<p>@13lia1 – Perhaps the presenter has learned from experience that the students and families she talks to are most interested in learning about the Barnard history and Columbia affiliation. I would expect that a presenter in the states might also talk about the benefits of the women’s college (female empowerment, etc. ) --but perhaps that is not something that is so interesting to international audiences. Or were the other presenters also from women’s colleges? (If it was a “seven sisters” event, then of course there would be no need for a Barnard presenter to elaborate on that).</p>
<p>If the presenter only had a few minutes to talk with a group of several presenters, I can see why she would highlight the aspects of Barnard that most set it apart from the others – and make a point to answer the questions that she is most commonly asked.</p>
<p>Going back to my post – if you had been given an opportunity to ask questions, what would you have wanted to know?</p>
<p>It seems to me that the presenter did talk about the aspects that make Barnard college unique and set it apart from others. </p>
<p>Beyond that, when it comes to academics: all liberal arts colleges in the U.S.are essentially the same. Some are more rigorous than others, some are slightly smaller and some are slightly larger, there are some variations in course requirements, but beyond that the main distinctions are factors like their location (urban vs. suburban vs. rural) and special resources they have, often through affiliations with other colleges and universities. </p>
<p>It sounds like the presenter did touch upon Barnard’s 9-Ways-of-Knowing curriculum, so I am wondering what else you might have expected? Barnard’s close affiliation with Columbia and its urban setting are the most salient factors that distinguish it from other LAC’s. If you were to attend Barnard, those are qualities that you would be very much aware of, every single day. You can’t attend Barnard without also attending Columbia – even if you managed to avoid ever signing up for any courses at Columbia, you would still end up attending Columbia events and using Columbia resources. The same is true of the New York location – if you are at Barnard you are living in the city – the campus is much to small to provide any sense of isolation from the surrounding community. </p>
<p>If you have particular interests, then there are many other things that can be said about Barnard. My daughter was a dancer, so of course she was very interested in learning about Barnard’s excellent dance department. She was interested in continuing her Russian language studies, so it was valuable for us to know that Barnard & Columbia have a joint (shared) Slavic language department. </p>
<p>But how does a presenter talking to a group know that a student has a particular interest? If there is an opportunity for Q&A, then those issues can be discussed. </p>
<p>As a parent, I was most impressed with the close relationships that Barnard students form with their faculty – my daughter still maintains contact with several professors, even 4 years post-graduation. That certainly is what sets Barnard and its students apart from Columbia – and probably is at the root of the jealousy and resentment some Columbia students express toward Barnard-- but that is a quality that most LAC’s claim to offer and is inherent in the LAC model. So again, if the other presenters were also from LAC’s, that wouldn’t be much of a talking point.</p>
<p>How many different colleges were represented? If you remember, can you share the names of some of the other colleges? </p>