How to Apply to Psychology at Barnard College: A Women’s Liberal Arts College Beside Columbia, Declaring Psychology at the End of Sophomore Year, With Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

Barnard College is a women’s liberal arts college in Manhattan. Barnard describes a “historic relationship” with Columbia University that is “unique in American higher education”: students share academic resources, extracurricular activities, athletic fields and even dining halls, combining small classes in a collaborative environment dedicated to women with access to Columbia’s academic resources across the street. Psychology is taught by Barnard’s Psychology Department; you do not apply to a major but declare it after entry. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Barnard’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. When you declare psychology, and the major

• Declaring: students typically declare at the end of sophomore year through a Slate form and are assigned a major advisor. You can declare earlier or change majors later; juniors switching to psychology should first meet the department’s Vice Chair for Student Advising.
• Major requirements (catalog): at least 13 courses and 37.5 credits, with at least six required courses of three or more credits taken at Barnard or Columbia during the academic year. All PSYC courses must be letter-graded with C- or better.
• Sequence: PSYC BC1001 Introduction to Psychology, PSYC BC1101 Statistics (preferably by the end of sophomore year) and PSYC BC1020 Behavioral Research Methods and Analysis are prerequisites for all 2000-level lab courses; labs are taken alongside their lectures.
• Senior capstone: a 3000-level PSYC or NSBV seminar in your last two semesters, graded additionally Pass or Pass with Distinction; with approval, a Columbia psychology seminar or supervised research can count.
• Departmental honors: up to 20% of each graduating class may be nominated, mainly on major GPA; there is no minimum, though historically honors have gone to students with a major GPA above 4.0.
• AP and IB: an AP Psychology score of 4 or 5, or IB Psychology 5 or 6, can exempt you from BC1001 with three points of credit, but another PSYC course must replace it; the department still strongly recommends BC1001.

2. Deadlines and decisions

• Early Decision: 1 November, decisions mid-December; counselor and teacher recommendations by 20 November.
• Regular Decision: 1 January, decisions late March; recommendations by 15 January.
• Apply through the Common App; the fee is $75 (waivers available), with two core-subject teacher recommendations.
• Barnard does not offer interviews; international applicants and students at high schools outside the U.S. may submit a paid InitialView or Vericant interview, by 1 November for ED or 1 January for RD.

3. Testing and English

• Test optional: SAT and ACT are optional for the 2027 first-year and transfer cycles; scores can be self-reported and are superscored, with official scores required on enrollment.
• English waivers: you meet the requirement if English is one of your first languages, you attended English-medium schools for all of secondary school, you are in or completed an English-taught IB Diploma or A-Level curriculum, or you have SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing of 700+ or ACT English or Reading of 29+.
• Otherwise: submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, valid for two years. TOEFL Home Edition and IELTS Indicator are accepted; TOEFL Essentials and MyBest are not, and English tests are not superscored. The most competitive candidates generally score IELTS 7.5, TOEFL 105 (5.5 for tests on or after 20 January 2026) or Duolingo 135.
• Chinese and Canadian curricula: final-year applicants should state the certificate they expect and when; students who sat national exams submit results plus transcripts for each year. Barnard publishes no Gaokao policy or Canada/BC grade requirements.

4. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 costs (US$): tuition 73,120, comprehensive fee 2,472; first-year housing 14,054; meal plans from 2,922 to 9,204 depending on the plan; Barnard health insurance 5,126 if you have no other coverage.
• Aid for international students:
  • Barnard meets 100% of admitted students’ need but is need-aware for non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents;
  • it awards a small number of need-based scholarships to international students in each class; all aid is need-based, with no merit awards;
  • international students must apply for aid with their admission application to be eligible later; aid deadlines are 1 November 2026 for ED and 15 January 2027 for RD.

5. Transfer students

• Eligibility: 24–60 transferable credits completed after high school at an accredited institution; with fewer than 24, apply as a first-year.
• Deadlines: fall entry 1 March (mid-term report 1 April); spring entry 1 November (mid-term report 15 November), with rolling notification after 1 December.
• Materials: three Barnard short answers, the final high school transcript, one recommendation from a college instructor within the last year, and official course descriptions for all college courses; testing optional; English scores if required.
• Credit: no pre-application evaluations; admitted students receive a Transfer Credit Evaluation showing credits and Foundations requirements met. Courses aligned with Barnard courses are likely, but not guaranteed, to transfer.
• No institutional aid for international transfers: transfer grant aid is only for fall applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply via the Common App by 1 November (ED) or 1 January (RD)
• IELTS 7.5, TOEFL 5.5 (new scale) or Duolingo 135 as a guide; optional InitialView or Vericant
• For aid, apply with your admission application (1 November for ED, 15 January for RD); awards are few

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; students at English-medium schools throughout secondary school can email to have the English requirement waived
• Barnard publishes no Canada-specific grade requirements

Transfer students:

• 24–60 transferable credits; fall deadline 1 March
• Prepare official course descriptions; international transfers receive no institutional aid

Sources: Barnard College, About Barnard; First-year applicants; The application process; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Costs and aid; Apply for aid; 2026-27 tuition and fees; Psychology Department; Catalog: Psychology. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check Barnard for the latest details.