18 Comments
Starting this fall, Columbia will join the ranks of most other schools (over 400 institutions) in the country and start exclusively using the Common App. Jessica “the Decider” Marinaccio writes that using the Common App will “make applying to Columbia more accessible to students from every background,” and reassures us that the App will still include a Columbia Supplement where you can make up books you’ve read and stuff. Our classics-oriented cousin University of Chicago created a stir when they switched from their infamous Uncommon App (aha!) to the Common App for the class of 2013; we’ll see if Columbia’s change ruffles any feathers.
Oh, and before bed, here are some admissions statistics you may enjoy:
CU has recieved 26,178 applications for the class of 2014. 2,983 applied early to CC and SEAS combined (2,495 to CC, 488 to SEAS). 23,195 starry-eyed high school seniors applied to CC and SEAS regular decision (21,474 to CC, 4,431 to SEAS). Good luck, kiddos!
Marinaccio’s full email explaining the switch to the Common App after the jump.
“Beginning this fall, Columbia will join the more than 400 member institutions accepting The Common Application for admission, using it as our exclusive application for first-year and transfer applicants.
“With our recent financial aid initiatives, we offer one of the most generous need-based financial aid programs in the country and believe The Common Application will make applying to Columbia more accessible to students from every background, thus adding to what is already one of the most ethnically and socioeconomically diverse student bodies among private universities. In addition, we recognize the anxiety students and families feel throughout the admissions process, and hope that the standardized nature of The Common Application will make applying easier, more convenient and less stressful for students and the counselors and teachers who support them.
“In selecting a class, we utilize a holistic, committee-based admissions process, considering a variety of factors outside of grades and test scores like a student’s academic history, extracurricular interests, intellectual achievements and personal background. The Common Application will aid us in determining which students are the best match for our institution with its comprehensive, broad-based questions and flexibility to ask Columbia-specific questions in its supplement and allow us to continue to attract the best and brightest students from around the world.”
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18 Comments
@This is gwoss.
sad.
@131313 wondering – why is UofC ‘classics-oriented’?
@that is just not a good idea
@hmmm Massive increase in application pool next year + roughly the same number of spots for any other year? Sounds like someone wants to boost Columbia’s US News ranking by inflating selectivity.
@Anonymous it would be hard to boost our ranking by increasing selectivity. We are already the 3rd most selective school, but the 8th ranked school. Even if we caught up to Harvard or Yale, which we won’t, I doubt our ranking would increase.
It is my understanding that our ranking is lower as a result of comparatively poor alumni donations. If not for that, we would crack the top 5, maybe even 3 on a good year.
@Why on earth do you suspect alumni don’t give? Could it have something to do with our ridiculous and inconsiderate administration? I’m looking at you, everyone involved in commencement who decided to go ahead and start even though there weren’t enough bloody seats for GS.
@well to be fair, it’s GS …
@Anonymous how do these admission stats compare to years past? anyone have any graphs and such?
@Anonymous sorry bwog, but none of the numbers add up
@*Sigh* I understand the rationale for doing this: poor first-generation kids aren’t applying to Columbia because we don’t use the Common App. But I question whether this will really have a net benefit for Columbia. Now all the douches who apply to Columbia as a 4th choice will apply (since it’s so accessible), be admitted, and leave us for another school. The application quantity will soar, and the selectivity will nosedive, but so will the yield. More importantly, less-than-stellar applicants who would make a great addition to the school will be boxed out by Ivy whores. I suppose it was inevitable, but it is still sad to see this happening.
@hmm yeah you might be right.
also interesting that more people applying = more money from application fees..
touch economic times guyz
@hmm *tough
@meh the $70 app fees are a drop in the bucket compared to $50K of tuition from each student every year. plus, the demographic that marinaccio appeals to is probably more, not less, likely to require financial aid if admitted. so probably not a net gain for Columbia, at least in the short run.
@Not a big deal The only effect I can see this having is increasing the number of applications for regular decision. The number of ED apps will probably be unaffected since ED is ED and only kids really sure about Columbia apply early– we won’t see any kids just applying early for the sake of applying early.
All in all, the common app just covers the basic information, so there might not even be a spike in applications at all if kids are still too lazy to fill out Columbia’s supplement.
@wow also, i would watch for columbia to slightly increase early decision admissions for next year in an effort to minimize the effects of the unpredictable regular decision yield which will result for this.
@wow watch put for the huge spike in applications for next year. yield might be a a bit of a nightmare, however.
@Terrible! major dislike.
@Anonymous agreed…