<p>So considering the sheer volume of people on CC right now, I figured even a lowly hmm-what-college-should-I-go-to thread like this one might get some attention. Up to this point, I've been very sure of MIT as my first choice. However, suddenly today I had this moment of doubt, and decided maybe I should get some more opinions. </p>
<p>Columbia, MIT, or Brown, and why? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>major?
school size?
Location?</p>
<p>what do you like?</p>
<p>Major: Chemistry or math, but I'm notoriously fickle.
School size: Aren't these 3 all about the same?
Location: In a city. Which all 3 of these are.</p>
<p>I was really asking for your own opinions; where you'd go, and why. I know it doesn't necessarily relate to me at all, but I'm curious, and it will help me.</p>
<p>Personally, I would go to Brown, because MIT frightens me (mostly because I'd be "the stupid one," and partly because of the suicide rate), and Columbia is in New York, which leaves it out of the realm of consideration.</p>
<p>I sorta like Brown. They have a less intimidating atmosphere combined with a beautiful campus. MIT & Columbia have more favorable locations in my opinion - but I'd be happiest at Brown, myself.</p>
<p>I must comment, since you called it "Oy gevalt," az Kolumbie hot di beste program far yidish in di fareynekte shtatn, un ikh hob ge-applied tsu lernen zikh yidish ober zey hobn mikh ge-waitlisted.</p>
<p>(that Columbia has the best program for Yiddish in the U.S., and I had applied to study Yiddish but they waitlisted me...)</p>
<p>The best think about Yiddish is that you can pretty much decipher it if you have even the slightest understanding of German, English, and Hebrew.</p>
<p>If you're "fickle", don't go to MIT. They have many fewer choices than Columbia or Brown. You may wake up one morning and decide that you love your philosophy class and want to study philosophy. Harder to do at MIT. (Yes, it happens; it happened to the Dean of the College at University of Rochester.)</p>
<p>Columbia has the Core Curriculum. Brown has no core. If you like the Core, then Columbia's the place. If not, Brown is.</p>
<p>my 2 cents</p>
<p>MIT: great if you absolutely know what you want for u/g, or for graduate; urban campus and not that attractive (to me)</p>
<p>COLUMBIA: Haven't seen, but my dd visited; nice since it's in NYC, but has a defined campus</p>
<p>BROWN: would get my vote; pretty campus, lots of traditions, lots of traditional collegiate experiences, near a city; of course, you need to be ok without the core curriculum</p>
<p>"but I'm notoriously fickle."...Oy Vey, we have one of those too and finding it hard to make a decision....</p>
<p>Given your "fickleness", I would probably stay away from MIT (and yes, I know it has been your first choice for awhile)...</p>
<p>Columbia v Brown: Cosmopolitan NY; great area V IMO a little artsy, make your own schedule Brown.....</p>
<p>I'm thinking Columbia....flexible enough without giving you toooo many choices that you wouldn't be able to decide on what you would like to do....</p>
<p>ps: You are only 18...you are supposed to be fickle....It means you are normal!!</p>
<p>I'd go to MIT, because it's a great place full of great people.</p>
<p>Come to CPW and see if you feel at home. If you don't, go somewhere else.</p>
<p>MIT because the smartest are there.</p>
<p>Brown. The ability to have no required classes is worth it.</p>
<p>"You may wake up one morning and decide that you love your philosophy class and want to study philosophy. Harder to do at MIT. (Yes, it happens; it happened to the Dean of the College at University of Rochester.)"</p>
<p>MIT actually has terrific undergraduate and graduate philosophy programs.</p>
<p>OK, I stand corrected; I didn't know that. I just chose philosophy as an example. </p>
<p>Let's just say that MIT is not a liberal arts college, and changing to a non-technical major may be easier at the other schools.</p>
<p>I've read in other threads that Columbia students disperse out into NYC on the weekends so there's not a community feeling you get on other campus where students tend to stick around and enjoy things happening on campus. I don't know if that happens with the other schools you're considering, but think it would be worth finding out.</p>
<p>Providence isn't nearly as urban as your other two settings.</p>
<p>I really appreciate all these responses. I'm going to try to go to all the admitted students days/weekends and then I'll decide. Just to clarify, while I am fickle, I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to want to switch to a humanities-related major. Except maybe economics or political science.</p>