<p>Hey guys, </p>
<p>I just got into both and I'm having a tough time deciding. Haven't received financial aid packages so can't say much about that. </p>
<p>My main question is which diploma would hold more prestige/better job opportunities (in NY especielly) because otherwise I'm pretty torn between the two.</p>
<p>If you want to work in NY, Columbia is a no brainer. Brown is good, but Columbia has better name recognition and huge location advantage.</p>
<p>I know but I’ve seen a lot of people choose brown over columbia…</p>
<p>It’s true that students are more likely to choose Brown, but I feel since the OP wants to work in NY, Columbia would be a much better choice. </p>
<p>Here’s the data from New York Times on cross admittance, although I don’t know the methodology behind it.
[The</a> New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Collegiate Matchups: Predicting Student Choices](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/09/17/weekinreview/20060917_LEONHARDT_CHART.html]The”>The New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Collegiate Matchups: Predicting Student Choices)</p>
<p>
It’s no such thing. It’s merely a model with severe methodological flaws that was based on a survey (the Revealed Preferences study) done a decade ago. Among others, poster [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/8959767-post220.html]Siserune[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/8959767-post220.html]Siserune[/url</a>] has often discussed this over the years.</p>
<p>Using Stanford as an example, the RP study suggests that Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT win 73%, 60%, 52%, and 51% of cross-admits, respectively – Stanford loses the majority of its cross-admits to all four schools. </p>
<p>Stanford [url=<a href=“http://facultysenate.stanford.edu/2010_2011/minutes/10_07_10_SenD6388.pdf]reports[/url”>http://facultysenate.stanford.edu/2010_2011/minutes/10_07_10_SenD6388.pdf]reports[/url</a>], however, that Harvard, Yale, and Princeton win 62%, 50%, 37%, and 40%, respectively – Stanford won half or more of its cross-admits with all schools except Harvard in 2010.</p>
<p>As for the OP’s question, name recognition would be the last factor I’d use to choose between the two. Brown and Columbia are very different schools - the Core vs. open curriculum is just one example.</p>
<p>hd1990 - not true at all. Most internships occur during summers and employers are going to either 1) go through traditional recruiting (for consulting/ banking) or 2) resume submits. Columbia isn’t going to give you an advantage over Brown in either case due to location. I’ve often felt that the “NYC advantage” for an MBA is real, for undergrad not as much since programs have such structured recruiting. </p>
<p>Prestige-wise, anyone in the know is going to hold them equally. Columbia might have an edge in finance, however, Brown is absolutely in the game. In the end its a fit decision. Do you want to go to a more campus-based environment (Brown) with a more collegiate feel (house parties, etc), or does a more urban campus with access to a city appeal to you (more bars and going downtown in small groups).</p>
<p>The difference in lifestyle is much more important to this decision than non-existent differences in prestige. You’re choosing between two incredibly similar schools prestige-wise.</p>
<p>to warblersrule86,
I clearly said I don’t know the methodology behind it and no point arguing about it.</p>
<p>to slipper1234,
yes, most internships start during the summer, but for Columbia students you have the option(your grades have to be good enough of course) of working during the school year, which gives you an advantage over Brown.
By no means am I saying Columbia is better than Brown in all cases, but for this instance, since the OP wants to work in NY, Columbia will be favored.</p>
<p>Hd- That is a very minor advantage, I would guess is used by hardly 10% of students, and it depends on what the OP wants to do. Most students at a school like Columbia or Brown are simply too busy with classes/ campus activities to put in meaningful time into a school-year internship. Most companies have regular summer internships at the undergrad level that are highly accessible from both Ivies. </p>
<p>I think its a “fit decision.” Dlambi - do you know what you’d like to do after school? That might also help a little.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys! I would love to work in nyc one day which is why i put it in my original post but if there isn’t a significant difference in prestige I feel as though the campus life that Brown offers could fit me better. </p>
<p>Also (correct me if I’m wrong) i get the impression that though students are equally smart at both schools Columbia is a much more hard working cut throat environment… from what I’ve seen students are always on edge. I’m not sure I would prefer that, is that actually true?</p>
<p>I suppose my main question is whether going to one over the other will have a major effect on the career choices… @slipper1234 I’m not sure exactly what I would like to do, maybe law school, maybe business, hopefully I can figure it out as I go along!</p>
<p>Hey dlambi,</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Brown is definitely known to be a more “laid-back” campus overall, but with equally intelligent students. Columbia I would not say would be much different academically, but overall the student body is more intense- in every way.</p></li>
<li><p>There is no prestige difference except maybe for Internationals (this won’t effect your life at all trust me) and in the research driven hard sciences (not med schools, more like biochemists). For everyone else its pretty much a wash.</p></li>
<li><p>Most Ivies tend to be feeders into a few areas after college, 1) consulting/ banking, 2) professional or graduate schools, 3) political/ government/ non-profit (DC jobs). It won’t matter where you went between these two for any of the above because there are very set internships programs during summers to pursue these fields. There is almost no NYC advantage for a future law school student for example.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>4) There there are “other” careers, including entertainment, teaching, entrepreneurship, media, technology, PR, editing/journalism. For these post-graduate options there “might” be a NYC advantage in that you might try to squeeze in a day working for NBC for example. But these school year programs are very hard to get (who wants a one day intern?), and even for most of these jobs/ careers there are set programs during summers. You’re going to have to hustle to get them anyway, and a summer program gets you there. For example look at the cast of the Office - John Krasinki (Jim) went to Brown, Mindy Kaling (Kelly) went to Dartmouth, Ellen Kemper (Erin) went to Princeton - none went to an NYC school and they are actors/ writers!</p>
<p>So basically my point is the school year internship thing in 99% of cases isn’t going to help you that much and I wouldn’t consider negligible prestige differences at all. You’ll do much better where you’re happy!</p>