Where They Were When They Got In: Current Students Share Their Stories

The day you get into Barnard is special. Two years after my acceptance, I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I checked my portal. No matter how much time passes, it always makes me smile to remember how excited I was. This year’s acceptances may have already been released (and a huge congratulations to everyone who’s been accepted!), but as the stories below show, the memories of that acceptance are likely to last for a while. Here, seven current students have shared their stories what what they were doing when they found out they’d gotten into Barnard.

“I was accepted early decision and I found out about my acceptance during my shift at Little Caesars. I screamed and danced and my boss let me go home early to tell my mom. Additional fun fact: my best friend also opened her acceptance letter to MIT at the same Little Caesars because I was on shift and she came to visit me because she was too nervous to open it by herself.” - Sara Morales

“I was still in class because of the time difference, so I texted my friend to meet me in the bathroom and we checked together. It was very wholesome and I cried and screamed and the vice principal came in to check if everything was okay!” - Maya Corral

“I was on my break during a shift at my retail job when I checked the portal. I ran out of the break room to tell my supervisor that I had gotten in. She screamed and repeated the news to everyone in earshot. I still had to go back to work after that, but I felt like I was floating for the rest of my shift.” - Cleo Payne

“I was painting a gigantic sign for a school event when I found out that I got in. I ran outside without shoes and covered in paint to call my mom.” - Saskia Ghosh

“I was initially waitlisted at Barnard, so on ‘school decision day,’ I actually came decked out in gear for a different college. That day, I got called down to the guidance office and my counselor told me I had a phone call. An admissions representative made me an offer off the waitlist, which I accepted. I went back to Modern Euro shaking!” - Paulette Arnold

“I called my cousin right before I opened my portal and asked her to use one of her birthday wishes on me--it was her eleventh birthday and she reeeeeally wanted me to go to Barnard. She told me that she wanted me to go to Barnard because it was close to her house. ” - Cassandra Clifford

“I was admitted off the waitlist, so instead of checking on my portal or getting a letter in the mail, I actually got a call from the admissions office. At the time, I was walking to driver’s ed. I got the news, and had about two minutes before my class started--just enough time to call my best friend, scream the news at her over the phone, and zoom into class. I couldn’t even tell my family because that day was my little brother’s birthday and I didn’t want to steal the spotlight from him. I was buzzing all day and night about the news!” - Alexandra Haddad