So, I’m having a little predicament with which school I should ED to. After my subject test results (not good), I turned to two schools that I really loved and don’t put as much emphasis on Subject Tests as other elites. UChicago probably more so than Columbia, but there are advantages and disadvantages to both that make the decision hard for me. I like the urban campus of both, but I like the city of New York more than Chicago as it has better weather and better access to opportunity generally speaking. Of course, Chicago isn’t secluded by any means, but it’s not New York. The core curriculum of Columbia seems pretty daunting, and Chicago’s “intellectual” atmosphere is a little off-putting to me. These are my two main gripes. I plan to major in Economics btw. Chicago is a powerhouse there, however, Columbia isn’t far behind. Also, yes, I know ED is binding. I wouldn’t regret going to either of these schools. Who would? I’m just trying to get some outside opinions on these schools.
Columbia ED + Chicago EA has long been a popular combination for high-achieving students interested in urban colleges. That’s one option if you can’t decide between them, though you’d have to commit to Columbia if admitted in the ED round.
Chicago leans quite heavily on early admissions. Approximately 80% of the students in Chicago’s freshman class last year were admitted in the early rounds.
https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2018/1/9/class-2021-numbers/
It is really up to you to decide. As someone who is from Chicago, I would personally heavily favor it, but I can understand there are many wrong-headed people who prefer NYC (just kidding-- a little). I cannot tell which college would be better for you, both are fine institutions, but there is a possibility of making Columbia your first choice for ED and UChicago your second choice for ED. Besides Early Action, UChicago now has both ED1 and ED2. The ED2 round has an applicaiton deadline of January 2 with notification of decision in mid-Feb. Thus, if you want two possible ED chances but really want Columbia as first choice, you could apply ED to Columbia, and then if you do not get admitted, apply ED2 to UChicago (instead of applying early action or early decision).
Both parts of that statement suggest to me that perhaps neither school would be the best choice for you.
Possible alternatives:
NYU
UPenn
Northwestern
Boston College
All these schools, FWIW, have econ departments in the USNWR T25 (for graduate programs, anyway).
NYU is not a possibility. They are stingy when it comes to financial aid, and there’s no way I could afford going there without either going into significant debt or getting major scholarships. UPenn is one that I considered and interests me, however, I like the campuses of Columbia and UChicago much more as well as the smaller size. Northwestern is one I considered, but I prefer a highly urban campus. The Columbia curriculum core does seem daunting, but I don’t think it’d be a bad option for me. I’m someone who kind of needs some direction, especially in a completely new environment, to succeed. The core classes would ensure that, while I get acquainted with the city and school, that I wouldn’t fall behind. For Chicago, I just mean that I’m kind of off-put by a school that is so saturated with academic competition that I won’t be able to connect with others and have an enjoyable experience. I’ve heard, not actually experienced this, that Chicago may have an atmosphere like that. I do enjoy a lot of my work and am willing to put in long hours studying and researching - I just don’t want it to completely dominate and overwhelm my college experience.