Hey everyone! I am so so anxious for decisions to come out; Barnard is one of my top choices and I would love to study there. It would be amazing if you could chance me!
Major: Political Science
SAT: 1430 (700 Reading, 730 math)
GPA: W: 4.1 UW: 3.87
APs: APUSH, AP GOV, AP Physics, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, AP English Literature & Composition
My Schedule this year: AP English Literature & Composition, AP Calculus AB, French 3 & 4, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, Chamber Singers (highest-level choir at school)
Extracurriculars:
Thespians (my troupe is affiliated with the International Thespian Society; I am the Historian. I’ve been involved since I transferred to my current HS halfway through freshman year; contributed 500+ hours)
NHS (got inducted my first year of eligibility, Executive Board member)
I work at Meijer (local grocery store-I work full-time during the summer and 15 hours during the school year)
Kids’ Food Basket (a local organization that provides take-home dinners to undernourished/underprivileged children. I volunteer there multiple times a week. We just established a farm where we grow our own produce to serve in the dinners. I’m also a member of their Youth Action Leadership Board.)
Student Council (got elected my senior year)
GSA- I founded the GSA at my high school when I transferred there. I had to attend a lot of meetings with the principal and school board in order for it to get approved, but it was worth it. I live in the most statistically conservative county in Michigan and our GSA has been able to do a LOT to encourage tolerance and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in our community.
Music-been in choir since freshman year, top level choir, playing piano for 10+ years
Voices- I co-wrote a play entitled “Voices” with my friend the summer before my sophomore year. It’s a series of monologues about the LGBTQ+ individuals in our community, and it was selected for performance at both the Michigan Thespian Festival and the International Thespian Festival.
Photography- I travel across North America photographing musicians in concert. I don’t have affiliations with any publications or websites, so I don’t have a press pass. My photos have been featured and used by some of the artists, including Alabama Shakes, Tegan and Sara, Post Malone, Janelle Monáe, and Bishop Briggs. I wrote my Common App Essay about it.
Other opportunities: I attended a session of the Michigan House of Representatives with my local Representative, got to shadow her for a day.
Demographic: white queer woman,
Essays:
Common App -I wrote about concert photography. I used a lot of imagery and appeal to the senses in the opening paragraph to describe what it’s like when the lights go down at a music festival before the headliner is about to take the stage. I also discuss how traveling and meeting people through concert photography has helped me develop social skills.
Why Barnard - I wrote about how much I admire Barnard’s dedication to scholarship and the liberal arts. I enjoy learning about a variety of topics that don’t necessarily apply to my major, so going to a school like Barnard would allow me to explore my other interests. I also discussed the uniqueness that comes with an all-female student body, and how that would allow me to have a unique perspective following graduation, especially coming into politics. I also wrote about New York city and its vibrant music/arts scene, which I enjoy greatly.
Woman in History - I wrote about Billie Jean King. She and I are similar in the sense that we are both women living in a man’s world: sports and politics, respectively. We are both queer, and King continues to advocate for equality for both women and LGBTQ individuals. She beat the odds and shattered the “glass ceiling” while the whole world was watching in the infamous “Battle of the Sexes.”
Let me know what you all think!