How to get into Barnard
What 56 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 217 Barnard results that students posted for the 2017 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Barnard admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.95
Middle half 3.85 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,530
Middle half 1,483 to 1,550
Median ACT
34
Middle half 32 to 34
Median weighted GPA
4.40
Middle half 4.30 to 4.60
Results posted: 56 admitted, 89 rejected, 72 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Barnard acceptance rate; the official rate is in Barnard’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.95 | 3.89 |
| SAT | 1,530 | 1,500 |
| ACT | 34 | 33 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Barnard admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service70%
- Debate/MUN/Speech43%
- Internship43%
- Journalism/Writing41%
- Research39%
- Advocacy/Politics36%
- Athletics36%
- Tutoring/Teaching34%
Held a leadership role
91%
Founded something
34%
National or intl. award
75%
Did research
39%
Intended majors of Barnard admits
- Political Science27%
- English/Writing13%
- Biology7%
- History7%
- Art/Design5%
- Computer Science5%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 38% first-generation, 18% low income, 32% underrepresented minority, 11% legacy, 0% recruited athlete and 7% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 31% chose Barnard.
Three recent Barnard admits
2026 cycle · RD · English/Writing
First-gen immigrant-background student blending speech, journalism, and family translation, aiming for English studies.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 30 · Original post
2026 cycle · English/Writing
First-gen rural student balancing family restaurant work and translation with leadership in arts, speech, and journalism.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 30 · Original post
2026 cycle · ED · Economics
Founder of a nonprofit featured in the news, pairing entrepreneurship with finance internships and research.
GPA 3.89 UW · ACT 34 · Original post
Essays that worked for Barnard
Growing Up in a Bed and Breakfast
“When it comes to service workers, as a society we completely disregard the manners instilled in us as toddlers.”
Published by The New York Times
Where else Barnard admits got in
Barnard admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Barnard?
- Among 56 applicants who posted a Barnard admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.95 and the middle half reported 3.85 to 4.00 (37 reported a GPA). Barnard sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Barnard?
- Among 56 applicants who posted a Barnard admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,530 and the middle half scored 1,483 to 1,550 (30 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Barnard admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (70%), debate/mun/speech (43%), internship (43%), journalism/writing (41%). 91% held at least one leadership role and 75% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Barnard acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Barnard in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Barnard?
A Specialist who got into a school like Barnard can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2017 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Barnard. All colleges