If you’re reading this post, Barnard was your dream school. This wasn’t the plan. You were hoping to get in, and may have had a backup strategy if you didn’t, but it’s likely you were not planning for a maybe. A deferral is just that — a deeply dissatisfying maybe. You might get in, but you can’t count on it. There are things you can do to nearly guarantee you aren’t accepted in the regular decision round, though, and things you can do to greatly improve your chances of admission.
There are also steps you need to take to ensure your overall college application experience is successful regardless of how Barnard works out. First, though, let’s look at some statistics. The most recent Barnard acceptance rate was 8.8% for the Class of 2028, up a little over 2% from the Class of 2027 (which was a record low 6.5%).
We don’t have deferral statistics from the last two years, but just three years ago, for the Class of 2026, the ED acceptance rate was a whopping 29%. They also only deferred 10% of Early Decision applicants. This tells us that the Barnard admissions team does not defer students for the fun of it. They defer a small selection of highly-qualified students who are truly still in consideration in the Regular Decision cycle. And you are one of them.
First, though, let’s talk big picture.
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Before you address Barnard, you need to make moves on the other schools you’ll now be applying to. The first step is to take a fresh look at your list of schools.
Review Your College List
The college list is the single most important piece of the college application process. If you don’t have a strong college list, you don’t have a chance. Let’s make sure you have more than just a chance, though. We want you to get into a dream school.
A strong college list must be three things: realistic, aspirational, and, subsequently, well-balanced.
To fulfill the realistic part, you need to have a strong foundation of, well, foundation schools — sometimes called safeties. We recommend 3-4. Next, you need 3-4 targets. These are schools you are likely to get into, but that you can’t count on. Finally, you have your reaches. Barnard is one, and you should have 1-2 more. Reach schools are schools that you still have a chance at, but it’s a stretch. If your grades or scores are completely outside of the range (i.e., below) of accepted students, it isn’t a reach, it’s a moonshot. For a school to make sense as a reach, you should be within the range of previously accepted students, which can be found on the admissions page or in the Common Data Set.
Once you’ve rebuilt and confirmed your college list, it’s time to look back at your writing.
Reassess Your Common App Essay
If the most important piece of the college application process is a strong list, the most important piece of any individual application is the essay. Your Common Application essay isn’t a dud — if it was, Barnard would have rejected you. But that doesn’t mean your essay is perfect. We approach every essay from the perspective that there are opportunities for strengthening, and sometimes for an overhaul. Before determining which is best for you, take a look at our guide to the 2024-2025 Common App Essay. You should also give these sample successful essays a read.
Press Submit
Finally, you need to submit. This should be obvious, but it doesn’t seem to be. So many students (and parents) we work with think that applying moments before the deadline gives you an advantage. Notice: it doesn’t. What it does do, though, is increase the chances of last-minute panic editing. We like to avoid panic editing at all costs, as it almost never improves the application. So, submit when you are ready — then move on.
Now, let’s get back to Barnard.
WHAT BARNARD WANTS
Barnard only defers a small number of Early Decision applicants. So, being deferred by Barnard isn’t the end of your road. If you play your cards right, it’s just another step on your journey to becoming a member of the Class of 2029.
Deferred applicants, Barnard says, “will be given the opportunity to submit additional materials, such as an expanded essay explaining their interest in Barnard and updated mid-year grades.” This can be submitted through the applicant portal, but sometimes it’s also helpful to email directly with a member of the admissions team if you’ve previously communicated with a regional admissions representative. Regardless of how it is submitted, what Barnard wants to see are clear specifics and a strong intention to attend. This means that not submitting updated information is like shrugging at Barnard and saying, “sure, reject me.” If you want to still be in the game, let them know.
Grades
Your school counselor should automatically send an updated grade report, but it’s worth checking in to make sure it’s sent. This is also a good time to ask your school counselor, in person, to make an advocacy call on your behalf. They don’t have to do this, and it’s entirely their call, but it is very helpful if they are willing to call Barnard and let them know how awesome you are.
Expanded Essay
The purpose of the expanded essay is to underline to Barnard that you:
Love the school,
Will contribute to the community,
And are committed to attending if accepted.
All three of these must be absolutely clear in your expanded essay. Subtext isn’t useful – you need to write it for them to know it.
We also like for students to incorporate a short update about important things that have happened since they initially submitted their application. These could include new leadership positions, awards or recognitions, volunteer commitments, or extracurriculars. The first priority for this update is to keep it focused and only include things that are truly important and impressive. The second priority is to keep it short. More is not more when it comes to an update. Your best chance of an eventual acceptance is keeping your message to Barnard clear and focused.
It's entirely possible to get into Barnard after a deferral, but it takes some work. Lucky for you, we can help.
We help strong students get into outstanding schools, even after a deferral. Email us to learn more.