Barnard or Brandeis

Hi! I’m currently attending Barnard, but I took a leave for the spring term for mental health reasons. I’m considering transferring schools, but though I applied to a wide variety of schools, my parents decided last minute that I can’t leave New England, despite never mentioning this even though they knew I was applying to schools further away. This leaves Brandeis as my only real other option, and I’m conflicted. On one hand, I know more people at Barnard, although I don’t really have any friends due to my depression, and the affiliation with Columbia gives me a much wider range of courses to choose from, which is nice since I tend to like small courses on somewhat esoteric subjects. I’m also involved in the newspaper there and have some great opportunities that only exist at Barnard through that (don’t want to be too specific to give away my identity.) However, I’m not a big fan of NYC, and I’m interested in indie music, which often involves a long trip to Brooklyn to see bands. Brandeis has a focus on social justice that I really love, but it’s only 20 minutes away from home. I went to a boarding school, so that’s literally closer than my high school, which feels coddling at my age. It’s also less of an elite environment, which I like a lot (I had enough exposure to that kind of thing in HS.) Nobody from my high school goes there, which is very unusual for a prestigious school and very liberating (there are probably at least a dozen kids from my graduating class at Barnard or Columbia.) How convenient is Boston from Brandeis? Which school would you choose in my place?

I am not a Brandeis student but a parent of an alum. The school offers a BranVan transportation into Harvard Square and similarly into Brookline (at least they did when my daughter attended) from Thursday through Sunday. The commuter rail into Boston is right at the campus entrance.

I do not presuppose anyone on here knows your situation as well or loves you more than your parents. I would not suggest second guessing them considering your medical history and Brandeis is a world class school.

To clarify, my parents are okay with Barnard (close enough to home, I guess.)

If you like Barnard and the Columbia connection and you feel good. Go for it!

If you feel that you now can look at your Barnard experience through a new set of glasses, so to speak, then there may not be a compelling reason to transfer. You can make bonds with people there through your involvement in newspaper and other activities. Probably you will be better able to form social connections now that you are feeling better.

But if something about Brandeis appeals to you more, it certainly is a great school. Yes, it is a great place to work towards social justice, it has a lot of bright students interested in their learning (the valedictorian from our local high school will be going there this fall), and it has a wonderful balance of small college feel, due to its small size, with the resources of a renowned research university. My favorite aspect of Brandeis is that it is the nation’s only fully secular, never-religiously-affiliated college that does not have a Christian majority. It is diverse and pluralistic and respectful of independent thought, and that atmosphere permeates everything.

Unless you REALLY can’t stand Barnard, I would stay. You would be giving up a lot of things you seem you value (Newspaper, wide array of courses, NYC music culture).

NYC has so many social justice organizations. If Barnard doesn’t offer it, look off campus.

I went to graduate school in New York - at Columbia, actually, and I taught at Barnard. While there are lots of indie musicians in Brooklyn, you certainly don’t have to go all the way to Brooklyn to see bands - there are plenty that play in Manhattan, and even in Manhattan north of 59th St. (and, depending on what kind of music you like, throughout Harlem). You just have to know where to look!

Barnard also has a pretty strong focus on social justice. I know that the flavor might be different than Brandeis’ focus, but there are plenty of ways to get involved in social justice issues at Barnard, across Columbia and across NYC.

What is it that makes you not a fan of New York? I can understand that - I left New York after 7 years there because I grew tired of it, and it can be hard on the mental health - but it might be easier to help you think about it if we knew why you don’t like New York and why you thin the suburbs of Boston would be a better environment.

I’m going to address just one point you made, about going to school 10 minutes from home. By way of background, I grew up in Wellesley and flat out refused to consider Wellesley College because I wasn’t going to school in a place where my mother could decide to drop by unexpectedly on her way to grocery shopping. So I understand where you’re coming from. But with the perspective of a few decades, I’d say that going to school that close to home can be fine if your parents are willing to treat you as being away from school and don’t expect to visit you or have you visit them any more often than, say, if you stayed at Barnard. IOW, if your parents will give you the necessary space, I think you’ll be ok. And think how quick and easy it will be to get home for thanksgiving!

I’m glad you’re feeling better. Good luck with your decision.