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How to Answer the 2025-26 Barnard Supplemental Essay Prompts
By
Cece Gilmore
Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.
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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Scholarship Services at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Barnard College is a private women’s liberal arts college within Columbia University in New York City. Barnard is extremely selective, with an acceptance rate around 9%. Writing a strong supplemental essay is a great way to become part of that 9%!
Before you begin answering the Barnard supplemental essay question, it’s important to do your research. Find out what parts of Barnard excite you and differentiate from other colleges. Here’s our guide for how to use that information to ace the Barnard College supplemental essay questions!
Before answering the essay questions
All Barnard College applicants have to respond to one required 250 word maximum Barnard supplemental essay.
With only 250 words to make a strong impression, students must be direct and concise. If your response ends up being too long, try to get rid of filler or transition words. Give your essay to someone you trust to read it over to help get fresh eyes to eliminate words as well! Doing this will make your Barnard supplemental essay responses stand out from the rest.
Required: Essay question #1
“Rooted in a history of trailblazing women, Barnard College is a collaborative community of care shaped by bold women with a multitude of perspectives. Choose one woman— historical, fictional, contemporary, or personally significant— whose views differ from your own. Imagine a conversation with her. What would you discuss? How might her perspective challenge or shift your own? Share how this new mindset could influence your approach to learning and engagement both in and beyond the classroom at Barnard.” (250 words max)
This question touches on several elements:
- Finding intellectual growth in diversity of opinion
- Civility in debate
- Care among women
- Capacity for community engagement
Step 1: Choose a figure
Your first step in answering this question should be brainstorming someone to have an imagined conversation with. This person will have to hold significantly different views from your own, but it could be wise to pick someone who you also feel some kind of connection with. One good way to have productive discussion is to find a common ground. Once this is found, two people may have an easier time discussing difficult issues in a productive and open way.
If you choose someone personally significant but not well-known, make sure not to spend very long explaining what this person means to you. With only 250 words, you have very few words to spare. The better-known or less explanation necessary, the better.
Reminder: The woman you choose doesn’t need to be polarizing or controversial. It just needs to be someone who thinks differently in a way that is meaningful to explore. Prioritize having an insightful conversation over a contentious one!
Step 2: Outline the discussion
Your next step is to determine what the two of you will discuss. Once again, it’s a good idea to pick a subject that is well-known or easily explained. This frees up more of the word count to talk about your approach to the conversation and its outcomes rather than the topic of the conversation itself.
Step 3: Discuss the outcome of the conversation
This may be hard to do since the conversation is imaginary, but try to picture how hearing this person’s contrasting views and digesting them with an open mind might shift your perspective on something. Maybe they don’t change your mind on the subject itself but they give you a greater understanding on how someone may come to disagree with you. Alternatively, they could add nuance to your view or allow you to empathize with people you disagree with. All of these are meaningful outcomes of the conversation.
If you know someone personally who holds these contrasting views, or even someone who’s good at playing devil’s advocate, it could be helpful to actually play this conversation out in real life. You could record the conversation, listen back, and gleam insights from it to use in your essay.
Step 4: Expand this outcome to your participation in the world at large
Now that you’ve had this (imaginary) conversation with someone whose views differ from your own, what did you gain? How would the takeaways from this conversation influence your trajectory in the real world? That can include the classroom, the workplace, or community work. This is the most important part of your essay, as it is the most applicable to your potential as a future Barnard student and citizen after graduation. Try to emphasize the respect and open-mindedness involved in having a productive conversation with someone who holds differing views.
Next steps after applying to Barnard College
Congratulations! You are now done with the Barnard College supplemental essay!
The next step after you submit your application should be to continue to show demonstrated interest in Barnard so they know you are committed and prioritizing their school (even if you have a few other top choices.)
How can I show demonstrated interest in Barnard College?
- Apply Early Decision
- Interview, if offered
- Attend a campus tour
- Complete any optional essays
- Contact an admissions officer
Essentially, by taking advantage of one of the above suggestions, Barnard will see how committed you are to their college. This will give you a leg up above the competition and help you make a more informed college decision.
Other colleges to consider
- New York University (New York, NY)
- Columbia University (New York, NY)
- Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)
- Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Additional resources
Being in the middle of the college application process can be stressful. The process is full of tough decisions. Luckily, we have an abundance of resources to make the college process a little easier on you.
- How many schools should you apply to?
- How to find safety, reach, and match schools
- Should you send your test scores to test-optional schools?
Finally, make you that you apply to all the scholarships you qualify for!