<p>“There is football… at Columbia.” </p>
<p>I attended both, and what they play at Columbia is NOT the same game they play at Iowa. 
</p>
<p>Seriously, you have two great but very different options. I found Iowa (back in the day) to be full of smart, diverse, and very funny people. The English and writing programs are excellent. Iowa City is a fabulous town, though obviously much different from NYC. I loved my undergrad days there (studying creative writing) and never found myself wishing I was somewhere else. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>