Home at 116th Street

Introduction
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 a VERY unique and interesting cultural center), but the incredible luxury of a real campus with student walkways, a quad, and fields (albeit small ones) for recreation is an experience that you truly can't have anywhere else in Manhattan. That's right: if you'd like a college with a real campus, and you like Manhattan, Columbia is your ONLY option.

Campus Life and Social Life
I like the way Greek life is really played down at Columbia. Of course, there still is the perfunctory half-hearted "frat row", and you can sometimes see frat guys or sorority girls doing weird things for the hazing process, but in it's almost like the fraternity members are the ones missing out on the real social scene at Columbia, rather than the other way around. If you like frat parties, you'll find at least one or two really lively ones every weekend. In general, nobody has classes on Friday, except maybe a recitation section or a foreign language class, so Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights are all popular nights to go out to a local bar, downtown club, movies (offered once a week on campus for $3), Broadway show, opera, or whatever else you might be into -don't worry, New York's subway runs all night, so you can always get back. Sports- almost every team- are notoriously bad at Columbia. In fact, our football team holds the D-I record for the longest losing streak in history from 1982-1986. The school spirit for sports is relatively low, especially because the football stadium is about a 45 minute subway ride north through Harlem. However, there are always pick-up games of soccer or ultimate taking place in the middle of campus, and there is a huge outlet for all kinds of club-level organized sports. There are lots of chances to meet people with common interests and start a new club or rec sports team, but you have to go through a lot to get it passed by the Activities Board. This is primarily because there is simply NOT enough on campus space for these kinds of clubs, and you'll always find yourself in a struggle to find club space, study space, etc. However, the campus is very unified in its aesthetic, and truly one of the most beautiful treasures of New York City, even if it is small. In short, social life abounds on campus and outside of campus, but it won't be handed to you- you have to be willing to explore on your own and earnestly find the things that interest you. It's not for everyone, but if feel you are independent in this way, there's no better opportunity. Advertisement
Academics
The most notable aspect of academics at Columbia is the Core Curriculum. It is a group of classes that every student must take in order to be come a Columbia College graduate. It is focused on an education in the classics, including a yearlong literature course (starting with the Iliad, of course), a yearlong philosophy/political theory course, an art appreciation and music appretiation course, and a few other things, including a language requirement. If this does not sound like something you want to go through, you can forget about Columbia right now and check out Brown. The advising in Columbia College is terrible- almost nonexistent- and the registrars are never pleasant people to talk to. However, most professors are really great and willing to help you a LOT out of class. None of the classes is too easy, but professors are usually willing to hold your hand through them just to help you pass. Many classes are taught by TAs, and I didn't have as good an experience with TAs as with professors, but you'll be surprised at all of the big-name professors you find in small introductory classes full of kids who know nothing about the subject. I would also say that Columbia professors, more than probably at other famous research institutions, never lose sight of their responsibilities as teachers. If you want to try something you're not sure you'll have a knack for, there is an option to pass/fail one class every semester. The most famous departments at Columbia are economics and political science, but there is almost nothing you can major in that will be considered a bad choice, as every department has world-class faculty and good programs. And you always have the Core Curriculum as common ground with any alumni or student, no matter what field you majored in.

Student Body
Let me tell you why it's impossible to describe the "typical" student at my school. In my first semester, I was taking a very basic astronomy class, filling the science requirement part of my core curriculum. There were about 15 people in the class, and among them were an incredibly talented violinist who was a graduate student at the Juilliard School (Columbia students have the option to take classes/lessons at Juilliard, and vice versa), and Doug Imbruce, the founder of The U. Doug was already an accomplished entrepreneur and filmmaker. Why would either of these people ever talk to me? Well, we were brought together by our requirements of the Core Curriculum, and I happened to have slightly more experience in physics and math than these two geniuses. So they really getting my help on the problem sets, and we became good friends even though we actually had little in common. A few years later, I saw Doug in the most popular local bar near Columbia, and he was with a middle-aged guy. I asked Doug who was with him, and he said, "He's a film director. I don't want to tell you his name, because he's kind of famous. He's helping me put together some video footage from colleges around the country to show what the colleges are really like, from a student's perspective." Sure enough, I checked up on this recently, and found that The U was the result. The fact it, you might be overwhelmed, because this type of experience (even at the bars!) is COMMON at Columbia. The people are all very smart, a healthy mix of New York locals, people from the country (two of my best friends at Columbia were from West Virginia), many people from out West (California), and a LOT of international students. The M/F ratio is about 50/50 at the College, but Barnard is an all-girls school right across the street, and the M/F ratio is really tilted in favor of guys. You can also take classes at Barnard if they have something you want (African Dance, anyone?). If you are a girl, and want a more personalized approach to your education (smaller school, better advising), you should check out Barnard College- you get to take all of the classes there are at Columbia, and you really are seamlessly mixed with the Columbia social scene. There are Columbia College students, Engineering School students, and Barnard students that comprise the student body of Columbia, but you often won't know which school they're in until after you know them well, since we all share common club facilities, eateries, classes, and even dormitories.

In Closing...
Overall, I would say that my time at Columbia was everything that I hoped it could be. It is a great college that doesn't get too involved with your life, and knows how to let the students use all the benefits that Columbia and New York City have to offer. It is a beautiful place to be, and you'll never be the same when you leave.