Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

What is the stereotype of students at your school?

Jesse

The prototypical Columbia student is an independent, well-read, secular Jew, slightly hipster Econ-Poli Sc major, who didn't get into Princeton or Yale.

Phillip

I think the main stereotype I encountered was that there was zero college community at Columbia. There are also stereotypes about working all the time, being incredibly liberal, and being idealistic and very socio-politically active.

sam

douchey, resumee building, fake id owners from connecticut or NJ. many of them will hold jobs that pay well, and sound painfully boring... kind of smart...vaguely enthusiastic about liberal politics...

Alex

Snobby, pretentious, self-righteous, negative, over-achiever, genius, well-rounded, and the list goes on!

Brooke

We're all Asian or Jewish.

Anna

I was told at the last Days on Campus that Columbia is considered the most studious of the Ivy's. That was definitely news to me.. also, I keep hearing of widespread cocaine use.

Catherine

Overachieving, studious, pretentious

Nicholas

I've heard that Columbia students are generally unattractive, rich, arrogant, and/or all Jewish. Also, we're afraid to go beyond 125th St.

Toby

The place: a place devoid of human warmth and friendliness; average facilities and academics at the undergrad level; relies on the strength of its name to draw students-in; cash and resource starved; more red tape than the US government. Students: inferiority complex run wild; look diverse from outside, all the same on the inside; appear tolerant, but really just uninterested; not as smart as other top schools, not as cool as lower ranked schools.

Nicolas

Urbane, uber-liberal, tortured intellectuals. Depressed coke-heads. Nerdy and/or hipsters.

gabby

some stereotypes include our nerdiness, our anti-social behavior, and a wealthy ivy stereotypes.

Aasha

Columbia pushes the "diversity" stereotype. Also that Columbia is in Harlem and unsafe.

Leah

smart, snotty, preppy, rich

Harper

We are smart and nerdy

Bruna

We don't party/don't have fun. We study all the time. We're all really smart and well-read. We're all democrats/educated hippies.

Ryan

Stereotypes about the students include that they are weird, uber-liberal hipsters that end up going into either law, finance, or medicine. Stereotypes about Columbia include: a terrible administration that tries to tie down the students, horrible sports teams, no community feel on the campus, horrible advising services and career services, and that the Core curriculum is unbearable.

Chris

rich, preppy, nerdy, obnoxious, really smart

Pauline

Columbia boys are socially akward (especially the freshmen) or really full of themselves (softmore and above). Columbia girls aren't as attractive as Barnard girls.

Leah

That Columbia is a city school with no campus life, and that the student body is really decentralized.

kelly

Columbia students are elitist or stuck up Ivy-leaguers.

Cameron

Columbia girls dislike Barnard girls because they are prettier and more friendly. Guys prefer Barnard girls to columbia girls. Everyone is smart

Andy

That we aren't a real ivy.

Leila

Some stereotypes about Columbia say that Columbia has no campus, pretty bad athletic teams, lame Greek Life, and a fair amount of nerdy students.

Sarah

Liberal Hippies, anti-conformists and anti-establishment, everyone goes into finance, pseudo-intellectuals, big egos, guys wear tight pants and converse sneakers (eww)

Alison

Smart, lacking social life, City school,

Julie

People say that the Columbia boys have bad social skills and are generally reproachable and disagreeable to be around.

Michelle

Stereotypes are that the student body is very diverse. There are a lot of students from the tri-state area.

Katherine

there is absolutely NO social life here. students are awkward and unfriendly.

Andy

That they are nerdy, but from the stupider Ivy's

Anastasia

Columbia definitely has a reputation as one of the nerdier Ivies--we don't have the athletics of Princeton or the Greek life of Dartmouth, and the core (rather than distribution requirements that say, Harvard, has) casts Columbians as Homer-obsessed snobs preparing themselves for a lifetime of cocktail party chatter.

abby

nerdy, don't have any fun, the boys suck

Allie

nerdy, ugly, wierd, overachievers, cold, mean-spirited, out for themselves, rich, snobby

Andy

nerdy

Marisa

Some frequently heard stereotypes are that all Columbia students do is study and don't know how to have fun, that Columbia girls hate Barnard girls, and that people are socially awkward as well as too liberal.

Liz

Nerdy Asian Don't like to party Not social OR Intellectual Wear black, drink cappuccino and smoke cigarettes-type

Christina

Smart and brainy students. Dangerous or sketchy campus.

Johanna

We are looked at as a school full of artsy-weirdos and stoner kids. There are a lot of exceptions to this rule, but I'm not going to lie to you: you will have to work kind of hard to find other types of people. But know that they are DEFINITELY out there, all you have to do is put in enough effort to get yourself in the same circle as the people you identify with. Barnard girls are stereotyped as stupid bimbos who don't deserve to be on the campus and just take up space.

Sarah

that we don't have a social life and/or are socially awkward

Margot

No fun, too political.

Meghan

People think we are all weird crazy nerds with no lives. People also think we all hate life and one another.

Abbey

Columbia students tend to be very driven and goal-oriented. They know what they want and are not afraid to do whatever it takes to get there. Stereotypes also paint CU students as nerdy and socially unacceptable, and very politically aware.

CJ

preppy, stuck-up rich kids

Lee

Bookish nerds; typical New Yorkers; quirky

Anna

People say that Columbia kids are preppy but the most laid back out of all the ivy league schools.

Rachel

Columbia students are thought to be incredible liberal as portrayed by popular media

Ryan

Many people think all columbia students are nerds who can't play sports, that drugs in the community are rampant and that the campus is hostile and unfriendly.

Britney

We are too smart and too liberal!!!!

Christina

The majority of stereotypes about Columbia students are specific to the three undergraduate schools of the University. Students at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) are typically said to be socially inept, highly dorky, and primarily Asian. Columbia College (CC) students are often said to be conceited and arrogant, especially in reference to the male population, and the girls to be generally unattractive. Barnard College (BC) women fall into one of two categories: appearance obsessed and promiscuous or man-hating lesbians. A lot of CU stereotypes revolve around the BC and CC girls comparison, with Barnard being the more attractive, but less intelligent of the two.

Caitlin

Some stereotypes about Columbia students are that they are intelligent, work all the time, have a large population of Jewish students, and a large population of openly gay students (particularly boys).

Allie

Columbia: cold, not a great sense of community, a lot of red tape (therefore difficult for students to get things accomplished, to enact change) Columbia students: DIVERSE - from the dorky introverts who don't leave Butler library to the hipster-smoking Camels who spend most time downtown at Indie shows.