<p>truazn's second point is well taken.</p>
<p>I would also add that I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "- i dont like that they restrict me to the school I got into SEAS". As a SEAS student, you are treated identically to CC students in all respects except Alumni events. It is your choice of major that has determined what set of courses you want to take, but if you show up on campus and decide that a more liberal-arts major suits you better, you have a very big leg up on transferring to CC.</p>
<p>Columbia and Princeton are roughly equivalent in the quality of their engineering programs, when you factor in prestige, job opportunities, grad school opportunities, notable professors, etc. Both have several things about them that MIT cannot match, and likewise MIT is an unparalleled engineering and science research institution, but between Columbia and Princeton I think you'd rather be here.</p>