Columbia College Chicago Top Questions

Varied. Awesome. Creative. Non-judgemental.

Since it is an Arts College, everyone has their own style in their specific crafts. They all come from different ways of life and different parts of the world. Everyone is very open to everyone's religious, racial, LGBT, socio-economic background. I've never met anyone who has any prejudice towards anyone's way of life.

The students at Columbia College Chicago are, in general, very excepting and welcoming of one another. Within the first week of being here, dozens of students come up to me to introduce themselves to me. After being here for a few months, I can honestly say that the students I've come in contat with are almost all kind, friendly people who are looking to meet new people. As far as academics go, the students at my school care deeply about their fields of study.

The students at my school is very friendly, I didn't know anyone my first year at Columbia College Chicago. I love how just being myself made me new friends.

A colorful rainbow of intelligence, skill, and artistic intergity.

There is a wide variety of students at Columbia. Theater majors, game design majors, audio engineering majors, and even dance majors all reside within a 1 mile radius of Chicago. These people come in all shapes and sizes. There a few rotton apples, but most are the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Everyone at Columbia is eager to collaborate and work on new projects to help build their own repertoire.

My classmates are open-minded, friendly and kind along with social skills that made me comfortable to talk with them.

I haven't enrolled yet this would be my first year so I haven't met anyone yet.

Hip, LGBT, a lot of kids from the suburbs, but plenty of people from all over. Definitely not for jocks or anyone with big school spirit. Columbia has no greek life and only a few intramural teams. Students are also generally heavily on the left, politically. Very creative people go to Columbia.

Creative, diverse, talented, and driven.

unique

My classmates are pretty normal with somewhat of an artistic flare.

Columbia very much looks like an art school. The "hipster" style is rampant. No one dresses nicely, or like they really are about their appearance. Sweatpants are more common than skirts, jeans are too tight, and everyone has the same pair of "anti-mainstream" shoes. If you wear makeup that isn't super hipster-esque, everyone asks why you look so nice. It was hard transitioning from the suburbs in Missouri to this, but I've made my peace with it. I find it disrespectful to come to class in pajamas, and I know several people who agree.

A lot of students dress-up for class. Not many students I know are too religious. You find a lot fo the religious students in the Gospel choirs offered by the school. I have not really been involved with religious groups on campus. I sometimes attend church that is really near campus and a lot of students from my school and school around the loop attend too. A lot of different kinds of students interact. It is nice to see. Most of the students that go here are from areas surrounding Chicago or from Illinois.

There are so many students at Columbia, it's hard to categorize a "typical Columbia student." However, the general community of Columbia is very accepting. I've never heard of anyone getting any trouble for their race, religion, or sexuality. (The LGBTQ community in particular is very strong.) We're also typically liberal and left-leaning, though I'm sure there's a club or something for people who aren't. Being a bisexual feminist, I feel very safe at Columbia, which is something a lot of other schools might not be able to say. As far as the way students dress, you'll rarely see anyone in sweats unless they're a dance or theatre major. A lot of people dress really nice every day; it's not strange to see someone in high heels and a dress in your math class. There is a slight pressure to be fashionable to some extent. However, you won't be ostracized for wearing jeans and a t-shirt, either. (Though you might get funny looks for a baggy shirt and sweatpants.) Socializing here is very difficult. Most people are very nice but they're also really shy or already have friends that they don't feel like branching out from. There aren't many places where people can really get to know each other. There's no quad or sports games. You have to go out of your way to make friends.

Every student is unique and constantly striving the redefine originality!

My classmates are creative people. Most of them are passionate, and love what they are learning about.

My classmates are diverse in every sense of the word which provides for incredibly innovative and unique art that will one day revitalize the respective industries.

Students at my school are incredibly diverse, ranging from LGBTQ students, various races such as African American, Latino, Asian, and various other races worldwide. Students interact with each other regardless of any of these factors. As far as appearances go, students are encouraged to adorn their bodies however they so choose and are not ridiculed in their choice of expression. Students on my campus are predominantly left when it comes to politics, being that it is a private liberal arts college.

Everyone has there own style and are extremely talented which gives everyone inspiration for their own work. Every student is different and makes the school extremely interesting

Columbia students represent the entire spectrum of the social rainbow. Students are accepting of different beliefs and ideals. In my experience, differences have not inspired exclusion, rather discussion of varied perspectives. The Multicultural Affairs department provides a variety of opportunities for students of similar backgrounds to gather, but also stress a melting pot community for everyone to come together. Regardless of your ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or sexual orientation, there is a place for you and others that want to know you. It is true that there are a few bad apples (always are, right?) that have made me feel uncomfortable or unwanted because of differences, but that has been a rare occasion. Many students are from the Chicagoland area and the Midwest, however Columbia's international presence is constantly growing, therefore we represent students from virtually every state and many foreign countries.

The student body at Columbia is extremely diverse. People come from all over the world and from multiple backgrounds. There are people from wealthy families and others who struggle to buy school supplies. The only person that might feel out of place is a frat guy, but luckily Columbia doesn't have greek life so there shouldn't be frat boys running around. Columbia is an openly liberal school and most students are liberal. But there are also conservative students and each persons opinion is respected.

Students are SO diverse! From Flaming to Conservative we have the whole spectrum, mostly very liberal but it is so wonderful to have the whole spectrum here. The diversity in race & culture & passion allows for acceptance & respect for each other, which I don't think is seen at many other schools...but i've only been here so i guess i can't say for certain.

It is pretty diverse here actually. But a lot of the same types of kids here. A lot of very wealthy, white, liberal, snooty kids. That is not to mention the overwhelming LGBT community. It makes me happy, since I'm from a very conservative town, but it is nearly inescapable! All in all, just a bunch of druggie hipsters here that are hoping to be rich like their parents some day...

My classmates are very unique individals. They all march to their own beat and they all live what they love, be it music, poetry, painting, fashion or whatever.

Columbia student are a ecclectic mass of creativity, experience and exploration.

My classmates are creative, ingenious, wonderful, loving, and above all my family.

They are interesting and very nice people.

This is a very liberal school, also, there is a lot of stress on diversity, and the school stresses awareness and acceptance of diversity, particularly racially/sexually. There are many school clubs supporting this and they play a very active role with the school and it's events and actions. People here are kind of out there sometimes, in terms of fashion and what not, so you wouldn't fit in if you were either a jock or some scholar or something like that. Different types of students interact, usually via parties. I'd say about half the kids here are from Chicago or the suburbs, another quarter are from the states around Chicago, and the remaining are from the rest of the country. The financial backgrounds of the students here range greatly, some are quite rich, some are quite poor.

Artsy, hippie, flamboyant, political, socially aware, liberal, open-minded.

Columbia College students beat to the sound of their own drum!

Totally driven to succeed.

My classmates are extremely cultured and diverse individuals who possess a profound passion for what they want to accomplish at Columbia, whether it is dance, writing, film, music, visual arts, fashion, or theatre.

My classmates inspire and challenge me to always do my best and uncover the potential within me.

My classmates have no clear moral foundation.

They're innovative and eager to get out in the work field and do what they love.

My classmates are inspiring and amazingly talented.

Some classmates know a lot more than me, and some know as little as I do.

They are the most Diverse group of people I have ever met.

My classmates are fun, upllifting, helpful, and engaged in there majors.

All my classmates at Columbia each bring something unique , new, and different to the student body, making Columiba a college with the most diverse, raw, and talented students I have ever met.

My classmats are all very different. They have a serious passion for what the are pursuing. I have seen them at their best and their worst. They reallytruly want to make it doing what they love. Being in school with them is nothing like going to a norma university. Everyone is so diverse and so accepting of each ther. I have made friends from all different types of backgrounds and majors. They inspire me to work even harder toward my goal to make it. They help me to remember why I do what I do.

My classmates are very unique individuals, who express themselves through the work that they do at Columbia and have no limitations.

Young minds with enough knowledge to create anything and everything outside the box.

I haven?t met them yet, but based on my visit to the school, they seem like amazing people with amazing talents who are ready to take advantage of school and the city to live life to its fullest.

Beautiful, talented, creative people with distinctive personalities.

My classmates are unique, creative and very artsy.

My classmates are CRAZY, but they make my day. We all have extremely unique personalities, but why would I want classmates that are dull? I have so much fun going to class because I always look forward to seeing everyone there. I mean, we are all art kids...we are awesome. My classmates and I all love to have a good time in class so we make sure we never have a boring day.

I make a new family of friends in class each semester/year.

Eager to learn whatever they can, and hard working at everything they do. Many, including myself, have a hard time paying for the school. But that does not stop us all from working one, two, or even three jobs and being full time at school to reach are dreams.