"A Progressive Environment" - What I find most appealing about Columbia

I'm probably going to be adding more to this or changing it quite a bit. How is it for starters?
Thanks!

Sitting in Lerner Hall, I take another bite of my New York style pizza. As I look into the main campus, I can barely make out the top floors of the Northwest Corner Building as its construction nears ever-so-closely to completion. During my internship at Columbia University Facilities, I became cognizant of the fact that Columbia had commissioned the construction of several new buildings, not only on its Morningside campus, but in Lamont as well. Even as a high school student, I had become familiar with-and grown to admire-Columbia's devotion to expanding its academic horizons by eagerly embracing and supporting new ideas.

Columbia's unyielding pursuit of advancement in science is evident in its recent endeavors to construct a Geosciences Laboratory in Lamont as well as the first metal-clean lab on the East Coast. As a prospective chemical engineer, I wouldn't be able to find such resources and facilities anywhere else. Nor would I have the opportunity to study at a college with an intrinsic dedication to providing students with up-to-date science and engineering libraries, labs, and facilities.

The College's encouragement of the often controversial political activism demonstrated by its students further depicts its stimulation of progress. An avid environmental activist myself, I would thrive in the pioneering environment Columbia fosters.

It is great!! You really prove your knowledge about the University, which is exactly what they look for! I did not see much of a connection or relevance on the "pizza" sentence, even thought it makes the essay more vivid, you can use those words for better expanding your interest. Still, that's just my opinion.

Overall the essay is GREAT! :)

By the way can you check my essays? I would love if you check my MIT essays :) specially the one concerning the attribute I'm most proud of.

Thanks in advance and best of luck :)!

There are three main aspects of Columbia that I am attracted to. First is Columbia's unyielding pursuit of advancement in science and engineering. With the Northwest Corner Building nearing completion, a Geosciences Lab in Lamont being commissioned for construction, and the first metal-clean lab on the East Coast being designed, Columbia's dedication to up-to-date science and engineering facilities is evident. As a prospective chemical engineer, I wouldn't be able to find such a surfeit of cutting-edge resources at my disposal anywhere else. The University's embrace of new technology is also appealing; the ability to converse with classmates and professors in the Courseworks in Columbia chatroom would let me take my learning experience outside the classroom.

I equally esteem Columbia's position at the forefront of internationalization, as could be evidenced by its employment of a German engineer for the metal-clean lab. The four global centers that the College has established depict its path to becoming a global university. Being an aficionado of the economic and technological implications of going global, I find the opportunity to study at a college so entrenched in globalization irresistible.

Also irresistible to me is the progressive environment that the College fosters. The invitation of President Ahmadinejad to speak at Columbia epitomizes the college's commitment to free speech and stimulating debate, no matter how controversial. As a budding advocate for environmental sustainability, I hope to participate in progressive undertakings myself, be they on Hamilton Lawn or through contributions to the AdHoc magazine.

I'm about 200 characters over. Is there any cutting I could easily do?
Thanks!

When I get here, I am feeling really impressed with the way you proved your familiarity with the school (because that shows your seriousness), and then I am glad you mentioned something about your particular career interest. But... is this statement really true? If there is another place you could find similar resources, name it and say why you choose Columbia instead.

Overall I think you really did an awesome job with this... it's very, very strong. To make it even better, give a bit more detail about your specific interests in science and engineering.