- Diversity. One of the city’s greatest attributes is its diversity, and NYC is often thought of as America’s melting pot.
- The college was diverse ….
- Energy. ..was good . .
- They gave my son opportunity to receive an education and like a wise man one said ‘ no one can take your education away from you “respect your books and your Education” ! “Educated people are better Citizens”
- Columbia was the first school in the US to grant the M.D. degree, Public Health, Nursing degrees and Engineering.
- Columbia University was founded in 1754 as King’s College by royal charter of King George II of England. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York and the fifth oldest in the United States. Columbia is a very challenging and extremely selective college.
Columbia’s motto is “In Lumine Tuo Videbimus Lumen” which translates to “In thy light shall we see light”. 5. The college colors are blue and white.
Columbia has been a unique institution since its inception. The college was founded in 1754 as King’s College by a royal charter of King George II of England. After the U.S. gained independence, it renamed Columbia College in 1784.
Academics
At the center of Columbia academics is the “Core Curriculum,” which exposes students to a broad spectrum of ideas and perspectives in the fields of literature, history philosophy, music, art, and science. Core classes are known for their small size (only about 22 students per class), allowing students to interact and build relationships with faculty while developing skills essential for successfully navigating the greater world, such as observation, analysis, argument, and respect for a variety of ideas
Columbia has a partnership with Barnard College, a highly ranked all-female college located across the street. The two schools operate independently, but students can attend classes at both campuses and participate in each other’s clubs and events. This allows students to experience both what life is like at a large Ivy League institution and a small liberal arts college simultaneously.
Columbia is home to a handful of notable faculty. Physicist Brian Green—founder of the World Science Festival and author of best-selling books like The Fabric of the Cosmos—has taught at Columbia since 1996. Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton is an adjunct professor at the university’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Extracurriculars
What is Columbia University known for outside the classroom? Its fencing program is one of the best and oldest in the nation,
There is no shortage of activities available to Columbia students; the university is home to more than 500 clubs and organizations ranging from Aikido to Venom Step. The university even has its own radio station, WKCR, a student-led, noncommercial radio station that has been broadcasting for more than a quarter-century.
The city of New York supplies a near-endless amount of opportunities for students to explore a wide range of interests. The Columbia Arts Initiative helps students discover and experience art both on campus and throughout the city; students can receive free and discounted tickets to events by artists in disciplines such as musical theater, classical music, dance, visual arts, and cinema.
Traditions
Columbia University is home to a variety of unique traditions, perhaps the best-known of which is Orgo Night. Orgo Night occurs annually the night before the Organic Chemistry final (traditionally held the first day of finals). At midnight, the Columbia University Marching Band takes over the main reading room of the Butler Library to play music, perform skits, and tell jokes. Legend has it that the goal is to distract students from studying and to lower the exam curve.
Another performance-based tradition at Columbia is The Varsity Show. Dating back to 1894, The Varsity Show features some of the most talented artists and creatives from Columbia and Barnard. The show is full of satire on life at Columbia, including its politics, student groups, administrators, and all other aspects of campus life.
That Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony gets more headlines, but Columbia’s tree lighting is an awesome event for students. One of the university’s newer traditions—it began in 1998—the tree lighting is held in early December and provides a brief break from the furor of the end of the semester. During tree lighting, the university illuminates the trees lining College Walk. Students can munch on free donuts and sip on hot chocolate while watching performances by campus acapella groups.
Dorms
Columbia is a residential college and the vast majority of students choose to live on campus all four years. Columbia is divided into four residential communities:
- Southfield
- E-Block
- West Campus
- Fraternities and Sororities
Greek life plays a smaller role at Columbia than it does at other institutions, with only about a quarter of students participating. However, the number of students joining fraternities and sororities is on the rise—in 2006, only a little over 6% of undergraduates participated in Greek life, about a quarter of undergraduates participate in Greek life today.
