<p>Both Columbia and Princeton have excellent politics programs, but Princeton’s is ultimately superior in terms of faculty quality and especially accessibility. One professor I recently spoke with who went to Columbia (granted, he studied philosophy and went there in the early 1990s) said that the difference in professor-student closeness between the two schools is shocking. He said that students wouldn’t even think of inviting a professor to dinner there, whereas at Princeton the practice is common and basically institutionalized through dinner discussion clubs. I’ve consistently found that professors here (including and especially in politics) are extraordinarily friendly and accessible to undergraduates. So if that matters to you, I’d say go for Princeton.</p>
<p>Also consider the (huge) differences in academic requirements. Columbia has the Core, Princeton does not. This has a ripple effect on the sorts of classes people take, what students know, etc. This is obviated by the fact that Princeton has the humanities program, which is similar to the core if you want to take it; but, as a general rule, you can’t expect most Princetonians to know about classics in literature, history, philosophy, etc.</p>
<p>Admission to law school is a wash. Each school will prepare you equally well, and each has effectively the same prestige. It is, for better or worse, basically contingent upon GPA and LSAT score at this level.</p>
<p>As for diversity, you won’t have a problem at Princeton: it is plenty diverse. It was rated, for instance, [the</a> number two college for Latinos](<a href=“Hispanic Magazine - Hispanic Business Magazine”>Hispanic Magazine - Hispanic Business Magazine) by one magazine.</p>
<p>Finally, although Princeton is indeed not New York, there are opportunities to attend cultural events in the city. If you really want to live in an urban environment, of course, perhaps Princeton is not the right choice. But if you don’t mind suburbia, then don’t let it strongly affect your decision.</p>