At These Colleges Its Sink Or Swim

The swim test was once as common on college and university campuses as Freshman Comp. But most schools have thrown in the towel. In an age of multiple fitness options, swimming is no longer viewed as that essential finishing stroke for college graduates. Besides Swarthmore, the holdouts include Bryn Mawr (freshmen will take their dips today), Notre Dame (which used to require students to be in the buff), Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Washington & Lee, and the military academies. In a 1977 survey, 42 percent of the approximately 600 schools that responded had some swim requisite, he said. By 2000, that figure had plummeted below 5 percent. Read more at:
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