Prompt: How did you first learn about Barnard College and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? Why do you think the College would be a good match for you?
When my college counsellor mentioned Barnard as a school consider in the spring of my junior year, I reluctantly agreed to research it, having privately decided that an all-girls' institution would not be the place for me. I've been in co-ed schools all my life, I told myself, and so far I've turned out just fine. Why would I want to leave that? But I had a change of heart after reading an article in the school newspaper's last issue of the year. My school has recently begun to make more of an effort to achieve gender equity, and a friend of mine had written an article on the issue. In it, she talked about her experience in an all-girls' school in New York, and the line that resonated with me was that in her school, "There was no problem screaming unabashedly to get a point across." I've always been pretty reserved, but in the past few years I've realised that sharing my thoughts can be a good thing and have become more outspoken. So I began reconsidering the idea of a Barnard experience. The flexibility of the education appealed to me, as I am undecided as to what I want to study. I loved the idea of graduating with a strong network of alumni who truly want to help each other out. All this and more contributed to my decision that Barnard could be the place for me.
I'm not sure if I focus too much on the whole co-ed vs all-girls thing and not enough on what I actually think about the college. Also, it's supposed to be 1000 characters and it's currently at 1288, so if you have any ideas on what I could take out, that would be great. Thanks for your feedback!
When my college counsellor mentioned Barnard as a school consider in the spring of my junior year, I reluctantly agreed to research it, having privately decided that an all-girls' institution would not be the place for me. I've been in co-ed schools all my life, I told myself, and so far I've turned out just fine. Why would I want to leave that? But I had a change of heart after reading an article in the school newspaper's last issue of the year. My school has recently begun to make more of an effort to achieve gender equity, and a friend of mine had written an article on the issue. In it, she talked about her experience in an all-girls' school in New York, and the line that resonated with me was that in her school, "There was no problem screaming unabashedly to get a point across." I've always been pretty reserved, but in the past few years I've realised that sharing my thoughts can be a good thing and have become more outspoken. So I began reconsidering the idea of a Barnard experience. The flexibility of the education appealed to me, as I am undecided as to what I want to study. I loved the idea of graduating with a strong network of alumni who truly want to help each other out. All this and more contributed to my decision that Barnard could be the place for me.
I'm not sure if I focus too much on the whole co-ed vs all-girls thing and not enough on what I actually think about the college. Also, it's supposed to be 1000 characters and it's currently at 1288, so if you have any ideas on what I could take out, that would be great. Thanks for your feedback!