At Penn, you definitely will not have to struggle for resources at all. Penn is a large research university, of course, though the College of arts and sciences is a liberal arts college within that. Class sizes are small, professors are excited to be teaching undergrads and they are exceptionally accessible. Because of Penn’s One University Policy, Penn’s resources are more available to undergrads than perhaps any of Penn’s peers’ resources would be to their undergrads simply because there is an expectation at Penn that undergrads will take classes, do research, or at the very least, study in the libraries of the other undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. At Penn you will be assigned a pre-major advisor, a peer advisor, and an advisor in the College office even before your first day of class. I’ll never forget my first phone call with my pre-major advisor. I was choosing classes over the summer and she Skyped with me from outside of the US where she was doing research onsite before the school year actually began. On day one of Penn, I went to her office and we had a formal sit down and follow up from our conversations earlier in the summer. And In addition to those specifically assigned to you, your College house will also have a faculty member who lives in the College House and acts as “House Dean.” They are there to provide informal advice and support even beyond the RA that will be assigned to your specific hall. There are so many people at Penn tripping over themselves to support you that you won’t know who to turn to first.
If you want to be in a city for college than I DEFINITELY recommend Penn. The balance between Penn’s 300 acre campus in the heart of Philadelphia with the city itself is ideal. Penn is a fully self contained world that feels like it is far removed from the hustle and bustle of philly at times. Yet, the center of Philadelphia is a short walk from University City where Penn is located. Neither Philly nor Penn’s campus is so big or overwhelming as to overpower the other. Instead you have a healthy amount of opportunities to take advantage of both, simultaneously. The internships made available through think tanks, research centers, the City of Philadelphia, the financial institutions, and more are so readily accessible to Penn students. Columbia, conversely, is tucked away in the corner of Manhattan’s Upper Upper Upper West Side. It takes about 25-30 minutes by subway just to get to hells kitchen, assuming there are no delays. In that same amount of time in Philly, you will have been able to walk to Rittenhouse Square and back.
As for the quality of your education, I don’t think it will differ from that offered by Columbia in terms of classes. But again, Penn’s one university policy will allow you to take classes and do research across the university’s undergrad, grad and professional schools in a way that will open up new insights into your education that you might not find elsewhere. And if you’re interested in med school, keep in mind that the most represented students at Penn Med (a top 3 med school) are graduates of Penn undergrad. And pre-med culture at Penn is surprisingly collaborative. Students often form study groups and book "Group Study Rooms’ or GSRs with one another in order to prepare for class and tests. Penn also has, as most colleges do, specific advisors for pre-med students. And keep in mind that the student to faculty ratio at Penn and Columbia is actually lower than that of Pomona (Penn/Columbia are 6:1 whereas Pomona is 8:1). I think you will find that at Penn, you are very well supported and the administration, professors, and peers you meet will be part of your success rather than a hindrance to it.
Please let me know if you have any questions about Penn. I happily chose Penn over (primarily) Yale and Columbia and it was the best decision I ever made. Good luck with your choice! 