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Columbia PS

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:38 am
by kiklavan
Are we supposed to tailor our personal statement to why we want to go to Columbia?
I definitely didn't and just re-read the prompt and it kind of sounds like we are. I'd appreciate input from anyone who is applying now or who has been admitted in previous cycles. Thanks!

Re: Columbia PS

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:50 am
by personpitch
It certainly reads like they want a specific PS that discusses one's career/life goals and how Columbia relates to them. However, I also did not tailor mine for them (applied a few days ago, so no decision). I'm curious if this was a bad move lol

Re: Columbia PS

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:54 am
by kiklavan
personpitch wrote:It certainly reads like they want a specific PS that discusses one's career/life goals and how Columbia relates to them. However, I also did not tailor mine for them (applied a few days ago, so no decision). I'm curious if this was a bad move lol
Lol well fuck. I read on here that people say it is useless to write a Why Columbia essay. Isn't tailoring a personal statement more or less the same thing?

Re: Columbia PS

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:10 am
by personpitch
kiklavan wrote:
personpitch wrote:
Lol well fuck. I read on here that people say it is useless to write a Why Columbia essay. Isn't tailoring a personal statement more or less the same thing?
Yeah, unless they wrote that under the assumption that people actually tailor their PS's for Columbia and thus think a Why X would be too similar (but that possibility seems unlikely).

I'm not sure tbh, but it seems to me that if a Why Columbia is usually deemed useless*, then Columbia probably doesn't care too much about applicants demonstrating specific interest. If that's true, then it probably doesn't matter too much that we didn't tailor our statements. I'd wager they care far more about one's numbers and the overall quality of the PS even if it's a general one over whether applicants are detail oriented/follow instructions in this regard.

(*I have no idea if this is the general consensus or not; you seem to be more familiar with this topic than me! I don't think it's something to worry about, but again, I'm quite ignorant about Columbia's preferences)

Re: Columbia PS

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:17 am
by vurtsoap
Also didn't tailor my PS. I already submitted my app last week, so I'm hoping my initial interpretation of the prompt (i.e. that it's not necessarily asking for a Why Columbia) was not off :(