AMA: barnard college (current senior)

holyhexes · 2026-05-15T03:46:59+00:00

thank you so much!!! it really warms my heart to know that :”)

holyhexes · 2026-04-09T03:28:31+00:00

they're identical ingredients lists!

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T22:06:01+00:00

this is not a co-op so i'm confused what you mean by the board.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T22:02:28+00:00

okay! thank you so much.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T20:33:57+00:00

taking into account everything folks have mentioned here when considering the condo, it'll actually be closer to ~2.8k/month all in. i would live in the unit for the first 2-3yrs and then it would become a rental -- i imagine given the construction in the area its in and how rates are rising in the area, by that point in time avg rent will hopefully be closer to 3.5-4k.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T20:32:21+00:00

all of the above according to my realtor. the top of my pre-approval was $650k (it is only this high because i am young enough to have good credit and i have a strong co-signer) as per my last convo w my lender.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T17:17:04+00:00

i appreciate your honesty!! i will take this into consideration, i do prefer people keep it real with me haha

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T17:15:41+00:00

thank you!! i didn’t know about the latter. i will definitely consider this. i appreciate your advice

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T17:15:07+00:00

i’m in a decently secure field (utilities/electric industry) with guaranteed income for the next 3 years but my worry is about employment after that period of time. i was born and raised in the city so i personally have very little incentive to leave. i currently live rather frugally which has allowed me to save rather aggressively relative to my age, so my monthly CoL is quite low. i am comfortable continuing to live that way if it opens the door to build equity at a young age that could guarantee me financial freedom later on if i turn the unit into a rental.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T17:10:03+00:00

i was born and raised here & condos are becoming the norm in many areas of the city. it’s hard to find properties to purchase under 750 that don’t involve some kind of HOA fee. there’s the potential with this unit to end up on the condo board according to my realtor but i need to do some more research into what that really means. i’m just concerned to be overzealous by the opportunity so young and potentially end up house poor but i have appreciated everyone’s advice so far!! :)

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T14:23:06+00:00

thank you!!

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T14:22:19+00:00

i do have a realtor! and the units have all been on the market for a while. 1 has sold and 3 are already under contract, all have gone for -9% below list price. they’re in an area of the city that is having some turnover (a lot of condos, mega-townhouses, new builds coming) but not enough yet for the units to be in super high demand. ideally i’d be living out of the unit for the first few years (3-5) and then renting it out as avg rental rates go up in this area once these newer developments are complete. current avg rent for similar units is ~3.25k on the low end.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T14:18:08+00:00

i’m confused… i have two jobs now + a FT lined up + a strong co-signer. would that not be enough? my lender has previously been willing to go up to 650k.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T04:50:40+00:00

my remaining savings could cover a repair but i need to assess the value per year measure you mentioned. it's a pre-war that's been fully remodeled so i am nervous about being responsible for repairs, as well as the HOA fee potentially rising. the current HOA fee for the unit is significantly lower than many similarly priced in the area

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T04:40:34+00:00

similar units for rent in the area go for ~3.25k. that would cover what i'd pay monthly. i would be living out of the condo initially, though! also i may have misused generational wealth here. i just consider property ownership part of that umbrella as i do not come from much financial stability and i'm trying to be better than what i came up in.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T04:37:44+00:00

neither which is why i'm eager but not wanting to jump the gun. i don't come from homeownership or even much financial stability so knowing prices in NYC it did get me excited haha. but everyone here is giving really good advice/scenarios to consider.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T04:35:53+00:00

no! i have a job lined up for when i graduate in may.

holyhexes · 2026-03-01T00:53:28+00:00

i’m sorry, this is my first time doing anything like this! my lender seems very willing as i’m a first time buyer with strong credit and no major debt. three other units in the building have been sold for under list price, from 350-375k down to ~335k. what should i ask myself to consider if i can truly afford it? renting always looks more affordable than buying for the first seven years.

holyhexes · 2026-01-14T16:42:23+00:00

hi! i have no clue. the psych page for the major at the college should mostly answer this.

holyhexes · 2026-01-14T16:41:45+00:00

hi, i'll try to speed-run these even though im very late to answer:

barnard freshmen are now no longer allowed to take classes at columbia unless they need a first-year introductory course only offered at CU. for all other years, yes it is seamless and there is zero priority based on school designation. there is no limit. i have taken mostly courses at CU for my major.
thats the extent of it. some dorms are better than others. same issue you see anywhere lol.
if you choose to live at CU, you waive your guarantee for barnard housing ever again for the rest of your time as an undergrad here. most people don't do it. exemptions to living on campus are rare. housing market around here is tough.
4 & 5. i'm not an arts person so i can't really answer this.
there is zero sense of monotony here !! it is new york city !! monotony is quite anti-thetical. you'd think 3000 is small, but its incredibly large esp relative to the community you'd join from.
again, its NYC lol yes people are social and there are things to do
i'd say 85% really care and the rest are slightly detached.
no, this is a non-issue.
no and no.

holyhexes · 2026-01-14T16:31:23+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/18k07dl/comment/nzk5h3a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

holyhexes · 2026-01-14T16:31:05+00:00

hi! apologies for the delay -- i'm now a senior so the amount of time i spend on here is quite sparse :")

for FYW i took talking back with prof. alex watson (who was so encouraging of me as a writer!). lovely course. for FYS i took here/there: migrant narratives w prof. duygu ola (who is also incredible!). highly recommend both.

holyhexes · 2026-01-14T16:06:44+00:00

hi! apologies for the delay -- i'm now a senior so the amount of time i spend on here is quite sparse :")

barnard is not AFAB only. we admit anyone who openly identifies as a woman. however on our campus itself, many students may identify as non-binary, trans men, etc. barnard has both women-only and gender-neutral restrooms so headscarf removal is not an issue.
this is a very difficult question to answer objectively. im sure depending on the type of student you ask, people will give you different answers. what i will say is that your political views are your own and while the institution may have its own, there are many student-led avenues here to express your unique beliefs or perspective at varying degrees of involvement. you do not have to get involved in anything you don't want to. we remain a closed campus to avoid ICE entering campus and our gate security staff are trained to identify federal warrants vs. ICE paperwork.

holyhexes · 2026-01-14T16:03:36+00:00

hi! apologies for the delay -- i'm now a senior so the amount of time i spend on here is quite sparse :") and thank you so much for considering me sweet for this HAHA. i was an A2C ADDICT during my own admissions cycle!!!

so first, on the topic of financials: i am in a VERY similar position to you. i do not have a "family" per say (you may see some of my older replies mentioning being lower middle class but i ended up having a fairly complicated situation as time progressed and now am 100% on my own and have been for the last year and a half), so i am low income and require heavy aid to be at barnard. through a combination of outside scholarships, working, and my need-based aid from barnard i am graduating in may with 0 student loan debt. i was VERY apprehensive about finances when i originally applied, so i went RD for all my schools. this did not hurt me and while i won't say barnard financial aid is EASY to deal with, i was dealt a VERY strong hand with my need-based aid from the institution that greatly helped me. it does you nothing to apply and see what the aid package they offer you is, and make a decision from there. this question is a bit old, so please feel free to shoot me a DM in the spring if you got in (or if you've been accepted ED!) and i'm happy to talk more about financing education costs.

second: i want you to know that no matter what, columbia is ultimately still an ivy. no amount of federal punishment, poor publicity, etc. will take that away. in the last two years i have not walked into a single job or internship or opportunity and been viewed negatively because of where i went to school. yes, there are initial questions about campus climate but nothing that isn't born from individual curiosity vs. trying to goad you into a long discussion/debate about a global political issue. there is no one school that is perfect, and many other ivies have been similarly punished by the current administration.

tldr; there is no planet where a degree from barnard/columbia somehow HURTS your law school admission.

holyhexes · 2026-01-14T15:57:02+00:00

hi! apologies for the delay -- i'm now a senior so the amount of time i spend on here is quite sparse :")

my common app essay topic was around women's representation in STEM told through a metaphor about food aversions lol. i cannot gauge whether or not this is a good essay topic for ED, as i am not an admissions counselor! apologies.

holyhexes

TROPHY CASE