2015-2016 Columbia University College of P&S Application Thread

Hey Everyone,
I'll be an incoming MS1 student, so don't ask me any questions about the curriculum or facilities (or, god forbid, the wards). Kidding. Sort of.
I fell in love with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (affectionately and inaccurately referred to as college of surgeons and surgeons around SDN) when I was far younger, and my affection has only increased during my application cycle, interview trail, and second look weekend. I'm thrilled to become a part of P&S, and I'd love to answer any questions that anyone has (or at the least refer you to someone who knows more than I do).

I've created an "information sheet" below, to try to summarize some key points about P&S (as you'll find on a few other threads, I'm sure). Good luck to everyone applying!

Stats [Source]
~7,800 applicants
~7,450 "applications considered"
~1,100 interviews (no in-state bias)
As per Columbia P&S Graduate, about 200 are accepted immediately, 700 waitlisted, and 100 rejected
~325 total acceptances (including off WL)
170 matriculated

Matriculating Class Statistics [source: @WedgeDawg]:
Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.85
Median MCAT Score: 36 (13/11/13 median section breakdowns)

2015-2016 Secondary Application (there is no screen)

1. If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so. - 250 words
2. From which languages can you translate scholarly material into English?
3. In what collegiate extracurriculars did you engage? - 400 characters
4. Did you work for compensation during college during the year or the summer? If so, what did you do? How many hours a week did you work? - 300 words
5. If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. - 300 words
6. What challenges do you expect to arise from living and working in a complex urban environment? How will you meet them? - 300 words
7. Is there anything else you would like us to know? - 300 words
8. Please describe your parents' occupations: - 100 char

*Note: prompt 7 is completely optional. Prompts 1, 2, 4, and 5 were also optional, although N/A was an acceptable response.

2014-2015 Secondary Application (there is no screen)

2014-2015 Important Dates*
First secondary: July 1st, 2014
First interview invites: August 18th-20th, 2014
First acceptance: February 11th, 2015 via phone call (portals updated within a couple days with email alert)
First waitlist: February 12th, 2015 via portal update (with email alert)

As per recent (5/5/15) phone calls to the admissions office, waitlist movement should occur by mid-to-late May.
*All dates have been obtained through SDN archives, though there is complete agreement with these dates and those published by P&S admissions online.

Update Letter Policy
Updates are accepted pre- and post-interview. All updates should be uploaded through the application portal. You should receive an email within a few days confirming that your update has been received. In addition, "Thank You Letters," should you choose to send them, should also be uploaded through this portal. [Source: interview day]

Curriculum
1.5 year condensed preclinical curriculum.

• Preclinical grading is Pass/Fail [Source]
• Clinicals are graded using a 4-tiered system: honors/high pass/pass/fail.
• Lectures are non-mandatory and recorded; labs and small group activities are incorporated throughout the fundamental courses (and foundation selectives)

Interview
One faculty interview. Faculty interview is open-file.

Of Note

• Columbia graduates are below the national mean with respect to post-graduate debt, although merit scholarships are reputed to be somewhat uncommon. That being said, the tuition is ~53,500 a year, and COL in NYC is no laughing matter. Check here for more details. Fortunately, the financial aid office is generous with need-based aid and, like I said, the average indebtedness for P&S grads is still below the national mean. Not bad when you consider everything else Columbia has to offer (utterly shameless comment from infatuated MS0)
• Extensive on-campus student housing is offered to P&S students to help mitigate the cost of living in NYC
• Columbia admissions and students extoll the P&S club as being the largest and most comprehensive student activities organization "in American medical education"
• Student research opportunities at Columbia are virtually limitless, both with respect to mentors and to financial support. At second look weekend, we were told that every single person who applied for summer research funding the previous year (so summer of 2014) managed to receive a grant.
• Official match list
• Columbia P&S Facebook Page

Finally, I will probably periodically update this throughout the coming months, although if anyone has any details that they would specifically like me to add, feel free to comment.
Citation for format: the ever-informative @hellanutella

As I said before, I'd be willing to answer as many questions as I can. Thankfully, there are several older P&S students who frequent SDN, and I'm sure they'll be along to help everyone out along the way. Once again, good luck to all applying!

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2015-2016 Columbia University College of P&S Application Thread