Penn vs. Columbia vs. Brown

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>I want to major in linguistics. I like the NYC idea, but Brown is also extremely appealing for many opposing reasons; namely, curricular freedom versus the dreaded Core (which I think I would still enjoy a great deal, despite it being very restrictive).</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

<p>I received a likely letter from Columbia, but none from Brown (although I still have high hopes).</p>

<p>I have also applied to Penn, but I think I have less of a chance of getting in there than Columbia and Brown. I'd like to hear what you guys think!</p>

<p>What do you like about Penn specifically, that makes it better than Brown and Columbia in your eyes? I'm looking for people who've turned down both to come here (I'm sure there must be a lot of you out there).</p>

2

<p>lulz, columbia doesn't have a real linguistics department, while penn has possibly the best...
brown's linguistics department is pretty good from what i hear.</p>

<p>why do you think your chances are lower at penn? don't columbia and brown have lower acceptance rates?</p>

3

<p>It's consistently ranked higher, though. The difference between Brown and Penn is only a couple of percentage points. Columbia's is lower, true, but I'm pretty sure that Penn's average SATs and stuff is higher. Columbia's is also lower than Princeton, but it sure ain't better than Princeton, right?</p>

4

<p>And yeah, true points about linguistics. Penn is the alma mater of Chomsky, for heaven's sake.</p>

5

<p>you're conflating rankings/school quality+sat scores with ease of acceptance...</p>

<p>furthermore, you're wrong about penn having higher SAT scores than columbia</p>

<p>Penn</p>

<p>SAT Critical Reading: 650 - 740
SAT Math: 680 - 780
SAT Writing: 670 - 760</p>

<p>Columbia</p>

<p>SAT Critical Reading: 680 - 770
SAT Math: 680 - 780
SAT Writing: 690 - 770</p>

<p>and you're also wrong about princeton's admission rate being higher than columbia's</p>

<p>columbia- 11%
princeton- 10%</p>

<p>(taken from college board)</p>

6

<p>... so the SAT scores are essentially identical? Penn has higher writing, Columbia has higher reading, and they have equal math.</p>

<p>I'm talking about Columbia College, which does have a lower acceptance rate than Princeton's college. But it is not a more selective institution.</p>

7

<p>the sat scores are not essentially identical, as penn does not have higher writing as you said...</p>

<p>690>670, 770>760</p>

<p>just saying.</p>

8

<p>^ these things aren't important</p>

9

<p>i got a 2400 on my sat and was accepted to every damn college there ever was</p>

10

<p>Is there a way to ban this fool from the Penn board? He's seriously killing the vibe.</p>

11

<p>yeah, i agree, ban alvie.singer!!!!</p>

12

<p>EATYOURCEREAL, do you honestly not have anything better to do than post pointless sarcastic remarks on the board of a school you do not attend?</p>

<p>just saying...</p>

13

<p>do you have any idea how jacked and tan i am?</p>

14

<p>why would i care how jacked and tan you are? </p>

<p>stop clogging up the forums. some people actually use them to get helpful information.</p>

15

<p>Sometimes eatyourcereal is amusing. Other times, an even worse use of carbon atoms than climate-changing. Take the good with the bad, I suppose.</p>

<p>As for the original question, I found Penn's location in Philadelphia to be the best in a "goldilocks" sort of way. NYC is too big, Providence is too small, and Philadelphia is just right.</p>

<p>NYC is unquestionably a bigger, better, more amazing city than Philadelphia. That however is exactly why it's not where I wanted to do undergrad. Too distracting from all the delightful stupidity of days gone by on the college campus. Besides, I'll almost assuredly end up in NYC at some point in my life. Better to do something different for college.</p>

<p>Philadelphia is a great, still big city with all the big city amenities like world-class orchestra, art museum, a top-notch culinary scene. It has tons to do, but isn't so big that it sucks the energy out of on-campus life. </p>

<p>Penn is also much closer to Center City and Old City than Columbia is to downtown Manhattan. You could take a 5 minute subway ride, a 10 minute bus ride, or a 20 minute walk (30-40 mins if you take it at a more leisurely pace)</p>

<p>Columbia is also a long subway ride away from downtown Manhattan, and with recent cuts in the MTA's "doomsday" budget, that could be a bigger issue with fewer trains running and higher fees to use them.</p>

<p>There are lots of other things I liked about Penn but I'm not sure if they would make a difference for you. For example, the One University policy is great, but if you're focused on linguistics and just linguistics, the ability to take classes in the business school, law school, etc (whereas Columbia won't let you and Brown simply doesn't have them) might not be as big a draw for you.</p>

<p>All 3 schools are excellent.</p>

16

<p>I had an absolutely amazing time at Penn, academically and socially...I made friends from around the world (I've run into them while traveling around the world as well), and have so many wonderful memories from the sheer diversity and multitude of people at Penn (having people with so many different goals, some "pre-professional," others not, is truly a blessing in broadening one's perspective in life). I had friends in all 4 undergraduate schools and several of the graduate schools as well. I've debated Aristotle vs Plato and boobs vs butts. I got an Ivy League education AND the chance to do the sort of fantastically reckless, terrifically fun, "WOOOO COLLEGE" sort of things that I will look back fondly on for the rest of my life. Few schools offer both of those (Dartmouth might be another, but the city of Philadelphia has itself been a wellspring of memories I would not soon want forget)</p>

<p>I've gone out for dinner (on the university's dime) with my professors and their own visiting guests; I've gone out with my professors for drinks, both at Penn and on the other side of the planet. And I'm still in touch with them. My professors were phenomenal teachers and scholars, and were not aloof from the undergraduates. it was everything I hoped it would be and more</p>

17

<p>I like these answers. Kind of preaching to the choir, but I'll hopefully be going to Penn.</p>

18

<p>I'm going to Penn, but if I could get in I would have gone to Columbia or Dart</p>

19

<p>^winning attitude right there. I'm sure you'll realize why Penn is better once you actually get there ;)</p>

20

<p>rofl @ nobromo</p>