Columbia or Penn?

[Anonymous]

May only be able to fit one in on a larger tour...which would you do?

Child interested in both STEM and humanities...Doesn't want huge classes. Very top rigor, stats, ECS, but down to earth and kind. Not sure either one of these schools would be a good fit, but we could fit into a broader tour schedule...or Yale...obviously these are all big reaches for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Child has been to Yale before for some competitions so has seen the general campus, but no tour.

[Anonymous]

Your kid sounds like an ideal top LAC candidate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid sounds like an ideal top LAC candidate.

They do like the LAC vibe but feel like many aren't as strong in STEM and might prefer a city / city adjacent campus (though that isn't a total must have)

[Anonymous]

if female, Barnard would be a solid pick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid sounds like an ideal top LAC candidate.

They do like the LAC vibe but feel like many aren't as strong in STEM and might prefer a city / city adjacent campus (though that isn't a total must have)

I’d look into Harvey Mudd, Macalester, Swarthmore, and Reed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid sounds like an ideal top LAC candidate.

They do like the LAC vibe but feel like many aren't as strong in STEM and might prefer a city / city adjacent campus (though that isn't a total must have)

I’d look into Harvey Mudd, Macalester, Swarthmore, and Reed.

PP here - I don’t think of Penn and Columbia students as “down to earth and kind”. In fact, I think I’ve only met one Penn alum who was “down to earth and kind”, they seem to be completely opposite of that.

[Anonymous]

Columbia.

Columbia is separated into Columbia College and Columbia SEAS. Both have core humanities requirements. SEAS students get STEM education while being exposed to the core humanities.

[Anonymous]

If it's a choice between those two, Columbia. Penn is known for its overt competitiveness. At least at Columbia, you get some quirkier, lower-key kids along with the strivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:May only be able to fit one in on a larger tour...which would you do?

Child interested in both STEM and humanities...Doesn't want huge classes. Very top rigor, stats, ECS, but down to earth and kind. Not sure either one of these schools would be a good fit, but we could fit into a broader tour schedule...or Yale...obviously these are all big reaches for everyone.

Neither. Go to a school in a much nicer area see Harvard, Princeton, Brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May only be able to fit one in on a larger tour...which would you do?

Child interested in both STEM and humanities...Doesn't want huge classes. Very top rigor, stats, ECS, but down to earth and kind. Not sure either one of these schools would be a good fit, but we could fit into a broader tour schedule...or Yale...obviously these are all big reaches for everyone.

Neither. Go to a school in a much nicer area see Harvard, Princeton, Brown.

If only we had all these choices !

[Anonymous]

UPenn over Columbia
Give Yale a look as well as Harvey Mudd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UPenn over Columbia
Give Yale a look as well as Harvey Mudd

UPenn over Columbia only for business - although Columbia in NYC isn't too shabby for econ majors.

For STEM and humanities, Columbia hands down. Columbia has its core program that is unlike any other. Even for econ majors, they will be exposed to the core humanities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid sounds like an ideal top LAC candidate.

They do like the LAC vibe but feel like many aren't as strong in STEM and might prefer a city / city adjacent campus (though that isn't a total must have)

I’d look into Harvey Mudd, Macalester, Swarthmore, and Reed.

PP here - I don’t think of Penn and Columbia students as “down to earth and kind”. In fact, I think I’ve only met one Penn alum who was “down to earth and kind”, they seem to be completely opposite of that.

I’m a Penn alum and I think I am both down to earth and kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid sounds like an ideal top LAC candidate.

They do like the LAC vibe but feel like many aren't as strong in STEM and might prefer a city / city adjacent campus (though that isn't a total must have)

I’d look into Harvey Mudd, Macalester, Swarthmore, and Reed.

PP here - I don’t think of Penn and Columbia students as “down to earth and kind”. In fact, I think I’ve only met one Penn alum who was “down to earth and kind”, they seem to be completely opposite of that.

I’m a Penn alum and I think I am both down to earth and kind.

There's a UPenn song on this issue: "The Ivy League Hustle"

https://youtu.be/YDhf9qwiA34?si=dvOTgqz7WQYw_frM