<p>In superficial ways, Columbia and Chicago are more similar, because of their Cores (although the Columbia Core is a lot more lockstep than the Chicago version). But there are some major tone differences.</p>
<p>First, I think Columbia tends to be much more politicized than Chicago. That’s mainly because it is right in the middle of New York City, which everyone in New York City believes to be the center of the world, and thus there is a tendency for donors, alumni, and powerful community elements to stick their noses into university affairs to a much greater extent than happens at Chicago (which is more under the radar, and has less powerful alumni) or Harvard (which is not in NY and is so rich it can tell even the richest alumni where to shove it). If you want to understand the difference between Columbia and Chicago, research what has happened with Rashid Khalidi and Nadia Abu-el-Haj, both of whom were recruited to Columbia from Chicago.</p>
<p>Second, I think there are a lot of students at Columbia for whom the main attraction is being in Manhattan. Kids at Chicago do a lot of things in the city, but the focus of their lives is definitely the university. For a meaningful percentage of Columbia students, you wouldn’t say that. Plus, even though Chicago can be an expensive city, it pales next to New York. There are sooooooo many ways to spend money in New York, and I think some kids who don’t have a lot of access to disposable cash can feel isolated at Columbia.</p>