;)
 
My EC question response is basically a regurgitation of my activities. Anyone else having this problem? Should I include less formal things like hobbies?
 
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So ... I graduated nearly 15 years ago. I can't even remember most of my collegiate extracurriculars, and why would those have any bearing on who I am now? Any other non-trads on here? Any suggestions on how to approach this?


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DBC03 said:
So ... I graduated nearly 15 years ago. I can't even remember most of my collegiate extracurriculars, and why would those have any bearing on who I am now? Any other non-trads on here? Any suggestions on how to approach this?


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Yep same here, although I graduated 2013 so not as long ago. I did a few sentences on my undergrad EC and the rest on things I have been doing since (including where I work etc). It's pretty repetitive given that all that is explained in my personal statement and activities, but idk. It seemed silly to focus on things from years ago that were totally unrelated to anything I'm doing now.
 
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snail12345 said:
Yep same here, although I graduated 2013 so not as long ago. I did a few sentences on my undergrad EC and the rest on things I have been doing since (including where I work etc). It's pretty repetitive given that all that is explained in my personal statement and activities, but idk. It seemed silly to focus on things from years ago that were totally unrelated to anything I'm doing now.
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I really l want to do this. You don't think we'll get marked as those crazy pre-meds who couldn't follow directions, do you? Because, seriously. Who cares what I did 15 years ago compared to what I'm doing now?
 
DBC03 said:
I really l want to do this. You don't think we'll get marked as those crazy pre-meds who couldn't follow directions, do you? Because, seriously. Who cares what I did 15 years ago compared to what I'm doing now?
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No, esp. in your case it would be weird to discuss things you did in undergrad so long ago. I think it should be fine. But it wouldn't hurt to call and ask them. I may do that Monday.
 
snail12345 said:
No, esp. in your case it would be weird to discuss things you did in undergrad so long ago. I think it should be fine. But it wouldn't hurt to call and ask them. I may do that Monday.
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I had another question I needed to ask on Monday, so I'll ask on this as well!
 
What format did you guys use for the EC question? I literally just listed them because I don't have enough space to talk about them. It is just a regurgitation of the primary so idk.
 
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For the EC question, are y'all just listing your ECs or do you think they want us to describe each EC and what we did?
 
"If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so."

Do you think this means during college, or after?
 
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This is kind of neurotic but Im going to ask it anyways. I uploaded my resume (I know, its not a CV) as a word doc do you think it matters that its not a PDF? I can't remember if that section asked for it in PDF or not but I know for all additional supplemental items they are supposed to be in PDF form. The application doesnt make it visible once you click submitted, so I have no idea if it went through or not. Thanks for the thoughts.
 
Noctámbulo said:
If it's outside of coursework, it's extracurricular. ;)
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If I have it on my transcript, can I still use it? Is it worth mentioning? Lab has played a major part of my college experience
 
gmianosi said:
If I have it on my transcript, can I still use it? Is it worth mentioning? Lab has played a major part of my college experience
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As long as you were involved with research outside of course credit, then yes, I would mention it.
 
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