<p>Okay, here's some background first: I'll be a junior this fall and am looking into colleges I would like to go to. I want to study neurology and cognitive functions, etc. I might switch to physics, but I still have time to figure all that out.
My question: Should I apply to Princeton or Columbia or both?
Just to clarify, I'm not some pompous ass xD. I'm serious about applying to an Ivy League college. If I am lucky enough to get into either, my family will move with me to the respective location. I know it's more expensive to live in NYC, but at the same time, I don't want money to be a deciding factor in where I attend college. Also, I've visited the city several times and I love it. I've always dreamed of living in New York, but I'm not sure if I'll belong. I grew up in a relatively small town in the countryside. My high school is surrounded by farmland lol. I visited the Princeton campus and it reminds me a little of home because of the trees. However, I'm afraid I'll get bored. I mean, it's pretty boring where I live, so ya know.
I have mild anxiety btw. Will being in NYC be too much for me? My dad is worried about distractions to my studies. And what if I decide to switch majors? I believe Columbia has bigger or more research facilities and programs for a wider range of studies.
Any advice on Princeton's/Columbia's social scene and undergraduate programs? What about the extracurriculars? Which one should I apply to?</p>
<p>Apply to both. But money will be a deciding factor.</p>
<p>If you like both and can see yourself attending both, apply to both. However, if I may ask, why is your family going to move with you?</p>
<p>Did u get into both?</p>
<p>it seems to me that one of the reason one chooses an out of state college is to get out of ones comfort zone. Choosing Princeton because it reminds you of home is contrary to this ethos. if you get home sick, that’s what Christmas vacation and summers are for.</p>
<p>@Ranza123 My parents don’t approve of dorms and they don’t want their little girl to live on her own just yet. I don’t really know how else to put it.</p>
<p>@ivyleaguer Hmm. Interesting. Never thought of that.</p>
<p>Your family can afford to just pack up and move to Manhattan? Has this been researched? What about their employment? Are you wealthy? They have actually said “We will pick up an relocate anywhere you want to attend college?”</p>
<p>@planner03 They have said those exact words. Employment and housing have both been researched.</p>
<p>I have a lot of experience with NYC and its a great place to live. However, considering the fact that you have mild anxiety and you come from a small town, living there might not be for you. It is a stressful environment off of the campus, and the bustling streets of Manhattan might just be too much. Also, like some people said earlier, what about housing? I know you said it has all been researched, but have you tried to find an apartment in Manhattan? Doing the research vs. finding an actual apartment and renting it is completely different. Apartments in the city are basically impossible to get, unless you are so wealthy that you can afford to pay upwards from 7K a month on a somewhat tiny apartment (a big apartment in a good neighborhood can cost you up to 80K a month). Plus, given you are financially capable of affording an apartment, it’ll still be a hassle getting your hands on one. Apartment competition is cut throat. It could take your parents up to a year to get housing. On the other hand, in Princeton, housing is more affordable and more plentiful, and its only a train ride away from NYC. Therefore, you are getting the great environment, with the added convenience of going into the city in case you get bored. So, if you like both schools equally, I would say go for Princeton, that way you have the fun of NYC with a bit of calm.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate it :)</p>
<p>Well many colleges require first-year students to live in on-campus housing. For Columbia, all freshmen have to live on campus. For Princeton, you are required to live on-campus your first two years. So your parents may want to rethink their plan.</p>
<p>Apply to Princeton and Columbia and cross the bridge of which to attend once you have been accepted to both. Odds are that the decision will be made for you.</p>
<p>@Ranza123 has a very good point. the vast majority of schools require freshman to live on campus, including Columbia and Princeton. Your parents’ wishes don’t matter; it’s school policy.</p>
<p>Thats also a very good point^</p>
<p>I had mild anxiety issues in college and I was fine moving to New York; I know several people who live in New York with mild to moderate anxiety (including one friend who had a moderate anxiety disorder and was on medication for it). They were fine here. And yes, NYC has tons of distractions, but college students tend to manufacture their own distractions - so you might be just as distracted at Princeton as you are at Columbia, depending on your interests and the activities of your peers. Both Columbia and Princeton have lots of majors and the flexibility to allow you to switch, but do note that Columbia has the Core curriculum. Most students like or love it and it’s a great grounding in the liberal arts tradition, but it does mean that you have less flexibility in selecting your own classes, and perhaps less flexibility to double-major if you chose to.</p>
<p>Columbia does have more research facilities and programs, but that’s unlikely to make a huge difference to an undergrad. Princeton is a top research university and its facilities are more than adequate for an undergrad’s needs.</p>
<p>I think you should apply to both and see what happens.</p>
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<p>I currently live in Manhattan and I don’t know anyone who has taken up to a year to find an apartment; most people I know find one within 2 weeks. I suppose if you were looking to buy and were very picky, but I have a friend who bought an apartment in the UWS with relatively picky parents and she still found one in 2-3 months. Also, I’m not sure where you were looking for apartments or what kind of quality you are talking about - but I do want to say that $7,000/month is a very, very high estimate for a “tiny” apartment in NYC. You could get a luxury one-bedroom in a nice neighborhood for $2,000/month, and I have a friend who used to live in Trump Towers near Lincoln Square in a one-bedroom for $3,000/month. For the record, an $80,000/month mortgage would you get a $15 million residence (with no down payment), which is very expensive even for New York. I think they could find a much more reasonably priced 2-3 bedroom apartment to rent for the time that she was ar Columbia, should she choose to go there.</p>
<p>its not about being picky, its about actually getting a tenant approved by the building owner. My whole point is, for a whole family, a one bedroom apartment IS tiny, and prices differ drastically between a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. My good friend has been looking for almost 6 months and hasn’t found a well priced 2 bedroom yet. A 2 bedroom in morningside heights (columbia’s neighborhood) can range from 4K-6K a month. What I’m saying is that unless OP’s family is particularly well off, it will be difficult paying up to $72,000 a year on an apartment if they’re leaving their jobs to go live wherever their daughter is going to school</p>
<p>There is no denying that living in Manhattan is expensive ( @juillet I doubt a 3 person family can live comfortably in a 1 bedroom) so it all depends on your financial situation </p>
<p>@WallFlower1166 Also keep in mind, Princeton does not allow transfers, while Columbia does. So, if you go to Princeton and you decide it’s not for you, you can theoretically transfer into Columbia; however, that wouldn’t work vice-versa.</p>
<p>Whenever I hear of Columbia, it always has to be some type of research.</p>