Hey Everyone! I am a first year at Barnard and I am happy to answer any questions that incoming students may have! Let me know 
I have one!
My DD will be a class of 2021.
On the move-in day, I heard there will be vans from Barnard taking parents to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick up dorm items they ordered.
Is this true?
I’m worried about move-in logistics…
@HiToWaMom In previous years they have taken people by bus/van to Bed Bath & Beyond, so I assume they will this year too. You will be getting a number of emails explaining all these arrangements in the near future.
Are you happy at Barnard? Do you like the professors? Have you made close friends, and how is the social life?
@Lindaloo Are you able to visit Barnard? You really should as you will get a feel of its community. My D. and N. made many friends at Barnard and took full advantage of its programs. That said, most of their professors were from Columbia or held joint appointments. I asked my daughter about this and she said she often didn’t know if they were Columbia or Barnard faculty as it wasn’t an issue. And the university is literally right across the street so it is a very integrated community.
Do you know of any Christians at Barnard?
Hey there! I’ll be applying ED to Barnard for Class of 2022. The thing is, I’m an international student (Indian specifically) and I’m a little unsure about the financial aid they can offer to me. Can you give me more details about that please?
Also I’ve signed up to be on their mailing list, so do you know what all they include in that and how long it takes for the package to reach? Thanks!
From the Barnard web site:
https://admissions.barnard.edu/node/81516
Translation: Barnard only provides need-based aid to a small fraction of international students. If they provide aid, it will be to meet full need (as they define it). Most international students don’t get aid. If you apply for aid and clearly need a substantial amount, and they are not able to offer aid, then they won’t admit you. (“need sensitive” means that they wil consider your need in making admissions decisions)
Hi! I’m planning to apply ED this November for Class of 2022 and I was wondering if you had any tips and suggestions when writing the supplement essays
Also, I wanted to ask about the placements and paid internships at Barnard? I’m willing to work throughout college for financial support, but does the college provide those oppotunities or we have to get them ourselves?
Barnard’s career center provides listings and resources for jobs and internships, but you have to apply for and get them on your own. Barnard also has grant funding available for internships – but same deal - you need to find the position and apply for the funding. If you qualify for work study,then there are more paid positions available … but again, you apply for a position.
Did you interview? On-campus or off? D has one scheduled on-campus but is afraid that stress will wreck the whole trip for her so will probably cancel and do one locally. Do you think that will put her at a disadvantage? Her SAT is at the bottom of the 25-75 range so will have to kill the rest of it!
@Muad_dib - are there any Christians at a college in the most diverse city in the country?
@byadg123 - Yes, that’s what I was wondering.
@Muad_dib if you are referring to Evangelicals or prayer circles on the quad then the answer might be no. If you’re referring to Methodists who are indistinguishable from non-practicing Jews and atheists then the answer is yes. I lived in NYC for years and didn’t know or care what most of my acquaintances’ religions were.
If you’re concerned that NYC doesn’t have a Christian presence you needn’t worry. Barnard is a stone’s throw from Riverside Church, a stunning beautiful house of worship overlooking the Hudson. Also, you’ll be another stone’s throw from the Cathedral of St John the Divine, the largest cathedral in the country. I’m sure you’ll find some of everything at Barnard.
@byadg123 – why do you think that your daughter’s interview would be so stressful?
My Barnard grad daughter also had lower end test scores, but I always knew that interviewing would be a strong point for her – she is very personable and confident, with a great sense of humer - and for her certainly a way to demonstrate her intellect. She flew out on her own from the west coast for her Barnard interview – it went very well and the fact that she traveled herself also seemed to be viewed very positively by the school. So I think the on-campus interview was probably a significant plus factor in her admission – given her weak test scores, it could have been a factor that tipped the balance for an application that might otherwise have been seen as iffy.
If your D. is not as comfortable with interviews, then the same might not apply for her. The whole point is that it’s an opportunity to demonstrate strength of an applicant – so someone who is shy or reticent might not get any particular benefit from an interview. There is no point in traveling for an interview that is going to be a bust.
But there is a qualitative difference between on-campus and local interviews. Local interviews are typically with alumna, and the quality of the interviewer can be variable. Obviously my D did not do one for Barnard- since she opted for on-campus, but she did several with other colleges and was generally not impressed with her interviewers. I think that if there is an admissions rep who visits the school it can be somewhat better, so you might want to check into that. My daughter’s high school didn’t have reps visiting from Barnard, but they did have a rep come from Wellesley… so that’s always a possibility.
But I’m also wondering about your daughter’s tolerance for stress. Is Barnard a top choice? I’m asking because life in NYC and Barnard/Columbia are fairly high stress environments overall, and I think that Barnard values independence and confidence in its applicants – so the statement about “afraid that stress will wreck the whole trip for her” makes me wonder if Barnard is a good fit. If she is applying RD, then she can make her decisions in the spring and no reason not to include Barnard in the mix of potential options – just one factor to consider.
My DD had an on campus interview this summer but it was with an alumna. So theres no guarantee of getting an admissions officer on campus. I think that the women just need to be able to talk comfortably about why they are there.
There are admissions officers who visit high schools so that’s probably a better opportunity to meet one.
My daughter’s on campus interview was with an upper level Barnard student, probably a senior. At the time my impression was that the student worked in the admissions office - but the student also had interests closely matched to my daughter’s, so it’s also possible that there was an intentional effort to match her with an appropriate interviewer. The interview was in late September or early October – my daughter insisted on doing visits during the school year so she would be there when school was in session. It was very positive --probably the best interview experience DD had. In the days before Barnard, she had interviewed at several DC-area schools.
Thank you all!
@calmom - her tolerance for risk is pretty high, though admittedly not Everest-high. What scares her about the interview is that it will be her first of any kind (not counting mock) so it’s the unknown factor more than the actual event. Finances demand she apply RD or EA where available so she will do as you say and include Barnard as one in a group of 6 schools: Barnard, NYU, Fordham-LC, two NC public schools, and a NC safety. She’ll probably get into the NC schools plus Fordham, won’t need her safety, and who knows about Barnard and NYU. (I could be mistaken about the likelihood of NYU&Fordham. Barnard is the stretch)
Personally I think she should interview on campus but she’s a big girl and gets to decide.
OK, sounds like is dead set on going to NY if she leaves her home state… but there is no way that she will get much in the way of financial aid from NYU if her SAT is at the bottom of Barnard’s 25-75 range. NYU is pretty much the same score range, except unlike Barnard, NYU won’t meet full need --so if finances are an issue, then NYU won’t be an option.
I understand the college choice – my daughter applied to the same NY colleges and was accepted to all three, but NYU’s financial aid award was a joke.
At least my daughter managed to get fee waivers for almost all of her application fees.
If you as a parent are happy with the NC public options… no problem, other than you need to be very clear with your daugher about finances, now. I let my daughter “appeal” her NYU financial aid award on her own – so her frustration & disappointment could rightfully be directed at them and not me – but it might have been a tougher pill to swallow if she hadn’t also been admitted to Barnard with a generous aid offer.
But you are looking at a school with a $72K price tag – and that’s just for year #1. See this post for a good summary of how NYU financial aid works: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/new-york-university/1117221-parents-and-students-concerned-with-financial-aid-please-read-p1.html