Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

Columbia is the perfect mix of a city school and a more typical college environment. Not only is NY right at your fingertips, but there is a beautiful campus, a city neighborhood and the steps, where you run into every other student in the nice weather. In addition, there's a really diverse mix of people, interests and social options.

The thing that is tricky about Columbia is that it consists of a few undergraduate colleges: Columbia University, SEAS (the Engineering School), and Barnard College (an independent affiliate). Stereotypes often perpetuate friction between these schools that doesn't actually exist.

The student body and professors are great. Many of the administration offices are very bureaucratic and not very helpful, which is very disappointing.

Columbia doesn't hold your hand; you send in your money and they expect you to graduate in 4 years. The advising isn't that amazing, but we are big kids now in a big city. You can choose between Columbia as a college town where you don't go below 110th street to party or eat or Columbia as a city school where you go downtown or to museums every day. Columbians aren't as active as we used to be about politics-- the crazy hunger strikers being the exception. we work hard for the most part but also party (not like a state school, but a decent amount). So many options living in NYC-- from internships to amazing food places to museums to broadway show at a discount!

I love the reaction I get when I tell people I go to Columbia, but my favorite part is walking past Low Library every morning. Actually its sitting on the quad. Actually its the lights that are lit up at Christmas time. Actually I don't even know...just everything is amazing about Columbia. The people though are etremely amazing. I grew up in New York City so I thought I knew about diversity, but the kids here- they are from all over the world and thats amazing. You go here for the education, but you get just as much if not more of it when you talk to people in the dorms rather than in class.

I personally love the Columbia campus. Because we are located in New York City, it's very hard to find a patch of grass save for the Great Lawn in Central Park, but who wants to venture that far away from home when you need to study and merely want sunshine? The great thing about the Columbia campus is that we have our own grassy areas right in the middle of NYC! Whenever it is a nice day out, I spend as much time as I can sitting on our lawn in the middle of campus either studying or hanging out with friends. It's a perk that Columbia has over NYU and other schools in the city.

The best thing at Columbia is how everyone is unique, everyone has a story. We have one of if not the most diverse and international communities on a college campus. The one thign i'd change would be to better integrate all the students and get everyone to know about all the diferent schools there are on campus, since ignorance on this level keeps students apart. The school is rather big but not at all as anonymous as NYU. When I answer "Columbia" to people who ask me where I go, I usually get a response like "Oh wow, nice", or "Oh that's a great school", "So what did you think of that whole Ahmedinejad on campus thing?". I feel like the name suiddenly splashes a very worldly, cultured, intelligent image which I am very proud of and which I know I live up to. When I'm on campus, I generally spend time mostly in Butler Library, in Lerner hall, or on the steps with my laptop if the weather is good. New york city is my hometown, so no surprises anywhere except for "wait, you don't knwo how to use the subway?" In terms of COlumbia administration, like any and all college administrations, there are ways to improve, but I'm not in student government so I can't say anything for lack of precise knowledge. The biggest recent controversy on campus which still rings in everyone's ear is Ahmedinejad, the Iranian President who came to speak at the WOrld Leader's forum hosted by the School of INternational and Public Affairs. There is an enormous amount of school pride and everyone is extremely proud to be proud. The day you walk on campus and don't see at least half the people walking around with "Columbia" written on one of their clothing items, something will be wrong... The most I hear students complaining about is how damn hard LitHum is and how much work you put into it. I'm dreading it.

The best thing about Columbia is that it is in New York City! New York City is def not a college town, which is kind of sad, but everything else the city has to offer makes up for it. Columbia lacks a little school spirit because we are not all that great in sports, but we still are close as a school community:)

Columbia is a city school with a private campus that allows you to explore New York while still having a main community to return to. Morningside Heights caters to the students and a subway stop is right outside the main gates. I spend most of my time on campus either with the squash team in the squash courts, or studying with sorority sisters in the student center. I'm incredibly impressed with the kinds of events the Columbia administration has managed to bring to our campus. Last week the State of the Planet conference was held here, and I got the chance to see Kofi Annan speak on sustainable development. The biggest recent controversy on campus came as a result of one such event. The presence of President Ahmadinejad on campus drew criticism and some negative press. Sitting on the South lawn with a thousand other students, watching a projected of the President's speech, with several levels of security and helicopters flying overhead is an experience I will never forget. There is not enough school pride, unless you count the Greek community. With Baker Field athletics being so far uptown, few students travel to see the games. The Greek community has a lot of pride for their organizations, however, which is the main reason I joined Alpha Chi Omega.

The best thing about Columbia is New York. And the prestige of the name. And New York. We're more college than NYU but it's no Princeton; there's stuff to do on the weekends for EVERYONE. Walking through the beautiful campus, you hear five different languages, you see a frisbee thrown over the head of a guitar-player smoking a cigarette. People are weird, and they're different, but that's the beauty of the school.

The best thing about columbia is the greek system. If I couls change one thing, I would set up how the core is distributed in engineering schedules, as to not take all math and science one semester and history and non tech electives the next.

i love columbia! the best part is having an ivy league education in the greatest city on earth, New York!

Columbia really has a different university feel in comparison to most other universities and colleges. I feel that there isn't much unity among students, everyone is always "busy," hurrying off to study, attend a meeting, or work at an internship. There isn't much togetherness when speaking about Columbia from a social and friendship standpoint. Columbia's inefficient administration is beyond absurd. We pay loads of money to hire these unhelpful, unfriendly, and incapable staff. Quite honestly, it's outrageous. There isn't much school spirit, particularly because our sports teams never do very well, especially our football team. Also, because Baker field is so far away, it's quite a trek to get up there. I spend most of my time on campus, but on the weekends I like going downtown to run errands, go shopping, or just explore.

Columbia is the best kept secret among the Ivy League institutions. Columbia, a smaller undergraduate college, is greatly enhanced and enriched by its fellow colleges like Barnard, SEAS and JTS that make up the University at large. The student body is well informed, and actively pursues opportunities off campus in New York City. Living at 116th and Broadway is the best place anyone could ever wish to go to college. The immediate neighborhood has all the charms of a typical "college town"; bookstores, bars, restaurants, movie theaters, and the same intimacy. But then, travel farther in any direction and you wind up at world famous institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, St. John the Divine, Times Square! (to name only a few) The only downside is that no matter how active you are about experiencing the city, you will never be able to do it all in four years. I think, that's why a vast majority of Columbia grads stay in the city after graduation.

For me, the best thing about Columbia is that it feels like a college town within New York City, which is most definitely not your typical college town. Columbia offers a unique college experience in that sense. New York City is such a bustling and exciting city with innumerable opportunities- internships, art, theatre, nightlife- so it is ideal for anyone looking to get a wonderful internship and have job connections for the future. Columbia is the best decision I could have made for myself since I am interested in public relations, art and theatre. No other school could offer me such a great education while entertaining my cultural side.

You really have to make yourself here. This is no one holding your hand. If you want a typical college experience you can have it, or you can go out into the city and explore. You have your options and that's what is great about going to school here.

The best thing about Columbai is that it is a great Ivy League education that we're receiving, and we're right in New York City. One thing I would change is the university's harsh policy on fraternity parties, which were at one point the only source of going on for students. Now there is literally nothing, as neighborhood bars are also shutting down one by one. There is not a lot of school pride, for either athletics or for Greeks, which is really unfortunate. I would love to see Columbia's students somehow get involved and more enthusiastic about student life.

Columbia is awesome. There's no where else I'd rather be. The classes are great and the diversity of the student body is amazing. You learn as much in class from your professors as you do outside of class by talking to the students living with you in the dorms. Women's and Gender Studies in particular opened my eyes and made me see the world in a new way.

the best thing about columbia is a tie between its diversity and the fact that it's in nyc. if you get sick of someone here, there are 5,000 other undergrads to meet, each of whom is totally different from the next person. utilizing the city for both educational and fun purposes totally made college a better experience.

NYC is the best thing -- this location offers so much more than any other Ivy-League and many other schools. You can never get tired of the city and you can explore endlessly. If you're tired of Manhattan, there is the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. I want composting, a more sustainable campus with lower energy & water consumption, and I want more access to outdoor activities. The city is awesome but it can be really difficult to get out of the city without a car. Size is perfect -- I see just enough people I know on my way to class to feel social, but I'm a senior and I'm still meeting lots of new, really interesting people who I haven't bumped into before. People on the West Coast don't know what columbia is all the time. "Where is that?" Or "OOoooohhhH, Columbia, you must be smart" -- the Ivy League stereotype I spend most of my time in my room. I rarely go to the library. When I'm not hanging out in dorms I'm at a local bar for happy hour or wings. I go out almost 4 nights a week. NYC is not a college town, but the Columbia campus is like an oasis within the city with the lawns and great architecture. Admin = bureaucracy. Can't get rid of my meal plan i dont want. Hard to start student groups. Gotta go through all the paper work. School pride = yes. Support at athletic events = questionable. I go to a handful a year, but sometimes the stands are pretty empty. not like the state schools.

I love the people that Ive met here at columbia... the amount of students is not overwhelmingly large, where i would feel like a minnow among a sea of students, but it is not small to the point where i can't meet someone new. I think the size is absolutely perfect. if someone is educated then they react with congratulations and admiration of your hard work and effort when they hear that you go to columbia. I once told a less-educated friend of mine that i was going to columbia and they asked if i could bring them back a souvenier however...and they were serious! I also love how columbia is totally integrated into the city and so I can go out and explore and enjoy myself, but at the same time i can return to columbia's campus and feel completely excluded and "safe" from the hecticness of the city. our dining halls kind of such but its college so hey, what can you do? theta is definately the best part of columbia though...the sisters are all so close and we help each other whenever anything is needed and the love the theta sisters share is so obvious. it makes me feel like i have a family here at columbia.

My favorite thing about Columbia is definitely the people. There is such a huge variety of people from very different backgrounds and everyone is really interesting, so I love meeting new people and I love the people I get to know here. I think the size of the school is great. I went to a high school where my graduating class was 70 people, so I'm glad to be at a bigger school than that, but you do get to the point where you know tons of people by name and you recognize a lot of people that you've never talked to, but you see everyday. New York City is definitely both college town and "what college town" because while there really isn't a feeling of being in a college town, there are so many young people here that it has all the good tings of a college time.

There is not a lot of school pride in the traditional sense of the term--no football games with fans painting themselves white and blue, no tailgating parties, nothing like that. We do have a certain esprit, though. We know we go to a good school. We know we have better opportunities then a lot of the other Ivies by virtue of being in Manhattan. We know we have amazing libraries and lecturers on campus. We don't need to brag about it. We are fine with it. That being said, I find the reaction towards Columbia somewhat mixed. Some people don't even bat an eye, but there are others who look at you with more respect or disdain, depending on where they are coming from.

One experience I'll always remember was when President Ahmadinejad of Iran came and spoke on campus. The opportunity to see him speak live was amazing and I know that it could have only happened at Columbia, not only because the university is in New York City, but also because our administration and our students are open to many things that other major universities would never consider. The college town is New York City, which is absolutely amazing in and of itself. But, while you are on campus, you feel like you are on a real campus as you walk in the Quad, sit on the steps of Low Library or read on the lawns.

I'd change the bricks to at least make everything more level so when it rains, you don't have to wear rain-boots to survive!

The best thing about Columbia is the AWESOME people you meet... because everyone is working towards extraordinary things, and people are very talented in all kinds of areas. Its also AWESOME that Columbia is in New York City because of the crazy opportunities, like access to some of the best internships in the world with some of the most prestigious companies and organizations in the world. For example I have an internship in the World Trade Center with Human Rights Watch, and I'm just a sophomore. There are also some crazy clubs downtown (and uptown) and bars that don't card EVERYWHERE. There is still a really tight campus atmosphere though because the campus is small and the classes are close-knit, so you always run into people you know and there are a lot of activities, famous guest speakers (think Ahmadinejad), sports events and group activities that keep people very busy and close on campus. We have big fields in the middle of campus where everyone hangs out and plays frisbee without even hearing the cars going by on Broadway. There is a group of people here for everyone. People are really nice and are not competitive, so its easy to find friends and meet people like you.

The academics: challenging and generally top-notch. The students: interesting and provocative. The location: bustling, with all positive and negative connotative strings attached. The athletics: well, they try hard. The administration: they don't try so hard. Let me explain. I have enjoyed nearly every class I've taken. The only ones I haven't are those that suffer because your teacher is insane. However, you can always look out for those professors with the very handy Columbia Underground Guide to Professor Ability. www.culpa.info. An invaluable site. The people I have met with have nearly all been engaging in some way. They come from a unique background, or are seasoned world-travelers, or have incredible ambition, or just have quippy things to say. Most of them are broad in their perspective and broader in their understanding. It's a setting that incubates the best in you. I love the city, most of the time. The place I came from was a fraction of the size. And while I loved it there, coming to such an exciting and busy place was a breath of fresh air. On the flip side, I am overcome on occasion with fits of what I can only describe as claustrophobia--moments when I have to leave, have to see real foliage and maybe even some mountains. If you come from a place that is enriched by natural geographic beauty, Central Park isn't gonna cut it. Sometimes you just have to get away. The athletics can be a fun time. We're certainly not a school that focuses highly on athletic development, so don't expect anything spectacular, but people get into the games, especially during basketball season. The student body is also small enough that you'll probably associate with a lot of athletes, which prevents the formation of an elite upper-class based on the height of your vertical. The administration is the only aspect of the university with which I have had a significantly negative experience. Probably the easiest way to explain it in simple terms is to say that if you lined up all the pieces of red tape surrounding the administration end to end, they would wrap around the equator 5,678,902 times. Not that Columbia has ever claimed to hold your hand and make you feel special when you need help, but it doesn't seem ridiculous to ask an administration to care at least a little bit about their students' needs. Perhaps you're wondering what happened. Well. Once upon a time...there was me, and a cute boy. We dated for a while, and then we decided to get married. So we got engaged, which is usually what people do upon deciding to get married. My fiancee is also a student at Columbia, and while we were motivated to make this decision by many different factors, one thing that made it seem plausible at this stage in our lives was the fact that we would be able to live in campus housing for at least one year, and possibly two, after getting married. In Manhattan, that was an amazing option because campus housing is so much less expensive than renting an apartment. Considering that undergraduates are guaranteed housing all four years of their education here, we assumed there wouldn't be a problem. So I set up an appointment with the people in charge just to let them know that this was happening and clear our names for joint registration in the housing lottery, and that's when things fell apart. Peace out, girl scout. Nothing, I was told, would be done for me. Why not? Essentially, the answer they gave me was "just because." After all, it is outrageous to request that my fiancee and I, who you will recall are both still undergraduates at this institution that so highly values diversity of lifestyle, be allowed to live together after being legally married to one another. So I moved up the chain, and after a great deal of hesitance and deliberation (of which we were a very limited part), they decided that oh, maybe it was okay after all. So I guess in the end we lived happily ever after, but getting there was a tense, unreasonable, and at times bitter experience. To her credit, one housing dean in particular was a driving force behind everything good that happened for us. She at least had both sympathy and common sense, and I primarily attribute our success to her. I tell this story not to frighten you or vindicate bitter feelings, but primarily so that you, as a potential incoming student, will know that this is a generally great place where you sometimes have to fight to get what you want. Don't take no for an answer, and you'll be fine. Coming in to the university, I never expected that I would need to work in close contact with any administrators. But you never know what can happen sometimes, and as long as you're willing to defend your cause in the case that you do have to work with the administration, this particular experience should not deter you from applying to an otherwise satisfying and engaging institution. So there's the big picture. *snap* Or maybe more a photo album of little collaborative pictures. *snap* *snap* *snap* Whichever works for you. And for the Columbia administration, of course.

Columbia has a magnificent faculty and an incredibly intelligent student body. The Core was the most vigorous academic experience of my life, and it's something I NEVER would have done at another school. I am so grateful that I was forced to take Literature Humanities and Contemporary Civilization - the real fundamentals of the Western canon - in small seminar settings with great teachers. (Okay, the new Core class, "Frontiers of Science," is pretty useless. Power through it and you'll get an easy A.) President Bollinger is a huge asset to Columbia. He is leading a strong effort to expand Columbia's campus and build its financial capacity. While the expansion into West Harlem generated a good amount of controversy, I believe Bollinger dealt with the community in a fair and benevolent way. Bollinger's conduct when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad came to campus was equally inspiring (though also controversial). Indeed, Bollinger wants to make Columbia an international university, and his annual World Leaders Forum - when a number of heads of state come to NYC for the opening of the UN general session and stop by Columbia to make a speech - is always thrilling. I often feel very proud to be a student here. Some mid-level administrators are also good. The academic affairs Dean is warm, friendly and helpful. Other administrators act like bureaucrats - Columbia red-tape is actually quite legendary. You basically have to cross your fingers if you want to get something done, and hope that the Dean of Whatever You Need is a friendly person. If it has to do with alcohol or parties, you can pretty much bet on getting nowhere with the administration. School pride... not so much. We take pride in the fact that we entered the real world (a.k.a. New York City) the minute we got to college. There isn't too much typical college stuff - athletics is a JOKE, Greek life plays a minor role (though it's there if you want it), and belonging to student groups doesn't give you much legitimacy on campus. However, if you get a good internship off-campus, you will impress your peers and your professors. And it's not very hard to get a good internship.

To me, the best thing about Columbia is that it's an actual campus right in the middle of New York City. The immediate proximity of the greatest city in the country and the gated, grassy quad create an incredible counterbalance, providing both the big-city experience and the quintessential college atmosphere. I think Columbia is just the right size. If I had to change one thing, I would cut Columbia's ties with Barnard College, because their students reap all of the benefits of Columbia although they were not necessarily accepted and have comparable facilities, etc. on their own campus (library, gym, courses offered, etc). Honestly, people are impressed when I tell them I go to Columbia. On campus, 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time I am in my dorm, the library, the gym, or the student center (Lerner Hall) if I am not in class. Columbia's administration is somewhat controversial - there is a lot of bureaucracy and it is sometimes difficult to get anything accomplished, but I am happy overall with the leaders of the University (President, Deans, etc). Most recent controversy: President Ahmedinajad of Iran's visit. No, I would not say that there is a lot of school pride. I will always remember my very first night at Columbia when we slept out on the quad. Most frequent complaints - immense bureaucracy (especially with respect to student groups), poor athletics, lack of available space for students, gym facilities.

The best thing about Columbia is the opportunities that it can provide for one's career. However, this is probably due to its great location rather than a function of the school itself. There are a number of things I would change, but the first would be to address the needs of students and revamp the deteriorating state of Coumbia housing. The school size is just right; it is small enough not to feel lost in the crowd, but big enough to always be able to meet new people. People generally react with a good response when I say I go to Columbia, although more conservative people are likely to disapprove. I spend much of my time in Butler Library, the Student Center (Lerner Hall) and my dorm. New York City is by no means a college town, and neither is the Morningside Heights neighborhood. Columbia administration is rooted in corrupt beaurocracy and tends to do little for its students. The biggest recent controversy (and there are always quite a few) was probably the hunger strike to stop the Manhattanville Expansion or the visit by Iranian President Ahmedinejad. There is absolutely no school pride; I have never attended a Columbia sporting event nor do I intend to. There are many things that are unusual about Columbia because it provides such unique opportunities for its students since it is in New York. For instance, students can get fairly priced tickets to Broadway shows and attend them and be back on campus within 20 minutes after the show ends. One experience I will always remember is the Ahmedinejad visit because there was such a media and campus frenzy about the whole thing and I have never experienced such tight security. The most frequent student complaints have to do with the administration's lack of focus or concern with students.