Lia_Columbia,
Columbia
B.A., Creative Writing
I'm a student at Columbia. I love writing, activism, terrible jokes, and binge-watching Netflix. Aspiring PhD students/teacher.
Features Included
9
Essays
6
Schools
4
Scores
30
Advice
6
ECs
2
Sports
Background
Hometown
San Francisco, California
GenderFemale
EthnicityWhite Non-Hispanic
AdmissionEarly Decision
Class of2020
First Gen College StudentNo
English First Language
Yes
Results, Essays, and Advice
Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
-
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.
Columbia University (New York, NY)
Applied for a B.A. in Creative Writing
Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: NoSchool Specific Essays
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay307 WordsThis past summer at the Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP), I discovered that it is possible to mime the concepts “existentialism,” “Platonic ideal,” and “systems of oppression.” Even stranger, I discovered that it is possible for other people to understand that those are the concepts being mimed. Charades is a game that demands a common repertoire of experience with the other people playing. If players have not seen the same movies, heard the same news stories, or read the same...Read more...Supplemental Essay: Strong beliefs/principles304 WordsThe moment I received my temporary library access at the University of Michigan this summer, I knew what I wanted to do: track down a map of Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. I wanted to understand the setting of my novel-in-progress about the relationship between two girls, one black and one white, and their struggle to cope with the decision of one to join the Children’s Crusade (when thousands of black school children marched to protest segregation). However, I could not...Read more...Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school99 WordsI have lived in San Francisco since I was a baby. Here I can walk into Cliff’s Variety Store and buy a giant yodeling pickle, get stopped in the street and asked to sign a petition banning pink Styrofoam, and attend the Castro Theater’s annual Sound of Music sing-along (costumes encouraged). I love being surrounded by rainbow flags, and to claim as my own the city that refused to cheer for a 49ers player after he allegedly assaulted...Read more...Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school138 Words"Carry Me Home" by Diane McWhorter, "Understanding Criminal Law" by Joshua Dressler, “A Problem from Hell”: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power, Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, In a Different Voice by Carol Gilligan, America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation by Michael MacCambridge, The Compass of Pleasure by David J. Linden, Lesbian Out Law: Survival Under the Rule of the Law by Ruthann...Read more...Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school845 WordsMy pH paper has no clear color. My friends would be shocked if they heard me ever describe myself as being anything other than acidic, given how heated up and vocal I sometimes am, but it is the timing of when I am more acidic side and when I am more cool and basic that allows me to write character-driven narratives, collaborate with people from all different backgrounds to make schools safer for all teens, and still hold onto the...Read more...Supplemental Essay: Issue of personal significance248 WordsWhen I heard about the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old who was bullied for being gay, I lost it. It was September 2011, a year after reports of suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) teens had hit the news. Schools were supposed to be safer, but they weren’t. The thought of Jamey followed me into my school, home, and writing. How could I, in good conscience, live my life to the fullest while Jamey never got to? ...Read more...Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school166 WordsI may be the worst athlete to become a varsity team captain in my school’s history. The first week of badminton sophomore year, I couldn’t even make it through warm-ups, so I sat on the sidelines. Perhaps it looked like I was giving up. No one knew that every day after practice, I drilled the warm ups in my attic over and over again until I could finally sprint across the gym. I started staying late after practice...Read more...Supplemental Essay: Other408 WordsThe moment I received my temporary library access at the University of Michigan this summer, I knew what I wanted to do: track down a map of Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. I wanted to understand the setting of my novel-in-progress about the relationship between two girls, one black and one white, and their struggle to cope with the decision of one to join the Children’s Crusade (when thousands of black school children marched to protest segregation). However, I could not...Read more...School Specific Advice
Most popular extracurricular activities at my college273 WordsThere's a ton of diversity! I, personally, love the dedication many students have to activism. You'd be hard pressed to find a time when there isn't some sort of petition or protest happening, and I think that helps hold Columbia to a higher standard. In particular, I'm involved with the Barnard Columbia Solidarity Network, a network of activist groups advocating for racial justice and increased resources for marginalized students. I'm also involved with an anti-sexual violence activist group. You don't...Read more...My favorite course thus far, and why258 WordsUniversity Writing, one of the mandatory freshman year courses, ended up being my favorite, which is strange because lots of people really dislike the course. My professor (a grad student, believe it or not) was amazing and taught me how to close read, which is a big deal because my high school teachers could never explain it to me in a way that made sense. I actually learned to enjoy academic writing. We were given a ton...Read more...5 adjectives that describe a typical student at my school (Feel free to elaborate!)90 WordsPassionate - whether people decide to do activism or are just hold strong beliefs Driven - both academically and outside of class, everyone is really motivated...Read more...What I’d change about my school if I were student body president330 WordsA lot of what I'd do is very political. I'd love to change Student Council to be a bit more student-oriented, because right now, it's very much about compromises with the administration, and I want a council that advocates for us as students completely. I'd endorse the set of demands made by the Barnard Columbia Solidarity Network, which address the experiences of Black students on campus and people of color impacted by Columbia in the surrounding community. This includes hiring more faculty of color, fairly compensating all student workers, etc. You can check the demands out on Facebook if you're...Read more...What I now know about my school that I never would have known prior to enrolling229 WordsIf you take care of yourself, you can do well in school. I was very concerned about this before coming to Columbia, but I was surprised that self-care was a huge key to doing well. Sleep, take 4 classes instead of 5, eat, exercise, etc. It doesn't have to be painful or a huge struggle like high school often was (at least for me). You get to take classes you...Read more...Why I ultimately chose my school284 WordsAs I said above, I connected with the campus. I also met people there I could tell I'd be friends with. At my high school, not many people were interested in changing things. When I got frustrated we didn't have consent education, no one else got frustrated with me, so I felt a bit isolated. At Columbia, everyone has ideas about what needs to be different and many people act upon those ideas, which makes the campus better. I also love Columbia's Core, which...Read more...What I like about my school’s location and culture180 WordsI personally don't like New York as much as the Bay Area and certainly didn't go to Columbia because it's in New York (cue gasping — no one believes me when I tell them this), though a lot of people do go to Columbia because of this. I do like that New York has...Read more...How to increase chances at my school260 WordsBe yourself. Seriously. No one ever listens to this, and it's so frustrating to watch. There's no college manual that recommends LGBTQ rights activism and creative writing, but it worked for me because it's what I genuinely loved. Columbia in particular likes people who are really interested in things beyond just academics. It doesn't really matter what it is as long as you're passionate about it and do something cool with that interest throughout high school. My...Read more...What might make for a good “Why Us” essay topic at my school266 WordsYou need to do your own research and figure out why you want to apply to Columbia (or any school, for that matter). Read through course syllabi, go through student clubs, read student experiences on sites that have them, and for Columbia, research the Core thoroughly. Research, research, research. Don't write about prestige. Ever. And don't just about where the school is located. If you're just applying to Columbia because it's in New York, you should reevaluate why...Read more...How I would describe the wider community surrounding campus113 WordsNew York is chaotic! Personally, I was a bit overwhelmed by the chaos, even though I grew up in a city. There's always so much to do. One quick thing I want to emphasize:...Read more...How important school spirit is around athletics at my school12 WordsIs this a joke?...Read more...The stress level and competitiveness of a typical student at my school66 WordsColumbia is very stressful. I'm not going to sugarcoat that. I think a lot of that is unnecessary. There's no...Read more...My schedule on a typical weekday125 WordsI'm sure you've heard this: Columbia has no Friday classes (well, almost no Friday classes). The great thing about college is that if you take mostly seminars, you are barely in a classroom! I'd generally only have 1 class ...Read more...How to balance class with social or extracurricular involvements191 WordsThe trick to Columbia that no one tells you is that there is no way possible to do all of the readings. It's not going to happen. I counted 55 books I was assigned my freshman year alone. Yes, 55. And each of those books was enormous (e.g., The Iliad, Democracy in America). I would have lost my...Read more...Research, job or internship opportunities available to students at my school100 WordsThere is no limit to this thanks to Columbia's location in New York City. Truly! You're surrounding by publishing houses, investment firms, other universities with labs and professors looking for...Read more...More Essays
These essays haven't been tagged by school. Click school logos above to see tagged essays.
I want to write a banned book. Admittedly, reading banned books is not as subversive as it used to be. Gone are the days when physical books banned from import or snatched from the classroom are passed from friend to friend. Still, I see myself making an impromptu appearance at a Wichita School Board meeting to defend my book, passing picketers demanding its removal from school library shelves. There are many reasons for this career aspiration. I like the variety...Read more...General Admissions Advice
How to approach transferring schools207 WordsI'm not a transfer student so I can only tell you what I was thinking when I considered it for a time. I think what helped me figure out whether or not I wanted to was focusing on why I wanted to leave, then what I liked about other schools, then seeing if those others schools' strengths matched why I wanted to...Read more...What I’d change about my application process283 WordsI'd get more sleep. I didn't sleep enough, and my emotions started getting out of wack. I stayed up so much and I don't even know why. I loved every school on my list, which eliminated a lot of stress, but I think everyone else's stress got to me and I stayed up worrying about what admissions officers were thinking about me. I fell into the trap of feeling like my life hinged on what Columbia decided. I was so sure I wasn't going...Read more...Whether I used a private admissions counselor, and advice I received183 WordsI live with one, so I guess my answer to this is yes. I think what's super valuable about this (and really unfair/perpetuates education inequality in this country) is having someone take the time to help you plan and edit essays and build a schools list you love. Getting help is super important...Read more...List of schools I interviewed with and my interview experience245 WordsI did interviews at Columbia, Chicago, and Barnard. My Columbia one was a bit awkward because my interviewer and I had such different life philosophies (she didn't like radical activism, I did). However, I followed her lead and toned down my activism talk a bit, so we ended up getting along, even though I probably wouldn't have been friends with her in real life given her dislike of the kind of...Read more...Recommended summer activities during high school and college305 WordsI recommend the Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP) to everyone on the planet who loves interesting people and intellectual challenge. It's a free, residential, six-week program. 64 rising seniors get in, 32 on each campus (traditionally Cornell and UMich). You get split into two seminars on each campus, but it's really not about the seminars or the professors. I hated my seminar, personally, but it was the best six weeks of my life. I learned so much from everyone else there. I've never had a more intellectually stimulating, fun, hilarious six weeks. I also loved the Stanford Humanities Institute. It's run by...Read more...What set me apart from other applicants308 WordsThe LGBTQ rights activism I focused on was very different, and I think that helped set me apart. Also, my interest in creative writing was probably interesting because I did a lot with it (wrote a novel, got an agent, published journalism pieces, etc.). What I lacked in superior scores, I made up for in interesting extracurriculars and essays. For extracurriculars, part of what made them succeed or stand out was that I took something I was really interested in and did something cool with that interest. I didn't just like LGBTQ activism, but started an organization and did a...Read more...Why I declined other schools157 WordsI got into Columbia Early Decision, so I didn't have a choice. But I decided to do ED to Columbia because I knew I could see myself in that environment and taking classes there. I connected most with its curriculum and campus vibe. When I visited...Read more...Post-college plans198 WordsWhat I'm actually doing now that I graduated: I'm a Sociology PhD student at the University of California, Irvine! I still work on creative writing and still want to teach, but whether I'll teach college or younger students is very much up in the air for the next several years. Over the summers, I teach low-income middle school students...Read more...How I chose schools to apply to279 WordsI first made sure I had a good distribution of schools with different levels of selectivity so I knew I'd have options. I'm lucky in that my school had Naviance, which allowed me to see statistics about what kinds of grades and scores people had who were admitted to X college, so I was able to get a good grasp on where I stood. I didn't make every school a reach or super difficult for me to get into, because then...Read more...Reaching out to professors and coaches at schools I applied to203 WordsI didn't reach out to any professors (nor coaches, because I'm a terrible athlete). I did reach out to my regional admissions representative at each school and ask them a question to demonstrate interest in the school. For example, I asked questions about creative writing or LGBTQ student life on campus. I made sure to ask questions that weren't just...Read more...Whether I took out loans or applied for scholarships, and my advice201 WordsI applied for an outside scholarship for writing (accidentally, but that's a whole other story ...) through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. I think I was successful because I was very true to myself and my writing, though it still had a luck component in that my writing happened to appeal to whoever was evaluating it. I highly recommend trying...Read more...My advice about getting recommenders219 WordsGet people who love you to write for you, but also people who can write well, which you can probably tell from comments or emails. Luckily the teachers who knew me well and liked me were teachers whose writing was very specific, so I knew they'd do great jobs conveying specific reasons I'd be a good fit for certain colleges. Also make sure you have...Read more...My extracurricular activities in college, and why I chose them135 WordsI'm part of an anti-sexual violence activist group on campus, so I do a lot of work around policy and prevention education. This takes up almost every moment of my life (by choice). I'm also super involved with Columbia...Read more...How I made up for low grades in high school76 WordsI was lucky in that my grades weren't that "low," but they were still lower than the norm for students successful in applying...Read more...Misconceptions I had about college before attending47 WordsEveryone always hears that college is the best years of your life. And for...Read more...High School Performance
Unweighted GPA3.83RankTop 25%
Academic Performance in High School Low one semester/year
Explanation of Low Grades
Test Scores
Highest ACT34ACT Score DetailsOther ACT ScoresACT Prep
Highest SAT1440on 1600 scaleHighest SAT2050SAT Score Details
Other SAT ScoresSAT Prep
PSAT Scores
Other Standardized Tests
AP / IB Classes and Scores
Details1 classes and scoresSports
SportsBadminton, Swimming/Diving
Extracurriculars
ActivitiesLocal Orchestra / Symphony / Band, Nonprofit, NGO or Charitable Organization, Nonprofit, NGO or Charitable Organization, School Newspaper/Magazine/Journalism, School Theater/Plays, Community or summer theater/plays
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work
Experience & Awards
How Spent Summers
Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received
Application Additional Materials
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Hi, I'm a freshman at Columbia University! I found that the best way to approach the essays was to be sincere, direct, and authentic.
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