<p>I'm applying to transfer from a southern university (originally from California) and have had my heart set on Barnard but since have been accepted into Vanderbilt and I'm at a loss...Vanderbilt is technically rated a better school and I understand both environments are completely different. My question is 1. does anyone have any experience transferring into either of these schools and would like to expand on their experience 2. how heavy does a degree from either school weigh on the West/East coast (not planning on staying in the South if I don't absolutely have to)</p>
<p>Both are excellent schools. First, financial considerations. Will one of these schools be significantly less costly for you to attend (including loans)? Choose that one. If the financial picture is a non-issue then the next question is your intended major. If you already know what you want to study and one of these schools has a far better reputation and depth/breadth of offerings in the subject matter, choose that one. If you don’t know what you want to study or the schools are roughly equivalent in your anticipated major, then choose based on best social fit. Both are campus-based schools in cities but they have different vibes. Which one will be more comfortable for you? Don’t worry about the name recognition of either school in terms of employers. They are both great places to have on your resume. Barnard may have higher name recognition than Vanderbilt among the general public on the coasts (or at least the east coast), but potential employers will certainly understand the significance of a Vanderbilt degree. That said, I wouldn’t choose Vanderbilt solely because it is more highly ranked by US News. If the finances are doable at both schools then you are in the enviable position of having two great choices and can decide based solely on where you think you will be happier. Congratulations and good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you @fondmemories …I’m definitely majoring in Psychology but also have an interest in a public health field (which Barnard does not explicitly offer, but Vanderbilt does). I believe both schools have well acclaimed Psych programs from what I understand. Money is not a determining factor as it would be approximately the same for me to attend each school. Socially, Barnard is the better fit, though Nashville as a city is more in my comfort zone which makes the pros-cons list difficult to compare. My parents worry that Barnard doesn’t hold enough national recognition (or prestige) and will arrest graduate school and professional/career opportunities in the future–neither of which I personally agree. I think the biggest fear or potential turn off to Barnard is 1. the absence of public health major/minor options (which they may have just under a different department or title) and 2. the overwhelming adjustment to a city like NY</p>
<p>I think the fit of the school itself is more important than whether the city is a good fit. Both of these schools are campus-based. Your social life will be mostly on-campus. If you were choosing between Vanderbilt and NYU, that would be different. But I’m not sure you will have to make an overwhelming adjustment to NYC if you go to Barnard. You could interact with NYC as little or as much as you wanted to. Perhaps post this on the Barnard forum if you haven’t already and see if current students confirm this. (My info is based on having a nephew who went to Columbia.) I think Barnard is plenty prestigious! It is more important that you go to a school where you think you will be comfortable and fit in. If there is a big difference in how comfortable you will feel at Barnard vs Vanderbilt, go to Barnard. If it’s just a small preference then perhaps the public health option at Vanderbilt and the fact that your parents prefer it to Barnard should be the deciding factors.</p>
<p>I’m the mom of a Barnard alum – and I would not agree that the social life is “mostly on-campus”. The Barnard campus is the size of a postage stamp, and Columbia isn’t much larger. I think a lot of social life is clustered in the near-vicinity, on the upper west side immediately south of the campus - lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. So I don’t think the city would be “overwhelming” to someone who opted to stick close to their home base – but my d. went off-campus for sports and arts events. However, the Diana Center was under construction for two years’ of my daughter’s time at Barnard – so that might have colored her experience somewhat – perhaps that has now become more of center for student social life. </p>
<p>I think that academically, Barnard may be somewhat stronger than Vandy – the US News rankings don’t account for the Columbia partnership. Academically, anything that is available at Columbia is available to Barnard students. But it probably depends a lot on major - if you really wanted to get a better sense, you might spend some time researching course offerings, major requirements, and qualifications of the the faculty in the respective psych departments (your intended major) at both schools. I know that for Barnard the psych major is considered very demanding. </p>
<p>But I don’t think you will find a public health major on either side of the street --that’s more of professional focus whereas Barnard’s majors are more focused on academics. Students interested in public health would be expected to go on to earn an MPH at schools like Mailman. There are some graduate level courses at Mailman that are open to Barnard students. (Not a whole lot --I see about one listed each semester.)</p>