The Most Important Part of the Barnard Application

One of the most commonly asked questions by applicants – in information sessions, over the phone, in telegrams, and Morse code – is, “what are the most important factors in the Barnard College application?” More simply put: “what part of the application matters the most?” The truth though is that every part matters. Let me say that one more time: every part of the application matters.

What does that mean?

If you’ve attended an information session on campus or when a representative visited your school, you’ve probably heard emphasis put on the fact that during Barnard’s application reading process, we read every piece of every application. Twice. We aren’t a school that will disqualify a candidate because of one lower test score or one lower grade. We view the Barnard College application process as holistic, which means “characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicably only by reference to a whole.” Our guiding philosophy is that we can't understand your academic experience without looking at your entire narrative.

Holistic, broken down

All the pieces of your application are interconnected, not only because they comprise an entire college application, but also because when they all come together they create a snapshot of you, the applicant. And that’s what we mean when we say every part is reviewed and valued. You are not just your extra-curricular activities, or your SAT scores, or your four years of French classes. All these components, in addition to your educational and personal context, come together to make you the applicant you are. And that is why we look at all pieces of your application and attempt to put those pieces into the context of your background. This is also why we aren't ever able to tell you which piece of your application will matter the most. In short, it depends on each individual applicant.

Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle: the puzzle isn’t complete without the corner piece, but it also isn’t complete without the middle piece. One isn’t more important than the other, because both are necessary to create the completed puzzle. And each student's puzzle will have pieces of different shapes that add up to a very distinct image.

That being said…
Admission to Barnard is highly competitive. Within each component of the application, we do look for certain things to make sure that you are the best fit. What exactly are we looking for? Well, it depends on (1) the part of the application under discussion and (2) the context which surrounds you. 

For example, let’s talk about your high school transcript. We review your transcript within the larger context of your high school. We urge you to take advantage of the most rigorous course load offered at your school and in which you can do well. 

That means that if your school offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses appropriate for you, we expect you to challenge yourself by taking reasonable advantage of them. In contrast, if APs are not offered, we won't expect them to appear on your transcript. Have you maintained four years of the “core” subjects: history, math, English, science, and languages? If your school only offers, for example, three science courses or you reach the 5th level of a language in your third year, your choices available in the senior year is something we would take into account. We would also look very closely at the what you may have taken in lieu of a fourth year of science and/or what you might take in lieu of the most advanced language course.

To wrap up:

Keep in mind that we look at every piece of your application in a context that is specific to you and your school. The application is an opportunity for you to really show us who you are, what your passions are, and how you think, and this comes across differently in different parts of the application: your curriculum, your extra curricular activities, your writing, and your recommendations. Every part supports the others, and when the application is completed, all components factor in to create a whole, comprehensive snapshot of you.