<p>First of all, congratulations! These are both great schools. There are many reasons to choose either one. The one basis on which I would urge you NOT to make your decision is the notion that Princeton is one of the “big three”. As a Harvard alum, I hate that phrase. While I loved my time at Harvard, there are far too many people who, if admitted to Harvard, feel they have to go there “because it’s Harvard,” when another school would have suited them better. As I’ve posted before, my son was admitted to Harvard and Columbia and chose Columbia for reasons particular to him. I would have been happy to have him choose my alma mater, but I have no doubt, and he has no doubt, that his choice was the right one for him.</p>
<p>Columbia and Princeton provide fairly clear contrasts. From location (urban v. suburban/rural), to curriculum (Columbia’s core is very distinctive), to political ideology (Columbia may be the farthest to the left of the Ivies while Princeton is probably farthest to the right), to social life (Columbia has no equivalent of Princeton’s eating clubs), the cultures of the two schools are quite distinct. Pick the one you think is right for you, and then don’t look back. </p>