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Columbia University Profile

New York, New York

The Basics

Columbia University Profile

Founded in 1754, Columbia University is a large Ivy League institution located in New York City's Morningside Heights section in upper Manhattan. The footprint of the site is large for an urban school with approximately 32 acres which starts at West 112th Street between Riverside Drive and Morningside Drive on it's southern border, and West 123rd Street on it's northern border. The campus has approximately 115 buildings including lecture, residential, research, and dining facilities. The internal campus setting provides students and employees with several types of student services including health, physical fitness, library, and cultural meeting places.

The published demographic information for the university describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Columbia University has developed 3 different campuses, within a campus structures to offer students a Liberal Arts and Science, Research, and a Comprehensive education format to enhance it's commitment to different types of career endeavors. Columbia has also developed independent affiliates with several local universities including Barnard College of Liberal Arts, which is located across the street from the main campus. Below is a description of demographics for Columbia's 3 Colleges.

Columbia College. The university is home to approximately 2030 male, and 2195 female students. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 75% of students are from out of state, mostly the Middle Atlantic. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including students from all 50 states, 55 foreign countries, and Canada. 49% of students are white, 13% Asian Americans, and 38% are students of color.

Columbia University FU Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

The EAS is home to approximately 1048 male, and 388 female students. The average age for a freshman is 18 years old. 63% of students are from out of state, mostly the Middle Atlantic. Students are from 42 states, 39 foreign countries, and Canada. 35% are white, 32% Asian Americans, and 12% foreign nationals, and 12% are students of color

Columbia University School of General Studies.

The school of general studies has approximately 574 male, and 572 female students. The average age for all undergraduates is 28 years old. 42% of students are from out of state, mostly the Northeast. 56% of students are white, 11% are Asian Americans, and 33% are students of color.

Faculty / Classroom: 68% of faculty is male; 32% is female. No published data for size of classrooms or student to faculty ratio. No data for retention rate.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Columbia University has 3 colleges within it's educational system that offer Liberal Arts, Research, and Comprehensive under graduate programs. Below is a list of the schools along with their specific admission requirements.

FU Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Freshman Class: 4,574 applied, 1,315 accepted, 551 enrolled. SAT Verbal 700, SAT Math 760. Act 34. Application Deadline January 2.

School of General Studies Freshman Class: Not Available. SAT / ACT Recommended, not data list for application requirements. Application Deadline June 1.

Student Housing: The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Columbia University guarantees housing for all undergraduate students (except transfers) who has filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline and who have continuously registered as full time students. The school has started developing housing resources for upper classman through it's capital improvement initiatives. The University apartments are new, and beautiful, but only upper classmen can rent them. Students who belong to Fraternities and Sororities have Brownstones on West 113th Street, and 114th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. Each resident unit houses approximately 16-18 students. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

The university has also published a document called "A Guide to Living" that gives everyone who lives on campus a roadmap that addresses emergency procedures, codes of conduct, access control procedures, and many other very useful items. Information about this valuable site can be found on the quick links page.

Off Campus Housing: Columbia University has been described as a mini-city in an uptown muti- cultural residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community of Morningside Heights is to re-assert the point that Columbia's network of affiliated campuses has encapsulated it's real estate holdings within the area. The campus footprint allows almost every student to have housing within walking distance to the campus. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university off campus housing demands.

The demand for housing, especially off campus housing is usually a tough issue for institutions attempting to keep students within the general geographical area. Columbia has addressed this issue by buying up residential buildings and developing housing networks. One such network is called The Off- Campus Housing Assistance Program (OCHA), which lists local rooms and apartments for students. The OCHA only allows students with an acceptance letter, and or, a current student I.D. to use this program. Below is a link to the program.

Campus Life

Columbia University is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an excellent social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local community of Morningside Heights only adds to the universities international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. Columbia also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical environment is clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students and local residents due to the available services in walking distance to the school. The emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with local community groups.

This issue of school culture is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. Columbia has done a great job developing positive social systems with it's students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 360 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 30 intramural sports activities.

Campus life at Columbia is more than academic excellence; it's about school sports, fraternities, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums. For example, the City of New York has hundreds of venues to enjoy the previously stated activities including the Metropolitan Art Museum, Madison Square Garden, and Carnegie Hall to mention a few. The university also has several global education centers in the area for students to learn, and gather information about studying abroad. The down side of sports activities on the Morningside campus is students can't walk to Baker Field, they have to take the school's campus shuttle. The up side is the available exercise facilities within the Dodge Fitness Center on the Morningside campus. Columbia also participates in 29 NCAA Division I Varsity Sports for Women and Men. Public Transportation: The New York City Transit System has a subway that stops right at the main focal point of the campus, which is 116th Street and Broadway. Students and visitors get off the train and walk across the street to the main entry to the school. The Seventh Ave Line (#1 Train) stops at 116th Street but it also connects with every other subway line within the system. Riders can take the train from south ferry in lower Manhattan to the Washington Heights in a relatively short amount of time.

Public transportation resources can also be found at New York Penn Station that links with trains to Long Island and New Jersey through the LIRR and Jersey Transit respectfully. Amtrak also uses Penn Station as a major hub within it's Northeast Corridor. All these trains can be linked by the #1 train, which makes stops at Penn Station. Riders who wish to go to northern New York State can catch a shuttle train at 42nd Street from the # 1 train to Grand Central Station for the Metro North Trains.

This complex train system also allows riders the ability to travel to Liberty Airport via Jersey Transit, and Kennedy Airport via the N.Y. Subway system. People who live, work, and visit New York usually travel by some type of mass transit. Students should be encouraged to purchase a metro card to get around. Mass transit information can be found at: http://www.mta.info

Community Profile

Morningside Heights has been identified on maps geographically as north of 106th Street, and south of 126th Street between Morningside Avenue and Riverside Drive. The community has been described as scholarly and intellectual due to its student population and historical neighborhood architecture. The greatest number of residents north of 110th street is in fact a college student. Columbia University is the main property owner within the area; it owns most of the housing up to 123rd Street. The local pedestrian walkway on Broadway links local residents to a large number of restaurants and local shops.

The community has a real city type feel to it because people usually walk on Broadway between 120th Street down to 110th Street for food and shopping. I don't suggest that tourists walk beyond West 123 rd Street because the area changes in a hurry. The issue of walking alone at night outside the perimeter of the campus gates should also be curtailed in my opinion. Morningside heights has several community parks and ball fields in the Riverside Drive and Morningside Park areas but local police officers have told students to exercise some caution when using the city parks after dark.

The following demographics for New York City describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 8,214,426 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Columbia University has a strong relationship with this diverse community. An example of this commitment can be observed through Columbia's community services handbook that describes educational programs, health care programs and services, legal programs and services to local residents who may require community help.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 47.7% of residents are male, 52.3 are female. 43.9% of residents are white, 25.1% are African American, 27.6% are Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% are Asian, 6.3% are some other Race, and finally 2.0 are two or more Races. The median age of population is 35.9 years old. 76.3% of residents are 18 years old or over and 12.1% of city residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in New York is also interesting. 91.2% of all housing units within the city are occupied. 65.6% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 34.4% of units are owner-occupied. Only 8.8% of total available housing was vacant.

Local weather: Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a university experience. New York City enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. New York City also gets it's share of rain during the spring and summer months as well.

Columbia University Quick Links

Campus Newspapers: Columbia News. Available on line at www.columbia.edu/news

Hotels & Restaurants in Upper West Side of Manhattan

Below is a sample list of local restaurants, and hotels in the Upper West Side section of New York City. These restaurants and hotels are in close proximity to Columbia University. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found in several areas of the city including the East & West Village, Mid & Downtown, and Lower Manhattan. Complete information about hotels, restaurants, shopping, museums, and general tourism activities can be found in the document Ò Everything in New York CityÓ on the Your College Profile web site.

Upper West Side Area Hotels:

Chelsea Area Hotel Listings:

Upper West Side (Columbia/ Morningside Heights Area)

Chelsea ( Midtown/ West Side of Manhattan)

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