The admit rate for Columbia
College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Class of 2017
dropped to a record-low this year, to 6.89 percent, after 2,311 applicants were
admitted from a pool of 33,531. Jessica Marinaccio, dean of undergraduate
admissions and financial aid, said in a statement that the statistics reflect
an arduous process of deliberation and conversation about each applicant.
“The class admitted today offers
much more to Columbia than just academic credentials and impressive
achievements,” she said. “They embody the fundamental character of Columbia
University, sharing a deep engagement with local and global issues, a spirited
devotion to intellectual inquiry and an eagerness to add their unique
perspectives to our diverse student body.”
This year, the number of overall
applications to both schools rose 5 percent from the year before. The class of
2017 was selected from a pool of applicants hailing from all 50 states, the
U.S. territories, and nearly 70 countries. Two years ago, for the class of
2015, the acceptance rate was 6.92 percent, the previous selectivity record. According
to Columbia College spokesperson Sydney Gross, 1,351 students checked their
decisions online within the first 30 seconds that they were available, starting
at 5 p.m. EDT. In fewer than four minutes, a student from the Chicago suburbs
became the first to indicate plans to enroll. Now that the letters of
acceptance have been mailed, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be
hosting a number of outreach efforts, including the two-day overnight visit
Days on Campus, lunch programs, phone-a-thons, and postcards. “Over the next
few weeks, we will focus our efforts on showing them how a Columbia education
could in turn enrich their lives,” Marinaccio said. Christine Wang, from Ladue
Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Mo., said her acceptance letter was a
complete surprise. “I really didn’t expect to get in,” she said. “I’m so
happy.” Wang said that while she’s still weighing her options, she
and her parents were ecstatic to find out that she had been accepted. “We were, like, jumping up and down,” she
said. “I’m a little ashamed to admit that I did cry a little.” Barnard
admitted its class of 2017 Wednesday but has not yet released any details. Hannah Borghi, from Central
Bucks High School East in Bucks County, Pa., checked her decision Wednesday
night and said she was “over the moon” when she read her acceptance letter. She
said she is still waiting to hear back from a few other schools but that
Barnard remains her first choice. “I freaked out,” she said. “I’ve wanted
to go to Barnard since I was 14 or something ridiculous like that. I told my
parents right after, and they, like, cried. It was just emotional.” See: http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2013/03/28/cc-seas-see-record-low-admit-rate-class-2017