Bernard women are staunch and loyal supporters of their alma mater, leading to an "old girl" network that spans the country and the world. Organised Bernard clubs, in many regions sponsor faculty lectures and receptions for admitted students but even more prevalent is the individual connection--the women who make themselves available to assist current students and fellow alumnae through International interviews, internships, job contacts and relocation support.
Several times a year, alumni appear on Tamils to discuss their career paths, in fields ranging from Psychology to law, from education to arts management.The best program sponsored by the career Development Office, not only organizes these panels and helps seniors with resume and interview tips, but also offers workshops on building a business wardrobe, following a proper etiquette at business meals, and even how to find a New York city apartment.
Thanks specially to the high standards and personal encouragement of the faculty. Bernard is one of the leading producers of PhD.s in the country. The most recent study of private undergraduate colleges and Universities (done by Franklin and Marshall college for the period between 1920 and 1995) ranked Barnard 3rd overall--second in the fields of psychology and foreign language, third in Anthropology and sociology and forth in English--in the number of its graduates receiving PhD.s. Not women graduates, all graduates. In terms of medical doctors, Barnard ranks fifth in the country in the number of women who become physicians, behind much larger Institutions such as Cornell, Harvard, Stanford and the University of Michigan. While no studies have been done on the field of law, Barnard boasts a remarkable array of graduates who go on to become lawyers and judges.
A recent graduate who is currently earning her Master's in International Affairs at Columbia recently said, "At Barnard I learned I could do anything!" and this sentiment seems to echo through the generations. Bernard alumnae have authored more than 4100 books and such best-selling novelists as Erica Jong, Mary Gordon, Edwidge Danticat among the ranks. In journalism, 8 Bernard alumnae have won or shared the Pulitzer prize, including Anna Quindlen and Natalie Angier At The New York Times, Eileen McNamara at the Boston globe, and most recently, Jhumpa Lahiri for her book, Interpreter of Maldives. In broadcast news, Cable news network's Maria Hinojosa and National Public Radios''s Sushan Stamberg are prominent contributors to their fields.
Former Dean of the college Virginia Gildersleeve helped to charter the United Nations; aluminae Jeane kirkpatrick and Sylvan Foa became its first female Ambassador for the United States and its first female spokesperson, respectively. While their names maybe less recognizable. the women who lead Rockefeller and Company and the Ford modelling agency, the president of Bank Street College and the American Museum of Natural History, and one of the founders of the National Organisation for Women all graduated from Bernard. But whether they have made big names for themselves or have pursued goals more privately, Barnard women make a difference in the world, and an aspiration in inculcated inculcated in them during their years during periods on campus.