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Michelle L. Tompkins hails from Sacramento, California and is the youngest of four children. Prior to attending Columbia University, she worked as a disc jockey for a Santa Rosa radio station, two Sacramento theater companies, and founded a talent agency in Los Angeles. When academia beckoned, she attended American River College in Sacramento and for two years was the editor-in-chief of the college newspaper the Current. At Columbia, she has served as editor-in-chief of the Observer, the literary and features magazine for Columbia School of General Studies. She will receive her BA in Film and will continue to work on creative writing projects in New York City.

College guides written by students for students.

Columbia University Students
Tell It Like It Is
What do Julia Stiles, Anna Paquin, Rider Strong, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Joseph Gordon Levitt have in common? Yeah, they're all actors. But they're also Columbia University alumni. . . the College Prowler guidebook can let you in on everything about Columbia that they already know!

What have Columbia students said they wished they knew before coming to the University?
* That Columbia is an intimidating place. A lot of kids have a hard time settling in at Columbia because there's a feeling that everyone else knows what's going on when you don't. It's a lie-nobody knows what's going on at Columbia, everyone just makes it up.
* That you can really do whatever you want at Columbia and New York, and as long as it's not illegal, you can probably get away with it.


"The academics are intense. At Columbia, the teachers are uniquely committed to shaping the minds of all of their students."

"All I can tell you is that it is an Ivy League school and a real honor to get into. It has an outstanding academic record. I graduated at the top of my class and had my choices of graduate schools; I chose Columbia."

Ivy Leaguers aren't just about books . . .
* "Manhattan is a vast playground with hip jazz clubs, trendy bars, low-key coffee shops, and charming restaurants featuring every imaginable type of cuisine. And then there is the typical New York touristy stuff like the museums, Times Square, and Central Park."
* "The school-sponsored parties including barbecues and picnics are almost always fun, provided that they do not run outof food. Each college of Columbia has special events geared to their students such as casino nights, career dinners, and cocktail parties."
You might want to know that.
* The Core curriculum took as much time as it did, and that it was worth every second. You will spend two years fulfilling your core requirements, but you'll be a better person when you're done. And a lot smarter.
* Financial aid is readily available for those who need it. While an application process is required, it's rather simple to get some extra help from the oft-generous Columbia offices.
Find out if Columbia truly has something for you, straight from the students' mouths.

Visiting campus isn't enough.

Read our Columbia University insider's guide and discover what it feels like to be on campus for 4 years.

Discover if Columbia is Right For You.

The Boston Globe

The prospective college student's antidote to the Princeton Review doldrums.