<p>The title says it all. Any thoughts appreciated. This is for my son, we will be visiting all three. Not set on major but main interests are biology (brain science, neuroscience) on the one hand and classics on the other. Main high school ECs were new media/theater. He is strongly leaning toward Columbia. Mom (me) alittle concerned that Columbia has a rep of students not being as happy and being less sheltered than at schools like Dartmouth and Duke.</p>
<p>Hi, mom! I would recommend attending Columbia’s admitted student weekend and spend time talking to Columbia students, faculty and admin. I don’t think your impression of Alma Mater is accurate although I understand that it’s a common one until folks learn more about the institution.</p>
<p>Columbia is the one I’d pick for myself – I agree that it’s a less sheltered place than Duke or Dartmouth, but I view that as a plus. There’s a real campus plus real engagement with the city that is lacking at D&D. This is a matter of taste. If my kid preferred one or the other, I’d support whichever he chose.</p>
<p>This is from an old reply I made:</p>
<p>"I had a similar situation this year, I had to choose between Dartmouth and Columbia for rowing. I went on my visits and here’s the good and bad of both.</p>
<p>Dartmouth:
PROS:
-Community-oriented
-Ridiculously happy students (from what I saw, I bet there are some sad kids there but I didn’t see them)
-Tradition (you can feel how old the school is, and they have a million schoolwide traditions)
-Undergraduate focus (the amount of attention amazed me)
-D-Plan (study abroad)
-Greek system
-Quintessential college experience
-Spirit (90% of kids are wearing green/the carpets/walls/everything is green)
-Fireplaces in dorms (a lot of schools have this)
CONS:
-Location (for some people)
-Drinking-heavy
-Hook-up school (I guess that’s a bad thing)
-Elitist</p>
<p>Columbia:
PROS:
-NYC (access to a lot of things)
-Very tiny campus (never be late to class)
-Very beautiful architecture
CONS:
-Campus is too small (my tour took 7 minutes)
-Very minimal school spirit (the only thing that reminded me that I was at Columbia were the two flags)
-Facilities are not maintained well (aka dorms are ugly)
-A very big divide between the administration and students (Red-tape bureaucracy)
-Graduate-focused
-Sports are embarrassing
-Very individualistic
-Drinking at bars (not normal college nightlife)
-Fraternities are in brownstones/are not a big deal
-Elistist
-Students did not seem happy (they always seemed rushed/cold)</p>
<p>This may look like I am biased toward Dartmouth but to be honest I was trying my hardest to balance the two schools. I think the one thing that made my college decision was that someone told me that you can always go to New York City (graduate school, internships, vacation, living) but you can’t always go live in a small college town. I’m a city person, but when I was at Columbia I knew that I couldn’t have a happy college experience there. I looked out my dorm at Columbia and saw a huge brick wall 4 feet away, and listened to the constant siren of NYC. Even though I did like the city, I knew that I wasn’t independent/individualistic enough to be happy in a city as big as NYC. When I first learned of Dartmouth a year ago, it wasn’t at the top of my list, but after I visited the school (and visited my other options) I knew that I was going to choose it. I wanted a really traditional college experience and I knew that Dartmouth was going to offer that.</p>
<p>But seriously that’s just me. It’s really about where you are happy. You made a really good point when you said that they are all at the same caliber. They are all amazing schools and all Ivy Leagues, you’ll succeed at any of the three, so what matters is what kind of experience you want while achieving that success.</p>
<p>Basically just go visit."</p>
<p>Thanks much. We are going to visit both Columbia and Dartmouth but my sons mind seems pretty made up in favor of Columbia, is drawn by the NYC setting, research and other opportunities, and the Columbia name. Both are great schools of course</p>
<p>I now attend a top 3 law school and I’m a recent Columbia alum. One consideration is how the school will impact you in the long run, and the network you’ll that your undergraduate experience for life. I found personally that the best fits at Columbia tended to be people from the New York area, more intense types, or people who really embraced its diversity. On the other hand, the Dartmouth, Duke, and Princeton alums I know seem to have a much tighter network than Columbia. I think Columbia has a way to go before it offers what these schools seem to produce - loyalty. </p>
<p>So for the more intense, perhaps narrow independent minded person Columbia is a good choice but I think for the more broadly intellectual happy go lucky sociable type I’d probably chose Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Roweatsleep’s account is definitely one-sided. I graduated from Columbia last year, it was an exhilarating experience. I’m incredibly grateful to have gone there for college, it taught me a lot, grew me as a person and gave me an unforgettable 4 years. I had and still have a ton of school spirit. Columbia has a vibrant on-campus social life, a dynamic campus and some inspirational fellow students. It’s not a campus that holds your hand through college, but the resources and opportunities are there. Nothing comes in the way of your success, and I made long lasting and close friendships while I was there. </p>
<p>Some people complain a lot about campus and their social lives, but with a little initiative and open mindedness you will make many diverse friends, who are nothing like you and will teach you a lot. I think Dartmouth and Duke offer more traditional college experiences, they have their bubbles. But I feel very lucky to have gone to Columbia, because it offered me a challenging and rewarding college experience, that I don’t think I could have replicated elsewhere. Columbia was fast moving, cosmopolitan, ambitious. I’m also loyal to the university, I volunteer to interview high school students, I go to alumni get togethers, I go to sports games and I can see myself donating down the road.</p>