Hello everyone!
I am very interested in Barnard and I think I will apply ED. I am the type of person who will be happy if surrounded by similar/likeminded people. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to visit, so I don’t really know what Barnard students are like. From what I’ve read online and seen on Youtube, the academics, campus, and overall community seems like something I would love. I am just a little unsure at how I would mix with the other students. Could you describe what a Barnard woman was like in high school (I know Barnard has a variety of students from all sorts of backgrounds - I would just like an example student ). Basically, I would like to know if I would be a good fit for Barnard (people wise) and if I would find friends there. I know there are lots of stereotypes about Barnard out there (extreme feminists, lesbians, etc.) and I would just like to get those cleared up (again I wasn’t able to visit). I’m not trying to offend any Barnard students; I just want to know what the campus vibe is like
Some info about myself: I play varsity tennis and own a non-profit clothing company, I am not very artsy (I’m not an actor or artist) and need to constantly be doing something (why I love NYC so much)
@penngirlpending I don’t know who would use such websites to form any sort of judgment regarding the type of student that attends Barnard, or any college. Few students use those sites and they tend to be self selecting. But having known many Barnard graduates, there is no such thing as a “Barnard” type except to say they are very bright and tend to be assertive and self confident. The latter isn’t surprising given than they’ve chosen to attend a college that is part of a major research university and is in New York City.
As for what Barnard students were like in high school, judging from current Barnard students I’d say that were worldly, inquisitive and liked being exposed to different ideas and different people. I cannot emphasise enough how central Barnard’s location in NYC is to the Barnard (and Columbia) experience. It isn’t the place to go if you don’t like major cities and large universities.
@lillir99 : I will second all that exlibris97 has said. I will further say make sure you do not fail to emphasize your zeal or zest for being educated in an environment committed to building and providing a community of like-minded serious, smart, energized, curious women.
If you can, speak to what draws you to such a community, and how the support and confirmation of the strength and brilliance of women, those both quiet and steadfast as well as those who seem to glow with confident, talent and ideas, reflects on who you are and what you would love to be a part of. (Sounds like you will have no problem at all doing that.)
I would truly ask you to avoid letting others who would seek to skew your view with their own small-minded view of what they understand the focus of the women at a woman’s college to be.
IMO It is often the case that particular small schools/ LACs appeal more strongly to certain groups of people than to others. Based on their individual,non-random, distinguishing characteristics. From what I was told, Barnard is not an exception. While undoubtedly there is not one Barnard" type", D2 described a few different “types” that are quite likely more highly represented there than at some other schools.
Interested people should take the school up on its offer to do an overnight there. D2 didn’t do that, and said after the fact that she wished she did.
Unless things have changed in the past few years, Barnard doesn’t offer overnight visits to applicants-- just to admitted students. It’s easy enough for an applicant to arrange to do an overnight — I connected one CC parent & daughter with my daughter as a host one year – but it’s not something that Barnard would arrange.
All I know is it was available to D2, and she didn’t do it. And told me subsequently that she regretted that.
I don’t recall when in the process it was offered. If it was only for accepted students it would have been useless to her since she applied ED. But perhaps that’s the case, and that contributed to her decision not to do it, at the time. Which she forgot about later.
Anyway what counts is what is available to applicants, and/or to non-ED admitted students, now.
If overnights are not available, I guess one should do whatever they can to inform themselves. About any school, not just this one. Observe, ask questions while visiting, seek out current students and alums, etc.
Barnard offers the Barnard Bound program for young women from all over the country to come and visit, meet with admissions officers, meet each other, have a small tour of a designated part of NYC, and really be shepherded by the student-host, with whom the HS student will stay overnight. One writes essays for this program, and I’m pretty sure that for students who request travel assistance, they will consider helping (just pretty sure of this, though).
This program coincides with the general fall open house, and so is a time that parents will also be there, sitting in on informational talks with panels of heads of departments and professors.
The period for looking into the Barnard Bound program is probably the month of June of a young woman’s HS Junior year.
