Should I go to Amherst College or Columbia University (CC)?

I'm going to speak entirely from personal experience here. If you can afford Columbia, go there. read more

In a big-city university like Columbia, however, I surmise that socioeconomic barriers will be far more pronounced and the welcoming air of egalitarianism will be far less present. Though you should also take into account the alumni network after graduation--Amherst's is much smaller than Columbia's. read more

As for "Why Amherst," well, you should ask once you've done some true research on the school. I spent a good few days digging through the entire site before I connected to a student. Get the backing first, then ask your question. read more

That said, the Five College Consortium is somewhat similar. UMass Amherst has a good computer science department, esp. for graduate school. Amherst College when I was there did not have a distinct computer science department separate from the Math and Computer Science department. Maybe it’s better now but I doubt it’s better than Pomona. read more