Hi guys,
I am planning to apply ED to Columbia this fall after four campus visits. Can the current students at Columbia post about the student life at Columbia, like how does NYC effect Columbia and students at Columbia , what are the pros/cons of being in NYC (don’t include the finances cause I know that that’s mostly a con) and what do they love the most about Columbia and NYC?
I really love Columbia and I would apply to Columbia even if it wasn’t an ivy league school so don’t talk about the ivy status =)
Pros of the city
Access to literally everything you could ever need
Great food
Year round entertainment
Great club scene but they’ll card the hell out of you
You can go to/from any part of the city (all five boroughs) in less than 2 hours via public transportation
Dollar Pizza
Street Festivals
Coney Island in the spring
Amtrak to anywhere
Great pro sports
Shopping
Cons of the city-
Tourists
When public transportation doesn’t run properly
Cabs and Taxis
I can speak to that since I’m an incoming freshman from a more suburban area at least.
City life is pretty cool, but from what I’ve found your life is pretty much centered around the Columbia campus, which is in a quieter area of Manhattan anyway. Some people say they never leave campus. I wouldn’t go that far, but I would say that you get the resources of the city without it being too overwhelming since you have a sort of oasis-like campus to retreat to. The campus is actually really quiet and serene at night, and it’s safe enough to take a midnight walk without having to worry.
But I’m more of the party-averse kind. My outings to the city have been to visit record shops and ramen places, and to see friends at other colleges, and I’m not well-acquainted with the club scene at all.
One thing I’ve noticed is that people here study a LOT. Your friends will tell you about how they’re spending 6-hour stretches in the library on the weekend. You will do it yourself. But it also builds a kind of solidarity. I spent a good 5 hours quietly typing out an essay with someone from my class that I had barely talked to before, and it ended with a nice discussion on our life goals, our stories, etc. Discussions about math homework turn into discussions about the nature of math.
I’d disagree with the people that say Columbia is an intense and overwhelming place. If you let it, it can be really nice.
@tshiknn Thank you so much for your reply! I can definitely see the study part of Columbia because I visited it so many times and every time most students are seen studying in the butler library or just studying on the stairs. which I find quite amazing tbh and that’s one of the many reasons why I want to call Columbia home. I like the fact that it’s in one of the greatest city of the worlds and yet has such a serene campus. I really really hope I get in, I am not going to have too high hopes but this is the only top school I’ll apply too and I hope they accept me. Thank you for your help and good luck with your freshmen year at Columbia!
We used to joke that the undergrads never go south of 110th St or north of 125th St. I know it’s not completely true, though, particularly among upperclassmen.
Hello! Columbia is my dream school, and I’ve wanted to attend since fourth grade. However, I am currently enduring my junior year at an extremely challenging college prep school, and I do not want to repeat this agony.
Is Columbia really that rigorous where it is hard to enjoy yourself?
Is it hard for incoming freshmen to adjust to the city life?