UChicago or Columbia?

Hello all,

I’m a transfer student who was admitted to UChicago and Columbia. Originally, Columbia had been my top choice but after studying at UChicago during a summer I absolutely fell in love with it and applied ED (later deferred and rejected) during my high school senior year.
But now that I have both schools at hand, I simply can’t make a decision.

FYI-
I intend to study law later (so law school placement matters) and have interests both in humanities (e.g. history, EnLit, Polsci) and also in computer science.
Although the workload at two schools may not allow much free time, I am interested in music and would like a good connectivity to the city center (personally rn it’s Chicago symphony vs NY phil + Carnegie Hall).

Unfortunately, I am not able to pay a visit to Columbia before its reply date so I only know what it feels like to live at UChicago.

Any input will be appreciated-

These schools are quite a bit alike, as I’m sure you know. If cost is not a deciding factor, I would look into target majors and find out which school offers more classes you like in those programs, and which set of distribution requirements you prefer.

In terms of setting, it’s Manhattan vs. Chicago, both of which are awesome. Having seen both, I feel like Columbia is a bit more cramped. But then, Manhattan has that feeling overall vs. a residential neighborhood in Chicago.

So i’d choose mainly on precise academic fit and setting. Congrats!

You did apply ED to Chicago…

Having said that, I personally would always pick Columbia in this particular matchup. Just my preference.

The educational quality would be similar, but the schools do not feel at all the same. Columbia has 33,000 students packed into a tiny 36 acre campus. That one beautiful grand square you see in all the photos - that’s it. That is the entire campus, along with some odd buildings down some side streets. Space is at a premium everywhere. The facilities and dorms at Chicago tend to be newer and nicer, in part because every inch of Columbia is in use at all times, so it is very difficult to renovate. After first year, social life tends to be more fragmented, and many students treat the school almost like commuters while they focus on the rest of NYC.

Some people absolutely love love LOVE Columbia, because they want to live the maximum NYC experience. Others don’t like it at all, because they want more of a campus based life.

I really suggest you visit it before you decide.

Uchicago has placed 85% of its law school applicant graduates in top 14 law schools. I don’t know what Columbia’s stats are. I am sure they are great as well. Uchicago has a real campus and offers a college experience in a great city. Columbia does not have a campus feel. You live the NY life with all its pluses and minuses. Both are superlative institutions. But Uchicago has tremendous momentum now. Your money goes much farther in Chicago than NY. The new dorms at Chicago feel like upscale hotels. Amazing facilities. A lot also has to do with what you intend to study.

I would dispute the statement that Columbia doesn’t have a campus feel. The campus isn’t large, and the “feel”/attachment to campus is not as strong a campus feel as other universities. Actually, Columbia prides itself on that - that’s one of the draws of attending Columbia, that the entire city of New York is your learning space and not just the borders of the campus. Still, Columbia definitely has a defined campus (that’s bigger than just the one square in the pictures - it’s not a gigantic campus, but it’s definitely bigger than just the Low Library stairs) that things happen on and students gather on. It’s just that very often, Columbia students would rather be experiencing the city than on campus.

Both schools/cities are great for music.

If you already lived on campus at Chicago and loved it enough to do ED as a HS student, why not just go there? You can’t go wrong with your choice - both will be great for law school placement or anything else you want to do after college. You may as well attend the one you’ve already gotten to visit and that you KNOW you like, vs. one that’s a black box.

What great choices. You can’t really go wrong. If you love your time on the Chicago campus, then you can’t really go wrong and then maybe law school at Columbia or NYU?

When you go to a favorite restaurant, do you order the same dish or try something new? To me I choose the same dish because I don’t want to look back at the time and wish I’d ordered something I know I liked.

I live 1 hour from NYC and my son will be going to UChicago this fall. Having experienced both cities, I feel more at home in Chicago. Even living an hour from NYC, I feel like an intruder every time I step foot there.

Respectfully disagree that Columbia does not have a campus feel. That small square postage stamp in the middle of the big city gives you the best of both worlds…a peaceful beautiful campus in the greatest city on earth. But I totally agree that your dollar goes farther in Chicago. Both great choices. Chicago is more approachable city but if I were in my twenties, I would love to live in NYC. Maybe choose one for undergrad and then the other for Law School - the best of both worlds. Just hope you get some money…that will be an expensive 7 years.