My daughter wants a LAC and will start out premed (biochem). She is touring these schools in the next 3 weeks. She appears biased towards Boston because our family has visited often and she likes the city. I am unsure about BC. I get the sense that the other schools are more prestigious and there will be more support (smaller classes, more interaction with professors as opposed to TAs, no competition with grad students in a lab, broader alumni network, more help with summer opportunities and internships). I welcome your input and will share with my daughter.
Prestige should not bea primary factor in making a choice – the decision of which offer of acceptance to accept should be based on fit and comfort level – and perhaps factoring in costs, if there is a significan disparity because of different levels of financial aid.
My daughter is a Barnard grad. Barnard is part of Columbia-- so yes there are some large lecture courses, TA’s grading papers or leading discussion sessions or labs, and an overall academic environment which includes older, non-traditional students with Columbia GS and grad students. Barnard does also offer the benefit of a more LAC-like structure and I think that Barnard students definitely get more personalized attention from their faculty than their peers across the street at Columbia College – but overall it is a hybrid environment, not pure LAC.
But honestly – I think Barnard would be very difficult or a student who doesn’t love NY or thrive in an urban environment - and it is filled with very competitive and independent-minded young women, so not necessarily the place for a student who highly values a college with “more support.”
Go with an open mind and let your daugher pick the school where she feels she will be the most comfortable over the next 4 years.
Thank you!
BC is the best on this list actually
BC has a Catholic feel and ethics, with a work hard/play hard ethos.
W&L is very conservative and Greek.
Barnard is competitive, type A, more liberal than the previous two.
They’re very different from each other.
@calmom has given excellent advice.
I suspect your D’s visits will make it clear whether she wants a school in a city or a tiny town and how much cold weather she likes. All three schools would offer excellent academics, but the feel and fit will be very different on each campus. Is there a significant cost difference, and is that important to your family?
@jasejacc - As a Barnard alum with a daughter who is currently a pre-med/Biology major there, I will be happy to answer your questions if you choose to pm me. But I agree with everything that @calmom said above, and can only add that the science classes at Barnard and Columbia are very, very, tough. The liberal arts classes are excellent and rigorous - both at Barnard and Columbia. Best of luck to your daughter.
Thank you
BC this year and in the recent past has been more challenging to gain admittance than the either two. The prestige factor shouldn’t matter but since yoI asked BC is more prestigious in my view.
Congrats and good luck. Btw. You can’t go wrong
@privatebanker Where are you getting your numbers? Just going off acceptance rate: Barnard (15% acceptance rate) and W&L 24%, are more selective than BC (31%). Are you a BC alum? Please stop promoting BC with false information (and other things, like BC promotional videos).
Prestige is relative. For example, in the NYC area, Barnard with ivy affiliation is probably the most prestigious. In the South, W&L is the most prestigious.
Can only comment as the father of a first year at BC. Classes are all small. I have not heard of any class to this point being taught by a TA. Professors are very approachable and want you to succeed. The students do work and play hard. Play is not drinking, but rather a very inclusive environment where clubs, social causes, athletics, etc are greatly encouraged and supported by the college. The school is awesome for our child. Good luck in your journey.
No I’m not alum. I went to a state school flagship and did it for economic conservation. I am very proud And practical when it comes to these matters And you do know that admission rates are not the indication of selectivity. That’s one measure only. You just don’t like BC for some reason And one can only wonder why. It’s a great school and a lot of fun for the students. Looks good to me.
You have your opinion and I have mine. Yours is to knock Boston College on every thread you find. Are you not an alum and have hard feelings about something? I believe being through this process with children and many coworkers over the past five years this is my opinion. BC has become very very difficult and also. I am in a business in NY. We hire BC kids all the time.
@WildestDream And I’ll do whatever it is I feel help in my opinion. Who do you think you are to inform me on what to do. You’re a little to attached to this all. Information and viewpoints inform decisions. Looking at some Student produced videos definitely is fun. I don’t believe this is your forum so why do t we get back to answer the question. You have a good day and good luck
With very different locations (Barnard - very urban, BC - suburban bordering on urban, W&L - rural), presumably the student will have a significant preference.
BC shares these aspects, but to be clear, despite its name, BC is not a LAC - it is a medium-sized university.
Size of freshman class:
Barnard 600 (plus Columbia)
BC 2400
W&L 471
Middle 50 enrolled student stats of current freshmen are similar (with the caveat that admitted student stats are generally higher everywhere for next year’s freshmen):
Barnard ACT 30-33; SAT 1300-1450, EBRW 660-760, M 650-740
BC ACT 31-33; SAT 1310-1450, EBRW 650-720, M 650-740
W&L ACT 31-33; SAT 1350-1440, EBRW 680-740, M 670-750
Observation: if Barnard functions as a part of Columbia, then W&L is the odd choice of the three, being very small and rural.
Thanks evergreen for the stats. So there’s the stats on who attends OP.
You have the right to your opinion, but saying that BC is “more challenging” to get into than Barnard or W&L is fake-news based on data. I’m sorry you think I’m bashing BC, and In the greater scheme of things, selectivity should be at the bottom of the list when picking a college. But when students/their families are taking out six figures of non-dischargeable student loan debt, I believe being factual is important.
Here are some other key measures, not sure where you’re getting that BC is “more selective” than Barnard or W&L. Based on test scores and class rank of the entering class, these three are pretty similar, except BC has the highest acceptance rate.
Barnard:
SAT: 650-760 700-760
Top 10%: 81%
W&L
SAT: 690-760 700-740
Top 10%: 83%
BC
SAT: 660-760 680-750
Top 10%: 80%
@WildestDream Ok. Like I said. It’s my opinion. And stats are what they are. And it appears to support my opinion when you have to factor in that BC is putting in a lot of D1 athletes and trying (I know not that well) to diversify its student population these days. The average non urm female student is going to have a more difficult time getting in to BC this year. But it’s not based on anything than opinion and based on peRsonal experience of several kids this year. But what do I know. Go to where you think you’ll be happy. Watch the videos. Talk to your friends. Visit the school. Make a decision and have a blast.
@privatebanker If you think that every school, including Barnard or W&L, isn’t trying to actively recruit talented URM’s then you are seriously mistaken and haven’t been paying attention to higher education in recent years. Many people would also find your assumption that minorities are somehow less qualified and take seats from majority-background students troubling.
I think these three are relative peers. So if cost differences are not a big factor, the choice should be made based on fit:
- Academic fit (majors, class sizes, curriculum, calendar, workload, etc.)
- Environment (location, weather, campus size/look/convenience, setting, etc.)
- Social vibe (Greek/party scene, clubs, things to do, activism, etc.)