Columbia university summer program?

My daughter is looking at attending a summer program for high schoolers in Columbia University. How safe is the area where Columbia is located? Any tips on housing would be appreciated.

• Answer:

  I attended this program last summer, and enjoyed it to the point that I applied again this year. I made many wonderful friends from all over the globe whom I still keep in touch with. (Forgive me for ending with a preposition, I am writing this very late at night). The classes were very detailed and the instructors were well-informed. I was in the Creative Writing class, and took on an independent writing project while I was there. The instructor who worked with me was one of the greatest people I have ever met; she helped me with my writing a lot, and I definitely improved as a writer.However, there are some drawbacks to this program. First, it doesn't offer college credit. I didn't mind so much, as I wanted to take a class on campus for a while; I'd been considering applying to the school since I was very young, and wanted to make sure I wouldn't attend and find that I hate the school. But I can assure you, I was very happy in my class there. The other issue is that the tuition is expensive. I attended on full sponsorship (which is different from a scholarship in that someone other than the institution pays the tuition), but this isn't possible for everyone.I have lived on the border between the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights all my life, and as with any area in NYC, there is always a risk of some type of situation occurring, though I can't ever recall witnessing any crimes in my time here. It's a very safe neighborhood; the most danger I've ever encountered was a large rat on the street late one night. Then again, this is NYC.I cannot say much for the housing, as I was a commuter student. But I've attached the link, and they have details about the housing program there.I really enjoyed this program. If your daughter does chose to attend, I think she'll like it, too.I hope this helps.http://sps.columbia.edu/high-school/nyc