I’ve been looking at many LACs and Barnard is one that I absolutely fell in love with especially because of one of it’s psychology programs. I really like how its a women’s college, but also doesn’t really feel too much like one. My only concern is being in New York City (which I realize is also a huge reason most people apply to Barnard). Coming from a small town, I’m worried about how I’ll adapt to being in a big city. If anyone could give me any advice or input on how much I should let this worry influence my decision to apply to Barnard that’d be great!
Environment should be a huge part of making your decision, because it’ll influence your mindset and how successful you are. If you aren’t sure about being in a big city, NYC isn’t exactly a good place to start. It’s the biggest city you can pick, y’know? Big cities have big opportunities but they also have vermin, violence, unpredictability, and danger that you won’t see in small towns. I’ve spent a lot of time in small towns visiting family, but I live in city suburbs, so I have a fair amount of experience dealing with both. There are a lot of smaller cities that aren’t as intimidating and expensive as NYC if you aren’t sure, and smaller cities can provide the same kind of opportunity, but on a smaller scale.