Mailing Address: 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Rank on 2008 List: 43
Rank on 2006 List: 16
Average GPA: 3.9
Matriculation Rates of African Americans: 82%
Total Enrollment: 2,300
African American Enrollment: 105
Acceptance Rate: 29%
*Average SAT scores: Verbal: 640-740; Math: 620-700; Writing: 650-730
Black Student Group:
Black Organization of Soul SistersSummer Programs: College Planning Weekend, Young Women’s Leadership Institute, Summer in NYC
Application Deadlines: Regular decision: Jan. 1; Early admissions: Nov. 15
Start sending acceptance letters: Early decision: Dec. 15; Regular decision: Early April:
Financial Aid/Deadlines: Early decision: Nov. 15; Regular decision: Feb. 1
Costs: Tuition & Fees: $33,078; Room & Board: $11,392;
*25th Percentile-75th Percentile
ADMISSIONS Q&A
Jennifer Fondiller, Barnard College, Dean of Admissions
What do you believe is the best preparation for a high school student to attend your institution?
I think it’s really looking at the courses they take through high school and selecting courses that are going to challenge them. Also, taking a broad range of classes in five basic subject areas: English, math, history, science and a foreign language and taking all those courses three to four years. Get as much writing in as possible is very, very important. That’s going to be the best preparation for when you move on to a college setting.
What kinds of activities stand out on students’ applications?
I find that some students are very team oriented and some are individual oriented meaning they do more solitary things. I don’t feel that we are placing any judgment on the type of activity a student is involved in as long as they are trying something, trying to sustain something for a little while. It’s alright if they switch around but they [should] give it a little bit of time. Some students are into poetry and music and others are on student government or sports teams. All of those things are good, but students should acknowledge that they are trying to figure out what they like to do. Sometimes we find that students maybe aren’t so involved in the typical high school activities because they have a job or they have family responsibilities. I’m not so much judging what she’s done but how can she reflect on that and tell me that. If she can speak on that she has learned all about responsibility and commitment.
What are the other most important things on a students’ application?
I talked about courses, and certainly grades are important. They are really such a strong indicator of the work a student has done on a daily basis. It includes test taking. We do look at [all] four years so I’m less interested solely in their end GPA. I’m more concerned about what were you like as a student in the 9th grade, the 10th grade, 11th grade? Certainly I would like to see an upward trend but we also know courses get harder. I would love for you to challenge yourself, so push yourself in that honors or AP class. We do also require that students take the standardized tests, the SAT or the ACT. We acknowledge that it is a one day test; we don’t see it as a perfect test but it gives us some insight into a student’s ability to infer and take tests and so we’ll look at those test scores in relation to what grades they got, what courses they take and what high school they go to because we do see different trends across the country and we will make adjustments knowing that a student is coming from an area that is not preparing them well for this sort of standardized test. We also in our application require recommendation letters from two teachers and one guidance counselor and I find that’s where students come alive. That teachers can write what a student was like in class, what they might add to our college. That’s where we do get the sense of what’s a person like. I always advise students how important it is to get to know their teachers and their guidance counselors.
What do you think of recent decisions by Smith & Wake Forest to eliminate the SAT and how likely is that at your institution?
I don’t want Barnard to sit on a pedestal and say every year we just blindly use this test. We’ve done some research but we’re going into a bigger research project this year on SATs in the admissions process. When students come to Barnard, let’s link that back to the SAT scores they got. Were they predictors? We’re going to break that out by categories: by ethnicity, by geographical area, is there any sort of links to students doing better or worse? We don’t have immediate plans to do away with the SATs. They are one more piece in an application which is very much a puzzle. We’ve never considered it the number one piece and so we don’t feel that strong need to eliminate that because it has served us well in our process.
How does your institution attract minority students and what is it doing to improve diversity efforts?
We want Barnard to reflect the city that we’re in. You can define diversity in many ways. If we’re talking ethnic minority we’re utilizing a lot of our students so they can speak to prospective students. We have an individual in our office and it is her role in the office to coordinate multicultural recruitment efforts. She is making sure that when our staff go off across the country that they are visiting a variety of high schools, they are going into community based organizations whether it’s an after school program, a church or synagogue or YMCA, really trying to get at students wherever they might be spending their time. We do a lot of preparatory work with students and families because there are pockets in this country where families are not aware of general education opportunities and of a place like Barnard. I’ve been here eight years and every year I see us reaching out to more schools. There are more students getting involved.
Once students are enrolled, what benefits will they receive by being at your school and not its competitors?
I think the number one benefit is that our students are able to have this very small, very intimate college where they have quick access to faculty members and they are in New York City. Our students can take part in so much of New York City. The internships that are here, the art, the culture, foods and all sorts of
things but they’re not overwhelmed by that. They’re able to have a campus setting; they can really immerse themselves in their learning but have those connections to the real world. Sometimes when students think about the concept of a women’s college they think of being cloistered, but we see it as a huge asset. Socially and academically there are some terrific links but as a woman there is a certain power that comes from Barnard as a women’s college, in terms of the mentorship you receive from faculty but also alums.
What are parents and students overlooking when they prepare and apply for college?
Because students have the ability to utilize the common application they don’t sometimes look enough individually at each particular school and address their short answer questions and their essays to that school. Sometimes an application doesn’t address the interest in that particular school. I need to know more about you and the person so as a student you do have a real ability in your application to set yourself apart. Don’t overlook that. Applying to college shouldn’t be easy you should put a little effort into it. You really should spend time. I do think deadlines are really important and trying to set up some sort of timeline for yourself. Over the summer write some essays, visit some schools. Life is busy and it only gets busier but before you know it some of those deadlines are approaching and you’ve not done what you need to do.