Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

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.