<p>Hey guys!!</p>
<p>I just got into Columbia and Brown off the waitlists and I pretty much have no idea what to decide!! If it help I’m looking to study political science/international relations/economics!</p>
<p>I like both curriculums and am torn between NY and Providence… seriously im TORN</p>
<p>Any help is appreciated!</p>
<p>I think, no matter what people tell you about one or another, this is a decision you are going to have to make based on your “gut” (and your parents, too). The environments of the cities are very different, and hence the flavor of the campuses. If the academics seem equivalent to you, then “flavor” may be the deciding factor. Obviously, if you have not spent time on both campuses, that would be priority #1 to do if possible,or even revisit, even if it is exam week (maybe even more so because it is exam time, lol: that is when the best and worst can come out!) One thing to consider re Brown (a small thing, but may have changed since you last looked, is that the IR concentration requirements just changed, so do look that up. Now much harder to “double major” IR with other studies.)</p>
<p>The first, and obvious 2 things that come to mind that are very different between these two schools:</p>
<p>Brown = Campus Life
Columbia = NYC Life</p>
<p>While not as bad as NYU since Columbia still has a campus, all my friends who went there said they spent basically no time on campus, and all of their time in the city. At Brown, my experience was basically the opposite.</p>
<p>Brown = New Curriculum
Columbia = Core Curriculum</p>
<p>My question, since you claim to love both, is why do you love the Core? Do you love it because you like the topics covered? Because you can probably take essentially all of those courses at Brown. The big difference here is obviously that at Columbia it’s required. Every freshman is in the same classes. Do you like that, or do you want to meet people who will go to your school who literally didn’t take a single class you took? Do you want to go to a school that believes it knows which classes are best for you, or do you want to go to a school where the onus is on you to make that choice?</p>
<p>I personally can’t comment on the departments you’re looking at, but I would definitely put a lot of weight into which school has the stronger/better fitting with your desires department for those areas.</p>
<p>@BrownAlumParent, thats really interesting any chance you could show me where it says that its harder!!</p>
<p>Brown = School whose Ivy status is often under question.
Columbia = School which deserves to be mentioned with the coveted HYPSM phrase. </p>
<p>Its a simple choice really.</p>
<p>If you want to know more about whether Brown is right for you can join the official facebook group and interact with the rest of the class of 2015 and current students and figure out if the place is right for you. I’m assuming you can’t visit with the time you have. Go with your gut when you can’t go wrong :)</p>
<p>Chelsearox - That’s some great advice… :\
At least you’re a prefrosh at a school whose ‘ivy status is never under question’ (wow… I felt stupider just typing it)</p>
<p>i<em>wanna</em>be_Brown posted some good advice for you. The academic environment is entirely different between the two, so it’s all based how you want to learn and whether you will thrive with one style or another. </p>
<p>Ignore chelsearox’s response, because like guitarclassical said, that’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.</p>
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<p>That’s funny coming from a highschooler. Have you even gotten to college yet and heard people debate that? It’s hilarious that people think that the hair-splitting that comes from the morons of these forums is commonplace when you get to college. But I guess it is if you’re petty.</p>
<p>“Brown = School whose Ivy status is often under question.”</p>
<p>The Ivy League is an athletic conference… none of its members has ever been “under question…” </p>
<p>Also, Brown had a lower admit rate than Penn this year, so I wouldn’t be talking.</p>
<p>^ And Cornell’s the worst Ivy, so you shouldn’t even consider talking lol jk</p>
<p>Now that I think about it, I shouldn’t bother posting on other Ivy League boards except for the one I’m going to.</p>
<p>Calling Cornell ‘the worst Ivy’ is a bit… un-Brown. Just sayin.</p>
<p>If you want to study IR or poli sci…Columbia is the obvious choice. Great internship opportunities in NYC…UN etc. Great cache</p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys, I pretty much made up my mind to go to Brown, the only reason to go to Columbia for me at this point would be for the ‘added prestige’ and I haven’t been convinced it would actually make much of a difference whereas I love everything else Brown! So brown it is :)</p>
<p>Welcome! We look forward to seeing you on campus in September.</p>
<p>congratulations! great choices and great job. i am also waited listed at brown and haven’t heard anything yet. do you have any suggestions on what I should do?? i did let the regional rep know i was still interested but haven’t bothered them too much other than that. </p>
<p>what were you stats – SAT, and hook that you think got you accepted off the wait list.
thansk
202uva</p>
<p>unless something monumental happened, the one letter you sent to your regional rep before is enough</p>
<p>@202uva I sent a letter to my admin officer saying why I was interested and why I was a good fit for Brown and I got a close friends and interviewer (not mine) to write a letter of recommendation from me… No hooks and my SAT were 2150</p>
<p>Great choices, you couldn’t go wrong, really. But great decision. The Brown program doesn’t get enough credit. It will give you enormous flexibility to persue your passions.</p>
<p>iwannabebrown is also pointing out that Brown is very much a campus culture where you deeply interact with your fellows as well as grad students and profs. It doesn’t get more personal, in a college that size.</p>