Columbia 2011! Forum

[Confused7]

Just got pre-waitlisted, aka held. Applied late after getting a last minute fee waiver. Stats are 170/3.9x.

Don't call it a "pre-waitlist"! My numbers are almost identical to yours and I'm hoping to survive being held...

[apple1234]

Just put on reserve.

Going to take this as a win!!!

Edit: Found out via snail mail

[descartesb4thehorse]

.

[splitmuch]

Are rejections snail mail?

Trying to figure out if not hearing anything regarding hold or WL is good (possible admit- not likely)or bad (reject- more likely)

[geoduck]

So first off I haven't read much through this thread. Sorry if this question is repetitive (since it probably is).

Does anyone know what format Columbia likes LOCI to come in? Would email do or do I have to send a hard copy? Or would both be TCR?

[BrightLine]

How do they handle hold vs waitlist?

[src42]

Just got pre-waitlisted, aka held. Applied late after getting a last minute fee waiver. Stats are 170/3.9x.

Don't call it a "pre-waitlist"! My numbers are almost identical to yours and I'm hoping to survive being held...

Haha, you have a better shot than I do. 4.0 and Harvard acceptance, correct?

I'm honestly surprised I got held after applying so late. Maybe the late hold rather than a WL means something though.

[descartesb4thehorse]

How do they handle hold vs waitlist?

I think those of us held just haven't had sufficient time to be considered outside of our numbers but aren't auto-rejects. They also promise the held a decision by 4/22 - either ding, in, or reserve. I believe those on reserve can opt to remain there throughout the summer, accepting a position if offered as late as orientation day.

[jrose5]

IMO held people are borderline candidates.

[splitmuch]

IMO held people are borderline candidates.

So what are WL? Soft rejects?

[bluecanary622]

Are rejections snail mail?

Trying to figure out if not hearing anything regarding hold or WL is good (possible admit- not likely)or bad (reject- more likely)

if you look back to pg 336ish 'incompetentia' said that most everything is coming through e-mail at this point except for dings that are still snail mail.

[BrightLine]

How do they handle hold vs waitlist?

I think those of us held just haven't had sufficient time to be considered outside of our numbers but aren't auto-rejects. They also promise the held a decision by 4/22 - either ding, in, or reserve. I believe those on reserve can opt to remain there throughout the summer, accepting a position if offered as late as orientation day.

OK thanks. So i guess they have x offers they will make. Held means you are borderline for one of those offers, and they want to see their options before committing to you. Waitlist means that you will not be one of the x offers, but should the x offers not fill the class then they may come back to you.

[Confused7]

Just got pre-waitlisted, aka held. Applied late after getting a last minute fee waiver. Stats are 170/3.9x.

Don't call it a "pre-waitlist"! My numbers are almost identical to yours and I'm hoping to survive being held...

Haha, you have a better shot than I do. 4.0 and Harvard acceptance, correct?

I'm honestly surprised I got held after applying so late. Maybe the late hold rather than a WL means something though.

But I would love an option to stay in NYC! Either way, CLS has been the most non-transparent school in my cycle so far (except maybe for YLS, but that's 'cause they're YLS), and it's so frustrating that we have to conjecture at every step.

[jrose5]

I just wonder how good are chances of getting accepted from held are... Last year, most were WLed...

[Ratchet Jackson]

IMO held people are borderline candidates.

That's crazy considering there are quite a bit of 3.7+/172+ candidates.

[geoduck]

IMO held people are borderline candidates.

That's crazy considering there are quite a bit of 3.7+/172+ candidates.

That's kinda the problem. They only have so many slots to fill. Liberal use of holding allows them to not let who got in line first be the sole way of distinguishing all these super-qualified candidates.

[incompetentia]

CLS did email a few people letting them know that the hold was being used much differently this year than previous years. I wouldn't be surprised to see closer to 40% of holds ultimately accepted rather than the typical 10 or so.

[Confused7]

CLS did email a few people letting them know that the hold was being used much differently this year than previous years. I wouldn't be surprised to see closer to 40% of holds ultimately accepted rather than the typical 10 or so.

Really? Wow, I totally missed this then...what did they say? And why only "a few people"?

[incompetentia]

I think the "few people" were those held that asked.

[Confused7]

I think the "few people" were those held that asked.

Thanks for the info. Did anyone here receive such an email? Please share to help calm all our nerves, lol.

[jrose5]

IMO held people are borderline candidates.

That's crazy considering there are quite a bit of 3.7+/172+ candidates.

I must have missed this... I suppose that they are just being cautious to avoid overenrollment.

[ChriLa425]

I second that request!

[jeng]

Just got held this afternoon via e-mail.. But I imagine that the prospects of getting in after being held aren't as bad as people seem to think that they are, or else there would really be no point of distinguishing between hold and reserve, would there?

Also the letter I received indicates that this year's applicant pool was large ("This year's applicant pool... promises to be among the largest and most highly qualified in our history") which seems to contradict with everyone saying this year had unusually low numbers. Is this just CLS rhetoric? Why does everyone keep saying that this year's pool was smaller?

Last question... the letter says holds will be notified BY April 22 - does any one know if last year people hear back before that date or was it exactly on April 22?

[jrose5]

Just got held this afternoon via e-mail.. But I imagine that the prospects of getting in after being held aren't as bad as people seem to think that they are, or else there would really be no point of distinguishing between hold and reserve, would there?

Also the letter I received indicates that this year's applicant pool was large ("This year's applicant pool... promises to be among the largest and most highly qualified in our history") which seems to contradict with everyone saying this year had unusually low numbers. Is this just CLS rhetoric? Why does everyone keep saying that this year's pool was smaller?

Last question... the letter says holds will be notified BY April 22 - does any one know if last year people hear back before that date or was it exactly on April 22?

I guess I just felt pessimistic after being held because I found a thread from last year for applicants held by Columbia. At the end of the cycle (like into the summer), the vast majority were waitlisted. I think only 2 people on the thread reported acceptances.

I'm just supplying my reason for feeling pessimistic earlier. But if CLS says they're using the hold list different this year, perhaps last year's trends will not hold for our cycle. I really hope so, too.

edit: And just pure speculation... I bet we will hear back before 4/22. I think schools like to give very conservative estimates about decision dates, for obvious reasons.

[geoduck]

Just got held this afternoon via e-mail.. But I imagine that the prospects of getting in after being held aren't as bad as people seem to think that they are, or else there would really be no point of distinguishing between hold and reserve, would there?

Also the letter I received indicates that this year's applicant pool was large ("This year's applicant pool... promises to be among the largest and most highly qualified in our history") which seems to contradict with everyone saying this year had unusually low numbers. Is this just CLS rhetoric? Why does everyone keep saying that this year's pool was smaller?

Last question... the letter says holds will be notified BY April 22 - does any one know if last year people hear back before that date or was it exactly on April 22?

If I had to guess, it'd be a combo of people shotgunning the T5 and the massive amounts of fee waivers CLS sent out.