Hello everyone! I was accepted to both Columbia University and Oberlin Conservatory (as a composer). I am curious as to what the differences in the schools are in terms of intellectuality and student life, since I’m sure I would be spending plenty of time around the College as well. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
I was in New York and walked around Columbia’s campus yesterday. Of course, Columbia is world-renowned and is an Ivy League institution. It’s a large university with thousands of undergraduate and graduate students. It’s in the biggest city in the country, and Broadway runs along the west part of the campus in the 110’s. Being in the largest city, there are lots of traffic and people, and big buildings everywhere. Restaurants, bars, and clubs everywhere. Museums and musical events everywhere. It is also very expensive to live there.
The question is will you be happy in such an environment. Are you a big city type of a person, or do you like smaller quieter environments? Oberlin has under 3000 students, and is in a small town. The college dominates the town. A 5-10 minute bike ride and you are in the country. You will not find the distractions as you would in New York, so you will be able to concentrate more on your studies, and participate in many of the activities which the conservatory and college provide. The conservatory is excellent, and many graduates move on to Julliard and other graduate schools to continue their studies.
After Oberlin, I was a graduate student at NYU, and felt grateful that I went to a smaller college. I felt sorry for the undergraduates at NYU. They did not have a campus as nice as Oberlin’s, nor the interactions with the faculty. They had large classes, and had to deal with the traffic and rat race which is New York.
I think gratefulalum sums it up very well until he (I’ll use “he” rather than he/she everywhere) presents his opinion of NYC as fact: “…had to deal with the traffic and rat race which is New York”. I lived in nyc for 15 years and never saw it as a rat race. Instead, I felt I was living in one of the greatest cities on earth, exposed (as gratefulalum) points out) to incredible cultural and professional opportunities.
Both of our kids could have attended school in NYC but chose other schools as they eventually plan to live in NYC (or another city) and wanted a different college experience. They were both admitted to Oberlin and my middle child is absolutely thrilled to be attending in the fall.
That being said, in your position, I would be very tempted to attend columbia for their brand.
luck,
Probably should not have used the term “rat race”. I love New York, and visit every year. The point is a 17 or 18 year old attending college there will encounter crowds of people on the sidewalks and subways rushing to and from work and classes. It is a faster paced place. Then, despite the noise ordinances you have the drivers honking their horns over what appears to be nothing. Every New York pedestrian has had the experience of dodging the careening cab driver. It can be unpleasant to a young person…