<ul>
<li>I like the fact that Barnard is a women's college.. I'm increasingly attracted to all-women's colleges and the experience that comes along with this 'setting'..I know Barnard isn't the typical all-women's college but what do you feel are the good things about going to Barnard... What is it like to go to a women's college? Does it help you to really shine as a thinker, leader, student, person and so on (without the competition of men)... And are lots of women there feminists?</li>
</ul>
<p>In many classes, there IS the competition of men. Unless your major is female dominated to begin with, there will be some guys in most of your classes. The only class I've had so far with NO men is my thesis seminar (BC students only). Lots of women here are feminists, of course, but most of them are sane about it. The benefits I've gotten from Barnard being a women's college have been limited to: good health services, generally cleaner and quieter dorm living, and the chance to meet really smart and interesting women. When I was in high school, most of the girls I knew were either shallow & ditzy or pretended to be. If I hadn't come here, I wonder if I would have made close female friends elsewhere. I love that being female isn't the first identity here.</p>
<ul>
<li>I hear that Barnard is very strong in dance and theatre (I'm an avid dancer).. I'm not going to major in dance or anything like that, but will I be able to take part in dance classes etc...</li>
</ul>
<p>Absolutely. Friends of mine in majors from physics to anthropology have taken dance classes, from ballet to african dance. They also count towards your gym requirement.</p>
<ul>
<li>Are you allowed to take ANY course at Columbia?</li>
</ul>
<p>No. No core, no senior seminars. There may be other restrictions that I don't know about, but generally enrollment is pretty open both ways.</p>
<ul>
<li>Is Barnard completely self-contained.. Is there a strong dependence on Columbia for resources? Do some students have to "live" in some of Columbia's residence halls?</li>
</ul>
<p>Depends on the department. Some are completely stand-alone (Econ, English, etc.) but you can supplement with a wider range of classes from CU. As for others, CU and Barnard don't want to duplicate academic resources, so some majors are "housed" at one school or the other, and some are very mixed. The schools discuss hiring decisions so they don't both hire someone in the same specialization if it's not necessary. The libraries are probably the largest point of dependence; the holdings of the University and interlibrary loan access are huge. </p>
<p>You definitely don't live in Columbia's halls. In fact, it's very difficult to do so. The number of Barnard students allowed to live in Columbia housing is limited by the number of Columbia students who want to live in Barnard housing; usually just a few every year, in the co-ed dorms.</p>
<ul>
<li>Can I get credits for some of the general ed requirements if I've done the IB? How long does it take to complete the general ed requirements? In the 'first-year seminar' course do you have to take seminars from all of these - literary, artistic, ethical, social, political? And what exactly is the 'first-year seminar'?</li>
</ul>
<p>I don't know anything about IB, but you can't get out of the requirements with AP credit, so I'd guess not. The requirements aren't so bad, especially if you can test out of the language requirement. The good news is that they can count towards your major credit, too. You'll probably finish most of your gen ed requirements in the first two years, while you explore and try to figure out what you want to major in. </p>
<p>As a transfer, I didn't take the first year seminar. But it's just a normal seminar, you pick a class, read some things, talk about them, and write a few papers. The seminar in residence is actually really cool, from what I hear. You live on a hall with students in your seminar, so you get to form nice bonds.</p>
<ul>
<li>In your opinion, "Barnard's partnership with CU" ("Barnard students are part of an Ivy League univeristy, pursuing their academic and professional goals....") --> good or bad?</li>
</ul>
<p>Mixed bag. The resources are great, but the student relationships can be strained. Overall, I'm glad it's here. Barnard was the only liberal arts college I applied to, because I was already thinking I wanted to go to graduate school, but I'm really glad I decided to go here instead of one of the universities I got into. Ironically, most of my research experience has been with Barnard professors, but I guess it worked out for the best either way.</p>
<ul>
<li>Have you come across many Barnard girls that were Columbia rejectees? How unhappy or happy are they? "I can predict what will happen if you come here, but I don't want to be mean." --> Pls do predict what will happen if I go there.. enlighten me...</li>
</ul>
<p>I do know a few. The worst I've met have been pretty sad. From day one of orientation, hanging out in front of John Jay, signing up for as many CC classes as possible, eating meals in the Columbia dining hall, trying to get into Columbia housing, etc. These are the stereotypical joke people, and I feel really badly for them. It's like those cheesey movies where the girl keeps chasing after some guy that dumped her, while meanwhile the nice male lead is there, trying to bring her around. I'm really not trying to be mean, I just don't want you to end up being one of those people everyone else laughs at.</p>
<p>Others go the opposite direction-- becoming insane Barnard cheerleaders, to justify that "they didn't want to go to Columbia, anyway, since Barnard's better." Those people are just as bad.</p>
<p>Of course, there are those who honestly liked both schools, for different reasons. I only know one of those types; she got rejected from both as a freshman and transferred into Barnard. She's really happy, and doesn't pretend to either be a CC student or pretend to think CC sucks.</p>
<ul>
<li>Are professors easily accessible? And do all courses at Barnard get taught by a professor (I've heard that at Columbia TAs teach and professors are really hard to get in touch with .. eek :/)</li>
</ul>
<p>Not all by full professors, but because Barnard doesn't HAVE a graduate school, we can't have TA's teaching the classes. But really, some TA's are good teachers. I had a great one for one of my calc classes. But the professors are AMAZING, and really accessible. Not only in office hours, but in, before, and after class, or by e-mail or phone. One of the greatest things about my experience here has been working with professors. They didn't treat me like a grade on a paper, but like a future scholar with interesting ideas to contribute. It's really inspired me to work harder, when the opinions of my professors actually matter to me. But I'm a complete academic nerd, so I'm definitely biased. They're generally great teachers, too. A few bad apples, of course, but a large part of Barnard's tenure review is based on teaching ability and student input.</p>
<ul>
<li>Are there any fun/interesting Barnard traditions?</li>
</ul>
<p>Oh man, I could go on forever. My favorite's Midnight Breakfast. The night before the first final, there's a big party in the gym and the deans and faculty serve students breakfast. There's a Spirit Day every spring, class events (senior dinner, sophomore major toast, etc.), fall fest (cider & caramel apples on the lawn, with games and whatnot), apple picking, the Greek Games... lots of really nice annual events. Oh, and stuff like screaming at midnight before your finals, and throwing all of your notes out the window onto the quad lawn. I'm much enmeshed in THOSE traditions lately...</p>
<ul>
<li>Are there sororities?</li>
</ul>
<p>Yes, and they're university wide.</p>
<ul>
<li>What study-abroad opportunities are there?</li>
</ul>
<p>I don't REALLY know about this. Two friends of mine spent a whole year in South Africa, and one spent a semester in Ireland. I know two girls at the London School of Economics right now. So it seems like it's common enough, but I've never looked into it myself.</p>
<p>Yikes, that's a lot. If anything was unclear or you want it expanded on, just ask. I'm in the library aaaaall day today, and can always use a study break.</p>