Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

For the most part, I think they are. I do think, however, that while students are grade-conscious and serious about studying, they are also serious about having fun. With New York City there are endless opportunities for that.

for a small group of people it is, but not for the vast majority of students

I think quirky fits Columbia students best, and I love that!

I grew up in a big city so I was never around the suburban preppy kids so for me it was a little weird but they are definitely not overly egotistic. Some of them are, but a lot are very laid back.

I would say there is a fair share of conservatives around campus, however they aren't the ones being targeted by the biased media

Columbia students are extremely diverse in all interests and a very large percentage hold positions on athletic organizations. The drugs are not at all more common than any other campus, far less I would say, and the people on campus are generally more than wiling to stop and answer questions, talk for a bit, sit and relax on a sunny day, etc...

No way!!

A lot of stereotypes are mass generalizations that may have basis in truth, so, taken into context, some of the stereotypes are true. In my experience, I've found that a lot of SEAS students tend to be a little less social or interested in social activities, and purely by demographics, a large number of SEAS students are Asian. I think the Barnard/Columbia College dynamic is often reported to be less amiable than it actually is; I have good friends on both sides of Broadway, and have found smart, inane, conceited, and brilliant people in both schools. On the whole though, I have found my Barnard classes to be more challenging and provide more options for individual thought, while Columbia's tend to be larger in size, and somewhat dominated by generalized lectures and teaching assistants.

For the most part I have found these stereotypes to be accurate.

Somewhat. There is a lot of red tape, and there isn't a GREAT sense of community, but some common strands hold this diverse group together--probably most of all, the Core curriculum, which creates a common (often unwanted) bond between students in the college. But yes, it is hard to find a seat in Butler Library at 10 PM on a Saturday night.