<p>Let’s say I want to be a doctor. Would it make more sense for me to apply to UPenn early decision or Columbia? And just how competitive are the medical schools of both of these undergraduate colleges? Also, I understand UPenn is Ivy League, but you don’t hear about it as much as you do Harvard or Princeton or Yale or Columbia. Is it really less prestigious, and for what reasons?</p>
<p>Wow... you hear about Columbia? Where the heck are you from?</p>
<p>(not being disparaging, just honestly surprised that your list is HYP-Columbia... It seems to be the one I always forget when I try to list the schools. That or Dartmouth... I'd even say Cornell is probably more memorable. )</p>
<p>i agree with muppetcoat. My list has always been HPY, UPENN (not only because I go here), then COLUMBIA, cornell, dartmouth, brown (I HATE BROWN)</p>
<p>newyorkcity2012:</p>
<p>who doesn't? ;)</p>
<p>summerzwow- to actually answer your original question- it probably wouldn't make a discernable difference which of the two schools you would choose to attend undergrad. The schools have about the same prestige level when looked at by law school admissions officers. I would look at what the two schools offer in what you feel is most important to you, and choose whichever you feel most comfortable at.</p>
<p>Penn is better for premed, definately. I imagine the acceptance to medical school from both is quite similar, but there are a couple of reasons to take Penn over Columbia:</p>
<p>1) Freedom of program: premed courses restrict you a lot no matter where you go, and Columbia has a notoriously large corse, whereas at Penn you would have the opportunity to take more courses on a whim.</p>
<p>2) Med Schools: Penn has the oldest and 4th ranked medical school in the country (Columbia is 10th, nothing to sneeze at certainly), and unlike many medical program (esp. Harvard, for example), Penn does not look down upon giving preferential treatment to it's undergrads in admissions, wheras a lot of schools actively campaign AGAINST their own undergrads. This policy may change under Gutman, who is of the belief that students should go elsewhere for graduate school (as is the view of many undergrad administrators at colleges).</p>
<p>Prestige(?): In most circles, I think Penn is viewed as an overall better school than Columbia, but the difference is of course marginal at best, you should visit both and pick the one you like best, neither will hurt you in the long run (I personally detest NYC though).</p>
<p>Disadvantages of Penn:</p>
<p>Rigor of the program: Penn's is generally one of the first names to come up when people talk of incredibly difficult premed programs, along with JHU, WashU, Duke, and Cornell, whereas Columbia's flies a bit further under the radar, which might help you avoid some of the cutthroat actions that come with an incredibly competitve program.</p>
<p>why do you detest NYC?</p>
<p>i've just always thought that there's a point when big becomes too big, and being from philly, I have this inborn inferiority complex when it comes to NYC and DC.</p>
<p>i live in nyc, and i personally think philly, and penn are a lot better for the undergrad experience.. its easy to not get out of columbia if you were to go there.. ive heard many stories about students there who never like that 6 block radius. i think at penn, you kinda have to, and thats good.</p>
<p>Plus, I've heard from third hand accounts that the bums in NYC sneeze on you if you get too close. Just something to keep in mind. The Philadelphia variety are almost gentlemen...</p>
<p>To the OP:</p>
<p>NYC is one of the most active and exciting places in the country...no surprise that NYU's location is was rated and ranked #1 in the country. The city itself is also at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. nyc is one of the world's global cities, home to an almost unrivaled collection of world-class museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations, and stock exchanges..........the last thing you've got to worry about is bums.</p>
<p>has anyone else noticed that none of the "non-penn" posters on this community have any sense of humor whatsoever?</p>
<p>i have never been sneezed on by a bum! lol. ill get back to you about the philly bums once i get there next week</p>
<p>muppetcoat,</p>
<p>i have just as good a sense of humor as you.....i just don't like it when when it's used at the expense of the location where i'll be studying and living at:)</p>
<p>i think people who have grown up in nyc are a lot less likely to think its such a great city.. sure its great in terms of culture and entertainment (yay broadway), but its lacking in other respects.. but i still love my city.</p>
<p>I'm from DC, I make fun of it all the time.</p>
<p>Yeah, I'm from the United States, and I also make fun of it all the time...</p>
<p>yeah whatever...say what you want. But the truth is, you're all trying talk trash about new york because it makes you feel better about your location in penn. its kinda like people at Brown talking trash about ithaca so they feel less insecure about their own place.</p>
<p>New York is a great city, and so is Philadelphia. They both have their ups and downs. Personally, New York is just too damn big for me.</p>
<p>Uh... I love New York. I almost went to NYU because I love New York. I'm a Mets/Giants fan (don't ask, it's a parental thing)... all my family lives in New York.</p>
<p>People at Penn badmouth Philly & Penn as much as we badmouth anywhere else, but we still love it here. I think that's one of my favorite things about Penn- the personality.</p>
<p>College kids trash the Wharton Kids & vice-versa. Who cares? We all come together to hate Princeton and revel in their defeat. We wear "Not Penn State" shirts, have a massive Napoleon complex, and we know how to have a good time.</p>
<p>Honestly- this is a city that threw bottles at Santa Claus! Okay, he was drunk, but it was the mayor who started the barrage! That is the essence of this place. It's a working class, self-aware, cynical city. And Penn, that underdog of the elite, fits right in, snarking right along.</p>