Columbia vs. NYU
1. Admissions to post-bac programs?
- Which one is harder to get in?
The guess is that Columbia’s post-bac is harder to get in, since the name of Columbia might attract more applicants, especially “high achievers” who might believe this name tag would better help their dream in medicine. Also, Columbia’s post-bac program has a much longer history and is considered well established.
- Whose application process is more convenient?
NYU wins. (But this part is basically nothing, compared to the efforts and money you will spend in future.)
Both programs ask for official college transcripts, about the same application fee and a number of similar things, but Columbia has more “hidden” fees. Columbia asks for official high school transcripts (Hopefully your high school has a convenient system for transcript requests. Sorry, you cannot leave your high school behind…). If admitted at Columbia, you might be asked to submit an official SAT/ACT score. NYU asks for neither high school transcript nor official SAT score. If you have taken MCAT before, you are not eligible for apply for Columbia’s program (this seems a weird policy, so we are not sure how strict this is), but NYU does not say no.
2. The cost?
No clear winner.
For a specific course subject, its credit hours might be different; but the total credit hours for completing the science curriculum in both schools are very similar. Math + bio + chem + orgo + biochem is 6+9+11+11+8+3=48 at Columbia and 4+9+10+10+10+4=47 at NYU.
The tuition per credit hour is significantly more expensive (about 25%) at Columbia (the unit is called “point”) than at NYU (the unit is called “credit”); waiving a course is more flexible at NYU. You might think NYU is cheaper, but this is actually a case-by-case math question. NYU has a weird “partial flat rate” policy: you sort of pay tuition per credit when you have 11 or fewer credit hours in a semester; however, you pay the same amount of tuition if you have a number of credit hours between 12 and 18 credits in a semester (If you register 12 credits in a semester at NYU, your actual tuition per credit is more expensive than Columbia…); you pay extra tuition for each credit hour once you exceed 18 credit hours in a semester. To make this math more interesting, at Columbia you will have a flat tuition once you have 17 or more points in a semester.
Loan options are available, but you should basically forget about scholarship…
3. Chance to get into medical school?
This might be the only part some of you care. Unfortunately, there is no clear winner. Just a personal speculation: in Columbia’s post-bac program, you might have a better chance to get into “Harvard” if you are already a perfect candidate and now even “more perfect”; in NYU, you might have a better chance to get into a medical school.
- The post-bac student size at Columbia is about 3 times as NYU. I am not sure whether a medical school would really desire to accept 3 Columbia post-bac per 1 NYU post-bac. It seems that the percentage of pre-MD applicants are higher at Columbian than at NYU (there are students in other tracks, such as pre-dental).
By the way, I really suggest you think twice before jumping to a post-bac program in a prestigious but costly private institute like Columbia or NYU, especially if your goal is to just taking sciences prerequisites for other kinds of health programs (e.g., physical assistance). It is essentially not necessary, unless you really think this might help you to join a PA program in a super prestige institute... If you are a relatively strong candidate and your main goal is a DO school, NYU/Columbia post-bac program might still be overkill. Taking science courses in a lower-cost public institute might be a more rational choice.
- Science courses are pretty hard at Columbia, but exams are not easier at NYU (perhaps an exception is general physics; NYU’s general physics is indeed easier.). It is easier to reach a B+ at NYU than a B+ at Columbia; an A at NYU is not really easier than an A at Columbia. It is easier to have 3.6 GPA at NYU than 3.6 NYU at Columbia; a near perfect GPA at either school is very difficult.
If your science is not very strong, you might have a higher chance at NYU than at Columbia to maintain a “minimal/threshold” GPA to apply for medical school (or DO schools).
- Columbia has A+, but NYU has no A+. Although A+ and A mean the same in AAMC’s GPA calculation, earning quite a few A+ grades at Columbia might still seem impressive in your application. The drawback is that you might need to handle the extra stress if you decide to study even hard to fight for A+ in Columbia exams.
- The post-bac environment at NYU is more supportive and collaborative, if this matters to you and you believe that this can encourage you to hold on and not give up.
- Both programs would give you a good foundation for your MCAT’s science sections.
- Just my personal opinion: if I were from a low-tier college and eager to show I am incredible intelligent, I would choose Columbia; in this case, an ivy name might have a meaningful margin. If I were from a top college, I would choose NYU.
4. Linkage programs?
No clear winner.
At Columbia, you have significantly more linkage choices, including some big names. NYU has very a limited number of linkage schools but a much smaller post-bac student body, so your chance to be nominated for linkage might be higher.
At Columbia, you might have a chance to skip MCAT, since some linkage agreements do not require MCAT; however, most linkage agreements specifically say you need to have all the required science courses to be taken in spring/fall semesters at Columbia to be eligible for linkage, which means in some cases you might need to retake the same course at Columbia. All linkages at NYU requires MCAT, but they do not say you have to take all the required courses from NYU (the courses can be taken in summer sessions).
Of course, linkage is not guaranteed in either school. This is just a plus for post-bac program, and should not be your only plan…
5. Program flexibility?
No clear winner.
At Columbia, you might have to complete the whole course series; at NYU, you might be able to waive some. Lectures and labs are separate courses at Columbia, which adds complexity to your curriculum planning. NYU is very straightforward, labs are always part of a premed course, except for bio. If you are good at exams but horrible at labs, do you want to get an A in lecture and a C in lab on your transcript or get an A- for a combined course?
You can still choose to take courses in your glide year at Columbia (In fact, you are required to remain in the program during your glide year and pay a small fee, although you are not required to take any course).
I heard a very interesting recent policy from NYU post-bac students: now NYU requires you to earn your post-bac certificate and graduate from the program before you can possibly get a committee letter. (Committee letters are not a standard requirement for other health programs such as PA; so it might not matter to you at all if you are not a MD applicant.)
Our speculation is that many NYU post-bac students are from prestige colleges and care less about an NYU pre-med certificate after accepted by medical school; but NYU want to boost its post-bac program’s reputation and hope to save records that these future doctors are indeed from the NYU community rather than temporary part-time/visiting students. Well, the good thing about NYU’s policy is that you don’t need to pay NYU any money anymore and you don’t need to worry about receiving any NYU institutional action (this is not very likely, anyway) during your glide year… But the bad thing is that you won’t be able to conveniently take other courses which you suddenly realized are needed or helpful in the glide year. There is another complication for some people: once you lose your student status, your previously borrowed student loans might start to bother… We hope there will be a better option that works for both NYU and post-bac: can NYU still require certificate before writing committee letters, but allow the student to remain in the program after receival of certificate and before medical school matriculation?
6. Advising?
Err…… What we want to say is that none of the premed advisors had applied and been accepted by medical schools before… If you have absolutely no idea about application, they are definitely helpful and more knowledgeable than you, since they are trained. But…
Premed events/seminars are great in both schools.
7. Prestige?
Columbia wins (a big one).
I heard both programs acknowledge graduates of their post-bac programs as alumni, although no academic degrees are awarded. Perhaps the name tag does not help your healthcare program application as much as you would think, but I don’t think it is stupid to crane for some form of “connection” to Columbia. We are human beings; when choosing being rational or being emotional, you can just choose being happier – happiness is a perception. (Well, prestige is also a perception.)
8. Other minor things?
- People still say that NYU is located in a much nicer area than Columbia: more activities, restaurants, access to other parts of NYC. But nowadays Columbia’s surrounding is not bad at all.
- The NYU student body including undergraduates in other programs is much more diverse. I would not say that you will feel looked down on by smart “Columbia College” kids; they are well educated and know how to professionally display respects towards others. Academic snobbery exists – just think about the endless online discussions on Columbia College versus Barnard College at Columbia, and Stern versus CAS others at NYU, but the environment at NYU seems more inclusive.
- This is NYC! Research opportunities are everywhere… I don’t see this as a decision factor at all.
Good luck to everyone! I wish that I could be more helpful, but I apologize I might not have time or capability to answer other questions. I was going to talk about other post-bacc programs, such as Georgetown’s, but it is really too much effort and I don’t have the luxury of time…
(Disclaimer: to protect the privacy, some information might be intentionally altered or disguised. All are personal opinions, and I am not responsible for any inaccurate information. You need to be aware that policies might change from time to time.)
1. Admissions to post-bac programs?
- Which one is harder to get in?
The guess is that Columbia’s post-bac is harder to get in, since the name of Columbia might attract more applicants, especially “high achievers” who might believe this name tag would better help their dream in medicine. Also, Columbia’s post-bac program has a much longer history and is considered well established.
- Whose application process is more convenient?
NYU wins. (But this part is basically nothing, compared to the efforts and money you will spend in future.)
Both programs ask for official college transcripts, about the same application fee and a number of similar things, but Columbia has more “hidden” fees. Columbia asks for official high school transcripts (Hopefully your high school has a convenient system for transcript requests. Sorry, you cannot leave your high school behind…). If admitted at Columbia, you might be asked to submit an official SAT/ACT score. NYU asks for neither high school transcript nor official SAT score. If you have taken MCAT before, you are not eligible for apply for Columbia’s program (this seems a weird policy, so we are not sure how strict this is), but NYU does not say no.
2. The cost?
No clear winner.
For a specific course subject, its credit hours might be different; but the total credit hours for completing the science curriculum in both schools are very similar. Math + bio + chem + orgo + biochem is 6+9+11+11+8+3=48 at Columbia and 4+9+10+10+10+4=47 at NYU.
The tuition per credit hour is significantly more expensive (about 25%) at Columbia (the unit is called “point”) than at NYU (the unit is called “credit”); waiving a course is more flexible at NYU. You might think NYU is cheaper, but this is actually a case-by-case math question. NYU has a weird “partial flat rate” policy: you sort of pay tuition per credit when you have 11 or fewer credit hours in a semester; however, you pay the same amount of tuition if you have a number of credit hours between 12 and 18 credits in a semester (If you register 12 credits in a semester at NYU, your actual tuition per credit is more expensive than Columbia…); you pay extra tuition for each credit hour once you exceed 18 credit hours in a semester. To make this math more interesting, at Columbia you will have a flat tuition once you have 17 or more points in a semester.
Loan options are available, but you should basically forget about scholarship…
3. Chance to get into medical school?
This might be the only part some of you care. Unfortunately, there is no clear winner. Just a personal speculation: in Columbia’s post-bac program, you might have a better chance to get into “Harvard” if you are already a perfect candidate and now even “more perfect”; in NYU, you might have a better chance to get into a medical school.
- The post-bac student size at Columbia is about 3 times as NYU. I am not sure whether a medical school would really desire to accept 3 Columbia post-bac per 1 NYU post-bac. It seems that the percentage of pre-MD applicants are higher at Columbian than at NYU (there are students in other tracks, such as pre-dental).
By the way, I really suggest you think twice before jumping to a post-bac program in a prestigious but costly private institute like Columbia or NYU, especially if your goal is to just taking sciences prerequisites for other kinds of health programs (e.g., physical assistance). It is essentially not necessary, unless you really think this might help you to join a PA program in a super prestige institute... If you are a relatively strong candidate and your main goal is a DO school, NYU/Columbia post-bac program might still be overkill. Taking science courses in a lower-cost public institute might be a more rational choice.
- Science courses are pretty hard at Columbia, but exams are not easier at NYU (perhaps an exception is general physics; NYU’s general physics is indeed easier.). It is easier to reach a B+ at NYU than a B+ at Columbia; an A at NYU is not really easier than an A at Columbia. It is easier to have 3.6 GPA at NYU than 3.6 NYU at Columbia; a near perfect GPA at either school is very difficult.
If your science is not very strong, you might have a higher chance at NYU than at Columbia to maintain a “minimal/threshold” GPA to apply for medical school (or DO schools).
- Columbia has A+, but NYU has no A+. Although A+ and A mean the same in AAMC’s GPA calculation, earning quite a few A+ grades at Columbia might still seem impressive in your application. The drawback is that you might need to handle the extra stress if you decide to study even hard to fight for A+ in Columbia exams.
- The post-bac environment at NYU is more supportive and collaborative, if this matters to you and you believe that this can encourage you to hold on and not give up.
- Both programs would give you a good foundation for your MCAT’s science sections.
- Just my personal opinion: if I were from a low-tier college and eager to show I am incredible intelligent, I would choose Columbia; in this case, an ivy name might have a meaningful margin. If I were from a top college, I would choose NYU.
4. Linkage programs?
No clear winner.
At Columbia, you have significantly more linkage choices, including some big names. NYU has very a limited number of linkage schools but a much smaller post-bac student body, so your chance to be nominated for linkage might be higher.
At Columbia, you might have a chance to skip MCAT, since some linkage agreements do not require MCAT; however, most linkage agreements specifically say you need to have all the required science courses to be taken in spring/fall semesters at Columbia to be eligible for linkage, which means in some cases you might need to retake the same course at Columbia. All linkages at NYU requires MCAT, but they do not say you have to take all the required courses from NYU (the courses can be taken in summer sessions).
Of course, linkage is not guaranteed in either school. This is just a plus for post-bac program, and should not be your only plan…
5. Program flexibility?
No clear winner.
At Columbia, you might have to complete the whole course series; at NYU, you might be able to waive some. Lectures and labs are separate courses at Columbia, which adds complexity to your curriculum planning. NYU is very straightforward, labs are always part of a premed course, except for bio. If you are good at exams but horrible at labs, do you want to get an A in lecture and a C in lab on your transcript or get an A- for a combined course?
You can still choose to take courses in your glide year at Columbia (In fact, you are required to remain in the program during your glide year and pay a small fee, although you are not required to take any course).
I heard a very interesting recent policy from NYU post-bac students: now NYU requires you to earn your post-bac certificate and graduate from the program before you can possibly get a committee letter. (Committee letters are not a standard requirement for other health programs such as PA; so it might not matter to you at all if you are not a MD applicant.)
Our speculation is that many NYU post-bac students are from prestige colleges and care less about an NYU pre-med certificate after accepted by medical school; but NYU want to boost its post-bac program’s reputation and hope to save records that these future doctors are indeed from the NYU community rather than temporary part-time/visiting students. Well, the good thing about NYU’s policy is that you don’t need to pay NYU any money anymore and you don’t need to worry about receiving any NYU institutional action (this is not very likely, anyway) during your glide year… But the bad thing is that you won’t be able to conveniently take other courses which you suddenly realized are needed or helpful in the glide year. There is another complication for some people: once you lose your student status, your previously borrowed student loans might start to bother… We hope there will be a better option that works for both NYU and post-bac: can NYU still require certificate before writing committee letters, but allow the student to remain in the program after receival of certificate and before medical school matriculation?
6. Advising?
Err…… What we want to say is that none of the premed advisors had applied and been accepted by medical schools before… If you have absolutely no idea about application, they are definitely helpful and more knowledgeable than you, since they are trained. But…
Premed events/seminars are great in both schools.
7. Prestige?
Columbia wins (a big one).
I heard both programs acknowledge graduates of their post-bac programs as alumni, although no academic degrees are awarded. Perhaps the name tag does not help your healthcare program application as much as you would think, but I don’t think it is stupid to crane for some form of “connection” to Columbia. We are human beings; when choosing being rational or being emotional, you can just choose being happier – happiness is a perception. (Well, prestige is also a perception.)
8. Other minor things?
- People still say that NYU is located in a much nicer area than Columbia: more activities, restaurants, access to other parts of NYC. But nowadays Columbia’s surrounding is not bad at all.
- The NYU student body including undergraduates in other programs is much more diverse. I would not say that you will feel looked down on by smart “Columbia College” kids; they are well educated and know how to professionally display respects towards others. Academic snobbery exists – just think about the endless online discussions on Columbia College versus Barnard College at Columbia, and Stern versus CAS others at NYU, but the environment at NYU seems more inclusive.
- This is NYC! Research opportunities are everywhere… I don’t see this as a decision factor at all.
Good luck to everyone! I wish that I could be more helpful, but I apologize I might not have time or capability to answer other questions. I was going to talk about other post-bacc programs, such as Georgetown’s, but it is really too much effort and I don’t have the luxury of time…
(Disclaimer: to protect the privacy, some information might be intentionally altered or disguised. All are personal opinions, and I am not responsible for any inaccurate information. You need to be aware that policies might change from time to time.)
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