How does Barnard College's admissions process work?

I'm a junior doing some early research on colleges, and I've always been interested in Barnard. I heard that their admissions process is relatively holistic. Does anyone know more details about this, especially anything in regard to their weighting of different aspects such as GPA, extracurricular activities, and personal essays?

Barnard College does indeed use a holistic approach in its admissions process. This means they consider a wide range of factors about you as an individual student, rather than just your grades and test scores.

Academic performance is a big factor. This includes your GPA along with the rigor of your high school curriculum, class rank (if your school calculates this), and test scores. Barnard College is currently test-optional through 2027 due to the impacts of COVID-19, meaning you can decide whether or not to send SAT or ACT scores with your application.

Your extracurricular activities also hold considerable sway in Barnard's decision-making process. The college values students who have shown leadership, dedication, and depth in their activities, including but not limited to clubs, community service, jobs, internships, and research. They don't simply look for a long list of clubs or activities, but rather evidence of your impact and growth in the activities you've pursued.

Personal essays and letters of recommendation (two from teachers, one from your counselor) play an essential role in providing Barnard with a better understanding of you as a person: your character, passions, and contributions to the community. Barnard is looking for students who can contribute positively to their campus culture and who stand to benefit from the school's unique setting and opportunities.

In terms of essays, Barnard requires a supplemental essay in addition to the Common Application or Coalition Application essay. This is an opportunity for you to be authentic and share more about your interests, experiences, and why you feel Barnard would be a good fit for you.

Barnard also takes into account additional aspects like demonstrated interest, so visiting campus (if feasible), attending info sessions or online events, or any contact you've had with the college could contribute positively to your application.

It's important to keep in mind, however, that there are no hard-and-fast rules about how much each part of your application will weigh in the admissions process as every application is evaluated individually, and what could be the defining factor in one application may not be the same for another. Holistic review means that all parts of your application are important and interconnected.