I was accepted on May 8th! Does anyone know if there is a FB group or anything like that for admitted students?
there’s an admitted student groupme you can join! (just take out the spaces):
groupme . com/join_group/59734131/4oYCHqNO
Hey @trademistakes I’m trying to join but I’m having troubles joining! 
@transfer3x2020 Hey! Congratulations!! That is fantastic!! Is it cool if we can connect? I would love to hear your process of applying because I myself am a CUNY student and looking to transfer to barnard
I sent this out on the wrong forum i think, so bear with me if this is a repeat:
Hello. Thank you to all the contributors to this forum. My daughter got accepted last night. Barnard was her first choice by far. Now it’s not. Now that they dragged us through this process without a returned email or phone call, and hearing how other people had been similarly ignored, we started to sour on them. My daughter is a creative writing major and she learned that she would have to apply and be accepted for her creative writing classes, instead of just taking the classes she wants. Also, the Barnard website looks like my middle-schooler created it, with basic text and not enough information. I heard the mental health support they have isn’t great. It also seems potentially “too” feministy? Meaning, is the culture equal rights and empowering women, or is this a man-hating environment? Finally, do Barnard women get 2nd billing with classes desired at Columbia? Are they 2nd class citizens to CU students? I would love to learn all this by someone other than the people with canned answers.
By the way, my daughter didn’t have great grades or ACT scores, but her writing is excellent and she wanted to have Russian language/culture path as well. So she might have filled a need with her interests. Plus we didn’t apply for financial aid. I’m telling people this in case it’s helpful in understanding a far-from-understandable process. Also, my daughter wants to decide asap, so if we are convinced Barnard isn’t the right place, we will immediately give up her spot in the hopes one of you on the waitlist will benefit.
Could anyone help me in learning more?
@toughtodecide I am a current Barnard student and would be happy to answer your questions. When I applied, I found the Barnard admissions office to be very responsive, so it is sad to see how unresponsive they have been this admissions cycle.
I am not a creative writing major, so I cannot speak to the strength of the program, but I am pretty sure the application process for the classes is only because they are popular. Barnard is well known for its English program, and more students register for the classes than spaces available.
Barnard students have the same registration times as Columbia students. We all have the same opportunities and take the same courses. No Columbia student is favored over a Barnard student in the registration process (and in general). The Barnard and Columbia campuses are very integrated, and the only people who care about Barnard being “lesser” than Columbia are people who are unknowledgeable about the dynamic between the campuses.
Barnard is women’s college, but no one rolls their eyes when they see a male Columbia student in a Barnard class, if that’s what you mean by “too feministy.” I feel that Barnard does a lot to empower me, and I have never felt that the campus was “man-hating” since most of us are friends with male Columbia students, anyway.
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Great - truly helpful. And what about housing? I heard that on-campus housing isn’t guaranteed for all years. I don’t know how crazy I am about off-campus housing.
@toughtodecide Housing is not guaranteed for transfers, but most receive it. Housing for transfer students is calculated by distance from campus and how quickly you submit your enrollment deposit. The only people I met who didn’t receive on campus housing were people whose permanent address is in Manhattan. Let me know if you have any other questions!
@toughtodecide But once a transfer student receives housing, she will be guaranteed housing for the remainder of her years at Barnard unless she takes a leave of absence.
Whew! OK - we are an hour away so i feel better now - my daughter is “weird” (he word, not mine) in that she loves sci fi, dungeons and dragons, anime, and many other non-mainstream things. She also has mental health issues, which she is acutely aware of, and wonderfully compensates for, but she needs a supportive environment in case of an urgency (like a panic attack). I don’t want to sound too motherly, but i do need to be convinced that she will be supported, because this is a lot of money for us, and i want to make sure i’m setting her up for success, not failure. Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate everyone’s time.
My daughter was admitted to Barnard too. I am happy for her, but also extremely uncomfortable with the lack of guaranteed housing for transfers. I have read things online that contradict what @vinylraincoat says. This girl transfered in 2017, and never received housing: https://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2019/02/15/for-transfers-barnard-housing-is-not-a-home/. Also enough transfers were dissatisfied with transfer-related issues at Barnard that they held a town hall about it in 2018: https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2018/04/04/transfers-describe-struggles-with-housing-academics-and-orientation-at-sga-town-hall/. At this point I am encouraging her to choose a different school. If anyone has any other more positive information I would appreciate it.
Thank you for your thoughts. Some students derive their energy from NYC, and others want the NYC environment only when they want it. If housing or socializing requires such off-campus immersion, I’m not sure it’s the spot for my daughter. She will ultimately decide, but we haven’t heard enough positives yet. Would love to hear more.
Hey! Has anyone else NOT received their decision yet…?
Hey! Did you hear back??? I still haven’t …
@icelis I have not!
@lilacpanthers let me know what platform is the best to reach you at
@touchtodecide: On-campus housing is guaranteed (unless your daughter is a transfer) - so whatever your sources are, their may be miscommunication - to be kind.
No, it’s in no way a man-hating environment. Barnard is one of the undergrad colleges under the Columbia University umbrella (so your daughter will be a “CU student”), it’s just that is has maintained a managerial and fiscal independence vs. the other colleges, such as Columbia College, that are completely subordinate to CU. The major difference is that Barnard students will spend four years seeing women succeeding in their senior and executive positions, right next to their male colleagues. So yes, that does tend to shape a distinct mindset…
Students from either side of Broadway use other side’s facilities, whichever suits one’s individual taste or happens to be closest during the day. You will see plenty of male students using libraries or dining rooms at Barnard, and my daughter spends at least half her time in Columbia facilities, dining halls and classes.
No there is no first/second billing or culture - for one: you couldn’t tell which female is attending which college when you are in lectures, libraries, gyms,… At least half of her friend circle are not Barnard girls, and she hangs out with friends at some Columbia dorm just as often as her own apartment at Barnard.
After he freshman year she attended a summer semester in Europe, put together by CU, and was even able to snag up a CU grant to cover the flights - because she was willing to put in the effort to submit an application… So no - most definitely NOT second class!
Popular classes can have wait lists, and preference will be given to seniority of course regardless if the class or student is at/from Barnard or CC or GS or SEAS…, and specially those students who pursue a major in that field. However, this has never created any problem for my daughter. Like everyone, she signs up for 30% more classes that she intends to take and then dropping some once she sees the teaching style, meets the prof, or realizes that some class locations would not be practical. Sometimes, wait lists work out, occasional they don’t.
My Junior would pick Barnard over Columbia College again; if anything she feels bad for all the CC students who are stuck with having to take core classes “just because”.
As far as mental health support, I can’t speak from experience, and experiences/perception might be different form person to person. But I do know that some of my daughter’s friends are receiving mental health accommodations - and I’ve she never related any frustrations she might feel on behalf of her friends.
In the past half year, I have seen a very compassionate side of Barnard, that was clearly distinct from other colleges.
@transfer3x2020 Thanks so much for getting back to me! I temporarily joined the groupme group chat and will be introducing myself shortly on it so you’ll recognise who I am. 
@purpleorchiids hi! I am thinking about applying to Wellesley for Fall 2021. Since I am not yet a Junior Member, I cannot private message you. How may I contact you otherwise??
anyone still not get anything yet?