Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

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.