i just found something that made me LOL -.-

College Search & Selection
21

<p>"But perhaps most conspicuous is Dartmouth's physical-education requirement. Students at Dartmouth must complete three terms of physical education and pass a swimming proficiency test.</p>

<pre><code>"A sound body goes with a sound mind. Physical activity and life skills are an essential part of a liberal arts education," Zimmerman reasoned.

This requirement is a leftover of physical fitness and swimming proficiency requirements that many Ivy League schools had in the early 20th century. Princeton, for example, had a two-term physical-education and swimming-test requirement until 1993.

At Columbia — the only other Ivy with such a requirement — the physical-education classes and swimming test create unity among underclassmen, according to Dabashi." (DAILYPRINCETONIAN.COM April 3, 2000)
</code></pre>

<p>And all the formerly Wisconsin State University campuses used to have a physical fitness and swimming test requirements.</p>

22

<p>I dislike how Phys Ed is perceived as "old school." If anything, phys ed is necessary now more than ever as life has become more suburban and laid back for such a large majority of students.</p>

23

<p>Swim tests save lives.</p>

<p>There were no crowds of onlookers at Cornell when I took the swim test there, and no swimming trunks either. There was just a guy with a clipboard at the end of the pool who recorded the names of those who could swim the 75 yards.</p>

24

<p>You didn't wear swimming trunks?</p>

<p>=O</p>

25

<p>^^I was hoping that meant he had to swim it in his street clothes - to save lives and all.</p>

26

<p>Cornell nude swim test confirmed.</p>

27

<p>It's not hard at all as long as you're somewhat fit but I do have to admit that requiring taking of the test is pretty ludicrous imo.</p>

28

<p>The University of North Carolina had a swim test requirement until August 2006 but some famous varsity athletes including Michael Jordan were purportedly exempted.</p>

29

<p>
[quote]
Why swimming? Why not running?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The theory for us was that they didn't want us to drown in the Charles or Boston Harbor.</p>

30

<p>When Rutgers was still a men's college back in the 1960s it had a required swim test. The swimming was in the nude.</p>

31

<p>Regarding Cornell's swim test: if you can't pass it (or don't even want to try) you'll have to take swimming as part of your PE requirement. No big deal, right? If you are too wimpy to take a swim class, you probably aren't cut out for the winters there.</p>

32

<p>I seem to recall that Mortimer Adler (founder of the "Great Books" program) did not actually graduate from U of C because he could not--or did not--pass the swimming test. He'd already been accepted for graduate study, and ended up receiving a PhD without having an undergrad or high school diploma.</p>

33

<p>I am a fine runner, anything 10K or less would not make me nervous for a second, but I this Cornell swimming concerns me a little. I am pretty sure that I can to cover that distance in the pool, but not with speed and skillful form. I might practice a few times in the summer ahead of time, because I hate swimming and being forced to do it for a phys. ed. class would be irritating. I wanna take some really cool gym class anyway!</p>

34

<p>It's not a swimming form test. It's essentially making sure you can swim 3 laps without drowning or needing any help. No one cares if you don't have Olympian-esque form.</p>