Columbia Outdoor Orientation Program
The Columbia Outdoor Orientation Program (COÖP) is a pre-orientation program for first year students in Columbia College and SEAS. It is geared towards those students that are interested in a non-traditional orientation program and enjoy the outdoors. The program was originally divided into two parallel programs, COBOP and COHOP, one for biking and one for hiking, respectively. Several years ago, another program has been introduced, COROP, for rafting/canoing. Participants of the outdoors program tend to develop an attachment to one another that lasts throughout their undergraduate experience, or at least NSOP week.
COOP is much loved by current leaders, and attracts almost half of the participants each year to apply to be a leader the following year. It is wonderful way to begin your time at Columbia, get to know a group from the entering class, and get out into the woods.
No amorous conduct is allowed on COOP trips. As the saying goes, "Intense, but not in our tents."
Official description
From the COÖP mission statement[1]:
The Columbia University Outdoor Orientation Program (COÖP) is an optional pre-orientation program for incoming first-year students entering Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. COÖP is designed to ease the anxieties of transitioning into the college environment through a four-day outdoor camping experience. The COÖP experience is divided into three trips, biking, hiking, and river, each of which pairs a small group of first-years with several upperclassmen trip leaders. The leaders act as mentors for the first-years, ensure safety on the trip, and create a comfortable environment in which first-years can ask questions, express concerns, and get to know one another.
