Barnard College Top Questions

Barnard occupies a really unique place in the world of American colleges. On one hand, it's a small, private liberal arts school for women but on the other hand we have access to all the resources of a large Ivy League school - namely Columbia. So it is both a small school and a large one, both single-sex and co-ed. We have complete cross-registration privileges, which is amazing, but Barnard professors really are more approachable. And Barnard is full of amazing traditions. Possibly the best is the Midnight Breakfast: at midnight before exams begin, the entire school crowds into the gym and professors and deans and famous alumnae serve us breakfast. Similarly, each spring we have a Spirit Day which shows just how phenomenal Barnard spirit is and how proud we are of where we go to school. And being in New York City can only be considered a plus. We're on the Upper West Side, and the neighborhood - Morningside Heights - almost feels like a mini college town. But a ten minute ride on the 1 train brings you full stop into the middle of the city. So you can get away from all that insanity when it's just too much, but it's also amazing to be so close to everything that New York offers.

I absolutely love Barnard! It is an environment where I have thrived and grown to call my home over the past three years. One of my favorite things about it is the overflow of support and nurture within this amazing group of bright women, inspiring faculty, and caring staff. Someone is pretty much always here for you at Barnard, whether it's your friendly RA, your warm advisor, or one of our many great deans. It's also a community in the truest sense of the term; it's a place where one can feel comfortable and secure while challenged to think outside of the box in and out of the classroom. It's a little gem that will expose you to some of the most phenomenal opportunities, professors, and even peers, whom are all incredibly diverse. But this diverse population is united by one thing: we are all "strong, beautiful Barnard women"!

I love that Barnard is a women's college that doesn't force women's activism on their students. By being here one is able to learn what it means to be an empowered woman without being forced in being a stereotypical "man-hater".

Best thing about Barnard is that you get the small college feel while attached to a big campus. Teachers generally know your name, your advisors generally know your work, your personality and your dreams and aspirations intimately. I feel that Barnard is very technologically archaic. I think it's ridiculous that the campus is not wireless and that things like housing selection, L course sign ups, Urban NY, etc are not done online. The administration at Barnard is extremely friendly, organized and well intended. They really are here for the Barnard student and work to ensure that they have the best college experience possible. There is very little school pride at Barnard. I think part of the reason is that the school tries to create school pride like a school with a lot of school pride would (say Florida State, Duke, or Notre Dame) but it's not authentic. It all seems forced. Barnard should embrace the fact that it's a college in the city rather than trying to pretend we are a rural school whose students enjoy running around on the campus...while Barnard students are generally very involved with on campus activities...the activities they are involved in are generally organizational, intellectually or creatively stimulating - it's not like Middlebury where they have a Quidditch team and a Streaking club...that's just not Barnard.

Barnard is a college with a rich, intimate community within New York City. Any hesitation I had about going to a women's college was eliminated when I realized I was forming relationships with other women that would be some of the most important in my life. My life here has been enriched by friendships that I don't think would be the same anywhere else. The pride I feel for this school is not dependent on sports, rankings, etc. I feel pride for our community.

Barnard is a wonderful size, there are professors who actually know your name here. In all my Barnard classes my professors seem truly interested in my progress as a student; however, Columbia classes are typically much larger and very impersonal. There isn't really a ton of campus activities because Barnard/Columbia students consider the city their college activities. We have amazing things in our city such as the Guggenheim and Wall Street that no other colleges can come close to having.

it can be frustrating going to an all girls school because sometimes girls can be a bit much. but i will never regret going to Barnard. I feel like I have a built in support system, and BArnard alumni are always there for the students. Also, the advising is soooo much better than Columbia's

Barnard really, truly cares about women, which is so important and which I love. Just being on campus makes you start to think differently about women's issues, society, and "the f-word" (feminism). It's a good size, and it's especially nice to have a small community in such a big city while still having access to the resources of Columbia. NO ONE ever knows what or where Barnard is, 9 times out of 10 you'll have to either explain or just say Columbia. Right now there is a massive hole in the middle of our campus where the student center used to be, but the new one is supposed to be finished when classes start in September 2009. I would say I spend most of my time on campus in my dorm -- we have a suite (like an apartment) -- or at Lerner (Columbia College's student center). New York is awesome. It can be overwhelming and expensive, but it's definitely worth it for the amazing range of experiences you get. Morningside Heights/the Upper West Side (the neighborhood where Barnard is located) is very different than most of the rest of Manhattan...so explore! I love West Village and Soho, sometimes I go there for no purpose except getting away from the UWS. There is a lot of tension between Barnard and Columbia, and a lot of disparaging remarks are thrown back and forth, but I've found it's better to just keep your head out of it. Yes, many girls go to Barnard because they didn't get into Columbia and still want to "go there," but there are just as many (if not more) for whom Barnard was the number one choice. Barnard has one of the best dance programs in the country -- that's why I'm here, so that I can get good dance training (in New York City, no less) while also getting an excellent academic education. There are plenty of personal reasons to chose where you end up at college; if you prefer comparing SAT scores to considering those other reasons, you would probably fit in better at Columbia (College) anyway. The food is fine; after your first year (unless you continue living in the Quad...where the dining hall is), you probably will end up cooking/eating out more than getting school food anyway. The desserts are AMAZING, the selection not so much, and the service is often downright rude. I think that for college this is about the best you're going to get.

My favorite experience at Barnard was Midnight Breakfast, Fall semester 2007. Midnight Breakfast is one of the best things Barnard does: the night before exams start, the Activities Council hosts a breakfast at midnight served by alum profs and admins. It's absolutely incredible, and you can totally feel the barnard love going on in the gym. It's generally one big party with sporadic moments of freak-out over finals. Last semester, the DJ played "man i feel like a woman", and the entire room burst into a sing-out. It was an amazing moment not only of woman pride, but of barnard centered goodness. No one cared about what was going on across the street or the recent acts of hate the campus had suffered. It was just a good time, an experience I think tends to get lost in the shuffle of being the best.

Half of the time, people say, "where is Barnard?" or "I haven't heard of it." I have to tell them it's Barnard College of Columbia University, but then I have to follow up with "it's what Columbia would be if it were all women and artsy." But that is only in a social setting. When applying for jobs, internships, etc. Barnard usually gets a respectable nod. It's a respectable institution and lots of famous alumni, and we all know it. The best thing about Barnard are the other women there. They all have something interesting to talk about. Each one is unique. They are an inspiring, beautiful group of people to be around.