1. large range of academic areas of study
1.1. Undergraduate
1.1.1. Columbia College
1.1.1.1. Strong Liberal arts offerings
1.1.1.2. over 40 language offerings
1.1.1.2.1. over 150 study abroad programs
1.1.2. School of Engineering and Applied Science
1.1.3. School of General Studies
1.2. Graduate
1.2.1. Arts and Sciences
1.2.2. Teachers College
1.2.3. Journalism
1.2.4. Business
1.2.5. Law
1.2.6. Medicine
1.2.7. Nursing
1.2.8. Public Health
1.2.9. Social Work
1.2.10. Theological Seminary
2. large number of academic resources
2.1. 30 libraries
2.1.1. Butler library
2.1.1.1. 2 million volumes
2.1.2. Architecture and Fine Arts Library
2.1.3. Business Library
2.1.4. Education library
2.2. online databases
2.2.1. Art Full text
2.2.2. JStor
2.3. Borrow Direct
2.3.1. ability to Borrow books from Brown, Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, MIT, Penn, Dartmouth, Princeton
2.4. e-journals
3. location in New York City
3.1. countless Museums for learning
3.1.1. Art Museums
3.1.1.1. Guggenheim
3.1.1.1.1. famous for its architectural structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
3.1.1.2. Metropolitan Museum of Art
3.1.1.2.1. houses one of the world's largest collections
3.1.1.3. Museum of Modern Art
3.1.1.3.1. another large and comprehensive collection of modern art
3.1.2. Museum of Natural History
3.1.2.1. world renowned and recognized for its scientific and cultural collections
3.2. historic landmarks for learning
3.2.1. Stature of Libery and Ellis Island
3.2.1.1. iconic pieces of American history
3.2.2. New York Stock Exchange
3.2.2.1. the world's largest stock exchange with a long history
3.3. internships
3.3.1. with so many businesses, arts organizations, banks, etc.in New York City, there is a lot of opportunity to learn from these places
4. class atmosphere
4.1. large international student population
4.2. majority of the classes are 20 people or less
4.3. diverse student populations
4.4. many thinking and discussion-based classes
5. rigorous academic curriculum
5.1. undergraduate core curriculum requirement
5.1.1. core curiculum has a foreign language requirement, arts and humanities requirement, lofic and rhetoric, and intense lit classes
5.2. heavy emphasis on reading and writing skills
5.3. graduate thesis or final project requirement
5.3.1. students must be motivated, intelligent, and diligent
6. opportunities for research
6.1. hired faculty members dedicated to research
6.1.1. students have the opportunity to help with faculty research
6.2. diverse research centers and institutions
6.2.1. Institute for Research in African American Studies
6.2.2. Institute for Reserach on Women and Gender
6.2.3. Visual Media Center
7. Rich history
7.1. founded in 1754
7.2. part of the "Ivy League" schools
7.2.1. Ivy League schools are categorized as having a long history(some of the earliest American academic institutions founded) and high academic standards
7.3. large endowment
7.3.1. have money to support academic research, strong faculty, state-of the art technology and buildings, scholarships for students, etc.
8. highly selective admissions process
8.1. undergraduate
8.1.1. high SAT and ACT score requirements
8.1.2. in 2011, 29,279 students applied to Columbia College and only 1,873 got in
8.2. Graduate
8.2.1. rigorous interview process