UChicago or Columbia?

[Anonymous]

Which would you pick?

DD is headed to UChicago this fall (from NYC private) through the ED2 round. Deferred Columbia ED but decided to be risk-averse and not to wait it out - she is now considering transferring after 1 year. Obviously, this is just provisional, but would it be worth it to attend Columbia for 3 years? I'm not sure it would fulfill her like the typical 4-year students.

[Anonymous]

Stay at UChicago unless she gets interested in engineering. It's #6, meanwhile Columbia is at the lower end of the T20s.

[Anonymous]

"Deciding" to transfer before even starting at the first school is crazy talk.

[Anonymous]

Why??? I really do not think it is healthy to start college planning to transfer unless you are doing something like starting at a community college to save $. It is better to go all in where you are. This is a good approach for life in general. The schools are similar enough (it's not like she wanted Wesleyan and ended up at Alabama) that she should be able to thrive at either place.

[Anonymous]

Is your DC introverted or extroverted? Columbia is a tough place to make friends, the rep is that it is pretty solemn and self-focused, with lots of intensity and very little spirit or joy. I know two kids who either transferred out or wanted to!

U Chicago is also intense, but it's a "fit" school, so if your DC ED'ed there I assume it's a fit. I'd stay there OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your DC introverted or extroverted? Columbia is a tough place to make friends, the rep is that it is pretty solemn and self-focused, with lots of intensity and very little spirit or joy. I know two kids who either transferred out or wanted to!

U Chicago is also intense, but it's a "fit" school, so if your DC ED'ed there I assume it's a fit. I'd stay there OP.

+1. Im a parent of a recent Columbia grad. He's a super smart kid but it was a grind. Kids are intense, smart and definitely self-focused.

[Anonymous]

Both similar schools but according to Parchment 78% picks Columbia over Chicago if given the choice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your DC introverted or extroverted? Columbia is a tough place to make friends, the rep is that it is pretty solemn and self-focused, with lots of intensity and very little spirit or joy. I know two kids who either transferred out or wanted to!

U Chicago is also intense, but it's a "fit" school, so if your DC ED'ed there I assume it's a fit. I'd stay there OP.

+1. Im a parent of a recent Columbia grad. He's a super smart kid but it was a grind. Kids are intense, smart and definitely self-focused.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both similar schools but according to Parchment 78% picks Columbia over Chicago if given the choice

Keep in mind that Parchment data comes from participants in the midwest, which means that UChicago is more familiar to them than Columbia. Most kids want novelty in their college experience.

[Anonymous]

While transferring is always possible, to the extent you can try to get your DC excited about UChicago. Sign up for summer send off events, try to meet other incoming students via social media.

[Anonymous]

If she is this unhappy with her ED2 choice that she's planning to transfer before she even starts, she should absolutely not have committed to ED2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stay at UChicago unless she gets interested in engineering. It's #6, meanwhile Columbia is at the lower end of the T20s.

No, no, no.

[Anonymous]

OP - why is your kid already thinking about transferring when they have not yet matriculated? I thought ED2 results came out about a week ago. Did someone say anything to your kid to make them second-guess themselves? If this were my kid, I would be hyping up UChicago and encouraging my kid to meet other kids who are going there and looking into all of the amazing opportunities - not getting an dcum and asking people about which one they would pick between the two schools. Your kid already picked and should be grateful to be going to one of the best universities in the world.

[Anonymous]

Congrats on the uchicago acceptance!!! Buyers remorse is not uncommon with ed1/ed2 but i would really hype them up about UChicago and encourage them to be all-in. Connect with other accepted students and start meeting people. Its so great to be done with the process before spring break and Uchicago is a great school and I hear the social vibe is much better these days than it used to be. ( In contrast, I went to Columbia and had so much fun but students I know there today are pretty intense the vibe is different these days.) Chicago is very well regarded academically and kids we know there are having fun in greek life and getting great ib internships. There is no guarantee kid would be accepted as a transfer student at columbia, so if they really want to transfer they should cast a wide net toward schools that accept a lot of transfer students. If you are at a private school, your counselor can be helpful with this. Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she is this unhappy with her ED2 choice that she's planning to transfer before she even starts, she should absolutely not have committed to ED2.

She's not planning. Just considering since it's been her long-time dream. Trust me when I tell you that she loves UChicago - I would not have signed the ED2 agreement if I knew she didn't actually want to attend.