26 Reasons to Apply to #barnard2026
If you are thinking about applying to Barnard College in the Regular Decision pool, you’ve probably learned a lot about us over the past few months. Perhaps you’ve attended a virtual information session and learned about the Four Pillars or the Contextual Admissions process. Maybe you spoke with current students on a live or virtual campus tour or in an Intro to Student Life chat session. Your mind may be cluttered with stats and facts about the College, but what can be really helpful so close to the deadline (January 4th, in case you needed a reminder!) is hearing from members of the community about why this place has been so impactful to them.
Barnard is so much more than a college — it’s a community. It has its own special quirks and characteristics that are unique to the Barnard experience. If you’re seeking out ways in which Barnard may be the perfect fit for you, here are 26 reasons from our community members to get you excited about potentially joining the Class of 2026:
The female-dominated faculty — 65%, which is 3x the national average of female professors at a single institution! – Claire Lempert ‘23
Living in The Quad as a first-year – Surina Goel ‘23
Free entry to countless museums – Defne Egbo ‘23
Late nights working on problem sets with friends – Lindsey Weiskopf ‘22
Research opportunities at Barnard and Columbia University – Claire Lempert ‘23
Autumnal strolls through Riverside Park – Claire Lempert ‘23
Incredible interdisciplinary centers, including the Empirical Reasoning Center, The Design Center, and the Digital Humanities Center – Panu Hejmadi ‘24
The lamb over rice from the 116th Street Halal Cart – Surina Goel ‘23
The Subway station right outside of the Barnard gates – Ellie George ‘23
The green chairs in Milstein – Sophia Durone ‘24
The personal librarians – Surina Goel ‘23
The Ferris Dining Hall dessert counter – Sophia Durone ‘24
The friendliest dining staff – Defne Egbo ‘23
Going to tea with friends at the Hungarian Pastry Shop – Olivia Cull ‘24
New York bagels and coffee! – Gaby Viner ‘24
Exploring the city with friends on Fridays — whether that be going to a Broadway show, a museum, taking a day trip to Westchester, etc. – Anjali Barnabas ‘24
Walking along the Hudson right next to campus – Lindsey Weiskopf ‘22
Making friends from around the world – Defne Egbo ‘23
Peer support; everyone wants to see everyone succeed and always offers a helping hand even if they just met that person – Anjali Barnabas ‘24
Wild experiences that can only happen in NYC — like seeing Harry Styles on the Today Show for free or running into Anne Hathaway at a coffee shop – Lindsey Weiskopf ‘22
Woman-first ethos – Maia Robinson ‘22
Ability to take really interesting classes and have a diverse curriculum through Foundations – Anjali Barnabas ‘24
Accessible health resources through the Furman Counseling Center – Olivia Cull ‘24
Community of change makers – Maia Robinson ‘22
Traditions like Big Sub and Midnight Breakfast – Claire Lempert ‘23
The board game cafes! – Mel Wang ‘24
Of course, there are far more reasons, but we’ll leave it here. If you’re in the final push of submitting your application and looking for tips to get you through to the finish line, be sure to review these tips from Dean Christina Lopez. You’re so close to being done, and we hope this process has been more exciting than stressful. If it’s been more stressful, take a step back, breathe, and read through these 26 reasons again to get yourself excited. And remember, you’ve got this!