Barnard Keeps Admit Rate at 28 Percent

Throughout the week, 1,207 young women received thick envelopes demarcating their admission to Barnard College.

This spring, Barnard accepted 1,207 prospective students from a pool of 4,273 applicants, maintaining 2007’s admit rate of 28 percent. According to a Barnard press release, the steady rate of 28 percent retains “the College’s place as the most sought-after women’s school in the country.”

Over the last five years, the release notes, Barnard has steadily admitted slightly over 25 percent of its applicants. In 2008, Barnard admitted 187 students via early decision, and the release anticipates that there will be about 560 students in the class of 2012. The new admits hail from 46 states and 36 countries.

“Once again, we were hugely impressed and excited with the quality of our applicants,” Dean of Admissions Jennifer Fondiller said in the release.

Fondiller touted the number and variety of leaders admitted to Barnard. “Leaders of all kinds were prevalent—class presidents, captains of sports teams, and editors-in-chief of newspapers, literary magazines, and yearbooks,” Fondiller said in the release. 88 percent of admitted students ranked in the top 10 percent of their classes.

The release boasts of having interesting admittees, such as a world champion trampolinist, a certified pilot, and an internationally ranked table tennis player. A novelist, a unicyclist, and students whose music has graced Carnegie Hall were also admitted.

“Artists were well-represented, including accomplished musicians, dancers, and actresses, and there were many applicants this year who demonstrated significant commitment to social responsibility, such as those who had participated in hurricane relief efforts by building homes and organizing the donations of supplies,” Fondiller said in the release.

The release notes that 37 percent of admitted students consider themselves “students of color,” with 19 percent Asian-American, 9 percent Latina, and 7 percent African-American.

“We couldn’t have been more pleased with this group,” Fondiller said.