<p>Well… the title says it all!
I’m not sure how competitive the college really is. I want to know what it takes to get in to see if I have a shot or not. </p>
<p>All help appreciated :)</p>
<p>Barnard is very competitive. Arguably the most competitive women’s college and among the most competitive Liberal Arts colleges in the nation. </p>
<p>So it takes great grades, good scores, and essays that appeal to the Barnard admissions committee. Not sure what you want here, but if you do some searching on this board you will find out a great deal about Barnard. You can also find out a lot of stats by looking here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline/2011databook_0.pdf[/url]”>http://barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline/2011databook_0.pdf</a></p>
<p>All the best to you.</p>
<p>I just got in ED and during the application process, was pretty unsure that I would.
Coming from someone who applied to Barnard as a REACH school, what does it take to get into Barnard?
Passion. You must to be passionate about your goals, your endeavors, your pursuits, about your desire to attend.
If you REALLY want to know what it takes to get into Barnard, look through the Black Barnard Viewbook. They outline EXACTLY what they want in a student and EXACTLY what the “Barnard women” is. I studied that book religiously and embedded as much of those Barnard ideals into my short answer essays as possible.
Coming from someone who believes they got into Barnard as a statistical reach, I strongly believe that the admissions office at Barnard chiefly cares about character–your drive, motivation, and potential to succeed. Try to make those attributes shine through in your essays. </p>
<p>Barnard is known for churning out great woman authors. Essays are vital in your acceptance decision. Writing is important. If you’re not a naturally good writer–just make sure you sound sincere and convey how fierce and passionate you are about your academic/personal goals. </p>
<p>If you want stats–the average is an A- GPA and a 2100 SAT.
My stats-- B+ GPA and a 2200 SAT.</p>
<p>But really, stats don’t nearly matter as much as your essays do. Someone in my math class who also ED’d to Barnard (she had an A- GPA and a 2200) did not get in. My stats were poorer than hers, but I’m naturally a strong writer. I feel like the essays are what got me in. I spent about 3 months working on them.</p>
1 Like
<p>I was accepted ED for the Class of 2016, despite the fact that Barnard was a reach for me. It wasn’t hopelessly out of my range but it was more than enough to give me the jitters when I waited for my letter.</p>
<p>Barnard is the most selective women’s college in the nation, with its Class of 2015 acceptance rate hovering at 24.9% (and considering the fact that the ED acceptance rate was in the 40s and the overall acceptance rate is an average, the RD acceptance rate was…abysmal, to say the least). For comparison, Wellesley’s is around 33%, Smith’s is around 45.5%, Bryn Mawr’s is around 48%, and Mount Holyoke’s is around 52%. The reason for this is not that Barnard is a better school, because that’s completely subjective - it does mean, however, that you have many strong applicants who A. would not usually look into a women’s college but are attracted to Barnard’s location and Columbia connection OR B. want a “back door” into Columbia and see Barnard as a “safety.” The latter is what makes the acceptance rate so low compared to the average stats. Granted, the average stats at Barnard are nothing to scoff at with around a 2050 SAT and a 3.8 GPA, but they’re lower than Wellesley’s (2082) and Wellesley’s acceptance rate is significantly higher. There are tons of well-qualified applicants who are rejected because they only seem to be interested in the school for its Columbia ties and there are slightly less qualified applicants who are accepted because they show passion and interest for Barnard rather than its affiliates.</p>
<p>What I’m getting at is that Barnard doesn’t put too much emphasis on standardized tests, rankings, etc. They do consider your SAT scores and care quite a bit about your GPA and courseload but they mainly want to find students who are passionate, involved, and natural leaders. Focus on a couple of subjects you love in-depth rather than dabbling in several, get involved and in charge of many different clubs, and show the school that you’re interested. Talk to professors and admissions counselors. Level of interest is a huge factor in Barnard admissions. And don’t sweat it if you’re imbalanced - focus on your strengths, even if it means taking two AP science classes and taking honors or regular English classes (in my case it’s the other way around). Being specialized and passionate in one subject is an asset, so embrace it!</p>
<p>But I should warn you: Barnard does heavily stress writing in the application, so if writing isn’t your strength then you’ll probably have to stand out even more in other subjects. The ACT might be a good idea in that case because I’ve heard Barnard weights the writing section of the SAT the most heavily.</p>
<p>Thank you so much amurd927, noloserhere, churchmusicmom</p>
<p>I would love to go to a college like Barnard, but I’m not sure if I’d get in. I think the chances of getting in NYU would be higher for me than Barnard, for me. I wanted to ask, does Barnard consider grades of the 9th and 10th grade? Because my grades were pretty bad then. I thought I wanted to do art, so I concentrated on building a portfolio instead of getting good grades. Only in the 11th, which is what I’m in now, I realized I want to do liberal arts. So I’ve only just started concentrating on my grades and doing ECs. I’m scared that will affect my chances? </p>
<p>Barnard would be a reach college for me, as well. My grades are within the range of 80 to 85% NOW, 9th and 10th were in the range of 60 to 70%! Horrible, I know 
Would they look at it as improvement? I’m not sure! </p>
<p>Now I don’t know - should I apply ED or RD? :/</p>
<ol>
<li>The improvement will count. </li>
<li>Passion counts. On the other hand I found the Barnard women to be a little more generalist than the students in the puely Ivy league schools. For example there are many double majors: D2 majored in film and minored in a hard science and took all the premed courses. Dance majors come out neuroscientists. There seems to be a lot of exploration. So, follow your passion but keep an eye out for other interests.</li>
<li>As mentioned above, they love their writers.</li>
<li>Apply ED only if you really, really want to go there. Even then there is often “buyer’s remorse” although 90 % are very happy by Christmas. AND Calmom will tell you not to do it if financial aid is an issue.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you mardad 
</p>
<p>I’d love to go to Barnard, I really would. I just don’t know if I’m better suited for it or NYU instead. My ECs should include a wide range and particularly writing, right?</p>
<p>I’ve heard NYU is more individualistic, celebrating the individual etc, while Barnard is more traditional.</p>
<p>uh, I live in NYC (born and raised), and I have to say, NYU and Barnard are not very comparable at all except for the fact that they’re both in NYC…</p>
<p>Socially: NYU is downtown, focally concentrated around greenwich village. It’s what you would call “hipster-ville.” Filled with young people and trendy clothing shops.</p>
<p>Barnard is on the Upper West Side, which is a domestic residential area. Very different Greenwich village. The Upper West Side has a lot of “old money,” though the money is not usually as old as it is on the Upper East Side. There, you see more nannies with strollers than you would see hipsters. </p>
<p>I don’t know what you mean by “traditional,” but academics are a much higher priority at Barnard/Columbia than at NYU. NYU is competitive in itself, but its more of a party school. Barnard definitely DOES celebrate the individual, (just look at the viewbook!) but you need to have a motivation to do work, because that is what all your classmates/floormates will be doing. Parties will happen, but not quite at the level of abandonment with which they will happen at NYU. </p>
<p>NYU is not as competitive or rigorous as Barnard. It also doesn’t really have a “campus,” so its “untraditional” in that sense. NYU is scattered throughout downtown Manhattan and doesn’t have a main campus… Instead, buildings owned by NYU are marked by a purple NYU flag that hangs off the side of it. At Barnard/Columbia, you will definitely recognize classmates’ faces on the street because there is a community feel. At NYU, there will be clubs you’ll never even have HEARD of and very LITTLE community life. </p>
<p>I think the average for NYU is an 85, so you’d have a better shot at NYU than at Barnard. But Barnard isn’t the place for you if you’re not comfortable with devoting yourself, at least partially, to academics. At NYU, you can do the bare minimum to keep your grades up, and still do decently. At Barnard, there will be a lot more competition for grades.</p>
<p>As for ED. Be aware that NYU does not give any financial aid. ANY FINANCIAL AID AT ALL. NYU is notoriously known for telling kids to take out $40,000 loans each year. The layman will tell you that NYU is mostly filled with rich out-of-state kids who wanted to live in NY.</p>
<p>Thank you! Your answer is exactly what I needed. :)</p>
<p>I just want to add that you can’t get into Barnard unless you apply.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you focus on bringing up your grades this year - if your GPA is strong going into your senior year of high school, then you might have a pretty good shot.</p>
<p>The statement that NYU has no financial aid at all may not be accurate. From NYU’s website:</p>
<p>Scholarships and grants are types of gift aid that do not have to be repaid. They may take the form of University scholarships, federal or state grants, or outside scholarships.</p>
<p>For most undergraduates, eligibility for a merit-based and/or need-based scholarship is determined upon entrance to the University based on prior academic strengths and, if you apply for financial aid, your demonstrated financial need. Typically you will continue to receive for subsequent academic years the amount of scholarship you received for your first year (subject to the availability of funds), as long as the following criteria are met:</p>
<p>You are a full-time student (at least 12 points).
You applied for financial aid on time.
You are meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
You have approximately the same amount of financial need that you had in prior years.</p>
<p>NYU will give financial aid, but they typically do not meet full need, or come even close for most students.</p>
<p>Yes, I was replying to post #9: “Be aware that NYU does not give any financial aid. ANY FINANCIAL AID AT ALL.”</p>
<p>D was accepted in both NYU and Barnard but decided to attend NYU for the strength of their vocal performance program and the fact that she rec’d $11k per year in a talent scholarship from NYU and nothing from Barnard. </p>
<p>I would certainly take noloserhere’s statements regarding NYU with a grain of salt… For starters the average gap is certainly not an 85 average. No idea where that comes from. It is more in the range of 3.6 or 3.7. Which is more like a low 90 average at a minimum.</p>
<p>I would not at all consider NYU a party school nor would I say that there is no community. d is in a small program with an extremely tight knit community. And she is continually running into friends in the area randomly.</p>
<p>She has worked hard and done well. I would not consider NYU a school where you can get by with minimal effort.</p>
<p>D has knows other friends who were accepted in both schools. Some have ended up at Barnard and some in NYU. There are strengths in both schools and often decisions between the 2 schools were made based on personal preferences and fit.</p>
<p>Apply to both schools, see what aid / scholarships you get, and then attend accepted student programs and go with your got feeling. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>It is fairly common for NYU to give “scholarships” in the range of ~$10,000. My d. had a similar offer. The reason I put “scholarship” in quotes is that really is a case of discounting for enrollment management, and doesn’t make a real dent in terms of meeting need for most financial aid applicants. </p>
<p>I mean – you can do the math: if COA to attend for a year is $55K, then a $10K reduction leaves the student on the hook for $45K – that type of award, however labeled, is an attractive incentive for those who do not otherwise qualify for aid – but I’m looking at it from the perspective of a parent of a kid with a FAFSA EFC that ranged from about $3000-$6000 at various times over the years. </p>
<p>NYU does give generous aid including full tuition scholarships to roughly 5% of its applicants.</p>
<p>Calmom…as you know, that is why it is so important for those new to the process to understand that it all depends on each individual’s financial situation. Our EFC based on a 2 income family working in NYC and adjacent suburbs was too high for any financial aid. For us, the ivies and similar meant full pay. Schools like NYU and GW were able to offer talent-based merit aid with no need.</p>
<p>That is why everyone needs to be aware of their own financial situation and cannot rely on anecdotal stories.</p>
<p>Wanted to ask - does Barnard consider predictive scores? </p>
<p>Like if I do 3 AP courses in my senior year… will it count in admission at all?</p>
<p>Re post #17 – I agree, and I certainly can understand why a full pay family would want to look at schools like NYU where a moderate amount of merit aid was a real possibility. However, I think that usually when people refer to “financial aid”, they mean need-based aid. NYU does not meet need or even pretend to meet need. </p>
<p>However, the financial aid issue was raised in connection with the OP asking whether to apply ED vs. RD – but I think now that the OP is an international student, and probably does not qualify for guaranteed need-based aid at Barnard in any case. So it may not really make a difference for her.</p>
<p>Oh, I apologize for exaggerating in my last post. I wasn’t trying to sound like an expert! I’m just a high schooler. I was speaking from my experience as high school senior who has grown up in NYC. </p>
<p>I’m just a teenager and haven’t yet started my first year at Barnard, but sincerely look forward to doing so! However, that doesnt mean everything I said should be taken with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>There may be a community feel at NYU for students who are in certain programs/groups/clubs. But, I’m just saying: inner-city high schoolers, when considering colleges, DO see NYU as a “party school,” much like how they see SUNY Albany as a “party school.” </p>
<p>85 is the accepted average for NYU from my school… but then again, I go to a specialized high school in nyc, so we have lower admit stats. I guess I overlooked that. However, for my high school peers, getting into NYU isn’t a huge accomplishment at all as long as you are a solid Bs’ and are more-or-less decent student. I suppose the stats for out-of-state students are much higher.</p>
<p>But for us, getting into NYU isn’t that much of a big deal: PAYING for it is. </p>
<p>I imagine that schools like NYU have a completely different allure to out-of-staters than they do to native new yorkers. Most of my friends in nyc really want to go to Chicago or DC, so they’re all applying for Northwestern/UChicago/Georgetown/GWU much like the way out-staters would apply to NYC-based schools. </p>
<p>Yeah and the OP doesnt seem to pay much mind about costs…</p>
<p>On that note, if I were an adcom I wouldn’t give any weight to predicted scores at all UNLESS the score was predicted by a teacher in his/her recommendation. If you predict it yourself, itd just be arrogance if your predictions do not fall in line with your first quarter grades/prior grades. If anything, it could do you more harm than good. </p>
<p>On a last note. I sincerely disapprove of taking out extraneous loans for college. I have an EFC of zero and determinedly applied to Barnard (against calmom’s wishes!) because I knew they would give me a lot of aid in the form of grants. I do NOT want to contribute to the “student loan bubble” that is growing parasitically (especially in light of unemployment numbers) and paralleling that ever-so-odious “housing bubble.”</p>
<p>Applying to NYU certainly would make sense if you are looking for merit aid.</p>