<p>Don't worry, once you are there you will be fine! It's human psychology in action.</p>
<p>A study polled people living within the vicinity of a large dam about the degree to which they were concerned with the probability of the dam breaking.</p>
<p>The funny thing was, the closer the people lived to the dam, the less they worried about it. The brain blocked out concerns in order to preserve its sanity.</p>
<p>So once you are in Manhattan, you'll feel quite safe.</p>
<p>Regarding a terrorist attack, Columbia is located pretty far uptown. I (and my parents) are more worried about me possibly attending NYU.</p>
<p>IMO-- "Prestige" wise</p>
<p>Harvard
Princeton (the name sounds just so... royal)
Yale
Columbia
Dartmouth
Brown
Penn (so overrated its not even funny)
Cornell</p>
<p>I think Columbia MAY MAY break into the top 3 in the next decade or so if all this endowment/m'ville/increased selectivity/nobel wins trend keeps going. It's definitely getting better and better (recognition wise). The 50% CC early admit students would have been extremely competitive for HYPS so i don't think there's a case of a major inferiority complex (at least for that half). But as for the other half, many were probably rejected from HYP (so this is where the inferiority complex) kicks in.</p>
<p>But Columbia hasnt made it past #9 ever in the USWNR, anyone think it will this year? IMO... it definitely needs to be recognized as better than Duke and Penn, and as for being tied with Chicago... I won't comment about that. Caltech is too specialized/small to be compared with a major research UNiversity like HYPC.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Caltech is too specialized/small to be compared with a major research UNiversity like HYPC.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Caltech isn't going anywhere. Remember it was #1 awhile back, until evidently USNews thought the same thing as you and fixed their formula. Caltech is just too good. My top 10 overall for next year:</p>
<p>1) Princeton
2) Harvard
3) Yale
3) MIT
3) Stanford
6) Caltech
7) Columbia
8) Duke
9) Penn
10) Dartmouth</p>
<p>Johnny, you've calmed me down a bit now. Still once you think about the cookie monster you can't stop anymore.</p>
<p>Hmm. Good things you guys don't make decisions, then.</p>
<p>Glad I could help, my German friend</p>
<p>
[quote]
Hmm. Good things you guys don't make decisions, then.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What, would you put Penn at #4 again? ;)</p>
<p>Oh sry to disappoint you, but I'm not actually German. Oh wait, actually I... well let's just say that I'm complicated, ^^.</p>
<p>No I wouldn't put it back at #4 (though it is rather nice).</p>
<p>I'd put Stanford at #4, DQ Caltech because it's not a comprehensive school, and tie Penn and Columbia at #5. I feel both are equally excellent institutions but each with its respective strengths and weaknesses.</p>
<p>As for accusations of "gaming the system," Columbia's separation of CC from SEAS admissions is more dishonest than anything Penn could ever do.</p>
<p>HYP</p>
<p>there is no C after that people.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'd put Stanford at #4, DQ Caltech because it's not a comprehensive school, and tie Penn and Columbia at #5
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And so MIT gets the boot? Lol...right. Columbia and Penn are great, but you'd really mess up the system if MIT fell outta the top 5.</p>
<p>"-Campus cohesion. This should be fairly obvious. Manhattanville may be CU's best option, but it is by no means the same campus as Morningside. A single, beautiful, unified campus was a great asset of Columbia. M'ville will spell the end of one Columbia. Penn is fortunate enough to have adjacent space in which to expand."</p>
<p>Did you miss the fact that all of Columbia's medical schools are 50 blocks away and the athletics complex is 100 blocks away? Columbia hasn't been "cohesive" since 1929.</p>
<p>If you think Manhattanville is "not the same campus" either you aren't familar with the neighborhood and don't realize just how close 125th street is, or you are from Columbia and are full of the provincialism that leads students to think that anything south of 110th street is "far." This is NEW YORK. WALK! (Granted, Columbia's compact size makes one incredibly lazy...)</p>
<p>Also regarding terrorist attacks- Columbia thought the Class of 2006 (which it was admitting immediately following 9/11) would be adversely affected, and they admitted more than the normal amount of students to compensate for the expected drop in yield. Instead, they got stuck with an over enrolled Class because they came anyway. Columbians are not afraid of the world. And as was mentioned earlier- you'd be in more danger at NYU anyway.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what your measure of "prestige" is, but as far as the impact of the school you attend on career prospects, HYP are in a class of their own along with Wharton. After that, there's a steep drop off and everyone else can make a case for 4th place. Being a Columbia graduate will not give you a significant edge over someone from Cornell, Brown, or Penn. Whereas HPYW will literally open doors for you (I've actually seen a pair of doors open and a halo appear when someone said "Harvard"!), Columbia will not have that impact. Sorry. Is it better than WUStL? You bet. Is Columbia College a better academic institution than Penn A&S? I sure as hell think so.</p>
<p>As I mentioned before, simple math states that Columbia cannot unseat any of HPY without one of them stumbling BADLY. What Columbia CAN achieve on its own in the next 10 years is to make "HYP and everyone else" into an uncontested "HPYC and then everyone else." Considering how well Columbia does even with all it's handicaps, I have every hope that this will become a reality.</p>
<p>Don't worry, Columbia will do well in the future.</p>
<p>How do you think Columbia rates compared with Stanford?</p>
<p>Whatever terms you want, similar to the above posts comparing it to other Ivies like Penn.</p>
<p>Stanford is more pre-med/techy (though you have your fair share of pre-meds at Columbia)</p>
<p>BUt in general, Stanford is stronger in teh sciences and Columbia is stronger in the humanities (+internship opportunities...). It doesn't hurt that Columbia is tied with Cambridge for the most Nobels in the world AND that Columbia administers the Pulitzer prize.</p>
<p>why would you guys care about the rankings???
mor0000nzzzz</p>