A bit of wishful thinking on the discussion title, but I wanted to create a thread that us rising seniors and Barnard hopefuls could commiserate and chat about the essays and applications many of us will be formulating this summer. I’d love to get to know other awesome ladies who are thinking about applying to Barnard, and what better way than through this grueling, soul-sucking, and ultimately pretty darn random process that is the college application. In general, I’d love to know where you’re from, what your interests are, and why Barnard? Try to keep “chancing” (using these niche college confidential pseudo-verbs make me feel like a suburban mother) in-forum to a minimum, but feel free to post your stats along with your intro so you can further fray my nerves. Can’t wait to potentially hear from you guys (though likely this post will sit dormant until a more appropriate time)!
I’m also (slightly prematurely) excited about the thought of even applying to Barnard. I’m just ready to be a senior 8->
Hey guys. I’m a current senior in high school and am going to be starting at Barnard in August and I’m super excited. I’m posting here to hopefully quell some fears in you guys. I went into this process convinced that I had no chance at the schools I was applying to because they were all top schools. My high school transcript was definitely not all As, not even majority As, and some Cs from my freshman year. My ACT was a 32 superscored and my SAT was a 2030 (but I only sent my ACTs.) I have been a varsity rower all four years of high school and also have been a member of the drama association since sophomore year. The most important things you can do - do not listen to those graphs that plot you based on your GPA and test scores; every single one told me that I was not going to get into any of the schools I applied to (Barnard, Boston University, NYU, Fordham, Northeastern, McGill, and Tufts), and I ended up only getting rejected from Tufts. Also, stay off this website. Don’t have people chance you. They know nothing about how it works really. Also, do not get completely down if you apply early and are deferred. I applied Early Decision and was deferred and then admitted Regular Decision. Once i was deferred I was convinced that I had no chance at getting in and that I was going to have to give up on Barnard, but I sent an extra recommendation, a writing sample of a paper I wrote, and a letter expounding upon my interest in Barnard. Those all definitely helped me get admitted.
If you want to ask anything, please feel free and I’ll try my best to answer you. Just don’t get down on yourself because it’s really easy to do that, and even if you do not get accepted to Barnard or find a different school that better fits you, everything’s going to be okay and you’ll end up somewhere where you’ll be happy.
@mayaic4 I was under the impression that Barnard does not superscore ACT’s. Do they?
My daughter is considering applying next year. Thanks for the information.
@WISdad23 I don’t know if they superscore it like they would the SAT, but I sent my results from both times I took it so they could at least see that I improved in some areas, which always helps.
Good luck to your daughter 
Thanks and congrats to you on Barnard. Good luck next year.
Hey guys! In a few weeks on May 22nd Barnard is holding a pre-college planning day for juniors in high school that will include a campus tour, students discussing campus life, a few different workshops (essay writing, interviews, etc), and I believe an info session with a financial aid officer. Seems like a really great opportunity to learn more about the school! I live in NJ so I will be taking the train into the city just for the day, so if you live in the area it might be worthwhile to check out. I’m also a high school junior who is really interested in Barnard and excited to apply
If any of you Barnard hopefuls meet the criteria for this fly-out program, I highly recommend you apply, it solidified my want to attend Barnard, gave me something to write about in my essays and I made some great friends. 
I made an account specifically to apply to this post lol.
I spent my summer of junior year from July to March 2016 obsessing over Barnard and crafting my application. I applied early decision, got deferred, and admitted regular decision so don’t give up!
My advice for this website:
DON’T let people chance you.
- I applied to Barnard as a H U G E reach school. I truly believe Barnard is holistic in admissions. No one on here is a part of the committee. I was so tempted to but it is not a sound way to see if you have a chance. The only way to not have a chance is simply to not apply. My standardized test scores were absolute trash. I spent hundreds on books and classes for prep but nothing worked for me. They were truly my biggest enemy throughout high school. I thought they would be the reason I wouldn't get in. Some people with 10x better stats than me got rejected or waitlisted.
My advice for applying:
DO express interest.
If you can, DO visit as much as possible, tour, go to the open house.
DO INTERVIEW.
They say it’s not MANDATORY aka they want to see who wants to add a little umph to their application and who really values Barnard. It can ONLY HELP YOU!!!
- I toured Barnard, went to their open house, and interviewed. It was very hard for me to do because of my income, but if it is not doable for you call the admissions and FIND OUT who your admissions representative is!!!! Ask for a phone interview, send your admissions rep meaningful questions, explain your finances at the time will not allow a trip, although you would love to.
DONT pester your admissions rep.
- I recommend keeping in meaningful contact. If there is something new you would like to add to your application that you feel would give you an edge let them know.
Addition to expressing interest:
Many colleges want to know you're in it to win it and just for them. No college wants to feel they are a second choice to some other institution. I believe expressing interested definitely carries weight in your application--it may even give you a small edge. Not all colleges care about interest, but since Barnard does I would take advantage of it completely.
Many colleges openly express that they want students who are actively interested in the school for example attending events in the school if possible, online seminars, etc. I believe it is because many colleges are getting so competitive they have to add another factor for selection.
I would think of it as many colleges are very business-like, and they don't want you "buying from their competitors" is what I'm trying to say.
Expressing interest might be the difference between you getting in versus someone else getting rejected/waitlisted.
My advice for essay/writing supp:
DO ask your English teachers to read your essays to proof read and critique.
So many small typos were overlooked that my teacher found and she gave me advice for better word choice and sentence flow. Tell them to be brutally honest with you.
DO be sincere with your writing.
Be your honest self, share your opinions. Writing is a way to get to know you aside from the execution of your writing skills. If you send in some generic writing, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Take some tasteful risks.
DO consider many of the prompts will draw out the same answers and it is the “you” ingredient that will separate you from the rest.
Everyone loves Barnard, the location, the opportunities that come with being there, the empowering environment. Who wouldn’t? It’s how you deliver it that will make the difference to the committee.
- For example, the writing supp for 2020s class, like many others, was asking about a woman in history you would like to meet. The adcomm is reading THOUSANDS of essays. Chances are many of them will say "I love so and so because she did so and so and I believe so and so offers so much, anyone would hope to be like so and so." I saw that writing prompt as an opportunity to talk about a woman who I am not fond of (Phyllis Schlafly) and how I would disable and shut down all of her arguments against equal rights, and how she is a hypocrite.
It is a refreshment for the reader and it will stand out when maybe only ~300 of the all applicants write from a different point of view.
My advice if you are deferred:
DONT be discouraged if deferred
Being an ED student is an edge in the RD pool!!! You were ready to commit before any of the others in the RD pool (pls reflect back to my “interest” notes lol).
DO stay on top of your academics.
I know it’s senior year and we are all suffering through the homestretch lol. You will thank yourself in the end. You know when you’re slipping up, so push through it and get your work done! They do consider your first semester/first quarter grades in admissions.
DO write a letter expressing your interest in attending
DONT plead and beg for admissions to accept you
DONT write an eight volume collection for your letter expressing interest. Maximum two pages double spaced.
DO SAY YOU WILL GO THERE IF YOU ARE A DEFFERED STUDENT WRITING A LETTER REASSURING INTEREST.
- I read every article on deferrals on the Internet lol. Many worried about sending too much to the adcomm when they are deferred, but I sent a letter from myself, a lab portfolio (majoring in biochem), course work from a summer program I did, improved test scores, and a new recommendation.
DO SEND RELEVANT INFO.
- If you are a science major and you send in your a piece of your writing for your local newspaper it will probably not matter!!! Do not send them fluff, keep it relevant.
DO update them of your notable achievements.
-new extracurricular, an honor award, a leadership position, improved test scores
DO HAVE YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR CALL YOUR ADMISSIONS REP TO FIND OUT WHY YOU WERE DEFERRED
- Chances are admissions won't tell YOU why you were deferred. Have your counselor call and go to vouch for you "she loves x school, it's been her number one choice, etc" and have he/she ask why you were deferred. If you find out it's something you can work upon between December and March, then do it!
Sorry this was so long but I know this process was a trip and a half for me so I would love to help any prospective students with any questions and all the advice, and tricks up my sleeve I have to offer lol.
AHH! Y’all are the best! I totally forgot about this post and I’m totally beaming while I’m supposed to be taking lecture notes.
@spookyspice You are such a pal. Thank you for entering this awful fray to give me such an amazing advice sheet/reality check. I shall copy and print it and hang it on my wall so I can look at it when I’m freaking out come next fall.
@mayaic4 Congrats!! You are awesome and I will totally take you up on that offer.
@cstan21 Wish I saw that earlier! I have my prom this weekend, but perhaps I can rally and get on an early train!
@charmandquark Definitely will check out the link! Thank you so much
@charmandquark EDIT: I don’t qualify, but it sounds like an incredible program and I’m so glad that you were able to participate!
@rougesneakers if you need anything else please let me know! Seriously willing to help anybody w/ this process and answer any questions you might have. This thread will start blowing up soon now that it’s getting closer to summer.
@spookyspice thank you for your post, it is super helpful!! I don’t mind that it was long, the more information the better the pre college planning day definitely confirmed my love for Barnard, it’s moved to the top of my list. If you don’t mind, I have a few questions. What did you do in high school leadership wise? I’m nervous because this is likely going to be the weakest part of my application. Also, did you interview? How was it? Hoping to interview this summer/fall.
@cstan21 That’s so cool that you got to attend that!!! I wish I knew about it when I was applying!!! I actually don’t have any “leadership” positions. A lot of my extracurriculars and my clubs have allowed me to be extremely active in them but I’m not like, the “president” of so and so or anything. I would worry more about having leadership qualities within your extracurriculars than obtaining a title within them. I did lots of science programs where I talked about taking the reigns, emphasis on teamwork, working cooperatively with others in a group, taking unique approaches to things, etc. Things like that will be more important and you can certainly convey that in your application/extracurriculars so don’t worry about that
I did interview and it was so fun! I remember being a little nervous but ready to wing it and it went super well. As I said in my previous post it can only help you. I happened to get paired with a senior interviewer who was studying the same realm of science I would like to go into so we had lots to talk about! Don’t be nervous, you have to take into account Barnard would never pick students who made you feel nervous and uneasy–they know you will be already like any prospective student getting interviewed!
Many people said to prepare before hand but I didn’t and things went great; however, everyone is different.
I was asked about: what classes I took for my senior year, what were my favorite/least favorite classes and why, who was my favorite teacher, what I would like to study, if my favorite teacher were here what would they have to say about me, things like that.
My only regret about my interview was not asking my interviewer any questions at the end 
like why did you pick Barnard, how did you know it was right for you, ect.
Don’t quote me on it but I think you can start to book interviews now–check their website! The earlier the better. I remember not being able to find an interview on the weekend so I didn’t have to miss school until late October and I applied ED so I had to have my app in Nov 1st lol. So book now because I remember spots during the weekend were all filled when I was looking to schedule around July 2015.
Does anyone know what the acceptance rate for early decision was for the class of 2020?
@sharoncheung I went on a Barnard tour this past winter and they said their ED acceptance rate was about the same as regular decision, which I think was 19%!
@sharoncheung RD this year was 16%. ED is usually higher, but they don’t really release that. There were way more ED apps this year, so lower rate obviously. Used to be around 40%
EDIT: Whoops, got excited from a misread article and posted some wrong info. Carry on!
actually, i learnt from an inside source that RD was 8% and ED was 20%, overall was 16%. good luck everyone!!
I’m so glad this thread exists! I plan to apply ED to Barnard this year and I’m sooo nervous. I just scheduled an on-campus interview with an admissions officer in two weeks. Any recommendations on how to prepare for it??