<p>Both schools seem very similar in that they are graduate-student orientated.</p>
<p>In terms of undergraduate academics, what does Harvard do better than Columbia, and vice versa?</p>
<p>How does Columbia Core compare to Harvard Core?</p>
<p>NOTE: I am talking about academic merit only. I'm not asking about which is more "prestigious" or has better dorms, student life etc. </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
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<p>Harvard and Columbia are very different schools. Although the rigor of courses is probably the same, each school has a very different educational philosophy.</p>
<p>Columbia prides itself on its Core Curriculum, where every student since the 1920’s, regardless of major, takes the same basic set of courses: Masterpieces of Western Literature, University Writing, Frontiers of Science, Contemporary Civilization, Music Humanities and Art Humanities. All first and second year Columbia students MUST TAKE these specific courses – the theory being that it gives all Columbia students shared commonality and conversation. The core is not for everyone – students either love it or hate it. Those that dislike the core, tend to dislike Columbia. For some students, it seems more like high school for the first two years because you don’t have the ability to pick and choose general education courses. See: <a href=“https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/[/url]”>https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/</a></p>
<p>Harvard’s General Education requirements are less rigid; they allow students to pick-and-choose courses from eight broad categories over four years: Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding, Culture and Belief, Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning, Ethical Reasoning, Science of Living Systems, Science of the Physical Universe, Societies of the World and United States in the World. See: [Homepage</a> § Program in General Education](<a href=“http://www.generaleducation.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do]Homepage”>http://www.generaleducation.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do)</p>