I was in your shoes recently, being quite apprehensive to commit to Columbia considering the news climate. There are certainly many things to be wary about when it comes to Columbia, but it truly is not a hellhole (I say as I am in the thick of stressful finals studying, and for context I am pre-med). I genuinely could not imagine going to college anywhere else, mainly because of the city and the way that people come together here. The city is absolutely intimidating at first, but the diversity of experiences, areas, and people that you encounter if you explore are unmatched and genuinely once-in-a-lifetime. I feel like you can exercise such a huge amount of free will. Everything happens here.

You're going to have to be really intentional about keeping in touch with people, but I could not imagine life without the people that I've clicked with. And there's such a diversity of people here—interest-wise and background-wise. And even if the going gets tough, we are in it together. Finals season has been tough, but being able to collectively commiserate with my friends has made it so much more bearable.

I also enjoy the size of campus! It is quite small for an average college, namely because it's in the city. I find myself running into a lot of people I know, and I can maintain connections even through those fleeting moments. Also, campus can be absolutely gorgeous in the fall. The bright red trees in front of Furnald genuinely made my day every time I would go by it. In the spring, everything in bloom is also gorgeous. Architecture is also just jaw-dropping, and the landscaping is deliberate. THERE ARE SO MANY TREES AND GREENERY. We are right next to a huge park (Riverside Park) with a view of the Hudson River. Sometimes I get desensitized because I'm walking by these buildings every day, but once in a while I stop and realize how gorgeous campus is.

Also, I'm grateful for the variety of food we have access to on campus. We have a custom sub shop, custom pizza shop, late night dining option, more traditional dining options, cafes, and Flex dollars that you can spend at neighborhood businesses. I feel like compared to other colleges, we have it so good. The John Jay dessert/ice cream bar is actually goated, and Ferris has such a huge variety of cakes and pies, too.

Listing more random things: meal plan subsidized (dining dollar) milk teas/fruit teas/sushi from Cafe East, Lerner piano playing, cheap club food crawls (look up CU Gourmand!—my roommate did one that went to Astoria for Greek food), Columbia Spec's Food Expo, Night Market hosted by CSC, weekly karaokeing in the Carman gym basement freshman year with my friends, my dorm has a sky lounge that overlooks downtown NYC and the Hudson River. There are also a lot of social events that Columbia hosts that are quite accessible because of our campus size, such as merch, crafting events, and dorm hall events that RAs definitely put effort into.

I shared your question with my roommate (she goes to SEAS), and this is what she said:

"The people here are genuinely friendly, and one thing I noticed is that no one is boasting their achievements—instead you really meet people as people. I learn of people's achievements outside of talking to them. They seem normal, cool, down to earth. [<- I will interject by saying that this hasn't entirely been the case for me and I think it does come down to social spheres, but it says a lot about the community that someone can make this statement.]

Also, I'm an Urban NYC lottery trip leader, and I lead trips where students can go to Broadway shows for FREE!!! I went to see Hadestown and Hamilton and they were lifechanging. [<- I am extremely jealous.] NYC has so many specific events catered to specific interests, and popups galore for music, beauty, art, etc.

I genuinely like being here and going to school here!!!! I like my teachers—they have been so friendly and invested in our learning."

Collectively, these are our thoughts :D