<p>If anyone has sufficient knowledge about both schools and can give a somewhat indepth comparison of the schools in terms of academics, campus/social life, etc. it would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Basically, I know that I want to major in the humanities (english, history, etc), and Columbia's famed Core curriculum is definitely something I would love. Does Northwestern have anything remotely similar to Columbia's Core?</p>
<p>Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!</p>
<p>Both schools are top colleges, and their programs are generally excellent. Columbia will, however, have a slight edge in the humanities. The most popular major here at Northwestern is economics, which is stronger here than at Columbia. Also note that Columbia will be a little more selective. But most importantly try to visit both campuses and get a feeling of both.</p>
<p>My sister just graduated from Columbia, and was a history major with a concentration in psychology. She is presently getting her masters in Urban Planning at the University of Toronto. She really liked living in the city for the past 4 years, but it seemed as if most people on campus were incredibly stressed out. One thing that I noticed visiting Columbia many times, was that there is no sense of community or school spirit, despite the fact that it has a fairly enclosed campus. However, at Columbia you are IN NEW YORK CITY; at Northwestern you are a 30 minute ride on the el away from Chicago. Therefore, you'll probably end up shmendering more in the city at Columbia. The notion I got when I visited NU, was that most people spend the majority of there time around campus, and travel to the city at most once or twice a month. I'm sure that is not true for all people, but it seemed to be the norm on campus. If you have any other questions about either school, please feel free to ask.</p>