StudentsReview Advice!
• What is a good school? • Statistical Significance • How to choose a Major • How to choose your Career • What you make of it? • How Ivy League Admissions works • On the Student/Faculty Ratio • FAFSA: Who is a Parent? • FAFSA: Parent Contribution • FAFSA: Dream out of reach • College Financial Planning • Survive College and Graduate • Sniffing Out Commuter Schools • Preparing for College: A HS Roadmap • Talking to Your Parents about College. • Is a top college worth it? •
Why is college hard?
•
Why Kids Aren't Happy in Traditional Schools
• Essential College TipsAh, college. Considered by many to be the time of a young person's lif...
more→ • Cost of College Increasing Faster Than InflationAccording to
NPR, the cost of college...
more→ • For parents filling out the FAFSA and PROFILE (from a veteran paper slinger)Just so you know, filling out these forms is a lot more than penciling...
more→ • How to choose the right college?My name is Esteban Correa. I am currently a second year INTERNATIONAL ...
more→ • Create The Right Career Habits NowGetting ahead in your career can be easier if you make the choice to b...
more→ • Senior Year (Tips and experience)It's the end of junior year and everyone is anticipating the arrival o...
more→ • Informational Overload! What Should I Look For in a College or University?We are in an instant information age, where you can find almost anythi...
more→ • Personality Type and College ChoicePersonality type is something very important to consider when deciding...
more→ • A Free Application is a Good Application As a senior finishing her scholastic year, I feel that it is my duty ...
more→ • College Academic Survival GuideThe leap from high school to college academics is not an insignificant...
more→ • Getting Involved: The Key to College HappinessAs a tour guide, the absolute, most frequently asked question I got wa...
more→ • Choose a Path, Not a MajorUnless you're one of the fortunate souls who's already found their cal...
more→ • The Scoop on State SchoolsA recent college graduate, I vividly remember touring campuses as a
p...
more→ • The Purpose of a Higher EducationYou are one of the millions of people this year applying for admission...
more→ • The Importance of Choosing the Right College Major (2012)One of the most important academic choices you'll make while in colleg...
more→ • How to choose a college majorI was not sure what college major to choose. When you are in your late...
more→ • How to guarantee your acceptance to many collegesAre your grades are not what you think they should be from high school...
more→ • Nailing the College Application ProcessCollege applications seem to always be put on top of students procrast...
more→ • What to do for a Successful InterviewInterviews seem to become more commonplace in every facet of life as o...
more→ • I Don't Know Where to Start (General College Advice)Preparing for college is a difficult time for every student and it?s o...
more→ • Attitude and Dress Code for an Interview (General College Advice) An interview is something we all have to go through when we get a job...
more→ • Starting College (General College Advice)College is a huge milestone in your life. You?ve seen the castle like ...
more→ • Boston Apartment lease: Watch out!Are you a student and about to sign the very first lease in your li... more→
• What college is right for you?When thinking about their choices for colleges, many students and pare...
more→
Overall, I feel I received a high quality liberal arts education. There are definitely some disciplines that are better taught than others. If your aspirations are in journalism, law, or political science, Columbia is the place for you. I am a big believer in the Core Curriculum and the critical thinking skills that it instills. However, I was a pre-health professional student, and the basic science classes were mediocre. The downsides were a lot of classes taught by grad students and non-native English speakers (esp. in the sciences). Also, as a University, Columbia does not place enough priority on its undergraduate programs.
Of course, one of the biggest assets of a Columbia education is having NYC as your playground. My advice is to take full advantage of this, get outside of Morningside Heights, and enjoy the benefits of living in an awesome city.
My college experience was very different from that of my peers who went to other schools. Obviously, football and other athletics are not big at Columbia. Greek life was not so big as at other schools as well.
Some of the negative comments I've seen on this forum I understand. New Yorkers are viewed as rude, impersonal, and rough around the edges. Crime is an issue in any big city. But there are communities within the Columbia campus that are genuine, caring, passionate, and compassionate --maybe not outwardly friendly but still good people.
Looking back, I have no regrets about my Columbia education. It could have been better in some respects, but I do value what I learned, and in many ways it has been an asset in my post-college life. However, with skyrocketing tuition, honestly I am not so sure it would be worth the money to go to Columbia nowadays. If you have limited resources, it may be better to use that money to attend a top Ivy for undergrad or save it for graduate/professional school.
Useless (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Helpful