I have applied to both institutions and have been able to get an offer from Columbia University. I need to be able to make a decision by Jan. 9th. I am looking to study philosophy and theology. I seem to not be able to make a decision about which university to attend, but here are some reasons I have for attending each university:
Columbia
(pros)
In NYC
An Ivy League
I can change my degree
lots of opportunities and networking possibilities- good food around campus- where I grew up (nostalgia)
lots and lots of prestige in my home country
protest culture
bagels
legacy for my siblings
my mom just really really wants me to go there
(cons)
incredibly expensive
not an intellectually passionate community per se (has lots of other assets though)
SJW culture
I have to have a roommate
Oxford
(pros)
I feel home whenever I go there (especially during interviews, the nerdery is a cherry on top!)
one on one education style (I thrive in the tutorial style of teaching: think Socratic method)
I do 3 hardcore years of what I love (it ought to change, however)
I'll be surrounded by incredibly brilliant and passionate people
immediate access to Europe (let's see for that...)
good prestige
cheap compared to US unis
the Bodleian
maybe its time for a geographical change for me (I officially live in Korea, attend school in the US and have for many years)
Hassan's
early drinking age and pub access
no roommate
no expensive first
-year meal plan
(cons)
I cannot change my major willy-nilly
I am more used to being socialized as an American
lots of self-directed study (which I sometimes find difficult if I'm not engaged with the material)
my parents find staying in England a little difficult
Do you have an offer from Oxford in hand? I didn’t see you specify that.
The British collegiate experience is something incredibly special, but yes the narrowness of the degrees is sometimes hard for an American to feel comfortable with. The self-directed study is to a very large degree offset/mitigated by the tutorial system. What college have you applied to/been offered at?
Tbh you sound like you want to go to Oxford but feel family and social pressure to go to Columbia.
There are plenty of intellectually passionate people at Columbia, and there is a no-roommate option (though I think that is a pretty poor decision variable) (as is good food). Comparative prestige between Columbia and Oxford is a non-issue.
If you have mental health issues I suggest that you don’t choose either place. I am hard-pressed to think of a highly competitive university that is a safe bet for somebody with pre-existing issues.
The plan is for your parents to go to university with you?
Spend a little time looking at the Columbia Core and how your courses would break out between the two places. That should keep you distracted for a little while as you wait.
In the meantime, trying to decide between the two is an interesting intellectual exercise, but as @SJ2727 pointed out, it is only theoretical. When you have an offer from Oxford (and any attendant conditions) then it becomes real- and surprisingly often that helps concentrate the mind.
I’ll repeat what @bouders wrote: you do not really have a choice. You signed a binding contract to go to Columbia University should you be accepted. If you try and pull out and apply anywhere else in the USA, you risk having any acceptance withdrawn.
I would guess that, if you went to Oxford, the admissions people at Columbia MAY not contact the Oxford people and tell them that you cannot be trusted. Or perhaps they will. In any case, if you are NOT accepted into Oxford, and are trying to get into another USA school, especially a top school, you’re pretty much screwed.
One of the only ways to pull out of the early decisions agreement is if you cannot really afford the financial packet they offer. Other reasons would have to be pretty compelling, like your family being elsewhere, and you being required to live somewhere close, so that you could help, etc.
In fact, one of the reasons that they have penalties for people who pull out of Early Decisions in schools like Columbia are people like you, who game the system. You apply early decision to increase your chances, but, at the same time, are trying to be accepted into a “better” school, which does not have a benefit for applying early.
Depends on where you think you will eventually live. I think Oxford has more prestige frankly than Columbia. But that doesn’t really matter. Where do you think you will excel? They are very different places. If it were my kid, I’d consider what type of learning they enjoy most. One of my kids would love the one on one learning. It’s not for everyone however. Both are good schools. Forget the bagel and protest culture, it won’t matter to you for long.
^ I should have realized it was ED. Ethically the student should accept. And I believe Columbia does not release without actual interaction with financial aid office first.
@collegemom3717 , I also found the comment about parents strange but dismissed it. On second thought it seems quite critical to the student’s “dilemma”. Presumably these parents signed the ED decision too.
@collegemom3717 Another laugh at the Oxford pro of Hassan’s. What my son really misses is good BBQ. We had to stop on the way home from JFK because he couldn’t wait any longer! @phillover - hope your interviews went well and that you hear good news on January 9th.
I would not pick any of the Ivies over Oxford for the humanities. It’s the best place in the world for your academic interests.
As others have said, ED is a commitment. You may be able to back out of the Columbia ED agreement if you ask nicely - especially if it’s genuinely a financial burden to your parents - but you should do so now. It is not appropriate to try to back out of Columbia ED after receiving good news from Oxford in January.