<p>Can somebody please contrast these? I'm having a heard time choosing. I've seen both, and I truly both of these schools. Although, I like NYC, living in Phillie doesn't seem to be bad either, so I can't make a decision just based on that.</p>
<p>"Penn" "Philly"</p>
<p>They're more similar than different. Columbia is slightly more prestigious and slightly harder to get into, unless we're talking about Fu or Wharton. Columbia is more urban because the campus is right in the middle of the city, while U Penn is actually about 10 minutes away from Philly. Columbia has a smaller campus though, and a lot of buildings are scattered throughout the city. U Penn has nicer dorms, in my opinion. Columbia has the core curriculum, so you may be forced into taking courses you don't want to take. That's all I can think of right now, hope this helped.</p>
<p>if i were you, i would ponder after i get into both..
both are schools that any1 can be rejected...</p>
<p>Penn...</p>
<p>... more campusy, less city than Columbia
... business, engineering, and nursing, along with Liberal arts
... TREES and GRASS (Columbia is lacking, IMO)
... better and more diverse housing options</p>
<p>Columbia</p>
<p>... more city, less campus, and a better city
... Core Curriculum. Make sure you're ready to do it before you apply
... housing/meal options not ideal (especially over four years)
... has a prettier library
... has the option of cross-registration with Barnard (more classes, smaller classes, sometimes better classes, from what I've heard)</p>
<p>both are great options!</p>
<p>WRONG!!! The undergraduate facilities at Columbia are not scattered throughout the city. As an undergraduate, you'll spend 100% of your class-time on Morningside Heights. In fact, Columbia's proposal to expand its facilities into "lower" Morningside Heights and far west Harlem (an area now in demand) is under review for approval by the city government.</p>
<p>I like Columbia's campus better, you simply dont put trees in a city...especially NYC. They have just the perfect amount of vegetation for a university, I hate those universities that try to look like utopian-rural-backwater-villiages (cough Cornell cough) and are proud of it</p>
<p>when I first visited cornell in 8th grade (parents) i thought it was just some dumb farming-town, only later did i found out it was a college, let alone a good one , lol</p>
<p>
Uhhhh, you must not get to Central Park very much. ;)</p>
<p>You also must be unfamiliar with William Penn's conception (when planning Philadelphia) of the "Greene Country Towne". :)</p>
<p>Actually, Philadelphia has LOTS of trees--it has one of the largest urban park systems in the world.</p>
<p>Columbia is a prettier campus. I didn't care for UPenn when I visited.</p>
<p>Many people think that Penn has a prettier campus. It's really a matter of taste (but then again, what isn't?).</p>
<p>One of the biggest differences is the degree to which each school feels like a college.</p>
<p>NYC is the world's greatest city; not surprisingly, many students want to spend their free time in this city--and therefore not on Columbia's campus.</p>
<p>Philadelphia is a great city, but not so ridiculously expansive and absorbing as to suck campus life away from the campus itself. Penn has a more active campus life and sense of community on campus.</p>