Barnard College Top Questions

the best thing about barnard, by far, is it's unique situation. it is a small school as part of a large university, so you get the attention and help of a small school with all the facilities and opportunities of a large university. living in new york for four years really makes you grow up... leaving barnard i feel really ready to take on the world and not overwhelmed about living on my own. the campus life more or less sucks - i am part of a performing group and while we receive a lot of support from the college, the campus support is lacking. that said, there is always a lecture or a club or eight different silly meetings if you're into that kind of thing. i expected to hate that it was a women's college, only to find it's one of my favorite things about it. the education is really tailored to women.

Greatest thing about Barnard is the student population, very driven, bright, SO PASSIONATE, open, tolerant, sometimes can be too small, but Barnard is like a sorority within Columbia University. We have that small community feeling but we still have access to a major research university. So we have the best of both worlds. On campus, I spend most of my time in Butler Library or in my apartment. Barnard / Columbia is definitely situated in its own college town within New York City. We have our local college bars and we all go to the same stores and restaurants and the whole area is filled with familiar faces and students and professors. There is no Columbia pride, or Barnard pride. People don't come here for school spirit. They come here for the education and the connections to New York City. The Barnard Administration is useless and out of touch with the student population. Things are likely to change with the arrival of our new President.

The best thing about Barnard is the community. I never planned on going to a small school, but Barnard really does have an amazing, close-knit community of students, faculty, and administration. Sometimes when I tell people that I go to Barnard they don't know what it is, so I usually tell them that it's part of Columbia. Morningside Heights is a college town in itself, but I would challenge all Columbia students to try and escape the Columbia bubble more often- all of New York City is at your fingertips. I came to Barnard in spite of its status as a women's college, but I really appreciate the emphasis on feminism that's inherent in a lot of the curriculum.

As a first year at Barnard, life is pretty terrifying. The city is scary, the prestige of the school is intimidating, and the freshmen dorms emanate a summer camp feel. Once you adjust enough to emerge from your small room, though, you are forced to become an independent, opinionated, and confident woman. The small size of the school creates a heightened sense of academic competition while providing a more comprehensive student support system than larger institutions. Like any city school, the social life on campus is lacking because students tend to venture off campus and into the city. This diminishes school spirit a bit, but by the time senior year approaches, students feel a deep reluctance to leave Barnard. Seniors graduate from Barnard well prepared for the real world, demonstrating a sophistication and level of professionalism unparalleled by other liberal arts schools.

As you will read in any pamphlet from the Barnard Admissions Office, it boasts of being a unique institution that contains the best of all worlds- a nurturing, small liberal arts college for women that has access to the resources of Columbia University, and further beyond that, all of New York City. This sums it up in a nutshell. At Barnard you will feel safe and comfortable and cared about, without feeling stifled or as if you could ever outgrow the school. It's pretty "just right." Barnard is in Morningside Heights, which is a quaint little part of the city chock full of restaurants, grocery stores, and babysitting jobs galore. Morningside Heights is also home to the rest of Columbia University (grad schools included), Manhattan School of Music, and Union Theological Seminary- so there are always a lot of students/young people wherever you go. The 1 train is right outside your door when you go to Barnard, and all the basic things you could ever need are walking distance away. As far as the "wow" factor your grandparents will enjoy when bragging about you to their friends, Barnard packs a mean punch among educated people in the tri-state area, but otherwise there is a good chance people won't know what it is. Don't let this deter you- people who know what it is will think you're a little smarty-pants (if that's what matters to you).

Best thing about Barnard: a small liberal arts college located not in a corn field, but in New York City, with access to a large research university. Best of both worlds, period. If I could change one thing about Barnard, I'd try to create a stronger sense of community among all students. With about 2400 undergrads, I feel that Barnard is just the right size. Just when you feel like you know everyone in your year, you meet someone new. Generally, if you tell someone from the East Coast that you go to Barnard, they know what you are talking about and be impressed. Anywhere else, besides maybe California, you might have to explain that Barnard is in New York City, is affiliated with Columbia, etc. When I'm not studying or in class, most of my time on campus is spent hanging out in friends' apartments or dorm rooms. Currently, there is not a student center on Barnard's campus -- construction of "The Nexus," Barnard's new student center, is underway and set for completion by Fall 2009. The design is beautiful, so it should be a great addition to campus. New York poses a unique atmosphere in which to attend college. A more typical college town may offer a warmer sense of community and connection between the college and other residents, nothing could match New York City’s pace, diversity, and cultural offerings. Also, it's important to remember that there are TONS of students here. Therefore, there are a lot of advantages the city provides, such as student discounts for Broadway, ballet, opera, concert, or movie tickets. Barnard students, as well as students of other New York colleges and universities, also get free admission to most of the city's museums. Barnard's administration is pretty great - generally quick to respond to complaints and/or queries, visible, and cares about the students. In response to one of the most common student complaints about the antiquated course registration procedures, the administration launched a pilot program to test a new system. The students were informed by email about the pilot program, and told that if it is successful, the change will be instituted by next year. The biggest controversies on campus this year were actually more focused on the Columbia side than at Barnard. As this year demonstrates – Iranian Prime Minister Mahmoud Ahmedinejad coming to speak in the Fall, several hate crime incidents (a noose hung on a Black professor's door and several racist messages scrawled on bathroom stalls), and a week-long hunger strike by several students protesting Columbia's expansion into Manhattanville and lack of a strong Ethnic Studies program – the campus is never short on political controversy. Barnard is definitely less "ra ra" than the average big-ten university because people do not really care about the sports teams, which all exist through Columbia. Although Barnard students do participate in Varsity sports, there is not a lot of interest from the rest of the student population. The school spirit of Barnard comes out most at events like Midnight Breakfast, to be explained later. I think the most unique aspects about Barnard are its location, existence as a college devoted to women in the 21st century, and its relationship with Columbia University. If you want a small liberal arts college in the middle of one of the greatest cities in the world, a warm academic environment, and access to a premier research university's resources, Barnard is the only place to get it.