<p>I faced the same dilemma when I was doing my apps. These two school were my top choices. I did my college trip during last year’s spring break to clear things up. I visited u chicago, columbia, harvard among others. I loved Chicago’s campus and staff. Everything was perfect…except for the students. I thought they all looked like smart introverts. Nerdy and socially awkward. I saw students walking from class to class and I couldn’t imagine one of them being my friend. I only saw one good looking girl during my time there. The only two students I could identify with were two preppy athletes i saw eating outside a subway. However, I really the like the intellectual side of Chicago, which i think is more rich than columbia’s. The environment really did seem about the life of the mind. But the students were not my type. Of course there’s all types of people, but I figured it would take a while for me to adapt, if I ever would. If you’re not that much into partying, drinking and would sometimes prefer to stay at the dorms during the weekends and converse about intellectual matters, I would say you’ll find your niche faster at Chicago. Also, south chicago is a horrible area but you only get to see it if you leave campus. On the other hand, Downtown and some northern areas of chicago are the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. </p>
<p>Columbia seemed much more balanced. Students seemed to have a good combination of socializing and studying. I don’t even have to mention the city. Beautiful campus. Good looking students. Smart extroverts. A close friend of mine is a freshman at columbia right now and he tells me that weekends are much more crazy than he expected. But again, I did not get that intellectual vibe that Chicago has. </p>
<p>I didn’t even end up applying to Chicago because I was accepted ED at Columbia. If you party as hard as you study, I’d recommend Columbia. If you’re an introvert that deeply enjoys reading and math, Chicago. It all depends on your interests. These were my observations.</p>