I dont know if this is helpful at all, but a while ago I got into the MSW at Columbia. I accepted, and attended orientation..and..was immediately turned off. The program, from what I saw, was a total mess. The professors were extremely rude when asked questions at Columbia and from the impression I got, they mostly wanted people who do not have an opinion of their own- people who will blindly follow the status quo. I had a friend I made at orientation who decided to stick with the program, and her experience was pure hell. A lot of the classmates she had were horrible to some of the other students and professors did nothing about it. The entire two years she was in the program she told me about it every few weeks and she was miserable. I'm so glad I did not attend Columbia. I'm sure some students had an amazing experience here, but sadly all I've heard are horror stories. This was a few years ago, so maybe it's changed, but honestly, I've heard amazing things about NYU. I've heard that NYU is a really welcoming community and really prepares you well. At the end of the day, where you went to school does not matter at all (although honestly these are both top programs), and your licensing will depend more on the hours you spend with clients etc etc. I've also heard the real learning truly begins once you graduate and begin working towards licensing. I think...if I were you...Id ask myself what type of environment I want. A welcoming supportive one, or a cut throat one where people arent very kind. Everyone values different things- it just depends on what you value in a program. Good luck!