<p>I believe I have a reasonable chance of getting in to Columbia. I've got no questions or doubts about the quality of the academics there (who would!?) or the incredible education I could receive. But I believe in a balance of academic and social/fun quality of life for my college experience. So I would like to know if one can have fun, a great time...even a blast there?</p>
<p>I believe that at any ivy league, the experience academically and socially is what you make of it. It is different for everyone; some may choose to stay in their dorm studying all day, while others balance it out and use time to explore the city and have fun. I really do think it is what you make of it. Each student is different so take that into consideration.</p>
<p>Glee,
What makes you so sure u can get into Columbia?</p>
<p>it’s new york city. fun is always around the corner 
you just gotta look in the right (and safe) places. if you read the bwog (the blog edition of columbia’s newspaper, the blue and white) you’ll see that (at least they make it seem like it) that more often than not there’s always something fun happening on campus. whether it be someone having a blow up pool party on one of the lawns or fruit paunch doing a skit on the low steps or whatever. there’s always something going on. but it’s not going to find you. you gotta find it.</p>
<p>Like everything else at Columbia, you have to find it because it won’t find you. Really, it depends what your definition of “fun” is. If you’re looking for a social scene that consists of one or two parties that everyone on campus goes to, you absolutely will not find that at Columbia. Some people go downtown, some people go to frat parties, some go to the local bars, some stay in their dorms and hang out with the people on their floor, some go to dances and events sponsored by cultural groups, and most do some combination of all of the above! So if you’re independent, flexible, and chill, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Stalkermama, </p>
<p>Gee, that was very helpful. Please try reading my question one more time, this time applying your Ivy League reading comprehension skills. I said “I BELIEVE I HAVE A REASONABLE CHANCE” (this being based on my ACT 35, my nearly straight A’s in a highly-competitive private HS, superb teacher reco’s and meaningful extracurriculars). I did not say I was sure I could get in. Nobody can be sure of getting into any Ivy. Especially if one cannot read carefully and strays off point with unfounded presumptions.</p>
<p>Sorry Glee
I did not mean to offend you! I wish I had ivy league reading and writing skills from Columbia. Then my kid would be legacy and “get in” at the same time you do.
I do wish you the best and hope to see your name up on the “accepted” thread in just a few months!</p>
<p>Glee,</p>
<p>the biggest determinant of having fun somewhere is whether the people, and the culture they engender, matches your personality. There are all kinds of people at Columbia, but they skew towards the type who is “work hard, play hard” and is constantly looking for fun things to do with their friends in and around the city. There’s a contingent (20%?) who seemingly never leave the library, there’s a contingent who think that frat parties are the epitome of social entertainment (and there are plenty of frat parties every weekend), and there’s a group who get their fake ID the first weekend and go to clubs twice a week. Lots of people saw broadway shows, for example, either free via school, half-price via TKTS, or Myself, I hung out with my a cappella group, joined the ultimate frisbee team and ran around with them, played a lot of snow football on South Lawn when it snowed (with snow, you can tackle and not hurt/get hurt), and dated a couple Barnard girls over the 4 years. I also wasn’t the sort to drink myself silly all the time, but we certainly knew plenty who did.</p>
<p>What’s maybe different about a place like Columbia vs all the other places where people drink themselves silly, is that (nearly) everybody gets their work done. Sunday afternoon, everyone you know will be somewhere, working on their stuff due for the next week. Maybe some NFL will be on in the background, but the work is getting done.</p>