<p>So I'm going to Columbia with an ROTC scholarship. (they're paying for everything hehehe) Does any one know about ROTC for Columbia students? Like whats it like, what is the schedule like, how does it fit with the rest of your classes, what kind of stuff do ya get to do as a freshman?</p>
<p>ROTC has been banned from Columbia's campus since the 1960s. While there has been significant momentum toward changing this decision, the university senate consistently reaffirms it. ROTC students have constantly complained that they have been forced to compromise their academics and social lives by having to make long journeys to and from Fordham or other schools to participate in the program.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, a recent induction ceremony for ROTC students was held at Columbia, pardoxically. See this NY Sun article, which notes the ceremony and discusses the controversy surrounding ROTC at Columbia:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/32885%5B/url%5D">http://www.nysun.com/article/32885</a></p>
<p>You can find out more at <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/rotc%5B/url%5D">www.columbia.edu/cu/rotc</a> !!
Columbia does not have ROTC on campus, but students do participate in Army and Air Force ROTC at Fordham and Manhattan College. I graduated from Columbia and the Army ROTC program (NYC ARMY ROTC). I'm currently an active duty army officer.
Classes are held at Lincoln Center just a couple of subway stops away. You do your physical fitness training (PT) in CENTRAL PARK, which is a great place for a run let me tell you, and also starting just this year PT will be held in the morning on Columbia's campus! so rotc students will have to travel only for their classes and leadership labs.
Significant progress has been made, thanks to student lobbying, for greater support for Cadets and ROTC from the university. Just this may the Air Force commissioning ceremony was held in Low Library - the first military commisioning ceremony held on campus in 3 decades.
Students may now also have their ROTC courses listed on their transcripts.
So life is getting better for the Columbia ROTC student, and things are likely to improve further in the near future. Best of luck to you, I look forward to having yet another Columbia graduate in the officer corps!</p>
<p>PS As of this spring all Army ROTC Scholarships are FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS! They will pay for everything!</p>
<p>Also, as this article demonstrates, Columbia's 'ban' on ROTC is actually not entirely legal. Or, I should say, it is 'legal' but in maintaining the ban Columbia risks losing ALL FEDERAL FUNDING (thats $407 million dollars per year) under the Solomon law.
<a href="http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20060713_13bern.149974d.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20060713_13bern.149974d.html</a></p>