Bird Vision

I think you should take a step back and examine why you feel this way about the individuals in your cohort, rather than speak poorly of them and pass judgement.

I think it is now up to you to make the most out of the offer you accepted. Given that you listed many things in its favor, I believe it will not be too hard for you. Don't fret about whether you made the right decision, make this decision the right one.

I think it is now up to you to make the most out of the offer you accepted. Given that you listed many things in its favor, I believe it will not be too hard for you. Don't fret about whether you made the right decision, make this decision the right one.

I recommend that you try two exercises. The first centers around a "rational" re-appraisal of the two schools. On a piece of paper (analog or digital) develop a list of criteria that fall into three categories: town, gown, and classroom. Next to the list, make five columns. Label the first two A and B. Leave aside the last three columns. Go down the column for A and assign a numerical value for each criterion. When you perform this scoring, it's important that you evaluate A on its own merits and flaws. Do not compare it to B.
When your'e finished with A and B, use the third column to assign a base score that reflects a ranking of the criteria. Use the fourth column to do the math for A and the fifth column to do the math for B. If the two schools have drastically different scores, you have a good answer on which school is better for you. If the score is close, take a look at some of your scores for B. Can you find information that may help you to adjust the score?
The second exercise is to reach out to your current school's student health services and see if you can arrange a limited number of low or no cost (to you) sessions with a fully trained psychologist. Start off by talking about your fears and your concerns about your choice and then let the conversation go where it needs. It is my hunch based upon your post that your ambivalence over B has less to do with the apparent advantages of A and more to do with something else.
(Or you could just go to the city of A now--or in the winter--and walk around. IME, cold temperatures can help one gain new perspectives on an environment.)
In the event you do decide that you want to make a change, consider the advantages of getting a master's degree at your current school. Also, try not to worry about how those around you may or may not feel about your choice. You need to live your life the way you need to life. The people who truly care about you will either understand your choice right away or figure it out later.

I'm sorry you are feeling isolated and alone. 
I was older than my cohort, so I was "organically" left out. That pushed me to make friends in upper years and other departments. I worked on campus a couple of hours a week and took some regular workshops (on teaching, GIS, etc etc). Encountering people outside my department (and seeing some regular faces over and over again) helped me create friendships that I wouldn't have if I remained in my department. Is there a possibility for you to do something like this? 
Two other things that worked for me were church groups and meet ups (www.meetup.com). I was a bridesmaid to a friend I meet in a white water meet up! 
But if you are worried about your cohort, maybe you need to accept the fact that they are just your colleagues, and that's ok. 

If you're as experienced as you say, then you are well aware of how unprofessional it is to form diagnostic interpretations in non clinical situations of individuals who are not your patients.
Moreover, given the persistent use of psychology to oppress women, your thumbnail sketch of women you don't like is dehumanizng.
I get it. Members of your cohort hurt you badly by excluding you from their activities. But how does lashing out at them anonymously really get you where you want to go or closer to the people who would want to spend time with you?

I think you should take a step back and examine why you feel this way about the individuals in your cohort, rather than speak poorly of them and pass judgement.

Good luck! My math camp starts tomorrow. Also excited.

I AM SO RELIEVED

I PASSED!!! WITH AN EXCELLENT GRADE!!! PHEW!!!

Obviously I do not know the details of your situation, but there seem to be three possible scenarios: your peers are way overstepping their boundaries, they have something to gain from you not going to grad school, or they see something about you that you don't. Only you can rule out these choices, but for the sake of discussion, I will assume that the second and third statements are false, leaving the first.
In that case, you know yourself better than anyone else. As long as you don't take it to heart, there is no harm in asking why they believe that, and it may provide insight. Further, there is no shame in discussing it with a professional, if that's something you'll consider. Questioning your readiness shows a maturity that many here do not possess.
That said, I will not opine on whether or not you are ready to be a graduate student.

You are under no obligation to spend your time mentoring these people. I'm sure they're eager and respectful about their requests and I'm sure they would learn from what you can teach them, but that does not mean you need to sacrifice your time for them.
I don't mean to come off sounding like a jerk, but don't be afraid to say no if you feel like you have to. You have a lot going on. Prioritize yourself.

The biggest thing is to be realistic.
Excel is your new best friend. I keep running one-year projections, and update them as I go. You should know very closely what you'll be making, so allocate funding according to importance. You may find that you plan to spend more than you'll make - can you make cuts, or do you HAVE to take loans?
Don't forget about taxes. They're a big part of your budget. In the US, some grad students have to pay estimated tax every quarter.
One last thing: just because you budgeted x dollars for y category in z period does not mean you have to spend it. Use excess funds to pay down loans or save for next period.
PM me if you need more help.

It's significantly more complicated than this. Most people say that you should own a home for AT LEAST five years, and that's only to break even. If you have enough money for a down payment, you're likely much better off throwing into an ETF and saving yourself the headache of home ownership.
If you're going to stay in an area after your PhD, that's one thing. Otherwise I say (in most cases) just rent.

The biggest thing is to be realistic.
Excel is your new best friend. I keep running one-year projections, and update them as I go. You should know very closely what you'll be making, so allocate funding according to importance. You may find that you plan to spend more than you'll make - can you make cuts, or do you HAVE to take loans?
Don't forget about taxes. They're a big part of your budget. In the US, some grad students have to pay estimated tax every quarter.
One last thing: just because you budgeted x dollars for y category in z period does not mean you have to spend it. Use excess funds to pay down loans or save for next period.
PM me if you need more help.

If its run by a management agency, you should be able to search online for reviews from prior tenants. I would be more wary submitting a deposit if its just some random person renting out an apartment in a home they own. 
Are you looking for your own place or a room with roommates? That will make a difference in what you might be able to do to reduce risk. Does the school offer housing to grad students? Many students out of the area may start off there and then move out after the first year (if this is a PhD program. It's not really worth the hassle of moving if it's a shorter program). 
Being that it's summer, it could be that a lot of students took vacation or are less productive and not keeping up with their email. Depending how long it's been since you reached out to your peers, I wouldn't write it off as empty promises just yet.

1. (This section will be full of generalizations) When talking face-to-face, Americans offer help like candy. It's easy to ignore people or be lazy when communicating online. It's probably not you, as long as you're being nice.
2. Rental scams definitely exist, so be careful. They're less common with rental management agencies, but still possible. However, there are other problems with signing a lease without seeing the property. You cannot verify the condition of the apartment, and you don't know the condition of the neighborhood.
 
If you're so inclined, you can say where you'll be going, and maybe someone here can help. Good luck.

You seem very self-assured, so I'm sure you're going to pursue this no matter what I say. With that in mind, this will be my last post on the matter; I don't wish to play chess with pigeons.
Why are you doing a PhD if you want money and connections? In my field (econ), people with this mindset generally end up hating grad school and lamenting the fact that they could have gotten an MBA and gone straight into finance. Especially in Europe, where salaries are low compared to the US.
I urge you to determine for yourself why you feel you have to do two PhDs to maximize the benefit, then reconcile whether these motivations will allow you to succeed in graduate school. As a final note, it seems that you believe a grad program takes 40 hours of effort a week. In many cases this can't be farther from the truth.
Whatever you decide, I wish you good luck. I would like to hear what you choose to do, and how it goes.

Not to be brash, but this seems absurd. What do you really get out of it? Do you want to be known as the person who got two PhDs in surprisingly similar fields, and half-assed both of them?

You seem very self-assured, so I'm sure you're going to pursue this no matter what I say. With that in mind, this will be my last post on the matter; I don't wish to play chess with pigeons.
Why are you doing a PhD if you want money and connections? In my field (econ), people with this mindset generally end up hating grad school and lamenting the fact that they could have gotten an MBA and gone straight into finance. Especially in Europe, where salaries are low compared to the US.
I urge you to determine for yourself why you feel you have to do two PhDs to maximize the benefit, then reconcile whether these motivations will allow you to succeed in graduate school. As a final note, it seems that you believe a grad program takes 40 hours of effort a week. In many cases this can't be farther from the truth.
Whatever you decide, I wish you good luck. I would like to hear what you choose to do, and how it goes.

Not to be brash, but this seems absurd. What do you really get out of it? Do you want to be known as the person who got two PhDs in surprisingly similar fields, and half-assed both of them?

Not to be brash, but this seems absurd. What do you really get out of it? Do you want to be known as the person who got two PhDs in surprisingly similar fields, and half-assed both of them?

I don't mean to discourage your passion for economics, but if scoring in the 61st percentile in basic math is the best you think you can do, how well do you think you will fare in your first-year classes?
I understand that we're all stressing about get that one magical acceptance, but we cannot lose sight of what comes afterward; grad school is HARD. It will likely be significantly harder than any schooling you have ever done. Just keep that in mind.
That said, I'm sure it's possible to get accepted to a PhD program if you scrape the bottom of the barrel. Good luck, and I hope you find what you're looking for.

I just committed to Columbia, so thank you all for helping me get to the decision I was clearly trying to convince myself of from the get go

MOO, this thread is not a good idea. For current graduate students, the thread is an opportunity for CLMs. (It is exceedingly unlikely that one can post detailed information about a program or a department without also putting a thumbtack on a map that says "I am here." It would not take much effort for a vindictive member of the faculty or staff to change that thumbtack to a bullseye.)
For aspiring graduate students, the thread is an opportunity to mistake rumor for hard, verified information. The thread is also an opportunity to build a bad habit--saying/writing anonymously things that one would not say in person.
IMO, better opportunities for sharing information on this BB are available in long-running threads centering around lessons learned, supplies, and logistics. This BB has a significant number of posts in which experienced graduate students share tips on how to get up to date information on a department that is more reliable and with less risk.
YMMV.