Environment at Barnard: competitive or supportive, etc

I know Barnard is an extremely academically rigorous culture, so I’m going to assume that everyone there actively wants to learn and doesn’t slack. Also, is the academic culture more competitive and stressful between students or is it more collaborative and welcoming? Are professors supportive and willing to help? Do you form close relationships with professors?

Are there diverse personality types at Barnard? What is the typical Barnard girl like?

You can form close relationships with professors, depending on the professor. On the whole, the Barnard professors are much more supportive and willing to help than the Columbia professors you will have (most students take about half of their classes at Barnard and the other half at Columbia depending on your major though). The students are very collaborative and welcoming. There are definitely diverse personality types at Barnard but girls at Barnard are known to be very cosmopolitan, savvy, and intellectual. Barnard also has a lot of really artistic and international women.