I was deciding between Columbia and Northwestern. The open house for Northwestern and the interview for Columbia were back-to-back weekends, so I got a direct comparison.
Program-wise, the two were essentially equal. Everything I liked about Northwestern -- highly respected in the field, prepare students extremely well (more than just passing the NPTE), strong faculty, research opportunities, PT-only cadavers, 24-hour access to lab space, etc. -- Columbia had as well. Columbia does have the advanced tracks, and they offered me a pretty large scholarship, but in the end I didn't think it was worth it to be in New York. I just don't think that I am a good fit in New York City, and I feel location is a HUGE factor because it is the environment I will be in for the next 3 years. I also heard back from Northwestern in early October, so I had pretty much had my mind set on it by the time I went to the Columbia interview three months later. I just wanted to see if visiting the school would change my mind and if they would give me the scholarship that I thought they would because that was a factor in my decision-making process even if I didn't end up choosing it.
Basically, there is nothing wrong with Columbia, I just thought Northwestern was the better fit for me.
Which programs are you deciding between?
