Anonymous
Post 12/18/2025 10:43     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Unless there really is a strong #2 that has EDII- Write a strong and meaningful LOCI, your student should note the traditions of Columbia that resonate, i.e. how the core connects students to alumni, the Varsity Show, doing the Swim Test with friends as a senior, Bad Poetry contest - the things that are unique.

This is a new one: I am thrilled that Columbia is one of the only schools in the country (Swarthmore is another) that has a swim test. What fun! I want to be tested!


I was one one of those columbia college seniors rushing to take the swim test so I could graduate! I still share that story with my kids and friends. I was a strong swimmer but hated the swim test and PE requirements. Felt like high school. My kid is at another ivy right now without either requirement. Looking back I think the core and multitude of requirement really limited my education. I would have wanted to dive deeper into my major and explore other disciplines, but not much space in the schedule given all the requirements. All schools have gen-ed, etc, but usually have more flexibility to satisfy them.

Word on the street is that swim lessons and many PE classes are so overbooked you can’t get them until junior year. There are many reasons not to have a swim requirement. But if you have one, and can’t staff the PE classes to teach freshmen how to swim, your school has some serious problems…
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 21:06     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Unless there really is a strong #2 that has EDII- Write a strong and meaningful LOCI, your student should note the traditions of Columbia that resonate, i.e. how the core connects students to alumni, the Varsity Show, doing the Swim Test with friends as a senior, Bad Poetry contest - the things that are unique.

This is a new one: I am thrilled that Columbia is one of the only schools in the country (Swarthmore is another) that has a swim test. What fun! I want to be tested!


I was one one of those columbia college seniors rushing to take the swim test so I could graduate! I still share that story with my kids and friends. I was a strong swimmer but hated the swim test and PE requirements. Felt like high school. My kid is at another ivy right now without either requirement. Looking back I think the core and multitude of requirement really limited my education. I would have wanted to dive deeper into my major and explore other disciplines, but not much space in the schedule given all the requirements. All schools have gen-ed, etc, but usually have more flexibility to satisfy them.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 13:09     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
Anonymous wrote:We aren’t sure if it’s a polite No or if she still has a chance. Would you advise ED2 to JHU or CMU, or wait and see?


Where are you located? Public private school? Stats? Were they ED College or Engineering at Colubia?
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 11:46     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
We have 3 kids who have been through this process and take deferrals to be a polite no. I’d suggest ED2ing to maximize chances and if that doesn’t work out at least Columbia is still on the table.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 11:39     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
Emory also had a mandatory swimming test/class requirement, at least when I attended.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 11:32     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Unless there really is a strong #2 that has EDII- Write a strong and meaningful LOCI, your student should note the traditions of Columbia that resonate, i.e. how the core connects students to alumni, the Varsity Show, doing the Swim Test with friends as a senior, Bad Poetry contest - the things that are unique.

This is a new one: I am thrilled that Columbia is one of the only schools in the country (Swarthmore is another) that has a swim test. What fun! I want to be tested!


Cornell also has (had?) a swim test. It was given during orientation week and kids who didn’t pass took swimming for their PE.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 11:18     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Unless there really is a strong #2 that has EDII- Write a strong and meaningful LOCI, your student should note the traditions of Columbia that resonate, i.e. how the core connects students to alumni, the Varsity Show, doing the Swim Test with friends as a senior, Bad Poetry contest - the things that are unique.


NP: how does the core connect students to alumni?


In the Core students read the same texts, Iliad, Odyssey, the Inferno and study same philosophers, Plato, Hobbes, Descartes as they have for decades (they do add in some modern writers/thinkers but there is consistent content). When they meet alums, regardless of how long ago they graduated, they talk about what they learned from the Core, their favorite/least favorite books etc. It is actually very bonding.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:27     Subject: Deferred Columbia - would you ED 2?
Does your kid have a strong second choice? Considering the deadline is three weeks out and you mentioned 2 schools, it’s not clear. That would be the real factor for me.