barnard college supplemental essay examples

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Barnard College Essays 2024-2025

For all applicants, Barnard College has two required supplemental essays and one optional essay that gives you a choice between three different prompts. If you are applying to the Science Pathways Scholars Program (SP)2 or Bridgewater Scholars Program, you will also have one additional essay to write.

Barnard’s location in New York City, elite academics, and status as a historic all-women institution make admissions incredibly competitive, which means your essays will need to truly shine in order to set your application apart. In this post, we’ll break down how to tackle each prompt, so you can be confident that you’re putting your best foot forward.

Along similar lines, although one of Barnard’s supplements is optional, we strongly encourage you to write a response. College applications are limiting by their nature, so you don’t want to pass up any opportunity to share more about yourself and how you’d enrich Barnard’s campus community.

Read these Barnard essay examples to inspire your writing.

Before You Write

When composing your essays for Barnard, you need to be thinking about 1) larger issues in the world, 2) your relationship to them, and 3) your contribution to a meaningful solution. Barnard is a very “outward-looking” college, and admissions readers will be looking for applicants that share this wide, “macro” perspective. You should talk about larger issues in a personal way, and demonstrate your knowledge with both academic achievements and personal connection. 

It might be worth it to brainstorm the following things: 

• Values . What values listed on Barnard’s website really hit home with you? Print out this Mission page and this Fearless History page from Barnard’s website, and circle words that resonate with you. List reasons why they’re important to you. Then emphasize those value-oriented words and themes in your essays.
• Womanhood. Big topic, isn’t it? And it’s a good one, because everyone relates to it a different way.  Because Barnard is a women’s college, you should sit down with some blank paper and list your experiences in relation to this category. Make a flow chart; list the things that come to mind. How have you engaged with, experience, and wrangled with “womanhood” in a way that sets you apart? Do you have a unique cultural understanding, experience, or research perspective? 

All right, let’s take a deep breath and dive in!

Barnard College Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants.

Prompt 1: Barnard College is an extraordinary community of women committed to fostering curiosity and the exploration of new experiences and ideas. By utilizing the resources of our campus, our Foundations curriculum, and New York City, our students expand their world and discover their own capabilities. How do you envision these intersecting components of Barnard shaping your academic and personal journey? (200 words)

Prompt 2: Barnard College students engage in the bold questions that define their generation. Choose one question that you have about the world around you, and explain why it matters to you. (150 words)

Prompt 3: In college, you will encounter others with diverse viewpoints and experiences. Describe an instance where you engaged with someone who held a different opinion and explain how it shaped your perspective on the issue. (150 words)

Science Pathways Scholars Program Applicants

The Science Pathways Scholars Program (SP)2 aims to support underrepresented students of color and first-generation students as they pursue careers in science research. Please discuss your interest in science research and future career goals. You may choose to reflect on past experiences or projects, role models, or ideas for research that you would like to explore. (300 words)

Barnard College is an extraordinary community of women committed to fostering curiosity and the exploration of new experiences and ideas. By utilizing the resources of our campus, our Foundations curriculum, and New York City, our students expand their world and discover their own capabilities. How do you envision these intersecting components of Barnard shaping your academic and personal journey? (200 words)

This prompt is a version of the “Why This College” essay , as it asks you to describe how you hope to show up at Barnard. In this prompt, unlike many others, you’re given specific aspects of Barnard to talk about in your essay. Let’s talk about how to do this most effectively. 

First, you’ll want to acknowledge each of the three characteristics mentioned in the prompt. Start thinking about how you’ll engage with the Barnard campus, the curriculum, and the NYC location. Here are some questions to help you brainstorm.

For the Barnard campus:

• Are there any clubs or organizations you hope to join, or perhaps start? 
• What specific courses, professors, or areas of study do you hope to explore?
• Are there labs, libraries, or other academic resources you’re particularly excited about?

For the Barnard Foundations curriculum:

• What is interesting, surprising, or intriguing about the Foundations curriculum? Is there a particular aspect of it or guiding strategy that resonates with you?
• What qualities do you hope to develop or refine through the Foundations curriculum? Will it especially aid in your ethical leadership, global citizenship, critical thinking, etc?
• How will the Foundations curriculum shape your intellectual journey at Barnard?

For New York City:

• Are there specific cultural institutions, internships, museums, or other New York history that will influence and inform your studies?
• How will the context of studying in New York City shape your academic journey?
• Are there opportunities for civic engagement, community outreach, or fieldwork that will aid in your studies?

As you consider these questions and more, make sure that your responses are specific and authentic, and demonstrate deep knowledge of these resources. Writing generic responses about how the campus opportunities are vast, the curriculum is comprehensive, and the city is diverse, will make you a forgettable applicant. Doing some research, connecting your responses to yourself, and integrating them with each other to create a holistic view of your Barnard future will do just the opposite. 

This might sound like an overwhelming amount of considerations to balance. Let’s look at some hypothetical student examples to envision what a well-written response might look like.

• Aspiring Journalist: A student passionate about storytelling who has written for her high school’s newspaper writes about how she plans to major in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. She is eager to explore New York’s literary scene, and she would write about using Barnard’s Writing Fellows program and the city’s numerous literary events to hone her craft. She plans to combine the Foundations curriculum’s emphasis on critical thinking with hands-on experience in NYC’s diverse media outlets. 
• Environmental Studies Enthusiast: A student with a deep interest in environmental justice, who has led a sustainability club in high school. She could focus on how Barnard’s Environmental Science department, coupled with access to NYC-based NGOs, will help her develop the skills needed to make a tangible impact on urban sustainability, aligning with Barnard’s Foundations curriculum that fosters global awareness.
• Future Entrepreneur: A student passionate about social entrepreneurship and interested in Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership. She could discuss how the interdisciplinary approach of the Foundations curriculum, along with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in New York City, will provide her with the tools to launch ventures aimed at social good.

Barnard College students engage in the bold questions that define their generation. Choose one question that you have about the world around you, and explain why it matters to you. (150 words)

The key to this prompt is showing that you can think critically about the world around you, through the lens of particular topics or issues you’re passionate about, and offer some explanation about what your interest in this thing says about who you are in general – why they matter to you, to use Barnard’s own words.

The key here, like with pretty much all college essays, is specificity. At Barnard you’ll be given much more independence in your classes, so admissions officers want to see that you’re able to look at a broad topic and zero in on one particular feature that you feel is especially important. So, rather than asking “How will we respond to the climate crisis?” ask the much narrower “How can we ensure safe and equitable access to clean water both locally and globally as temperatures rise and access is complicated by climate disasters?”

This specificity not only shows superb critical thinking skills, but also teaches Barnard admissions officers much more about who you are. You’re engaging with an issue that is current and pressing, and demonstrating your ability to think deeply about many different aspects of the issue. By asking this question you show awareness, critical thinking skills, and empathy for those who can’t access clean water. 

As you brainstorm, keep in mind that you don’t have to answer this prompt in a purely academic way. College essays, and applications as a whole, are usually pretty dry, structured affairs, but this prompt presents an opportunity to discuss parts of yourself that might not show up anywhere else.

For example, maybe you want to know how Taylor Swift was motivated enough during quarantine to write two Grammy-nominated albums. While this is a fun question, you’ll want to make sure that you engage with the “bold” aspect of the prompt. Maybe you can connect your curiosity about her drive to an interest in mental health, inspiration, and lengthening attention spans that have been shortened by technology. 

You can still use this more playful question to highlight your academic potential. While showing admissions officers a more “fun” side of you might feel risky, in reality mixing up your tone can provide a breath of fresh air that makes your application as a whole more engaging.

The key to a strong response is connecting the questions you have to personal experiences and anecdotes that show who you are as a person. If your essay is just a bunch of questions, and associated discussion of the topics they concern, Barnard admissions officers may come away with a much better understanding of, say, water synthesizing technology, but not of what you have to offer their school.

Instead, you could connect your interest in this kind of technology to your lifelong fascination with water, as you’re from Arizona and have always marveled at how many animals and plants manage to thrive in the desert, and describe a particular hike you went on to learn more about different kinds of cacti.

Keep in mind that, to craft a response that’s engaging throughout, you’ll likely need to discuss two or even three questions. Even if you have one that you could talk for hours about, evaluating some topic, like space colonization technology, from a variety of angles will make your essay livelier, as you’ll keep your readers on their toes.

Ideally, those questions will be at least somewhat related, as if you jump from talking about space colonization to your Taylor Swift’s songwriting, your essay will likely feel disjointed, even if your discussion of each topic is independently engaging. 

One other mistake to avoid is failing to include a question, like the prompt is directly asking for. It’s easy to get carried away talking about passions and interests, but you don’t want to get so excited that you immediately get carried away by your own fascination and forget to provide the one thing the prompt is directly asking for.

In college, you will encounter others with diverse viewpoints and experiences. Describe an instance where you engaged with someone who held a different opinion and explain how it shaped your perspective on the issue. (150 words)

This prompt falls under the Diversity archetype , which asks you to write an essay that reflects on your own identity, that of others, and the intersection between the two. The focus on a difference of opinion provides an opportunity to demonstrate your openness to diverse viewpoints, your ability to listen and engage thoughtfully, and how this experience influenced your understanding of the issue at hand.

So, what makes a good response to this prompt? First, you’ll want to make sure that you pick a specific anecdote. Not only is this what the prompt is directly asking for, but it will help anchor your essay, providing a memorable reference point for a college admissions team. 

Next, you’ll want to pick a disagreement of sufficient importance to make a meaningful statement about yourself and your qualities. You might be able to write a very entertaining essay about arguing with your sister over the best fast food restaurant, but this subject won’t tell the committee much about your interests or best self. However, you should also try to avoid topics that are too major and polarizing, such as abortion; the admissions committee is likely to get many essays on these topics, and there is a small chance you could alienate your reader, even if Barnard is a progressive school.

Finally, you’ll want to use this story to demonstrate growth and reflection. You don’t need to have changed your opinion entirely, but you should show your ability to learn from encounters with others, as well as your potential for thoughtful consideration. These are especially attractive qualities in a potential student, as they show the admissions committee that you will use challenges and opportunities alike to benefit your development. 

What does it look like to put all these elements together? Consider the example below of a strong Barnard essay for this prompt. 

In a school debate about animal testing, I initially defended it as necessary for medical advancement, believing that the benefits to human health justified the means. However, my opponent shared insights from his experience volunteering at an animal shelter, describing the trauma that animals can endure even in controlled environments.

After the debate, I researched the topic more deeply and was shocked to learn about alternative methods, like computer modeling and cell cultures, that can replace animal testing without compromising research quality. This new information challenged my original stance, leading me to advocate for these alternatives in future discussions. The experience taught me the importance of questioning widely accepted practices and being open to more humane solutions, even in fields where tradition and progress are deeply intertwined.

This example works well because it shows a clear, specific instance where the student’s perspective was directly challenged by another viewpoint, leading to a significant change in their thinking. The essay demonstrates the student’s willingness to research and reconsider their beliefs, ultimately leading to advocacy for more ethical practices. Not only does this essay respond to the prompt, it gives us insight into the kind of person the author is, presenting them in a great light as a future student at Barnard.

 Science Pathways Scholars Program

The science pathways scholars program (sp) ² aims to support underrepresented students of color and first-generation students as they pursue careers in science research. please discuss your interest in science research and future career goals. you may choose to reflect on past experiences or projects, role models, or ideas for research that you would like to explore. (300 words).

This prompt has some similarities to the classic “Why Us?” supplement. Namely, as you brainstorm your answer the key is to focus on the commonalities between your education goals and the Science Pathways Scholars Program. Notice how instead of Barnard as a whole, we now have to focus on the (SP)²    in the righthand column. And instead of yourself as a whole, you should focus on your scientific foci and how your personal experiences intersect with these foci. 

Again, it’s essential to be specific. Specificity should be present in both your goals, what you like about (SP)² , and any personal history you want to include. Integrate all three areas into a blended whole. To start, brainstorm a research question or area of inquiry you have, and then sketch out how you could learn more and improve your abilities through (SP) ² . 

Example: I want to explore therapeutic treatment for OCD

• (SP) ² would allow me to spend the summer working in Columbia’s Martinez Laboratory, which is at the forefront of finding novel psychiatric treatments for compulsions
• (SP) ² mentorship would ensure that I have an experienced perspective guiding me towards the labs and classes that best fit my niche

Alternatively, start with an inciting incident or personal history, and discuss how it shaped you and how you’re passionate about your field, despite systemic disadvantages. 

When COVID-19 first started to spread in Alaska, I was worried. In the early 1900s, Native communities were devastated by the Spanish Flu, and I was worried history would soon repeat itself. But instead, my Native town made the decision to seal itself off. We closed the road and pooled our resources. Although we never had a case of COVID, our isolation meant we had to ration our medical resources for other emergencies. Seeing the sacrifices made by my community has strengthened my commitment to improving how America approaches Native healthcare. By majoring in biology, with a pre-med track, I’m hoping to do my part to lessen the burden on indigenous communities like my own. 

Where to Get Your Barnard Essay Edited 

Do you want feedback on your Barnard essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

Need feedback faster? Get a  free, nearly-instantaneous essay review  from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Barnard College 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 6

You Have: 

Barnard College 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 200 words; 2 essays of 150 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why ,   Diversity

Barnard College is an extraordinary community of women committed to fostering curiosity and the exploration of new experiences and ideas. By utilizing the resources of our campus, our Foundations curriculum, and New York City, our students expand their world and discover their own capabilities. How do you envision these intersecting components of Barnard shaping your academic and personal journey? (200 words)

Even if this prompt doesn’t have the word “why” in it, it’s still a classic Why Essay. Why Barnard? Admissions wants to know how you believe Barnard’s community, curriculum, and location will shape your academic and personal journey, as well as expand your world and help you to discover your own capabilities. So do as you would with any other Why Essay and start with research. Explore Barnard’s website , or attend a campus tour if you can, and paint a picture of how you will take advantage of Barnard’s offerings when you get to campus. Maybe it’s always been a dream of yours to pursue a degree in Theatre in New York City, home of iconic Broadway productions. Perhaps you can’t wait to network with other women in STEM while pursuing your passion for fashion with other like-minded students at Hoot Magazine . The more details you can provide, the more you’ll demonstrate your interest and fit.

Barnard College students engage in the bold questions that define their generation. Choose one question that you have about the world around you, and explain why it matters to you. (150 words)

Admissions wants to invite the kinds of students to campus who aren’t afraid to think critically and challenge the status quo, so reflect on one bold question you have about the world around you and why you believe the answer(s), or lack thereof, is important. What do you find particularly interesting or flummoxing? What was the last topic/idea/event that you read a five-page thinkpiece about? Admissions seeks to accept intellectually curious students who are passionate about learning, enriching their understanding of the world around them, and putting what they’ve learned into practice. Pro tip: try not to fall down too many Reddit rabbit holes while brainstorming for this prompt; instead, focus on one (just one) question that keeps you up at night and demonstrate what that question shows about you as a learner and seeker of truth.

In college, you will encounter others with diverse viewpoints and experiences. Describe an instance where you engaged with someone who held a different opinion and explain how it shaped your perspective on the issue. (150 Words)

Whether you cherish early-morning car rides to school with your dad, conversations with your teammates during pregame pasta parties, or chatting with neighbors at your annual block party, we’re willing to bet you’ve encountered at least one person who has held a differing viewpoint. And Barnard wants to hear about it.

Barnard has even gone so far as to ask you to cite a specific instance, so be as specific and purposeful as possible and follow through with a detailed account to make sure your response stands out from the pack. Maybe you had your beliefs challenged by a cousin who leads a very different lifestyle from you over Thanksgiving dinner. Or, perhaps, you asked probing questions about your dad’s beliefs in order to better understand his worldview during a game of mini golf. If you can’t recall where you were at the time, no problem; but details are your friend here to add credibility. 

Whatever conversation you decide to write about, remember to address the second part of the question: how did the exchange or experience shape your perspective on the issue? Were you introduced to a point of view that you hadn’t considered before? Did you and your conversation partner find a middle ground or did you feel even more resolute in your viewpoint than you had before the conversation? Show Barnard that you are not afraid to consider new ideas and engage with others about important issues.

About Amanda Amah

View all posts by Amanda Amah »

Inquire about our availability!

"Thank you to the entire CEA team for your guidance and support!!! [My daughter] is extremely happy and looking forward to the next phase of her journey at Barnard!"

– CEA Parent, Barnard, Class of 2027

"My daughter got into Barnard College! She is very happy and excited. Thank you for all the inspiration and guidance. You are the greatest writing teacher ever!"

– CEA Parent, Barnard, Class of 2026

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search Podcast New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Perks at Work Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

School Stats:

• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• Clemson University
• Coastal Carolina University
• College of Charleston
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Dickinson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• The George Washington University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Hamilton College
• Hampshire College
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Howard University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Meredith College
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Carolina State
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Reed College
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Roger Williams University
• Saint Anselm College
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Seattle University
• Siena College
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• Spelman College
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University (TCU)
• The College of Idaho
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• UNC Wilmington
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia (UGA)
• University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Massachusetts Lowell
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of Rochester
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guide
• UC Essay Guide
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Deferral Guides
• Get Started

Barnard College Columbia University

Barnard Short Answer Questions

In addition to the personal essay which you will submit through the Common Application or QuestBridge, Barnard asks first-year applicants to respond to institution-specific short answer questions. We recommend spending time to thoughtfully consider these questions and your responses. Your answers to these questions, in conjunction with the rest of your application, will help the Admissions Committee understand how you may contribute to our community both academically and personally.

Below are the  2024  questions for first-year students.

• Required:  Barnard College is an extraordinary community of women committed to fostering curiosity and the exploration of new experiences and ideas. By utilizing the resources of our campus, our Foundations curriculum, and New York City, our students expand their world and discover their own capabilities. How do you envision these intersecting components of Barnard shaping your academic and personal journey? (200 words max)
• Required: Barnard College students engage in the bold questions that define their generation. Choose one question that you have about the world around you, and explain why it matters to you. (150 words max)
• Required: In college, you will encounter others with diverse viewpoints and experiences. Describe an instance where you engaged with someone who held a different opinion and explain how it shaped your perspective on the issue. (150 words max)

*Please note that the questions may change from year to year.