Early
Decision applicants received their admissions decisions via email last
Thursday, December 11. Letters were also mailed "snail mail" via USPS Priority or FedEx (depending upon the letter and the
student's home address), so all applicants should now have the results of their
hard work in hand. And, truly, we do mean hard work. Regardless of
the decision, we can say with great admiration and wonder that we are impressed
with each and every applicant's passion, involvement, and growth. Unfortunately, we
cannot admit every applicant.
Undoubtedly, there were tears of joy and tears of disappointment. Having made decisions
like these for years, we know that those who were not admitted will survive.
They will soon be able to separate themselves from the decision.
They may mourn the outcome for a time. They may re-examine their
college list. And eventually, they will discover that they are going to be a great
fit at another institution. After all,
in the formula of student + college, the student remains consistent. Her
path may change, depending upon the school she chooses, but she’s selected
those schools on her list for good reasons.
By March, those not offered a space in the class will have other options,
and by May one of those will soon become her top choice and her home for the next four
years.
For
those students deferred to be considered in the Regular Decision pool, there
are more steps to take. Applications of
those deferred will be re-reviewed after February 1. Between now and then, and as noted in their
decision letter, applicants have the opportunity to add materials to their
application file. Semester or second
trimester grades will be very important, but so will a letter from the students
themselves. A thoughtful, considered
letter that helps to update us with new information and that goes beyond the
250 words you used to reply to our "Why Barnard" question may be the most important addition to the application. For many students deferred in the past, this
letter has made a big impact on our committee discussions. Certainly, we would also welcome an additional
letter of recommendation or a supplement of writing or other material. Though, the voice of the student is often the most important addition in this stage.
Deferred students are often also experiencing difficult emotions upon the receipt of their letter. It’s important for them to know that there isn’t and wasn’t anything wrong with them or their application. In fact, we can easily say that we don’t defer huge numbers of applicants (usually 1/5 or 1/6 of the pool). We don’t make these decisions lightly and we don’t defer students we don’t think would be competitive when reviewed in the regular pool. The number of students we admit from those deferred differs from year to year, so it’s hard to give a sense of the chances that a student will ultimately be admitted. However, we can assure those still awaiting a decision that we will read what you write very carefully.
Deferred students are often also experiencing difficult emotions upon the receipt of their letter. It’s important for them to know that there isn’t and wasn’t anything wrong with them or their application. In fact, we can easily say that we don’t defer huge numbers of applicants (usually 1/5 or 1/6 of the pool). We don’t make these decisions lightly and we don’t defer students we don’t think would be competitive when reviewed in the regular pool. The number of students we admit from those deferred differs from year to year, so it’s hard to give a sense of the chances that a student will ultimately be admitted. However, we can assure those still awaiting a decision that we will read what you write very carefully.