<p>First, I love pretty much everything about Columbia and it's my perfect school, but I've got a few questions.</p>
<p>What are the exams in MusicHum like? I love music, but I'm really bad at the technical (listening) aspect. I'm alright with history and reading music, but I can't tell you what key a piece is played in from listening to it or if a piece is from Bach or Beethoven.</p>
<p>Where do rowing and/or kayaking take place? Probably not on the campus, I guess.</p>
<p>Is the acceptance rate for international students higher if they apply for ED with financial aid? If yes, is it possible to change from RD to ED if I have already submitted the first part of the app (with RD as my choice)?</p>
<p>It would be really nice if you could answer my questions!</p>
<p>1) Music Hum will largely deal with historical facts, most of which you can glean from a textbook. However, you’ll be learning to talk intelligently about music you’ve listened to, discussing its form, patterns, and style. You’ll listen to several dozen pieces selected from the history of western music (Renaissance through Jazz, really) and commentary on them. Some exam questions will involve the instructor playing a sampling from a piece and you having to write which piece it is and some facts about it - but most of the exam is text-based.</p>
<p>2) No, not on the campus. Columbia has a sports complex called Baker Field, up at 215th st on the northern end of manhattan. The rowing teams meet there and row up and down the harlem river to practice. Home Meets are in a wooded part of the eastern Bronx, near the Westchester line.</p>
<p>3) Acceptance rates are always higher for ED, because the admissions office only has to admit 1 student to fill 1 spot in the class, as opposed to admitting 1.3 or 1.4 students. As for whether you can change your selection, you’d have to call or email Admissions and ask. If you go ED, you only have a little more than a week to get your essays in, so get cracking.</p>
<p>1) That doesn’t sound too bad. Will you have heard the pieces before in class or does the prof take random music?</p>
<p>3) I know, and essays are not even my biggest problem, even though I’m not really confident about my essay and the Columbia short answers. I’ve got vacation till the end of the week and I still need to talk to my principal about a few forms (transcripts, school profile). It’s frustrating.</p>