Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Barnard College supplemental essays.
All 2 essay questions Barnard College asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against barnard.edu on October 17, 2026
What you write: Answer both.
A bold question
At Barnard, inquiry starts with asking bold questions about the world. What is one bold question on your mind and what about it piques your curiosity?
How to approach it
- Every word counts. Cut warm-up phrases like “I believe that”.
- Specific beats impressive: a real song, a real food, a real place.
- It’s fine to be funny if that’s you.
A woman who brings people together
Barnard College is shaped by trailblazing women with a multitude of perspectives. Think of a woman - historical, fictional, contemporary, or personally significant - whose views or approach to problem-solving differ from your own, but who excels at bringing people together. What lesson from her approach would shape how you show up at Barnard both inside and outside of the classroom?
How to approach it
- Pick one moment and stay there. Readers remember a scene, not a summary.
- Spend at least a third of the essay on what you thought and how you changed.
- Read it out loud. If a line doesn’t sound like you, it isn’t done yet.
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