College Overview: Columbia

Columbia: Columbia is BRUTAL.
If you want to coast through college, Columbia is not the place for you, and you should probably RUN AWAY. Don't be fooled by the school's reputation - it's not at all what it seems.

Columbia: For Those Who Want To Work Hard
Anyone who doesn't want to work should stay away. Also, make a conscious effort to get out in to the city, as it's easy for the workload to entice you into staying in the Columbia bubble. It's in New York but it's very safe on campus, as the neighborhood is ridiculously gentrified and police officers focus most of their local resources on Columbia. Off campus at night, there's always a chance someone will come down for one of the more crime-ridden areas to take advantage of naive Columbia stu...

Columbia: Best College Ever
Know that you want a hard course load and understand that its not easy. Then consider the parties as a factor.

Columbia: Great School, Great City
Its a great combination of campus living and the accessibility of having the big city right there as soon as you step off campus

Columbia: A Happy Medium
I honestly chose Columbia because it's the only Ivy League school in New York City. I wanted the rigorous education you get at an Ivy League school, but I also needed to be able to leave campus and go downtown or (gasp) to Brooklyn or queens and meet creative people who have nothing to do with academia. This was the only place I could do that. There are some people who never leave campus and some who leave whenever they can. I would only recommend against Columbia if you can't handle an ...

Columbia: Lots of Work
It’s a lot of work, but once you get used to it, it’s fine. So if you don’t like to do A LOT of work STAY AWAY. Also it takes a little bit longer to make friends here than at most other schools because most of the students are very independent. So if you are not independent, Columbia might not be for you. If you want to be stimulated academically, culturally, and socially then Columbia is for you!!!

Columbia: Not for everyone
To take advantage of all that Columbia (and New York City) has to offer, you need to be sure that you're mature and independent enough to tackle the work load and city atmosphere. The city can be a huge distraction, so students must be able to focus on school work while the greatest city in the world buzzes around them.

Columbia: An Incredible experience
Every type of person can study in this school since it has a lot of diversity in its student body. I choose it because I wanted to live in NYC. However, after getting here I have realized that this school is more than just the city that it is in. It is a whole experience with all its surroundings and the opportunities it presents to its students. I'm proud to be a member of this society.

Columbia: Great School, Not Very Diverse
I chose Columbia because of it's academic reputation. The liberal arts education one receives here is by far one of the best in the country. Those who have a one-track mind will find out very quickly that other things might catch your interest. Be prepared to do a lot of work. So if you're a slacker: stay away.

Columbia: It All Starts With Diversity
My biggest piece of advice? Be diverse! Columbia is one of the most diverse ivy league schools out there and the undergraduate student body is extremely varied...you can get to know people from just about everywhere. However, diversity does not only mean being from a different culture, etc. Just be sure to show in your application that you have experienced and appreciate diversity and the ways you yourself will contribute to making campus life more dynamic. I chose it mostly due to the location....

Columbia: Thoughts on Columbia
Columbia is in NYC. Make sure you take that into account when choosing a school. I chose it because of its fine reputation, HUGE endowment and overall size. If you're not comfortable with the idea of a large University, stay away and stick to a small liberal arts school. Columbia College is not a substitute. Also, if you're not into a Core Curriculum, then Columbia is not the place for you; no matter what your area of interest.

Columbia: No One Holding Your Hand
Deciding to come to Columbia means deciding to give up being molly-coddled. The staff here is caring, but there's definitely an independent and take-care-of-yourself New York attitude that permeates the campus. I came here because of the city, but be forewarned: living in New York really isn't for the faint of heart. To take advantage of the city, you have to be willing to jump on a subway and explore. If you're not that curious or adventurous, then Columbia might not be a great matc...

Columbia: Life in Morningside
If you're big into sports, and think that either club or varsity level athletics is going to be a big part of your college experience, don't come to Columbia. It's really that simple. Unless of course you're a fencer, in which case Columbia is a top-notch choice, but if you're like 99.9% who have never even seen fencing, you must realize that in coming to Columbia you are sacrificing the athletic spirit and fan enthusiasm that is so pervasive in American universities for th...

Columbia: Wonderful City/College Experience
I can't imagine being any place else. The Columbia campus is extremely beautiful, and every day I feel lucky and privileged to be here. I'm a very social and outgoing person and have had absolutely no problem meeting people and making wonderful new friends. Come here if you're looking to challenge yourself and meet interesting people while doing it. Columbia is great for me because it gives me a taste of the classic collegiate experience, while giving me access to the resources of Ne...

Columbia: Ask Around.
Columbia. Honestly, when you visit this school, you have to talk to people here and ask them questions about whatever's important to you. Get a feel for the people, too. They don't all have to be the type of people you're around at home, but see if this is a place you'd like to spend your time at. I think Columbia really has every type of kid to offer you - pretentious Polo Ralph Lauren models, cowboys, crackheads- you really just have to find your niche.

Columbia: International Students at Columbia
When I applied to Columbia, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. Anyone applying here should definitely be ready to be completely independent. Columbia is an amazing school, but nothing is given to you, meaning that you aren't spoon-fed what classes you should take or anything like that. People here are always very self-sufficient and because of this, if you need something, you have to go and find it yourself. No one will do it for you. Even though this might discourage ...

Columbia: Columbia's Cool
Columbia has a great Engineering program (Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science), so it was a great choice for me, since I'd like to be a Chemical Engineer. And New York City is a great place to go to school, but someone who doesn't like city life wouldn't enjoy it. The campus is really nice (very safe) and the city is just outside the gates!

Columbia: Home Sweet Home
Being a high school Junior and being forced to choose the place you will spend the next four or five years isn't easy...in fact, it's damn near impossible. This fact is the reason why I am so amazed at how much I love Columbia campus life. I knew that I wanted a great education (yeah, I know, sounds lame), but I also knew that I couldn't spend the next four years in a "no man's land" ghost-town. New York is the complete opposite and it's one of the biggest draws of coming ...

Columbia: The bubble that is Columbia
Columbia can be a great school for those who are see themselves as independent souls. It is an extremely liberal, easy going, laid back school. If you do what is required of you and can focus your attention at least 70% of the time you will find Columbia surprisingly easy. The teachers I have encountered are all very helpful if you reach out to them, but they will make no effort to reach to you. Columbia University gives you responsibility with a structured network of support, which students may...

Columbia: Home at 116th Street
I chose Columbia, primarily because of it location in New York City. No matter what kind of person you are, New York has something to offer for you. If you feel that you have not quite yet discovered all of your interests yet (and who has), and you want a forum to discover all the things that really capture you, New York City is the place to be. The location of Columbia is a little out of the way of most of the action (NYU is more in the cultural "heart" of the city, although Harlem itself is...

Columbia: CU's not for everyone, but it is for me
Most people that write on these things have only attended their own school. This is my second school, so I offer some more insight than most of these reviews. The easiest way to know if Columbia is right for you, is to answer a couple simple yes-or-no questions: Would you rather be in a fast-paced urban environment full of opportunities? Or would you rather be in a relatively relaxing and low-stress rural/suburban environment? If you answered urban, then that's Columbia. Are you an i...

Columbia: Ivy in the City
I think the biggest piece of advice that I'd give a H.S. students considering Columbia would be that you need to make sure that you're ready to make the big step into independent living. Columbia is a great school, but they don't hold your hand like other schools do. If you want something done, you have to be proactive. People here are great and they're willing to help, but the school pretty much puts you in charge of making sure that you're on the right track. One of the big...

Columbia: I'm a hustler, baby...
Columbia is an incredible school, and I don't regret my decision to attend - but that's after having graduated and seen all the props a Columbia degree can get you. Freshman year I was desperately unhappy and wanted to transfer in the worst way. There are so many challenges and nuances I was so incredibly unprepared for... My biggest piece of advice is that be absolutely sure you're fiercely independent. You heard this in the video, but Columbia is not a hold-your-hand type of place - an...

Columbia: S&M on Campus
Whether you are gay republican, a dominatrix with perfect SAT scores, or a genius from the iowa corn fields, Columbia is the place for you. This campus, like the island of Manhattan that gives home to it, embraces diversity in all aspects. There is even an S&M club on campus.

Columbia: Not a City Girl
I have to say I'm really not so crazy about Columbia. I got into Harvard and turned it down to be near my folks who live on Long Island. I am looking to be a doctor, and Columbia has excellent science and pre-med programs, but now I think I should've gone with Harvard or Yale. I'm not a partier, and don't like New York City because it's too fast-paced and it takes an extraordinary amount of effort to get traditionally simple things accompllished--like doing the laundry, fo...

Columbia: Sex in Butler
Columbia was my desired choice. If I could do it all over again, I would not have done anything differently. It has met and exceeded my expectations. If you are a high school student reading this, I think the most important thing to know is that Columbia students are independent in both thought and action. You don't find a lot of the herd-mentality here. So don't expect excessive keg use, fratboy culture, football madness, etc..

Columbia: Not So Fratty
As for Columbia, the social scene is really different, just b/c the city’s here, and there are a lot more fun things to do than just getting drunk in a basement every night. I think 10, maybe 12% of us are actually involved in the frats. There are some frat houses, but they’re all a couple blocks downtown, so it’s not actually right on campus.

Columbia: Trade-Off
I’d say the Columbia Student body is among the more international student bodies of any of the colleges I’ve ever been to or visited, I suppose. People seem to want to come here b/c of NY. Along w/ it’s being the most international, it’s also among the most diverse. Columbia’s in NY so there’s so much here to do in NY that a lot of the people are on campus aren’t really on campus. Whereas at other Ivies, they’re out in the middle of nowhere or they’re in Providence, RI and t...

Columbia: Three Hours a Day
There’s no club soccer at Columbia b/c they don’t have club teams for teams that have varsity teams…I play on 2 intramural teams and I’m on an intramural softball team. The core takes up a large component of your time and so if you want to double, you have to spend pretty much all my time, like I just do my core and I do my History classes and my music classes and that’s pretty much it. I don’t really have all that much other time to do anthropology or political science or art or s...

Columbia: Big Billstack
Pain is the name of the game if you want gain. To be a wall st. hitter and take down bottles with ford models, evaluate your choices with precision and care. Be thinkin' stats, calc, econometrics, and the usual suspects. Campus life is illest when big B bollinger rocks out in the white suit don juan style with barnard freshman in tow. You keep it real don.

Columbia: New York Baby
Columbia is a pretty awesome school. No, they don't hold your hand through anything and you're on your own most of the time, but that's part of the beauty. The school forces you to become independent and to pave your own path.