Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

To be honest, there is no stereotype, because it's too difficult to observe a dominant trait, which is good and bad at the same time. On have hand, there is diversity and excitements, but the backfire is that, there are also people who are the worst mannered I've met in schools since age of 7.

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Brilliant, quirky, diverse, Type A personalities, Unpretentious nerds

One stereotype that is often held against Columbia (and other top notch ivy league colleges) is that students are cut-throat and the competitiveness of its student body often gets out of hand. I find that, while this may be true in very rare and individual cases, the student body in general is very caring and respectful. There are multiple tutoring stations on campus, many ran by Columbia students helping out their peers. Furthermore, even in classes where the grading is curved, you can almost always find a fellow student willing to extend a hand and help out whenever possible. Furthermore, few students "brag" or "show-off;" most are humble and realize that each student has his or her unique talents.

A mix Columbia has the biggest share of international students among the states. And since it locates at NYC, it attracts students from all over the country. So the Columbia University students are full of diversity. f Well, it's true when u first enter the campus and NYC. The more time u spend here, the easier u will find that everyone is trying to be a NYCer. But who can be called a qualified NYCer? The answer is waiting u to dig.

People who are absolutely talented but also interesting. It's usually a mixture of people from different countries and have different background. Communication could be fun and helpful.

One of the common stereotypes about our students is that we are all crazy workaholics. I think this is true. Stress factor is definitely up there and we've been named 2011's most stressful college by the Daily Beast. But most of us enjoy this kind of life. Columbia does not hold our hands, and we have to work hard to succeed here.

The general stereotype of Columbia is that we are a school of radical liberals who are constantly protesting, smoking, and boasting about how "TOTALLY AWESOME" New York City is. On top of that, we've been named 2011's most stressful college by the Daily Beast. While the stress factor is definitely up there and we are a fairly liberal university, smoking is pretty unpopular and protests are certainly not as frequent as FOX news would like New Yorkers to believe. The NYC pride aspect is purely a product of the administrations advertising strategy. But hey, everyone knows that NYC is THE BEST CITY IN THE WORLD, so why would they need to advertise that?

Columbia students are very hard-working and very bright. This often means that there is a slight perception of elitism or "preppy-ness," considering we're an Ivy League school in the Northeast. Of course many students are seen as "nerds," especially in engineering. There is the perception that there are a fair amount of hipsters and hippies, due to the extremely liberal nature of the school. Obviously none of these are 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} accurate. The student body is incredibly diverse: one of the school's greatest strengths and most attractive features. Anyone can find a crowd in which they will fit, and flourish. And if you go looking, you can find almost any type of student here at CU.

Perceptions abound about what exactly constitutes the "typical Columbia student." To be sure, there are many kids who arrive in Morningside Heights determined to obtain a near 4.0 and will do anything to get it, including spending seven nights a week locked in Butler library. This stereotype is common not just of Columbia students, but of most Ivy League schools. However, I have found in my two and a half years at this school that there are all kinds of students that do not fit into this limiting stereotype. There are nerds, jocks, frat stars, stoners, people who go out five days a week, people who never go out, hipsters, liberals, conservatives (actually far more than I thought I would encounter when I entered Columbia as a freshman, as Columbia has a reputation for being a hotbed of liberalism), arts-y types, and people who do not fit into any of the above categories. In short, whatever your interests, there are bound to be several other students on campus who share them. Much has also been made during the last year of Columbia's "War on Fun." Although Morningside Heights is perhaps not the ideal community for those looking for the optimal social experience, I personally have not been wanting for fun during my time here. What matters the most is making friends with people you enjoy spending time with. If you can do that, the fun part will take care of itself, even if you feel overwhelmed by school at times.