Worried about "the Barnard effect?"

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bryn Mawr College
1

<p>At my school, there is something which I call “the Barnard effect.” It’s when every girl who doesn’t get into Columbia ED applies to Barnard, and suddenly the acceptance rate for RD applicants to Barnard gets way, WAY lower.</p>

<p>I am worried that girls who do not get into Haverford or Swarthmore ED will apply to Bryn Mawr and cause the same kind of effect on the Bryn Mawr RD acceptance rate. I love Bryn Mawr, but I am currently not planning on applying there ED. </p>

<p>Does this happen with Bryn Mawr? </p>

<p>Also, please chance me for regular decision Bryn Mawr:</p>

<p>White female
I have an unweighted GPA of 3.74/4, weighted GPA of 4.75/5.2</p>

<p>I took all honors or AP classes in high school. Counting my senior year, I will have taken 11 AP classes by the time I graduate.
AP Bio Exam: 5
AP Psych Exam: 5
AP Euro Exam: 5
AP Lang/Comp Exam: 5
(I only took AP exams that I knew I would get 5’s in)</p>

<p>SAT Score: 2120 (CR 740 Math 680 Writing 700)
I have only taken the SAT once. I’ll probably retake my SATS in October.
SAT IIs-
Math 1: 640 (planning on not submitting)
Bio E: 780
Lit: 710</p>

<p>EC’s
Newspaper 4 years
(Copy Editor/Centerspread Editor for 1 year, News Editor for 1 year)
Colorguard 4 years
Young Democrats 1 year
Gay-Straight Alliance 3 years
Philosophy Club (some how listed on my transcript though I barely went…) 1 year (maybe I’ll make it 2…)
Founder and president of Gender Equality Club 1 year (I started it last year and it won’t count until my senior year)
National Honor Society 2 years</p>

<p>My school doesn’t rank but being in the National Honor Society implies that I’m in the top 15(?)%</p>

<p>I was a finalist and placed 2nd in my school league’s creative writing contest
I have won about six awards for my student newspaper and I think I was published in our local newspaper</p>

<p>I volunteered at the YMCA for two weeks. I also did some one or two day volunteering for my church and for an anti-breast cancer organization. Being in NHS has required me to volunteer in some school-related things. I currently volunteer at an animal shelter and have spent over 40 hours doing so.</p>

<p>I’m a pretty good writer and I am confident about my essays. </p>

<p>My guidance counselor loves me and I am confident about my two teacher recommendations as well.</p>

2

<p>You have a very good chance of getting in. A 5 on an AP test is unbelievable; I’ve only ever gotten a 4. You have a very good chance. I hope you plan on studying very hard because that’s what’s going to happen at Bryn Mawr.</p>

3

<p>No “Barnard effect” at Bryn Mawr. In fact, none of my closer friends at Bryn Mawr even applied to Haverford or Swarthmore! </p>

<p>I think that Barnard is a lot closer to Columbia than Bryn Mawr is to Haverford. For example, Barnard students get @columbia.edu email addresses and a diploma from Columbia. They also share facilities, faculty and classes. (Officially professors are hired by either Columbia or Barnard, but when you walk through the hallways, you cannot tell the Barnard professors apart from the Columbia professors. Barnard professors also advise graduate students and teach graduate courses for Columbia.) </p>

<p>Bryn Mawr and Haverford have physically distinct campuses, with very different academic and social atmospheres.</p>