<p>I am not sure which school to go to. I want to major in pre-med. I want to go to a school with greek life and tons of school spirit. I like warm weather. I like small classes taught by professors and not TAs. Ranking also matters to me.</p>
<p>It doesn't sound like Barnard would be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>As Calmom said, Barnard does not fit all of your requirements. However, I am not sure any of your three do, so you may have to prioritize here.</p>
<p>Barnard would offer great pre-med opportunities and you would, I am thinking, have more chances to take the smaller classes you mentioned. Each of the three is well-thought-of as well. There is "Greek Life" at Barnard, but it is not a major influence, I believe. And warm weather...obviously, Emory is the only one on your list that gets you that.</p>
<p>Have you visitied each of these schools? I suggest you do that and then decide.</p>
<p>New York in the winter is pretty deadly because it's windy. :) I can't comment on the other schools though because I'm not familiar.</p>
<p>Well, if you like warm weather...I would go with Emory.</p>
<p>Speaking on the topic of comparing Barnard to other schools...
Which would be more impressive for applying to graduate schools abroad/finding work abroad: a BA from Barnard(Columbia) or Mcgill?</p>
<p>Barnard is a great place for pre-med. Many of the Columbia science courses would be available to you. If you are from the midwest Barnard would be warm in the winter, if you are from the south, it would be cold. There are definitely small classes (it is a same school) taught by professors. It has an excellent rep.</p>
<p>Well, in all fairness, there are also many very large classes, and while most classes are taught by profs, TA's play an important role in the larger classes. My d. has had two seminar-size classes each semester - her first year seminar and her foreign language section (taught by a TA); the other classes haver ranged in size from about 50-300 students.</p>
<p>I think what gave me pause is the the reference to "tons of school spirit". I was hoping a current Barnard student would weigh in. I have a sense that there is a strong sense of loyalty to Barnard, but I didn't see the kind of outward, rah-rah signs of school spirit when I visited. For example, no one seems to wear clothing with the school insignia. There seems to be somewhat of an uncertainty among Barnard students about which school is theirs so its not clear where to direct the school spirit. Barnard? or Columbia? -- keeping in mind that Barnard athletes play on Columbia teams, a Barnard woman who wants to pledge a sorority will have to do so at Columbia, and participation in most clubs or organizations are going to be done with Columbia. At the same time, a Barnard woman who makes a point of associating herself too strongly with Columbia incurs the resentment of (some) Columbia students. </p>
<p>I don't want this post to be seen as a negative - my own daughter would HATE to be on a campus where Greek life dominated, and would probably consider herself too much of an urban sophisticate to participate in brazen displays of the "school spirit" ... and she loves her large classes where she can slip quietly to the back of a large lecture hall and listen and take notes without feeling she has to be on the spot all the time. </p>
<p>But I just can't see a kid who is looking for the traditional college life with a big Greek scene, "tons" of school spirit, and students that rally around their athletic teams being happy at Columbia. My guess would be that Northwestern would provide more of that atmosphere... though it would also be the coldest choice of the bunch.</p>
<p>I'm sure that pre-med opportunities are probably excellent at all 3, so I don't see that as being a deciding factor.</p>