Barnard College Top Questions

Barnard is an awesome school because of the students. Maybe I just went to a particularly mean school, but everyone here is so nice! Academics take a priority, but most students take advantage of NYC and have fun whenever they can. I always see familiar faces, but the school isn't too small because I definitely have never met half of the student body. Broadway, uptown by school, is our version of a "college town." If you're looking for a school that prides itself on camaraderie and a "ra-ra-ra" spirit, it's not the place for you. It is the place for anyone who enjoys city life, independence, and a warm student body. When I tell people that I go to Barnard, I have such a sense of pride. Most react positively ("How impressive!") but a few people still haven't heard about the school (I wouldn't want to associate with those kind of people anyway!).

Barnard is for girls who are a) good at making guy friends outside of their everyday life (because trust me you probably wont make to many accidentally) or girls who don't need guy friends. b) for girls who are willing to go out and make their own plans because even though there are campus events all the time, you have to be willing to really put your self out there. c) girls who really love New York and want to take advantage of all its exciting life. d) gilw who do not need the full "college experience" aka constant dorm and greek parties that everyone you know will be at-those don't exist here. Most parties are smaller and more intimate and tons of people just go off campus every weekend and explore New York.

I've met some of the most interesting and smart people ever at barnard. I know i've definitly met friends that i will still know in 50 years. The girls are (mostly) awesome, some can be anal and stuck up, but you can avoid those ones. In general, the atmosphere is simply amazing. I really really love barnard. And Columbia is just across the street. Both campuses are AMAZING.

One of my reasons for coming to Barnard is the fact that it's in New York City, which has so much to offer. At the same time, there is a small campus so it isn't like NYU where you are simply thrown into the city. One thing that I don't like about Barnard is that I think it is not very campus oriented like other schools. A lot of people are very independent here and so they sort of do their own thing in the city. We do have the benefit of taking classes at Columbia and going to their events but there is some friction between the girls at Columbia and the girls at Barnard. I think it's because some girls say they go to Columbia when in fact they go to Barnard and the Columbia girls sometimes feel like we are stepping on their turf.

Barnard is the perfect size, and the campus has a homey feeling even though the area is actually quite urban. There is a lot of construction going on there now, which makes it a little harder to hang out on campus, but there are still tons of places at Columbia and in the neighborhood to hang out. Barnard's library could be a lot better. The building is kind of run down. That said, it's always possible to go to any of Columbia's library's to read and study. I had a very positive experience with the administration with the exception of the class registration process, which is ridiculous and requires you to wait in a huge line for hours in order to sign up for classes. During my time there I only had a few professors that I did not like.

Barnard is all girls school that partners with Columbia University. It is a small school in a huge and always loud and noisy city. We are located on the Upper West Side, south of Harlem. This however makes no difference as one must watch their surroundings and be street smart no matter where they go to school. We have on campus dorms as well as places to live off campus. We have some of the best professors in the world teaching at our school and thus we have a rich educational environment. At this moment they are doing building a new addition to our campus and although I am excited to see the new community center it has been very hard to live 24/7 with the construction going on. I have made some wonderful friends and taken great classes. I love that we have such a close relationship with Columbia as well which gives us more options on classes and even dining options. As we are located in New York City we are everyday given the option to use the wonderful things around us to further stimulate our education and further our growth into intellectual young adults.

Perhaps the best thing about Barnard is that it is a small liberal arts college associated with a large university, so there are tons of classes to choose from but still the more intimate feel of a smaller school. It also has an amazing dance department. Professors on the whole are really excellent, although classes are often less stimulating than one would hope. The student body, unfortunately, seems to be less influenced by the cultural and artistic opportunities offered by the city, preferring instead the shallow, materialistic, elitist side of city life.

Barnard is a small liberal arts college in the middle of NYC. It is an integral part of the umbrella school, Columbia University. You really can't mention Barnard without Columbia because all of our sports and activities take place there, across the street and the traffic certainly goes both ways. You just have to stand at 117th street and watch to see that! So in a way, Barnard is the perfect size. Small enough to have a community feel but large enough that you don't feel claustrophobic. There is a lot of school pride here. On spirit day, everyone comes out, sporting I <3 BC tee-shirts and during orientation, the pride is really overwhelming. The OLs all love Barnard and are so enthusiastic that as a freshman it is pretty daunting and stressful, feeling pressured during the first week to fall in love with the school. But their excitement is contagious and by the end of the first year, the love and pride catches on. The best night of the semester is probably Orgo night. On the night before the first day of finals, the student body is served breakfast at midnight by the deans of the college and at about 1am (after interrupting intense cramming in Butler Library), the Columbia University Marching Band crosses the street and serenades us in the Quad. We throw all the papers we don't need out the window, in a snow flurry of papers and dance around them in the quad. I think we may be the only school to celebrate the beginning of finals, but it really is great! The first final is always Organic Chemistry, one of the hardest finals the school offers, hence "Orgo Night"

The great thing about Barnard is that you get all of the benefits of Columbia ("Columbia University" stamped on your diploma, access to all of Columbia's facilities including its GORGEOUS libraries...) without having to go to Columbia. Columbia is great for some people, but it is huge and students can slip through the cracks there with no one noticing. At Barnard everyone- and I mean everyone, even the desk attendants in the dorms- is committed to helping you succeed. Plus, Barnard has incredible resources of its own: its alumnae are quite generous and sponsor everything from scholarships to creative writing prizes to internship grants. And these alumnae are also a great support network for finding jobs, internships... even apartments!

Kind and always trying to make students relax and have fun while achieving their goals.