Understanding Athletics at Barnard
The college admissions process can be daunting. And then adding in athletic recruitment? It’s understandable if you don’t know where to begin! Not only are you looking for the right academic and social fit, you’re also looking for the right team.
If you see yourself in a smaller liberal arts college setting where faculty and staff members know you and are committed to your success as a student and as an athlete, but you don’t want to give up the opportunity to compete in Division I athletics, Barnard might be the place for you. Because of our partnership with Columbia University, we are the only women’s college with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (D1) Athletics! This means that our athletes compete at the top level in 15 sports and are part of the NCAA Ivy League conference through the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium. It also means that Columbia coaches recruit athletes for both Columbia and Barnard.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, Barnard has athletes on the following teams - archery, squash, fencing, track (indoor and outdoor), cross country, soccer, men’s lightweight crew, men's heavyweight crew, women’s crew, swimming, basketball, and lacrosse.
So, how does one start the process? After exploring the NCAA website and creating your eligibility center account, a great first step is to get on our coaches’ radar. The easiest way to do this for Barnard is by filling out the recruitment questionnaire for your sport, which can be found here. Another great resource is the Ivy League’s conference website which has lots of important information for prospective athletes.
As you enter into the athletic recruitment process, it’s important to make sure you have your unofficial high school transcript readily available as well as an athletic resume and/or a highlight video. In addition to being in contact with coaches, make sure you are in contact with the admissions office and meet all of the application and financial aid deadlines!
Wondering about how far Barnard athletics can take you? Check out this article on national champion fencer and Barnard Class of 2020 alumna Anne Cebula who represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics!
Perhaps D1 athletics aren’t your calling but you want to stay involved in sports during college. Have no fear! You can choose from a plethora of club and intramural sports within the Barnard-Columbia community. Club sports allow you to compete against other schools and require a certain level of commitment whereas intramural sports compete amongst the Barnard-Columbia community for bragging rights. Club sports range from wrestling to equestrian to ultimate frisbee. For intramural sports, you might be in a badminton tournament or an outdoor soccer league.
I’ll leave you with a quote from a Barnard athlete. 2019 alumna Anneliese Gallagher said, “As a female athlete, I’ve never taken for granted any of the opportunities I've had in my academic career. But I’ve found that college athletics still have a long way to go before we achieve gender equality, and witnessing that firsthand has helped me see myself in the context of a larger legacy of women’s rowers and female athletics everywhere.”
For more information and a complete list of our varsity sports visit the Barnard Athletics page.
Danielle Schiestle is currently a Senior Admissions Officer at Barnard & Athletics Liaison