<p>I graduated from a preppy all-girls high school last year, and left with mixed feelings. I have very few feminine interests and tend to go on the more androgynous side of things, but the girls there were “girl” girls and pretty preppy. I made the school work and did well there, but it wasn’t the greatest fit and I really struggled to find people with common interests.</p>
<p>I’m transferring out of my college now, and I’m consulting a college consultant now. She’s aware of the way I feel about my high school, but she strongly encourages Barnard because she thinks it would fit the intellectual/artsy feel I’m trying to find in college and insists it’s very diverse and saturated with men from Columbia. Is Barnard as diverse as she claims, or would I find more of the same?</p>
<p>I don’t know exactly what you mean by “girly and preppy.” Yes, a good number of Barnard girls are into fashion and do care about their appearance, if that’s what you mean. But just because they are like that doesn’t mean they are not accepting of others. AND those kinds of girls are not the only kind of girls on campus. If you choose to have short hair and wear traditionally male clothing, for example (I am not saying you necessarily do), no one will look down on you. You’ll see other girls who may look similar to you. If you are smart, kind, friendly–you’ll make friends and be appreciated by your classmates. This has been my experience.</p>
<p>currently I am a first-year at Barnard and I absolutely love it. There are a variety of girls ranging from the “too cool for school” types of girls to the super studious and academically involved girls. One thing I can assure you is that most of the girls are very fashion forward. In a way everyone is competing with each other not just academically but also socially; since there is limited contact with guys, every girl wants to seem attractive<br>
Hope this helped
-A</p>
<p>Just to put in my two cents (since I’m not a student yet), Ke$ha planned to go to Barnard College before she hit it big. And if you think she’s preppy then look in the beginning of the “TiK ToK” video!</p>
<p>Gen, I, too, graduated from a preppy school, and I honestly think some of my pink-and-green classmates would faint if they came to Barnard. We ARE in the city after all, not New England, so with the occasional glimpse of Bean boots (they’re very in right now), Barnard attracts (or imposes, by virtue of being in New York) a very stylish, ultramodern student body.</p>
<p>I’m a Barnard grad ('96) and I agree with what my fellow Barnard women have to say about the school. I went to boarding school at Andover, which has the reputation of being very preppy, and I fit in very well at Barnard. I had a lot of piercings and I have numerous tattoos and I was certainly not the only one! Of course there are preppy girls at Barnard, but they are by no means in the majority. Also, by being in the city you have the opportunity to express your own fashion sense and not feel left out.</p>