Columbia vs MIT vs BRDD

College Search & Selection
1

Hello! I’ve visited all three choices and honestly am still stuck. I would appreciate it if you guys could give me some personal insight or correct/add to my initial impressions.

For Columbia, I love its location in NYC and easy access to internships throughout the school year. In addition, there’s the added benefit of their Arts Initiative and their lovely dorms. In general, the environment felt so much more worldly and refined. The students there seemed very independent, but the Core seemed like a great unifying factor. I sensed more smaller communities and less of an overarching university wide community. I did not find as much entrepreneurial support/spirit as MIT there.

For MIT, it was amazing how passionate and active the student body was in undertaking projects. I liked the breadth of resources the administration seemed to provide to them. The abundance of research opportunities is reassuring, and I like their authority defying culture. The other universities in the area are also a major plus because I can cross register there if MIT does not have a course I want. However, I honestly felt a little alienated during CPW and student culture seemed cliquey initially. I’m unsure about how I would fit in socially there and engineering/tech seems to permeate everything even design courses there.

For Brown RISD Dual Degree, when I met the students in the program they seemed like a family. The students at Brown were so friendly and many people went out of the way to help me around campus (which didn’t happen at either of the other two). I’m worried about the relative isolation of Providence as well as the restrictive schedule of the Dual Degree Program. I don’t want to be unable to explore major options because I’m busy trying to finish up requirements for the combination of majors I think I want. The current students also seem to spent a lot of time at RISD and go into majority art careers which is something I am not quite set on. I do love the major options available at RISD though (ex. glass, textiles) that I feel like I won’t be able to explore anywhere else (but I’m pretty sure I will not major in).

Sorry for all that text haha. I’ve been thinking over this a lot.

2

The campus preview might not provide you the whole picture of the school if students did not come from different majors and departments.
It is true that the MIT is a symbol of tech and engineering but actually it is the best school for business, humanities and art. Cambridge is the best college town in US. So impressed by your achievement.

3

If you already decided your major, you should pick one school which offers the best to your study…like go to RISD for art for sure ! If you have not decided what you want to major, it will be better to choose a school like MIT other than B and C.You take advantage of resources and flexibilities of classes offered. The school wants to see you succeed and they will help you to navigate to your future. I would not give up MIT for anything else. No offense to others, not even H and Y:)

4

Oh, Pearl. (Insert Smiley Face).

I read your post and kept looking for what it is you hope to major in. What I gleaned from all you said is “I don’t know for sure, but I do not shun the humanities, and I have a strong interest in the arts. I can do work in the sciences and maybe CS, but I really do not plan to make a career there. Research appeals to me, but I do not plan to major in anything that is research-required. I am capable of each of those things, but my interests lie elsewhere.”

I, too, have heard that the Brown/RISD Dual Degree program is time intensive and constraining. You sound like you could juggle if you had to, but that is not how you would choose to design your college years. This is an amazing program from what I have heard.

Sounds like you put Columbia on a lower rung than the others because you didn’t get the feeling you wanted from the student body, alarmed that overall interactions may be limited and limiting.* That cannot be dismissed as a feeling, though the student I know there absolutely loves it, both for the in-class interactions with other students, as well as the spillover effect that the classroom discourse can have on the out-of-class experience. This student finds the whole atmosphere to be intellectually stimulating.

MIT, being science and math influenced on the whole throughout many of its courses, has decided that you are the kind of student that can succeed there. There really are no limitations on what, or how, you study at MIT once you get pass the required courses, and you would be able to study business, creative writing, ceramics, etc. You’d have your fill of what you want.

It has been said, and I am paraphrasing badly here, “You can be a creative writing major at MIT. You’d be a math-based, or physics-based, creative writing major, but still a creative writing major.”

*This seemed to be of deeper concern at MIT, though.

5

@touchdream Thank you! And my parents did send my some articles concerning that, but I was just surprised by the overall environment when I visited. Thanks for reminding me that one weekend is not indicative of the school as a whole.

@summerfever Yea, I have not been able to pinpoint a major so I agree with your sentiment on BRDD. However, I am wondering why you don’t think Columbia would be able to allow me the opportunity to explore. Could you please explain that thought process to me?

@Waiting2exhale Haha yes that actually captures me pretty well. I don’t think I can actually be certain of my interests until I have enough experience with them in terms of college courses, but I definitely do enjoy the visual arts & life sciences & am passionate about current events. I do hope to be able to settle down somehow later.

I really appreciate your analysis of my thoughts though, it is very accurate in pinpointing my concerns!! Thank you for your insights into Columbia! I don’t worry as much for social life there because I think I will be able to find a group of friends, just maybe not with the same intensity as the other schools. Do you have any knowledge of interactions at MIT?

6

I don’t know how the kids on the whole feel about who hangs out with whom across disciplines, but do know that the kids my son knows are from across the run of the campus, across different years and fields of study, and don’t all stay in the same dorm. They mingle where they find others to be simpatico.

The first year you could find yourself in a study community which makes it particularly easy to mesh with others over the shared work of P-sets, and classroom angst. If you’ve gone in not needing entry level courses and find yourself kind of floating outside of the entry level courses of your fellow freshmen, you bond because you’re freshmen, but you also will find that the upper classmen welcome you simply because you have something to contribute.

My son’s dorm had him living among students of all ages as a freshman, and they all cooked and hung out and went to the Cape and camping. It was a different experience for a somewhat reserved, cautious kid who is the eldest of the kids at home. Others were leading, and saying “Let’s go and …” All he had to do was say yes, which he did.

Overall, and [i/without * exception, my son loves his time there.

7

If you were sure art/design is your thing, then Brown/RISD.
But since you’re not really sure, I’d recommend going to MIT, where your options are more open - you want the freedom to be able to explore and find out what really “grabs” you. It might not be what you’re expecting today. MIT gives the option to head in pretty much any direction.

8

Actually, I am using my sister as an example. She is at her third year with MIT. She originally applied for Chemstry major but now she is studying management and women studies there. Through all her up and down time, she got tremendous help from professors and advisors. It is a process to find yourself and there are people take longer than others. It is very important to have a flexible system which allows you to explore. Hope it helps.

9

My sister is not in tech and engineering majors but she still finds her fit in the school.

10

They are just my two cents ! I am at my junior high and had done schools visit during the spring break. I also did research on schools class setting and culture. I can’t comment C because it just happen to be one of the schools I did not visit. For me, I will definitely go with business major, and UPenn is on the top of my list. I would pick MIT if I can make in it, but I need to be realistic. I am sharing my thoughts to others at the same time want to know how and why people choose one college over the other. I know this week is the big week for you guys and see your struggle. However, I admired the facts that you have so many options !!! Best wishes !

11

Thanks guys for all the help!! Much appreciated <3

12

The tip that you like current events, I think both Columbia and Brown have more students that share your interests, are more focused that way than MIT may have. Columbia and Brown will have somewhat more student activism, but don’t underestimate Professor Noam Chomsky at MIT to generate a great discussion if he is still giving his political talks there. MIT was the home of the great debate on LCD, Dr. Timothy Leary (former Harvard prof) and MIT Professor Jerry Lettvin.

See the 1967 recording, very humorous!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq3Fp-xp0l0

13

Not taking MIT would be a mistake

14

I fail to see how any of these choices could be a mistake.

(Although MIT does look like a good fit for OP.)

15

I would agree with notarobot124. unless you have found out your interest in B and C. You are comparing BMW to Honda …in my mind at least. Based on what I heard from MIT students and alumnus, you will be thrilled no matter what fileds you ended up with. Declining MIT offer is a HUGE decison. You need to make sure you won’t regret one day.

16

Wow, what amazing choices, @OhPearl. Congratulations on some tremendous acceptances, from some programs that are dramatically different. It’s hard to know where to begin because the programs are so very different.

The Brown-RISD joint program is tremendous, but it’s a 5 year program, and it’s very structured. I don’t know if it will allow you enough time to explore given your varied interests, and lack of a clear focus right now. Brown is a wonderful undergraduate environment (my sister went there, and then did her PhD at MIT), but unless you have a clear direction at the outset you may not be able to fully take advantage of all the opportunities.

The core at Columbia makes it harder to double major (not impossible, but harder) and to do highly interdisciplinary programs. Given your broad interests and your talk about a “combination of majors”, Columbia may not be the best fit for you.

MIT requires a science core no matter what, but you obviously have a strong enough science background to get in. MIT humanities (including media studies and visual studies) are very strong, but are obviously a minority.

If it were me, I’d probably eliminate Columbia because of the core and your interdisciplinary interests, and choose between Brown-RISD or MIT. If you really want to emphasize your art background and combine it with something else, Brown-RISD is hard to beat. If you want to emphasize a science/tech background and combine it with the humanities as a secondary focus, then I’d probably opt for MIT.

I’m not sure if that helps, but good luck!

17

@renaissancedad @usualhopeful Thanks guys!

I think I’m about 80% MIT right now. I’m just going to mull over student body fit for a bit. Y’all have been so helpful and kind <3

18

@OhPearl, here’s some examples of students who have done a nice job combining science and the humanities at each program:

  1. Lizzie Kripke was a student in the Brown-RISD program who combined neuroscience research with her artistic interests:

http://browncreativemind.com/conversations/lizzie-kripkie-brownrisd-dual-degree/

  1. Xiangjun Shi (Shixie) was a student in the Brown-RISD program who used animation as an educational tool about science:

https://vimeo.com/64951553

She also did the animation for this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW2Hvs5WaRY

  1. Nicholas Benson is a student at MIT with extensive theater background who performs with the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble and sings with The Chorallaries. He's doing a joint major in Humanities and Engineering with Comparative Media Studies and Computer Science, and has worked with the MIT Media Lab and worked on video game design:

https://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/in/nicholas-benson-bbb0b651?
http://omono.me

All amazing students combining the arts and STEM.

MIT also has a program called the Burchard Scholars program which selects about 35 students each year (sophomores and juniors) with an interest in the humanities.

https://shass.mit.edu/undergraduate/scholarships/burchard

19

@OhPearl if you don’t mind me asking, what were you stats? Congratulations on your AMAZING acceptances!

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@renaissancedad Ahh thank you! I just committed to MIT this morning!!