<p>Hi all. first, I'd just like to announce that this is my first post.</p>
<p>Second, I am a prospective student athlete (for soccer, if you must know) at Brown and Columbia. My mother thinks that Columbia is a far better school that Brown, and considers it the "easy ivy". I have no idea if she's right. Now, I know Brown is certainly a great school, but I wondering if anyone, preferably someone that's attended both institutions, can give me insight whether Brown is actually that much easier? I do agree that Columbia is more prestigious, but does prestige really matter for anything?</p>
<p>Brown is made fun of for being the “Boise State” of the Ivy League, but it is a great school and is just as good as Columbia in terms of academics.</p>
<p>I went to a presentation given by a group of admissions officers, and people from both Columbia and Brown were there. I got the impression that Brown was more of a humanities school, and that Columbia ideally focused on their engineering programs. </p>
<p>I’d also say that they’re both equally difficult to get into. In 2010, the acceptance rate for Brown was 9.3%, while Columbia’s was 9.8%. They’re both equally well-known and “prestigious”, so if you intend on applying to one I think it comes down to what you want to study and not which is more prestigious.</p>
<p>Neither is easier, both are hard to get into and they are both on the same level in terms of academics.
Columbia is more for Business and engineering while Brown is more for humanities.</p>
<p>They are both truly outstanding schools and attending either Brown or Columbia would be wonderful. Some differences I know of is that Columbia has a large core/required curriculum while Brown (I believe) has no required classes. Both are valid educational models, but one person may prefer having a thoughtful core curriculum program laid out while another person may prefer having the freedom to choose all their classes. Also Columbia is in NYC while Brown is in Providence, a much smaller city. I do agree that Brown is well known for humanities, but I do have two friends who got into med school out of Brown, so I’m guessing their sciences are good as well. I would suggest that you visit both schools, spend time with students, spend time with the coaches, sit in on classes, do an overnight if possible, and see which university is the best fit for you. There is no bad choice here.</p>
<p>One other thing: if you intend to do engineering and apply to Columbia, realize that it’s even more competitive than getting into Columbia College. When applying you indicate which school you want to apply to. There is a 9.9% acceptance rate among those who apply to the Fu School of Engineering.</p>
<p>Happy1 touched on the important difference. Both schools are pretty similar in terms of prestige, quality, and size of undergraduate populations (graduate school is different; Columbia is far and away a better place to go to graduate school but that is of little or no relevance to an undergraduate applicant). But the educational philosophy of the faculty is quite different for undergraduates. Columbia, along with University of Chicago, is famous for having a significant “core” curriculum in which everyone will take the same (or very similar) courses before focusing on your major as an upperclassman. The proponents of this approach argue that undergraduates are too young and immature to judge what courses they need to be an “educated” person and that, left to their own devices, students will tend to focus too much on one or two areas or will take too many “easy” courses that will do them little good in the future.</p>
<p>Brown’s approach is the exact opposite of the the “core.” Student’s are pretty much free to take what they choose (obviously, your chosen major will impose requirements so it is not completely free wheeling; it’s just that there are few university-wide requirements) and can even choose to take everything pass-fail (not a recommended approach if you ever want to go to graduate school, but you can if you want). My impression is that most Brown students are smart enough to want a good education and therefore most avoid the pitfalls that the “core” advocates are concerned about, but there are always some who take the easy path and end up wasting a lot of time and money.</p>
<p>Obviously, the other major difference is location. You can make a strong argument in favor of either location. It is very subjective. But no one can dispute that they are very different.</p>
<p>In Engineering, Columbia has the edge. In the Physical Sciences and Mathematics, both schools are strong. Overall, Brown and Columbia are peers, no ands, ifs or buts. </p>
<p>I would go for fit. Those are two vastly different universities. Columbia is very urban, populated largely by graduate students and has a very substantial core. Brown on the other had has a more suburban feel, is primarily made up of undergraduate students and has no core whatsoever.</p>
<p>Are you an independent learner? Brow is best suited for slef-starters. Either way, make no mistake, Brown is a heavy weight and certainly as good as Columbia, particularly at the undergraduate level.</p>
<p>Supermoderator Andre is full of it! He never went to either. Brown is actually very good in mechanical engineering. It also has a highly reputable applied math department. Are you thinking of Columbia College or Columbia SEAS? There’s a big difference. Columbia College’s core is substantial which can make hard science majors difficult.</p>
<p>SEAS no longer allows “Engineering Math” and “Engineering Physics” majors as it did 30+ years ago when I was at CU. Instead, there is a SEAS Applied Math & Applied Physics department, which is all respects inferior to the excellent Mathematics and Physics departments.</p>
<p>At Columbia practice/playing fields are at Baker Field at the Northern tip of Manhattan. It can take 30+ minutes to get there by IRT subway and walking. However, there may be some team vans shuttling up the West Side highway to Baker Field.</p>
<p>If you would be happy with mechanical engineering as a major, go to Brown. Columbia SEAS brings in many 3-2 engineering transfers and has a tendency to teach some of the upper level classes at night.</p>
<p>If you are looking to do math or physics, go to Columbia College. It also offers an absolute first rate education with its core.</p>
<p>Both Columbia and Brown are phenomenal schools. However, they differ a bit markedly…
1) Columbia has the Core Cirriculum, while Brown offers a method of learning that some undergraduates may prefer. Through sophomore year, students can take any courses they choose, exploring their options before deciding on a major; in other words, there are initially no required classes.
2) Columbia’s setting is much more urban, in the heart of NYC, while Brown is more rural.
3) Columbia is known for their engineering focus, but Brown highlights its proximity to seven hospitals for medical internships and the like.
4) I believe tuition is higher at Columbia; I’m not entirely sure how the financial aid packages measure up against each other.
5) Columbia is more selective than Brown.</p>
<p>Columbia is more selective than Brown? In what way? Have you sat on the admissions boards of both school? Can you attest, personally, to knowing and understanding these different levels of selectivity and in what ways, exactly Columbia is supposedly more selective than Brown? </p>
<p>In all reality, both Columbia and Brown are equally selective.</p>
<p>Calm down NYU2013! The poster who said that Columbia is more selective than Brown is referring, accurately, to admissions statistics. For the past two years Columbia’s acceptance rate has been less than 8% (this year it accepted 7.4%, a lower percentage than Princeton; the previous year it accepted 6.9%). Brown’s acceptance rate IS indeed higher than Columbia’s, though I believe Brown accepted less than 10% of applicants this year. Both schools are superb and both are EXCEPTIONALLY difficult to get into, but in point of fact Columbia is technically more selective based on admissions statistics. Sorry, but that is a fact. “In all reality,” NYU 2013, based on admissions statistics alone, which is what the poster was actually referencing, Columbia is more selective than Brown.</p>
<p>RE: Columbia College v. Columbia Engineering? The acceptance rate to Columbia College is lower than the acceptance rate to SEAS. SEAS accepts more applicants than does Columbia College, but as a more specialized school it also receives fewer, more self-selected, applicants.</p>
<p>I don’t know why everyone is saying Brown is suburban/rural… It’s in Providence. It’s not nearly as big as NYC, and Brown does have a somewhat more campus-y feel, but it’s not rural by any means.</p>
<p>I think we can all agree they’re academic peers, and a 0.2% difference or whatever in admissions statistics doesn’t matter all that much. I think it will really just come down to where you feel at home.</p>