Barnard or Wellesley?

<p>I have been accepted to Barnard and Wellesley. I visited both campuses for tours/info sessions/classes and had hoped to figure out which one I would like more, but I ended up liking both colleges more equally. Could you please help me and give me your opinions?</p>

<p>Pros on Barnard:
Probably easier to obtain internships since it’s in new york city
A bit more co-ed
Columbia classes and facilities
Easier to “get out” since the subway’s walking distance away</p>

<p>Cons on Barnard:
Dorms are smaller
Less prestigious? (like, I’ve always had to mention Columbia with Barnard to others while people directly knew Wellesley)
Barnard gave me more loans than Wellesley.</p>

<p>Pros on Wellesley:
“It can stand by itself” as in it doesn’t rely heavily on another institution like Barnard does on Columbia
Less loans
Beautiful Campus/Dorms
Cross-course registration at MIT</p>

<p>Cons on Wellesley:
Social life seems constricted
30 min bus ride to get into Boston
Very traditionally womens college type of feel (This is a pro and con)
MIT classes are “leftovers” that are not filled up by MIT students</p>

<p>My concerns:

  1. Is a Barnard degree truly the same as a Columbia degree to grad schools?
  2. Would it be easier to go to say Harvard Medical School (or another grad school of that level) with a Wellesley Degree or Barnard Degree?
  3. Do Barnard graduates have an advantage over Wellesley graduates on going to a Columbia grad school?
  4. Do Columbia students “look down” on Barnard students?
  5. Do Barnard students wear Columbia sweatshirts/say that they go to Columbia?</p>

<p>Please help me!</p>

<p>Also, I’m looking into a major in one of the Sciences</p>

<p>I am sure Barnard’s degree stands with Columbia’s since grad/professional schools know that almost half the average B students courses are taken at Columbia. </p>

<p>B is more selective, so I’m not sure there <em>is</em> a real difference is prestige.</p>

<p>I think you have to go to the school where you feel most comfortable. The rest will fall into place. They’re both great schools. Now decide with your heart and not your head.</p>

<p>I can tell you that my D wouldn’t even apply to Wellesley. Just not her cup of tea. She adored Barnard. There are women who feel exactly opposite.</p>

<p>I don’t think you can make a bad decision.</p>

<p>you said:

The fact is that Barnard IS a part of the Columbia University Community, and that is a huge benefit of being a student at Barnard. And as such, Barnard is certainly able to “stand by itself”, as you say. Your assertion that this relationship with Columbia is somehow a “con” for Barnard is very, very confusing to me. </p>

<p>I am sure you could get the med school admissions statistics from the Dean of Pre Med programs at Barnard, but it’s my sense that if you do well on the MCATs and, of course, on your studies while at Barnard, you will have no difficulty getting into med school/grad school. I base this purely on the recent experiences of my daughter and her friends. </p>

<p>As Mythmom said, my daughter would never have considered going to Wellesley. Barnard was for her the perfect combination of a very supportive environment in the context of the virtually unlimited offerings available to her because of the Columbia relationship. </p>

<p>Wellesley is however a wonderful school, but for very different reasons.</p>

<p>Daughter picked Barnard over Wellesley. Has internship offers for summer after soph year, Unpaid internship during school semester(applied and received Barnard grant:so essentially did get some pay) helped resume for the summer offers:See Barnard web site for grant recipients and the internships for spring semester. More than half courses are at Columbia. Definitely people consider Barnard College and Columbia College both as colleges of Columbia University as both are taking courses at each:how much at one vs other depends on major.Many activities can join that students from both colleges are in so not all female.Daughter stated more than half students in many classes are boys. Daughter did know some Well students who were not that happy at Well and that many Well girls left campus on weekends to visit other coed schools . GOOD Luck in your decision.</p>