Columbia University Students: What Makes Them Unique?

Columbia University, officially Columbia University in the City of New York, is a prestigious private Ivy League research university with a highly selective admissions process. Located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, it was founded in 1754 as King's College and is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest in the United States. The university has a rich history and is known for its academic excellence, with distinguished alumni including former US presidents and Supreme Court justices. With a diverse community of students from all over the world, Columbia offers a wide range of academic programs and extracurricular activities, providing a well-rounded and enriching educational experience.

Student life at Columbia University

Life as a student at Columbia University is an enriching experience. The university is located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, with the main campus situated in the Morningside Heights neighbourhood. Columbia University is a private institution founded in 1754, with a total undergraduate enrolment of 8,902 as of fall 2022. The campus spans 36 acres and offers a diverse range of student activities, with more than 90% of students living on campus.

The university comprises three undergraduate schools: Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies. It also boasts several highly ranked graduate and professional schools, including the Business School, Law School, and College of Physicians and Surgeons. Distinguished alumni include John Jay, a founding father and the first Supreme Court Chief Justice, and former President Barack Obama.

Student life at Columbia is vibrant and diverse, with a global community of scholars and citizens. The university guarantees housing for all four years of undergraduate study, and the campus offers a wide variety of living options, from corridor-style to apartment-style residences. The neighbourhood of Morningside Heights adds to the dynamic experience, with its restaurants, cafes, shops, and proximity to parks and the Hudson River.

Columbia provides numerous opportunities for students to engage with the city, such as the Columbia Arts Initiative, which offers free museum access and tickets to Broadway shows. The Center for Career Education also connects students with internships and career fairs. Students can explore various clubs, organisations, and teams, as well as social justice initiatives, arts and performance opportunities, and cultural organisations.

The university is committed to supporting its students' well-being and provides resources like Columbia Health, which offers access to medical providers, therapists, and other specialists. Athletics play a significant role in student life, with the Columbia Lions representing the university in Division 1 sports. The Dodge Fitness Center, physical education classes, and intramural and club sports teams also contribute to the active campus community.

Columbia University's application process

Deadlines

Columbia University's application deadlines vary depending on the type of applicant. For instance, the Fall 2025 admissions application priority deadline is April 1, 2025, while the final deadline is June 15, 2025. The Early Decision deadline for Fall 2025 admissions was November 1, 2024.

Application Requirements

Columbia University accepts the Coalition Application, the Common Application, and the QuestBridge Application for first-year applicants. The application requirements include:

• Autobiographical information
• Lists and descriptions of a student’s achievements, activities, employment, and summer activities
• Responses to Columbia-specific questions to provide the Committee on Admissions with a fuller sense of the applicant
• Official high school transcript(s)
• One high school counsellor's recommendation and school profile
• The completed midyear report
• Two teacher recommendations (one from a math or science teacher for Columbia Engineering applicants)
• An $85 non-refundable application fee (with the option to request a fee waiver)

Optional Components

Supplementary materials and standardised test scores are not required but may be included if desired.

Financial Aid

Information about financial aid can be found on the Financial Aid & Educational Financing website.

Transfer Applicants

Columbia University welcomes over 125 transfer students each year to Columbia College and Columbia Engineering.

Columbia University's history

Columbia University, officially Columbia University in the City of New York, is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. It is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest in the United States.

The Colonial Era

Columbia was established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan by a royal charter under King George II of Great Britain. The college's first president, Samuel Johnson, presided over its first class. In the lead-up to the American Revolution, the climate on campus was politically charged, with future Founding Fathers of the United States, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, among its early students. The college suspended instruction in 1776 due to the American Revolutionary War and remained closed until 1783.

Post-Revolutionary War

In 1784, the college was renamed Columbia College to emphasise its connection to the American continent. Three years later, it was placed under a private board of trustees headed by former students Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. In 1789, President George Washington and Vice President John Adams attended Columbia's commencement as a tribute to the alumni who had participated in the war.

19th Century

In the 19th century, Columbia moved from its original location in lower Manhattan to a new campus on 49th Street and Madison Avenue, where it remained for the next 50 years. During this period, the institution rapidly evolved into a modern university under the leadership of President Frederick A.P. Barnard. Barnard College for Women was established in 1889 as a response to the university's refusal to admit female students.

20th Century

In 1896, Columbia moved to its current location in Morningside Heights, and its name was changed to Columbia University. Under the leadership of President Nicholas Murray Butler, who served for over four decades, the university became the nation's major research institution. During World War I, Columbia supported the war effort by establishing the Student Army Training Corps and a smaller campus-based Naval training unit.

In the 1920s, Columbia experienced significant growth, with the establishment of several new schools, including the School of Nursing, the Teachers College, and the Graduate School of Journalism, which opened thanks to a substantial donation from newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer.

During World War II, Columbia played a vital role in pressing the US government to begin atomic energy research, and its faculty led important parts of the Manhattan Project, resulting in the creation of the world's first nuclear weapons. The university's Morningside Heights campus served as a training centre for the Navy during the war.

21st Century

In recent years, Columbia has continued to flourish as a leading research institution, with a significant revitalisation of its medical centre and an increase in fundraising for groundbreaking research and research centres. In 2009, the Community Benefits Agreement was signed, and the Manhattanville campus began to take shape, with a focus on creating public spaces that welcomed local residents.

Columbia University has a rich history that dates back to the 18th century, and it has played a significant role in the development of higher education and research in the United States. The university has produced numerous distinguished alumni and faculty members, including US presidents, Supreme Court justices, Nobel laureates, and other notable figures across various fields.

Notable alumni of Columbia University

Columbia University has a long list of notable alumni, including:

• Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States and the first African-American president in U.S. history.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States and the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms.
• Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, a progressive reformer, conservationist, and a leader of the Republican Party.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, a five-star general in the Army, and a World War II leader.
• Alexander Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and the author of most of the Federalist Papers.
• John Jacob Astor III, a 19th-century real estate baron.
• Warren Buffett, an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist who is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
• Ursula Burns, the first African-American woman to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
• William Campbell, the former CEO of Intuit and head football coach at Columbia University.
• Robert Agostinelli, the co-founder of the Rhone Group and Friends of Israel Initiative.
• Prince Amedeo of Belgium, the eldest grandson of King Albert II of Belgium and Archduke of Austria.
• Leonard Blavatnik, a Russian-American businessman and founder, chairman, and president of Access Industries.
• Andrew Yang, an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, and politician.
• Anna Wintour, a British-American media executive, editor-in-chief of Vogue, and global chief content officer of Condé Nast.
• Isaac Asimov, a science fiction author and biochemist.
• Amelia Earhart, an American aviation pioneer and the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
• J.D. Salinger, an American author best known for his novel 'The Catcher in the Rye'.
• Jane Jacobs, an urban theorist, activist, and author of 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities'.
• Baruj Benacerraf, a Nobel Prize-winning immunologist.
• Telly Savalas, an Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated actor.
• Gene Roddenberry, a screenwriter, producer, and creator of the original 'Star Trek' television series and its first spin-off series, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'.
• Ossie Davis, an actor, social activist, Emmy and Golden Globe award nominee.
• Louis Simpson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.
• John W. Backus, the developer of Fortran, the first true computer language, and recipient of the National Medal of Science.
• Anthony Perkins, an actor and writer.
• Frank Sutton, an actor.
• Donald Clarence Judd, an artist.
• Donald Richie, a film critic.
• Sandy Koufax, a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Mike Gravel, a former U.S. Senator from Alaska and candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
• Pat Boone, a singer and actor.
• Lee Falk, a comic strip writer and creator of 'The Phantom' and 'Mandrake the Magician'.
• Gerard W. Ford, the founder of Ford Modeling Agency.
• Hunter S. Thompson, a writer.
• Mary McFadden, a fashion designer.
• Stewart Rawlings Mott, a lobbyist and philanthropist.
• Edward Klein, an author.
• R.W. Apple, the New York Times associate editor.
• John Tauranac, the chief designer of the New York City subway map of 1979.
• Louise Glück, a Nobel Prize-winning poet and two-time United States Poet Laureate.
• Jehuda Reinharz, the President of Brandeis University.
• Malcolm Borg, the chairman of North Jersey Media Group.
• Jacques Pépin, a James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef, author, culinary educator, television personality, and artist.
• Edward Cecil Harris, the creator of the Harris matrix.
• Peter H. Kostmayer, a former Congressman of Pennsylvania.
• Roger Pilon, a constitutional scholar and legal theorist.
• Kristi Zea, a production designer and producer, Academy Award nominee for Best Picture for 'As Good as It Gets'.
• Howard Dean, the former Governor of Vermont and Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
• Christopher Gray, an American journalist and architectural historian.
• Howard G. Chua-Eoan, the news director of TIME magazine.
• Whitney Dow, a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker.
• Gil Shaham, a violinist.
• Ted Rall, a syndicated cartoonist.
• Sasha Frere-Jones, a music critic for The New Yorker.
• Gale Brewer, the City Council Representative for the Upper West Side and Manhattan Borough President.
• Josh Waitzkin, a child chess prodigy and author.
• Philippe Reines, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
• Trent Dimas, an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics.
• Julia Bacha, an award-winning documentary filmmaker.
• Eric Shaw, an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter.
• Lauren McFall, an Olympic bronze medalist in synchronized swimming.
• Thomas Reardon, the creator of Internet Explorer.
• Michelle Rejwan, the Senior Vice President of Live Action Development and Production at Lucasfilm.
• Tim Goebel, a 2002 Olympic bronze medalist in ice skating.
• Lena Park, a singer.
• Jonathan Taylor Thomas, an actor.
• Sara Ziff, a fashion model and activist.
• Cameron Russell, a fashion model.
• Jason Everman, a former guitarist in Nirvana and Soundgarden.
• Lisa Cant, a fashion model.
• Troy Murphy, a professional basketball player who played for the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.
• Sasha Cohen, an Olympic silver medalist in figure skating.
• Ira Gershwin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American lyricist.
• Simon Kuznets, a Nobel Prize-winning economist.
• David O. Selznick, a Hollywood producer known for 'King Kong' and 'Gone with the Wind'.
• Federico García Lorca, a Spanish poet and dramatist.
• J.D. Salinger, an author.
• Jane Jacobs, an urban theorist, activist, and author.
• Nicholas Murray Butler, the 12th President of Columbia University and Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
• José A. Cabranes, the first Puerto Rican to sit on a United States District Court.
• William Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit and former board director at Apple.
• Charles Schumer, a former United States Senator and Congressman, and two-term Governor of New York.
• Kathryn Bigelow, an Academy Award-winning film director.
• Emanuel Ax, a Grammy Award-winning classical pianist.
• Robert Lefkowitz, a Professor of Chemistry and NSF Career Award recipient.
• Alexandra Wallace Creed, a professor of chemistry.
• George Stephanopoulos, the co-founder, president, and chief anchor of ABC News, anchor of 'Good Morning America', and anchor of 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos'.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, an Emmy Award-nominated actress.
• Brandon Victor Dixon, a Tony Award-nominated actor.
• Daniel J. Edelman, the founder of Edelman, the world's largest public relations firm.
• Jon Feltheimer, the founder and co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
• David Herbert Donald, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian.
• Eric Garcetti, the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles.
• Dede Gardner, an Academy Award-winning producer.
• Emanuel Ax, a Grammy Award-winning musician.
• Wendy Carlos, a Grammy Award-winning classical composer.
• Katori Hall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.
• Peter Farrelly, an Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter.
• George Gershwin, a Tony and Golden-Globe Award-winning actor and Emmy nominee.
• Oscar Hammerstein II, a Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning lyricist, and Emmy Award, Tony Award, Academy Award, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer.
• Richard Rodgers, an Emmy Award, Tony Award, Academy Award, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer.
• Howard Stringer, the chairman emeritus of BBDO Worldwide.
• Louis Rossetto, the founder of Wired Magazine.
• Jonathan D. Schiller, the co-founder and managing partner of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP.
• Claire Shipman, a senior national correspondent for ABC and Emmy Award winner.
• George Stephanopoulos, the co-founder, president, and chief anchor of ABC News, anchor of 'Good Morning America', and anchor of 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos'.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, an Emmy Award-nominated actress.
• Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress.
• Eric Holder Jr., the first African-American Attorney General.
• Neil Gorsuch, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
• Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve System.
• Robert J. Stevens, the former Lockheed Martin CEO.
• S. Robson Walton, the chairman of the Walmart Board of Directors.
• Marco Zappacosta, the founder of Thumbtack.
• Robert A.M. Stern, a postmodern architect and former dean of the Yale University School of Architecture.
• Robert Millikan, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
• Robert Merton, a Nobel Laureate in Economics.
• Alvin E. Roth, a Nobel Laureate in Economics.
• Milton Friedman, a Nobel Laureate in Economics.
• Robert Shaye, the CEO of New Line Cinema.
• Robert J. Stevens, the former Lockheed Martin CEO.
• S. Robson Walton, the chairman of the Walmart Board of Directors.
• Robert K. Watson, the founder of the LEED Green Building Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council.
• Marco Zappacosta, the founder of Thumbtack.
• Robert A.M. Stern, a postmodern architect and former dean of the Yale University School of Architecture.
• George Segal, an Academy Award-nominated actor.
• Robert Wisdom, an actor.
• Charles Yu, an author.
• Roger Zelazny, a science fiction author.
• Casey Affleck, an Academy Award-winning actor.
• Raney Aronson-Rath, an Academy Award-winning producer.
• Sidney Buchman, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.
• Elinor Burkett, an Academy Award-winning producer.
• Bill Condon, an Academy Award-winning writer.
• Peter Corigliano, an Academy Award-winning composer of classical music.
• Adam Davidson, an Academy Award-winning director.
• I.A.L. Diamond, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.
• Tan Dun, an Academy Award-winning Chinese contemporary classical music composer.
• Peter Farrelly, an Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter.
• Miloš Forman, an Academy Award-winning director.
• Dede Gardner, an Academy Award-winning co-producer.
• William Goldman, a two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter, novelist, and playwright.
• Howard Koch, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.
• Jennifer Lee, an Academy Award-winning co-screenwriter and co-director.
• William Ludwig, a screenwriter and co-winner of the Academy Award.
• Sidney Lumet, an Academy Award-nominated film director.
• Herman J. Mankiewicz, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.
• Joseph L. Mankiewicz, a four-time Academy Award-winning director, younger brother of Herman J. Mankiewicz.
• Graham Moore, an Academy Award-winning writer.
• Veronica Nickel, an Academy Award-winning co-producer.
• Edmond O'Brien, an Academy Award-winning actor.
• Anna Paquin, an Academy Award-winning actress.
• Richard Rodgers, a composer of musicals and winner of an Academy Award, 111 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Emmy Awards, and two Grammy Awards.
• Maureen Ryan, a co-producer of an Academy Award-winning documentary.
• Franklin Schaffner, an Academy Award-winning film director.
• Thelma Schoonmaker, a three-time Academy Award-winning editor.
• David O. Selznick, a three-time Academy Award-winning producer.
• Karl Struss, an Academy Award-winning cinematographer.
• Steve Tesich, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.
• Allie Wrubel, a composer, musician, and songwriter, and Academy Award winner.
• Liz Trotta, a journalist and three-time Emmy Award winner.
• Bella Abzug, a social rights activist and a leader of the women's rights movement.
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and women's rights advocate.
• Madeleine Albright, an American diplomat and politician who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State.
• Antony Blinken, an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States Secretary of State.
• Roy Cohn, a conservative lawyer, prosecutor, and political strategist.
• Joan Rivers, an American comedian, actress, producer, writer, and television host.
• Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator.
• James Gunn, an American filmmaker and studio executive.
• Jenny Slate, an actress, stand-up comedian, and writer.
• Hunter S. Thompson, an American journalist and author.
• Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke, an American politician, businessman, author, and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Anna Wintour, a British-American journalist, editor, and fashion icon.
• Chelsea Clinton, an American writer, journalist, and global health advocate.
• J.D. Salinger, an American author best known for his novel 'The Catcher in the Rye'.
• Jack Kerouac, an American novelist and poet, and a pioneer of the Beat Generation.
• Hikaru Utada, a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter, and producer.
• Max Minghella, an actor.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, an American actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur.
• Julia Stiles, an American actress.
• Richard Thomas, an American actor.
• Anson Mount, an American actor.
• Thomas Sowell, an American economist, social philosopher, and political commentator.
• Maryanne Trump Barry, an American attorney and United States federal judge.
• Yo-Yo Ma, a cellist.
• Robert Sean Leonard, an American actor.
• Langston Hughes, an American writer and poet.
• Ezra Koenig, a musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and internet radio personality.
• James Cagney, an American actor, dancer, and film director.
• George Segal, an American actor.
• Matthew Fox, an American actor and producer.
• James Franco, an American actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur.
• Dan Futterman, an American actor, screenwriter, journalist, and producer.
• Zach Galligan, an American actor.
• Brian De Palma, an American film director, screenwriter, and producer.
• Brian Dennehy, an American actor of stage, television, and film.
• Kate McKinnon, an American actress, comedian, and writer.
• Famke Janssen, a Dutch actress and screenwriter.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, an American actress and filmmaker.
• Edward Harris, an American actor and filmmaker.
• Lauren Graham, an American actress and author.
• Kate Holmes, an American actress and producer.
• Amanda Peet, an American actress.
• Raymond Burr, an American actor.
• Richard Thomas, an American actor.
• Anson Mount, an American actor.
• Rachel Nichols, an American actress and model.
• Heather Graham, an American actress, director, and producer.
• Kelsey Chow, an American actress and model.
• Hari Nef, an American actress, model, and writer.
• Christy Turlington, an American model, author, and entrepreneur.
• Catherine Oxenberg, an American actress and producer.
• Armand Hammer, an American businessman and philanthropist.
• James Mangold, an American film director, producer, and screenwriter.
• Lin Shaye, an American actress.
• Howard Dean, an American retired politician, physician, and author.
• Louise Glück, an American poet and 12th United States Poet Laureate.
• Ossie Davis, an American actor, film director, poet, playwright, author, and civil rights activist.
• Pat Boone, an American singer, actor, impressionist, television personality, motivational speaker, and author.
• Lee Falk, an American cartoonist, writer, theatre director, and producer.
• Gerard W. Ford, an American businessman, entrepreneur, and fashion industry executive.
• Mary McFadden, an American fashion designer and journalist.
• Stewart Rawlings Mott, an American philanthropist, activist, and politician.
• Edward Klein, an American author, political commentator, and journalist.
• R.W. Apple Jr., an American journalist.
• John Tauranac, an American graphic designer.
• Jehuda Reinharz, an American historian, professor, and president of

Columbia University's campus

The campus was designed along Beaux-Arts planning principles by the architects McKim, Mead & White, and occupies more than six city blocks. The Butler Library is the largest in the Columbia University Libraries system and one of the largest buildings on campus. It is part of a library system that includes over 15 million volumes, making it the eighth-largest library system and fifth-largest collegiate library system in the United States.

Several buildings on the Morningside Heights campus are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Low Memorial Library, Philosophy Hall, and Pupin Hall. The campus also features a statue by sculptor Daniel Chester French called Alma Mater, centred on the front steps of Low Memorial Library. The statue represents a personification of the traditional image of the university as an Alma Mater, or "nourishing mother".

The Columbia University Medical Center is located in northern Manhattan in the Washington Heights neighbourhood. The university also has a third campus on the west bank of the Hudson River, the 157-acre Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Earth Institute in Palisades, New York. A fourth campus is the 60-acre Nevis Laboratories in Irvington, New York, for the study of particle and motion physics.

Frequently asked questions