Hi, I have heard rumours that you can only apply to either Barnard or Columbia, but not both. Is that true?
Barnard is technically a college within the Columbia University but they have separate admissions processes.
I don’t believe that is true at all.
No. It is not true
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You can apply to both in the RD round - not ED. The core or mandatory requirements (I forget the name Barnard uses) are very different, so I think that is a factor and why cross application seems a little odd - in my opinion.
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Foundations
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Gosh, where to start… 
It just is - not “technically”, or subject to any other qualifier. (It’s like saying that Scotland is only “technically” part of the U.K., just because it also is an independent nation - even issues its own bank notes.)
Columbia University (CU) has four undergraduate colleges, two are specialized (for engineering, and one for non-traditional students) - and two traditional, 4-year colleges:
Students from these colleges attend courses together, from the University’s course catalogue, taught at either college by professors who are all University faculty, they share common facilities such as libraries, dining halls, gyms,…, participate in the same clubs, play on the same Ivy League teams, and graduate with Columbia University degrees.
However, Barnard has succeeded in maintaining its historically financial and administrative independence, including admissions. (Apparently a detail that some people can’t wrap their heads around.)
Someone made that up.
You absolutely can apply to Barnard College and to Columbia College, like you can apply to any other two colleges elsewhere.
Not at all odd, or even uncommon!
As a female, you can apply to both colleges, thus doubling your chances to attend Columbia University. If accepted to both, you can then look into details and figure out which one is a better match for you: some will choose CC, but I also know of several who ultimate decided that BC was a better fit.
Yes - that certainly can be a factor to decide for BC vs CC - because those two concepts are almost diametrically opposed. I’m oversimplifying - but essentially Columbia College prescribes a very narrowly defined “Core” that every student has to complete (narrow, in the sense that there are very specific courses, even very specific pieces of literature, that every student must take, regardless how well it fits with one’s interest).
In comparison, Barnard’s “Foundation” are a distribution matrix, the idea being breadth of knowledge. Barnard offers literally hundreds of courses spread across all disciplines and departments that will fulfill one or two distribution areas.
So everyone is likely to find course topics of their interest, possibly even tangential to one of their majors or minors, while at the same time widening their overall perspective.
Example: My daughter fulfilled a technology requirement by taking a hands-on programming lab that set up an experiment in her major field of study! She also took a neat planetary movement course, that fulfilled the math and (I forget which) other requirement.
So yes - the CC “Core” vs the BC “Foundations” are very different, and sometimes even the source of envy - or pity.
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The reason it gets confusing is because though they have exactly the same status within the university, Columbia and Barnard get treated very differently by the media. For example, you will never see Columbia listed as a LAC even though it has a relatively small student body, while Barnard is seldom listed as anything but. A bit of misogyny at work because one is a women’s college and the other isn’t? That’s debatable. Nevertheless, the lion’s share (no pun intended), of Columbia’s identity seems tied up with the university while Barnard’s isn’t.
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And a very simply reason might be that many don’t realize the existence of a Columbia College in parallel to the Columbia University, and that there is a distinction (am I’m not referring to unrelated institutions elsewhere in the country, also bearing the Columbia name).
In fact, in the minds of most college applicants (and their parents) there will only be “a Columbia”, in which case it will be confusing to them how Barnard (College) can “be” Columbia (University) at the same time.
In reality, a more accurate topic title could be “Columbia College (NY) vs. Columbia University (NY)”.
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That should more correctly say applying to both slightly raises your odds above applying to Barnard only.
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Valid point - by using the term “double”, I implied a precise probability.
The key is: odds will be better when applying to two different colleges that each use their own, distinct, admission criteria.
Barnard College’s holistic admission has shown to result in a number of top-achieving young women not being accepted, who might instead be welcome at Columbia College based on “numbers” and other factors in their favor.
And the reverse it true; Columbia College might not accept a candidate based on their criteria, where Barnard College will see a female with stronger potential than those other applicants with better “stats”.
So, yes, there’s no way to know precisely, how much better the chances are when applying to both - it might be slight for one person or significant for the next.
Not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but every time you type “Columbia College” or “Columbia University”, the hyperlink in blue brings the reader to the same page. If you’re trying to distinguish the two, you’re fighting a losing battle.
This has since been corrected
I’m only concerned about content - not producing link-bait.
Not trying - they ARE distinct.
No battles here!?
Simply informing that all their undergraduate colleges, including Columbia College and Barnard College, are “of” Columbia University. It’s a crucial name-redundancy that’s often overlooked, which is why people can’t figure out how one college could seemingly be part of another “college”.
Can’t help it, if College Confidential’s auto-link algorithm can’t figure out https://www.college.columbia.edu/ from https://www.columbia.edu/
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Also possibly because five of the “Seven Sisters” are liberal arts colleges, and essentially always were, while Radcliffe was entirely absorbed into Harvard. Barnard didn’t stay a separate LAC, but also resisted being absorbed into Columbia. There are also around 2,500 students at Barnard, which is in the LAC range, while Columbia has over 6,000 undergraduates, which is more than twice that.
So I guess that it’s called a LAC because it is mostly a LAC.
So, what does that make Columbia?
According to Wikipedia, it’s only 4,500 students; when you add Barnard, the total liberal arts component of the undergraduates tips 6,000.
Columbia College is 4,500 undergraduates, their Undergraduate School of Engineering has 1,700 students, and their Undergraduate School of General Studies has 2,700 students. They do not count Barnard in their enrollment:
According to their Mission Statement, Barnard College considers itself to be in partnership with Columbia University, rather than them being part of Columbia:
Finally, Barnard is a member of the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges. I’m sorry, but if they are calling themselves a liberal arts college, and are accepted as one by other liberal arts colleges, doesn’t that make them a liberal arts college?
If anybody takes exception with calling Barnard a liberal arts college, I recommend that they take it up with the Barnard Board of Trustees.
Will you at least accept Columbia College‘s own self-identification?
Well, this is awkward:
One of the world’s premier liberal arts colleges, Columbia College is distinguished by a singular, intensive Core Curriculum and provides all the benefits of a small college and all the reach of a great research university.
Both of you can’t be right.
As I wrote - Barnard considers itself to be a LAC, so take it up with their Board of Trustees.
Correct, independent, thus not „part“ of anything. But one of the 4 undergraduate colleges of the University:
https://barnard.edu/facts-stats
Barnard is an independent institution with its own policies, endowment, and trustees. Our singular agreement with Columbia University means: Barnard is considered one of Columbia University’s four undergraduate colleges
I don’t see any disagreement?
MWolf posted information about student size, because Columbia Undergraduate Studies combines CC and Engineering in their published numbers.
I, however, took the time to cite CC‘s own statement. Feel free to fight their windmills, if you please.
How/why?
You see, two unrelated facts can exist at the same time.
Do you feel this topic drift benefits the original poster?