<p>Hi, everyone! Iâm a rising Junior at Barnard and found this thread tonight after a bout of boredom. I used to come here when I was applying to colleges. Iâve scanned through this thread and have found myself needing to defend good old Barnard and to settle this Barnard-Columbia thing once and for all as a Barnard woman. </p>
<p>First of all, I want to say that I am very, very proud to be a Barnard woman, and when I applied, I looked at Barnard before I looked at Columbia. Columbia was an added bonus, but I wouldâve taken Barnard even if Columbia wasnât across the street. And many Barnard women would tell you the same thing. I guarantee you that the ones who find themselves pining for life across Broadway are in the minority simply because everyone values the close-knit community that Columbia, as a large research university, lacks.</p>
<p>Second of all, the relationship between Barnard and Columbia is only bureaucratically and administratively confusing and frustrating. The only main things that separate Barnard and Columbia students are meal plans and swipe access, which arenât that big of a deal in terms of life on campus. Other than that, Columbia and Barnard students have complete access to each otherâs facilities and resources. When you descend the ladder that extends from the Board of Trustees to the students, you will find that Columbia and Barnard students donât feel any different from each other. Yes, I have met hostile Columbia students who canât stand Barnard women, but they are in the minority. Most students from both schools get over these petty and pointless differences after the first year, just as most students stop asking each other what their SAT scores were. Sensible and serious people understand that Barnard and Columbia students are on equal levels because they take the same classes, write the same papers, dwell in the same libraries every weekend, take the same exams, and have the same professors. I have taken an equal amount of Barnard and Columbia courses, and in many of them, I can tell you that Barnard women excelled over Columbia students a lot of the times. We did not come in through the back door; we work just as hard, if not harder, than our Columbia counterparts. </p>
<p>Thirdly, in terms of our degrees, yes, our degrees say that we went to âBarnard College, Columbia Universityâ. Because we did. We took Barnard and Columbia courses and interacted with students and faculty of both schools. We didnât only go to Barnard or only go to Columbia. The most important thing about this is that future employers know this. (At least, for me, thatâs important.) Barnard women have an impeccable reputation with employers in major cities. Any reputable employer knows that a Barnard grad is just as good as a Columbia grad. Weâre bright, ambitious, and a force to be reckoned with â just look at Martha Stewart (minus her jailbird days, lol). The only time I will say that I go to âColumbiaâ is when Iâm talking to someone I know has no clue where Barnard is. (A lot of the times they donât even know where Columbia is!) This is also for the sake of not having to explain this complex relationship to someone who really doesnât care. But if Iâm talking to a prospective employer or someone who knows about prestigious education, Iâll say âBarnardâ before âColumbiaâ. Often times that is actually better because you never know where youâll meet a Barnard alumna who is eager to hire a Barnard student. (Theyâre everywhere, I swear!)</p>
<p>Lastly, I just want to add that Columbia elitism is not the only elitism that exists in Morningside Heights. Barnard women can be just as elitist, if not more elitist, than Columbia students. We have a lot of pride for this school and the people who go/went here. The community spirit here is incredible; Iâve never met a body of women who cared so much for each other. If you go to our dining hall, youâll always find a few disgruntled students who are upset with the invading Columbia men who eat all our food. Or if you talk about Columbiaâs core curriculum and swimming test with a Barnard student, youâll surely get a scoff, a laugh, and a âIâm glad we donât have to go through that crap because we have more freedom in choosing our courses and fulfilling our requirements.â We love our professors, our courses, and the campus staff, and we would choose them over Columbia faculty any day simply because our faculty is more approachable and friendly. Iâm not saying that all Columbia professors are unapproachable by nature, but sometimes Columbia courses can be too big to really approach instructors. </p>
<p>And if I were an employer deciding between a Columbia and a Barnard grad, Iâd choose a Barnard grad because Barnard women are just⊠different. Youâll have to come here and meet us to know what I mean. :)</p>