I have a friend at Barnard in NYC who is a little…out there. I’m pretty open minded, but I don’t really like being around loudly strange people. Also, I’m of course a feminist, but I’ve heard that Barnard girls are into the crazy end of it (bra-burning, anti-men & avoiding at all costs, etc). Is this true or is it just a small fraction of the student body?
(I’m looking into Barnard for the small liberal arts/big city experience but I have no interest in it at the cost of not fitting in for 4 years).
Barnard women are bold, beautiful, and unafraid. Many are strong activists and and yes, are at the forefront of progressivism to a degree that some might call radical–which I’m assuming is this “weird” “bra-burning” straw woman you speak of. Please don’t humor them by applying with caveats, accept it as it is or explore other schools. I really don’t mean to sound judgmental, but the tone at which you seem to compartmentalize differences in ideology suggests to me that Barnard may not be the school for you.
Rant over! I’m sorry if I ruffled any feathers! I would visit for yourself if you can to catch a vibe for the school, and if you’re not interested, there are plenty of other schools out there that you may fit in better. Visiting and meeting students is paramount to finding a student body where you can find your place. In short, if you’re worried Barnard may not be a good fit for the reasons you listed above, it probably isn’t.
That definitely is an extreme view. My cousin’s daughter goes there and I would not remotely describe her that way. I would say she is very smart and passionate and fun!
I worked at Barnard for a year (and attended Columbia as a graduate student for 6). Barnard women are varied and diverse. Most are pretty liberal and would probably describe themselves as feminists. Are they all “loudly strange” or “into the crazy end of it?” No. I also think it would be unusual for Barnard women to be “anti-men and avoiding at all costs” since they chose a college that is affiliated with, and across the street from, a co-ed university.
This stereotype gets tossed around about all of the women’s colleges from time to time and it’s not true about any of them. People just seem to regard all-women’s environments as kind of weird and somehow believe the only reason women would want to get together without the presence of men is so they can burn bras or hate on men.
Bizarre question. There is no “typical” Barnard student. Students are the same as everywhere, except that the vast majority of students are incredibly bright and clever.
Yeah like there’s no typical new yorker. It’s the opposite of typical which is why people either like it or not. If you like uniformity and convention, NYC by definition is not great for you. Stay in the suburbs. And I supposed then Barnard isn’t a good fit for you eiter either. If you like people generally expressing themselves sometimes randomly, striving passionately after some ideal or goal, doing something completely new and refreshing and daring, then NYC is for you and by extension so is Barnard. The City tends to attract doers and dreamers combined. You either want to join or leave it behind. If you want the City part but more suburban feel, try Fordham or Manhattanville or Webster. If you want more of the arty out there striving part of NYC try NYU the CUNYs and SUNY’s FIT.
If you are worried about being with people who you term weird, most east coast LACs and Reed on the west coast are not for you. There are most definitely people with different personalities and viewpoints at all of these colleges. Please visit and feel the vibe. My daughter did and felt comfortable enough to apply - she accepted and understood the people she met for what they were