<p>I know there are a ton of these posts out there but.....
Columbia
Pros:
- NYC
- Great academics
- Beautiful urban campus
- More well known
- Legacy
- Gymnastics are more well-known than in Philly
- Been to Columbia a dozen times so I'm much more familiar with their campus (Brother goes there)
- Want to live in NYC one day(/Boston is my second choice)
Cons:
- Bad dorms
- Not really a traditional campus feel
- Not the kind of social life I'm looking for
- Too hippie for me
- Gymnastic areas are super expensive compared to Philly
Penn
Pros:
- Philly, another big city
- Great academics
- Wharton
- Closer to home
- More of a traditional campus feel
- Social Ivy
- Better dorms
- Not as costly for gymnasts
Cons
- Not NYC
- The sort of gloomy looking campus is turning me off a
- Not as familiar with the campus/dorms/everything
If you were me, what would you choose for ED?
If I decide to visit Penn, when should I go before ED?</p>
<p>May and April are great months in Philly. The cherry blossoms, red bud, and other tree blossoms should be best then; I’m assuming you’re not highly allergic to tree pollen. You get the Stotesbury and Dad Vail regattas. You can get brooklyn pizza in philly, but you cannot get a s. philly cheesesteak in Harlem. Penn, hands down. Confession: I grew up there. Wrote a dissertation at Penn.</p>
<p>But if you grew up in NYC and think it is the omphalos, you will probably like Columbia better than Penn.</p>
<p>If I were you, I wouldn’t apply to either ED since you are having such a hard time deciding. I would apply to both RD and make my decision in April, once I’ve had a chance to visit.</p>
<p>Also, you can’t get good Brooklyn pizza in Philly. 
I’ve tried the “New York” pizza in Philly and it’s about as New York as the “Philly” cheesesteaks in New York are Philly.</p>
<p>I am doing my PhD at Columbia and honestly if I had to make the decision, I’d say Penn, too. Lol. But I wasn’t an undergrad here, just an outside observer of undergraduate life. Manhattan is overrated, IMO, and you’re right in that Penn has a more traditional campus and a more stereotypical “college experience.” But really, you can’t go wrong with either.</p>