For four weeks during the summer of 2012, I studied at New York City's Barnard College in participation with their Summer in the City program. I was in utter bliss, my eyes supposedly glazed over for most of the experience in complete disbelief not only that any city could be so busy and beautiful, but that I had the good fortune to be there on my own. The subway became my transportation method of choice, and in an instantly-acquired show of...

Columbia is a brilliant academic environment-- the professors are almost unmatched in terms of quality and up-to-date...