Columbia University is located in New York City on the Upper West Side in a neighborhood called Morningside Heights. It is home to 6700 undergraduates from 50 states and more than 110 countries. 60% of their students identify as students of color. They offer more than 100 areas of study, more than 100 study abroad opportunities, and more than 200 research centers. They have a one billion dollar budget for research annually. Columbia is divided into two schools: Columbia College, and Columbia Engineering.

Columbia operates with a core curriculum with the slogan of “where a lifelong journey of impact and inquiry begins.” This curriculum is more than 100 years old and is a great way that current students can connect with alumni by discussing what has stayed the same and what has changed.