<p>I was admitted to Stanford, MIT, and Columbia and I'm interested in political science and the biological sciences/biophysics.
I like the idea of the edgier culture in NYC and the Core, but Stanford and MIT are better funded and seem to have better biology programs than Columbia.
What should I do?</p>
<p>MIT and Stanford do have better biology programs than Columbia, and MIT has a great political science program as well.</p>
<p>Will you be able to visit any of the three schools for admitted student weekends?</p>
<p>I will be able to visit all three.</p>
<p>I understand that I’ll be able to get a feel for the ‘atmospheres’ at all of them.
Mostly I’ve just heard good things about them all, but I’ve heard that MIT can be overwhelming, Stanford’s student body can be somewhat anti-intellectual, and Columbia can be somewhat isolating…</p>
<p>I’m from a small rural town with somewhat of a ‘bubble’ and I want to be challenged socially, which might make Columbia a good fit. Also, I don’t really know if I’m going to major in Bio or Political science…</p>
<p>I also don’t understand why Columbia scores higher at times than Stanford and MIT in university rankings…
[Best</a> Colleges | Find the Best College for You | US News Education](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges)</p>
<p>MIT absolutely can be overwhelming, but it’s important to understand that it’s overwhelming in part because MIT students have a tendency to overwhelm themselves and secretly enjoy it. It’s overwhelming, but the reason you were admitted is that the admissions office is confident you can handle it intellectually. The question you have to ask yourself is whether you want to be intellectually challenged to that degree.</p>
<p>I can’t speak to the atmospheres at Columbia or Stanford.</p>