<p>If i go to Barnard, can I choose to take all of my classes at Columbia with Columbia students? Is the only difference between going to Barnard and going to Columbia in that case just the fact that your dorms are at Barnard?</p>
<p>Well, not exactly…In fact, not at all. </p>
<p>Barnard has a very different atmosphere from Columbia–yes, different dorms, but also different advising, different student services, different meal plans, and different core and major requirements. At Barnard, for instance, you take the “9 Ways of Knowing” (versus Columbia’s much stricter Core); you also have to declare a major and write a thesis, while Columbia students can choose to do this but can also just have a variety of different “concentrations” and not complete any thesis work.</p>
<p>With the exception of core classes at Barnard and Columbia though, yes, you can take your classes at either school–they are all listed in the same course guide, and often you cannot even tell where the class is or if a Barnard or Columbia prof is teaching it until you attend. If you wanted to, it would be feasible to take all of your classes but certain core and major requirements at Columbia…but why would you want to? Many of Barnard’s classes are much better than their Columbia counterparts, and there’s an equal number of students from Columbia who take Barnard classes because of that. There’s not point in going to Barnard if you’re trying to recreate the Columbia experience, because that simply isn’t possible; if you attend, you need to embrace where you are and take advantage of what Barnard has to offer.</p>
<p>Columbia and Barnard are very different, and no, you can’t do that. The mood, the students, the academics: it’s a separate experience. If you want to take all of your classes at Columbia, apply to Columbia.</p>