I think doing a third year at Stanford will help you get a good college experience and have a couple of summer internships under your belt. Frankly, it will be a big jump to go from CC to a university, let alone the top of the pyramid chain like Columbia or Stanford. You need at least a quarter or two or a semester just to acclimate to the pace.
@texaspg That’s true… but it’s something I would still have to petition for. So it’s a nice option to have, but something I shouldn’t aim for.
@eternaldream - Stanford has a 5 year MS. It is considered automatic and I don’t believe you need to complete undergraduate in 2 years if you apply for it and try to meet the requirements.
Looked into the 5 years MS program. Don’t think it’s automatic, but there is probably a high chance of getting in maybe?: https://undergrad.stanford.edu/advising/coterm/choosing-coterm
However, I lose undergraduate financial aid once I hit 180 credits and become considered a grad student. I will definitely have to look into the financial feasibility of it, but I think that’s best to look at once and if I enroll 
My husband transferred into Columbia (through GS, but the Core requirements are similar). He only took 12 points a semester and it took him 4 years to graduate, but even if he had taken 15 points a semester, I still think it would’ve taken him longer than 2 years because of all the Core requirements. And even then, GS has a lot more flexibility in satisfying Core requirements with outside classes - he didn’t have to take Literature Humanities, Frontiers of Science or Contemporary Civilization, for example, because he had transfer classes that counted. But I think Columbia College students are 100% required to take those classes and can’t substitute transfer coursework.
That combined with the fact that Stanford is better for CS would make me lean Stanford. You’d have more wiggle room to take electives as well as some wiggle room in case something goes wrong. And they’ve given you better aid!
It’s not because Stanford is more prestigious (comparing the prestige of the two is splitting the tiniest of hairs) but because Stanford’s connections in the tech industry are unparalleled.
I didn’t attend undergrad at Columbia - I went to graduate school there - but I supervised and taught undergrads there, and can attest to its “busy” feel. It’s one of those places where it feels like your classmates are always doing something, leading something, interning somewhere, etc. I used to overhear students compete-bragging about how many hours they spent in the library (“Bro, I was in Butler until 1 am yesterday” “Oh dude, you left at 1? I didn’t leave until 3” “Well, yeah, I just had to leave because I was hungry, but I went back to my room to study until 5…”*), and it seemed like the students I supervised were always exhausted because they were president of 3 clubs and interning and taking 6 classes a semester. I remember several times trying to convince some of my students to drop a class or two - I remember advising an RA of mine that she absolutely could not take 8 classes and that she needed to drop at least 2 or I would have to let her go; advising a different RA who was struggling that she should drop one of her 6 classes and getting a response that indicated she’d never even considered the idea; and suggesting to a resident in one of my buildings that maybe she should drop one of her 6 classes and her responding that she couldn’t possibly because all of her friends were also taking 6-7 classes and she’d feel like a slacker. (The graduate programs are somewhat like that, too; it used to drive me crazy and I had to make a lot of non-grad student friends, because I felt like all we did was talk about academics/work even when we were at happy hour or eating dinner together or something.)
BUT don’t get me wrong - those students were some of the most amazing young people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing; they grind hard but they are talented and smart and it’s an excited, energetic kind of grinding. It’s the kind of place where if the students don’t like something they DO something about it, and if they do like something they do something to establish it/make it better/make it permanent. They’re always doing something. And they have the greatest skills! My RAs had to put together a video for an activity we were doing and they put together this beautifully scripted, filmed, and edited video because there was someone who had a little bit of experience in each. I’ve seen them protest the departure of administrators they liked and move for the institution of administrators and teachers they needed. There’s a reason why so many Columbia students (and elite school students in general, I suspect) go onto demanding leadership positions in their careers - they get good training and the kind of peer pressure cooker that germinates that work ethic at Columbia. And they learn this lack of fear in petitioning authority figures for whatever it is they think they want. (And that bled over into the graduate ethic, too - when a benefit of mine at work was delayed, I mentioned to a coworker that if it didn’t get fixed I’d find whoever was responsible for it in HR and sit in their office until they made it happen. He laughed, and then he realized I was serious, because I’ve done it before!)
So that’s both sides of the coin for the “busy” aspect, although of course from an adjacent perspective. I suggest you visit the Columbia forum if you want a more first-hand perspective from current undergrads!
*No lie, I involuntarily rolled my eyes really hard when I wrote this sentence, just like I used to when I heard the undergrads having the argument, lol!
Thanks so much for your detailed response @juillet 
Yes, I’m transferring into the college and while Core requirements ‘could’ be waived, it’s almost impossible for the most part. The only one I can probably get waived is University Writing. I calculated it and I’m looking at around 20 points a semester, which scares me. I went to Columbia’s accepted transfer event they had yesterday and was told I can take a max of 22 credits a semester, but 20 credits still seems like a lot! I’m used to taking 18 credits in community college (which was the max), but Columbia is a huge jump from that academically.
Columbia’s financial aid appeal also came in though and they’re just about matching Stanford’s financial aid, so that will not be a concern anymore.
Lol, oddly enough that ‘busy’ feel seems like me at community college.
I really loved Columbia when I visited yesterday and could totally see myself attending. I think that’s what made it all the more disappointing because it reminded me of the hard time I would have if I would decide to attend. Most students weren’t on campus because classes had ended so it was difficult to find/speak to students. There was also a panel of transfer students, but almost all were sophomore transfers and had an easier transition to face.
If you have to take 20 points a semester at Columbia I would definitely not go. Most courses at Columbia are 3 points a class, so 20 points a semester means you will have to take seven 3-point classes each semester. If two of your classes are 4 points, then I suppose you could take six classes - four 3-pointers with two 4-pointers - but you’d also have two 4-point classes, which are more work than 3-point classes. Columbia also doesn’t offer a lot of classes over the summer that fulfill requirements for majors and pretty much no Core classes over the summer, so you don’t even have the option to catch up over the summer. And if you are already transferring in 60 points, you can’t take classes at another university over the summer to catch up, either.
I think most students take around 15-18 points a semester at Columbia. I once chatted with an engineering student who was taking 21 points in one semester; he was essentially doing nothing else that semester (no extracurriculars or anything) and he was still struggling. He said he’d never do it again.
@juillet
Core classes count for 4 credits. So depending on the semester, I’d be taking 1-4 four credit classes each, plus however many 3 credit classes. I also have left to do two semesters of foreign language (5 credits each semester) to fulfill my foreign language requirement.
Therefore, I’d be taking 5 courses a semester or 6 at the most. Does that make it more doable, or is that still too much because it’s still a lot of credits?
Its TOO much.
Go to Stanford where you will have more time and less pressure.
I do have to say with that rationale no one would ever attend a service academy. They average 20 hours per semester.
Can you talk to a transfer advisor or department advisor at Columbia to see if you can plot out a schedule that appears do-able? Can you ask for one additional semester to complete the work? Can you take some summer courses to ease the load? I think moving from a CC to Columbia and increasing your academic courseload at the same time could be a difficult combination.
“”-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.""
i know it’s tough going away from home. my family is very close knit as well. but for you to grow as an individual and to get to that next level of success, sometimes you have to do stuff you’re uncomfortable doing. actually, the fact that you said this was something you’re thinking about makes me think you should definitely go to stanford to get out of your comfort zone and experience life and to grow as an individual. stanford is pretty diverse and i think as a transfer student you should just let yourself soak it all in. dive in head first into your studies. your family life might be great and happy, but you can’t become complacent. i don’t know if your family is rich or not, i dont want to assume you’re low income because you mentioned your culture, but if you are lower/middle class, think of this as doing it for your family. becoming someone, and giving back to all they have done for you by taking advantage of all the success. don’t be afraid of growth. your family will still be there. but the chance for growth and the close proximity to silicon valley and being at the epicenter of your field is just something you can’t let go of. do it for them, make them proud. they love you and i can understand them wanting you to stay, but you also have to understand that no matter where you go they will always love you. it may be hard for them to tell you to go to stanford because they may selfishly want you to stay. im not saying it’s a bad thing or that they’re bad people for wishing you to stay. but if you want to save feelings, do this on your own accord. and in the end you’ll be saving them the pain and hardship of them having to admit that it would be best for you to go to stanford. it’s difficult. but you can be a bigger person and take that pain away by choosing to go of your own volition.
stanford meets your entire demonstrated need without loans. getting in as a transfer student is incredibly difficult. you’re a computer scientist, stanford is #1 in that and silicon valley is right in their backyard. the fact that you even got accepted speaks volumes about your abilities and potential, so don’t let insecurity get to you just because you’re a transfer student. march right in there and show em what you got. there are communities there that will help you. reach out. grow. life might be great at home but to grow as an individual person you should strive beyond that. you have no idea what might be waiting for you.
also if you dont mind me asking, what were your stats? i want to transfer to stanford lol (so i guess this may make my post completely biased.)
I’m surprised how many people are trying to push you in one direction or the other. This sounds entirely cliche, but go with your gut. Flip a coin to decide, and if you’re unhappy with how it landed, that’s a sign.
If you still can’t decide, try to not only imagine where you’d be happiest, but also which college will help you be more successful 5, 10, 20 years down the road. Also consider where you’d be most excited to tell people you’re going.
Also, if they have a Facebook page for students, look on there and see which students you’d like to surround yourself with for two years. Look up rankings on Niche, Ratemyteachers, Cappex, whatever, and see what students who have actually attended have to say.
I don’t really think you could go wrong with either choice. I think I know where you sound like you’d be happier to attend, but I don’t want to influence you. Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great time
Satisfying the Core requirement AND completing a CS degree in a compressed time frame seems a like a pretty daunting task to me. CS is one of the harder majors because it requires so much work (timewise) to get through it. OTOH, if you go to Stanford, be prepared for the fact that many of the kids studyIng CS had pretty substantial exposure to CS in HS through internships or programming projects like mobile apps that they developed. Best of luck whatever you decide!
Only Literature Humanities, Contemporary Civilization, and Frontiers of Science count for 4 points; University Writing, Music Humanities, Art Humanities are only 3 points, and most likely your Global Core classes will be 3 points as well. Foreign language classes can be worth 4 or 5 points, but they are worth more because they a lot of work. My husband took a 5-point Japanese class one semester and the pace was fast. He dropped down to the 4-point Spanish sequence to finish his foreign language requirement instead.
That’s why I made the comment about more work - more credits = more work. Especially the foreign language classes.
Service academies are a completely different equation. Students who choose to go to a service academy understand at the outset that their college career will be long and difficult, with days filled primarily with studying, physical training, and military drilling. First-years at military academies aren’t even allowed to leave campus most weekends. If the OP were looking for that kind of environment and experience my answer would be different. However, one of her pros for Stanford was the “laid-back feel” and cons for Columbia was the heavy course load, so I think it’s safe to assume that’s not what she’s looking for.
I spoke to a dean at Columbia and I did plot a schedule. She looked over my schedule and I don’t really have a lot of leeway. I’m taking absolutely no electives. As far as know, financial aid cannot apply to summer courses, so they will probably be a no-go for me. An additional semester is not really allowed at Columbia.
Thanks for mentioning the credit breakdown for all the core class. I had realized that the music/art humanities were 3 credits, but didn’t realize that the Global Core could be 3 credits. Just went back and saw that the courses fulfilling global core are either three or four credits. That can reduce two of my semesters by one credit. The language I’m taking is one that I speak a bit at home, so while it will be challenging to adjust to the advanced levels, I hope at least it won’t be super difficult.
Lol, yes now it seems biased XD But it’s ok, you made some good points. However, I think the distinction to be made here is that it’s not like I’m comparing Stanford and a state flagship. I’m comparing Stanford to another top-ranked Ivy League Institution. Both which are great. I’m trying to distinguish between the fit between the two.
My stats are listed in the Stanford Fall 2016 Transfer thread. Otherwise just PM if you can’t find it.
No, please tell me where you think I’d like it better I’d really like to know what everyone thinks. However, you are right that a lot of people are just pushing me one way. A lot of my friends and other people are pushing me to Stanford for the prestige factor. I’m just looking for concrete reasons why Stanford is really better for me OVERALL as opposed to Columbia… and vice versa.
I won’t necessarily have more time to complete my degree at Stanford, it’s just that there is the potential for me to petition for an extra year if I really need it. You’re right about my worry of being with other students who have a lot of experience in CS.
did you go to a community college first?
Lol, yes I did. I see someone tagged me in one of your threads, I’ll reply back when I get a chance. Right now I’m facing my own dilemma on choosing a college XD
So visited Stanford today. There were some things I really liked and some things I didn’t. I took notice of how friendly everyone was and the campus was just so beautiful. It was very cheery(?) if that’s the word I could use. I wasn’t sure how keen I was on the huge campus and probably having to bike to class everyday (although some people do walk I guess). I noticed what a huge connection they have to Silicon Valley.
I really want NYC and the cultural experiences it offers, but at the same time it seems Stanford gives me more opportunities for my major. Yet, I think Columbia does a really good job for CS also. It’s just so confusing?? I’ve always dreamed of NYC and now everyone is telling me Stanford, but its hard to make sure its the right “fit” for me, especially since Columbia I thought was a great fit for me (minus the Core and transfer issues I’m having).