<p>I feel like I might fit in better with the student body at Bowdoin and, because of the small size, I might be able to distinguish myself better. Bowdoin is in beautiful Maine, has great campus food, beautiful dorms, and is closer to ski mountains. I am worried though that the student body is more preppy, cliquey, and rich than that of Columbia. </p>
<p>Columbia–I’m a bit worried about the Core and if I would be able to handle all the work, as well as the time it takes away from exploring other disciplines. NYC is amazing and there isn’t a better place for job opportunities, especially since I probably want to major in economics. Columbia is also more prestigous than Bowdoin. I do worry that Columbia’s student body is a bit cold and unfriendly, and there isn’t a real sense of campus unity or camraderie. </p>
<p>Also: Columbia did give me a lot more money than Bowdoin in the form of grants–is there any way to negotiate with Bowdoin about this?</p>
<p>As far as the actual school is concerned, I probably like Bowdoin more. But the opportunities for internships and the bonus of having NYC right there makes this a really difficult decision. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>I'm not a financial aid expert, but if you appeal to the finaid office at Bowdoin, comparing the $$ they gave you and the $$ Columbia gave you, it is very possible that Bowdoin will try to match the aid. A lot of colleges try to do that and I know a bunch of people here to whom that happened. </p>
<p>Can't really give you a whole lot of advice about Columbia - obviously I am biased because I go to Bowdoin but do think about this: you can go to a school like Columbia for grad, but you can go to Bowdoin only once in your life. I had a similar debate between Bowdoin and a large, prestigious research university and that was the tipping point.</p>
<p>As far as internship opportunities, the Career Planning Center at Bowdoin is very very helpful in finding internships for students so that shouldn't be much of an issue - if anything the level of guidance you get at Bowdoin is better than you might find at a large university because they really cater to what you want to do and study.</p>
<p>I just dropped an email to a Bowdoin kid who transferred to Columbia (he was from NY anyhow) to see if he minds if I give you his contact info - he might have some interesting insight.</p>
<p>Columbia is HUGE when you combine grad with undergrads, and you'll just be another face in the crowd... the dorms vary from mediocre to fit-only-for-rodents... the campus is nice but if you're into natural beauty (which you seem to be) the only thing Columbia's got going for it is its perfectly manicured lawns (which aren't very natural anyway)... Columbia doesn't orchestrate activities for its students because it tells them to go out and play in a big city which just wants to eat them, and the sense of community is sacrificed... and yeah, go to Bowdoin!</p>
<p>(my opinions come from having done a summer program at Columbia and knowing lots of Columbia students)</p>
<p>Whoa whoa whoa. I'm sure Bowdoin is an awesome school and whatever...but if you got into columbia, I'd say forget Bowdoin. Are they even on the same level academically? Columbia is an AMAZING school and I'm sure you wouldn't regret it if you went there. I do know how ever that Columbia seems to be a colder less close place than perhaps a smaller liberal arts college would be? It just depends on what you're trying to get out of your college experience.</p>
<p>Yeah, don't even try to talk numbers with Iirokotree, Oliver, cause that would be stooping to a place you dont wanna go. The QUALITY and INTELLECTUAL ATMOSPHERE (which includes an excellent student faculty ratio that develops a person's own voice, a focus on critical thinking, and a high seriousness towards learning without cutthroat competition) cannot be appreciated by someone who is enamored of some image of a school like Columbia as automatically great cause its big and known and ivy. If this is what you care about DONT go to Bowdoin, please don't!</p>
<p>What I find most interesting about this thread is that someone actually applied to both Bowdoin & Columbia. PR shows 25 colleges & universities that are applied to by the typical Columbia applicant and Bowdoin is not on that list of 25. Cross applications go to 10 different schools, usually, from Bowdoin applicants, but Columbia is not one of the ten. One option might be to spend the additional grant money from Columbia on trips to the coast of Maine.</p>