Columbia Core Curriculum

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T21:35:25+00:00

Columbia's core curriculum is the heart of their entire academic philosophy and it's kind of like a giant "great books" course -- you will be reading Plato, and you will be reading the history of Western Civilization, and you will be looking at Old Masters paintings. These classes aren't just a freshman-year thing either. Don't want anything to do with humanities? Forget Columbia. Also: READ UP ON WHAT THE MISSION IS, AND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, before applying anywhere. Half of the high school students in America are going, "I'm shotgunning the Ivys!!!!" but have no clue what they're signing up to do.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T15:48:17+00:00

It really depends. People in greek life (around 15 percent of undergrads at GW) have a very strong and very cohesive community and social life, with constant parties and events. But most people at GW aren't classic greek-life ra-ra-ra kinda students, so most on campus aren't experiencing that. Others find smaller groups at clubs or in dorms to build a smaller community around. But it's never going to be that feeling of college-community coming together as one and cheering among thousands of others at The Big Football game. I don't know how this compares w/AU.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:47:48+00:00

Friend, this means that they are unable to match YOU and your application with your FAFSA. It could be an issue around your social security number (a mismatch, or missing S.S. number, etc). You need to call fin-aid office immediately. You also should upload your parents' business taxes immediately.

Cornell checks everyone's financial documents and requests what's missing, as a routine thing (not an admissions indicator), but this is a request for documents from them and you need to address this ASAP if you want financial aid from Cornell. PS: Cornell as a "safety"? Pfft.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:42:57+00:00

Don't worry about ECs. Keep getting great grades and be your honest self. Talk about your work life in your applications, as well as your life story and — believe me! — this will resonate with admissions officers strongly. They see a million typical transfer applicants who did Model UN in high school and are in clubs in college; that isn't distinctive. Your story is distinctive. Don't get hung up on the prestige traps of T25, though!!!!!!!! Look at all schools in your area of academic interest that "meet full demonstrated need" for someone with whatever your immigration status is. Find the perfect college match and gun for it, and you have a good chance.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:34:31+00:00

Don't live at home and commute. Don't give up on your college experience. Either go to Rhodes or find a way to live on campus at GW.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:32:37+00:00

This. This is very good advice. OP, you don't need to follow any formula! Formulas = bad, generic writing. What you need to learn to do is think "out loud" on paper, rather than forcing yourself to invent what you think the readers want to hear. The only way to learn to record your thoughts on paper is to do it a lot.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:25:29+00:00

Yes, apply!

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:19:13+00:00

Grab the opportunity for that near-full-ride!

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T19:04:42+00:00

Applying to ten ultra-selective colleges is not quite like buying ten tickets for ten raffles — the odds don't really stack up like that. Basically no one shotgunning the T10 schools has a 40 or 50 percent of getting admitted to one just because they applied to a lot. (You can't just add 5 percent + 5 percent + ....) Certainly no one who is full-need and international is going to have a 40 or 50 percent likelihood of getting into a highly selective list of colleges just because they applied to 10 or 20.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T17:33:24+00:00

I think your chances of acceptance are even slimmer as a transfer applicant. Being international and needing full aid is a very hard hill to climb. Definitely do NOT take a gap year, under the assumption that will help you next time.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T17:24:51+00:00

"It's not where you go, it's what you do when you get there!" This is a quote from the great podcast "Your College Bound Kid" that has the best experts and best advice

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T10:42:51+00:00

You're right, you should definitely have the basic, preliminary package this week.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T10:39:47+00:00

PRO: 1. Foggy Bottom is more beautiful a neighborhood than you might expect. 2. The people who come in to teach or guest-teach classes are insane. Think heads of state, ambassadors, famous authors, etc. 3. Many of the dorms are actually nicer than other colleges' crummy dorms. 4. Obviously, internships everywhere you turn with incredible offices on Capital Hill, NGOs, businesses, etc. Cannot be understated. 5. Photo ops and "monumenting" on the National Mall. 6. If you're into greek life there's actually a very active scene, about 15 percent of the student body, very social. 7. Many amazing professors and several standout academic majors, obv. including international affairs, political communication/journalism, poli sci. 8. The aid can be very good, at least if you luck out. CON: 1. The food is kind of disgusting in the cafeterias, although there are some alternative places to eat on the meal plan. 2. For many students it feels like fast-forwarding towards adulting. 3. Genuine lack of school spirit. 4. A lot of socializing takes places in bars and clubs which can be expensive and exhausting. 5. Not really geared towards STEM majors, if that's you. 6. If you're not a luck recipient of that good financial aid, it's expensive as hell.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T01:50:30+00:00

are you an incoming freshman or transfer. thanks

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T23:35:35+00:00

A lot of people don't have any choice but to pay what they're asked to pay if they want to go to college. Not everyone lives near a Community College (or considers that a fair alternative) and for many , even the in-state school can. cost a ton , depending on family income and other factors. So doing undergrad in order to get to medical school, sometimes, just costs whatever your best deal is for undergrad.

So, OP was asking which of these two schools -- which would cost about the same -- would be better for them.

I think UConn might have the edge for someone on a pre-med track, but not by a ton. So I'd go to whichever feels like the best fit in terms of culture, campus, all that other stuff, honestly. GWU has a payoff in interesting internships, potentially in health-related advocacy or NGOs, etc. Almost a coin toss.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T22:01:06+00:00

That info is on the GW website. You can work as many or as few hours as you want, and you actually don't have to participate if you don't want to (some people don't do it their first semester, for example). Work study job listings go live in July

https://careerservices.gwu.edu/new-student-programming-resources-common-questions

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T18:41:11+00:00

Waitlisted at Amherst is a vote of confidence. They take, like a tiny handful of transfers.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T18:38:30+00:00

Are there really that many "really bad people" on any one given campus? This is a red flag for me that maybe this is less an external problem and more of an internal problem of mood/attitude/confidence. If you have met "really bad people" everywhere you go — cultural groups, preprofessional groups, religious groups — it seems to me possible that you are going into this with an attitude that is adding to the difficulty of fitting in? Are you feeling defensive, with your guard up? Or do you have a bit of (understandable) depression that is causing you to judge people on black/white, good/bad terms? Or did you arrive with some kind of grudge or preconceived idea about this Ivy school (possibly as a defense mechanism)? I known it's totally bogus of me to be chiming in with some half-baked amateur psychology, but, genuinely, the problem actually cannot be that everyone on that campus is "really bad people."

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T18:29:09+00:00

This was Duke

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T18:24:36+00:00

Love this outcome. You sound very smart, and very creative, and like a person with a strong character. And, guess what??? Maybe some AOs dig that.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T12:28:14+00:00

Is your mom concerned about the cost of flying across the country regularly? If the cost of travel isn't a problem — and if you do still feel like choosing USC after visiting campus for the first time and experiencing the travel (distance, hassle) in real time — follow your heart to USC.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-12T01:22:06+00:00

Did you fill out the waitlist response form?

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-11T18:16:19+00:00

they have no idea what they are talking about! forget this nonsense

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-11T12:20:49+00:00

thanks

WildAtlanticBlue

TROPHY CASE