Harvard, Princeton, Wharton or Columbia

i have zero experience with any of the aforementioned schools nor do i (honestly) care about which way you go. but with that being said, new york is the best city in the world. however, seeing as columbia isn't your jam then i would personally probably go the harvard route. i only say that because my grandfather is an alum and i've spent some time at the harvard club in ny over the years (if you're not at columbia, the harvard club is the next best thing, obviously). chill place to have lunch and i fuck with the aesthetic there. making your college decision based on anything other than the post-graduation-club-joining-opportunities is an unforgivable mistake. why would ANYONE go to harvard if not for the opportunity to become a harvard club member (duh). oh and one last thing: FUCK new jersey (this should take care of that senseless princeton inquiry you posed). what a trash state - should have let the english boys keep it. have a good night, don't fuck up, columbia is swag, princeton is in new jersey, harvard is yeah whatever they have the club, you do the math, adios!

edit: i neglected to mention anything about upenn but you never hear anything about the upenn club so ya know, next

Startup and VC scene is probably more robust at Harvard since it’s in Boston and has a larger base of alumni through HBS that are involved in VC and startups

Congratulations on the admissions. There is no right answer. All four are terrific schools, and the differences you point out are immaterial at the undergraduate level. Unless you're trying to do deep research in a very, very specific area -- which I doubt, because you aren't interested in an advanced degree -- you are going to have a similar academic experience at all four institutions. That is to say, you'll have both good and bad professors, and there will be no rhyme or reason to which departments or classes have good and bad professors.

I understand why this is a huge decision to you, but the choice between them won't matter once you're a couple years out of undergrad. Plus, these schools are all large enough that you'll be able to find your niche on campus. These schools really don't have a uniform culture, as much as it may seem that way on the outside. So, if you felt most at home at Princeton, go there. You'll have an awesome collegiate experience, get a great job, and make lifelong friends.

Also worth noting: I went to a top university not named Harvard, and I have literally never once cared about the lack of the Harvard brand name on my CV. No one that can impact your career will care about Harvard vs Princeton vs Wharton vs Columbia, and especially not after your first year or so in the workforce. And sure, someone from your home town might be more "impressed" by Harvard. But who cares? They don't matter. Trust me on this one: you'll find it much easier that random people aren't stroking your ego about academic and professional pedigree. It is much, much better to slide under the radar when dealing with random people.

I would choose the environment you feel best suits your personality and where you will thrive. What excites you about each? Academically they are all exceptional. Cambridge, MA is a really different vibe than NYC or Philly. Princeton is Princeton. Beautiful suburb.