Oh my God, I EFFING LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>Alright guys, I visited Columbia for two weeks with my friend, who goes there. I'm a Sophomore and I currently have a 3.9 from Dartmouth, with a 760V, 780M, 800W. I have business startups, leadership experience at Dartmouth, and etc... So I'm sure I have a shot at transferring here. This is NOT a chance thread.</p>

<p>BUT, I just wanted to say that, I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! This is my first time in New York City for 5 years and oh my god. Why do I love it here? Everyone walks fast, talks fast, and acts like they are on a mission - every minute, every hour, every day. All the guys and girls I talked to are nicely dressed, extremely intelligent, and the girls (especially the brunettes) are really really good looking. I love how no one just lingers at some street corner and "hangs out" for 4 hours doing absolutely nothing. It's definitely not laid back here...full of Type-A personalities. Everyone I've met sounds really ambitious. I mean, where else but at the Starbucks near CU do you hear a gorgeous and intelligent girl talking about investing in the housing market and the international debt markets? Then 5 minutes later she's talking about inviting me and my friend to her party on Saturday. ****ing amazing.</p>

<p>But the pace - the pace of this place is what I've been looking for my entire life. I mean, Dartmouth is full of intelligent students (and the girls are pretty hot as well), but the whole "culture" and "pace of life" of it just doesn't seem to fit the level of intelligence the school bolsters, you know? I was walking on Broadway, towards CU and had to cross about a dozen streets. Wow, I thought I walked fast! Everyone was in a rush, strutting and swagging their way past me and towards me. At Dartmouth, people always tell me "SLOW DOWN MAN! YOU'RE WALKING TOO FAST!" At Columbia, I BECAME THE ONE WALKING SLOW! hahaha. God I love this place.</p>

<p>And the style of the students here - wow. Just what I was looking for. I've lived in South Carolina most of my life, and people walked the streets in a t-shirt, cargo shorts, and flipflops. I do that sometimes, but come on! My closet is filled with peacoats, black overcoats, cashmere scarves, sweaters, and all that. I've never seen so many well dressed students my age in my entire life. I'm NOT gay or anything, but I do care about style and being well-groomed. I love how all the girls I saw at CU are all dressed really classy and all the guys are wearing overcoats with scarves (I can actually fit in). Trust me, if you wore that at Dartmouth or Brown or Michigan, people would think you're overly dressed.</p>

<p>I can't believe I didn't apply for transfer here during my first semester of Freshman year. I should have visited this place when I was still applying back in HS. Actually, I should've applied back in HS. Out of all the colleges I've visited, Columbia and NYC really REALLY hit the spot. I do mean that. I got such a rush out of seeing all the fast-walking, fast-talking, and hectic streets of NYC, that I want to come back already. </p>

<p>See you folks later. I'm off to print my transfer app!</p>

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<p>
[quote]
and the girls (especially the brunettes) are really really good looking.

[/quote]

You got the marketing-approved version of our school. :D</p>

<p>Go visit Arizona State, and come back and claim that. If you even come back. I might not.</p>

<p>
[quote]
where else but at the Starbucks near CU do you hear a gorgeous and intelligent girl talking about investing in the housing market and the international debt markets? Then 5 minutes later she's talking about inviting me and my friend to her party on Saturday.

[/quote]

I hope you got her number. She's a keeper by Columbia standards. And yeah, the housing market is ripe for the picking right now.</p>

<p>
[quote]
At Dartmouth, people always tell me "SLOW DOWN MAN! YOU'RE WALKING TOO FAST!" At Columbia, I BECAME THE ONE WALKING SLOW! hahaha. God I love this place.

[/quote]

Darwinian selection. The slow ones are the first ones hit by cabs.</p>

<p>It's like the story of the two guys being chased by a bear... "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun YOU..."</p>

<p>
[quote]
I've lived in South Carolina most of my life, and people walked the streets in a t-shirt, cargo shorts, and flipflops.

[/quote]

Yeah, but they look GOOD doing that. They can get away with just wearing a sundress half the year.</p>

<p>At the risk of being called a sexist even more by cerberus08... there's a culture in the South that emphasizes looks and beauty to young girls over all other considerations. They spend way more of their free time reading beauty magazines, going to the gym, spending money on beauty products... As a result you end up with a higher % of ditzes, but a much better looking population.</p>

<p>I had friends who went to Ole Miss, Tulane, even Florida just on the basis of that. Their reasoning was that it was easier to find smart and interesting girls among a sea of attractive women than it is to find attractive women among a sea of smart and interesting women. They may have been right - I'm single right now, despite the best efforts of some of them (yes, Vesalvay... her too).</p>

<p>OK, enough about lighter subjects. Yes, the pace is more intense and more professional. There is a greater focus on style and career ambitions, especially earlier in your college career. But there's a downside to that too. Less intellectual exploring, more stress, less partying... not that there's none, mind you, just less. Perhaps obviously, less green scenery and more brick-and-mortar. And some people find college to be more about exploration (of the self, or of academics) than merely preparing to get a job. You know, the stuff that actually makes you educated.</p>

<p>Be sure to visit several more times before you buy the marketing pitch.</p>

3

<p>hope you make it rms, seems like your school. I like a lot of what you describe, but i must warn you that there's a LOT of show, a lot of go too, but more show than go. It's a fantastic campus, but well dressed, intelligent people isn't all you see on campus. there are many laid back kids, many badly dressed hippies, some relatively dumb people, but the culture of being an ambitious, intellectual initiative taker is there. I'm only posting to kill crazily high expectations, so that you're not disappointed when/if you come, it's grown on me, and i like it for many of the reasons you described.</p>

<p>"Darwinian selection. The slow ones are the first ones hit by cabs.</p>

<p>It's like the story of the two guys being chased by a bear... "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun YOU..."</p>

<p>LoL, yeah gotta work on that :p</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
where else but at the Starbucks near CU do you hear a gorgeous and intelligent girl talking about investing in the housing market and the international debt markets? Then 5 minutes later she's talking about inviting me and my friend to her party on Saturday.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's not the norm, friend. That was a very special gal that you should have offered to buy coffee for. Most, if not all, conversations I've overheard from -attractive- girls in line around here have been about:</p>

<p>(a) Gossip Girl</p>

<p>(b) Complaining about trivial school stuff. (Oh noes, two midterms in two days!)</p>

<p>It's great that you like the school but please tell me there's a better reason than the amount of well-dressed androgynous dudes with 'Urban Behaviour' gold memberships.</p>

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<p>You forgot Grey's Anatomy.</p>

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<p>I completely agree with the OP. On my first visit to NYC I felt the same way. I popped out of 103 & Broadway and it was a transforming five minutes. Soon as I started walking with traffic, I knew I was home.</p>

<p>BTW, West coast state schools are where you find really attractive girls.</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
nicely dressed, extremely intelligent, and the girls (especially the brunettes) are really really good looking.

[/quote]
</p>

<p><em>ahem</em> You might want to check this out:</p>

<p>Improv</a> Everywhere</p>

8

<p>I've lived in New York City all my life.</p>

<p>What I miss most?</p>

<p>So many beautiful women.</p>

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<p>Sure - in the East Village, or UES, or SoHo. Or Park Slope.</p>

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<p>I find new york to be pretty attractive (if weird at the same time), but they're a bunch of average looking people that take keeping in shape seriously, compare this to chicago :-s. But columbia is by no means a traditionally good looking school, search in the south / California for those.</p>

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<p>confidentialcoll is right, the south is home to no shortage very good-looking women, probably the only reason that I regret the fact that I'm getting the hell out of Florida unless I get denied admission or financial aid at all of my non-safeties.</p>

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<p>OP: Also consider applying for a junior year abroad. It reads as if you really need some time away from Dartmouth College & a change of pace. I would like to read more about your impressions of Dartmouth college, the students & the social scene. For example, do frat parties dominate the social life at Dartmouth? Classes demanding? Students bright & work hard?</p>

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<p>rmshoes, I'm also an '11 considering a transfer from our school. Coincidentally, I'll be visiting Columbia and NYC for the first time next week. PM (or Blitz) me.</p>

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<p>"I find new york to be pretty attractive (if weird at the same time), but they're a bunch of average looking people that take keeping in shape seriously, compare this to chicago :-s. But columbia is by no means a traditionally good looking school, search in the south / California for those."</p>

<p>Very true.</p>

<p>"At the risk of being called a sexist even more by cerberus08... there's a culture in the South that emphasizes looks and beauty to young girls over all other considerations. They spend way more of their free time reading beauty magazines, going to the gym, spending money on beauty products... As a result you end up with a higher % of ditzes, but a much better looking population."</p>

<p>Sexist pig :)</p>

<p>No, I kid. You've never put it that way before, and I agree with you</p>

<p>OP: Columbia is pretty awesome, and I maybe biased when I say this, but I knew a lot of girls like your starbucks hottie: beautiful, smart, happy to party but will fight to the death with you over commodity futures. </p>

<p>Flip side: there's also the stupid hot ones who try and sound smart at recruiting events and make fools of themselves in front of VP's at Goldman Sachs because they have no idea what the credit crunch is about.</p>

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<p>You must be insane. Whatever makes you happy, though.</p>

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<p>there's a reason she moved back to India. They understand her over there.</p>

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<p>"You must be insane. Whatever makes you happy, though."</p>

<p>Yeah, I am.</p>

<p>"there's a reason she moved back to India. They understand her over there."</p>

<p>No comment.</p>

18

<p>"Yeah, I am."</p>

<p>muerte was talking about OP</p>

<p>"No comment."</p>

<p>I don't quite understand, come again, will you.</p>

<p>(that's what she said)</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
Sure - in the East Village, or UES, or SoHo. Or Park Slope.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What Park Slope are you talking about??? Most of the girls I see out there are either 40+ or at the very least are not comparable to East Village or SoHo girls...</p>

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<p>I love New York for the fast pace too, and the pure ambition here (I'm in graduate school) is very motivating. But as for dressing well...I went to a women's undergrad where all the girls dressed very stylishly, but when I got here people asked me why I dressed up so much. Honestly when I walk on the main campus I just see a bunch of undergrads in hoodies and jeans. Sometimes there are stylish girls in the latest trends.</p>