Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

The three bars around campus are always packed on the weekends, but so is the library. A lot of kids go downtown for clubs, restaurants, (other) bars, concerts, theatre, movies, shows. A lot of kids stay in their rooms and rarely leave. I am in a sorority, and while Greek life isn't HUGE on campus, it's presence is felt, and is a great way for new students at Columbia to make an immediate group of friends, to feel like they're part of something larger, part of a community at a school, in a city, that can often feel daunting and unwelcoming.

I am in a sorority. It is awesome and I can count on the girls no matter what.

every group is valued at columbia, im part of teh greek community which is awesome and perfect for me but most groups over lap so you can get the president of young democrats be you big sister in the sorority.

It depends on what dorm room you live in. The LLC is much more quiet in comparison to others. I met my closest friends through my sorority and also, my floormates from freshman year. People party fairly frequently by going to local bars, etc. Fraternities and sororities aren't all that important, mostly because many greek organizations do not have housing that can accommodate more than 6 people. Last weekend I went to a bar in the '80s, did some leisurely studying, laundry, and biked down to the Chelsea Piers.

No matter what you are looking for, no matter what your interests, you will find an outlet on campus. Not only that, but often the campus group will provide opportunities for exploration outside of campus. For example, the Greek Life on campus is a great opportunity to find a home away from home, a family away from family. As part of a sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, I've been able to experience life at Columbia in a way that I never would have without being a member of the Greek community. We have done all the things in the city that I always wanted to do; going to Amateur night at the Apollo, or a Broadway show, or a Knicks game. We've been out dancing to clubs, as well as spending Sunday afternoons at the Guggenheim, or ice skating in Central Park in the winter. Greek life is a great way to get involved or continue involvement in community service. Alpha Chi Omega sisters have raised the most money as a group for Pediatric AIDS at many CU Dance Marathons and when we are not fundraising we volunteer at battered women's shelters in the city. I've loved being part of Greek Life at Columbia.

Being in NYC offers you so many options on any given day of the week, many which do not involve alcohol. Besides going to parties and just choosing not to drink, trust me it is not like the movies where people will force you to binge drink or something similar. Most people are respectful of your choice not to drink. Regardless, there are many other options. You can easily get tickets to see a Broadway show, there are great and affordable tickets available for students at most shows if you go at the right time. You can go ice skating during the winter for a very reasonable price. You can go see a concert. Trust me, there is always a concert. Museums are a blast to go to, especially when they have events for students and during their first Friday parties. It is easy to go to a comedy show, out to dinner, the ballet, the opera, movies, and the list could go on and on. If you do not want to go off campus, there are at least 3 events for every weekend that you could attend. Ranging from theatre to sports events to cultural festivities, Columbia students are very involved and hold plenty of events, including parties.

There isn't much of an on campus social life. The occasional frat party, maybe some parties in lerner, but nothing all too exciting. But what is more exciting than New York city? That's why Columbia doesn't have raging parties every weekend, because there are so many more interesting things to do than drink beer out of a keg in a sweaty basement and most students realize that. If you are looking for the beer keg thing you can find it. Don't expect social life to be delivered on a silver platter to you. You have to look for things, but you will find them.

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I'm in a sorority and it's great because we can both study together and have fun together (fun ranges from cultural events to philanthropy events to exploring NYC to hanging around at the Tasti-D ice-cream shop on campus). There's also a lot of programs and entertaining/educational events sponsored by the residence halls, especially in the Living Learning Center.

greek life isn't big, but it's life for some people. everyone has his or her own niche, but the cliques aren't exclusive--it's pretty easy to move fluidly from one group to another. the city really facilitates a social life different from a college town with just a few bars that everyone goes to (though columbia has those too--westend, 1020, heights, cannons)

KAPPA ALPHA THETA! People pretend that greek life doesn't matter here because it is such a small portion of the student body, but these groups organize most of the parties on campus and are simply amazing! Orchesis, Columbia's largest dance group, is amazing, a student run group that puts on two performances a year. Columbia Urban Experience (CUE)- life changing community service pre-orientation program. You work in the city during the day, then explore the city at night.

the best organization on campus is the sorority kappa alpha theta. everyone there is so kind and cares about you all and are always there for you no matter what you need. in my dorm everyone leaves there door open or at least cracked open, and we are all encouraged to stop by and chat with a friend of floormate. a really nice tradition this winter was the tree lighting, when all of a sudden the campus was alit with christmas lights. everything looked gorgeous and it put be in such a jubilant mood to be able to be attedning that event. on a given weeknight at 3am i am usually finishing up some homework and then heading to bed. on a weekend however, and 3am i will be out with friends leaving a party and most likely heading to a bar to meet up everyone else who goes there as a sort of ritualistic night-ending thing. there are lots of activities to do without drinking though, i have had game night on my floor where we all play intensely competitive board games...lots of fun of course! as well, there is always the amazingness of new york city to experience; movies, shows, and dinners!

Students in dorms definitely leave their doors open. It's great because it means you're always in a very welcoming community and you feel like you can go in and talk with anyone on your floor. My closest friends are really people that I have lived with because we spend so much time together and when you get to college your first year, you really connect with these people, especially during orientation week. I've also become good friends with people that I have met in different clubs or groups that I'm involved with, especially as a resident adviser (RA) because the training for that is really intense. I've also made a lot of friends in my architecture classes because as architecture majors, we spend tons of time in the studio every night working on projects, and we've gotten really close. I think my favorite tradition at Columbia is Orgo night, which is when the marching band goes into the library on the last night before finals start and plays at midnight and marches all over campus playing different songs. On the Sunday before finals, at midnight, there is also the primal scream where everyone opens their windows and screams at the top of their lungs. That's a great way to get rid of the stress. The Tree Lighting Ceremony in December is also great because we listen to different campus groups sing and have hot chocolate outside in front of Low Library.

Here's a good guide to the dating scene at Columbia: a. it sucks b. Mentally stable, good looking, available--pick two. The frats and sororities are not that present on campus but those of us who are in them love them dearly. My closest friends are all from my frat, and these are people I expect to know for the rest of my life. If you are awake at 2 am you might be finishing some reading for your afternoon class the next day. Or having sex. But that second option is extremely unlikely.

Fraternities/sororities are not a huge presense on campus but they can definetely be a major part of your social life if you want them to be. Many students participate in Greek life but even those who are not actually in a frat or sorority do often at least attend some parties during their time at Columbia. There is always something to do on campus on the weekends. Clubs host various events that are either intellectual or just fun parties and fundraisers. There is also always New York City and a lot of people like to have dinner somewhere downtown or go see a Broadway show to mix up their weekend experiences.

i play volleyball with the women's club volleyball team. we are part of the ny professional urban league and it's awesome. we use columbia's facilities once or twice a week to practice then we go kick booty in the city! in terms of the party scene, there is definitely something for everyone. whether you like to sit in your room, go out, stay on campus and party, go to the library, etc there is something for you.

Frats and sororities aren't a really big thing but we have them, and they get to live in Brownstones. Sports aren't huge either but we have them. Columbia is as social as it is hard to get into... it seems like it was harder to get in then to get work done, however people tend to take so many extra classes and do so many different things thet they wind up stressed anyway. But people hold a lot of parties and events, and the atmosphere can often feel more activity-oriented than academics oriented. There is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS something to do. Also NYC doesn't shut down, so students stay awake very late and go buy food down the street at 4:00 AM. The neighborhood is safe and friendly, and there arent classes on Friday so people party from Thursday to Sunday. But you can bet they'll be at some fancy internship, working on campus, or participating in activities all day Friday. I don't drink and I never have a problem having a good time, because there are always people who don't drink either. It really depends on who you hang out with, and Columbia students are smart enough not to be annoying about it. Myself and my friends don't drink unless we're going out to a dance club or a bar or something, and then we'll just have a couple drinks and never get drunk. On a typical Tuesday night at 2 AM I'm getting ready to go to sleep after studying, or my boyfriend is visiting and we're goofing off and procrastinating. People at Columbia tend to be too busy for relationships, but if they are in one they usually don't make it all of their life because they have so many other things going on, like activities and such. Again, people here tend to be quite independent; they don't form cliques and they put their own work and projects ahead of their social life. The majority of people make friends in all different groups, and don't form just a group of friends. People do tend to divide themselves economically though... richer students don't tend to spend a lot of time with poorer ones.

There's probably something to do every weekend at Columbia, but it's far more likely that you'll go off campus to a bar or club. You'll often find yourself pregaming in someone's dorm before taking the subway downtown. As bars crack down on fake IDs, it's getting harder for underclassmen to partake in the city's nightlife, so the scene may be changing... however, most people find a way to get a decent fake. Tell your parents that it's absolutely necessary to have an ID in order to have a social life on campus - you're not going to get plastered every night, you just need it to get into the good bars. There are a couple good Columbia traditions, like the Varsity Show (an annual comedy revue of campus life). ADP's Hot Jazz formal was a great party until the university shut it down due to fire code requirements...there's really no replacement yet.

I wouldn't say that there is one specific type of group that is most popular on campus, it's pretty much an even distribution. I'm involved in Student Council, which is a great way to help out my class and get to know a lot of the administration, but can get frustrating when dealing with the logistics of accomplishing anything on campus. No, students don't leave their doors open (most lock automatically). Athletic events aren't very popular, other than things like Homecoming and important basketball games. Guest speakers are extremely popular and there are certain theatrical events that receive high attendance. The dating scene is somewhat pathetic, but you always have the rest of New York to meet. I met my closest friends from living on the same floors in the dorms. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm most likely studying, but also possibly screwing around with my suitemates. Big events each year are Homecoming, the Naked Run, the Varsity Show, all Senior Events in the last few weeks of school, Bacchanal, College Days and Midnight Mania. People typically party Thurs, Fri & Sat night (most people here don't have Friday classes). Frats & sororities aren't overly popular (frats are a bit more popular than sororities) but they still have a presence on campus. Last weekend I went to Senior Night on Wednesday (at the bar across the street), out to a bar a few miles downtown with a few friends on Thursday, our suite had a party on Friday, and downtown for dinner and drinks with my boyfriend (who does not go to Columbia) on Saturday. There are a million things you can do on a Saturday night without drinking in New York (movies, theater, etc). Off campus, I explore New York and work (bartend & babysit).

There is no one group that is "most popular." Greek life is popular, as well as the several student councils and political groups. I am involved with Kappa Alpha Theta Women's Fraternity as well as Panhellenic Council, which is an interesting take on Greek life. Columbia Greek life is completely different from the stereotypes and from other schools since the student body is so diverse. Although Kappa Alpha Theta is a predominantly white, Southern sorority, our chapter at Columbia is very diverse and has a very high average GPA. It depends on which dorm you live in to know if doors are left open, but John Jay, McBain, and Carman are usually welcoming. Athletic events are unattended. Guest speakers, depending on how controversial, are well-attended, and always here. Theater is important, and shows like XMAS and VARSITY SHOW are traditions. The dating scene for straight and gay men is fine, due to the existence and proximity of Barnard College and the large gay community. For girls, the dating scene isn't as great. I met my closest friends from my freshman year floor. On Tuesday at 2 am I am probably talking to a friend or working on homework. Some traditions are primal scream before finals, 40s on 40th day before graduation, Glass House Rocks student group party, Columbia Community Outreach Day. People party everyday if they want, but usually Thursday and Saturday are big nights. Frats and sororities are important if you are involved with them, but not so much if you aren't since they can't really have parties due to space and regulations. Last weekend I went to a party for my sorority and went downtown to ice skate. You can do anything you want on Saturday night...go to a show, go downtown, go to a play on campus, etc. Off campus I explore NYC.