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

[waferthinmint]

I can never tell if people are more delusional here than me!

Do you neurotically check your email too!?

I keep my phone, with push notifications on, on my person at all times. The neurotic checking is for TLS and LSN.

[gbelle]

I can never tell if people are more delusional here than me!

Do you neurotically check your email too!?

I keep my phone, with push notifications on, on my person at all times. The neurotic checking is for TLS and LSN.

Still traveling internationally. Burning up so much international data checking emails and this thread..

[fivestarfolds]

I'd say, to my great dismay, nothing is happening today

[Cocoblues]

I have a feeling that CC will continue with a few straight acceptances after their ASWs, when admitted folks start withdrawing. I mean, why would they leave a pile of students in limbo to run a partially full ASW? They have probably hit their class targets by now. I hope I'm wrong though, and we get a miracle wave from CLS this evening...

[theletterj]

I mean it doesn't seem like they have filled their class.I think they are really cautiously adding people. The facebook group only has just over 100 members. Even accounting for people not being in it with around 1000+ offers. I would guess they are just having a tough time. I am not held, but I am thinking of writing a letter just to be fresh in their minds.

[Cocoblues]

I mean it doesn't seem like they have filled their class.I think they are really cautiously adding people. The facebook group only has just over 100 members. Even accounting for people not being in it with around 1000+ offers. I would guess they are just having a tough time. I am not held, but I am thinking of writing a letter just to be fresh in their minds.

CLS sends out 1000+ offers??

When did you submit? It might be time for a LOCI...

[theletterj]

According to their ABA Report form last they had 1000+ offers. I submitted early January and was just planning on waiting but since I missed waves of holds and wait list I am trying to make myself stand out. Plus like everyone else with deposits I am trying to make an informed decision.

[waferthinmint]

I'd say, to my great dismay, nothing is happening today

And what sound does the hype train make?

WOmp Womp.

[checkers]

I'd say, to my great dismay, nothing is happening today

And what sound does the hype train make?

WOmp Womp.

Choo choo boo hoo ='[

[fivestarfolds]

Just made this to pass the time. LSN provides LSAT numbers on the x-axis and GPA on the y-axis from lowest (on the bottom left) to highest (on the top right). This visualization shows data from '11-'12, '12-'13, and finally '13-'14.

I think it's really interesting to note the URM scores drifting left and also the tighter cluster of acceptances on the right for 2013-14.

[zsazsa]

I think it's really interesting to note the URM scores drifting left and also the tighter cluster of acceptances on the right for 2013-14.

I think that a lot of the statistical changes that we try to attribute to [insert meaningful variable] are actually just a result of an increase in LSN usership (not sure if that's a word, but it should be). Assuming that acceptance rates remain similar from year to year, more LSN users = more acceptances reported; more dings reported; a wider range of GPAs/LSAT scores reported; and so on.

[thewaves]

I've withdrawn, good luck to everyone in this thread!

[fivestarfolds]

I think it's really interesting to note the URM scores drifting left and also the tighter cluster of acceptances on the right for 2013-14.

I think that a lot of the statistical changes that we try to attribute to [insert meaningful variable] are actually just a result of an increase in LSN usership (not sure if that's a word, but it should be). Assuming that acceptance rates remain similar from year to year, more LSN users = more acceptances reported; more dings reported; a wider range of GPAs/LSAT scores reported; and so on.

I think that there are a lot of criticisms to be made about the graphs and analysis I pulled together but I really don't think this is one of them. I think it's clear that CLS has a trend that isn't being influenced by the increase in self reporting on LSN

[checkers]

It seems to me that the tighter cluster of acceptances for this cycle is to be expected at this point in the game. Once they have a solid foundation of committed students enrolled, their medians are solidified enough that Columbia is freer to hand out acceptances to outliers. Additionally, if Columbia runs out of more solid candidates due to withdrawals, they're left with students on the fringes of their GPA/LSAT ranges. So by both mechanisms, the tight cluster will naturally loosen as we move toward June.

Another caveat to take into account: many people (like me) are keeping their profiles private until they have committed to a school. If all types of applicants (GPA/LSAT range) do this, then the effect should be evenly distributed and not affect the trend we see, but I would suppose splitters (like me) are more inclined to keep their profiles private for now since there are less candidates to hide among for anonymity.

[fivestarfolds]

It seems to me that the tighter cluster of acceptances for this cycle is to be expected at this point in the game. Once they have a solid foundation of committed students enrolled, their medians are solidified enough that Columbia is freer to hand out acceptances to outliers. Additionally, if Columbia runs out of more solid candidates due to withdrawals, they're left with students on the fringes of their GPA/LSAT ranges. So by both mechanisms, the tight cluster will naturally loosen as we move toward June.

Another caveat to take into account: many people (like me) are keeping their profiles private until they have committed to a school. If all types of applicants (GPA/LSAT range) do this, then the effect should be evenly distributed and not affect the trend we see, but I would suppose splitters (like me) are more inclined to keep their profiles private for now since there are less candidates to hide among for anonymity.

This makes more sense to me

[MrMileyCyrus]

What I don't understand is that held people who in theory shouldn't have any trouble getting admitting are being forced to wait so long. If anything, I would improve their medians...what's the hold up? Was my LOCI not good enough for you? Did they not like something in my PS that other schools overlooked?

I don't get it.

[smurffff]

I think it's really interesting to note the URM scores drifting left and also the tighter cluster of acceptances on the right for 2013-14.

I think that a lot of the statistical changes that we try to attribute to [insert meaningful variable] are actually just a result of an increase in LSN usership (not sure if that's a word, but it should be). Assuming that acceptance rates remain similar from year to year, more LSN users = more acceptances reported; more dings reported; a wider range of GPAs/LSAT scores reported; and so on.

I think that there are a lot of criticisms to be made about the graphs and analysis I pulled together but I really don't think this is one of them. I think it's clear that CLS has a trend that isn't being influenced by the increase in self reporting on LSN

Well, to respectfully quibble with you, there wouldn't have to be a confounding variable in the form of increased LSN usership to make the underlying point true: there may not be an effect here -- it could just be statistical noise, or selection bias. On the other hand, I have no interest in doing an analysis for statistical significance, so I'm perfectly willing to eyeball that data cluster.

[checkers]

What I don't understand is that held people who in theory shouldn't have any trouble getting admitting are being forced to wait so long. If anything, I would improve their medians...what's the hold up? Was my LOCI not good enough for you? Did they not like something in my PS that other schools overlooked?

I don't get it.

This is making a lot of assumptions, but bear with me. Assume you're the ideal candidate: 4.0/180, and you apply regular decision. Columbia looks at you, goes lol, and holds you while thinking "have fun at Harvard." Harvard doesn't accept you, or you don't even apply to Harvard because Columbia is your dream school, but you don't say that unequivocally until the spring. Even if you say in your spring LOCI that you will attend for sure if accepted, maybe the appeal of admitting you has diminished now that their class, and therefore their medians, are now firm. Adding a 4.0/180 probably won't move the needle too much by this point anyway, and they'd rather admit someone with stellar softs, or an URM with a great story.

I have no clue if any of this has basis in reality, so take it with a pound of salt.

[wade]

This is my theory:

The admissions committee will reconvene post-ASW days and possibly post-deadline for scholarship acceptance to review all remaining applicants (those who submitted on the late side and those who were held). They may want to get a sense of the number of admitted students accepting their scholarship offers and then review all remaining applicants in one go.

It seems they have been busy this week with financial aid: they have been sending out a lot of financial award letters this week.

Just a theory...

[SFrost]

What I don't understand is that held people who in theory shouldn't have any trouble getting admitting are being forced to wait so long. If anything, I would improve their medians...what's the hold up? Was my LOCI not good enough for you? Did they not like something in my PS that other schools overlooked?

I don't get it.

Two things:
1) Once a school believes they have safely met their medians, there is no advantage or disadvantage with regard to medians to admitting any combination of LSAT/GPA.
2) Applicants are more than their numbers

[fivestarfolds]

What I don't understand is that held people who in theory shouldn't have any trouble getting admitting are being forced to wait so long. If anything, I would improve their medians...what's the hold up? Was my LOCI not good enough for you? Did they not like something in my PS that other schools overlooked?

I don't get it.

This is making a lot of assumptions, but bear with me. Assume you're the ideal candidate: 4.0/180, and you apply regular decision. Columbia looks at you, goes lol, and holds you while thinking "have fun at Harvard." Harvard doesn't accept you, or you don't even apply to Harvard because Columbia is your dream school, but you don't say that unequivocally until the spring. Even if you say in your spring LOCI that you will attend for sure if accepted, maybe the appeal of admitting you has diminished now that their class, and therefore their medians, are now firm. Adding a 4.0/180 probably won't move the needle too much by this point anyway, and they'd rather admit someone with stellar softs, or an URM with a great story.

I have no clue if any of this has basis in reality, so take it with a pound of salt.

What I'll say about this particular post is that I think the URM advantage is really diminished once your waitlisted.it's not totally gone, just diminished.

I think your other point is really well taken. Medians can actually be insured at some point, that's the beauty of schools not worrying about averages.

[waferthinmint]

I think your other point is really well taken. Medians can actually be insured at some point, that's the beauty of schools not worrying about averages.

Beautiful. I love medians.

[checkers]

Beautiful. I love medians.

Agreed. But there's a limit to this trick, as evidenced by the 170/3.3 soft floors.

[p3aceandl0v3]

Am I the only one who still hasn't gone complete? Submitted in mid-February?

[Wiggly]

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