<p>What didn't you like about Columbia? A couple of my friends are trying to decide between C and D and I need some more ammo...</p>
<p>Hey!</p>
<p>Sure. Columbia was a great place to go first year. The dorms are pretty fun (Carman Hall has 52 people per floor), the first years all eat in one dining hall, etc. But then it falls off considerably, and with it goes any sense of community. You end up eating off campus, and the dorms arent social at all. Also, I liked my classes and the weekdays, but the weekends were not alive. Also, I sort of felt like a number in a large university. I visited a friend at Dartmouth my first fall, and it was so amazing to see people hanging out together and how much everyone seemed to love it.</p>
<p>At Columbia, there just isn't any spirit. At Dartmouth we have huge homecoming bonfires (its spectacular) and sophomore summer. Plus, academically it offered so much more. From study abroad to thesis grants, it just felt so much more undergrad oriented. In the end, you end up having such a deeper appreciation for Dartmouth. I realized I would probably never get to live in such a utopian community again. Its like joining a big family.</p>
<p>The upside to Columbia- it's in NYC. the down side to Columbia -it's in NYC with public transportation right at it's door step so people go out alot to hang in the city, so like Slipper said there is no true sense of community on campus.</p>
<p>I asked my Dartmouth interviewers about what many generally view as downsides to Dartmouth -- the D-Plan and its location. They talked about how great the community was because people don't wander off into Cambridge or NYC each night.</p>
<p>I say they're right.</p>