Is It Hard to Get Into Columbia Grad School
How hard is it to get into the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons? Learn the Columbia Medical School acceptance rate and admissions strategies, plus secondary essay examples
LEARN HOW TO GET INTO COLUMBIA MEDICAL SCHOOL
Part 1: Introduction
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) consistently ranks among the top ten programs in the nation, and with an acceptance rate of 4 percent, the prospects of landing yourself a coveted spot in the annual pool of Columbia-trained physicians can seem daunting, to say the least.
In this article, we'll break down the Columbia Medical School application piece-by-piece in order to prepare you to put your best foot forward when the application deadline rolls around. We'll also discuss approaches to the Columbia Medical School secondary essays and interviews.
Part 2: Columbia Medical School MD programs
Columbia offers several tracks through which prospective students can complete an MD:
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The traditional, four-year MD program
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The 3-year PhD-to-MD Program for those who have already completed their PhD in a biological or related science
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The Columbia Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) through which students can receive an MD-PhD dual degree
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The Columbia-Bassett MD track for students interested in rural healthcare
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The MD-OMFS Program for graduates of Columbia's dental school
These tracks range in popularity and selectivity. For example, though most applicants seek the traditional, four-year path to their MD from Columbia, only ten admitted students are selected for the prestigious Bassett track, which boasts a remarkably high residency match, with most of the program's students getting their first choices in residencies.
Additionally, Columbia also offers several dual degree programs that medical students can apply to after matriculation. These include:
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The MD-MS in Biomedical Sciences Program
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The MD-MPH Program
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The MD-MBA Program
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The MD-MS in Biomedical Engineering Program
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The MD-MA in Biomedical Informatics
Columbia Medical School tuition and scholarships
Beginning in 2018, Columbia Medical School became the first program in the nation to replace student loans with scholarships for all students who qualify for financial aid, thanks to a new scholarship fund with a $300 million endowment.
Given that the 2021–2022 first-year cost of attendance (including estimated living expenses and fees) runs $101,108, earning a Columbia MD isn't cheap. However, under the new scholarship plan, Columbia aims to increase access to their program regardless of financial constraints.
Students whose families earn less than $125,000 per year will receive full-tuition scholarships (note: this may vary if your family has significant assets besides yearly income), and all students who would otherwise have loans included in their financial packages will no longer have to fear the daunting task of repayment.
Part 3: How hard is it to get into Columbia Medical School?
Columbia Medical School admissions statistics
With an acceptance rate of just 4.1%, Columbia Medical School's admissions statistics are daunting. Let's take a look at some numbers for the class of 2024:
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Applications: 7,297
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Interviews: 878
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Matriculants: 140
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Median GPA: 3.92
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Median MCAT score: 522
With statistics like these, the margins for gaining admission to Columbia's MD program can be slight for even the best and brightest applicants. How do you stand out from the crowd of other 4.0 GPAs and top-percentile test scores? You'll need to ace your secondary application essays. Luckily for you, we've got you covered on that front (and more) below.
Columbia Medical School admissions requirements
Here are the coursework prerequisites you'll need in order to apply to VP&S:
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English: One year of English or another writing-intensive course
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Biology: One year with labs
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Physics: One year with labs
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Chemistry: Two years, one of which must be Organic Chemistry, both with labs
In addition, biochemistry, statistics, and biostatistics are highly recommended but not required. Note that AP credit will not count towards the prerequisites listed above.
Columbia Medical School application timeline
Let's go over the dates and deadlines that you'll need to be aware of in order to apply to Columbia Medical School. Similar to the majority of medical schools in the U.S., you'll use the AMCAS application to apply to Columbia.
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May 3, 2021: AMCAS application opens
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May 27, 2021: AMCAS application can be submitted
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July 2021–October 2021: Columbia secondary application sent to all applicants and applications processed
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August 2021–January 2022: Interviews invitations sent
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October 15, 2021: AMCAS application deadline
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October 22, 2021: Secondary application deadline
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October 29, 2021: Deadline for supporting documents, including MCAT scores and letters of recommendation
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March 2022: Admission offers sent and waitlist opens
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April 15, 2022:Admitted students must withdraw from all but three schools
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April 30, 2022: Admitted students must withdraw from all but one school
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May 2022–August 2022: Waitlist applicants reviewed
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
Part 4: Columbia Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Once you've submitted your AMCAS application and selected Columbia as a school of interest, you'll receive your invitation to complete Columbia's secondary application, which you can submit between July and October.
This application requires you to write five essays of varying lengths (with additional responses required if you're applying for programs besides the typical four-year degree), and you'll need to take each prompt seriously.
Below, we've compiled a list of Columbia's secondary essay questions, shed light on the best approaches to knocking them out of the park, and provided sample responses based on composites of successful applicants to show you how it's done.
(Suggested reading: Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts)
Columbia Medical School MD secondary essay prompts
Question 1: 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)
300 words seems generous for a question this straightforward. The fact is: some people work during college to help them pay the bills and some people don't. What's more, the paid work one would perform in college might not have been preparation for medical school. We suggest answering this question simply and honestly. If you didn't have to work for pay throughout college, skip this prompt. If you did, keep your response brief.
Example:
To help cover costs that my financial aid package couldn't, I worked at a peer-run restaurant in our Student Union all four years of college. I began as a short-order cook, manning the deep fryers and serving up a mean chicken tender basket before mopping the floors each night at closing time, but by my third year at the restaurant, I earned a promotion to manager and took on most of the responsibility of running the business. As manager, I traded in my three-nights-per-week shift as a cook to work around 30 hours a week scheduling shifts for 15 employees, handling cash-flow, ordering and stocking supplies, conducting due diligence with university higher-ups, and maintaining health department codes. Through my work running the restaurant, I was able to increase revenue by 15% year-over-year and learned just how much work it takes to manage a small business, all while juggling academic and extracurricular life.
Why does it work?
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It gets straight to the point, shows an upward trajectory, and gets specific with the job function and the applicant's results.
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At its best, this essay can show that an applicant gives their all to whatever they do, no matter how "undignified" the task, and that's certainly a commendable trait for a future doctor whose job can get a little gross at times.
Question 2: If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. (300 words)
This is another straightforward question, but an important one because you'll see this type of prompt repeated across most of your med school apps. The admission committee wants to get a sense of how what you've been doing since college has better prepared you to take on med school. We advise you structure your response in the following way:
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Your thesis statement. Lead with one sentence that argues what your goal was in your time post-graduation.
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Specific job roles that stand as evidence for how you went about reaching that goal. Be sure to include the level of commitment for each role (full time, once a week, etc.) as well as some examples of the type of day-to-day work the roles entailed.
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Your takeaways from the experience. What did you learn that you'll carry with you?
Here's an example:
After completing my senior thesis work in functional genomics, I aimed to use my gap year before applying to medical school to gain a better understanding of the scientific, financial, and ethical implications entailed in the meteoric rise of commercial genetic sequencing.
Post-graduation, I accepted a full-time analyst position with 23andMe, a genetic testing company through which the general public can learn more about their genetic makeup. My position involved rotating between three departments of the company: the medical team, the finance team, and the analytics team. During the medical rotation, I had the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art sequencing technology in the lab and learned how a corporation could leverage sequence data for profit at a jaw-dropping scale. In my analytics rotation, I mostly took notes during strategy meetings with medical professionals in the company as they debated future avenues for the company's growth, but through these meetings I was able to follow up with key players in the commercial genome space to discuss the ethical considerations involved in mass genetic testing and how they predict genetic material will alter the future of patient care.
Though I knew before taking this position that my passion lay in providing care for patients and not on spouting off their genetic ancestry, this gap year position further inspired me to question the interplay between increased access to genetic information and how doctors can best tailor treatments to suit our ever-growing knowledge of the human genome, a topic I'd like to further investigate through my medical school coursework.
Why does this essay work?
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We get a sense for this applicant's passion and follow-through toward a specific goal.
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We can also see how this goal adds a level of interest and an angle of expertise to his approach to medicine.
Question 3: Please describe your most meaningful leadership positions. (300 words)
In this essay, you'll have the chance to elaborate on the extracurricular activities you listed in your primary application, focusing on the ones in which you've displayed leadership. Remember that leadership doesn't necessarily have to mean that you were the club president or team captain; other activities or scenarios in which you displayed initiative and made an impact can count, too.
Pay attention to the keywords "most meaningful." Instead of trying to list off all of your extracurricular achievements and making your answer sound like a re-hashed resume, we recommend you choose a few important examples of leadership that work together to create a through line that led you to this application. Unlike your coursework, extracurricular activities are things you chose to do in your free time, so they can speak more closely to what really matters to you.
The goal of this response, as with all the others, is to create anargumentthat demonstrates passion and explains why you would make a great addition to Columbia Medical School (and ultimately a great doctor). Take a look below at how an example student tackled this prompt to craft an argument that exhibits a topic in the field that really matters to her.
Example:
Studying biomedical engineering as an undergraduate, I was troubled by the gender ratios I observed within my department. I wasn't terribly shocked when I first noticed that female students were far outnumbered by male students in nearly all of my classes, but, having attended an all-girls high school, I was surprised when I came to realize that my female peers were less likely to speak up in class or show initiative in group work, despite performing highly on tests and assignments. Most troubling was when I noticed this same tendency begin to develop in myself.
This prompted me to join the Women in STEM club. Connecting with other female students in STEM majors, as well as graduate student mentors, in an environment just for us helped me regain the confidence to be a presence in the classroom and take initiative in my lab and other extracurriculars. When I later became president of the club, I continued advocating for women in the sciences by interviewing female science professors for The Crimson, a series that was published over the course of an academic year.
In my junior year, I became a House Representative to the Undergraduate Council. The accomplishment I am most proud of from my work on the council is the annual conference I created for future female science leaders, which brings together female science students in the greater Boston area for workshops, lectures, and networking events. Though I am no longer at the helm, I'm delighted to say that the conference has been put on for three years running, with attendance growing each year.
Why does it work?
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The applicant only names three extracurricular activities in this response, but she connects each to an overarching passion she cares deeply about.
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From this, an admissions committee should assume she'd continue her advocacy work as a Columbia Medical School student, thereby contributing positively to campus life.
Question 4: Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician? (300 words)
Prompts that ask for a diversity essay are some of the most common that you'll encounter in your secondary applications. For in-depth advice on how to tackle diversity essays, head over to our guide to medical school secondary essays. In short, you'll want to tie the qualities that make you unique to why you will be an excellent member of the Columbia Medical School community and a great future physician.
Example:
My family emigrated from India to the Midwest when I was two. I was raised in a rural Iowan town of 2,000 people and completed my undergraduate studies at Oberlin. Growing up as a minority and immigrant in a homogenous environment presented its challenges, but because my parents are doctors, our family did not face barriers in accessing healthcare.
In fact, I knew nothing about the healthcare challenges distinct to diverse, urban environments until I participated in a global health intensive at a hospital in Mumbai during my junior year summer. There, I came to understand firsthand how wealth disparity, volume, and cultural barriers among the wildly diverse population presented unique challenges to the hospital's ability to offer consistent and adequate quality of care. Though Mumbai and New York differ in many ways, the challenges facing patient care I witnessed in Mumbai have helped prepare me to meet those I'll face in New York.
I know I'll run into challenges like the language barriers between non-native English-speaking patients and doctors, as well as cultural differences in how certain populations perceive medical care, which might make it difficult to communicate what is ailing a patient or the best strategies for their treatments. However, I feel that I'm prepared to meet these daunting challenges head-on. I speak English, Hindi, and Spanish, and through my global health coursework and study abroad experience, I'm positioned to reach beyond my own cultural upbringing to provide culturally-sensitive care to a diverse community.
My passion for global health is one of the most compelling draws for attending Columbia, as the needs of our patients will represent a cultural microcosm of the world and will prepare me for my future goal of returning to India to help increase access to care for the impoverished urban population.
What's successful about this essay?
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This response is effective because the applicant focuses the bulk of her essay on crafting an argument about why she'll be well-suited for Columbia Medical School. While she does briefly mention her ethnic background as a minority (which would be a fine topic in and of itself), her focus lies instead on a memorable personal history as a student that ties into the unique challenges she'll face as a doctor in NYC.
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She also makes a strong turn to "why Columbia" in her essay—working to meet the challenges she'll face through practicing medicine at this institution, rather than in a less urban setting, will help to prepare her for her long-term goal in the global health space.
Question 5: Is there anything else you would like us to know? (400 words)
At this point, you may very well feel that you've covered everything you want to say to the admissions committee. If that's the case, it's more than reasonable (and oftentimes welcomed) to leave this prompt blank.
However, if there's something that makes you a compelling applicant that you haven't had the chance to discuss, here's you chance. Some examples of topics one might address:
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An extensive volunteer history: If volunteer work played a large role in your life, and if you haven't adequately addressed it in either your primary application or any of the other prompts above, discussing your passion for giving back to your community could help to round out your application.
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A strong research background: If you're not applying to the dual PhD/MD program and you've excelled in scientific research, you could use this prompt to talk about your area of interest and how that research will inform your future as a physician.
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Impressive achievements or skills: If you are a world-class oboist or are fluent in seven languages, this could be a suitable place to round out your application with some impressive aspect of yourself that didn't fit elsewhere. However, before you go too far afield with your response, remember that whatever exceptional skill you choose to mention should be applied to your future in medicine such that the admissions committee sees you as a better or more interesting candidate for admission.
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"Why Columbia?": Since Columbia doesn't explicitly ask for a "Why us?" essay, you can use this space to address your interest in their program, taking care not to repeat any reasons you may have given elsewhere in your application.
Columbia MSTP secondary essay prompts
In addition to the five essays above, you'll need to respond to the following prompts if you plan to apply to Columbia's MSTP (the dual MD-PhD program.)
MSTP Question 1: What academic honors have you received? (e.g. prizes, scholarships, fellowships, honors societies). (5000 characters)
An aspiring PhD likely has many accolades, and fortunately 5,000 characters is a ton of space to detail them out. We advise against repeating information the admissions committee could get elsewhere in your application or creating a sprawling, resume-like list. Instead, select your most impressive, prestigious honors and give them space to shine.
MSTP Question 2: What are your major research interests? (20 words)
Twenty words is about one sentence. So, give a one-sentence description of your research! Simple enough.
Example: My research investigates the genomic underpinnings of osteoarthritis in order to identify risk early on and develop targeted, preventative treatments.
MSTP Question 3: PhD Goals (5000 characters)
For guidance on tackling this prompt, head over here: MD-PhD Programs: The Ultimate Guide.
MSTP Question 4: Additional Information (5000 Characters)
Given that you've already had a chance to share any "additional information" in the last MD program prompt, it's likely you'll leave this prompt blank.
Columbia-Bassett secondary essay prompts
Finally, if you're applying to the selective Columbia-Bassett program, you'll need to respond to one additional prompt:
Columbia-Bassett Essay 1: What aspect of Columbia-Bassett has the most appeal to you?
Only ten students a year get admitted to the Bassett program, so if rural medicine is your passion, you'll want to focus on nailing this prompt. After all, it's your one chance to communicate why Bassett is right for you.
When approaching this prompt, you'll want to hit the following points in order to dig into the specific draws and exciting trials facing rural America:
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Your relationship to rural areas. Did you grow up in a rural or urban environment? Have you spent significant time in a rural area or plan to live in one in the future?
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Potential challenges you see in practicing medicine in a rural area and why they are compelling to you personally.
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How those challenges are actually exciting positives. Why are these challenges the reasons for your application to Columbia in the first place?
Part 5: Columbia Medical School interview
Columbia begins inviting top applicants to interview in August and continues the interview process through January. They extend interview invitations to roughly the top 12 percent of their yearly applicants, so if you're one of the lucky few to get the opportunity to interview, that means the admission committee sees something special in you and all that's left is nailing this one important application component.
Columbia utilizes a tradition med school interview format, meaning you should be prepared to answer questions such as "Why Columbia," your most significant extracurricular activities, how you expect your medical career to unfold, and what you've done both in and outside the classroom to prepare for med school.
Interviews in the 2021–2022 application cycle will be held virtually.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews)
Final thoughts
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons continues to hold fast to its top-ten ranking for good reason, and with their new scholarship-based loan replacement fund making the program even more alluring to potential applicants, one can only expect future admissions cycles to grow even more competitive.
In an application landscape where a far greater number of applicants boast high GPAs and MCAT scores than can be admitted, it's becoming increasingly important to nail your supplemental essays in order to distinguish yourself from the pack. By following this guide, you'll be one step closer to landing one of Columbia Medical School's coveted spots.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE MED SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY 30-MINUTE CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.
Is It Hard to Get Into Columbia Grad School
Source: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-to-get-into-columbia-medical-school