<p>Do you/should you/can you register for first-year housing prior to commiting officially to Columbia? Assuming the quicker that application is filled out the better chance your top choices will be received, will waiting until after "preview week," endanger your chances at the dorm of your choice; or is it all just a darn crapshoot?</p>
<p>Everything that I’ve heard says that you go into a lottery regardless of when you submit your housing application, so you might as well wait until you’ve seen the dorms. May 1st is the deadline, though.</p>
<p>Yeah, the May 1st deadline is what was alarming me. Thx for the info on the lottery. Are the numbers given out randomly, based on time-period of application receipt or based on year status? Some schools give Seniors and first-years priority during lotteries, is this the case with Columbia as well?</p>
<p>Columbia has designated freshman dorming, so you will not be against any upper classmen (generally, but the specifics are irrelevant to your position). It is completely randomized in terms of who gets priority-- it does not rely on any external factors such as submission date or acceptance conditions. 95% of applicants either get their first or second choice. </p>
<p>This all changes your other three years, but you can worry about that later.</p>
<p>Gotcha. One “bridge,” to cross at a time :)</p>
<p>“Do you/should you/can you register for first-year housing prior to committing officially to Columbia?”</p>
<p>Of course not. Columbia needs to know you’re committed to attend before they consider giving you housing. Besides, the deadline to commit to Columbia (May 1st) comes before the deadline to choose Housing (which I believe is sometime in the summer) and the internal lottery that decides what housing you get (late summer).</p>
<p>@pwoods</p>
<p>Thanks. Doesn’t the housing site ask some application steps steps be completed by May 1st(up to the statement of intent part of the application)? Well, I guess it doesn’t matter whether it’s even touched before May 1st as I’m sure my D will have made her decision with enough time to get those portions of the application completed in time.</p>
<p>While I have your attention though, I’d like your opinion on the first-year housing choice that might fit her personality. She is a quiet type who likes her sleep and has a low tolerance for shenanigans(Jackass-esque stupidity) but she does like friendly, outgoing floors just so much that the members of said floor respect the other members’ entitlement to peace. She is hoping to make a small but tight group of friends which she can explore the campus and city with and is not looking to be the life of the dorm or campus and doesn’t really care about joining a large contingent of networking friends/aquaintances. She is looking at Furnald but also likes the idea of not having to walk across the quad, half-asleep in the cold to JJ to eat breakfast. She is not opposed to having a roomate but is intrigued at the possibility of having a single, either is fine. What dorm do you think would be right for her? Also, she is a science kid; are there any dorms that seem to attract certain majors?</p>
<p>I have to confess ignorance at when the Freshman Housing App is due. I thought it was after May 1st, but it’s very possible that both admissions and housing selection have a May 1st deadline. Sorry about that. Doesn’t change much, though; just means that you have to commit to Columbia and then rank the housing choices before May 1st.</p>
<p>As far as dorms for your daughter, I’d recommend you check out the Bwog reviews of John Jay and Furnald: [Welcoming</a> the Class of 2016 – Bwog](<a href=“http://bwog.com/2012/04/01/welcoming-the-class-of-2016/]Welcoming”>Welcoming the Class of 2016 - Bwog)</p>
<p>But here are my thoughts:</p>
<p>I’d definitely recommend against Carman, given her temperament. I’d also recommend against the LLC, since most freshman in Hartley and Wallach are put in doubles. John Jay and Furnald, on the other hand, are full of singles. John Jay has a reputation for being a little more social than Furnald, though it really depends on your floor. Furnald, of course, is infamously considered an antisocial dorm, though that reputation isn’t so deserved. Furnald students do tend to be more individualist and private—which, as you can imagine, tends to attract a lot of science-oriented students. But the dorms definitely aren’t defined by different majors; there are many science students in John Jay, LLC, and even Carman. </p>
<p>Physically, Furnald is a much nicer dorm than John Jay. It even has A/C (which John Jay doesn’t, and which can make a real difference in September and April). It’s closer to Lerner (which has a dining hall open from 8 am to 8 pm) and Carman than John Jay, but farther from Hamilton (where many intro classes will be held) and (obviously) John Jay. I’d say Lerner and John Jay are about equidistant from Butler. And Furnald is on the Broadway side of campus, which means it’s closer to the 116th subway stop and all the stores/restaurants/bars/supermarkets than John Jay is. Finally, remember that Furnald includes some sophomores, who can provide guidance (which is usually good) to the young freshpeople.</p>
<p>So it’s really a toss-up. Do you like nicer dorms, A/C, proximity to Broadway, sophomores, and more privacy, or proximity to Hamilton, the dining hall, and a slightly more social atmosphere?</p>
<p>Much oblidged pwoods. Some good insight there thanks. I guess I’ll recommend she ask to see both JJ and Furnald on our Days on Campus visit and perhaps request an overnight host that lives in either one if possible. If I remember correctly, we were shown a Furnald room on our day-visit last year but other than seeing the 1st floor lounge and a nearby sample room we couldn’t glean much.</p>
<p>I did not know Lerner had a dining hall. I guess I’ll go on the CU site a take a look at the menus . . . thx again.</p>
<p>@pwoods and others</p>
<p>Is CC reputed for Mathematics/Physics/Chemistry majors?</p>
<p>Or is it correct that for those who choose Science majors, CC is not a good choice?</p>
<p>Really would be very interested to have the views from the students at CC before accepting the offer.</p>
<p>Yeah. Generally, people prefer John Jay to Ferris Booth (on the 3rd floor of Lerner), but Lerner does have a nice Continental Breakfast (scrambled eggs and cheese, bacon, sausage, hash browns, etc.—I feel like I’m at a hotel) and a good pasta bar.</p>
<p>Lerner also has Cafe East (sushi and bubble tea) and Cafe 212 (sandwiches, healthy snacks, bagels, etc.) on the first floor next to the Citibank ATMs, which don’t take meal swipes but do take Dining Dollars.</p>
<p>Cafe 212 sounds like her kind of place. Thx for the heads up. As for the whole flex/dining dollars; what is the advantage of attaching funds to the dining card/cuid other than the convenience of not having to use 2 seperate ways to pay for food(a debit card or cash in addition to the dining card) on campus?</p>
<p>@abscalc</p>
<p>“is it correct that for those who choose Science majors, CC is not a good choice?”</p>
<p>Wouldn’t this opinion depend on if someone had alternative choices that were known for the sciences? Also, some depts will always be stronger than others at any school. From what I hear, with the construction of the NWC building, interdiciplinary sciences are going to get a boost, just in time for my D who is looking to major in Neuroscience. I can’t be 100% positive of the quality of such depts getting better, but the Grad school’s neuroscience ranking is #7 in the country according to USNews(if that carries any weight these days)</p>
<p>[Best</a> Neuroscience and Neurobiology Programs | Top Science Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/neurosciences-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/neurosciences-rankings)</p>
<p>Granted, that is the grad school and not CC, but it bodes well for that particular dept as a whole. I’m sure with the new facility that the chemistry dept will benefit as well.</p>
<p>DowneasterDad you are correct - it depends on the other choices one has. What were your D’s other choices?</p>
<p>Is she joining CC or SEAS? </p>
<p>How was the fin. aid from Columbia?</p>
<p>To all the Columbia students - </p>
<p>Could anyone please list the PROS and CONS of Furnald, John jay and Hartley-Wallach? How far is the dining hall from Furnald? Is there no dining Hall very close by to Furnald? </p>
<p>Does Columbia offer credits for AP courses? How many and which AP courses are waived? Other than the core curriculum, what are the subject choices one has in the FIRST year in the CC?</p>
<p>@DowneasterDad</p>
<p>The convenience is part of it, since Dining Dollars can just be added to the tuition/room/board/fees bill that Columbia charges you. But the bigger advantage is that if you pay by Dining Dollars, you’re not charged sales tax.</p>