<p>Jason - you get the religious experience you want. Generally, in a rigorous academic environment, there are no religious overtones, and Columbia does not have a religious affiliation. There are plenty of churches around; however, they are distinct from anything that goes on academically. If you came to Columbia, prepare to have your faith challenged.</p>
<p>NewHans - I agree that a lot of this depends on the student. But if the student is an opportunity-grabber, she has more things to grab at Columbia, plain and simple. As a transfer, I’ve had the advantage in seeing difference in schools first hand. It is not superficial.</p>
<p>General note related to thread: those who apply for the prestige usually don’t make it through the application process. Its really easy to tell when some applies to a school to leech something out of it, as opposed to wanting to bring something to it.</p>