Columbia SEAS V.S Amherst

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>Guys I really really need your help. See I got into Columbia University in its School for Engineering and also into Amherst College. I'm an international student.</p>

<p>Now the thing is, I have always been a science student all my life ( took Economics last year though ), so I applied to Columbia with the intention of engineering and I made it into SEAS. I also applied to Amherst though, because the idea of liberal arts appeals to me - taking different and varied courses, and after you've sampled different subjects and courses, then after two years, declaring your major.</p>

<p>The thing is, Columbia is in New York City, and I've been to NYC and I loved that place. My uncle also lives there so I have the additional advantage of being really close to family ( for an international like me, its a big thing ). Plus Columbia is an IVY League, and that sounds really exciting too. Aside from that, I have a few health problems and New York City would obviously been more geared towards me studying there easily.</p>

<p>Now Amherst is two hours ( i think ) away from NYU, but its not an IVY. It's all probably not well known outside the USA and I'm not sure about the job prospects after amherst. the MOST important thing counting is will Amherst be able to cater to my health requirements. Are their hospitals or clinics or facility on campus for me to access some equipment to manage my condition ( I guess you can tell I'm being deliberately hesitant on elaborating further LOL ).</p>

<p>Will any Columbia or Amherst student or any person with proper knowledge tell me which place would be more suited for me? Trying to pass an IVY for a small liberal art college seems a bit difficult for me, please tell anybody. How are the job prospects after both colleges?</p>

<p>Where should I go?</p>

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<p>Firstly, congratulations! You're probably going to get a heavy Columbia bias here, but let me tell you what I know that could hopefully help you</p>

<p>1) Decide what location you want. Amherst is totally different than NYC. I think that is the first and most important decision: location. I've been told (wisely) to not choose a school because of its proximity to somewhere that you might visit. Who will you go with, where will you stay, etc etc...those things don't seem relevant at the moment but are real issues that pop up later. Be where you want to be.</p>

<p>2) Size. Columbia is much larger than Amherst and there are grad school students floating around. What's better for you? For me personally, I've been to a small school my whole life and was ready for something a bit bigger. I also like having access to grad school resources, particularly the school of International and Public Affairs.</p>

<p>3) Don't let prestige be the deciding factor. Amherst is considered one of the top if not the absolute top liberal arts school and Columbia is obviously an extremely well regarded Ivy League University. You can't go wrong.</p>

<p>4) You can and absolutely will get a "liberal arts"/"humanities" education at Columbia. Have you investigated the Core Curriculum? You have required classes in music humanities, art humanities, literature and social thought, etc etc. I think the main reason that so many talented engineers gravitate toward Columbia is because they want to be worldly people and leave with a truly well-rounded education, to become people who not only appreciate their specific areas of interest but the culture of the world around them. </p>

<p>5) I can't tell you much about the health condition since I don't really know anything about your circumstances but really investigate about Amherst in that sense. Unfortunately, it may be the deal-breaker, but rid yourself of doubt so that you can truly choose between the two.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>I was a science/engineering person - still am, sort of - and SEAS was absolutely perfect for me because how closely integrated it was with one of the best liberal-arts programs in the country. Amherst is certainly a top, top place, but Columbia's liberal-rats program is its equal, and more importantly I got a lot out of it despite taking a traditional science/engineering curriculum. I got to take most of the marquee "name" classes with "name" professors at columbia, whether it was Ken Jackson or Eric Foner or President Bollinger or Lit Hum with a hot-sheit philosophy professor. I had music hum taught by an award-winning composer who happened to be working at the music department at the time. Could I have gotten any of that at MIT? Nope. But by the same token, I got a damn good education in science and math, which may not be as reknowned as that of better-known engineering programs but which wasn't bad at all. </p>

<p>So the bottom line is, I got to explore my liberal-arts interests in history, law, music, etc while staying true to my talents in science/math. Amherst can't offer that, although they certainly have a prettier campus and everything's roomier. Their students are no less smart, their dorms are no less good (in fact they're probably shorter and cleaner), their classes are probably just as well-taught. But the big differences are:</p>

<ul>
<li>Access to the students and classes in world-class graduate programs, if you choose. Lots of my friends took classes at the business school or SIPA etc. Tons of undergrads work in the labs up at the Medical school, getting hands-on research experience with professors (and recommendations for med school!)</li>
<li>New York and the experience of being, essentially, in the capital of the world. Any type of cultural institution of note is here, and many things run 24 hours a day. It's intense and energetic and sometimes frenzied, in a way that Amherst and other more "contemplative" places are not. There is a type of person who would want to be at each.</li>
<li>The internships and job opportunities you will have available to you, coming out of Columbia, are superior. It's not like you won't have good ones at Amherst, but it will be easier to get better ones at Columbia. And you'll be able to do internships during the year with places that otherwise wouldn't be able to offer you anything just because of the distance.</li>
</ul>

<p>The "Ivy" designation is overrated. I would certainly attend Amherst over Cornell, for example. But Columbia has name-recognition and brand value that is superior (although not wildly superior).</p>

<p>Also, one statistic for you to consider. According to the Revealed Preference Rankings, among members of the Class of 2008 who got into both Columbia and Amherst, 65% of them chose Columbia over Amherst, and 35% chose Amherst over Columbia.</p>

<p>They are very different schools, and being out in the hills in an isolated bubble of education and community is a very different experience. Part of me wishes I had had that. But when weighed with all the other advantages, Columbia was the far better choice for me personally.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>

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<p>I'm not too sure about what you'd need for your medical condition, but hospital-wise, St. Luke's is like, 2 blocks away, and Columbia Presbyterian is on 168th street, and you can take the shuttle there for free with your Columbia card.</p>

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<p>pls...! there r no ways abt it.. columbia ll the way..!!</p>

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<p>THANKYOU so much, this was so enlightening, and I think I might JUST end up choosing Columbia over Amherst if I get a great financial aid package ( they couldnt offer me at the time of admission due to missing documents ).</p>

<p>You guys are great, I love this site :)</p>