Please Help a Torn Student between PRINCETON AND COLUMBIA ENGINEERING!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>Hi guys
I have checked many threads and websites but still can’t make up my mind!
I am an international student from Tunisia, so I would appreciate a diverse and tolerant campus!
I wonder how is the social life in both schools with no alcohol :p ?</p>

<p>Anyway, I was first leaning towards Princeton but since my likely letter, Columbia have been lavishing me with love: booklets poster and finally: that tempting offer:C.Davis Prescott scholar. I have been enticed by the study abroad and research opportunities! Ompared to Pton, CU seems to care more abt its admitted stdnts: many mails, detailed booklets and poster/pictures whereas Pton sent me the Seminars calendar and finaid info(are they always as stingy as that).</p>

<p>So I am planning to major in engineering: not certain but I want sth versatile and certainly hands-on with a pretty heavy-science/mathy course: Mech Eng perhaps with a minor in Financial engineerin!
I am BTW perplexed whether I should major in Financial engineering or Mech bcz I see myself in 10 years in some business jib but I so LOVE SCIENCE and hands-on experiments that make me thing that it is better to have an engineering expertise and then launch in the graduate stage(perhaps post-graduate) the business field! What do you think ?</p>

<p>Internships: I want a school that would offer me plenty chances of internship since my freshman year(summer ?) if possible! Internships in NYC seem limitless(don’t know about Princeton) (I heard that there are so man chances to have an internship in wall street for example ? )
Networks: Any ideas which school has a better network in the Business/Engineering filed ?</p>

<p>Entrepreneurship /Job perspectives(native country): I am from a developing country and would like the best expertise that enbales a job that won’t stay in the way of me getting back to home(government projects or pretty advanced scientific fields)</p>

<p>Research: I want a university that offers hands-on learning with olenty of research opportunities at the undergraduate level! Columbia has the URIP !(SO AMAZING) But I couldn’t access so uch information about Princeton’s undergrad research opp except this senior thesis that I didn’t understand very well and seems like a theoretical work)</p>

<p>Education: Ranking and many other factors hint that Princeton’s faculty and curriculum is better suited for engineering careers but Columbia has a larger proportion of its students studying ENg than Pton: 21% - 9% any ideas about the cons! Many people tell me Princeton isn’t the right place to study ENg since it is a Humanities schools and Columbia has better initiatives especially in the Business field!</p>

<p>Finaid: I got almost the same offer with some complication but Pton’s offer seems more generous (with 1k$)</p>

<p>Campus life: I never lived in a Big city and won’t be able to visit any college: so I don’t know what I want! I would like parties but not the kinda loud ones.! Pton has these eating clubs that some people appreciate and others don’t ? I think Princeton isn’t really that far from NYC (40mn car drive ) and would be accessible in weekends! But I Am EXCITED BY THE METROPOLITAN LIFE IN NYC (almost never travelled in my life!)</p>

<p>I am certainly going to Graduate school(MIT most probably/perhaps MBA later on)so the GPA deflation in Princeton might hurt my chances! But I want an environment that offers me more chances to excll and stand out!</p>

<p>So here are my preferences and thoughts!
What do you think ?
Please help me !!</p>

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<p>Bump ???</p>

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<p>USNWR Undergraduate Engineering Rankings</p>

<p>Overall - USNWR Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs Rankings
11. Princeton
20. Columbia </p>

<p>By department:</p>

<p>Aerospace
8. Princeton
NR. Columbia</p>

<p>Chemical
8. Princeton
19. Columbia</p>

<p>Computer
13. Princeton
NR. Columbia</p>

<p>Electrical
11. Princeton
NR. Columbia</p>

<p>Mechanical
12. Princeton
NR. Columbia</p>

<p>Biomedical
19. Columbia
Princeton’s Biomedical is in ChE., which is ranked 8th</p>

<p>Industrial
13. Columbia
NR. Princeton</p>

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<p>Ok, these rankings are idiotic. They fail to reflect the on-the-ground experience at Columbia. Industrial at Columbia is ranked 13, but this merely is a function of research and reputation. As an undergrad in the department, you feel as if you’re constantly being thrown underneath a bus with inadequate teaching and countless busy assignments.</p>

<p>If you’re looking for hands-on education and research opportunities, I’d consider Princeton over Columbia University. The engineering education at Columbia is fairly crappy. Many professors are much more engaged in research and treat education as a meaningless chore that they need to wade through. Research opportunities are not handed to students on a silver platter. Indeed, you usually need to meet extensively with a professor and build a relationship before you are able to research (it’s not anywhere close to MIT’s program). Unless you’ve done research in a relevant field, you should prepare to do a lot of leg work. I’ve known freshman and sophomore “interns”, who did not have prior research experience, who would wash out pipettes and glassware for an entire year.</p>

<p>I’ve generally heard that the teaching at Princeton, especially for the sciences, engineering, and mathematics, is much better than that at Columbia. However, Princeton does have a stated policy of grade deflation, though this won’t have much of an effect on engineers. I don’t think that the grade deflation policy will affect your chances at graduate school anymore so than the grading policy at Columbia will. </p>

<p>Princeton has greater name cachet and the university provides more resources to its students. With such a focus on undergraduate education, I feel that getting research experience will be less challenging than at Columbia. Furthermore, Princeton throws money at its undergraduates to host events and complete internships. Columbia will pinch every penny from you.</p>

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<p>Princeton !! Still close to NYC</p>

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<p>princeton for sure</p>

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<p>Agreed. Grading in the hard sciences and engineering hasn’t really changed with the implementation of grade deflation; rather, grade inflation in the humanities and social sciences was eliminated to make the grading more consistent across departments. So grade deflation need not deter you!</p>

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<p>Hello!</p>

<p>I am a student at Columbia, I’m in the College, but thought I might be able to help you get some of your questions answered…many of my best friends are in the engineering programs so I do have quite a bit of knowledge in regards to the Engineering school as well. </p>

<p>I asked my friends in the Engineering school - in regards to financial engineering at Columbia - this is the only selective program in the engineering school that you would apply to after your first year. Also, you don’t have to be sure about what type of engineering you want to study, because you do not declare until the end of your third semester, and you will take “The Art Of Engineering” where you will learn a bit about each specific type. </p>

<p>There are so many internship opportunities both through Columbia and in New York City. Yes, many students do end up working in the Financial sector - many businesses and banks recruit heavily on campus, especially within the Engineering School. As you can imagine - you can explore endless research opportunities at Columbia and in New York City. </p>

<p>Living and going to school in New York City has been a fantastic opportunity. Because Columbia does have a campus, we definitely get the best of both worlds, being able to have a place to call home, but then also being able to leave the gates of the University and have NYC at our fingertips! There is a Ticket center that we can get discounted tickets to Broadway Shows and other opportunities in the city that would otherwise be very expensive. Trust me - living in NYC as a college student is so much fun. </p>

<p>I hope this is helpful! If you have any questions just reply!</p>