I sincerely want to know if it will be a good fit for me. I am hoping to major in CS and I may even want to apply ED. I just want to know if I will truly fit in and flourish at their campus.
It’s almost impossible to respond to this question. No one knows what Barnard wants any more than what Harvard wants … Also we don’t have info about you other than you want to study CS.
Other than grades, EC, etc. Barnard (like all schools) wants students who want them. This means that the student understands how Barnard differs from other schools and why those characteristics match with the applicant’s characteristics.
One important factor unique to Barnard is that they don’t want students who are using Barnard as a back door to Columbia. They do share facilities and Barnard is under the umbrella of Columbia, but I would bet a million dollars that they want students who want the BARNARD experience, and value that, more than they want people looking to sneak into CU.
Also Barnard unique is an LAC in NYC–NYC is an unusual environment and is part of the education experience. I would think this would form part of any applicant’s desire to attend.
But really everything I type here is guessing. Unless you hear from an admissions officer, it all will be guessing.
Hi! I’m thinking of applying ED to Barnard as well.
From what I’ve gathered from talking to current students and visiting the campus, I would say that I agree with DustyFeathers in that they want you to be as genuine as possible. Show that you have a passion(s) and are hoping to use Barnard-specific resources in pursuing that. Also, prove your depth of character through essays and LORs. While it is an academically prestigious school, the community also prides itself on being more intimate, supportive, and “quirky” than it’s competitors (especially Columbia).
That’s just what I’ve gathered so far though. Good luck!
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Here we are, up against ED deadlines. Have you looked at what Barnard says about what they look for? Imo, you’ve got to start with the source. Any kid interested in applying to a highly competitive college should be doing this digging and trying to process what they say. It’s part of how you decide, in the first place. Top colleges expect this.
@meteormoose Not just about “passions,” in general. What one engages in somehow needs to be relevant to what a top college is looking for, show the traits/experiences they want in the class.