What factors influenced your decision to apply to Barnard College and why do you think the College would be a good match for you? (100-250 words)
an incredibly rewarding experience
I was introduced to Barnard shortly after I began to look at women's colleges as places where I could potentially apply. I was unfamiliar with the concept of an institute of higher learning being anything but co-educational until my junior year of high school. It was that summer I received a scholarship opportunity through a local non-profit called The Ivy league Connection. I was able take a class entitled Women and Leadership at Brown University. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, being surrounded by so many young women who were filled with passion, ambition, and empathy. When I returned home I had an immense desire to recreate that atmosphere, and that was where my search began. I became better acquainted with Barnard through the plethora of YouTube videos posted by the current students, alumni, and the college itself. I saw women: whole, unapologetic, and wonderfully human. They came from every walk of life, having faced facing difficulties and made mistakes, but remained true to themselves. I saw myself in them; I felt their anger at the injustice in the world and their resolve to put an end to it. It was remarkable to find that Barnard had everything of importance to me: an urban location, a diverse student body, a close-knit community, and the level of opportunity that comes with the recourses of a university as large as Columbia. I saw how Barnard transformed young women into leaders and I realized that that was exactly where I wanted to be.