<p>Hello. I'm currently a high school sophomore, and I'm interested in Columbia University. I like the idea of studying in NYC, I like the self-contained campus, I like the core, I like the fact that it is an Ivy League school. However, I can't really understand the vibe of the school from the rep or the website. This may sound kind of trite and obvious, but what are the things that Columbia is good at and known for, what things are emphasized (study school vs party school, etc.), and above all, what differentiates Columbia's culture from other schools? I'm just kind of curious, and I can't find any good place anywhere else to find definitive answers for questions like these.</p>
<p>Literary feel with the core classes, fast-paced. There are a lot of parties, but students work hard, so it is a study school in that sense. </p>
<p>Things Columbia is known for? Social sciences, humanities, sciences, and engineering, especially in BME, IEOR and CS.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m currently a Junior at Columbia majoring in Economics-Mathematics. </p>
<p>The college is known particularly for its foreign language department, neuroscience, economics, and pre-med tracks among others. </p>
<p>As for the environment, it is extremely fast paced. There is a lot of work thrown at you simultaneously and people spend much of their time in the library. That being said, people tend to party hard on the weekend nights, and weed and alcohol are quite common. The social scene is not focused around frat parties, which are often only held a couple times a semester (per frat) but instead dorm parties that are held particularly in the upperclassmen dorms (mainly East Campus) and the bar scene. Everyone I know has a fake ID which is really easy to obtain and the selection of bars provides a great atmosphere. Otherwise people tend to go to a fair number of concerts in brooklyn and downtown manhattan. </p>
<p>My favorite thing about Columbia is easily the number of conversations I get into about life/philosophy etc. Please feel free to ask some more specific questions if you’re still curious.</p>
<p>What sepaartes Columbia from the other ivies is the diversity, more international students, and the core curriculum, which are all small group seminars on a variety of topics that every student takes. You will leave Columbia the most educated, worldly, and cultured, more than most other schools.</p>