NYU or Barnard?

<p>(If you were a girl) Which school would you choose, based on academics, people, environment/community, etc...</p>

<p>i applied to Barnard ED and was rejected.</p>

<p>the two schools are really different and i don't think you can really compare the two. it all depends on what you're looking for. </p>

<p>Barnard is great if you're looking for a small, liberal arts environment. you also have to take into consideration their '9 ways of knowing'. personally, i absolutely loved Barnard. i thought it was perfect-- the women there are so strong and committed to their own progress in society. the internship opportunities are a m a z i n g, and because the student body is so small, you're able to have a more intimate connection with faculty.</p>

<p>i'm applying to NYU Gallatin now, RD :-/ i'm probably going to make an attempt at transferring over to Barnard, though.</p>

<p>good idea mad2talk. I looked into a couple of all women universities and Barnard seems to be the best.</p>

<p>i was in the same situation senior year. i chose NYU. another girl at my high school chose NYU as well...but then this other chick chose Barnard....sorry..it sounded more helpful in my head...</p>

<p>My problem is that I am afraid that I would choose Barnard just for its reputation and ivy league affiliation...
But I'm afraid that Barnard may be a bit of a intellectual animal pit...
I go to a prep school now with tons of over achievers that work until the point that most of them either have serious disorders and some have even attempted to run away from home. I'm afraid that Barnard is the type of school where those kind of "perfect", over achieving girls go and that I'll be stuck with them for 4 more years.
NYU seems more artsy and relaxed and will have more of a variety of people.
I mean, both have a great education, but--and i know its horrible--Barnard has the sterotype of having a more...legitimate education, because of its connection to Columbia.</p>

<p>So...I mean, all my tour guides denied that the girls were like that and that they were all nice, but, of course they're going to say that.
What do you think? Will I be stuck with more ridiculous over achievers?</p>

<p>I've visited both and personally would go NYU hands down.. I ended up applying to Columbia but not Barnard at all.. just didn't like it- the people, the atmosphere.. and I know that a lot of it is the same at Columbia because of the crossover, but there were other reasons that I felt Columbia would be a better fit (and no, not because it's an Ivy)</p>

<p>NYU on the other hand, fell in love with.</p>

<p>Do you think the girls at Barnard are too obsessive and perfectionist? Are things competitive?</p>

<p>Why would you ever want to go to an all girls school? The girls i know from Barnard don't like it.</p>

<p>Don't dismiss the fact that a lot of Barnard girls are considered to be "lower" than girls at Columbia, and there are tensions between students in both schools-- a lot of Columbia students I know usually have this Barnard-girls-like-to-leech-off-Columbia-and-deceive-others-in-thinking-that-they-actually-go-to-Columbia attitude...that was a mouthful. Trust me, I got into this online flame war with some snobby Columbia students last year on this website about it...its rreally ridiculous. Personally, I'd go to NYU. </p>

<p>The morningside heights neighborhood cannot compare to NYU's greenwich village. I personally feel like there are more opportunities at NYU-- internship, variety of concentrations, etc.</p>

<p>Barnard isn't really an all girls school--you're right across the street from columbia, and male students can take barnard classes.</p>

<p>So, although it's all female, you're not that isolated.</p>

<p>do the girls there really hate it? why don't they transfer?</p>

<p>when we went to the Columbia prospective students session, they basically dogged Barnard (in an indirect manner). So be prepared for that kind of mentality from the kids that got into Columbia - it seemed to abound among their tour guides. :rolleyes:</p>

<p>I went to Barnard in the 80s and my daughter is there now. My second d just got accepted at NYU. </p>

<p>The schools are very different, and both great in their own ways. To answer your 1st question, yes, there are a lot of intense overachievers at Barnard, but you will find a lot of really cool, balanced girls there too. My d talks about some of the uptight grades-obsessed kids there, but she hangs with a great group of kids who are artsy, involved in clubs, service, do all kinds of things besides worry about school. She loves it there.</p>

<p>My second d, otoh, found the Barnard/Columbia atmosphere a bit too intellectual and "uptown." She really felt at home at NYU and prefers the village feel. As a middle child, she wants to have the option of being somewhat anonymous at times. Barnard is maybe a little too high-touch for her as a small LAC.</p>

<p>There has always been some tension betw Barnard and Columbia, and maybe it became more intense when Columbia went coed. But Barnard has asserted its identity successfully since then, and the relationship is mutually beneficial. Unfortunately, Columbia has its share of status addicts who don't know how to appreciate Barnard, but these people are few. You can't let a few ignorant people discourage you from going to the best school for you, whatever it may be. My d has equal numbers of Barnard and Columbia friends. They go to class side by side, study together, socialize together. </p>

<p>My hunch is that the overachievers you don't want to be stuck with are more prevalent at Columbia than at Barnard. B seeks out unique, unusual attributes and passions, and B students are more into the city and into the arts than Columbia College students, to overgeneralize. A lot depends on the major you'll choose. My d is comp lit, so she's not around the "gunners."</p>

<p>Do overnights at each of the schools if you can. You can't go wrong with either school. We're totally excited about NYU for our 2nd d and feel it's the best place for her, and we're also thrilled about the Barnard experience for our 1st d.</p>