Barnard is an all-women’s college in Manhattan, NY. Their campus is right across Broadway from Columbia, and Barnard is actually a college of Columbia University. The relationship between the two schools is a bit complicated, but when you graduate from Barnard you receive a degree that says “Columbia University” at the top. Nearly every course at Barnard is open to students at Columbia College, and the same applies in reverse. At Barnard, you get an all-women’s residential experience and a community designed to support women, while still being a piece of the bigger Columbia community. This mix has made Barnard exceptionally popular, and the acceptance rate has plummeted in recent years. Barnard the acceptance rate for the Class of 2029, but the acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was only 7%.
Barnard their temporary SAT/ACT Test-Optional policy for students applying for the Fall of 2026, which means that it applies to you. It is an interesting choice as peer institutions have reinstated testing requirements.
As a test-optional school, it is up to you whether you submit SAT or ACT results. We like this flexibility, but we also advise our students not to take advantage of it unless they have really struggled on either the SAT or ACT over multiple attempts. Strong test scores underline an application, emphasizing how impressive you are. For Barnard, submitting an ACT of 34+ or an SAT of 1530+.
In this post, we are going to focus on the key qualitative piece of your application, though, the supplement. As an institution focused on women, Barnard is very careful to assess applicants not only for their strengths — but also for their intentions. They only want to accept students who are passionate about the particular learning and community environment they offer. The best way to show that you have bought into the Barnard way of working is by applying Early Decision. The next best way is through the supplement. Below, we break down how to make the Barnard supplement a powerful piece of your application process.
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The Barnard supplement for 2025-2026 is only one question, and it is required. This is a change from recent years, where they had a few required questions.
Rooted in a history of trailblazing women, Barnard College is a collaborative community of care shaped by bold women with a multitude of perspectives. Choose one woman— historical, fictional, contemporary, or personally significant— whose views differ from your own. Imagine a conversation with her. What would you discuss? How might her perspective challenge or shift your own? Share how this new mindset could influence your approach to learning and engagement both in and beyond the classroom at Barnard. (250 words)
This is a classic Barnard prompt, and actually combines a few different prompts Barnard has used in recent years into one condensed package. There’s a lot to include here. You are supposed to pick a woman, share an imagined conversation, and get into how it would potentially influence your perspective all in 250 words. To pull this off, you need to approach it strategically.
We love working off of an outline, creating a plan for your response before writing the creative fun stuff. Start your outline with picking a person. When picking a woman to center your supplement on, there are few things to keep in mind. Generally, we advise students to avoid current celebrities and to stay away from family members (living or deceased). Other than that, it’s basically fair game with one caveat: there should be a connection between the person you pick and who you want to become. It doesn’t need to be a direct line — if your dream is to become a medical researcher you don’t need to pick a researcher — but there should be some thematic tie-in.
For example, if you want to study history, you could pick a woman who influenced history, but she doesn’t need to be from the particular time period or geographic location you are most interested in. It is who she was and what she did, more than physical location, that matters most.
This is because the woman you pick acts, really, as a foil for yourself. She is a way of spotlighting a characteristic or two about yourself that you want to make sure is strong in your application. The best way to highlight that is through the imagined conversation. What you talk about shows what you value. Maybe you ask a heroine of yours about managing fear, or seeing through setbacks, or navigating difference. Whatever the conversation, it is not an interview. You aren’t asking them what they’ve done and why, but the how of it.
Remember that you need to link this back to Barnard. What would you learn or realize that you would bring into the Barnard classroom — and community — with you? Be as specific as you can be, referencing a particular class or program to bring your imagined future to life.
Barnard also allows students to submit a resume. We have in-depth guidance on crafting a resume that you should definitely read, but the quick version is that it must be one page and must be professional (like for a job interview).
If you are considering a gap year between high school graduation and starting your freshman year, Barnard asks that you respond to this additional prompt:
In the box below, please indicate if you are considering a deferral to Fall 2027 if you are offered admission for Fall 2026. Please note that admitted students will be required to submit an official deferral request form with a detailed outline of their plans by February 2026 (if admitted through Early Decision in December) and by April 2026 (for students admitted through Regular Decision).
Being open to deferral by a year can increase your chances of acceptance, as they don’t have to commit to giving you a seat in the Class of 2030. It can also decrease your chances of acceptance if they feel like you don’t have a clear objective or direction with taking a gap year, which can undermine the strength of your application.
We love a gap year as an opportunity for growth and personal development, but it shouldn’t be an extended vacation. Barnard, for sure, does not want to hear about how you hope to spend six months island hopping around Greece. So, if you want to take a gap year and choose to answer this prompt, you need to be as specific as you can be while also emphasizing educational opportunities, personal growth, and, ideally, employment.
The Barnard application is simpler this year than it has been recently. There’s only one prompt, which is a nice simplification but also comes at a cost. Now, you only have one place to share more about who you are and why Barnard is your perfect fit. It is more important than ever that you make this supplement sing.
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