<p>I know about the city and the core curriculum. </p>
<p>What are the benefits of Columbia over say, Cornell or Penn? I've made my college decision already (Cornell), but I'm waitlisted at Columbia and am very interested to hear what people have to say. When I searched the forum 99% of the responses were about either the city or the core.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Three things Columbia has that are better than Cornell's and Penn's are the really nice campus, the city, and the core. Those would be the biggest reasons for you to try to get off the waitlist. Other reasons would be more specific to your interests. But using one of my interests as an example, the music is much better at Columbia than at Cornell and Penn, partly because of the city, partly because of the school, and partly because of the students Columbia attracts. I'm talking about classical music, but New York beats the others in non-classical music as well, Columbia and the city both good for jazz and the city good for most things you're looking for.</p>
<p>And the teachers dude. The teachers at Columbia are obscenely good.</p>
<p>The rest of the Ivy League > Cornell.</p>
<p>As a Junior looking at Columbia as my top choice, I can say these are the things that really attract me to the school besides the core (which I love, love, love) and the city.</p>
<p>-A premed concentration. Columbia is the only school (I think), that actually offers a concentration in premed, so you can get all your premed requirements out, while majoring in something else. This really attracts me, because I eventually want to go on to medical school, but I want to major in the humanities in college.</p>
<p>-The advising system at Columbia. They're so flexible and, from what I hear, really willing to help you get through your four years at Columbia. </p>
<p>-The campus architecture. After I visited the school...seriously, I fell in love. Something like four blocks of NYC sectioned off for a beautiful school. Butler library was just...excellent. And a good place to study too...got a lot of AP US homework done in that reading room.</p>
<p>-It has all the organizations I'm looking for...a solid newspaper, a South Asian students organization, and an ultimate frisbee intramural.</p>
<p>People say NYU is great because it's in NYC, but its drawback is that it has no campus to speak of, only Washingtion Square Park.</p>
<p>Columbia is in NYC, AND it has a campus. Also, my favorite thing about the academics (that is why you go to college, right?) is that it has the Core curriculum, which is really the backbone of the Columbia education.</p>
<p>Steveistutor (or should I just call you Steve?), there is a poster here who transferred to Dartmouth after one year at Columbia and consistently advises people not to go to Columbia for undergrad because it is not the usual undergrad experience, lacks community, and is cliquey. He says that while freshman year is great, after that everyone spreads out and loses contact with each other. I think I've got those descriptions right.</p>
<p>He's posted so much about this that I'd be interested in your reaction, since it seems as if you've already spent a positive couple of years at Columbia. (My son just finished his first, very good, year there and I'm wondering what he might expect going into his second.)</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>In addition to CORE and city, I must say that Columbia is the only other school besides Cornell that offers Boxing intramural AND wrestling intramural. Booya. :)</p>
<p>First of all, the whole ivy league > Cornell is a complete idiotic statement. They all excel in different areas. You guys don't realize that selectivity doesn't equate with excellence. For example, Columbia may be more selective than Cornell, but what is that really saying? Columbia also boasts about a 11 percent acceptance rate, but all it goes to show is that its applicant pool isn't as nearly selective as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc.. Brown, has an acceptance rate at around 15-16 percent, but it doesn't have a pool that is as selective at let's say Dartmouth. It's all relative. Columbia is reallly strong, and I may actually give the edge in the academics to Columbia, but for the most part, Cornell is as strong or stronger than Penn, Brown, Dartmouth in many areas! That is a fact, you can go search for department rankings, everything...</p>
<p>
[quote]
As a Junior looking at Columbia as my top choice, I can say these are the things that really attract me to the school besides the core (which I love, love, love) and the city.</p>
<p>-A premed concentration. Columbia is the only school (I think), that actually offers a concentration in premed, so you can get all your premed requirements out, while majoring in something else. This really attracts me, because I eventually want to go on to medical school, but I want to major in the humanities in college.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>what are you talking about? you can take premed classes at any college and not major in premed or anything science related. In fact majoring in premed is a big no no.</p>
<p>i second hnbui...what are you talking about?? and in response to achilleus, cornell is probably the best math/science ivy, so in that sense, cornell>ivy league...its all a matter of opinion</p>
<p>also what's sogood about the core?</p>
<p>the core gives you a solid base on a more in depthway to look at the world. It also gives you cultural background and a means to have something in common with all the other students at Columbia.
In other words, the CORE unifies all the students together and makes us all well-rounded human beings, no matter what major we may choose. My view on the world definitely changed after taking Lit Hum.</p>
<p>C
<a href="http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=soho%5B/url%5D">http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=soho</a>
the finalists - the best pictures from best nights of Columbia U- 2005.
<a href="http://www.CUfestival.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.CUfestival.com/</a>
Columbia University National Undergraduate Film Festival.</p>
<p>that sounds nice and all but what makes the columbia core any different from the distribution requirements and core provided by other schools?</p>
<p>the difference is that with the exception of probably only the University of Chicago, no other school really has a Core Curriculum even close to the style and execution of Columbia's. the Core requires you to have taken several specific courses which provide a solid base for the rest of your college education. distribution requirements at any other school simply make it so you have to take some odd English course of your choosing as a math major, and some odd chemistry course as a Philosophy major. distribution requirements do not ensure a healthy liberal arts education. the Core does.</p>
<p>Differences between the core and distribution requirements: All first year students take the same class (LitHum) with the same reading list, but in groups capped at 22. Second year students all take Contemporary Civilization, same deal. </p>
<p>So, core classes are small whereas classes chosen for distribution requirements can be large. Everyone in your dorm will be reading Herodotus or the Bible or Kant. Like intellectual boot camp! Only, one hopes, more enjoyable. </p>
<p>The list of books is basically a Great Books kind of approach. You'll come out with a classic education in the basis of Western Civilization -- literature, art, music, philosophy. Distribution requirements, on the other hand, mean you can come out with one class on Latin American economic history from 1736 to 1803, one on Ancient Egyptian Art, and one on the Philosophy of Rock and Roll, and still have satisfied the "general education" requirement somewhere. </p>
<p>Different strokes for different folks.</p>
<p>okay i understand it now.</p>
<p>Does Columbia really have a philosophy of rock and roll course? If so, that would make me a bit jealous, heh</p>
<p>In response to the questions about the premed concentration. Columbia offers a premed concentration in addition to your major so you can get your requirements for med school done easily. Do some searching on the Columbia website and you'll find it.</p>