I noticed that Barnard, my dream school, has the HEOP program. On the Barnard website, it says you must have an over 85 GPA, be low-income, and score less than a 24 on ACT English.
I’m low income (<20,000 for 5 people), have a 93 average, but I got a 31 on my ACT English. Do I really not qualify for this program at all because of my ACT? I find this unfair, why I am being disadvantaged for doing relatively well on my ACT? I’m still low-income and I don’t have access to many resources (i.e tutoring, prep, etc).
Op, you really are living up to your name and are being a crybaby
You must remember that HEOP is a 2-part process when candidates must’ be both academically and financially disadvantaged. Your stats make you a viable candidate for RD. There is no shame in that
Barnard meets 100% demonstrated need. If you get admitted, they will meet your need (is this 20k the combined income of both of your parents? Remember HEOP/EOP programs also ask for income and assets from both parents.)
I’m sorry, I’m probably being ignorant and not mindful. It’s just odd to be me that there aren’t any programs like HEOP for low-income high achieving students. Is Barnard really going to take into serious consideration the role that my family income plays in me getting lower ACT scores than upper middle class applicant? My ACT English was a 31. My best composite is a 28. I’m not much of a viable candidate for RD compared to all my upper middle class friends who are applying with a 34 ACT score because they could afford 7 months of private tutoring that costs half my family’s annual income.
Yes, it’s actually 17,000 to be exact. Both parents, only my dad works. I already filed my FAFSA and we have no assets. I know I qualify as low-income and living under the poverty line; I get fee waivers for everything.
Why aren’t you casting a wide net? There are approximately 64 HEOP programs in Nys which include marist, Syracuse,Nyu, Cornell, skidmore, bard, etc
Did you also apply to any EOP schools. Keep in mind that you only have one shot to get into an opportunity program. But once you are in, you can transfer to another program. For example if you are admitted EOP to albany, buffalo you can transfer to an HEOP.
You should definitely add EOP schools to list: Geneseo, Albany, bing, buffalo, Stoney brook, even the land grant colleges at Cornell ( you can apply to all of them through the common app. Remember albany only takes sat scores from the college board. Your GC can certify his or her copy of your sat scores and send them in
In addition opportunity programs pay for grad school at the suny level including update and downstate med. Also remember if you go yo suny ESF you can take 15 credits at Syracuse which is right across the street.
I won’t get accepted into any EOP programs. I think I can normally get into the SUNYs, and I’m applying to a few as safetys. I won’t be considered for all the HEOP pograms in different schools because my ACT score is too high. I just emailed my counselor and she said to not bother applying for HEOP because my grades and ACT is too high.
Don’t knock yourself out of the box. Apply anyway, the worse that can happen is that they push your application to the general admissions pool.
You should also apply to a couple of deep pocket schools also. Did you apply to Questbridge?
What so you plan to major in? Will you be eligible for a stem initiative scholarship? Research some of the SUNY Schools where you may be eligible for the Honors college, which will give additional monies that will be stackable to your financial aid package.
Crybaby, glad to see that you are following thru on this – and lucky you to have Sybbie on your side.
D #1 is in HEOP and along with excellent fin aid has rec’d mentoring and career counselling which have been extremely helpful. Yes it is a a great program. However it is not the only opportunity out there. And if your stats and strategy work in your favor it is possible you may not even need it.
Your situation is perhaps more similar to S #1. His stats were too high for HEOP. He did Questbridge, which might be more suited to you, as well.
Sybbie’s points are well taken, though. A couple thoughts:
– definitely have a SUNY (or two) lined up. Even some Single Choice Early Action schools allow you to apply to a state school, by the way. As Sybbie said, it would also be advantageous in the long run for grad school
– look at HEOP schools where your stats hover at the lowest 25%. Cornell? Columbia? Hamilton? Look into it.
– pick out your favorite deep pocket selective schools where you would be competitive without HEOP, being sure that even though they are reaches they are not impossibles (Barnard would be great).
– You can keep coming back to CC, there are many very experienced posters who have great advice!
You seem to think that HEOP would give you some sort of admissions advantage, which really isn’t the case. At Barnard - which, as Sybbie already noted, meets full need of all students-- it is more of a second chance program for students who seem to have promise but fall short academically – so it provides extra tutoring, including a mandatory pre-college summer program, to help those students prepare for Barnard’s academically rigorous environment. See https://admissions.barnard.edu/apply-barnard/first-year-students/opportunity-program
You wrote “My ACT English was a 31. My best composite is a 28.” and complain that you are not a viable candidate. My daughter was admitted to Barnard with test scores like those. (Actually I think she only got 30 on the English ACT… and maybe her ACT composite was 27… whatever it was, it put her in the bottom quartile). Barnard has gotten somewhat more competitive since then, but I’ve seen no significant change in the reported test score range on the common data set over the years. That is, I think a given test score is no more qualifying or disqualifying now than it was when my D applied a decade ago. (And my DD didn’t have any excuses - she is the middle class daughter of two parents with law degrees, who just doesn’t do well on standardized tests. So no one was giving her extra consideration for her low test scores because of her background.)
Barnard will admit you, or not, depending on their perception of what you bring to the campus of value - who you are and what you offer. They do not admit students as acts of charity. If you come from a disadvantaged background, they want to see what you have done to make the best of your circumstances, to distinguish yourself and find ways to express your individuality or excel to move beyond your circumstances.
Stop worrying about your test scores and focus on your grades and write your Barnard essays about the stuff that makes you unique. (From your numerous chances threads, you are the daughter of North African immigrants, have studied Arabic and French, and are socially active in a number of ways in the NYC area – that is what makes you stand out from the pack, not a test score. )
Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses Barnard isn’t going to reject you or disqualify you based on scores. But to get in, you need to focus on who you are on what you have accomplished and what you think you can accomplish in the future.
@calmom I can attest to what has been written. I worked with two students from very low income families who were “high achieving” and therefore not HEOP candidates. Both were admitted and had their full need met. They were asked to take a subsidised student loan but the amount was very reasonable. So if you qualify for admission and have financial need, you will receive the aid you require.
Hi I applied RD to the HEOP program. I took the ACT two times once in June and another in September. The first time I took it I did not do so well where I got a 24 below on English to qualify for the HEOP program. However, I studied over the summer and it rose so much that my September score disqualifies me. Anyway, I sent my June report to Barnard but forgot to change my ACT self reported score on my Common App. Does anyone what would potentially happen? Should I just send the September score as well just in case (which would mean I would be considered for the regular pool instead of the HEOP pool). I just wanted to add in that without the HEOP program my grades do not reflect greatly on me which would make the regular pool a lot more competitive.
