Stanford or Columbia?

<p>There goes fantamas again. Using graduate alumni and professor of columbia to show that the undergraduate school is better than Stanford. </p>

<p>Again, Stanford is at a level above Columbia, which is why the cross admits are somewhere around 90/10 in favor of The Farm.</p>

<p>

Totally agree. Everyone should take note because I see these kind of posts popping everywhere.

Hmm…not sure what you are expecting here…I think that will be upto you to get involved in a lot of different clubs. I must caution you that in a lot of colleges, there will be some groupings based on your ethnicity…it is after all, who you are most comfortable with, common interests etc…“American education” is really a blend of people coming together from all cultures…But again, Stanford may have the edge here…being that athletics is Big at Stanford…that is as much american culture you can get as possible :)</p>

<p>There is obviously no wrong choice. You should go with your gut. And you are certainly mistaken about Stanford being more prestigious than Columbia: [National</a> University Rankings | Top National Universities | US News Best Colleges](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities]National”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities)</p>

<p>^ that’s not a ranking of prestige - schools rise and fall in US News rankings so that they can generate controversy and sell more magazines (Duke was in Columbia’s position a few years ago and is now ~10, etc.). Surveys of universities’ recognition/prestige change very slowly by comparison, and Stanford’s always far ahead of Columbia in those.</p>

<p>^^ Firstly, I wouldn;t tout Obama right now seeing that we have been in the longest and slowest recovering recession since the depression and unemployment is huge. The most respected rankings are:
[Top</a> 400 - The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011-2012](<a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/top-400.html]Top”>World University Rankings 2011-12 | Times Higher Education (THE))
Its also a good sign that Stanford generates more envy these days than Harvard. Every day when you use Google or Yahoo - and you do - please thank Stanford. And for the PC you use every day thank Berkeley. Columbia does produce more useless politicians and bureaucrats who are busy destroying the country with our tax money and get paid to pontificate. Stanford creates.</p>

<p>Um, Did you forget that Yale produced the guy who created the economic disaster that the guy from Columbia is actually getting us out of?!</p>

<p>And for the PC you use every day thank Berkeley.</p>

<p>You may want to thank Stanford as well. Without microprocessor, your PC might be as big as a house. Microprocessor is an invention by a Stanford PhD named Ted Hoff.</p>

<p>Funny how so many people on this site tout USNews has a valid authority on college rankings. Somehow, even if the vast market of cross admitted students matriculate at Stanford, Columbia is a better school because of a silly USNews ranking. Columbia’s yield is manipulated by taking 50% of its undergraduate class in a binding early decision process, while Stanford is only non binding EA and has the second highest yield (above 72%) among top schools. If you have to be in a huge city and do not crave a college campus community, then knock yourself out and attend Columbia; otherwise, Stanford is the right choice for academics, social life and facilities.</p>

<p>Why are people comparing the rankings/quality of academics/list of impressive alumni??! This is absurd. You are comparing COLUMBIA and STANFORD. they are both fantastic. at either school you will have amazing professors. Go where you feel most comfortable…</p>

<p>Pick where you would rather live for four years: location, city, campus, weather.</p>

<p>Stanford gave us Herbert Hoover. That should end any discussion over its greatness.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>USNWR college rankings are ****. </p></li>
<li><p>Old Hoover went to Stanford in its very first year as a university, for Christ’s sake. Considering how long ago this was, how does this have ANY bearing on how great the university is?? </p></li>
<li><p>College is only four years, and you have the rest of your life to live wherever you want. I was set on going to Columbia before I visited Stanford’s Admit Weekend and absolutely loved it there. Now I’m turning down the opportunity to live in the city of my dreams with no regrets. Let me know what decision you made!!!</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Welcome to the Farm, ambition44! Yeah, coming to visit Stanford has that effect on lots of people. : )</p>

<p>While Hoover’s time has no significance on Stanford now, I do think it’s a little significant that the “first student of the university” eventually became the president of the United States. That does bode well for the university as a whole. :)</p>

<p>Ambition: I’m pretty confident that the comment about Hoover attending Stanford University was sarcasm.</p>

<p>Very funny to see references to both Bush and Obama. If I attended Yale or Harvard, I would not brag about either one of these men. You can throw Gore and Kerry in this group too. I have never met a bunch of underachievers in my life living off legacy or affirmative action admissions…Perhaps our nation would be served better by looking outside of Columbia, Harvard, Yale, etc for its leaders…I read through this thread again this morning, and I find that it really symbolizes everything that is unattractive about Columbia-- insecure students who fret about rankings and a grubby obsession about working in New York on Wall St. Columbia has no sense of community, an unattractive campus, too many NY area “competitive” students and, frankly, a very ugly neighborhood surrounding the campus. Plus, the school has a huge Continuing Studies program which competes for the same tight facilities/faculty/resources as the undergrads and grad students. It is a fact that top NY employers in law, finance, consulting, arts, tech, health care etc actually recruit at many universities outside of New York for talent. Columbia student have no monopoly on the job market.</p>