No.
Both will have more than you could ever take full advantage of, and for both it is up to you to make the most of them.
Trying to figure out the quantitatively “better” choice between those two schools is a fool’s errand: irl you are the relevant variable. Make your best estimate, based on what you know about yourself- your strengths / weaknesses / preferences -and then commit to making that choice be the best choice for you- which is the only thing that matters.
Well said!
I second that emotion.
I agree in part & disagree in part with the above statement.
While it is most important to find a school which is a fit for your goals, interests, and personality, often those goals include job placement & career opportunities and there clearly are schools which offer superior job placement & alumni connections.
absolutelyl, @Publisher - but not the case for these two schools, for this student.
“Make your best estimate, based on what you know about yourself- your strengths / weaknesses / preferences”
Sure, but one of her preferences is connections and job preparedness, in fact job opportunities is one of the biggest factors in choosing a college. Here are the top 5:
academic reputation
colleges graduates get good jobs
FA
cost
campus visit
"Trying to figure out the quantitatively “better” choice between those two schools is a fool’s errand: "
That’s what lot of people do, a fools errand would being judging a kid based on his or her priorities. The first four are all quantitative, it’s only the campus visit that gets into fit.
"best choice for you- which is the only thing that matters. "
The OP came here asking for advice between three colleges, two of which she hadn’t visited, throwing it back to the OP is not helpful, imo.
“but not the case for these two schools, for this student”
The OP asked which school was better for connections, so it is somehwhat important to her. My suggestion was that for pre-med, reputation was a wash, connections would favor Northwestern and campus fit would favor Bernard.
Ok, show your work: why, in your view, are connections better at NU than Barnard?
The point is that the OP has narrowed her choice down to 2 places, and then asked specifically about which was better for connections and job preparedness. In my opinion, there is no significant difference between those schools on those metrics: both schools will be excellent in both categories. At that point, trying to identify one as quantifiably “better” in those categories is a fool’s errand- a pointless task.
Making a choice of college is scary for most kids: it is a huge deal in their life. A lot of students are anxious about making such a big decision, and especially about making the “right” decision. No applicant ever has perfect information, and this year many will have less than they expected.
But at the end of the day, the OP will have to trust herself. Suggesting that she think- hard- about what kinds of environments have worked for her, and what haven’t / what things she knows about herself that she can hold up next to each place and see if one ‘fits’ better than the other / thinking about what she prefers- isn’t ‘throwing it back’ on the OP. It says "there is no ‘wrong’ answer here, and 'you know more than you think you do about what works for you- trust yourself
“Ok, show your work: why, in your view, are connections better at NU than Barnard?”
Barnard says it has 31,000 alumni, I couldn’t find the same stat on NU’s website, but other say sources say it’s around 200,000. On LinkedIn, the number of Barnard alumni and students is around 22,000, Northwestern is at 161,000. NU is a bigger school so you have to take that into account, and how many alumni come from the grad schools. ex - the NU school of medicine has 6500 alumni on L/I… And quality of connections is not only how many, but are they in the field you plan to get a job in, how helpful they are. That, I can’t really comment on for both schools.
My other statement is that Barnard is the better fit campus because OP wants a more urban campus and OP has visited and really liked the campus. You didn’t want me to defend this statement though, any reason or is it as obvious to you that Barnard is better for campus fit as it is to me that NU is the better choice for connections?
“there is no significant difference between those schools on those metrics: both schools will be excellent in both categories”
but the schools have different strengths and weaknesses, NU would be more pre-professional, larger, suburban, Barnard, smaller, in the city and a broad liberal arts and science education.
Columbia.
@Bill Marsh
I am not so sure about the legitimacy. You never know how others may feel about that if they find out. Technically, it’s really not part of Colubmia. I don’t know why you are so into the idea of a Barnard student pretending to be a Columbia student. If you were that Barnard student, not only would Columbia students dislike you for perpetuating that “lie”, but your fellow Barnard students would dislike you for not being proud of your own school.
I agree with you that it’s hard to compare “connection”. That said, certain employers only recruit in schools that are large enough for them to recruit. It’s about making the most out of limited recruiting resources they have. I just did a LinkedIn search for Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Bain & Co, Boston Consulting Group and I noticed that even adjusted for size, Northwestern is noticeably more represented in those company.
Agree that the Barnard / Columbia connection is not as smooth as some suggest.
Just a side comment that these schools are all reaches. OP should be spending the majority of their time finding match and safety schools if ED doesn’t pan out.
Barnard claims that it is ‘part’ of Columbia (but its not owned by Columbia, i.e., Barnard makes up its own curriculum and owns own buildings):
The diploma references both Barnard College and Columbia University…
That said, Barnard College is plenty prestigious on its own.
btw: I believe Columbia Teacher’s College is also quasi-independent, with its own admissions and finances.
@monydad had a daughter transfer out of Barnard College. @monydad has posted about the Barnard / Columbia relationship & has suggested that readers research “Barnard” on the Columbia University thread.
Do Barnard College students have access to Columbia University’s placement office ?
Are Barnard students claiming to be graduates of Columbia University when seeking employment ? (Really a question for Barnard College’s placement / career counseling office.)
A lie? You’re “not so sure,” but you’re calling it a “lie” anyway? Your argument isn’t with me, it’s with Batnard College.
It’s Barnard who advises its students to list on their resumes “Barnard College, Columbia University” or “Barnard College of Columbia University”.
If an employer asks to see their diploma, a Barnard graduate can show them theirs with the Columbia seal on it and signed by the Columbia president as well as the Barnard president.
The front gates through which you enter the Barnard campus include “Barnard College of Columbia University” in large, permanent metal letters.
Barnard faculty are evaluated jointly for tenure bu both Columbia and Barnard.
It is so integrated into the university as a whole that when Barnard students choose a major, their options include those offered across the street at Columbia College as well as those offered on their own campus.
A lie? These battles were fought years ago and were resolved years ago.
Ok then you’re basically saying that Barnard cannot stand on its own against a school like NU or JHU, you have to include Columbia to make it a more equitable comparison. I think that’s reasonable, but then you’re relegating Barnard to be just a college of Columbia, like the Arts and Science college at Berkeley.
In this sense, that’s what Columbia College represents, the arts and sciences college of Columbia University, with Barnard representing a parallel, predominately autonomous arts and sciences college of the same university.
@Bill Marsh
That’s why I put the quotation marks. Certain Columbia students do view it as a “lie” because it’s not part of Columbia. That’s not my argument. I merely stated how some felt based on what I read on-line.
The OP asked specificly about job prospect and connection. Barnard college students cannot utilize Columbia University’s career resources. This is from Columbia’s website for employers:
Barnard may look pretty integrated into Columbia to you but apparently, Barnard students don’t have full access to everything in Columbia.
Hey all, thank you again for your inputs. Just to clarify, I’m really looking to get the best out of Barnard (Columbia College being there is definitely a perk, but def not the reason why I want to go to Barnard…I fully don’t expect to access Columbia’s career center/alumni events/etc.). Can anyone speak on grade deflation/inflation at either schools. I happen to be very blessed and attend a T10 American Prep school, and grade deflation is super severe at my school, meaning I have very subpar grades. I’m looking for a school that essentially will help me earn a higher GPA. Do you think it would be easier to succeed academically more at Barnard or Northwestern?
OP: I reread your original post which started this thread. In my opinion, it seems clear that Barnard is the best fit school for you since you wrote:
“I really want an urban campus. (I grew up in a really big city and I don’t want to spend time stuck on campus.)”