Barnard College 2024 ED Results

Colleges and Universities A-Z Barnard College
1

I’m starting this thread early in response to @mad9394 's comment! Remove the "a"s when you post your comment (I stole this format from a Northwestern results thread).

[aB][asize=4][acolor=#008000]Decision: Accepted[/color][/size]**
[aB][asize=4][acolor=#FFA500]Decision: Deferred[/color][/size]**
[aB][asize=4][acolor=#FF0000]Decision: Rejected[/color][/size]**

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Weighted GPA:
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:
Summer Activities:

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay:
Why Barnard:
Woman in History/Fiction:

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1:
Teacher Rec #2:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview:

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?:
Intended Major:
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:

General Comments:

2

Decision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 35 overall (35 reading, 35 english, 35 math, 36 science, 11 writing)
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9
Weighted GPA: 4.7
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 15/280
AP (place score in parenthesis): N/A
IB (place score in parenthesis) (I’m combining this with senior year courseload because almost all of my classes are IB):
Junior Year: HOTA HL, French B SL, Mathematics SL (weird situation where the class was HL but I was only able to test SL), TOK, Literature 11 HL, Visual Arts HL, Accelerated Physics (pre-requisite for IB Physics)
Senior Year: 20th Century Topics HL, French B HL, Further Mathematics, TOK, Physics SL, Visual Arts HL, Literature 12 HL
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): uhh none on a national scale but I’m in NHS, received a blue ribbon in a regional French-speaking competition, was a medalist in a regional History Day competition, and attended the FIRST NAC (I listed this as an award because I was technically nominated to represent my team)

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): FRC (co-captain), School Literary Magazine editor, chess club, founding member + president of a local student-run FRC team alliance
Job/Work Experience: Worked at a local toy store for two years until it closed, counselor at an arts-themed summer camp
Volunteer/Community service: Some stuff through NHS as well as my local food shelf
Summer Activities: Arts internship at a local wildlife refuge, Pratt Institute Pre-College summer program

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 6/10, My topic was pretty creative but not outstanding. It wasn’t one of those essays like “This quirky personality trait of mine is just like my first place win in the National Physics Bowl!”, just a story from my life, but it was pretty well-written and distinctive.
Why Barnard: 8/10, I talked about the four components of the Barnard experience and how they complement my creativity/artsiness as well as my intellectual curiosity
Woman in History/Fiction: 9/10, I wrote it about Hannah Hoch (the woman in my profile picture, lol) and discussed how learning about her for History Day sparked my interest in Art History.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 6/10, Junior year Physics teacher. He didn’t know me as well as some other teachers, but the class was small and I did well in it so I feel as though he could probably speak to my classroom presence.
Teacher Rec #2: 7/10, French teacher. I’ve consistently been in his classes all throughout high school, and he knows me very well. That being said, he’s not the best writer in the world.
Counselor Rec: 7/10, I literally did not talk to my counselor for more than 5 minutes per year before this year. I’m sure it was fine, though.
Additional Rec: 9/10, Visual Arts teacher. She and I are very close and can speak to my aptitude in and affinity for Art History.
Interview: 8/10. I called her the wrong name at the start of the interview, but it went uphill from there. I’m sure we would have talked for longer if she didn’t have to leave after an hour or so.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Art History (if it wasn’t obvious)
State (if domestic applicant): MN
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public, not the most prestigious, but we send a couple kids to elite colleges every year
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Oops, forgot to edit this one out. Well, you probably already know.
Income Bracket: Upper middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A

Reflection:
Strengths: My grades and test scores were very strong, and I feel like I cultivated an effective “artsy” spike.
Weaknesses: I’m lacking in prestigious ECs and awards, I guess?
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Again, a well-executed artsy spike, which may have been beneficial as the majority of applicants seem to be more politics- or STEM-inclined.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Oops, I should have edited this one out too.

General Comments: This thing takes so long to fill out!

3

ACCEPTED!!

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 34 (33 E, 35 M, 34 R, 33 S)
SAT II: 780 Math 2, 770 Chemistry
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): my school does it out of 100, so 98.6 I think?
Weighted GPA: 100.09 I think?
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4/199
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Euro (3 - did not send), AP Chem (5), AP Stats (5), AP Lang (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Comparative Gov, AP Calc AB, Art of Film, AP Biology, AP Lit, Cultural Anthropology, AP Macro, Science Research
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): not major but stuff from my school -High Honor Roll, AP Scholar, Principals List, Excellence in Intro to Calc Award, Excellence in Algebra II Award

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Mock Trial (Captain/Lawyer) - 10, 11, 12
Student Government (Secretary/VP) - 11,12
Mathletes - 10,11,12
NHS - 11,12
Young Activist Club - 11,12

Job/Work Experience:
Sleepaway Camp Counselor
NYU Student Research Volunteer (I have been doing a study on Tumefactive demyelinating lesions for the past 2.5 years - I put it in my additional info section as well)

Volunteer/Community service:
Counselor in Training (40 hours)

Summer Activities:
Camp staff from above

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 6/10, I wrote about Mock Trial and how its so fundamentally different from all the crime shows I watch, but how I came to love it for its utter normalcy. It wasn’t super well written but it definitely came through that I am an extremely hard worker

Why Barnard: 9/10, I wrote about how Barnard is already a type of community I like to assimilate myself with, and how it will feed my mind, body, and spirit. Name dropped a professor and Sian Beilock, and a lot of different things Barnard. Basically just showed that I would utilize everything they offer to the max.

Woman in History/Fiction: 9/10 wrote about Rosalind Franklin and how she was the backbone of DNA discovery. Talked about the relationship between science and religion and women’s positions in STEM fields.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 10/10, my AP Lang teacher. We got along really well and I was always super engaged in his class. He read his rec to me and it was amazing
Teacher Rec #2: 9/10, my AP Chem teacher. I worked extremely hard in her class, got a 5 on the exam and she’s my student gov advisor. We have a great rapport and she knows how much I love chemistry
Counselor Rec: 8/10, he doesn’t know me that well, new to the school, but he was very involved and really wanted me to get into all my schools so he probably wrote a pretty good rec.
Additional Rec: 10/10, my Mock Trial advisor. We have a great relationship, mock trial is my absolute favorite activity so he knows how passionate I am with it and that I work really hard in it.
Interview: 7/10. Alumni interview over Skype. We got along pretty well, but it felt very much like a Q&A. She was very interested in my research but I got attacked by a stink bug in the middle of it and she got kinda sad cause she ended up trying to be an actress which messed up her college path.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Chemistry
State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 150,000+
Hooks (URM, first-generation college, etc.): legacy (maternal grandma)

Reflection:
Strengths: GPA, test scores, class rank, research
Weaknesses: essays, lack of major awards, not an overwhelming amount of extracurriculars
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think I showed in my app that I am an EXTREMELY hard worker who is going to use all of Barnards facilities to the max.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: nowhere yet. Northeastern is the only other school I applied early to and I would hear back from them in Feb.

General Comments:
Super happy to join such an amazing class of women.

4

Decision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1530: 790 Math, 740 Reading, 19 Writing
ACT (breakdown): 35 Composite: 35 Math, 36 English, 35 Writing, 34 Science
SAT II: 800 Math Level 2, 780 Biology M, 720 Latin
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.80
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): World history (4), Micro/Macroeconomics (5), Calc AB/BC (5), US Gov (5), Comp Sci A (4), Biology (5), Chemistry (5), Literature (5), Seminar (4), European history (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: APs: Language, Physics 1, Latin, Music Theory, US history, Psychology; Post-AP Biology (Natural History of the Sonoran Desert); Multi-variable Calculus
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Girl Scout Gold Award, Arizona Study Program Superior Award (Piano), Bharatanatyam Arangetram

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Junior Classical League (leadership council), Model UN, Girl Scouts, Dance (Bharatanatyam), Piano
Job/Work Experience: American Eagle sales associate, Babysitting for family friends, assistant dance teacher
Volunteer/Community service: National Honors Society, Humane Society volunteer
Summer Activities: Arabic program at the University of Arizona, Barnard PCP

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 9/10; I wrote about my Girl Scout Gold Award and how choosing a polarizing topic led to national outrage
Why Barnard: 10/10; I wrote about the small community that’s in a big environment such as NYC, I also referenced specific courses and programs that I was looking forward to taking part in
Woman in History/Fiction: 9/10; I chose Youtuber Lilly Singh and talked about how she allowed me to embrace my Indian heritage, as well as her growth from being an internet personality to a major philanthropist

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 10/10; my Latin teacher in grades 10 and 11, knows me really well inside and out of class, I was always really active in his class; he had written me recommendations for summer programs and they were always amazing
Teacher Rec #2: 9/10; my AP and Post-AP Biology teacher, knew me in a club before he actually had me as a student, always active in his class; he actually wrote me a recommendation for PCP
Counselor Rec: 10/10; my counselor spoke to me for about 20 minutes just so he could get to know me before writing a recommendation; got a good sense of me and my family and gave me really good advice throughout the whole college application process
Additional Rec:
Interview: 7/10; I did the interview while I was at PCP and it was one of the first real steps I took for a college type thing so I probably could have responded to her questions better.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Sociology/pre-health
State (if domestic applicant): Arizona
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Charter
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
Gender: Female
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I graduated as a junior in high school; I also attended the 4-week Pre-College Program

Reflection:
Strengths: I put a strong emphasis on my interest in the school, GPA, test scores, rigorous course load
Weaknesses: graduating early so there’s the question of my maturity, Barnard was also the first application I wrote so I hadn’t had time to really develop my essay writing style
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think I really highlighted how I would take advantage of all the opportunities available to me, as well as how sure I was that Barnard really was my first choice
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: accepted at Arizona State University (rolling), but I hadn’t heard back from any of the other earlys I applied to (Rutgers and UMichigan)

General Comments: I’m so excited for these next 4 years! I can’t wait to meet such an amazing group of women in person

5

Decision: accepted!

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1430 (710 English, 720 math)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.98
Weighted GPA: my school doesn’t do weighted GPA, but I calculated mine and it came out between 4.15 and 4.2?
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3 out of 90
AP (place score in parenthesis): biology (3), psych (4), APUSH (4). Haven’t taken Lit and stats exams yet.
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP lit, AP stats, jazz band, Portuguese 1 and 2, civics, honors chem, PE
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Knowledge bowl, math team, and social justice club for 3 years. NHS for two (secretary). Jazz band since 7th grade, heavily involved in my schools band program all four years.
Job/Work Experience: worked for two different restaurants. I work a lot during the school year.
Volunteer/Community service: I believe I reported 160 hours. I helped with a middle school sports team and I volunteered at a youth leadership camp last summer.
Summer Activities: HOBY (youth leadership camp), full time worker.

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 6 or 7/10. I spoke about HOBY, the leadership camp mentioned. I thought that the content was interesting, but I did not write it extremely well. My English teacher didn’t seem to like it very much, but my college advisor thought it was fine.
Why Barnard: 8/10. I am not an extremely good writer, but my passion came across. I used specific examples and talked about wanting to get out of my small town.
Woman in History/Fiction: 9/10. I wrote about Harrier Beecher Stowe and tied it very well in with contemporary issues. It was concise, but had the right details.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 9/10. I had my APUSH teacher write me a letter. I did not read it, but we got along very well. He recognized my passion for learning and I always listened to podcasts he recommended.
Teacher Rec #2: 8/10. My English teacher wrote this one. She knew me pretty well, but not as well as my APUSH teacher. English is not my favorite subject but I worked hard, she respected that.
Counselor Rec: I am not sure. I haven’t spoken to her much, but I would assume it was at least mediocre.
Additional Rec: 9/10. I had my employer write it. I am a very reliable worker and we get along very well. I have worked with him for over a year, so we know each other well.
Interview: 9/10. My interviewer was extremely nice. She seemed interested in my favorite classes/reasoning for them. She was very interested because I played my school mascot. I was just myself in the interview and I thought it went very well.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Psychology
State (if domestic applicant): Washington
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: female hehe
Income Bracket: Middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Not really any

Reflection:
Strengths: GPA, extracurriculars (particularly band), work experience
Weaknesses: Standardized test score, personal essay
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I am from a rural area, which may have helped. I didn’t take a lot of APs (5), but only 4 are offered at my school (took one online). This means that I took every AP offered at my school. I also took a tour and interview, which was a long trek from Washington state. I think this showed passion. I also have a ton of work/volunteer experience and I work 20 hours per week during the school year.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:

General Comments: To my fellow applicants from small schools- it is ok to not have a lot of APs! They understand that not every school offers a lot of them. Also, SAT isn’t everything. You don’t need a 1500 to get in. Good luck and don’t psych yourself out on these threads! I almost did over the summer and I’m so glad that I pushed through :slight_smile: go Barnard!

6

Decision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1370 (740 English, 630 Math)
ACT (breakdown): 29 (didn’t send)
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.1
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 31/430
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Lang (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Environmental Science
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Alliance of California Artists’ award for painting (2018 and 2019)

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Editor in Chief for school’s yearbook, Senior Editor for school’s literary magazine, InterAct Co-Founder, President, and Past-President, Varsity Track (9, 10, 11), poet (spoken word), published author in Danish language (short stories and poetry), and currently working on my second novel in English.
Job/Work Experience: Fashion Model (in Denmark) and solo gallery exhibition in November ‘19
Volunteer/Community service: Mostly through InterAct and Track
Summer Activities: Attended The School of the New York Times’ summer program (Cultural and Creative Writing) 2018, travelled alone through Europe

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 10/10. I wrote about moving from Denmark to America at the beginning of high school, and how I’m artistically inclined:)
Why Barnard: 9/10. I wrote about my experience visiting Barnard, in an unconventional way.
Woman in History/Fiction: 10/10. I wrote about Karen Blixen (Danish author/artist who was only successful in America) and how we’re alike. Wrote it as a short story.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 9/10. AP Lang teacher. She liked that I was an non-traditional thinker, and how my Scandinavian point of view always surprised her.
Teacher Rec #2: 9/10. Math 3 Honors teacher. She admired my work ethic even though she knows math is one of my weaker subjects. Commented on my sense of humor when I won a state award for my love poem about math.
Counselor Rec: 9/10. The kindest soul, and has supported me all the way. Not sure what she wrote about, but I’m sure it was very recommending:)
Additional Rec: 10/10. English 10 Honors teacher. She’s an author herself and read my first novel. Has always supported me in my pursuit of the written word.
Interview: 10/10. She was very interested in my way of looking at the world, and we stayed well after the time was due.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid: Yes.
Intended Major: Idk
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Big public school (not great city)
Ethnicity: White
Income Bracket: Middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First gen in America; Danish

Reflection: I didn’t fall in love with Barnard the first time I heard of it, but a solid fire takes time to build, and after my visit, the flames were burning high. The reason why I wasn’t interested at first was because I only looked at schools with a creative writing major, which is why I’m open to other majors now.

Strengths: Essays (thinking out of the box), recommendations, interview, all A’s throughout high school

Weaknesses: test scores; first American college anyone in my family has ever applied to, so we weren’t sure of the process

Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My creativity and essays were my greatest strengths for sure. And I think I did a good job of show, don’t tell (instead of saying “I’m good at writing short stories,” I wrote a short story for my application). I also think my Danish upbringing has contributed to make me stand out from the crowd.

Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at Soka University of America (Private school in LA)

General Comments: I was prepared to get deferred because the stats of last year’s ED admitted students got to my head. But I can only give Barnard the applause they deserve: when they say that their admissions are holistic, they mean it. So excited to be a Barnard woman!
*Also, don’t be afraid to be bold in your essays. I know I was, and it looks like it paid off.

7

ecision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 31
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
Weighted GPA: 3.9
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Lang (4), AP Human Geography (5), AP World (5), AP Biology (4), AP Psychology (5), AP US History (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Physics, AP Government
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Honor Society awards

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Thespian Honor Society, National Honor Society, Stage Crew Club (secretary) where i basically help build/move sets for two shows a year and help organize the school concerts , Cross Campus Choir Group where we preform at Disney World every other year
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community service: Summer Camp work for 1 summer, helped with recreational therapy at a VA Hospital for 1 summer, food pantry help, stage crew for a fifth grade show for four years, office work at a pain management facility

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 10/10 I write about the first time I confronted and spoke about my eating disorder and about how I got help to be where I am today.
Why Barnard: 8/10. I wrote about my experience visiting Barnard and about the different programs/volunteer opportunities that they have. I also mentioned past alums who I find interesting.
Woman in History/Fiction: 10/10 I wrote about Nina Simone (a jazz singer from the civil rights era) and wrote it as if we were just sitting by a piano and having a conversation about her life and how she managed fame vs sanity.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 9/10. AP US History teacher. We got along very well and I was always participating in class. Not sure what he wrote about since. I kinda asked him last minute.
Teacher Rec #2: 8/10. Honors Physics teacher. She admired my ability to maintain my average even though I was out of school for two months. She and I got along well, so I hope she wrote well about me lol.
Counselor Rec: 9/10. The kindest person and she was super supportive when I had to leave school. I’m pretty sure she wrote about my eating disorder.
Additional Rec: 10/10. My chorus teacher. Her rec was probably the most personal since I confide in her whenever I am struggling with something. She is a mother figure to me so I trust that her letter came from her heart.
Interview: 10/10. We hit it off well and we were able to maintain conversation without any pauses. She asked about my personal life and I also had specific questions about Barnard. It was very easy going.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid: Yes.
Intended Major: Biology
State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Suburban public school (about 1600 kids)
Ethnicity: Bengali
Income Bracket: Low within Upper Class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First gen in America; Bengali, Muslim

Reflection: Barnard was the first college that I looked into and I decided to ED before I looked at other places. Even after researching other colleges I just couldn’t get Barnard out of my head. Something about the cute and cozy campus and the small class sizes is so appealing. I’m delighted that I got in, I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.
Strengths: Essays, since they were very very personal. Interview and my optional rec.

Weaknesses: test scores, average. They are both kind of low in comparison to others. Also i lack diversity in my extracurriculars.

Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think I was accepted since I was able to show a lot of strength and drive in my common app essay. It was serious period of growth and realization in my life which helped me mature a lot.

Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted to Binghamton university, SUNY Albany, and Fordham University.

General Comments: I was honestly preparing for rejection or deferral after reading the thread of people rejected last year, but here I am! Just a little reminder to people reading this thread, you might not have the same stats as everyone, but that by no means makes you any less of a candidate for Barnard or any other school.

1 Like
8

ACCEPTED!

Hey everyone, I’m an international student from Zimbabwe and so my results will look a bit different but here it goes so if anyone needs help, here you go :slight_smile:

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1270
Unweighted GPA (out of 100%): 87
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: CIE A Level Literature in English, CIE AS Level English Language, CIE A Level English Language, African Studies, Writing and Rhetoric, Entrepreneurial Leadership
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Africa Award (School Award) Johannesburg International Film Festival Award, Igby Prize for International African Non-Fiction, National Institute of Allied Arts Honors Poetry and Prose, Academic Excellence in Foundations and applications in Mathematics, Bezos Scholars South African Ideas Festival Winner

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Independent Filmmaker
Author: The Memoirs of a Post Colonial Era (Blog)
Student: World Leading Schools Association
Educator: Education First Global Leadership Summit
Community Service (Volunteer)
Residential Assistant
Community Service (Volunteer)
Mentor: Lynde Francis Trust Charity
Community Service (Volunteer)
Tutor: Kuvamba Children’s Trust
Media and Communications Director - House Program
Drama Club Leader

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 10. I wrote about piercing my nose to get a septum piercing and how that gave me a sense of self-ownership. Child marriages are very prevalent in my country and for a long time, I thought I would be married soon and my whole life was spent preparing me for marriage. Piercing my nose told me that my life and my body are mine.
Why Barnard: 10 - okay 9 if you consider the fact that I wrote Lehman Hall instead of the Milstein Centre. I wrote about how finding myself represented anywhere is so difficult because I’m black, Zimbabwean, African and a woman yet Barnard creates that space. I spoke about spending a semester in Harlem and theorising post colonialism. I wrote about how it’s exciting to be in a space where my identity matters in juxtaposition to a world where my identity is an afterthought.
Woman in History/Fiction: I wrote about Sally Hayfron, A Zimbabwean woman who worked to mobilise women against the colonial government and worked with Coretta Scott King to bridge the gaps between 2nd wave feminism. She was also the first president’s wife and so her identity is only recognised as first lady not absolute powerhouse. I spoke about unerasing women in history and having more female African leaders represented.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 10
Teacher Rec #2: 10
Counselor Rec: 10
Additional Rec:
Interview: lol - 6. It felt clunky and awkward yet good in the end. I felt underprepared as if I was repeating myself - it was a Skype interview and my interviewee was SO SO SO nice so hopefully she still thought I was cool enough for Barnard :slight_smile:

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yeah - I also got full funding as well (international students out there, it’s possible :slight_smile: )
Intended Major: African Studies, Film Studies
Country (if international applicant): Zimbabwean residing in South Africa
School Type: International
Ethnicity: Black, Shona
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: <10000 per year
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First Generation college student

Reflection: I didn’t put descriptions for my ECs (above) cause I was lazy but I think they were really good alongside my essays and recs and GPA. I was so nervous the whole time because of my dreadful low SAT score but listen - Scores are nothing if you have a good application. You’re way more than a number.
Strengths: ECs, Recs, Essays, GPA
Weaknesses: SAT, Financial Aid Application
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: lol, I liked all their Instagram posts. I actually have no idea. I think my essays and my personal achievements so awards and ECs.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:

General Comments:

9

Decision: ACCEPTED!!!

SAT I (breakdown): 1420 (720 Reading, 700 Math)
ACT (breakdown): NA
SAT II: NA
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Weighted GPA: 4.4
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 20/340
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (5) AP Lang (5) APES (4 SMH)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, Physics Honors, AP Lit, AP Gov/Econ, AP Spanish, Internship class with a local college.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
-National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar
-AP Scholar with Honor
-I got a partial scholarship to study abroad in South Africa
-I won “Most Creative Business” for a business I started

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): My extracurriculars are very specific and would give away where I live so I’m going to give generic descriptions of my activities.
-Chair of a Youth Committee
-Ran my own business
-Competition dance team
-Work in a domestic violence prevention agency
-Interned at a law firm
-Interned with a local politician
-Studied abroad in Johannesburg (led African dance troupe, hosted a podcast, worked in a feminist student enterprise)
-Provide childcare to toddlers while their parents go to support group therapy for victims of domestic violence
Job/Work Experience:
-local non-profit run by women
-childcare
-summer teacher’s aid
Volunteer/Community service: See above
Summer Activities: See above

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 8/10: It felt very robotic to me, but other people told me that it was really good. I spoke about working in a domestic violence agency and the struggles associated with being outspoken against domestic violence.
Why Barnard: 7/10: It was very specific. I laid out all the activities I planned to partake in once at Barnard. I talked about my interviewer and mentioned part of the conversation that we’d had. I also referred to the PoliSci/Human Rights program that I was interested in.
Woman in History/Fiction: 10/10: My essay was really unique. I talked about Winnie Mandela and how her death impacted my time in South Africa and prompted me to question my perception of right and wrong.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: Probably good or I wouldn’t have gotten in but who knows!!!
Teacher Rec #2:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec: Work Supervisor
Interview: LOL
I was almost POSITIVE I was going to get rejected after my interview. My interview was in a coffee shop with the ADMISSIONS REP for the area I live in. AKA the first person who decides if you make it to the next round. She asked me to talk about three books that describe my interests and I forgot who the author was. Hopefully she just thought I was nervous and let it slide.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: HECK YES
Intended Major: PoliSci with a focus in Human Rights Studies
State (if domestic applicant): CALI
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Latina
Gender: F
Income Bracket: 150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection: I am so happy I got in. Barnard accidentally released decisions early so I opened my portal and saw that I got in right before taking a physics test (which I failed because I was so happy and distracted RIP)
Strengths: I think I stood out because I am a Certified California Domestic Violence Advocate and had pretty unique credentials.
Weaknesses: My SAT score isn’t great and my GPA wasn’t perfect BUT THOSE ARE NOT MEASURE OF INTELLIGENCE I repeat.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I got a full ride to Fordham but nah cuz Barnard

10

Decision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1480 (750 Math, 730 English)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: 790 Math2, 720 World History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9
Weighted GPA: N/A
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 US History (my school does not offer many AP classes for juniors)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP International Relations, AB Calc, AP Physics, AP Comp Sci, Regular English, AP Spanish Lang
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Part of my school’s honor society but nothing else really.

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

  • Captain of Ski Team
  • Speech and Debate
  • Part of club that teaches elementary school girls about science
  • GSA Member
  • Play guitar, violin, and sing
    Job/Work Experience:
  • Babysitting
  • Waitress/barista at local bakery
    Volunteer/Community service:
  • Created/organized a summer camp for underprivileged kids (arts and crafts, taught music, etc.)

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: 10/10 (Was pretty unique in my opinion, talked about my love for literature and science in a pretty different way)
Why Barnard: 9/10 (I think it was well-written but probably not very unique. Just talked about some specifics I like about campus and the community as well as how much I loved being in an academic space lead by women)
Woman in History/Fiction: 10/10 (I picked a somewhat obscure feminist author from the 1960s - I think my essay was quite unique and showed my passion for social change, etc.)

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 10/10 (English teacher who loved me and is very experienced at writing rec letters)
Teacher Rec #2: 10/10 (Physics teacher who also really liked me and knew I was absolutely in love with her class)
Counselor Rec: 8/10 (Didn’t have the closest relationship with her but she knew I was a good student and helped me edit my personal essay, so at least she new what I was interested in)
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: None - I was too late to sign up! I was really worried about this, but I guess it just goes to show that alumni interviews really do not matter as much as we think.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Comp Sci and Poli Sci
State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant): U.S.
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: (Prefer not to say)
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Don’t think I have any

Reflection: I’m literally so excited and relieved. Can’t wait!
Strengths: GPA, Essays, some activities/community service was unique
Weaknesses: Test score wasn’t too great
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I mean I think my accomplishments are pretty mediocre, but I think I did a good job of keeping my application focused on the stuff I really cared about.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: UVM (Scholarship to honors college) but didn’t really want to go there.

General Comments: Honestly, to those who were disappointed with their decision, a lot of this stuff comes down to luck. I don’t think I was an exceptional applicant in any way, and I’m sure there were people who deserved an acceptance just as much as me who didn’t get one - for that, I’m really sorry. But, I hope and I’m sure people will find a school where they will be just as, if not more, happy/successful. Good luck to everyone!

11

Decision: Rejected.
Not conductive to anything to post my stats, I don’t see how that’s helpful at all. Just know that you should never get your hopes up if your GPA is low. It’s the only thing Barnard care for. Really crushed.

12

Decision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1470, 740 R 730 M
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II: 760 Chem 760 Bio
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.3
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis): 4 Chem, 4 Bio, 5 Envi Sci, 5 Calc AB
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: 4 APs, 2 reg, 1 Independent Study
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Best speaker at state MUN for my committee?

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 2 year counselor in training program teaching leadership skills and child management, 2 year member of Oregon Saint Lucia court, 2 year summer Weavery apprentice (only a few days out of the summer), 2 year project manager for environmental club, 3 year MUN member, went to two week long stem programs one of them at Wellesley, 1 year NHS
Job/Work Experience: none
Volunteer/Community service: Saint Lucia
Summer Activities: 2 year counselor in training program + Weavery apprentice + stem program

Essays (rating 1-10, details): 8, I think I had a typo in my essay ( Ik ik) but my AP Lit teacher really liked it
Common App Essay: above
Why Barnard: Strong stem, emphasis on change in curriculum
Woman in History/Fiction: Carrie Fisher, a strong woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and be herself. Should be noted I wrote my supplementals the day the application was due because I was so nervous about writing them and they were kinda bad because the word limit was choking me

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: kinda of a ditzy teacher but she likes me and taught the AP for my major (Envi Sci)
Teacher Rec #2: My Best Bro, an absolute dude, we are great friends, he knows me really well, taught me sophomore year in a science class
Counselor Rec: Great, he loves me we had an extra long meeting talking to each other when he was preparing to write my essay
Additional Rec: The mentor from CITs, also a former Weavery director to attest to my work there
Interview: super great, we got along and had great conversation, I answered all the questions extensively and well and still had more to tell her at the end

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
Intended Major: Environmental Science
State (if domestic applicant): Oregon
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $190,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Grandmother attended so alum?

Reflection:
Strengths: My grades and some of my recs
Weaknesses: lacked long term extra curriculars, my supps weren’t superb
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: God knows, I think I spoke passionately about my interests and about Barnard
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: University of Oregon, Fordham

General Comments: I didn’t get enough financial aid and I don’t think I’ll be able to go. I don’t know who on earth other than rich people can afford $57,000+ (what they said I’d have to pay) a year, especially since their tuition increases every year. My parents didn’t save any money for college and only plan on giving me $5,000 a year

13

Decision: Rejected
SAT I (breakdown): 1440 (didn’t submit)
ACT (breakdown): 34 (35 reading, 35 grammar, 34 math, 32 science)
SAT II:Barnard doesn’t do subject tests so I’m not sure why people are posting their scores
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.95
Weighted GPA:4.4
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):n/a
AP (place score in parenthesis):APUSH (5), AP Computer Science Principles (4), AP Euro (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:AP Calc AB, AP Chem, AP Comparative Gov, AP Lit, AP Spanish 5, school newspaper
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Ap Scholar, 2nd place opinion articles in the state of California, California scholarship federation, Won a California writing competition about writing to your hero,

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Miss Business (started an organization that holds panels/other stuff for young women to get involved in econ and learn how to manage their own money), Feminism Club (president grades 10,11,12) Kamala Harris Campaign (high school lead – organizing events for young people), , Cheerleading (JV Captain Gr 10), School Newspaper (Opinion Editor), Moot Court (semifinalist), Model UN, Black Student Union, Jewish Club (VP), started political podcast
Job/Work Experience: Work at a restaurant on the weekends
Volunteer/Community service: African Library Project Leader (organized a book drive), Service Trip to Ecuador
Summer Activities:NY Times summer program

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay:9/10, talked about my identity but tied it all together with an extended metaphor, talked about my activism/feminist outlook
Why Barnard: 10/10, showed my passion for Barnard (at least I thought)
Woman in History/Fiction:9/10, talked about Phyllis Schlafly(a woman I really disagree with), wrote the essay like she was on an episode of my podcast

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1:10/10, English Teacher (junior year), we are basically best friends and she let me read it and it was awesome
Teacher Rec #2:9/10, don’t know honestly, it was my APUSH teacher, he liked me but didn’t know that much about who I am as a person, but I did really well in his class and on the AP test
Counselor Rec:8/10We are not that close but she likes me and we get along so I think it was probably good?
Additional Rec:10/10, my boss wrote me an awesome rec, he’s cool
Interview:9/10, it was my first college interview so I was nervous, but she was really nice and could tell I was really passionate.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?:No
Intended Major:Political science
State (if domestic applicant):CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:Public
Ethnicity:White
Gender:F
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):Legacy

Reflection:
Strengths:Thought my essays and stats were good
Weaknesses: Maybe not enough ECs or commitment in my ECs?
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:don’t know
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:haven’t been rejected so far, but I’ve only gotten into some safety schools which include Indiana (11k merit aid), Santa Clara(13k merit aid), Boulder(15k merit aid), Fordham(20k merit aid), SDSU

General Comments: I will probably be salty about this forever tbh

14

I wasn’t planning on posting on College Confidential but I found some free time in my schedule so here I am!

Decision: Accepted
SAT I (breakdown):
Took 3 Times
Superscore= 1590 (800 Math + 790 English)

ACT (breakdown): 36
SAT II:
Not needed but here they are (Submitted Math + Latin)
Math II: 800
Spanish: 790
Latin: 800
US History: 770

Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.14
Weighted GPA: My school doesn’t weigh its GPA :frowning:
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): not applicable
AP (place score in parenthesis):
AP Physics= 5
AP US History= 5
AP Music Theory=5
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:
AT International Relations, AT Macroeconomics, AT Calculus AB, AT Spanish Language,
AT English Poetry, Linguistics (course I created at my school).

Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Young Arts Music Foundation
Juilliard Chamber Music 1st place.
Steinway Piano Competition 1st place.

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
I list three few I placed (no specific order bc I don’t remember)

  1. Youth Director at National Iranian-American Council
  2. Founder of Linguistics Course at High School.
  3. Captain of PF Debate

Job/Work Experience:

  1. Math Tutor
  2. Piano teacher at the Free Bird Organization (a community that integrates music into the lives of children battling cancer).

Volunteer/Community service:

  1. Intern at El Centro Hispano Inc.
  2. Volunteer at White Plains Hospital

Summer Activities:

  1. Yale Global Scholars
  2. Brown Leadership Institute
  3. HCAPYLS in Singapore
  4. Columbia Con Law Summer Program

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: Pretty unique form discussed throughout. I referenced a time where I took control of my communal family cooking event and how the leadership roles I learned helped me in various pursuits for the long run. Formatted in the form of a cookbook recipe, which I thought was pretty innovative.

Why Barnard: I talked about the international clubs that I would like to join at Barnumbia and how those clubs help nurture my Middle-Eastern background in times of political turmoil. I also wrote about attending a Saturday program at Columbia and how after the institute, I go to the Milstein Center to study for my tests and write essays (I find the library very productive and uplifting). In my essay I talked about how within the library, each floor represented a different type of woman I wanted to be at Barnard: both curiously driven and socially engaged. I ended talking about how I was literally sitting in the library writing this supplement, which allowed me to break the fourth wall in writing and connect to the reader of my essay.

Woman in History/Fiction: I talked about an international human rights lawyer and how I dressed up as this woman for a speech I had to do in 4th grade. Although my classmates initially were shocked at my investment in the project, the speech ended up being pretty powerful. Then I talked about how the lawyer’s exile from Iran served as a somewhat microcosmic edifice of my own struggles as an Iranian female aspiring to serve in the political sector.

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 10/10 English Teacher. She knew me for 2 years before she was my teacher and honestly helped my writing flourish to a new degree in one year.
Teacher Rec #2: 9/10 Latin Teacher. I’m the President of Latin club at my HS and started a course at my HS with him as the advisor, so he knew me from various positions rather than merely one from class.

Counselor Rec: 10/10. This lady actually was my favorite at my high school. I went to her every week to catch up on the ~tea~ at my high school. She knew my course load pretty much by heart. Absolute sweetest!

Additional Rec:
Interview: Yes, an alumnae interview in my town.

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: International Relations & Poli Sci (potentially 4+1 program w CIPA)
State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White (Middle-Eastern)

Reflection:
Strengths: Essays & Test Scores
Weaknesses: My GPA experienced some pains in 11th grade because of my AT US History teacher but overall I think that the rest helped it balance out a little.

Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Invested interest (ik Barnard doesn’t care but I reached out to the Dean’s a bunch of times through email just that they can remember my name when they read my apps).

Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Fordham, Bing, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Withdrew from Northeastern bc of Barnard!

General Comments: I hope this serves as a guide for future applicants of Barnard, but the route I pursued is in no means indicative of what an applicant should conform to. Good luck!

15

@g0blin Hello, how would you decline acceptance if the decision is binding.