<p>It sounds like you’re really in love with Penn so I would go there. The difference in recruiting opportunities between Penn CAS and Columbia College just aren’t significant enough for you to choose the latter over the former.</p>
<p>^ Exactly. :)</p>
<p>^Seconded.</p>
<p>Penn CAS=Columbia College</p>
<p>Wharton is specialized only for business/financing, which are closely correlated with your interests, but Columbia College and Penn CAS also both do very well in this regard. You seem most comfortable with Penn and thus should go with that.</p>
<p>Warren Buffett started at Penn (Wharton) before transferring back home to Nebraska. A long time ago though. Don’t judge by alumni - Penn has Donald Trump and Noam Chomsky.</p>
<p>Columbia, the Philadelphia Orchestra has gone bankrupt and now there is really going to be less to do in Philadelphia at night versus New York.</p>
<p>You can go weeks at a time with not a single major legit theatre performance in Phildalphia versus having Broadway next to you-just take a look at any issue of Variety.</p>
<p>Don’t you want to have three major league hockey teams and don’t you want to see the big leaguers from both the National and American leagues? </p>
<p>And I won’t even mention opera or the NFL.</p>
<p>vienna man, the Philadelphia Orchestra is entering Chapter 11 reorganization, NOT shutting down. Far from it. It still presents a full season of concerts, and has an exciting new Music Director starting in the 2011-12 season. It’s also about to launch a $165 million fundraising drive, its biggest ever.</p>
<p>Also, you obviously know NOTHING about Philadelphia theatre. Let me enlighten you. Philadelphia now has over 50 professional theatre companies, many of which produce US and world premieres on a regular basis, and not a week goes by that there aren’t several productions available to be seen. While obviously not as large or active as New York’s theatre scene, the Philadelphia professional theatre scene is larger and more active than that of any other city in the country OTHER than New York and Chicago, and it’s a LOT more accessible on a college student’s budget than the theatre scene in NYC.</p>
<p>And in terms of professional sports, let’s see–which city currently has the best starting pitching rotation in the Majors? ;)</p>
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<p>And the hearts of ten thousand once-proud Quakers shatter…</p>
<p>I had to work in Philadelphia for six consecutive months several years ago, stayed in a suite in the old Adam’s Mark hotel, and I was mightily disappointed in what Philadelphia offered culturally versus other places I have been. Just my experience.</p>
<p>Dude, if you didn’t like the vibe at Columbia but you did at Penn, go to Penn. Don’t sweat the vagaries of potential placement issues four or five years hence so much. You might even change your mind about finance before then.</p>
<p>That said, maybe you should check out Columbia’s vibe one more time now that the weather’s nice. And THAT said, I reiterate what I said before in this thread: you can’t go wrong either way.</p>
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You obviously didn’t know where to look. Without a doubt, Philadelphia has more going on culturally (historical sites and neighborhoods, museums, art, classical music, high-level professional theatre, restaurants, parks, etc.) than just about any other city in the country except NYC and Chicago (and actually more than even those 2 cities in certain categories).</p>
<p>Dude, he was in the Adam’s Mark Hotel (on the edge of city limits, since closed and demolished) . In his defense there’s not much going on there ;)</p>
<p>HafsaRox: Follow your heart, and not stats. If you feel more comfortable at UPenn - go for it! Both Penn and Columbia are GREAT, and you simply cannot go wrong. Actually - you can go wrong if you follow numbers rather than following your gut feeling.</p>
<p>You’re about to spend the next 4 years in college, so attend the college where you’ll be happier. </p>
<p>Congrats on having such amazing options, and good luck!</p>
<p>Columbia hands down in my book esp with the aid.</p>