<p>I'm choosing between the 2 and i want to study math, physics, bio but im also interested in languages...MIT is the sensible choice but im afraid the ppl there are not as chill at the NYer's at Columbia...i need biased opinions from both sides please!</p>
<p>As a Bostonian, I don’t think I’d call New Yorkers “chill”. 
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<p>Have you visited MIT? Did you get a chance to come to Campus Preview Weekend? There are lots of different types of people at MIT, and you get to choose which group(s) to which you’d like to belong.</p>
<p>I’m crazy biased.</p>
<p>In favor of Columbia, I think it was the first college where I went on a serious info-session + tour visit, though the visit was for my sister. It’s gorgeous! And I didn’t bother to remember anything else because I hate NYC and knew I wouldn’t be applying there. So, that’s about the end of my Columbia bit.</p>
<p>For those hard sciences in which you are interested, MIT is likely the better choice. I don’t know what your exact interest in languages is. If it’s biased toward linguistics, MIT all the way (join me in Course 24!!!). If you’re more into learning languages, I know MIT has good instruction, but Columbia probably has a bigger selection of languages. However, one can always cross register at Harvard.</p>
<p>Did you go to CPW? MIT students are so chill.</p>
<p>Again, I know nothing about Columbia. I just think it’s pretty and regret that it’s in NYC.</p>
<p>I love Boston and I love NYC…i like that MIT had its frats and its great rep for partying but at cpw all i heard was “science olympiads” and “i take 10 APs” whereas columbia students were not as snobby tho not as competitive academically…idk im sort of a nerd so maybe MITs where i belong but im used to new yorkers bc i grew up near the city…idk theres a lot to think about but…
THANKS FOR THE ADVICE !! :)</p>
<p>i stayed at simmons during CPW and i liked the people and it was a cool nice new dorm but apparently they have that “party pooper” like “quiet unsocial” rep</p>
<p>columbia brags that their physics dept’s student faculty ratio is like almost 2:1…is it much different at MIT? what are research opportunities like as in how competitive is urop for a freshman or sophomore?</p>
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Freshmen get over this tendency in about a day when they arrive for orientation – when you have new, exciting MIT stuff to talk about, nobody will talk about what they did in high school anymore. To be honest, I don’t think it’s snobbiness so much as it is not being sure what to talk about.</p>
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I count 87 faculty members on the MIT physics department’s webpage ([here](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/faculty/index.html]here[/url]”>http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/faculty/index.html)</a>), and there are 183 current physics students ([link](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/stats/yreportfinal.html]link[/url]”>http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/stats/yreportfinal.html)</a>). So that’s 2.1:1.</p>
<p>It’s generally pretty easy to get a UROP, especially as a sophomore – you can check the UROP office’s listings or the listings from a particular department, or just email a bunch of professors whose work you find interesting. Many people don’t seek them as freshmen, just because they want to adjust to MIT before diving into research, but it’s not unusual for a freshman to have a UROP.</p>
<p>I encourage the OP to research how many MIT students choose to major in fields outside of math/science/engineering/economics. The miniscule numbers should cause anyone who has any interest outside of those fields to take a long, hard look before matriculating at MIT. The faculty is probably strong across all disciplines, but who wants to spend his or her days, as a language (or other humanities or non-econ social studies) major literally surrounded by math/science/engineering/economics students?</p>
<p>@pbr: Who would want that? Students who can deftly bridge what C.P. Snow called “the two cultures,” students like the blogger Chris, who posts here as “oasis.” Many of the majors in STEM fields minor in humanities fields at MIT.</p>
<p>OP, I was in your situation, so maybe I could help.</p>
<p>I had this same debate. I had to choose MIT or Columbia, and I choose MIT. When I looked at the two schools, Columbia seemed to be more rigid than MIT with their core. Don’t get me wrong, MIT has a core, but there are more options with classes. Columbia spells it out for you, and they force you into a Westernized education. </p>
<p>While Columbia is the traditional liberal arts foundation, and has lots of languages, MIT is not shabby in that area either. If you want something “more” than what MIT offers, you can cross register with Harvard (possibly Wellesly if you are female?). Not to mention, if it is linguistics, um hello, THE Noam Chomsky has an office in the State Center, I believe… </p>
<p>When I looked at each campus, Columbia didn’t feel like a place that I could sprawl. They are more landlocked that MIT, and their campus, really is a giant court yard. I realized that I wanted a city, but also some quiet time, away from the noise of it all. I really felt that when I was at MIT for CPW- even though Mass. Ave. or Memorial Drive was right there! </p>
<p>I went to CPW, and I met a lot of good people, and they seemed really friendly. You never got the sense that “oh, I go to MIT, I am academically elite (although it came from SOME of the Harvard students I met :p)” I feel like the communities of Boston and Cambridge embrace students more than NYC, simply because that area has more colleges that NYC. I also felt the metropolitan air at Columbia, and I did not want to get sucked into that attitude.</p>
<p>So there is my process in determining that MIT was a better fit! Hope it helps!</p>
<p>OP or other prefroshies,
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<p>You can read more about how cool humanities are at MIT. This is a recent blog entry by
[MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: “Burchard Scholars Program”](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/learning/coursework/burchard_scholars_program.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/learning/coursework/burchard_scholars_program.shtml)</p>
<p>According to the MIT Registrar, as of October 2008 there were ONLY TWO undergraduates who had declared a foreign language as their major (out of the 3,061 undergraduates who had declared a major). In fact, there were ONLY 58 undergraduates who had declared a major in any field in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences outside of economics. If there is any chance you will choose to major in a field outside of math/science/engineering/economics, consider the academic isolation you will face if you do so. If the “oasis” attracts you, ignore this post.</p>
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If you’re prime focus is the humanities, then sure, MIT might not be for you. But there are tons of people that minor in a Humanities subject while majoring in science or engineering. So you can absolutely study languages here while majoring in math, physics, or bio.</p>
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<p>Could you explain more about the “academic isolation”? does it mean the more people major in this field, the better for you?</p>
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<p>we can also look at this way. With only 58 undergrads, this is an opportunity for humanities-oriented students to shine…</p>
<p>and the OP said he is “interested” in languages. this may be taking a couple of classes/concentrating/minoring or majoring…</p>
<p>and I don’t see how the fact that there are only 2 undergrad declaring a foreign language major could hinder him</p>
<p>If you’re so much into foreign languages, then there’s always Harvard down the road</p>
<p>MIT is a tremendous school for those who are unequivocably destined to spend at least four years of immersion in math/science/engineering/economics (as is Columbia). For everyone else, who might desire an “out” by ultimately choosing to study something else, MIT may not be the right place. Columbia provides the “out.”</p>
<p>My Columbia son, who is interested in both physics and philosophy, never took a second glance at MIT because he did not want to be pidgeon-holed. For those who fit the MIT pidgeon-hole, MIT is a perfect place (although I don’t know how any 17 year-old can possibly know his or her pidgeon-hole). As he approaches the end of his freshman year, I applaud him for continuing to be indecisive about his choice.</p>
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There are definitely quite a few more students than that who end up with a degree in a humanities field. Check out the degree recipients last year [url=<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/stats/degfinal.html]here[/url”>http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/stats/degfinal.html]here[/url</a>]. </p>
<p>The registrar’s report each year lists only primary majors. Most humanities majors at MIT are double-majors with something technical, and will declare their technical major as their first/primary major so that their academic advisor is in the technical department.</p>
<p>molliebatmit, I appreciate the link you provided to 2008 degree recipients. According to your link, however, ONLY 43 out of 1,217 undergraduates received degrees in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Science (not including the 35 economics majors). It appears that NO ONE received a degree in a foreign language that year.</p>
<p>^ Did you read the bit about double majoring? You’re only counted under one major for those stats ;)</p>
<p>I don’t see why you should look at the number of undergrads who graduated with humanities major to see the strength of MIT’s HASS.</p>
<p>Lol, I’m having the exact same problem…indecisive people unite?!</p>
<p>So, you listed math, physics, bio, and languages as your interests…MIT is definitely the place to go for math and physics (it’s MIT for chrissakes!). And from what I hear, MIT’s humanities departments aren’t as inept as people paint them to be (stereotypes…urgh). </p>
<p>Speaking of stereotypes, I actually found MIT students to be more chill than Columbia students…which was interesting for me to see. Maybe because CPW wasn’t right before finals week? Regardless, the people there were witty, engaging, and bright. And for the most part, approachable. </p>
<p>Good luck deciding!!</p>