<p>In all honesty, what do you guys think about Columbia University and its afiliated institutions in New York?</p>
<p>I visited Columbia, and to be perfectly honest, it felt crowded and impersonal. WAY too many graduate students running around, campus is surrounded by noise, etc. The academics are great, but I think the environment and the undergraduate attention leaves a lot to be desired. To sum it up, it pales in comparison to Yale. ;)</p>
<p>it SUCKS!!!</p>
<p>... just kidding. I'm just bitter because I was waitlisted there. Really, the environment is nice. I go there every saturday for the science honors program for high schoolers, and the campus atmosphere is nice. They even let us use some of their lab equipment (well okay, only the equipment that's close to 100 years old ;)) It's in the city, but there are limited entrances to the main campus, so it has a college feel. I didn't think it was stuffy at all. The area between the two large libraries is really big and open. The steps outside of it is kind of like the steps outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, except smaller and nicer. People play frisbee and soccer on the lawns, too. </p>
<p>But why are you asking on the Yale board?</p>
<p>I think the core curriculum works for some people, but I'm not one of those people. I think it's far too restrictive in terms of what you have to take (not that I hate all core curriculums!). While NYC is a great place, I don't think it's a good college town.</p>
<p>Yeah, the core curriculum really started to get to me after I had already applied. Especially having to take core classes within your major, too. Distribution requirements work out much better, I think.</p>
<p>Well at first I was like core cool! But once I started to really look at it, I really started to dislike it. I think 1/3 of all of your classes are those core classes. You really don't have many options. Were you accepted?</p>
<p>"But why are you asking on the Yale board?"</p>
<p>Being a graduate of both schools, I thought I could get an honest answer over here. Why go to the Harvard board and ask them, we all know their answer...We are the best, noone can beat us, we are number one, blah, blah,blah !</p>
<p>So I come to fellow Yalies for their opinions. Thanks for all of your answers.</p>
<p>You can't expect the people on the Yale board to like the core. I could pick on Yale, too, but I like it pretty much, so whatever.</p>