Especially when I was younger, I would daydream about my future wedding. African lilies would grace the aisles that my father would escort me down. It would be the happiest day of my life. When I was ten years old, my mother took my family to dinner with a strange, mole-like man at Olive Garden. He hunched over his food as he ate, mouth twitching like rodent whiskers. We went out often with her business partners, but this felt different....

Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia and why. In the hectic bustle of the city, it's difficult to find an oasis. People flock to parks, coffee shops, and libraries to find a small section of the city where they take off their façade and be alone. Columbia exists as a small island on a big one, a little niche enclosed by iron gates where students and visitors alike feel the quiet and silence. When I...

List the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year. List the titles of the books you read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year. List the titles of the print, electronic publications and websites you read regularly. List the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most in the past year.

For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Member Questions section. If you are currently undecided, please write about any field or fields in which you may have an interest at this time. Jillian, the four-year-old girl I babysit, constantly asks me "Why?" whether it's about the plot of Frozen or why roly-polies curl...

The main reason I chose Columbia was because of its setting. I got to experience New York City during my summer internship, and I decided...

I would have taken more time to refine my essay, and refine my activities in the common app. I had a lot of extracurriculars and put...

I didn't use an admissions counselor but definitely thought about it. A main drawback of using them is the price. However, the counselor...

I think one thing that set me apart was that I had done a full summer research stay the summer after my junior year, and that I continued that interest even...

I know everyone says this, but really pick a teacher that you think knows you well, and won't say the stereotypical "X is a great...

Provide anecdotes. A big part of my "Why Columbia" essay was how I felt walking into those gates. I got the butterfly feeling...

New York for me, is the only city worth being in. No, that's a overstatement but what I love about Columbia is...