<p>The core curriculum at Columbia is just about halved in its requirements for engineering students if I’m not mistaken, which allows me to take only the more liberal arts classes that I’ll enjoy. Duke’s campus reminds me of Stanford’s in a way; it’s beautiful and very natural, but it’s a lot more rural. I think “stuffy campus” refers more so to the architecture. </p>
<p>Also, laid back might just be referencing the whole Los Angeles/California “soak-up-some-sun-and-relax” vibe, but I think the school’s rigor might keep me inside, haha. Perhaps it’s also a description of the Caltech architecture, which is perhaps less “formal” than Duke’s or Columbia’s due to either being Mission Revival or simply Modern.</p>