<p>which one has a better engineering program? which one is better overall?</p>
<p>i hear columbia engineering sucks whereas cornell's is actually quite good. overall columbia hands down, but i say that only because i like liberal arts. obviously if you're an engineer you'll think otherwise</p>
<p>I'm not an engineering student, so take this with a massive grain of salt, but I've heard that it breaks down to this: Columbia's engineering program has a stronger emphasis on the liberal arts (you take part of the Columbia Core, can have a liberal arts minor if you like, etc.), while Cornell is a better choice if you just want math, science and engineering courses.</p>
<p>Also, consider this: would you rather be in New York City or Ithaca?</p>
<p>im havin trouble deciding between ithaca and nyc, this coming month im goin to visit both and see..but i dont kno about nyc's hectic environment, i think the tranquility of ithaca will serve me best</p>
<p>Columbia all the way!!! Better environment, probably stronger job placement in the city.</p>
<p>I'd rather be hit with a mallet everyday for the rest of my life than live in the Columbia environment. But that's just me. As for the engineering school, Cornell is far ahead of Columbia in strictly engineering terms (except for maybe financial engineering).</p>