I’m a transfer student and miraculously I was accepted to Stanford, Columbia, Amherst and Cornell. Truth be told, I never though it possible for me to be accepted to all these schools. I ‘think’ I’ve narrowed it down to Stanford and Columbia, but 'm totally lost on what school I should attend between those two. I’m majoring in Computer Science and am from NY btw. Here’s my breakdown of the schools.
STANFORD
Pros:
-Amazing for Computer Science
-Prestige wise everyone keeps telling me Stanford 100%. They also only accept 1% of transfers so it’s crazy I even got accepted.
-More laid back feel (I’ve been told)
-Proximity to Silicon Valley
Cons:
-I’m really scared to go so far away from home. I have an aunt that lives nearby, but I’ve never been away before for too long. I have a very close knit family and I think culture is a huge factor. It’s a thing that your kids don’t really go far away.
-My parents also are not fond of me going so far away. They’d prefer Columbia.
-I’m scared my academics will not be up to par for CS. I have little experience, as my community college barely had any CS classes. I guess this holds true for all top schools.
COLUMBIA
Pros:
-NYC and the diversity is has
-Proximity from home
-All the various attractions/museums/internship opportunities
Cons:
The Core. This is more due to the fact I’m a transfer student so I’d have a heavy course load. Piling on all the required core courses and completing most of my major might be quite strenuous on me. I’m also not sure if I’d have much free space for elective classes. If a transfer student can also chime in, I’d really appreciate it!
Other Things to Note:
-I’m REQUIRED to graduate from Columbia in two years, they don’t allow any extra time if I need it.
-Stanford gave me better aid, but I think I could try to appeal Columbia’s aid if I decided on Columbia. I’m going to try to this week in case that’s where I decide on.
-I’ve been to Columbia once before and am going to their transfer student day this coming week. I will also be visiting Stanford soon.The last day for my deposit is May 27th (transfers don’t get much time to decide).
-My parents would prefer Columbia, but they will support me either way
Once you are here in Calif you will wonder why you had any doubts about coming to Stanford!
Grab the Golden ring that Stanford has offered you and dont look back.
You can always return to NY to work, but graduating from Stanford with a CS degree will open doors for you everywhere!
@menloparkmom Thanks! I always hear people say that Stanford will provide more opportunities for me. I’ve wondered about that. Is it only because of Silicon Valley’s proximity or the fact that Stanford is more prestigious than Columbia? I didn’t think there would be an enormous difference considering the fact that these schools are both top in the country.
Its because you will be studying CS in the virtual center of the CS universe, which Stanford had a VERY large part in creating! Columbia, as good as it is, has nothing on Stanford when it comes to the world of CS. And its a wonderful place to go to college! NO bad weather, lots of chances to get outdoors, no east coast attitudes of " I got into Columbia therefore I must be smarter than you"
There are FAR more companies and start ups looking for CS majors here in Northern Calif than in any other part of the US.
If you graduate from Stanford the CS world will be your oyster.
And the urban center otherwise known as San Francisco is only 50 miles away.
I will also mention that Columbia takes "relatively "a lot of transfer students, whereas Stanford only takes 25-30
PER YEAR.
So dont throw away this chance to graduate from the University that has the lowest freshman acceptance rate of any U in the US!
Theoretically they accept only 20 or so who are regular students. There are usually 5-8 military personnel accepted in the transfers because Stanford wants to show that they value Service.
@texaspg Last year they only accepted 20 students total… if that number is the same this year, that means typical students have an even lower acceptance rate
This is a fantastic time in your life to take advantage of THE best college in the entire world for your major in the best place to get a job in your major, it is more affordable and it will give you a chance to gain some independence.
You are close to your family, but you need to find out if that is just the way THEY want it or the way you want it.
If they have accepted you, they think that you can succeed. Make sure you talk to professors, form study groups, get a tutor if you need to.
@bopper I mean, it’s a little bit of both you could say. My parents certainly want me to be close in the sense that it will be in a drivable distance and it’s also something that I wanted too so that if anything came up, I could always go back home easily if need be.
You have all the pros and cons listed out very well. It is great that you can visit Stanford. It may also be worthwhile to visit Columbia and meet with an advisor to plot out your schedule and be sure it is do-able in two years.
have you visited these schools? edit: I now see that you’ve visited Columbia and will be visiting S.
I don’t think Stanford includes loans, does your Columbia aid pkg include loans?
What is your net cost at each school, not including loans?
I don’t like the fact that Columbia requires that you graduate in 2 years. What if you can’t?
Are your parents opposed to having a daughter go so far away? Is this an ethnic/cultural thing?
Are your parents concerned about travel costs to/from Stanford during holiday times? ARe they concerned about their costs if they need to travel there (for graduation)?
No, none of them includes loans for me and both are doable financially. Stanford’s financial aid is better though, so I’ve submitted a request for a re-evaluation of Columbia’s aid with a copy of Stanford’s. I was told I should hear back by early next week. Right now I’m just really concerned with what’s a better fit for me instead of the prestige factor.
I’m not really sure what the policy for ‘if I can’t graduate in two years’ is. I’m going to their transfer event this Friday and and will hopefully ask then.
Yes, part of it is cultural I think. They don’t want me so far away, but if I did decide to go to Stanford they would support me.
A little, but not as much, mostly because Stanford’s financial aid incorporates travel costs twice a year. The real issue is that I won’t be able to visit as frequently as I’d like because instead of what can be a spontaneous car ride back home for Columbia, it would have to be a more costly planned plane ride.
Is someone able to comment on the difference in atmosphere of the two schools? For example, Stanford’s “laid back feel” and Columbia’s “busy” feel? How does that affect your experience at the respective schools?
