I’m an aspiring math major, and I’m pretty sure I super love Barnard. The people are super nice and amazing, I stay home in the city, the campus is pretty, and I get to team up with Columbia there!
But the thing is, the financial aid? Not so good. I only received a few thousand, and tried to appeal but to no avail. :’(
Would it be worth it to go as a math major (the math classes at Barnard seems lacking but I’m sure Columbia has a lot more)? I really don’t want to put my family into major debt, so would the return rate be good?
My other choices include NYU, Middlebury, URoch, and UChicago (only the last two gave me any good money).
Any personal experiences, thoughts, or new insight/advice would be greatly appreciated!
If you’re deciding between UChicago/ URochester with money and Barnard with little money, and Barnard would put your family in major debt, you should choose between UChicago and URochester. It’s not like you’d be loosing anything math wise by considering UChicago and Rochester is still an excellent school.
If Chicago and Rochester would be much cheaper, why is Barnard even on the table anymore?
Chicago in particular has one of the top math departments in the country.
I think Chicago would be better for a math major. I agree pick Chi or UR if the price is too steep.
What makes someone apply to NYU and Chicago while also applying to Middlebury? Totally different feel to these schools.
Some students would be happy and thrive in a variety of different kinds of settings, not just one. For example, I went to an LAC, and loved it, and would go to another one again given the chance. But I’m also really extraverted, love college football, and would enjoy the bazillion student activities and amenities offered by a large public university with D1 sports. It’s just like a student can be equally interested in math and history - they’re different fields, but they’re not mutually exclusive.
That said, I agree with the consensus - I understand your love of Barnard, but if it financially doesn’t work Chicago and Rochester are both great universities with great amenities and excellent academics.