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Job/Work Experience:
Internship with State Representative Jessica Farrar
~For two weeks in the summer of 2017, interned in her district office. Answered emails and calls, read and archived mail, and researched information.
Volunteer/Community service:
Reference my extracurricular activities- just about all of them had a major volunteer and community service aspect to them
-I planned about 5 major community service projects that were statewide (in JSA and Jack and Jill) that raised almost $10,000 collectively and had multiple people who were able to participate and get volunteer hours from it.
-Had two statewide positions where my job was to create service projects on a state level.
Summer Activities:
Study Abroad Program in Spain
~In July of 2017, studied Spanish at the University of Malaga in Spain for two weeks through the program International Studies Abroad (ISA).
Barnard Young Women’s Leadership Institute
~For two weeks in June and July of 2018, I was able to take a leadership course at Barnard, where we studied under a professor and explored topics such as rape culture, intersectional feminism, and racism.
~Created a website called whatyourhealthclassmissed.com with 6 other peers.
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Personal Statement (9/10)
~Spoke about my work in Jack and Jill, JSA, and March For Our Lives and connected them together under the theme of social justice. I spoke about my fear of being judged for being black and how that subconciously propelled me to advocate for others. I went in depth about my innate need for justice and how all my activities and passions in high school were united under that need. (mentioned how I planned the children’s crusade in AL and how MLK III attended, talked about planning a statewide letter writing, toiletry, book, and clothing drive for veterans, and helping to plan the Houston MFOL Rally and how i was able to help my peers send messages to their legislators about gun violence)
Why Barnard (8/10)
~Referenced a book that I had received when I was four and how it inspired me to be a leader, because it was the first positive example of a black girl that I had and I compared that inspiration to how I felt when I first stepped onto Barnard’s campus. I spoke about my unwavering drive for social justice and human rights and how Barnard would be the perfect place for me to change the world. At the end, I spoke about how I had visited 3 times, followed multiple students on instagram, and got daily emails from their newspaper, which helped me to feel like an integral part of the community. In the final sentence, I brought everything together and explained how i would promote their mission of equality and hopefully inspire someone the same way the girl in the book inspired me.
Conversation (9/10)
~My character was Mariska Hargitay, who is on Law and Order and has dedicated her life to ending sexual assault, child abuse, and victim blaming. I spoke about how her advocacy work for survivors inspired me to be also be an advocate for those who have been affected by sexual violence. I referenced my gold award and how I started a program to educated seniors at my school about consent and how I had helped to create a website called whatyourhealthclassmissed.com, which has information about sexuality, consent, sexual assault, and numerous reference contacts for people to get help. I ended my essay by saying how her advocacy and fearlessness to talk about controversial issues propelled me to apply to a school like Barnard, where issues like these would be given a platform.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1:(10/10- History teacher who has been my JSA advisor since 9th grade and awarded me with highest history award at the end of my junior year for my advocacy.)
Teacher Rec #2: (10/10- My English teacher from Junior Year and I am extremely close to her. She is one of my favorite teachers and I was one of her favorite students.)
Counselor Rec: (10/10- I have known her since 10th grade and I am very close to her. She and I really bonded because she also went to a women’s college and was so happy when I told her I wanted to go to one.)
Additional Rec: (10/10- Barnard Professor from YWLI. She and I bonded because we were both black women who absolutely love social justice and bringing to light controversial issues. I read the rec letter and she wrote how I was a perfect fit for the school, and referenced a paper I wrote in her class where she felt I went above and beyond the rest of her students. She was still about to give constructive criticism so that the rec letter wouldn’t seem insincere)
Interview: (10/10- It was a former student from my school who I was super close with and actually allowed me to room with her when I went to Barnard to interview. She was one of the first people who inspired me to apply to Barnard and we have an amazing relationship. This may have been a conflict of interest, but the interview went amazingly.)
Other:
For additional information, I spoke about my 11 year old brother who has autism and cannot speak. I spoke about the challenges of living with him and how I often take care of him. I explained how his disability helped me to grow and compelled me to advocate for others, who also don’t have a voice (figuratively).
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Human Rights
State (if domestic applicant): TX
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Competitive, Private School
Ethnicity: Black
Gender: Female, haha ofc
Income Bracket: >$500,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
URM, Barnard Pre-College, Professor Rec Letter, Interview, State, Autistic Brother
Strengths:
Extracurricular Activities, Interview, Rec Letters, Pre-College, Essay, Resume, Course Load
Weaknesses:
GPA, SAT
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
I think that I pretty much showed that I pretty much eat, breathed, and lived Barnard’s mission and that my need for social justice is truly a part of who I am and that is reflected in everything that I have done in high school. I had an extreme demonstrated interest, because I stayed on campus three times, had close relationships with a few students, and followed every student and program on instagram, snap, and twitter. In addition, I aman URM, who is accustom to competitive and small environments like Barnard. Lastly, I had a fantastic interview, rec letters, and the pre-college program. Honestly, I truly believe the main reason I got in was God, my faith has helped me get through this process and I am so extremely blessed. He is the reason why I got into the school.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
-Pace University ($112,000 scholarship)
-The Kings College ($85,000 scholarship)
-I have to withdraw my EA app from Fordham
General Comments: I am literally still in shock from yesterday and I cannot believe that I got in. I am estatic and so immensely grateful. Honestly grades and scores do not matter as much as you may think that they do. Just show that you have a passion for something, work your butt off, and make an impact on the lives of others. I was so worried that I was not going to get in and I am so thankful for all of the support that I have gotten. Also, just a tip for essays. A lot of people are going to talk about advocacy, but the one thing that will make you stand out in the applicant pool is showing a deeper meaning, whether a fear or desire that you have, that helps to explain why you did the things that you did in HS. I spoke about my fear of being judged for being black and how that compelled me to use my experiences to try to prevent other people from experiencing other societal injustices. All in all, I wish the best of the luck to the future Barnard applicants. I cannot wait to meet this class #Barnard2023!!!
and to those who were rejected/deferred, don’t give up hope. You’ll find your place. I’m rooting for you. You all sound like amazing people and if Barnard couldn’t see it, that’s okay. Best of luck!!!