<p>Question: how’s the cafeteria food? What does an average lunch or dinner see you or a typical diner eating? How often do people (particularly first years with the required unlimited plan) actually eat there?</p>
<p>I agree that living on campus all four years is probably the best idea, or at least the first three. Beyond feeling disconnected from Barnard, you deal with a lot of very adult problems, like making rent, commuting, and (if you’re finances are limited) living in a not-so-safe neighborhood. While I enjoy the freedom living off-campus brings in my senior year, I definitely regret being away my junior year–it was maybe the hardest year of my life.</p>
<p>That being said, I did live on-campus for two years, and never made a connection with any of my roommates. By the time the housing lottery rolled around junior year all of my friends were going abroad, taking leaves, or graduating. And so I opted not to be thrown together with another random group of girls, certainly with some sacrifices. I don’t know what things would have been like if I hadn’t moved, and I never will. </p>
<p>I don’t think you can say, though, that everyone would be better living with a group of people they are simply amiable with. Sure, there’s a potential for friendship there, but to be honest from what I’ve experienced most people have a close group of friends pretty soon here. And living with people you only just get along with can be really lonely and alienating. </p>
<p>I’m not suggesting anything in particular to people in this situation or advocating what I chose to do. I just want to emphasize that you should consider your options early on. It’s better to at least think about transferring when you still have the option. And if you find you still love Barnard, then there probably is a group of people out there for you. I believe, in my own case, that after four years of trying extremely hard to make friends, both at Barnard and in NYC in general, this just isn’t the right environment for me, these aren’t the right people for me. I wish I had considered other places. I just don’t want other people to make the same mistake I did.</p>
<p>Indeed there is no sin in transfering if, after giving it sufficient time and every effort, things are not working out where you are and there’s no indication they will get better.</p>
<p>That’s an issue that transcends Barnard though, my D1 wishes she’d transferred from her school which was not Barnard. </p>
<p>Sometimes things just don’t work out for you, though others are fine with it.</p>
<p>same question as Raspberi</p>
<p>As a parent I don’t really have direct knowledge of the food situation. I can tell you that my daughter tired of dorm food very quickly, but felt obligated to eat as much as possible in the dining halls because of the high cost of the meal plan during her freshman year. She preferred to cook for herself, and took suite style housing with no meal plan in all subsequent years. </p>
<p>My impression is that dorm food is dorm food - Barnard is probably better than average, but you are still dealing with institutional food service and all that entails. I’ve heard that the kosher plan is better quality, but it is also more expensive – and the better quality is probably simply a result of fewer people eating it. It’s just easier to prepare high quality food & preserve the food quality for a smaller number of diners than for a larger number. Even food that is very high quality at the moment of preparation can deteriorate in quality while it is sitting in a steam tray in a cafeteria line.</p>
<p>You will probably end up figuring out after awhile which of the various dining options you prefer. </p>
<p>I think it is particularly frustrating when you are living in NY with so many other restaurant options available. I’ll bet my d would have been very happy if I could have put the money charged for a full meal plan in a special “food” account for her to use and spend as she pleased. (No such luck – ha, ha – in years 2-4 I let her buy her own food with her work-study earnings, occasionally supplementing that with a care package from home with dried pasta, ramen, & canned tuna, & usually a pack of Pepperidge Farm cookies thrown in just to be nice. Most kids would probably have preferred the dorm plan, but my finances are tight so I didn’t pay for any part of college expenses that wasn’t absolutely mandatory.)</p>
<p>Re: food. Calmom is right–dorm food is dorm food, and Columbia and Barnard don’t have the greatest options. The food is in some sense getting better since I was a freshman, and there are now a few more dining options. I’ll try to break down a few things and hopefully it helps!</p>
<p>You can use Barnard meals/points at five locations on the Barnard/Columbia campus (correct me if I’m wrong, anyone!): Ferris Booth and John Jay dining halls at Columbia, Hewitt dining hall at Barnard, Liz’s Place (a coffee shop, points only) at Barnard, and the Diana Center Cafe at Barnard (which has a la carte food for purchase with points). As a freshman you may spend time at all of these places, but because you have more meals than points likely you will most often go to the dining halls. </p>
<p>Ferris Booth is in Lerner and just became a dining hall, so I have never really had any food there. As a freshman for meals I tended to frequent John Jay–I liked the atmosphere better, and there tend to be more options there–an “action station,” buffet style hot bar, salad bar, yogurt bar, and make-your-own waffles in the morning, for instance. I liked the variation of John Jay, but most people (even Columbia students) go to Hewitt because the food is “better.” I’m not really sure how true this is; the food is decent, but at the same time I always remember the portions being smaller, the options less, and the food running out extremely quickly. The lines in Hewitt are also generally much longer. I did like their breakfast bagel bar, though. Fyi: both locations have carry-out containers, so if you’re in a rush or want to eat in your room that’s an option. Both of these locations, of course, are all you can eat.</p>
<p>The new Diana Cafe actually has surprisingly good food, better I think than anywhere else on campus. The have a decent salad bar, generally two soups and three to four fresh-made sandwiches a day, fresh flat-bread pizzas, a noodle bar, and a grill with burgers and weekly specials like quesadillas or falafel. There are also a lot of good sodas and teas, plus some yummy cookie packs too. My only gripes have been the lack of change in their menu–I managed to get through it in about a week–and the fact that they often run out of food before they’re supposed to close. They’re new, though, so I’ll cut them some slack.</p>
<p>Liz’s Place is also in the new Diana Center, and it’s a coffee shop I believe run by Java City. I avoid this coffee like the plague–I felt so sick freshman year whenever I drank it–and the pastries and drinks often seem overpriced. Only plus really is that they are now selling various drugstore items like advil, contact solution, and Meyer’s soap, which you can buy with points.</p>
<p>If meal plans are a big issue for you, one thing to be aware of is that all full-time students, even commuters, are now required to have some sort of meal plan. The cheapest one (as a senior) costs $300 per semester. The breakdown is here: [Welcome</a> to CampusDish at Barnard!](<a href=“http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSE/Barnard/MealPlans/]Welcome”>http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSE/Barnard/MealPlans/)</p>
<p>This has been unfortunate, especially if you live in a suite or off-campus and love to cook. It’s been sort of a strain on me to add $300 to my grocery budget.</p>
<p>Finally, one last complaint about Barnard/Columbia dining: the hours are awful. On weekends I couldn’t even eat on campus until 10 at the earliest. These again are online, so another thing to check out.</p>
<p>Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other dining-related questions.</p>
<p>Greetings Barnard junior, I have a question that (hopefully) you or someone else who would be ‘in the know’ can answer.</p>
<p>So, I have recently submitted all my financial aid forms to Barnard’s fin aid office a few weeks ago. Part of me, rather earnestly, was hoping that the office would contact me about the last form so I could determine whether or not they were still interested in me as an applicant. But I heard nothing and sent the form in after a couple of days. </p>
<p>I’ve read on previous year threads about girls who have been treated like this by the financial aid office at Barnard. If I am basically being (to put it bluntly) ignored by the financial office, and have been all year (I had to ask for my own pin number to check my documents before I even knew I was missing anything!) would it be safe to assume that my application has been rejected and that it’s time to throw in the Barnard towel? </p>
<p>Sorry, but this financial office anxiety thing is making me a bit crazy.</p>
<p>I’m curious: Is there any truth to rumors of Columbia College’s tension/resentment/animosity/condescension toward Barnard women? Does anyone with affiliations to Barnard, whether she be a student or parent, have experiences with this? I realize it’s hearsay and doubt it’s founded on any substantial basis, but it is something I’ve wondered.</p>
<p>Students: Have you been happy at Barnard? Would you attend Barnard again if you could do it all over?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes there is some truth to it. However, most people here say they, or their kids, did not experience it, others say it is mostly a freshman thing and vanishes in upperclass years.</p>
<p>D2 certainly experienced it though.</p>
<p>Read #18 here:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-university/1041703-4-years-later-reflections-columbia-college-senior-2.html#post11569882[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-university/1041703-4-years-later-reflections-columbia-college-senior-2.html#post11569882</a></p>
<p>In every situation one must weigh good points vs. less good points and make a balanced decision. Individual experiences, and individual differences, govern how this weighting balances out. If you like what Barnard offers, and you fit, you may well love it there. Which is not to say that you will find every little thing about it to be perfect.</p>
<p>Gwendolen, it exists, but I think largely in a satirical sense now. I’m a current senior at Barnard and I honestly have not run into a single person who noticeably looked down on me because of my school. Comedy groups will worship the so-called “tension” because more than anything, it’s a goldmine for jokes that elicit responses out of the student body. People recognize that there’s no truth to the animosity, and it’s more of a schoolwide tradition (Columbia AND Barnard) to laugh at it than it is a reflection of people’s feelings.</p>
<p>If you go online, though, people like to ruffle feathers and it will seem like there’s more to the rumors. You just can’t let it bother you. And definitely learn to laugh at yourself.</p>
<p>I’d go to Barnard fifteen times if I had the chance. I loved it here.</p>
<p>@mysteryflavored</p>
<p>Would you offer any insight to the Finanical Aid office at Barnard. Do they have a policy where they do not have much contact with the prospective students?</p>
<p>Financial Aid and admissions are completely separate. So your being contacted or not by financial aid has no bearing on your admissions status.</p>
<p>The financial aid office will only initiate contact with you if they are missing documents or have questions about anything you’ve submitted. Usually they don’t have questions.</p>
<p>If you want to contact them about something appropriate, then they are very good about responding to emails and they do answer the telephone. I think it’s a busy time for the right now, though – I wouldn’t suggest bothering them just to check on the status of your application.</p>
<p>I do believe that by mid-March they have received communication from the admissions office about some or most admitted students and are putting a high priority on working on their financial aid packages. The financial packages go out shortly after the admissions packages. But again, they aren’t going to contact you unless they have questions – the way the communicate with accepted students is by sending paperwork in a big envelope in the mail. I think they are pretty confident that they will be getting plenty of phone calls from parents and students after that paperwork goes out.</p>
<p>@churchmusicmom and calmom</p>
<p>I thank you both profusely for you responces. I have since checked my status online at the financial portal and it is reporting my last document as still ‘outstanding’ but, seeing as how it has been sent, I’ll take your advice and sit tight. </p>
<p>Again, thanks. I’m going to make meaningful efforts to unwind now… :)</p>
<p>I never dealt with anything financial aid-y at Barnard so I’m pretty useless on that front. Sorry. ):</p>
<p>Did any of you use outside scholarships to help pay for Barnard?</p>
<p>My daughter did have an additional small scholarship. They add it to your grant money, which is pretty cool.</p>
<p>Barnard is my first choice school, and I definitely would take it over any other school. However, my family does need serious financial aid, and our EFC is only about $6000. Would it be a mistake to apply ED even if I am certain I want to go here?</p>
<p>Any help is much appreciated, thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, I think it would be a mistake to apply ED – you can apply RD and that way if you are accepted, you will have the opportunity to compare financial aid awards. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that Barnard does not meet FAFSA EFC – it does its own determination based on the CSS Profile and its own financial aid application forms, as well as FAFSA. I always had to pay well above the FAFSA EFC. In our case, Barnard was more generous than other private schools – I think the way each school looked at home equity probably accounted for some very wide differences in awards — but Barnard still cost much more than the public schools in our state, which were also generous with aid. </p>
<p>I was willing to pay the extra costs to send my d. to Barnard, but it was a decision made with both I and my daughter being very aware of costs and alternatives. As a parent I feel a lot better knowing that we had awards from other excellent colleges, like Chicago, and that Barnard was more generous than the others. It certainly helped with the decision. </p>
<p>I would advise that you apply to an array of schools, including full need schools and schools likely to offer significant merit based aid, or give favorable need-based aid packages to its strongest applicants. </p>
<p>I’d also note that there were times when I found the Barnard financial aid office difficult to work with… and times when it was easier. Anecdotally, I think that it depended somewhat on the person I was speaking with, and also that it seemed like the school was more favorably disposed to us during the years when my d. qualified for a Pell grant.</p>
<p>Hello. I was accepted to both Wellesley and Barnard and now I’m trying to decide. For the longest time I thought I was going to Wellesley because I didn’t think Barnard would accept me after a deferral in ED.</p>
<p>1) Does Barnard have a strong sense of community? From what I’ve heard, it looks like students get lost in NYC and Columbia. Is there a strong alumnae network? I am biased, but Wellesley seems to be more of a sisterhood than Barnard.</p>
<p>2) How is Barnard’s financial aid for all four years of college? I received more aid from Barnard than from Wellesley, which I find strange because Wellesley -seems- like it has more money? (2008 stats: 1.3 billion Wellesley, 200 million Barnard.) Wellesley even prides itself on meeting everybody’s financial need. Barnard’s not just giving its first years more financial aid to get them to come, are they?</p>
<p>3) How are the academics at Barnard? I don’t doubt that it’s top-notch and probably is the same as Wellesley’s, but why do I keep hearing of Wellesley students pulling all nighters and getting B’s and C’s even though they studied for 7 hours straight. It seems like a very high stress environment. Maybe it’s only exaggeration-- in any case, are/why are Barnard students more relaxed with their school work?</p>
<p>4) What happens when you want to take a course only offered at Columbia? Do Columbia students get first priority? I want to continue taking Japanese as a language at Barnard, but only Columbia has the East Asian Language/Literature department. I went to the Columbia site (<a href=“http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ealac/undergraduate_programs.html[/url]”>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ealac/undergraduate_programs.html</a>) and it just says that Barnard (and SEAS) students should talk to their advisors.</p>
<p>I’m sorry if I’m repeating questions. I’ll probably go read the whole Barnard and Wellesley forums again. I’m glad I get to make this choice, but now I’m being driven crazy. . . Hopefully I can make up my mind at the open campuses.</p>