Columbia c/o 2017 Applicants (2013-2014 cycle)

[waferthinmint]

Sorry about the hold, congrats on Harvard!

I feel like this ties to the earlier discussion re. hold strategy, using holds as a way to weed out those who will likely go to HYS but may not have the stats for a named scholarship.

This worries me so much. As someone who has potentially YP worthy stats (strong emphasis on potentially because I really don't believe my numbers should be worthy of YP but Columbia's actions this cycle indicate otherwise) who doesn't have a HYS acceptance, I really hope I don't fall through the cracks.

Please Columbia, why don't you love me as much as I love you?

+1

Are you held, milk and cheerios? Or de facto held like me?

[milkandcheerios]

Sorry about the hold, congrats on Harvard!

I feel like this ties to the earlier discussion re. hold strategy, using holds as a way to weed out those who will likely go to HYS but may not have the stats for a named scholarship.

This worries me so much. As someone who has potentially YP worthy stats (strong emphasis on potentially because I really don't believe my numbers should be worthy of YP but Columbia's actions this cycle indicate otherwise) who doesn't have a HYS acceptance, I really hope I don't fall through the cracks.

Please Columbia, why don't you love me as much as I love you?

+1

Are you held, milk and cheerios? Or de facto held like me?

nope, not officially held. I'm pretty sure I'm de facto held at HLS too. No JS1 but no ding either. It's been months

[teampeeta]

Sorry about the hold, congrats on Harvard!

I feel like this ties to the earlier discussion re. hold strategy, using holds as a way to weed out those who will likely go to HYS but may not have the stats for a named scholarship.

This worries me so much. As someone who has potentially YP worthy stats (strong emphasis on potentially because I really don't believe my numbers should be worthy of YP but Columbia's actions this cycle indicate otherwise) who doesn't have a HYS acceptance, I really hope I don't fall through the cracks.

Please Columbia, why don't you love me as much as I love you?

+1

Are you held, milk and cheerios? Or de facto held like me?

nope, not officially held. I'm pretty sure I'm de facto held at HLS too. No JS1 but no ding either. It's been months

I bet you could just send a type of LOCI telling them how much you love Columbia, what you think you'd add, etc. I feel like they admit most people with strong numbers, so maybe showing more interest will convince them that you might want to go, especially if they're YP-ing ppl with similar numbers because they think those people will go to HYS.

[BanjoCalhoun]

Has anyone had success with CLS that they might attribute to a LOCI?

I thought the conventional wisdom on this was that schools find extra emails annoying but I want to believe that demonstrating further interest could help.

[PhenomenalWoman]

I've been pending completion for a month; is this normal?

[Humbert Humbert]

I've been pending completion for a month; is this normal?

(takes long drag of cigarette)

There is no normal.

[Mack.Hambleton]

I've been pending completion for a month; is this normal?

same, applied 1/30 and still nothing.

[waferthinmint]

I've been pending completion for a month; is this normal?

(takes long drag of cigarette)

There is no normal.

+1 THIS.

[koalacity]

I've been pending completion for a month; is this normal?

(takes long drag of cigarette)

There is no normal.

+1 THIS.

This is true. I'm not sure what Columbia is up to this cycle. I am also not sure that they know what they're up to.

But to answer your question, PhenomenalWomen, it is normal to take 4-6 weeks (or longer) to go complete at Columbia.

[Nonconsecutive]

I am also not sure that they know what they're up to.

Meanwhile at CLS admissions..

[EquallyWrong]

Thanks to the people who answered my question about the interviews, it wasn't completely innocent. Don't know if it speaks to their PI culture or lack thereof or any hostility towards obnoxious PI idealists. A little eyebrow raising...but the hold phenomenon seems to extend well beyond just the bleeding heart clinicians, though it could have been a deciding factor in your case. Good luck with getting in come April if you're still down for going to the big C!

[truckstop]

I think it's pretty common to only be able to do one clinic per semester. It's a big commitment, and each clinic probably wants people who will devote themselves to that clinic instead of spreading themselves thin at two clinics plus classes. I don't remember off the top of my head what Columbia said at the ASP about how hard it is to get into multiple clinics, but you're definitely not limited to only one for the entirety of law school. I think it can be pretty hard to do 2 just because they only have something like 9 clinics, but it's definitely possible. They encourage you to start applying as early as possible.

The same clinic issues exist for other schools, too, except some of them have more clinics. NYU has more, but it can still be hard to get into the ones you want the most, and you may not ever get your top choice, even if you apply multiple times (but you can still definitely do more than one over the course of the three years). And then you can still only do one clinic per semester.

As someone else said earlier, there are plenty of other ways to get practical experience in the same semester you're doing a clinic. Doing two in one semester isn't the only way.

[CyanIdes Of March]

Held as well.

LSAT > 75th
GPA > 50th

Got Harvard and I'm assuming this hold means I shouldn't expect much from Columbia so I'm probably going to withdraw my app. Good luck everyone!

Sorry about the hold, congrats on Harvard!

I feel like this ties to the earlier discussion re. hold strategy, using holds as a way to weed out those who will likely go to HYS but may not have the stats for a named scholarship.

Thank you. And I agree with your theory, seems to be the case that I'm just shy of named scholarship numbers and I have no ties to NY or CLS.

[juicebox]

SO WEIRD. I had the exact same conversation. Literally said I was interested in PI, talked about the clinics. Then they gave me the one semester answer too and I left the interview feeling kind of down on CLS. She was backpedaling and talking about externships but I'm sure she could sense it.

Fascinating. Our experiences seem to support the narrative that CLS only wants to train rich and powerful biglaw attorneys in NYC. Do you have other options at this juncture, juicebox? If you and I decide to withdraw, perhaps we should both mention our experience in our withdrawal letter. If CLS is serious about its commitment to PI, why would it include an artificial barrier to participation in clinical programs?

Yes I have H. What about you?

I am going to withdraw - right now just mulling over the best way to phrase the withdrawal note. I am pretty disappointed in their late turnaround even though I interviewed, and very disappointed to be held after an interview. I had to take an afternoon off of work for the interview and only did so in hopes of getting a quicker answer from CLS.

And yes I know it doesn't sound like THAT big of a deal to take an afternoon off for an interview, but it is in my line of work. Especially when your employer is not supportive of you leaving them for LS.

[juicebox]

I think it's pretty common to only be able to do one clinic per semester. It's a big commitment, and each clinic probably wants people who will devote themselves to that clinic instead of spreading themselves thin at two clinics plus classes. I don't remember off the top of my head what Columbia said at the ASP about how hard it is to get into multiple clinics, but you're definitely not limited to only one for the entirety of law school. I think it can be pretty hard to do 2 just because they only have something like 9 clinics, but it's definitely possible. They encourage you to start applying as early as possible.

The same clinic issues exist for other schools, too, except some of them have more clinics. NYU has more, but it can still be hard to get into the ones you want the most, and you may not ever get your top choice, even if you apply multiple times (but you can still definitely do more than one over the course of the three years). And then you can still only do one clinic per semester.

As someone else said earlier, there are plenty of other ways to get practical experience in the same semester you're doing a clinic. Doing two in one semester isn't the only way.

This certainly wasn't the problem I had - and I agree with all of your points. The problem I had is that there is a limit: one clinic, and only for one semester total.

[juicebox]

I've been pending completion for a month; is this normal?

(takes long drag of cigarette)

There is no normal.

+1 THIS.

This is true. I'm not sure what Columbia is up to this cycle. I am also not sure that they know what they're up to.

But to answer your question, PhenomenalWomen, it is normal to take 4-6 weeks (or longer) to go complete at Columbia.

Do we think that their decision to interview candidates threw them off a bit? Will be interesting to see if they continue to interview candidates next cycle.

[admiringatticus]

Did it seem like they were driving at anything with their interview questions to you or was it just genial admissions talk?

While at the time it did not feel like the interviewer was necessarily driving the conversation anywhere in particular, we did spend considerable time discussing "Why Columbia." I am interested in PI, so I pointed to some of Columbia's clinical programs as part of Columbia's appeal. The interviewer then mentioned that students could participate in only one clinical program for one semester. I did not see this information on Columbia's website, and no mention of this restriction was made when I spoke with an admissions officer on the phone, so the information surprised me and slightly disappointed me. Perhaps my interviewer sensed that surprise and disappointment, and concluded I would be safer as a "held" applicant until I expressed continued interest.
Perhaps.

One clinic for the entire time at Columbia?

[milkandcheerios]

Has anyone had success with CLS that they might attribute to a LOCI?

I thought the conventional wisdom on this was that schools find extra emails annoying but I want to believe that demonstrating further interest could help.

Yeah I thought this too! I was just going to be patient but now I don't know if I should try sending in a LOCI or not. Has anyone else who isn't officially on hold sent any extra materials?

[zsazsa]

you're definitely not limited to only one [clinic] for the entirety of law school

Truckstop, can you provide a source for this?

With so few clinics, it seems likely to me that CLS would limit each student to one semester-long clinic. Perhaps the goal is to allow as many students as possible the opportunity to participate?

[chizzy]

finally went complete after waiting a month +

[mandyjay11]

finally went complete after waiting a month +

same.

[chizzy]

finally went complete after waiting a month +

same.

how long do you think we would wait to receive a decision?

[mandyjay11]

finally went complete after waiting a month +

same.

how long do you think we would wait to receive a decision?

I'm not holding my breath for anything before the end of April.

[Vexed]

Well, today I got an email saying they're finally going to review my application because the JD/MBA deadline had passed without me submitting an MBA app to the business school.... didn't intend to check that box.

[kartelite]

Well, today I got an email saying they're finally going to review my application because the JD/MBA deadline had passed without me submitting an MBA app to the business school.... didn't intend to check that box.

For people who applied to the joint program, are they going to wait for a decision from the business school? LSAT > 75, GPA > median. I received an interview invite for the MBA program but they don't make a decision until next month