Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

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.

preppy, stuck-up rich kids

Bookish nerds; typical New Yorkers; quirky

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

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

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.

We are too smart and too liberal!!!!

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.

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).

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.