what does barnard look for in an applicant

sheena87 · 03-28-2008, 07:29 PM

i would love to go to barnard ... what does this school look for in an applicant

churchmusicmom · 03-28-2008, 08:00 PM

That is pretty difficult to say. You could look at Barnard's site and see the "stats" of the last class that they have published and get some idea about how academically competitive it is, but that does not tell the entire story. I think Barnard looks for women who are not only academic achievers, but women of purpose. Who have some sort of passion, whether for dance, literature, science, what ever. Who will be a good addition to the class they are"building" that year....but not necessarily all the highest scorers on standardized tests, though high scores certainly do not hurt.

Spend time on the Barnard admissions website and visit the campus. Sit in on a class. You will get a feel for it, I think. And then just position yourself by doing your very, very best academically.

All the best to you!

A Persona · 03-29-2008, 10:08 AM

Hm, that's an interesting question. I have a feel that one of the things tht helped me get into Barnard was my track-record of women's rights activism. They probably look to make sure you can handle the workload (SAT, ACT, GPA) and then look for something you -love-. Living in NYC, I've known some Barnard students and the common characteristic between them is their insane passion for whatever it might be. I think they spend more time than the average college looking at the subjective parts of your application.

dreaming18 · 03-29-2008, 05:44 PM

well i didnt get into barnard, but i was hoping to get into barnard with the idea that they would look at the "big picture" of the applicant rather than SATs and grades. i mean i had great ECs and my teacher recs revealed how i have a passion for history and english. i did an interview and visited the campus. i was kinda shocked i didnt get in. i guess one of the top reasons that came to my mind of why i didnt get in was the fact i had low SAT scores, although i had a pretty high GPA and excellent recs & a greatt essay. ( i have a passion for history and teaching it) & plus i soo regretted the fact i didnt apply ED, because i would have had a larger chance of getting in....

but what i mean to say is i still do believe barnard does look at the overall person meaning if you have a passion or talent, however if your stats do not match up to their level, i suggest you apply to barnard ED. you would have a larger shot of getting in. for me, im thinking of transferring to barnard for the 2nd year, hopefully i get in... i do <3 barnard

sheena87 · 03-30-2008, 09:31 AM

wow thanks for the responses!! they have been helpful

Jchung · 04-09-2008, 07:10 PM

I was kinda like dreaming18
I go to school in canada and I have korean citizenship
my sat I and sat ii are low compared to other barnard students probably
but my GPA was (top5% ) and my hs is pretty selective
for leadership, i had outdoor leadership and head of Amnesty international council and yearbook head
I think my univ essays were quite impressive.
I agree with dreaming18 that barnard doesnt base everything just on statistics and numbers but more into one's passion and integrity

panda2 · 04-15-2008, 02:59 PM

my application sounds like dreaming18's app in that my GPA was high, but my SAT/ACT were both on the low side (below the median of the 2011 class).

i know this isn't 'advice' but it's important to realize that the application process is very subjective. the readers are human. the reader might have done yearbook in hs (like me), or is from nj (like me). that shouldn't affect it, but i think it can a little bit. also, they may just not like your tone in writing, or something that will make them choose someone else who has basically the same academic standing. sometimes there's nothing you can really do. because you didn't get in doesn't entirely reflect on your part, or insinuate you're inadequate in any way.

but i think as far as the app goes, barnard looks for something different, beyond good grades and being an over achiever (because everyone applying basically fits that category). in fact, it may be safe to say that they don't really want someone with an eight page resume. maybe a few impressive leadership roles, and one or two things that seem to consume your extracurricular time (like newspaper, yearbook, a sport, etc). and then make your app stand out, in whatever way you think would really demonstrate who you are (like for me, i wrote a short story for the essay, instead or using one of the topics.)