Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

For engineers I think so; but for kids in columbia college I think that is an overstatement, though many students do focus on that category.

pretty much

not really

In my opinion, Columbia is one of the more politically liberal Ivys, but that does not mean that students are intolerant towards other opinions and philosophies. The students and faculty I have met in four years are among the most open-minded individuals I have encountered. Yes, there are wealthy students here, but that has not bearing on the community at large and is no different than any other school. There is a great deal of diversity at Columbia.

I find that people are eager to make new friends, especially first years. Of course, people are different and some individuals are more prone to staying in and studying at the library or certain people are more introverted than others. However, that exists at every single school. I have been lucky enough to surround myself with energetic, fun and, for the most part, extroverted people that are always looking to form new friendships.

For some of course they are, for others not at all. It just depends on the friends you make.

For a portion of the population, not all

Yes, most Columbia students are very intelligent and also very diverse. They are competitive and strive to do well, but not to the point of back-biting others. Most Columbia students are hard working and devote a lot of time to their studies, as well as to a wide array of extracurricular and multi-cultural activities. There are also some nation-wide stereotypes of American "sorority girls" (as dumb, slutty, etc) but these stereotypes don't apply to the young women in Columbia's chapter of AXO who are, in my opinion, intelligent and classy.

to some extent, yes. obviously there are some individuals who give that name to a larger group.

The stereotypes are half correct. Some kids live in Butler on the weekends, but just as many can be found at bars and parties on campus. The party scene can be lame if you aren't 21 or don't have a fake ID, but other than that there is usually multiple things to do around campus. It is also nice to go club-ing downtown occasionally. Though it is in New York there is a beautiful campus and a strong sense of community. Sometimes it is actually hard to get out of the Morning Side Heights Bubble.

I would say that students gravitate toward other similar students and then you get stereotyping. There are Saint-As, Greek Life, Student council, and obama = life stereotypes but when you get to know people on an individual level these assumptions dissipate rapidly.

as with most stereotypes, there is some base in truth... for example columbia students are very studious, but i think that is a good thing. on the other hand, i feel that it is not true at all that columbia students stay in their little "bubble". it is often the case that a columbia student will want to go out and explore the city; visit museums, shop, do lunch, or go to clubs or bars downtown.

I definitely think all stereotypes are untrue. I think you should come and see for yourself, but people here are very friendly and always willing to go out and do something fun. Columbia students do study a fair amount of the time, but they also go out and explore the city or go to parties, just like any other college. There is always something going on in Lerner, the student center, and you can have a lot of fun.

It's difficult to say. There are a lot of students who grew up in the nations most affluent neighborhoods and just want to "do good", but I don't think that the majority of students are as naive as many people make them out to be. There are also students who can't be bothered to open a newspaper--so long as they get that job with Morgan Stanley at the end of their four years, they are happy.

This stereotype is definetely accurate and it is one of the major reasons that I and many other students chose Columbia over other universities. The diversity is physically apparent as you walk around campus, but more importantly, the diversity of opinions is apparent in the classroom, the diversity of interests is apparent in the way that people chose to spend their weekends, etc...

Unfortunately, it's rather accurate.

Columbia students are very hard-working and independent, but they are college students just like everyone else and PARTY HARD when they want to! It is true that they are scholarly and studious, but they also procrastinate like everyone else and when its sunny outside people tend to skip class and play outside instead. At the same time they always seem to pull off good grades anyways. There are some snobby people who like to flaunt their affluent background but Columbia is such a diverse school that these people are just another small group in the huge eclectic melting pot that is Columbia. There are A LOT of international students and minority groups, and the school is incredibly liberal.

Yes and no. (That was helpful, wasn't it?) Some Columbia students fit the stereotype. The most visible students fit the stereotype. That's mostly because the stereotype is based on the visible students. There is plenty of room for more conservative and more quiet thinking (and talking), and just because you graduate from the school without ever having waved picket signs on Low Steps doesn't mean that you're a failure. The university itself will, I think, always uphold its controversial standards. I think the administration actually derives a certain sense of pride from being so labeled--it makes them seem more edgy. And things are probably going to happen here that you aren't necessarily happy about. But it's easy to separate yourself from them if you really don't want to take part, so the controversy is at least not overwhelming.

The first stereotype is somewhat true. A lot of students do hang out off campus, and why not? NYC is a fantastic place to go to college. There are great opportunities for internships and of course a fantastic nightlife. I think everyone should live in New York for a couple years just to have the experience. HOWEVER, Columbia could do a lot more to foster the on-campus experience for students. Mid-level Columbia bureaucrats are not helping the situation by waging what the campus blog calls a "War on Fun" (http://www.bwog.net/index.php?page=post&article_id=4843). Deans are cracking down on parties at athletic events, in dorms and in frats/sororities. Student groups complain about not getting enough funding - for example, my friend on a club sports team says that the Athletics Department fails to pay for critical items. In short, Columbia kind of sucks when it comes to campus life, but being in NYC more than makes up for that.

For the most part, yes.

The disconnect between administration and students is dead on. Although the Columbia student body is liberal, the very-liberal-bordering-on-Communists are a very small number of people but tend to be portrayed in the media, perpetuating the stereotype that Columbia is a hotbed of liberalism.