<p>So i know that Columbia and UChicago are very much the same (location, academics, etc), but how are they different?</p>
<p>Is there anything that either school brings to the table that is significantly better than the other school?</p>
<p>UChicago is generally perceived as a more intense school. They're known for their undying work ethic. In fact, some students joke that UChicago is the school "where fun goes to die." But apparently it's well-worth it; Chicago is a hotbed for Nobel Prize winners.</p>
<p>well both are actually (nobel prize). Columbia actually supposedly has more than any school in the world though. </p>
<p>All in all they are very similar though, both at undergrad and grad level, but the undergrads at Chicago are gonna be perhaps a bit more nerdy on average.
Prestige of the two schools are nearly equal throughout the world except in the US (sorry for Chicago, but since it is not an Ivy League, most stupid people/people who don't know much about higher education don't know Chicago's rep). NY is a cooler city imo tho. Both amazing schools.</p>
<p>i agree - chicago is known as 'where fun goes to die'. columbia is stereotypically a bit more stuck up, however</p>
<p>I think that the U of Chicago has a much nicer campus, and is much more livable. You're talking tree-lined streets with 3-storey buildings and extensive treed quads, not concrete canyons.The urban quality of NYC is much more intense. I find it hard to imagine being an 18-yr-old without any real city experience pitchforked into Manhattan. Although Chicago has much to offer culturally, it is not as much as NYC. Nothing is. But on the other hand, you'd better bring plenty of $$ if you want to take advantage of it, and you'd better be prepared for a gritty urban scene.</p>
<p>The "fun goes to die" thing is grossed overstated these days.</p>
<p>Both are excellent institutions for a wide variety of disciplines. I wouldn't underestimate the difference that being in Chicago vs New York would mean. I am sure you can guess what sort of problems come with being in any city, but those problems are magnified for NYC. On the other hand, NYC is fairly well located for weekend road trips to other places whereas Chicago is not.</p>
<p>They both seem to be good schools located in major cities that have a lot to offer. Although Columbia University is located in NYC, and if had to choose between the schools I would probably go with Columbia ( this is base off not doing much research on either of the two schools).</p>
<p>I did do a quick crime look on the cities, and Chicago seems to be more unsafe than a big city like New York. </p>
<p>city-data.com</p>
<p>heard that columbia is uber liberal</p>