Updated December 1st, 2023
Step one: Let us know you're interested!
If you're an LDS-affiliated student who's considering Columbia, read our Frequently Asked Questions below then email, text or call President Noah Heaps (509) 770-4279, [email protected] at your earliest convenience. He will answer your additional questions and connect you with other current LDS students who share your interests. We are also ready to host you (provide housing, tours, etc) if you get the chance to visit campus during the school year. We are very accommodating and will be responsive to your needs as long as you reach out in advance!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you attend church?
Columbia’s campus is located within the Harlem YSA Ward, which meets northwest of campus at 128th Street and Lennox Avenue. For the 2023 calendar year, services are 10am - 12 pm. Students typically meet at the raised sundial in the center of Columbia's main quad 30 minutes before church starts to walk over together. The building can also be accessed by transit:
By bus— Board the M60 towards La Guardia (there is a stop right at the Broadway and 116th St gates). Get off at Lennox, and walk three blocks north to 128th.
By subway— Board the DOWNTOWN 1 towards South Ferry at the 116th St. stop. Exit at 96th, and transfer to the UPTOWN 2. Exit at 125th St; walk three blocks north on Lennox to 128th.
By bus— Board the M60 towards La Guardia (there is a stop right at the Broadway and 116th St gates). Get off at Lennox, and walk three blocks north to 128th.
By subway— Board the DOWNTOWN 1 towards South Ferry at the 116th St. stop. Exit at 96th, and transfer to the UPTOWN 2. Exit at 125th St; walk three blocks north on Lennox to 128th.
How many LDS students attend Columbia?
We typically have around 15-25 LDS-affiliated undergraduates and graduates at Columbia in any given school year!
What exactly does the LDSSA do?
We're a tight-knit yet fundamentally inclusive group that worships, studies and socializes together. Monthly activities include Institute on Wednesdays (details below), group hangouts, and church on Sundays. Members often share meals, study together, and enjoy each others' company outside of formal gatherings.
Members also work on planning larger activities and projects like trips, interfaith events, and meet-ups with other schools. In the 2023 school year, Harvard hosted a conference in Boston, at which we had about 10 Columbia attendees!
Members also work on planning larger activities and projects like trips, interfaith events, and meet-ups with other schools. In the 2023 school year, Harvard hosted a conference in Boston, at which we had about 10 Columbia attendees!
Are there Institute classes offered in NYC?
Yes! There are a handful of Institute classes to choose from every semester, all taught by members of the New York stake. For the 2023-2024 school year, institute is hosted on Wednesday nights from 7:30-8:45pm at the Lincoln Square building on floor 3. To access LSQ from campus, take the 1 train downtown to 66th St.
To learn more about Institute in NYC, text the NYC institute coordinator, Brother Austin, at (508) 988-5705.
Institute updates and class offerings are posted to the stake facebook page.
To learn more about Institute in NYC, text the NYC institute coordinator, Brother Austin, at (508) 988-5705.
Institute updates and class offerings are posted to the stake facebook page.
How close is the temple? How do you get there?
In addition to being conveniently located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, Columbia’s campus is just a ten minute subway ride from the Manhattan New York Temple. Thanks to the 1 Line, it’s hard to find easier access to a temple anywhere! Even with busy Columbia schedules, many current students are able to attend the temple weekly.
***Unfortunately, the NYC temple will be closing in March of 2024 for renovations, expected to last for three years. During this time, Philadelphia PA and Hartford CT will be the closest temples available to Columbia students.
***Unfortunately, the NYC temple will be closing in March of 2024 for renovations, expected to last for three years. During this time, Philadelphia PA and Hartford CT will be the closest temples available to Columbia students.
Can you go to Columbia and still serve a mission?
Yes! Columbia is very accommodating when it comes to helping students take a two-year leave of absence to serve a full-time mission. They have let students defer enrollment for two years in order to serve prior to beginning their studies, as well as let students take a two-year leave of absence at any point during their undergraduate career. There has almost always been at least one missionary serving from Columbia at any given time in recent history.
What's it like being a Latter-day Saint in NYC?
New York is a great place to be an LDS student. The newly-created New York YSA Stake provides numerous opportunities to socialize and network alongside other LDS students at Columbia. The high concentration of YSAs in New York supersedes that of almost any other area on the east coast and creates a unique LDS environment within the “world’s capital.” In addition, the LDS student bodies of other nearby universities (NYU, Juilliard, Fordham, CUNY and Manhattan School of Music) are never more than a subway ride away.