<p>Simply that tons and tons of people apply to Columbia, yet there are a very limited number of spaces. Thus, a low percentage for admit rate.</p>
<p>Kwu, that's the simple answer. I wanted to know WHY all those kids applied, which Denzera tried to answer, to a certain extent.</p>
<p>I concur in part with Denzera. Though, I'd restrict it to 1) alone.</p>
<p>New York City.</p>
<p>
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Anyway, people keep falsely assuming that Columbia's popularity is due to being in NYC. Don't forget that for everyone who wants to go to college in NYC, there are probably 2 students who would never want to go there for that very same reason.
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I mean really..I cannot tell you how many kids I have met that won't even think about the school because its in NYC. Not everyone is a city person. Now I still do believe that NYC is a component as is its preeminent Faculty, small undergraduate class size, prestigious name, strong academics and student body, beautiful campus, and the Ivy league cachet. </p>
<p>The idea that only the best of the best go to HYP is simply ridiculous. Columbia is one of the best schools in this nation (in the top 10 in any legitimate ranking) and it draws a lot of top applicants.</p>
<p>Columbia also has a sheen of glamour around it, what with all the movies that are shot there (plus the Gossip Girls episode that was supposedly set at Yale), and all the "classically" famous people who happen to go there/have gone there (the Gyllenhaals, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Viggo Mortensen's son, etc.).</p>
<p>
[quote]
I mean really..I cannot tell you how many kids I have met that won't even think about the school because its in NYC. Not everyone is a city person. Now I still do believe that NYC is a component as is its preeminent Faculty, small undergraduate class size, prestigious name, strong academics and student body, beautiful campus, and the Ivy league cachet.
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I have the exact opposite impression. Of the hundreds upon hundreds of high-grade prospective college applicants I have talked to in the last 8-9 years, many, many more are interested in going to school in a big city than are specifically not interested in college in a big city. And New York is typically high on that list of cities, if not topping it.</p>
<p>I think the urban setting is a major net positive, and the statistics in recent years - cited earlier - back this up. Its size, faculty, core, reputation, alumni network, and campus are contributing factors but those have varied very little in the last few years. By comparison, New York has gotten much, much safer.</p>
<p>On safety, crime tends to go up in New York during recessions (really? I wonder why?), so that might be a thing to note. If you're concerned about safety. However, Morningside is really safe outside of the occasional hoodlum accosting college/graduate students (sometimes ending in tragedy), but for the most part don't end in any physical violence. I think crime is really no worse than most other college campuses, and Columbia does a lot to make sure its students are safe.</p>
<p>And most of the incidents tend to occur when it's a single person, alone, late at night, so it's just a matter of being intelligent in regards to safety.</p>
<p>Safe? Columbia's aerial defense is looking pretty awesome lately:</p>
<p>zOMG! </p>
<p>Columbia's F-22 Hawkmadinejad > F-22 Raptor</p>
<p>^^ Hawkmadinejad might protect the students on campus, but what about when they are in the dangerous streets of Morningside? Also Hawkmadinejad must eventually sleep...</p>
<p>But in reference to the type of crime that occurs around Morningside: Grad</a> Student Fled Assault Before Killed By Car; Suspect Arrested for Manslaughter | Columbia Spectator</p>
<p>But it's the only thing I've really heard about in the past few years. Washington Heights, however...</p>
<p>If Columbia's popularity is due only to being in NYC, then every other college in the city would have similar admit rates. That is definitely not the case. The only school approaching at admission rate near Columbia's is Cooper Union, which probably gets well under 6000 applications per year--I don't know, but I am sure some CCer will look this up... </p>
<p>NYU gets a ton of apps, but the rate is considerably higher. </p>
<p>The fact that the governor of NY and future prez were both students don't hurt either.</p>
<p>Actually not true College Yahoo. All schools in the city would have RELATIVELY low acceptance rates compared to peer schools. NYU and Fordham have much lower acceptance rates than their rank or quality would suggest. </p>
<p>I don't think it has as much to do with students wanting to be in NYC, as it does the fact that the tri-state area is full of Ivy applicants and they will clearly apply to their local schools.</p>
<p>Every NYC kid I know does not want to stay in college at the city. Similarly, there are many kids who are not interested in city schools since they want a "typical college experience." For instance, I visited Wash U recently and most of those kids who applied to Ivies did not have Columbia on their list since it was in a city. THe only difference is IF you want that city life than obviously NYC is the best there is. All I am saying is Columbia's acceptance rate is reflective of its small size and reputation, since most ivies would be relatively similar if their undergraduate population was as small.</p>
<p>I applied ED to Columbia because I love the idea of being in NYC...many kids don't. Yet, I still do think it is a net positive, just not as much as people say.</p>
<p>It may be true that NYC kids don't want to stay in the city. HOWEVER, all those kids in the 'burbs really want to get away to the city.</p>
<p>And really, what is a "typical college experience?" If it exists, then I don't want it.</p>
<p>But if they mean that they want a campus and a community that surrounds a college, then Columbia definitely fits. It also has the bonus of being in one the greatest cities on Earth with a wealth of experiences (not to mention internship and job opportunities).</p>
<p>But if they think college should be four years cloistered in an ivory tower in a town that exists solely because of a college, then no, Columbia doesn't fit the bill.</p>
<p>I definitely know many people who wouldn't want to go to college in the city. NYC is an anonymous place and none of the schools, relatively, have that much community or "casual fun." You only get community once, many want and cherish this. Other cities, like Boston, Philly, Chicago, Atlanta and DC seem to offer more balanced college student experiences. </p>
<p>BUT there are many others who prefer a city over a "typical" college experience and community. I definitely think the city has a pull for tri-state area kids and California kids. </p>
<p>But Columbia's overall acceptance rate isn't as low, relatively, as it was a couple years ago. 10% puts it right in the middle of the Ivy pack. Below HYP (all 3-1% lower rates), slightly below DB (3% higher rates), and below PC (7-10% higher rate).</p>
<p>You want to make sure you compare the right rates. As mentioned before, the 10% is the combined rate. When Columbia releases its statistics, it tends to trumpet only the acceptance rate into Columbia College. This past year's acceptance rate was one of the lowest for Columbia (College) ever.</p>
<p>Yeah but if you exclude engineering all schools would go lower, as engineers tend to be stronger applicants. Erase engineers and every Ivy's acceptance rates goes down. Columbia getting the benefit of the engineers when they publish schools, but eliminating them when looking acceptance rate is ridiculous.</p>
<p>I'd argue that if HYPSMC are the top six colleges, Columbia is, without much competition, #7. The only thing it lacks relative to the others is money, admittedly important. Incidentally, has anyone seen any endowment figures since the crisis?</p>
<p>@slipper</p>
<p>I was just making a note about Columbia's split between acceptance into its Engineering school and its Arts and Science schools because in press releases, they tend to make that distinction. Sometimes to the point where the Engineering school isn't even mentioned and only use the Arts and Science school's statistic.</p>
<p>There are differences between Columbia and the other Ivies in respect to its Engineering school. a) It's a separate school (unlike Yale, Brown, Harvard) and you can't apply to both. b) It's really hard to switch between the Engineering school and the Arts and Science (unlike Cornell). I don't know much about Penn, Princeton, and Dartmouth and how they do engineering, but yeah.</p>
<p>Plus the engineering school (no offense to anyone applying to Columbia engineering) isn't all that prestigious. I know all my friends who are planning on doing engineering are looking at schools like Cooper Union, Harvey Mudd, and Olin when it comes down to actual education for engineering. My friend who is an undergrad at Columbia SEAS hates it. However, it still is Columbia undergrad so you do get the Core education (though a little abbreviated) and live at Columbia, do all the Columbia-related things, take classes with other Columbia students, so it is essentially Columbia. You just have to declare an Engineering major.</p>
<p>So I think it's really stupid that Columbia separates the acceptance rates between the two schools so obviously (it's nice the way they have it on their page, because you are only applying to one of the schools). It is kind of obnoxious how they only trumpet their low, low, low acceptance rate for Columbia College.</p>
<p>As for if HYPSMC are the top colleges, I'd disagree. Maybe on an academic level (<em>coughhackgradeinflationharvardcough</em>) most of those colleges are true, but I don't think you can just look at academics.</p>
<p>I would heartily disagree that it's difficult to transfer from engineering to CC.</p>
<p>One of my best friends did so; he applied 2 months after the deadline (in April!), didn't write a new essay, had a C+ in one of his classes, and still got in.</p>
<p>I know 2 other engineers that transferred successfully as well, although their GPAs were slightly better.</p>
<p>They make you fill out a whole application, but the process is purely cosmetic. If you want to internally transfer, you can.</p>