I want to know something.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate the support!

We will keep our fingers crossed. I'm just one of a bunch of super-qualified applicants who have been held. A lot more surprising candidates have been held who I would have thought were "auto-admit".

Held today. Probably withdrawing my app anyways, good luck guys!

Held, just now. Early Jan submit.

170 4.0 URM

I am so confused by Columbia.

3.25/179 Held.

Damn homie--I hope we both make it off the Held list. With the company that we have though, it doesn't feel too bad eh? =)

This makes no sense at all. Columbia must be doing a soft YP with some of these holds. Annyong got into HYS and MichelFoucault has HYS numbers. WTF.

Held today.

I find it hard to believe CLS does YP... maybe they just need more time

So, since Columbia (TLS anecdotally) confers no advantage on those who apply ED aside from a short application cycle (which while not an advantage for admission, must be wonderful for the sake of composure), is:

held ED = or ~= held RD?

The pool of held ED pple (see this thread circa 20 DEC 11) was relatively strong as well, with the exceptions like me being those with softs that have since proved to confound the TLS/LSN/LSP soothsayers.

I think we're looking at these Holds the wrong way. I don't think a Hold brings you closer to a rejection or waitlist. I think it LITERALLY means what they say it does. "We have your application, but we are still considering it." It's a combination of waiting to see what Harvard does and waiting to review the rest of the applicant pool--so they know how the drop might impact their numbers, and whether they need to adjust accordingly.

I think that is the only way to interpret these holds. It is NOT in the interest of Columbia to reject the bigger chunk of these Holds.

Held. I guess I'll have to settle for Yale...

I thought held ED was a soft ding for CLS?

bump

Yeah I find that hard too. But playing the hold card, they definitely can at least wash a handful of HYS admits, and marginally improve yield.

All the top schools try to keep their acceptance rate low because that's figured into the USNWR rankings. Another way to do that, besides yield protection, is to increase the total number of applications. Schools do that by soliciting more applicants through fee waivers, often extending them to people who they know won't get it.
Even Yale unexpectedly extended their application deadline to March 1 from February 15. Why? Because they want more applicants. With fewer applicants this year but the same class size, admissions rates are bound to go up unless schools get creative. People with Yale-quality GPAs and LSAT scores are virtually always organized enough to apply on time. They didn't extend the deadline to get a few more worthy applicants; they did it to get the unworthy applicants who will lower their admissions rate.
TL;DR: Don't be surprised that Columbia protects its yield.

Sucks man. I didn't even apply to that TTT. Hope everything works out.

I don't know, the job market in Connecticut is pretty bad.

Are they in the process of changing admission staff and holding everyone like HLS? I guess everyone will end up with a hold at this point?

They mailed acceptances this week & someone ITT got reserved today. They aren't holding everyone.

Nothing here still, btw.

VCE with a Hamilton in the mail today. Letter dated 2/22. Sort of in shock.

More VCEs on the way, I'm sure. Good luck everybody!

Wow, congrats. Where in the country are you?

Congrats! That's awesome.

That/you is/are awesome.