Barnard College Top Questions

Hewitt has the best cookies ever!!!

I'm so glad I applied to Barnard. I love everything about the school and the city. For anyone concerned about safety, the campus is extremely safe, and the city, despite it's bad reputation, is really pretty safe too.

Barnard is an amazing school. It gets a lot of flak because it's part of Columbia and so is uniquely placed among schools in this country. But we aren't viewed as "secondary citizens" when we go across the street to the Columbia campus. Plus, the food here is better so Columbia students often come over to Barnard to eat. Many students are interested in studying English here, especially Creative Writing, perhaps because Barnard has put out so many amazing novelists over the years. The Dance program also gets a lot of attention.

Going to Barnard does not automatically mean that you are a lesbian (or thinking about becoming one)! Whereas there are definitely a significant number of students that are (and are definitely welcomed as such), most students are (seemingly) straight. This school absolutely rocks! Come visit & you may just fall in love with the intimate classes, access to a big research university, caring staff, intelligent thinkers, homy NYC location (where you'll never be bored), and close-knit community of "strong, beautiful Barnard women" - go Barnard!

I love Barnard. Period.

I make fun of Barnard a lot but when all is said and done, I really like it and am glad I chose to go there.

With such a diverse city, anyone can fit in here.

The stereotypes about Barnard women are so passé and so OLD. Half of those Columbia boys have Barnard girlfriends, half those Columbia girls have Barnard best friends. Columbia was the last Ivy League institution to become co-ed, back in 1983!! That's just 25 years ago! Barnard and Columbia girls have nothing to compete over, except for perhaps the occasional lame Columbia fraternity boy. We are mostly not interested in the same careers, we don't compete for spots in classes, or for spots in dorms, or for connections with alumni because we have different alumni. I'm not even a die-hard Barnard fan, but I can objectively tell you that Barnard offers the most ideal academic experience you could ever ask for. We have small classes, engaged Professors, a great advising system that CC/SEAS still have not been able to recreate on their side of the street, strong relations with our alumnae, connections within the Sister School network etc. At the same time we are part of this top notch research university in New York City, all sorts of opportunities for lectures and visits form distinguished leaders and big classes and the occasional Columbia basketball game or football game, etc.

Certain dorms at Barnard can be pretty physically unpleasant. Brace yourselves!