Supplement Essays – Advice From Current Students
As finals approach here at Barnard, we know that another set of deadlines is approaching — regular decision deadlines, including Barnard’s. As a regular decision admit, I know it can be hard not to stress about the parts of your application that you don’t feel are perfect. But as Dean Lopez suggested in her recent blog post, Advice on Preparing Your Application for Final Submission, this is the time to focus on what you can change — for example, your supplements.
Even through the slog of writing multiple supplements for different schools, I remember writing my Barnard essays, and feeling stumped as to how to condense everything I liked about Barnard into a short essay. For those of you finding yourself feeling similarly, I would think about the details. Do your research — read student publications, look through the Instagram accounts, and dig into specific offices and programs here. Try to find details about Barnard that can help you explain what excites you about the school overall, and go from there!
I vividly remember writing my “one woman” essay because it was the supplement that came the easiest to me out of all my written supplements. I wrote about Sita, a princess from the Indian epic Ramayana, who I learned about during my classical Indian dance lessons. My teacher always emphasized Sita’s silent strength and bravery when she was kidnapped, even though the story is about how her husband saved her. For my essay, I wrote about wanting to ask her how she managed to maintain strength under harsh conditions.
I’m a junior now, so it’s been a few years since I wrote those essays. As a result, I asked some first-year students at Barnard what they wrote their “one woman” essays about. Here are some of their responses!
Kiriaki G: “When applying to Barnard, I decided to write my one-woman essay on Ching Shih, a Chinese prostitute turned pirate that terrorized the China Seas in the early 19th century. Her ability to command over 1,800 junks — traditional Chinese sailing ships — and 80,000 men, women, and children highly intrigued me and rightfully earned her the title of ‘Most Successful Pirate in History.’ Though her name translates to ‘Cheng’s wife,’ the former prostitute recognized for her sex work and savvy business sense was much more than a wife. When debating what questions to ask her, I narrowed down my options to questions regarding where her sense of gender equality stemmed from despite her former profession being one often degraded and how her shrewd business sense in the world of brothels translated to that of highly lucrative looting and pillaging.”
Lauren H: “I wrote my one woman essay about Fiona Apple. She didn’t hold back her emotions in her music, including her anger and insecurity, which was heavily criticized by many listeners. She didn’t hide any part of herself from the world, and she didn’t allow them to explain her or put her into a box. I wanted to ask her how she navigated the constant criticisms against her while owning her emotions without giving up any of her power.“
Esther P: “My one-woman essay was about the political activist and writer Emma Goldman. Goldman was incredibly influential in the creation of anarchist political theory and movements during the early 20th century, making her considered to be one of the most dangerous women during her time. After reading her essay Marriage and Love in my APUSH class, I felt galvanized by the way Goldman unabashedly challenged the status quo. In tandem with her rise in political influence, her legacy was surrounded with folklore of extremism, unfortunately causing a dehumanization of her person and I wrote that I wanted to talk to her to demystify her life and identity.”
I hope these examples can inspire, guide, or shape your responses. And remember — these essays are about you. You may have parents or friends who are helping you edit or brainstorm, but these essays should reflect your personality, not theirs.
Good luck!
Surina Goel BC ‘23