Barnard College

Hello prospective Barnard Bears,

Let me just say that I’m sooo glad you’re interested in Barnard College. Now to get the basics outta the way: Barnard is a women’s college in the beautiful city of New York founded in 1889 when Columbia University refused to admit women and was named after the 10th president of Columbia University. When Columbia finally went coed in the 1980s, Barnard college stood its ground and didn’t merge into Columbia. If you continue reading, I’ll elaborate on these and other reasons why I chose Barnard!

Okay here’s some statistics for the class of 2020. Please remember these numbers are not meant to estimate your chances of getting in. So be cautious not to under or overestimate the admissions process. So it goes without saying that a women’s college in the middle of NYC is very liberal and attracts a LOT of feminists. And you MIGHT be very skeptical about identifying with “man-hating, angry, unattractive” women. But really, none of it is true. As much as I would love to give a lesson on feminism 101, I should let you know that Barnard also welcomes transgender, non-binary and gender-nonconforming students! SO having a safe space is real huge deal on Barnard’s campus and that is one of the reasons why I chose it. As a first-generation/minority/low-income/ immigrant student, I was mentally and physically exhausted by the political climate and I realized that at Barnard I can surround myself with people who won’t reject me for my identity and give me the support that I need. In a way, this is me being a “liberal snowflake” (sorry not sorry). This does not mean that one cannot gain exposure to different perspectives because being a part of Columbia University makes it easy to meet people of various backgrounds… which leads me to my next point. The relationship with Columbia is one of the defining traits that sets Barnard apart from other liberal arts and women’s colleges. Simply said the relationship is very complicated. Barnard College is one of four under the greater umbrella of Columbia University. It’s very confusing because, even though Barnard is interconnected on Columbia’s campus, we are also financially independent. We share everything from classes and libraries to extracurricular clubs and dining halls and yet we have our own independent admissions process. Essentially, we Barnard students get the best of both worlds. For more info on this unique relationship click here! Now for the crucial part for my decision: NEW YORK CITY. Seriously though, Barnard’s campus is incomplete without the NYC experience attached to it. Think of all the restaurants with instagrammable food, the dependable subway system, the abundance of museums, concerts, cafes (for y’all caffeine addicts) and bars (I suggest you avoid these unless you are over 21). Need I go on??? The opportunities and the experiences NYC has to offer is undeniably invaluable. Think of the next internship or research you could get in the city. Or that job that will fund your personal expenses besides college tuition. I could go on and on praising my future home, but I should give you a reality check. Not everyone belongs at a small liberal arts women’s college. Some fit at large research universities like Columbia. Some find home at public universities like University of Maryland. Others prefer colleges in a rural setting like Swarthmore College. So here’s a fair warning… you need to figure out what it is that you want by visiting colleges. If this isn’t financially possible look into fly-in programs. That was how I actually I got to visitBarnard! And if that doesn’t work out, try online visual tours if available. Worst comes to worst, just try to get the feel of the college or university through their online presences (think websites and social media). Now here’s some resources for your reading/watching pleasure: YouTube - Juliet Larson, Ken Westrick (Columbia), NSOP’s Channel and Barnard’s Channel Barnard - Website (check it out!!!), Admissions, Visit the campus, first year guide, first year experience, and the master list of helpful articles. Snapchat - barnardadmiss Instagram - @barnardadmiss Twitter - @BCadmit Blog - boldbeautifulbarnard.com CollegeBoard - Barnard Wikipedia??? - WikiCU I wish you all the best with your future endeavors and remember that no matter how many rejections that come your way take it with a grain of salt because college acceptances should not be the measurement of your self-worth (trust me I’ve been there, done that. Not worth it!). Good Luck