<p>I have no clue what to say to this long heated debate. But to respond to the OP’s original question:</p>
<p>Pre-med is not offered as a nice package that comes with set classes geared towards pre-med. So I cannot say much about the “programs” they have there about pre-med. I would say JHU and WUSTL would be better if you are searching for an undergraduate education that has some type of curriculum already designed that is geared towards the medical field. But honestly, you can attend another university and just major in a different field as long as you have the basic requirements to attend and apply for medical school.</p>
<p>Engineering, on the other hand, has a school dedicated to it (SEAS). While it may not be as renown as MIT and Caltech’s programs, it is good in its own right, but I would say that its prestige cannot stand on its own without the Columbia name attached to it.</p>
<p>In regards to being well-known or prestigious, it is relative to where your environment (where you live, people with whom you associate [above average college connoisseurs on CC], etc…). For example, an average person living in Los Angeles would probably think UCLA or USC is more well-known and prestigious than Princeton, Columbia, Northwestern, etc… only because they have not heard of the latter. We can argue about prestige for schools that we do not even attend for as long as we want, but the main thing is that in the end it depends on what you make out of your experience and time at a university.</p>
<p>BTW, I am a Columbian. xD</p>