How I Decided to Come to Barnard
First of all, congratulations and welcome to the class of 2026! After the stress of college application season, it’s so exciting to have finally found out the results.
Many students know the second they get in that Barnard will be their home for the next four years. But this isn’t everyone, and it definitely wasn’t me. Even though Barnard had always been my top choice, when I got in I felt a little hesitant. I didn’t understand the Barnard-Columbia relationship and wanted the strong sense of community some small and remote liberal arts colleges seemed to offer.
My dad and I spent hours pouring over every bit of information we could find about Barnard and my other possible schools. But after researching everything I could think of, I still felt unsure about what it meant to be a Barnard student.
I finally knew I wanted to come to Barnard during my admitted students' weekend. Every admitted student I met was so interesting, passionate, and excited to be there. At the end of the weekend, I remember thinking that I was a little intimidated by Barnard students, and that’s what made my decision. I wanted to surround myself with students that would challenge me and bring out a better version of myself, and that’s what I’ve done.
Of course, picking a college is not all about the vibes. Here are some things I didn’t know about when I was making my decision that make me love Barnard:
Course flexibility – Barnard happens to be super flexible on taking classes pass/fail instead of for a grade and withdrawing from a course late in the semester. This really helped alleviate my stress but it's not common across all schools. Things like shopping periods and pass/fail options are super helpful and are definitely something for prospective students to consider.
The Quad – Every first year at Barnard lives in one dorm complex called The Quad. While I knew this about Barnard, I had no idea how much I would love it. As well as being super convenient, it’s a fantastic community-building experience.
The tunnels – Not a reason to come to a school but… all Barnard buildings are connected underground by a set of tunnels. These are great in the rain, and they make the winter a bit more bearable!
Congratulations to the class of 2026!