<p>Does anyone else feel Columbia's campus is claustrophobic? I'm an incoming freshman but I secretly wish I went to a college with a real campus. I chose Columbia over places with real campuses (Cornell, Vanderbilt, Brown, Duke, U Penn, etc.) but I still yearn for that classic Collegiate Gothic or Georgian architecture, and large (unfenced) green lawns, with hills that are covered with trees.</p>
<p>I just don't really like the whole urban feel... </p>
<p>Well, UPenn is in an urban area, but yes I agree it has a much larger campus. I wouldn’t call Brown’s campus that ideal though in terms of the lawns and stuff, but I agree about the others.</p>
<p>Columbia definitely has a smaller campus than the others, but when I was visiting, I realized that the campus was actually really nice despite the small size. It was an island amidst the city. So yes, it is small, but at the same time it’s very beautiful. See you next year!</p>
<p>Every college has trade-offs. I went into the college application process hell-bent on having ivy, bricks, grassy quads, and Gothic architecture. In the end I picked Columbia over places like Dartmouth, Williams, Cornell, Wellesley, UChicago, and Penn, all of which have real (and beautiful) campuses (well, maybe not so much for Penn). I’m still sad about having to turn down some of these places, and I am nervous about sacrificing a traditional campus experience, but I don’t doubt that I made the right choice.</p>
<p>Columbia, because of rather than in spite of its urban campus, offers things that I couldn’t find anywhere else. All the cultural, intellectual, and professional opportunities of New York City combined with the Core Curriculum could not be beat in my mind. Our campus might be small, and maybe even claustrophobic at times, but it’s what we get for going to college in the most exciting city in the world. (: And if we really want grass and trees I guess there’s always Central Park?</p>
<p>Okay, I realize my response was totally unhelpful because if you chose Columbia you already know how cool it is. But yeah. I share your concerns about the campus, though mine have less to do with the size and appearance and more to do with the supposed lack of campus-based social life. I guess we’ll just have to see when we get there. :/</p>
<p>It’s definitely a concern. The lack of campus space to play sports, throw a frisbee, or just to hang out on campus with a couple friends away from the hustle and bustle is extremely disappointing. Add to that the fact that Columbia has no school spirit<a href=“low%20donation%20rate,%20crappy%20sports%20that%20no%20one%20goes%20to%20watch,%20no%20one%20turns%20up%20at%20reunions”>/u</a>, and I just feel I made the wrong choice by choosing it.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure now that I should’ve opted for Duke… :(</p>
<p>Nothing against Columbia btw. It’s a great school. I just think now that it isn’t the best for me.</p>
<p>You can’t be serious!? You just realized this now… Last time I checked, there was a “real” campus with trees, quads, and old buildings. </p>
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<p>You are already setting yourself up to have a miserable experience with such a negative outlook. Students go to sports games and there is school spirit. The donation rate is no different that the vast majority of top schools, only Dartmouth and Princeton come to mind when it comes to much higher rates… Columbia’s is practically the same or better than its peers.<br>
Give the school a chance before saying you will have a horrible experience. Keep in mind, the 94% of people who didn’t get a chance to hang out on Low’s Steps or in Central Park…</p>
<p>Columbia campus is small, but for most part of it, it is still a very beautiful and unique campus. And most buildings have the green roofs and the classic feel. </p>
<p>And it’s false that Columbia has no school spirit, just go to a basketball game in Levien or take a subway ride to Baker Field for a football game.</p>
<p>yeah just go to homecoming or a home league basketball game, tell me if you don’t see spirit or turn out. if you decide now that your experience is going to suck, guess what - it probably will. the Columbia experience is yours to make what you will of it. it can be crappy if you don’t try, and you can thrive and make it better than any other college experience anywhere, if you go in with the right attitude and put in some effort. You couldn’t offer me any other college to replace how much i gained from going to Columbia.</p>
<p>to answer the question the campus is small but vibrant and beautiful. when you compare to rural campuses it’s really small, when you compare it to anything in manhattan, it’s heaven (expect central park which a few blocks away)</p>
<p>How can you complain that you now find the campus too small…when you’ve never even lived on campus? Everyone feels pangs of self-doubt and buyer’s remorse after they finally make a major decision, but do yourself a favor and don’t assume you’ll have a miserable time at Columbia, lest that turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. You know why you chose Columbia, so just chill out, trust your judgment, and prepare to have a great freshman year. If you want, try to hook up with other admitted students or visit the campus, but don’t just obsess over Columbia. Enjoy your summer now that you’ve graduated high school!</p>
<p>^yes! this is one the few times when you can have absolutely no cares in the world and complete free time. If you do absolutely nothing and just enjoy yourself for the next 3 months it will not make any difference to your life (you’ll probably be better off as a result).</p>