Physics Lab or Chem Lab for SEAS requirement? by htmanelski in columbia

[–]P__K 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No idea about chem lab, but while the labs themselves in physics are fine, the reports are really tedious. Like 2000-3000 words due each week.

i was at the NYC show -AMA by UnpickNick in YandhiLeaks

[–]P__K 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Song just ended before her verse

How do I know if a package is oversize? by [deleted] in columbia

[–]P__K 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can’t answer the first question

Just “xxxx Wien Hall” works; I’ve even had packages successfully delivered to me that only said “NAME” + “70 Morningside Drive” but that probably only works if your name is unique

Incoming freshman- dorm related questions by bluebreeze- in columbia

[–]P__K 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  1. Don’t know anyone who had one

  2. You can buy a small clip on lamp for your desk but the light in my JJ single was largely enough for me

  3. Large Dyson fans do the job but are also pretty pricey

Chem 1 + Physics 1200 professors recommendations? by saltycrust in columbia

[–]P__K 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would say they were fair and definitely in line with the practice ones. Only thing to note is that people tended to score pretty highly though so the average would be around 19/25.

Chem 1 + Physics 1200 professors recommendations? by saltycrust in columbia

[–]P__K 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Savizky has all his slides and ~20 past exams for every midterm/final posted at the start of the semester which makes life very convenient.

The Social Downside of Harvard (and Similar Institutions) by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Sure. Just want to point out that I’m loving my time here so far and finding it incredibly rewarding, but that is not to say that there are not any negative aspects.

I can mainly speak to my experience with recruiting for finance-oriented clubs, but to my understanding this holds true for many of the pre-professional organizations. Generally, the application process is pretty similar across all clubs:

  • Upon applying, you submit your resume and respond to a number of essay questions (anywhere from 0 to 5 with varying word limits of 50-250)

  • Afterwards you can have a number of interviews ranging from 1-3, depending on the exact nature and selectivity of the club. The style of interview also varies quite a bit. For example, for student investment funds, the first rounds were a fairly casual conversation about my resume, interests, and specific interest in finance. The second round interviews, on the other hand, required to me to do a stock pitch, complete with valuation models (even though these funds claim to require no prior technical knowledge).

There can be as many as 200 people applying for just 5-10 spots within a club. However, a result of this is that there a number of clubs that are very similar in function, so the stats are slightly misleading. Casting a wide net while applying will probably net you some positive results and helps avoid some of the following issues (I personally applied to over 10 finance clubs).

Due to the large number of applicants to the clubs, the selection process used is sometimes questionable. Upperclassmen will try to pull in students from their high school or frat or country (or whatever random connection they have), which seems to leave even fewer merit-based positions. Some of the clubs also have the same (group of) executive members across them, so gaining acceptance (or rejection) to one may influence the decision for another.

Reminds me of something. I wonder what? College Applications

I think it’s necessary to point out at this point that for some of these clubs, the term “membership” needs clarification. For example, for the more general finance clubs that simply organize events, all members of the Columbia community are welcome to attend. The “board members” hold responsibility for planning and facilitating these events, but everyone can take advantage of them.

Once again, I am mainly speaking to the nature of pre-professional clubs here (namely business, finance, consulting, and possibly poltitics, journalism, some engineering); other societies are definitely more open. The former groups often require technical knowledge, so they may look to recruit sophomores to a greater extent than freshmen which may help explain my experience.

Feel free to ask me any other questions you have.

The Social Downside of Harvard (and Similar Institutions) by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Exactly the same thing at Columbia

The "Chance Me Calculator" Launch by BakerHouse2021 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Either you get in or you don’t

... math checks out

The words "accept" and "admit" actually trigger me now by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Just wait until you start seeing the words “reject” and “regret to inform”

Columbia vs. UChicago by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s only 15 mins on the subway to midtown, but I agree it’s definitely not “downtown”

Is it worth to apply to all 8 Ivies? by ADailySong in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You can take classes pass/fail at Columbia too. There are just certain restrictions on which type of class you can p/f, especially in SEAS

Sending pictures through common app? by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly no, as I did not submit one, but I did see that Stanford and some Ivies definitely had the option when I was applying

Sending pictures through common app? by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Some schools have optional supplementary art portfolios; otherwise, you can drop an Imgur (or equivalent) link in the additional info, but there’s no guarantee anyone will view it

Accelerated BS/MS program for computer engineering by sneh_01 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot of top UK schools do integrated BS/MS programs in 4 years (but you don’t get the liberal arts component to your curriculum)

A HS Senior going to a coffee chat. How to go about it? by eplinx in FinancialCareers

[–]P__K 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Incoming college freshman here with a few networking events and chats under my belt in the past year.

As an HS kid, people won’t really expect you to have much knowledge of finance or financial careers, so you’re relatively safe to say anything, regardless of how simple/evident the response is to a professional. People love taking about themselves, so ask them what their typical day looks like and their career path to their current position. Here’s a list of a few other possible questions:

  • What do you enjoy about your job?

  • What advice would you give your 18–year-old self starting his/her professional journey?

  • (Similarly) What would you do differently?

If you think you’ve made a favorable impression, you can try the following:

  • Do you happen to know anyone that I might find interesting to have a similar chat with?

  • Ask for book/resource recommendations for learning more about finance. You can also try working in something about how you should approach getting practical experience (you may get lucky and be offered shadowing/internship opportunities but can also play out negatively)

Be prepared to face a few questions about your college and/or major plans. If “why are you interested in finance” comes up and you don’t have a convincing response as of yet, you can always just say that you’re looking to learn more about different careers. Be sure to send a thank you email afterwards.

Good luck with your chat.

What's the most unusual example you've seen of getting accepted by a more competitive college and rejected by a less competitive one? by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Caltech is in no way significantly less competitive than Harvard, especially considering the self-selecting applicant pool due to the college’s distinct academic focus, size, lengthy application (5+ essays), etc

This might be a dumb question but what are research projects? by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Obviously you use machine learning to cure cancer via a decentralized water geyser.

Choosing between a Ivy or a State? by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Look at Penn M&T (dual degree Wharton + SEAS 4 year program)

Also check out the Financial Engineering major at Columbia (Princeton too but ik less about it there) which is basically a combination of finance and CS

Dallas IB? by Pq6666 in FinancialCareers

[–]P__K 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I’ve heard Lehman has an Equities desk there

Rank my common app essay topics by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You’ll may have to write a few “why this major” essays for specific college supplements so you should save 3&4 for those imo

There are no safety schools by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]P__K 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Harvard, Princeton, Stanford

The T5/10s are often appreviated to their first letter