<p>i got accepted to both as a transfer. any advice?</p>
<p>Try to PM slipper1234 who transferred from Columbia to Dartmouth (but he went back to columbia for his MBA)</p>
<p>i was accepted into columbia but not dartmouth
dartmouth was a top choice but I absoultely loved NYC
Biggest thing I noticed was the differences in social lives. Columbia centered around finding a group of friends and going to bars in the city, or doing other new york things. dartmouth was a more tight campus (as you could expect by its location)</p>
<p>Go to Dartmouth, particularly as a transfer. Best college experience anywhere. I can elaborate later, gotta run!</p>
<p>Truthfully, there are many reasons why I think transferring into Dartmouth is the best option probably of any school in the country. The school treats transfers very well and has special advising, great orientation, etc. Sophmore summer means you get to meet your entire class, and since greek rush is sophomore year if you want you can rush with your class as well. The school is small and community focused, adding to the ease of transition. By graduation, no one will even know you were a transfer.</p>
<p>Conversely, Columbia first year is a major bonding experience and the school literally becomes much less social afterwards. There is no common dining hall, dorms are scattered and not that social (compared to Dartmouth dorms), and the school is much bigger (you DO notice the grad students, GS, etc). I'd honestly (no bias here), say socially its one of the hardest Ivies to transition into as a transfer. </p>
<p>Here's something I wrote a while back on the two schools:</p>
<p>Sorry for taking so long. I transferred to Dartmouth for both social and academic reasons. Columbia was great for the core, but in most of the bigger classes I felt like a number. I hated taking a "ticket" to see the registrar, or having to go out of my way to meet some of my professors. It seemed corporate to me. On the other hand, it had some great departments that Dartmouth wasn't nearly as strong in - film, arabic, music, etc. For someone going into a vocational field like engineering, music, film, etc Penn or Columbia are better academic choices. For someone going to grad school, professional school, or something more random (I am a former anthro major working my dream job in media) Dartmouth is awesome.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is a gem among the Ivies or any group of schools for that matter. Most people at Dartmouth love it, and with good reason. </p>
<p>I'll give a personal example: Dartmouth paid for my thesis research in the pacific ($10K), gave me TWO thesis advisors, I had 7 classes with less than 5 people, and when I started a company they gave me office space and a whole network of contacts + access to funding! How many schools do that for their students? I had lunch with Ang Lee with 5 other kids, met Broken Lizard (Super Troopers and other movies), etc in my film classes. For my "outer space" class I met with astronauts and every lunch they took 10 kids out with the guest speaker who was often amazing. I probably have visited 7 Professors houses. </p>
<p>When is came time to apply to grad school Dartmouth professors (who knew me personally) gave me some of the best recommendations I could have imagined, since I got to know them so well.</p>
<p>In terms of social life, Columbia had its strengths and MAJOR weaknesses. Its probably why I left. Columbia felt deserted and dark on the weekends, people slip into cliques and went into the city. You just never really feel like a part of anything special, just someone doing his/ her thing and Columbia happens to be where you live and go to class. Even outside of parties it feels this way - the library is SILENT for example, whereas at Dartmouth there are social spaces. Columbia is a serious environment. One thing I did love though was it wasn't a "jock" dominated environment at all. Also (being a guy), there are many girls around which was nice.</p>
<p>Dartmouth makes Columbia look like a ghost town. Dartmouth is hopping every weekend and people are much more inclusive- everyone is invited everywhere and people are all out at once. It feels sort of "festive" on the weekends. LITERALLY, an average weekend at Dartmouth is much more active than the best weekend Columbia has. Also, Dartmouth has a "big weekend" every term, people love getting excited about the place. Dartmouth students embrace the environment and the beautiful campus: they also play in the snow in the winters, jump in the river in summers, have a ski slope, run around bonfires, and hsng out and act silly in dorms. Its just a much more laid-back environment, and its a total 'college experience.' The only downside I felt was that there was a "jock" culture that seems to pervade over the campus (and one the administration is activily trying to curtail), but 3/4 of the students are not really in tune with that culture so you can ignore it if you want to.</p>
<p>Basically: </p>
<p>1) If you are a person who wants a very specific major, could care less about campus life and community, and are more 'independant" - i.e. perhaps on the intense side and more focused on hanging out with one clique - Columbia is for you.</p>
<p>2) If you are happy go lucky, see college as a time to get amazing academic treatment in a more general area (econ, anthro, history, etc), love socializing with many types of people, and think of the world around you as a playground - go to Dartmouth.</p>
<p>There's no way to PM slippers :(</p>
<p>I have to totally disagree with slippers. There's a joke that goes around saying, Does anyone even go to Dartmouth anymore? It's true, because to me and many people I've spoken to, Dartmouth seems lost in the past. To the average applicant to the Ivy community (as well as to the acceptees), Dartmouth brings some images to mind: </p>
<p>1) white supremacy stereotype(ex. the huge protests against one of dartmouth's black music professors all done by white students, this was in teh past 20-25 yrs i think). though this is not 100% true in fact, its a stigma that really does dissuade people from going there.</p>
<p>2) rural campus with a small town. it seems like drinking and skiing are the main activities there, and since skiing was seasonal last time i checked, it's pretty much just drinking. </p>
<p>3) dartmouth lacks the political charge that columbia has. columbia's nyc location attracts big speakers, politicians, foreign dignitaries, even the Dalai Lama. the NYC location has a very nice advantage particularly to people interested in law/business. i know alot of businessmen in the NYC that simply love hiring columbia grads because when they think of columbia, they think of an upbeat place with social kids and a technologically advanced campus. columbia also has a very involved Political Union and a large fraction of its undergrads participate in political activities. Plus, the law school gives added benefits to interested people, something that dartmouth can't do.</p>
<p>4) NYC has infinitely more things to do than Hanover. It's true that Columbia social life is usually based more on the city, but what else would you expect? it doesn't become a ghost town on weekends - concerts, performances, cultural activities and festivals, and dorm parties are there too. </p>
<p>the other thing to realize is that obviously dartmouth is going to have more people on their campus on weekends, because there's simply no where else to go! how much can one person really drink? i mean it has to get boring at one point. </p>
<p>NYC has the museums for the artsy people, the cultural festivals for the cultural people, the UN and various political conferences for hte political people, the scientific labs and major hospitals for med/science people, and simply every other opportunity. The city becomes yours at Columbia. And sure, it's bigger than you, but that's what the real world is about. Dartmouth can't give you that. Columbia lets you live a realistic life where you can be friends with the biggest intellectuals in the Ivy league that are also some of the most social people.</p>
<p>That is the most ridiculous post I have ever read. Its insulting. From your usage of grammer it sounds like you are a high schooler. I know more about these two schools than 99% of the people out there - I've spent three years of my life at both. </p>
<p>Dartmouth is more diverse than half the Ivies and is liberal yet very politically active. In fact activism is one of its strengths. From hosting the New Hampshire primary to Rockefeller center programs, social and political consiousness is a backbone of the school. As for social life, the campus has a spirit that a Columbia student will never know (go up to homecoming or winter carnival and you'll see what I am talking about). The school offers so many things - plays, skating on occum pond, formals (which aren't at all like southern frat formals, they are a blast), big weekends, canoeing on the river, cultural events, etc - the school is run by students and in many ways it feels almost utopian. Sure you have kids who never leave their fraternity, but there are plenty that do - and they make Dartmouth an incredibly vibrant place to spend your college years.</p>
<p>i agree with the above commenter. i live in nyc and my older cousin attended Columbia University. It is shaped by the city that surrounds it-- NYC, that is, and if it were located anywhere else (maybe even in a different city like Detroit or Philly) it would have a partially or completely different campus feel/community life. Many people flea the campus during the weekend, to go to clubs/ bars/ lounges/ whatever. Some people have apts off campus. This is totally different than a college that is defined by its campus or a college based in a little town such as Ann Arbor (U Michigan) or Northhampton (Smith College). If you're looking for a more campus like, community feel that is already set up and that you don't have to construct, then CU probably is not your best bet.</p>
<p>woah woah woah. first of all, dartmouth is in the middle of nowhere. tell me how i'm wrong about that? is the unique factor of dartmouth a pond and the woods, because if it is, that's not too convincing for me.</p>
<p>when was the last time hanover hosted either the DNC or RNC presidential conventions? political power of Hanover <<< political power of NYC. and students at Dartmouth can only be at the NH primary at most ONCE during their college experience. true this is similar to the presidential conventions, but 1) when those happen, theyre MUCH bigger than primaries and 2) conventions are just ONE thing than NYC has concerning politics.</p>
<p>see one subject that Dartmouth can't argue with Columbia about is opportunities and things to do. Columbia has beer just like dartmouth does, it has dorms to drink the beer in just like dartmouth does, and it has a river just like dartmouth has it's pond. but it also has a whole other city with museums, the UN headquarters, the nation's top law firms and business companies (that your professors and career services are likely to have much tighter links to than Dartmouth's), as well as the most diverse surroundings/student body. </p>
<p>columbia's poli sci dept is #1 in the world. it hosts more political speakers with bigger names than dartmouth does.</p>
<p>apart from all of the political and historical attention NYC gets, the city also gives you tons of social opportunities. Columbia has these things, not Dartmouth. I'm talking about Broadway shows, 5th avenue shopping, Central Park, Times Square, Comedy Clubs, plus some of the best restaurants in the world. it's not a good choice to argue dartmouth's social opportunities against columbia's. try some other argument, like "smaller classes" or "we really know our professors."</p>
<p>aeo2guy is not only very ill informed about Dartmouth, he is not even a college student yet. Going to Columbia as a freshman in the fall and is not even from the city. Probably comes in on a few random weekends so really know nothing about life in the city :rolleyes: (Coming from LI, no offense is the same as being from NYC)</p>
<p>Were you saying "woah woah woah" in response to my response? If so I don't really get why because I never disagreed with you...</p>
<p>just a quick response to aoe2guy - there is MUCH more to Dartmouth social life than frats/drinking. I dont participate in either frequently, and I still love the social life here.</p>
<p>Before the 2004 convention, NYC had not hosted a national convention since 1980. </p>
<p>
[quote]
apart from all of the political and historical attention NYC gets, the city also gives you tons of social opportunities. Columbia has these things, not Dartmouth. I'm talking about Broadway shows, 5th avenue shopping, Central Park, Times Square, Comedy Clubs, plus some of the best restaurants in the world.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The overwhelming majority of Columbia students likek the overwheming # of people who actually live in the do not go to these things. On any given night you are bound to find more tourist than locals at the theatre, museums, comedy clubs, etc. Tell me how many Columbia studnets are flocking down on the east side to the UN? I lived in NYC all of my life I can tell you it ain't many.</p>
<p>My sister attended Columbia, loved it, My D said she would not attend Columbia on a bet because she felt the undergrads did not feel connected to the college other than saying they attended Columbia.</p>
<p>Overall it depends on what you are looking for from you college experience. If you are from a small town I can understand the excitement of going to school in a big city. I know for my D, she wanted a real college experience and a sense of community both which she has found at Dartmouth. She has attended in school in Manhattan from K-12 and did not want her entire educational experience to take place there. She knows she is coming back to NY so she finds hanover to be a wonderful change of pace and is not for a loss for people from the city because they represent the largest group of students in her class.</p>
<p>haha yeah im going this fall, that part was right, but the part about me not knowing city life was wrong. the fact that i'm not actually IN college doesn't mean that i don't know what i'm talking about. whatever i've said about both of these schools comes from what i've heard from people who attend both.</p>
<p>what i said about dartmouth was about the images that come into someone's mind when they hear about the school. this can't be contested because it has little to do with what really happens at dartmouth; it's just true that most people get those feelings when they hear the name "dartmouth." this is similar to most people thinking of "cut-throat cornell" and "elitist" princeton. they're merely perceptions, and though they may not be true, they do have an influence on what most people think (even educated applicants). this is largely why we care about comparative yield. people who are accepted to both school X and school Y often choose the same school, and this is largely due to the common perception of the school. it's why harvard beats out its sister big 3 schools and other schools. </p>
<p>i contend that this is "perception" of dartmouth is why many people i know, who were accepted to dartmouth, chose not to attend.</p>
<p>haha wow, you are headed to Columbia and you think drinking isn't a huge part of the social life there?? I know two people who are transfering out of Columbia BECAUSE the only social life consists of going to bars. Have fu with that (and dissing schools you don't know anything about)</p>
<p>I agree. I left Columbia because I felt like all I did was pay money to eat at restaurants and go to bars. None of the "laid back" fun that happens at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>It depends on what you're looking for, and you're going to find an equal number of people who swear up and down in favor of Dartmouth as you are of Columbia. Your best bet is to think about what you're looking for in a college experience and then re-ask your question with greater specificity (as well as visit the schools).</p>
<p>Ok, I don't have any idea of Columbia, but I was in NYC with some friends and we tried to go to some Fred parties of Columbia and they were all dead after 12:00. They all went to Bars...</p>