How to write the 2019-2020 Barnard supplement questions, with examples
Are you Bold and Beautiful? Would you like to add “Barnard” to that list of adjectives?
If you do, this post is perfect for you. Below I have included three samples of Barnard supplements from applicants (one being me!) who gained admission to the competitive liberal arts college in New York City.
Before jumping into my analysis of each supplemental response and why I think it works, I will provide my general advice on each question of the 2019-2020 application.
Question 1: What factors influenced your decision to apply to Barnard College and why do you think the College would be a good match for you? (100-250 words)
This is basically a “Why X school” essay, it’s just written in a more complicated way. So first I’ll give the spiel I give for every writing a “Why X?” essay and then I’ll dive specifically into tips for writing this supplement for Barnard.
Colleges ask this question because they want to have a high yield rate. What is a yield rate you ask? A yield rate is the rate of accepted students who actually commit to the university to which they gained admission. Schools like Harvard and Columbia for instance, have very high yield rates, because most of the people admitted to such an institution inevitably go. Barnard’s yield rate is also impressively high, but schools are always looking to increase their yield because it makes them look better, improves their score on national college rankings, and increases their chances of getting big donations.
This is of course a cynical view - if you asked an admissions officer why most colleges ask “Why us?” they would probably tell you it’s because they want to see if you’re a good fit for the school. This is also in part true, but for similarly cynical reasons. Schools want to have a high graduation rate, because that also makes them look good. They don’t want kids going for the wrong reasons, and then dropping out or transferring out. So if you write that you want to go to Barnard because you like that it’s a liberal arts college, then that’s not specific enough a reason to show that you will go (thereby increasing their yield rate) and actually stay all four years (thereby increasing their graduation rate).
Think about it as if you were reading through applications for potential spouses. Imagine if you were looking at two people who ostensibly want to marry you (but who are also applying to be the spouses of a few other people, and you don’t know if you’re their top choice). Who are you going to marry - the person who said they like that you “have a sense of humor” or the person who said they found everything they want in you because of your mutual “career in education, passion for goth horror films, and affinity for grey pitbulls”? Obviously you want the latter applicant! They seem like they really know what they want. And if you accept them to be your potential spouse, they’ll actually show up on the wedding day.
Similarly, colleges are just looking for someone who is going to show up on the commitment deadline. So show them that you’re going to commit by being specific. Make them think you’ll increase their yield, their graduation rate, and so on.
Don’t say that X school has a great History department. Mention an academic article one of their professors wrote, and how it changed your perspective on X topic. Don’t say you want to go to X school because it is in Boston, when there are so many schools in Boston. Say you want to go to X school because it is in the part of Boston that is near a museum or think tank or startup that you have plans to intern for. Make this admissions officer believe that you really envision yourself at their college, and that if you’re accepted, you’ll really go because the school has everything you want and need in a place of higher education.
In terms of Barnard specifically, some good talking points are: famous alumnae, the Athena Center, the Barnard Bulletin and Columbia Spectator, the tight-knit community, the new Milstein Center, traditions like Midnight Breakfast, and if you’re a STEM major, mention that you are excited to have the options to study STEM in a class of all women, since studies show women perform better in STEM classes/jobs that are sans men.
But if none of these appeal to you, then do your research. Reach out to current students or alumnae if you know any. Go on their website. Read news articles about Barnard in the student newspaper, as well as local publications. Sometimes news article mention things barnard.edu does not because Barnard’s publicity people might not know to post everything the school does to their website in an accessible way.
Hot tip: Email the admissions department at least 3 weeks in advance of the deadline for the application. Ask them something like “In the Education major, are there any opportunities to tutor at a school for credit?” or “I love X class, is that class regularly offered, or is it just for this past school year?” This shows that you were doing deep research and care about the school. Often if your name shows up in their inbox, that will be added to your file.
Question 2: Pick one woman in history or fiction to converse with for an hour and explain your choice. What would you talk about? (100-250 words)
Just writing a biography of someone else is the biggest mistake I come across when I read drafts of answers to this question from clients. If your answer to this question is Oprah Winfrey, Martha Washington, Alice Walker, Mary Thom, or any other woman throughout time and fiction, then the admissions rep reading your application does not want a better written Wikipedia page entry on this woman. Instead of students giving an in-depth glimpse into their intellect and personality with this question, many just spend 250 words praising a particular woman with good verbiage. This is not the purpose of this question.
As with any application, think about it from the admissions officer’s point of view. They are reading this application, black coffee gripped in hand, after weeks of reading hundreds of applications, because they want to see if you’re the best candidate for entry into the college in which they work. They are not interested in hearing about how great Oprah Winfrey is.
So subtly make this response about you. The best way to do this is to emphasize what you would talk about with this woman. For instance, if you intend to run for president you might want to sit down with Hilary Clinton. Instead of blathering on about how inspiring she is, show what a critical-thinking and conscientious person you are to the Barnard admissions office by asking interesting hypothetical questions to Clinton. Ask how she negotiates between her feminist sensibilities and also having mass appeal. Ask her for advice on how you should handle sexist remarks at debates - with gravitas and a smirk, or a snarky comeback?
Lastly, be specific. Do not just say for example that you want to meet J.K Rowling because you want to be a popular writer. Instead speak specifically about wanting to be a female fantasy and science fiction writer, and find a personal connection with Rowling that also says something about you to the admissions officer. Rowling for instance grew up in impoverishment - which subsequently made her more creative when it came to her writing. Is hardship also a source of creativity for you? Tell the admissions team you want to talk about that with Rowling.
The most important thing is that this supplement is 60% about you (at least) and 40% about the other person. Make it about you by asking questions, focusing on what you would discuss, making personal connections with the author that give away your aspirations/persona, and so on.
You also don’t have to write about a famous person either. It’s cooler and shows greater intellect in many ways if you mention a specific character from an interesting novel, or if you write about a woman forgotten by history. Haha, get it? Anyway, it doesn’t even necessarily have to be about someone who has been written about in textbooks. History can broadly be defined as the recorded and non-recorded events of humankind. So if you really loved a Math teacher in 6th grade who made you believe you could be a Math major, then write about her. Or if you were never able to meet your mom or grandma but have heard a lot about her, write about what you would ask her.
This supplement should be fun, engaging, and personal.
Question 3: Who in your life is depending on you? What are they depending on you for? (250 words)
This is a new question, and I have a theory as to why Barnard is asking it. Many colleges, ones like Barnard, are getting flak for only accepting privileged students who have no responsibilities. Think about it - the wealthy applicant with a hedge fund manager father whose entire purpose in high school was to get good grades, be well-behaved, and try their best not to max out daddy’s credit card - probably doesn’t have anyone depending on them for anything.
On the other hand, an applicant who has to help her mom take care of her elderly family member because they cannot afford a caretaker obviously has people who depend on her. With this question, Barnard is trying to see if you’re a spoiled brat, or if you’re someone who has a real responsibility. Small tip: don’t write that your nanny depends on you to continue to employ her to drive you to school and clean your room.
If an answer to this question does not immediately come to mind: here is some advice:
Write about an actual responsibility you have today. This might be an “oh shit” moment for some of you, who just realized no one depends on you right now for anything. If this is the case, I implore you to consider organizations you have volunteered or worked at. The pitfall with this option is coming off as conceited, self-absorbed, and martyr complex-y. Don’t say the women at the homeless shelter you work at depend on you to bring a smile to their face. *Cringe.* The trick here is to write about someone who relies on you who is at your level, this way you don’t seem like you’re looking down on someone for relying on you. Maybe the general manager at the restaurant you waitressed at depends on you to come to every shift on time and have a smile on your face through the whole shift. From there, talk about how this might seem like a small, regular thing, but write about how your unusually impressive customer service makes the restaurant run more smoothly on busy nights.
Try not to write about working for your parent’s private business. I don’t want to be rude, but when I read this question I imagine all the cringey rich girls I went to high school with who would write about their attorney father who depends on them to file shit for them on Sundays, or how their real estate agent mom asks them to show houses occasionally to clients. While this might be valuable work experience, and while I’m sure your attorney father really did depend on you for sorting those files (as though he doesn’t have an assistant/paralegal who could do it on Monday), you’re just going to come off as spoiled to the admissions officer, which as mentioned before, is the exact opposite of the goal with this question.
Write about a mutually beneficial relationship. For instance, in high school I was a TA for my high school’s English Department Chair. She depended on me to grade journals, tests, quizzes, and pick my brain for lesson plans. I depended on her for valuable life advice on academia and education as a profession. I was also a hostess at a restaurant in high school. I could have written about how the head hostess relied on me to seat guests at the right tables, and so on. By writing about a superior you won’t come off as preachy and holier-than-thou.
If you want to write about someone who is “below” you socially or socioeconomically, be cautious with your tone and have a couple people read it. I know a few clients who visit a student with severe special needs every week. Obviously, this student depends on them for light-hearted hangouts and a good friend. This could be a great supplement, but with the wrong tone an applicant could seem completely self-congratulatory for doing something that is supposed to be from a place of selflessness.
Write about someone who depends on you but doesn’t know it. I think I can best illustrate this by an old Jewish tale I was always told growing up: In a Jewish town, there was a rich, mean old man who never gave any charity. He had a room in his mansion just dedicated to storing his gold, and everything he owned was pure wood, silver, or fur, and so on. Whenever the local rabbi or pauper asked him for money, the man would always refuse. People despised him. No one came to his funeral. A few weeks after this man’s death, people began to complain to one another and to the rabbi about things that disappeared. One man said he always magically found milk on his doorstep every Friday morning. A woman said she always found the exact right amount of money in her mailbox for the medicine her child needed. People slowly realized that this man who they had grown to loathe so deeply, was actually just trying to do charity in a humble way.
So, in what way are you the despicable-not-so-despicable wealthy man of your community? Is there someone at school who receives kind notes from you in their locker? Do you persuade the coach on your basketball team to give more time on the field to a teammate who needs more practice? Is there a single parent who eats at the restaurant you work at who unknowingly receives extra strips of bacon when you prepare their dish? By writing about something like this, you show that you’re a humble person who does things for other people without throwing it in their face.
6. Make it fun, not serious. When my clients first read this question, many of them instantly jumped to some very somber examples. While this is fine if they are legitimate, you can also write about something silly in a serious way. For instance, maybe you’re the girl on the cheer team who always has to catch the cheerleader being thrown in the air. That girl definitely depends on you. From here, elevate that to talk about the physical strain of catching someone from ten feet in the air, and your commitment to being there for your teammates. And so on.
As with all questions, I really recommend brainstorming on this one. There are probably more people in your life who depend on you than you realize. Add bullet points for each person. Don’t come off as self-obsessed or preachy. Don’t write about someone who doesn’t actually depend on you. Tell an interesting story, and above all show that you’re a reliable person, with real responsibilities, who can be depended on.
Question 4: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (250 words)
Can you say “piece of cake”? Because this question should be the easiest one to write out of all your supplemental essays.
Barnard is asking this question simply because they know that with today’s competitive admissions market, many students lie about or exaggerate their involvement in a certain extracurricular or work space. Or, some students might have actually participated in a certain extracurricular for a long time, but maybe they only did it because they know it would look good on college applications. Barnard wants to see what personal, academic, or professional value and expertise you practically gained from editing the student newspaper, or running a book club, or being a hostess at the Cheesecake Factory. They want to know they’re accepting women who did not just arbitrarily “resume build” in high school, but consciously participated in extracurricular activities which made them better human beings.
For overachievers who did many activities in high school, the hard part with this one will be picking just one. One of the most important parts of college applications today is telling a story throughout your entire application. There should be some thread connecting everything together - even if it is broad, like a passion for leadership or a sense of curiosity about the world, or a love for writing.
So your first option for picking one activity is going with the one which best aligns with your personal narrative as an applicant. If you mostly took STEM AP classes, it would be better to write about the Robotics team than being a columnist for the student newspaper, unless you had a Science column.
The next, more obvious way to decide, is to pick the activity which genuinely was your favorite. Sometimes I find that clients have a hard time writing about this one though, since they have so much to say, and don’t even know how to articulate their love for captaining the debate team or being a shift manager at their local diner.
My advice is to make five bullet points for each activity or work experience you might write about. In these bullet points, work out the angle you’d like to have on this activity. See which ones garner the best writing and bring out the best in you. Which ones make you seem like a student worthy of Barnard?
Now, how does one elaborate on an activity or work experience?
There are a couple ways to go about this:
Write about a specific moment or anecdote. Maybe you work on the student newspaper and in an interview for a story on teenage sexting, a student confessed that her ex-boyfriend posted her nude photos online and doesn’t know what to do. How did you handle a tough situation as the captain of the soccer team? What did you do when someone at a Model Congress competition stole your notes before you presented and shut down your debate before you could even share it with the committee? Did you realize you love teaching when you were tasked with training the freshmen on the Robotics team? Did you expand your interest on consumer psychology by taking notes on customer behavior at a retail job?
The most important thing to do with this option is to talk about what you learned from this moment and why you valued the opportunity to learn, even if it was stressful. Be emotional, vivid, and specific.
2. Write about what you learned or took away from this work experience or activity on the whole. If you can’t write about a specific moment or anecdote, speak broadly about how you improved your people skills by being the Ads editor for the student newspaper. Or write about all the different ways you learned to actualize your passion for social justice in the real world when you volunteered at a shelter.
3. Write about how an experience fundamentally changed you. This might work best for minimum wage work experiences. Maybe you knew you had to start making money at 16, started working at a Denny’s and figured you would hate it, but that experience is what made you realize you want to open your own chain of diners. The only pitfall with this option is that so many students write the cheesy, cliche “X thing changed my life” essay. So definitely do not use that exact sentence, or use the term “life-changing” or “eye-opening.” Show, don’t tell, how this experience was life-changing or eye-opening.
At the end of the day, keep in mind that Barnard really just wants to see what you actually did at a certain piece of your resume, to vet that it was a legitimate and valuable experience which makes you a good candidate for admission.
Okay, if you’re still stuck, or if you’re in need of some inspiration, here are some examples of answers to these questions from applicants who were accepted to Barnard. I have included brief comments on why I think each response worked.
As always, if you need a good proofreader, if you’re stumped, or have any other issue that might come up while responding to these questions, feel free to email or text me to receive a quote. My contact information can be found on the Contact page of this site.
Successful Barnard Supplements for Question #1: