Columbia College invites eligible students in the Class of 2024 to apply and participate in the selection process for the role of student speaker at Class Day.
As an applicant, you must adhere to these guidelines and understand the required commitment and time before submitting your candidacy and speech for consideration. Please contact cc-seas@columbia.edu with any questions.
The deadline to submit is Sunday, March 17.
Submission Process and Materials
To begin the process, you will need to submit the following materials through the submission form.
- A proposed Class Day speech of 4 to 5 minutes in length (approximately 500-750 words) in Word .docx/.doc or Adobe .pdf format.
- An up-to-date biography/resume/CV in Word .docx/.doc or Adobe .pdf format.
- The link to a recording of you reading your proposed Class Day speech (shared on YouTube or Vimeo). NOTE: if your video is password protected, we will need that information as well.
NOTE: The committee will only review submissions that include all required materials.
Class Speaker Selection Process
Student Criteria
- Must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.
- Have applied to graduate and completed all the terms and requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College (the Columbia College Core Curriculum, specific requirements for your major and/or concentration and completed 124 points) by May 2024.
Graduates with degrees conferred in October 2023, February 2024, and May 2024 are all eligible.
Fundamentals of a Class Day Speech
Keep in mind your speech can reference the duration of your undergraduate career. You might reflect on your engagement with the Core Curriculum, other influential classes, extracurricular activities, internships or jobs, residential and global experiences, research opportunities and random conversations with faculty or friends. We also recognize the last few non-traditional academic years you’ve had due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so we encourage you to reflect on your experiences as they relate to the above as well. You may want to consider: how have these moments helped you to grow personally, professionally, and as a citizen of the world? How have these moments helped to shape your journey thus far and the journey you will take after Commencement?
Remember, the audience will consist of students, faculty, families, friends, distinguished alumni and guests. The speech should have some elements to which everyone can relate.
Selection Timeline
Wednesday, January 31 – Submission form opens.
Sunday, March 17 – Submission form closes (at 11:59 p.m.).
March 18 - 22 – Selection committee (consisting of College staff) reviews submissions, selects 3 semi-finalists, and will notify them by March 25.
Week of March 25 – Semi-finalists work with committee representatives to practice and refine remarks.
Week of April 1 – Semi-finalists present to committee their final remarks.
Week of April 8 – Committee chooses the finalist who then presents remarks to Columbia College senior staff member.
Tips and Helpful Guidelines
In addition to the selection process, please find some helpful tips below in preparing your remarks.
Theme and Content
Think about what you would want to hear as a member of the audience. You may want to share your aspirations and convictions, passions or goals. Have a narrative. Tell a story.
Strong speeches have strong themes. Try to maintain a consistent theme throughout your speech and hold your audience’s interest with specific examples and anecdotes.
General structure
There is not a specific template or format to which speeches must adhere, but there is a general structure that most Class Day speeches follow:
- Begin by acknowledging the Dean, President, keynote speaker, faculty, alumni, parents, friends, guests, and the entire Class of 2024 who made the day possible
- Incorporate the fundamentals of a Class Day speech, as indicated above
- Conclude with a celebratory message, marking the individual and shared accomplishments of the Class of 2024
Timing
A four to five-minute speech contains approximately 500-750 words, depending on the speed and cadence of your delivery. Please time the length of your speech prior to submitting your draft
Feedback
Students are strongly encouraged to solicit feedback from faculty, advisers, peers and others before submitting their applications.
Speech Submission Form
After reading all of the above guidelines, submit your materials via the speech submission form by Sunday, March 17 at 11:59 p.m.