Despite an admissions season like no other, our students rose to the challenge with grit and grace. From top scholarships to Ivy acceptances to prestigious programs across the U.S. and abroad, The College Sage is proud to celebrate where resilience and preparation led this year’s class.

Traditions are only what you make of them. In this moving reflection, Columbia University Class of 2020 graduate Matthew Leadem shares his personal experience with one of the college’s most storied requirements, the swim test, and how the pandemic disrupted not just rituals, but the sense of closure. His story reminds us that even in uncertain times, optimism, resilience, and connection endure.