I am curious to hear from those who got in: where were you planning to apply that you won’t be applying anymore? And for those who didn’t, would love to hear your lists for RD as well! I’d love to create a “If you like Barnard, also consider X, Y, Z” list for those who are finalizing lists, and for next year’s applicants. Would love all of your help with this!
Did anyone else receive an acceptance package in the mail the other day? 
Hi there, I was admitted to Barnard under early decision this year. Had I been deferred or denied, I would have applied ED2 to Wellesley.
Here were my other options (some are similar to Barnard and some are not)
Northwestern
Columbia
Brown
Yale
Colgate
Middlebury
NYU
Boston University
Boston College
UMass Amherst
Northeastern
Kenyon College
Colby College
Bryn Mawr
Finally, I planned on applying to two Canadian universities:
University of British Columbia
University of Toronto
Hope that helps!
1 Like
yikes I applied RD that is so low
Yes - on the other hand there are still about 850 spots, if numbers remain about the same from last year. The strength of your own application will still stand for itself, regardless how many others might apply.
Keeping fingers crossed for everyone here.
2 Likes
can you please share your stats?
This year, the overall acceptance rate was 8% overall, but with 16% more applications than the previous year, the RD rate was a fraction of that.
I’m hoping that someone can give me some insight…my daughter is applying to Barnard ED 2026. She’s very nervous about her chances of getting in. She attends a rigorous all girls boarding and day school, so her GPA isn’t as high as many others. It’s a 3.65 right now going into her senior year. She’s taken the limit on AP classes per year and has many leadership positions, is in a bunch of clubs, has done a varsity sport all 4 year, has worked every summer and also has an internship outside of school. Her SAT is a 1380 but she’s taking it again soon so I’m sure that it will improve since she only took it once in June. Does she actually have a shot of getting in ED? She is very well respected and will have excellent recommendations from school. Are there any pointers that you can share to help her chances out? Barnard is her dream! Thank you!
Well, with a rejection rate of 92%, the chances are small for every applicant. Is the 3.65 the unweighted GPA? Where does that put her among her cohorts in her particular school? Are 90% of the students less than 3.65 - or will there be 20% of students at her school with a higher GPA (“what’s her decile/class rank?”)
As you already realize, the SAT score and GPA alone would likely not make her rise above the rest.
So class rank will be important, and of course essays that must tell a very compelling story to the admissions officer, to “over-compensate” for the less-than-average stats.
The good news, that at Barnard these other factors truly do matter - but the lesser the stats the more unique, distinct, and outstanding the extracurriculars must be.
Chances are, very many Barnard applicants will also check all those “usual” boxes, as far as clubs, leadership positions, AP classes.
So maybe the reasons behind the internship and the accomplishments from her summer work can be highlighted in the essay?
To be honest - it would be easy for anyone to offer a pessimistic response just based on numbers, but in reality, only you and your daughter will know any of her unique qualities that could tilt the scale for Barnard.
My suggestion is to have your daughter accept, that for any applicant the likelihood is >90% not be be accepted. And that this is NOT a reflection on your daughter’s outstanding High School results or anything in her control — but is much more due to who ELSE is applying that year, what their particular mix is that year, etc.
Now that she has identified her #1 choice in school, she’s done the “easy” part. Now she should focus on getting to know other schools, learn what great things they do offer, realizing that there is a 9 in 10 chance that one of those schools will be her new home soon!
1 Like
PS - my unscientific observation of the Barnard women I met through my daughter, I would describe them all as confident, independent, pursuing whatever vision/ideal — but cooperative, not cut-throat; willing to challenge the status quo, but not willing to “step over bodies” along the way.
Keep in mind, their “vision” doesn’t have to be academic - they can be of a creative, social,… nature. Also, I’m sure they get plenty of applications from Valedictorians who feel ready to solve the world’s problems single handedly, so I suspect they prefer to read about the “sparrow in the hand” vs. the dove on the roof. Every year we read about top students who surprisingly do not get accepted.
I’ve met students who had to manage academic or mental challenges, yet were still found to be a fit based on their overall picture, or possibly because of how they performed despite those challenges?
2 Likes