<p>My D hasn’t had time yet to fully look at websites etc- AP exams-but I was looking at the class schedules for Barnard/Columbia and was very struck by how many classes that she might be taking given her current interets would be at Columbia with their faculty. By comparison, rather few at Barnard. This can be perceived as a benefit- the best of both- but it makes me think that Barnard rides the coattails of Columbia and gets by with much less than a more independent LAC.
Current student opinion and experiences appreciated.</p>
<p>I suppose it depends on student interests, but my daughter took only one class other than Russian at Columbia this past year, and she has signed up for Barnard classes in the fall. Because her Russian class is 5 days a week at Columbia, she is there every day -- but I think when it comes down to class choice, the word of mouth is leading her to choose Barnard classes with Barnard profs. I suppose it depends on major, however -- what are your daughter's interests that seem to be leading toward Columbia classes?</p>
<p>I looked at Psych, History and French courses- past the intro levels. She is interested in Psychology and Francophone studies. I think she should design a "Psychology of the French" major ).</p>
<p>To make that determination you'd have to compare Barnard offerings with offerings at: Colby, Carleton, Grinnell, Bard, etc.</p>
<p>But you didn't do that, you compared it with offerings at Columbia.</p>
<p>I haven't done it either, and don't care to. We checked before application about areas of most likely interest.</p>
<p>As to other areas, to me in many cases it doesn't seem like an important issue. The stats show Barnard students take about 30% of their coursework at Columbia; 70% at Barnard. However you term the relationship, one way or the other my daughter will probably be able to study anything she can reasonably want to while still taking the majority of her coursework in an LAC setting. It still seems like "best of both worlds" to me.</p>
<p>Whether or not another LAC has more in isolation than Barnard has in isolation seems pointless to me when, as a Columbia affiliate my daughter will have access to far more offerings than students at these isolated LACs will have in any event. Many of these places indeed stand in isolation; fortunately for my daughter Barnard doesn't.</p>
<p>If she winds up developing areas of interest where Barnard actually offers very little that's another matter. We tried to mitigate this via pre-research, but interests frequently change. </p>
<p>This situation can happen at any LAC though; it is a downside of the genre. At least in Barnard's case if this was to happen she might at least have the option of taking the courses at Columbia. Students at these other LACs wouldn't have that option.</p>
<p>No, I didn't compare to offerings at other LAC. What I noted was that many potential classes would end up being at Columbia, and I would wonder if small class size was maintained etc.</p>
<p>Sorry I interpreted your initial question as raising the issue of comparison to other LACs in offerings, not class sizes. In any event:</p>
<p>Maybe for that 30% class size may be higher.
But then there's still the 70%. Also I'm assuming that the situation really isn't worse, at the end of the day, than Grinnell, Bard, etc as a blanket matter, and in most cases they don't have to do the 30% if they don't find it to their advantage to do so. Their electing these courses is more a net benefit to them due to additional breadth, than a detriment due to class size.</p>
<p>Also, even at the big U class sizes probably get smaller in the upper levels.</p>
<p>But there could well be some respects where there is a "two-edged sword" impact of the affiliation.</p>
<p>For my daughter and her friends at Barnard which classes are at Barnard and which are at Columbia is a complete non-issue. I think this is only a matter of concern until the student actually attends Barnard. Then the extent of the integration of these schools becomes clear. One of my daughter's majors is at Cloumbia, the other at Barnard. This presents no problem for her. She enjoys the Barnard advisement system as well as the resources of the Butler Library. In other words, she enjoys both campuses and because of her feminism would not prefer to be attending Columbia. She is quite proud of Barnard.</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, Barnard has very a strong French department and psych department:</p>
<p>Barnard French courses:
<a href="http://www.barnard.edu/french/courses.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.barnard.edu/french/courses.htm</a></p>
<p>Barnard Psych courses:
<a href="http://www.barnard.edu/psych/classes/course_offerings.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.barnard.edu/psych/classes/course_offerings.html</a></p>
<p>List of overlapping Barnard/Columbia psych courses (same content, different numbers, can't get credit for both):
<a href="http://www.barnard.edu/psych/classes/overlapping_courses.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.barnard.edu/psych/classes/overlapping_courses.htm</a></p>
<p>(It looks like Barnard has more lab psych courses available, but maybe Columbia has lab courses in areas that don't overlap, so I am not sure of that).</p>
<p>As to history, it looks like there is some cooperation between Barnard & Columbia as to faculty hiring to avoid overlapping or redundant areas of expertise. </p>
<p>Here's a list of Barnard History courses:
<a href="http://www.barnard.edu/history/courses/courses.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.barnard.edu/history/courses/courses.html</a></p>
<p>And Columbia:
<a href="http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/depts/history.php?tab=courses%5B/url%5D">http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/depts/history.php?tab=courses</a></p>
<p>(note that the Columbia listings include Barnard listings).</p>
<p>Keep in mind that when you look at courses, "BC" means it is closely tied with Barnard, whereas a course with a W is "interfaculty" meaning it could be taught at any given time by faculty from either campus -- you can't tell by the title whether it is a Barnard or Columbia classes.</p>
<p>Although many courses are listed in the catalog, not all are given each year. Many of those courses were not in the actual schedules for 2006/2007.
This is hardly a "deal breaker", I think. Visiting, and possibly attending a class in the fall will be important- as will my D's reaction to MTL this summer.</p>
<p>That's true of any college -- not all courses are offered every year. But from my perspective, Barnard course selection & opportunities looks amazing as compared to the colleges my son has attended.</p>
<p>i;m interestd in middle eastern studies and languages and have been looking at the pencil book---nearly all of my classes are at columbia! i don't mind, really, but i'm just surprised. it's kind of ridiculous. italian classes, physics for poets, turkish, islamic studies, everything is at columbia!</p>
<p>One question--does the pencil book show every class offered, or will there be more once we start registering for classes?</p>
<p>My daughter#1 attends one of the larger LACs, and they don't offer : middle eastern studies, Turkish, islamic studies either. They only offer Italian at intro level; beyond that you may continue via private readings with consent of instructor. (That may actually be better, but is less formalized or certain).</p>
<p>Jewish Studies, yes. Various other European & East Asian languages, you bet. The ones you're after, nope.</p>
<p>The difference is, you can still take these courses, via the affiliation agreement. IF D1 had your interests she would just be out of luck. Of course if D1 had these interests going in she would not have selected this college; she did look first.</p>
<p>this might sound silly, but what's the "pencil book"? do you mean the course catalog?</p>