Advising at Barnard

Perhaps the most valuable component of the academic support network at Barnard is the advising program. Part of the College’s academic philosophy includes having a designated faculty member with whom you can discuss any aspect of your academic path. All faculty advisors volunteer to advise students. In other words, these faculty members are choosing to be advisors because they enjoy supporting students. All faculty advisors work on campus so meeting with your advisor is as easy as sending an email or showing up to their office hours!

Incoming first-years are assigned a faculty member as their pre-major advisor until they declare their major (transfer students are assigned a dean because this window tends to be pretty small). Pre-major advisors are assigned using a survey that matches students and advisors based on academic interests, degree programs, and other criteria. You can ask your advisor any questions about potential tracks of study and they will help you plan your schedule and ensure that you are taking the right classes to be on track. By the spring of sophomore year, all students declare a major and switch from a pre-major advisor to a faculty advisor from the major’s department. Your major advisor will know exactly what classes you need to take to complete your major, and can help you stay on track with other curriculum requirements as well. Since the advisor is familiar with the classes, you can discuss different options with them and make sure that you’re balancing your workload appropriately. Their priority is your wellbeing, so if you are ever overwhelmed or struggling in a class or even outside of class, your advisor is someone you can bring these concerns to. Their main goal is to help you be as successful and happy a student here as possible. 

There is also a separate advising program for people interested in going on to graduate or professional school. The pre-health advisor, Dr. Amanda Dye, is available to help students throughout their pre-health journey during their time at Barnard and after. There is also advising for anyone planning to apply to graduate school or law school. All of these individuals are available at Beyond Barnard by appointment or even walk-in! This is where going to a small school really comes in handy because you have constant access to these advisors throughout your undergraduate career, and they will make an effort to get to know you and support you through the process. 

-Julia Kelly