Yet another what to choose...

felipecocco
Mon, 05 Feb 2007 13:21:28 +0000

Hmmm Columbia and Gtown… the only two schools I applied to… aww the memories :-)

Well, Gtown somewhat speaks for itself when it comes to IR. The Walsh School of Foreign Service is indeed pretty incredible, no doubt. However, one of the things that made me a bit hesitant is that it doesn’t really seem to have an academic character, instead, just a purely pre-professional atmosphere. Also, you’d have to be ok with going to the school with the most “i want to be president of the US”-type students / overall students in the world.

But, I think that the main difference probably lies in my first point. Chicago has always been famous for being an academically rigorous place, and notorious for graduating future academics. Gtown, on the other hand, has a much more professional outlook on things, especially considering SFS. They are both wonderful places, and I really think it just depends on what kind of atmosphere you are looking for.

In terms of Columbia, it is probably the most similar Ivy League school to the University of Chicago. They are both in major cities, both have an extensive core, and are reputable in virtually any academic field. Some of the differences between the schools, like Columbia having an engineering school but chicago not, won’t really concern you. In that case, I’ll have to agree with drummerdude and say that the difference really may come down to the city, the aesthetics of the campus, and in general, how you feel at each school. And after you visit then you choose to come to Chicago. lol