<p>Yes, they can. My D had two majors, one at B and one at C. She would have been able to drop the Barnard one had she chosen to. </p>
<p>Similarly, Columbia students can major at Barnard. This is only the case when the major is not at one’s home school.</p>
<p>what do you mean by “have a Columbia major”? If you mean get the Columbia degree with a major in a particular subject offered by both colleges, then of course not. You will meet the Barnard requirements for that major (though some of those classes could well be taken at Columbia). If it’s a major that Barnard does not offer but Columbia does, you can do that major, but your coursework will be different than a Columbia student doing it (you don’t do the core). Same with jointly offered majors. you can also do as one of my d’s friends did and create your own major (bio-physics, I believe) which she did jointly with Barnard and Columbia (she is now in med school).</p>
<p>Barnard’s neuroscience program is excellent. One huge factor that my d has found is that her lab experiences at Barnard involved way more significant responsibility and actual research than most undergrad experiences that her current peers in her PhD program had. The requirement for writing a Senior Thesis (and conducting original research for that) is very impressive for grad school apps. There are also opportunities for great summer fellowships. My d did indeed do well in her Grad school application cycle and loves her current program. The faculty at Barnard were very, very supportive during the application process. </p>
<p>hope that helps!</p>
<p>Alright, I would like to address the issue of financial aid when considering Barnard. I am aware that they are ‘need-blind’ and promise to meet full demonstrated need if accepted. However, if you apply ED, I’m guessing this could potentially hurt you as an applicant. So that’s my first question. Based off of what you’ve seen, how does considerable financial need affect ED and/or RD applicants?</p>
<p>My second question concerns the Barnard experience. When I first looked into Barnard, the location stuck out most attractively for my purposes of majoring in film. The idea that I could go to several art museums for free and get discounts to Broadway plays, not to mention the many ethnic eateries, excited me to no end. That is, until I looked at it in prospective. It seems that the average kid at Barnard, with fair exception, is on the upper middle or lower upper class spectrum. They can therefore afford to go and eat out several times a week, shop, go to parities, and see some amazing plays. Realistically, I don’t see how the scholarship kids are going to avoid missing out on handfuls of these opportunity. Further more, I’m concerned that this could, over time, have severe effects on relationships with other girls. If you are constantly staying on campus to study or browse the internet while your friends are off watching some dance showcase and you all know that the main reason is that you cannot afford to be with them, how do you cope comfortably? If possible I would like this question answered in particular because it is my main priority to get the most of my college experience. I would appreciate all feedback.</p>
<p>for freshmens, do they have to dorm the first year or can they just commute? please answer thank you</p>
<p>Meanderer, Barnard is need-blind at all stages of admission, but its a moot point – if you have substantial financial need, you should NOT apply ED, no matter what anyone tell you. You should be applying to multiple schools so that are able to compare financial aid awards and make a reasoned and fully informed decision in the spring. </p>
<p>You are correct that a significantly large percentage of students at Barnard come from privileged background and have money to afford to take advantage of various aspects of city life – and it can be an issue socially. My daughter’s experience was that it was more of an issue her first year when she hadn’t yet made a lot of friends – over time she made more friends with similar budget concerns – though of course, that fact did influence who her friends were. (I mean… she does also have some friends who come from quite wealthy backgrounds, but you are correct to anticipate that it sometimes creates barriers.) </p>
<p>I would note that there are a lot of opportunities to earn money in NY. Barnard has several agencies (bartending, babysitting) that offer good opportunities for cash paying incidental work. So it really depends not so much on what your financial aid situation is but how much you are willing to work above and beyond whatever your work study grant allots. My d. had plenty of opportunities to see shows, etc. – so I don’t think she would say that her financial situation was much of a limitation on her lifestyle. I don’t think you would “constantly” be staying on campus browsing the internet in any case – there’s plenty to do in New York that is cheap or free. </p>
<p>thestrokesrave – if you live within commuting distance of Barnard (such as in NY or NJ), you are not required to live on campus – you can commute. However, if you are on financial aid, you would not get money toward housing unless living on campus – and I am not sure if you would be guaranteed housing in future years if you opted to commute as a freshman.</p>
<p>I am a biology major and do research with one of the neuroscience professors. The majors are similar, with key differences: 1) neuro majors have stricter course requirements, obviously; 2) neuro majors are required to do research for their senior thesis, while biology majors can do either research or a seminar. I believe you can check out the differences at barnard.edu/biology and finding the link to the neuro major on there.</p>
<p>The neighborhood is quite safe. As in anyplace in NY, you should not be alone at night, and there are certain areas you stay away from after dark (the parks, for instance). There are many CU “safehouses” in the area and an extensive and responsive public safety service.</p>
<p>There are plenty upper level French classes that a fluent French speaker could take to maintain her skills. French seems pretty big here, although I speak Spanish.</p>
<p>I do not spend my money on shows, bars (yet), frequent restaurants, clothing, or clubs. My money goes strictly towards groceries, occasional dining experiences, and little things for myself. I work three separate jobs at Barnard during the academic year, and while I do come from a well-off family, I’m pretty adamant about managing my own funds. Just because Barnard women come from upper-middle-class families, doesn’t mean they live as such. I don’t know many (if any) people who are always out and about recreationally.</p>
<p>Barnard freshmen don’t have to live in college housing.</p>
<p>I just graduated with a major in Linguistics, it’s definitely possible! PM if you have any questions about it, I’d love to help!</p>
<p>I also want to add that for someone who considers exposure to museums and shows in NYC to be important, as a Barnard student you will have access to free or very reduced admission to many of this kind of thing. The college activities office offer many such opportunities. So you don’t have to be “wealthy” to see and do a lot.</p>
<p>My d actually worked in the CAO all four years and loved it.</p>
<p>To calmom and mysteryflavored,</p>
<p>Thanks a ton for your input. I realize from my previous post that I may have come off a bit negative by implying that Barnard women spend significant amounts of their time off of the campus and use their money for entertainment’s sake. I just felt that by asking a current student, I would get a candid response. Which, thankfully, I did and I do not think any less of Barnard for it. It just paints a more holistic picture. </p>
<p>Thank you for your warning on applying ED when considering financial aid calmom. I would agree that it is in my best interest to weigh financial aid packages comparatively when I finally have them all. I was considering applying ED to Barnard to make clear my commitment to the school, but obviously, I need to keep financial issues in prospective as well.</p>
<p>Thank you mythmom, mysteryflavored, and dolphins3636 for the info on Linguistics.</p>
<p>Lyler1992:</p>
<p>I didn’t do an interview for my application. Also, I think the interviewers are alums or current students working for admissions. (though I am not 100% sure about this)</p>
<p>My interviewer is an alum.</p>
<p>Does anyone know about the Asian Studies or Asian language programs? </p>
<p>One of the major factors of me wanting to go to Barnard is the size. Do you feel a sense of community or feel that it is a close knit campus? I’m deciding whether to apply to Columbia or Barnard early and I feel that there is a huge difference there.</p>
<p>I am seriously torn between Smith (my first love) and Barnard (my newest). I visited Barnard recently, and I could just totally see myself in a college like that. Plus, the student panel there was amazing.
Butttt… I went to Smith for a program this past summer and grew to love their campus, as well.</p>
<p>What to do?! ED is looming closer, and I seriously have no idea.</p>
<p>Yeah. I need to calm down, I know. But do you (or anyone, really) have any suggestions / dealbreakers / anything? I’ve looked through several “Smith vs. Barnard” threads, but most of them do nothing for me…</p>
<p>You should NOT apply ED, anywhere.</p>
<p>You should apply to both Smith & Barnard, RD. That would give you the opportunity to learn more about both schools, as well as to compare financial aid offers in the spring (if you are eligible for financial aid).</p>
<p>Why would you even think of tying yourself to ED if you are unsure of where you want to go?</p>
<p>I absolutely agree with Calmom. Apply to both and see where you are in the Spring. You have two great options and, hopefully, even more that you will apply to.</p>
<p>Barnard and Smith work there FA formulas slightly differently, so the awards may differ considerably.</p>
<p>DD had the same choice but Barnard was the clear winner for her.</p>
<p>I think both schools have an amazing student body and excellent academics and a great alumni network. Beyond that, I think day to day life is very different at both schools and if you are accepted to both, you will eventually settle on a clear choice.</p>
<p>Does Barnard have a pre med program? Or good pre med advising?
Are the classes relatively free, academic experimentation? (like they don’t have a core that turns out really annoying for premeds?)</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>You can apply to medical school with any major. But, yes, Barnard does have pre-med advising.</p>
<p>InChristAlone, as current president of Barnard’s only pre-health club, I think I’m your girl to talk to, haha.</p>
<p>I’m not a fan of Barnard’s premed advising. I don’t think anyone is, really, and I hope that student movement can get some change going in that respect. At this point, I advocate much more strongly for seeking advice from Barnard premed veterans (such as myself).</p>
<p>That being said, I think Barnard has been a great place to complete premed requirements while earning a bachelors degree. The “core curriculum” is super flexible and you can take classes that interest you in almost any area. For instance, for my “Reason and Value” requirement, I took a class in medical ethics. I’m a biology major, which overlaps with premed requirements to a surprisingly small degree (just one year of bio and one year of chem), and I finished all of my premed requirements by the end of junior year while taking an extremely moderate courseload (5 classes per semester).</p>
<p>There are a lot of fantastic opportunities at Barnard if you’re pre-med, including being able to conduct your own research, being a TA, volunteering at countless different hospitals, joining the campus EMS squad, and even taking classes that involve rotations around hospitals or shadowing current researchers. And if thats not enough, you can fulfll your premed requirements at Columbia, too, if the ones offered at Barnard present scheduling difficulties with your major classes.</p>
<p>You can PM me if you’d like to talk more. (:</p>