<p>This thread made me sad 
I’m sorry that you feel that way, but really I think there is a way to manage a lot of work with a lot of quality time with family and friends. I pride myself on being able to balance a social life with a hefty homework and extra-curricular load. If you do decide on Columbia, it shouldn’t be because you feel like you have to - it should be because you WANT to go there, and because you think you’d thrive there and be happy. If you feel like your misery will just continue when you have a lot of work because of challenging classes, Columbia may not be the best place for you. The thing is, if you manage your time and don’t allow yourself to OVERstudy or OVERwork, I definitely think it’s possible to go to an Ivy League, challenging school and still have the time of your life.</p>
<p>And like others have said, I also hate doing things just for college resumes. It sucks that the admissions process makes people build their lives around what they think they SHOULD do. :(</p>