So I have heard a lot about Columbia being incredibly stressful, that it practices grade deflation and generally has an environment that is so competitive that it inhibits community and makes it hard for students to do well in Undergrad and enjoy themselves at the same time. Could anyone speak to this?
Does Columbia practice grade deflation and to what extent?
Do Columbia students compete with each other and not share not etc.?
What was your experience there?
I think you will meet all kinds in our community. As a computer science major, I have been highly impressed with the tinkerer and maker community. People go out of their way to help one another and genuinely want to see everyone succeed. Freshman dorms such as John Jay and Carmen are also highly social and form great community in the first year. I don’t think our grading is easy, but you will find that any professor at Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, etc, expects significant intellect and devotion from his or her students.
That being said, if you look hard enough, I am sure you can find pockets of ultra competitive people. For example, the Journal for Global Health is known around campus as a hot bed for these kinds of people. I recommend that you make friends who you are comfortable with and who want the best for you.
But my two cents are that I love Columbia and that I will cherish the friends I’ve made here. I have found the academics rigorous but fully within the capabilities of anyone who can be admitted to the class.
@calim What is the housing situation like? Are you satisfied with it?
And thanks for the input by the way, put me at ease 
For housing you have ~four options for freshman year. The facilities in each are fairly nice. Carmen offers large doubles and a riotous community. Furnald is exceptionally quiet, almost quirky. I started my college career in John Jay and loved it – I’d describe it as plenty social without inhibiting academics. Everyone leaves their door open and there is a strong sense of community.
Wallach and Hartley are also options, but for some reason my friends in those areas seemed to be mostly engineers. Anyone could truly thrive anywhere, but pick the dorm that sounds like what you’re looking for.
Having spent my second year in Furnald, it was a little too quiet for my tastes. If you want to chat by phone or over facebook, feel free to PM me. I am embarrassed by my post history on this account, though, so please don’t mention it to me if we ever meet in person. 
This is my first time on this account in years.
No, not in my experience.