PLEASE vote on which I should attend in the fall, and give persuasive reasoning why! I can’t decide at all and desperately need help!
Your question is too general – what are you studying and what kind of environment (urban vs. suburban). east coast vs. west coast would you prefer? All will provide a superb education.
Columbia and Yale are in the northeast; Stanford is in CA. Weather, environment, and culture are quite different.
Columbia is in NYC – you don’t get more urban than that. It has a core curriculum. Gated campus with neo-Classical architecture.
Yale is in New Haven – also pretty urban, but not as urban as NYC which is easily reached by a commuter train. Has a residential college system and neo-Gothic architecture.
Stanford is in CA – west coast culture, sprawling, Spanish mission style, suburban campus that is a commuter train ride to San Francisco.
Agree, the question is too general. I would personally narrow down to Stanford or Yale and then choose based on what kind of vibe you want and what you are interested in studying.