DECISION TIME: UPenn Vs. Columbia

Penn95
Sat, 09 Apr 2016 19:39:39 +0000

@EarlyAction2020 when it comes to the social sciences as a whole Penn and Columbia are on the same level, with Penn being slightly higher ranked in some specific fields, and Columbia in others. Also in general in terms of academic quality, prestige there is not really any difference between the two. I think your decision will probably come down to fit. Fit in terms of social life, the curriculum, location, and just general vibe.

In terms of job outcomes Penn does incredibly well, in fact it is overall the most-targeted ivy by firms along with Harvard and has the second higher salary, employment statistics after Harvard. Also Penn was ranked #1 for social sciences by payscale, which looks at salary potential. http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/best-schools-by-majors/social-sciences

It terms of social life, no ivy can really beat what Penn is offering (it is not known as the social ivy for nothing). What I like about Penn is that people are very driven and on top of their work but also know how to party and have fun. You dont have to be a hard partier or join greek life to have fun at Penntho, there is something from everyone, from the really hardcore types to the really mellow.

Penn is in a big (but not overwhelmingly crazy) city so there is access to many bars restaurants etc but there is also a well-defined campus with many things to do inside. At Penn there is a campus feel and community whereas from what I have heard Columbia is lacking that because New York is so overwhelming and the campus is so tiny. Some people find New York too much as college students others really love it. I personally think New York is too much for an 18-, 19-year old.

Columbia has a rigid core curriculum (many requirements) whereas Penn is very flexible and encourages a lot of interdisciplinary study. Both are attractive to different people for different reasons. Consistent with its commitment to interdisciplinary study, Penn makes it easy for you to double major and take classes even in many of its professional and graduate schools.

I think both schools are pretty diverse but I get the feeling that Columbia is more to the left of Penn in terms of economic views and Penn I think gives a slighlty wealthier vibe than Columbia.

Try to visit both, talk to alumni etc to make an informed decision.