<p>Hi everyone! I was actually looking at threads for Columbia vs. Penn, and it seems as though most people say that it really depends on the major that one is choosing. I hoping to major in the science (bio/biochem) and hopefully go on to med school, but with Columbia's core, I'm not sure there would be enough room to finish the core + med school prequi. + major requirements. </p>
<p>I was thinking about biomed eng, but I've heard that it's a reeeally hard major and med schools look at GPA more than the major. So that's where my confusion between Columbia and Penn comes in...which one would be better to go to looking at my major and plans. Any advice? </p>
<p>hey! i'm actually in a similar position, so i researched this a bit. there is enough room to do the core + premed reqs + major reqs, even if you major in something completely unrelated to medicine, but you'll have very few electives. if you do biochem, it won't be as bad. take a look at the core (you may be able to place out of foreign language, art hum, and music hum) and at the courses required for your major, which you can find online.</p>
<p>I agree with insubvert. I’m planning on majoring in English (or maybe Philosophy) and considering going to medical school. It’s possible to do Core + unrelated major + prereqs (+ work-study) and still have a social life, but it’s going to be intense. Pre-med at Columbia looks pretty rigorous in general. Check out this gem from the pre-med advising site: “It’s suggested that students take at least two science courses concurrently in a semester to show medical schools that they can handle the workload.”</p>
<p>Guys - pre-med at any Ivy is pretty much the same. Choose the school you like the most, particularly for medicine, which is much more focused on thesis/ research/ gpa/ etc.</p>
<p>I would say that taking two science courses concurrently is not going to catch the eye of a single adcom. Before offering you an interview, the spend only a fraction of an hour on you. That time is not spent going through every semester of your classes with a fine tooth comb. They are going to look at your cumulative and science GPA, take a quick glance to see if they see any trends (positive or negative), then move on to the other parts of your application.</p>
<p>Biomed engineering in the school of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). So if you do want to major in biomed, apply to SEAS, not Columbia College. SEAS has a different (much reduced, in terms of humanities) core than CC. Please do more research on your possible majors.</p>
<p>But the reason to consider columbia is not because you know exactly what you want out of college, but because you want the experience to indeed inform you further. To have a diverse educational opportunities through the Core, the City and more. To engage in a heavily interdisciplinary university (of which I would include Penn as an equally strong in this area). And lastly, to be part of an ‘intellectual’ culture in which few if any questions are out of bounds. The reason to choose Columbia is that hands down it will offer you (between the city <em>think research, social life</em>, and campus) more than you can find anywhere else.</p>
<p>Certainly a practical consideration should be at hand - but in the end it is about your personality. Columbia is perfect for those that want to be part of an intellectual/professional playground. Rare is there to find a place where you can find any internship to satisfy your preprofessional desires and to engage in a place that is so academic in purpose. Columbia stands alone here. If you know where you want to be and what you want to do - Columbia is of course going to be solid for you (in bio/biochem etc.). But it is particularly useful in expanding your imagination of the possible. That’s why I like Columbia. And why I think you should both feel comfortable that your major choices will be satisfied, but that you will get far more (with respects West Philly).</p>
<p>Hey guys, well everyone congrats on the acceptance!</p>
<p>I used to be a pretty prolific poster on here some years ago… about to graduate Columbia so hopefully I can provide some perspective on this matter.</p>
<p>In terms of premed… there is no difference. Go to Penn, got to Columbia, same. My roommate freshman year was a biomedical engineer though, and it was rough to say the least.</p>
<p>However, if I were in your position, I may be inclined to choose Penn. Why? I got a lot out of my four years at Columbia- I really did. But one thing you will not get is a traditional college experience. Columbia will provide you with the experience and maturity to survive in the real world— but, to be honest, I would have preferred to muddle in my adolescence a bit longer.</p>
<p>Columbia students are mature, independent, and above all, ambitious. While I can say more or less of the Penn kids that I know, one thing that I have to admit I envy is that they have a profound sense of community, and know hwo to really have fun.</p>
<p>Either choice will provide you with opportunities down the road provided you continue working hard. But in the end, I urge all of you to evaluate the importance of a healthy social life in your college careers.</p>
<p>Columbia has one of the best Chemistry departments in the world and quite a few of my classmates are on the premed track. As I understand from them and my RA, it’s certainly very tough work, but very possible. My RA is a biophysics major who says that he will go to med school after graduating. As I understand from him, the courses he has taken to fill out his major also fill out the requirements for the premed track. Even though he is taking one of the toughest majors to fulfill credit wise, he will have completed all of his core requirements at the end of this year, his junior year.</p>
<p>As for truazn’s social life, I have to say that it all depends on how much effort you put into meeting people. If you want to have a true college experience then you need to step outside your dorm room or outside of the library. I am always out in my hallway talking with floormates. It’s very easy to go around campus and meet new people. There are always parties on thursday, friday, and saturday nights, yet I must say that they are much smaller around midterms / finals. </p>
<p>What I basically mean to say is that if you are outgoing and try to meet other people and have a social life on campus then you will. It actually becomes really tough to get away from everyone, that is unless you are very shy or try to avoid people for the most part.</p>
<p>As a Senior at Columbia, I whole heartedly disagree with this. I agree that Penn allows you to muddle in your adolescence longer (which is generally a positive). But I’ve had a great social life here and a true college experience, from playing outdoor sports, to dorm parties, to sports games with friends, to grabbing a drink at a nearby bar filled with university students, to snow ball fights, to walks around a tranquil glorious campus on a fall night / spring afternoon. I have made some really close friends and a huge network of people who will remember me, and whom I will remember down the road. I’m having one of the best years of my life socially. </p>
<p>I feel that the difference is, at Columbia it doesn’t come as automatically as other places. You do have to put yourself out there. When I bump into a friend on campus, I still make it a point to introduce myself to their friend that they are walking with. I’ve bothered to become involved quite heavily in a couple of extra-curricular activities. I do my seas problem sets in groups nearly all the time. I call people up to have lunch or dinner with. I think I’ve put in more initiative than is necessary to have a great time, but it definitely takes a little work.</p>
<p>What have I missed out on? perhaps a couple of outdoor barbecues that are easier to pull off at a more rural campus; perhaps the grinding and mass hook ups you get at a large frat party at a large school. </p>
<p>Many people feel the euphoria for college first semester, then it dies second and third semester, fourth semester people begin to rebuild a little. Junior and senior year, people usually tend to develop some serious school pride, most people will leave happy and nostalgic of their college years, if they don’t, they usually haven’t worked hard enough at it.</p>