Chances (junior), suggestions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Barnard College
1

<p>I’m a junior from a competitive school in Westchester, NY. I’m very interested in Barnard but am worried that my SAT scores will bring my chances way down. I work very hard at them but can’t seem to break 700. ;( What do you guys think?</p>

<p>GPA: 95 (weighted)
SAT IIS: Bio 690
USH: 660</p>

<p>SAT I (retaking june 3rd): 670 cr
630 math
710 writing</p>

<p>Junior Courses:
APUSH, AP eng, AP Bio, pre-calc honors, pre-AP Spanish, Art, Science Research
Senior yr:
Science Research, AP Eng, AP Physics B, AP Calc AB, AP Art, Spanish 5 regular, AP Psych</p>

<p>Other/EC:
This past March I wont a national writing award (400/50000 get one) for a short story I wrote from the scholastic art and writing contest. publishing things come along with it.
In May I went to a 4 day Middlebury, VT young authors conference.
Strong artist, oil painting since I was 8 with the same art teacher. Last year won state-wide 2 Scholastic Art Awards, entered again this year, taken pre-college courses 2 years in a row at Parsons, Arts Students League, volunteer at a art museum, did a student docent program at a modern art museum and plan to do a full year program at the museum next year where we meet with artists and make our own exhibit, will be sending slides to Columbia of my artwork</p>

<p>Writer: 3 week Young Writers Conference last summer at Bard, 1 of 2 students elected in my grade to Young Writers Editing Day in December, another in March, entered scholastic competition, plan on my english teacher writing me a recommendation (she knows my writing etc.) In my school poetry club and literary magazine (probably will be a leader next year)</p>

<p>Last summer: 1 week precollege brown philosophy mind and matter course</p>

<p>Community service: Appalachian service project 2 years (1 week in june we go down to appalachia and repair houses), will go again this summer
Saferides in school, officer
Hours at museum
Volunteered at counselor at a children arts camp, 3 weeks
This summer I am attending the pratt precollege art program for 4 weeks (college credit). i recieved $1300 in merit scholarship for my art portfolio.</p>

<p>Track in freshman year, regular runner but not competitively anymore, run on my own time independently. Campus Congress freshman year.</p>

<p>Science Research 3 year psych project (very interested in psych and neuroscience) on eating disorders, beginning my data collection now, mentor at University of Minnesota, testing adults for ed symptoms and then testing their emotional reactivity to visual stimuli. will be entering competitions next year, stat analysis over the summer, this teacher is also my ap bio teacher and will write a good rec, has known me for awhile.friday I start collecting data (surveying people in my school).</p>

<p>So. thats all I got. I know my numbers are low, and am thinking I should focus on them. I basically suck at standardized testing. is my GPA all right?</p>

<p>I also have a question about my essay… we wrote mock ones for our ap english class. I wrote about a girl I met who had HIV while I was hospitalized for 3 weeks the summer before my soph year. I was hospitalized for anorexia and am in recovery and am much, much better than I was. do you think an essay that reveals this about myself would make college apps readers wary to accept me? i feel that having anorexia and going through recovery has taught me so much and helped me develop an interest in psychology.</p>

<p>any advice would be great.</p>

2

<p>I'd suggest you try taking the ACT. My daughter (Barnard 2010) was admitted with a 28 ACT; her SAT's were slightly lower than yours for math/CR, slightly higher than writing and she chose not to submit them. If that is not possible, I wouldn't worry too much about the SATs -- go ahead with the June retake - brush up your math skills, but also focus mostly on the CR/Writing. I know that sounds counterintuitive because your math is the weakest, but Barnard itself has very weak math offerings for students, so I can't imagine that the ad com would place too much emphasis on it.</p>

<p>In your application, I would say focus very heavily on your achievements. It seems to me from looking at the backgrounds of other admitted students that Barnard likes artsy, independent-minded, involved students and looks for diversity -- so you really want to emphasize the parts about your background that make you interesting as a person. </p>

<p>That being said, I wouldn't raise the anorexia unless it is absolutely necessary -- is it possible to rewrite your essay about the girl you met without detailing what you were hospitalized for? Or even leave out the place/context of your meeting, or the fact that you were in the hospital with her? I mean, you could gloss over that point and a reader might simply assume that you were a volunteer at the hospital or met in some different context. </p>

<p>The reason I say that is you are right with your concern. It's a risk. Like all risks, it could help -- but it could also hurt and the worst thing is that if you don't get in, you'll never know. Generally, the only reason to raise something like that is if you need to explain a problem on your transcript, like a dip in grades. It is also good to mention something like that if it is likely to be disclosed by others, such as a high school g.c. But if those thing don't apply, I would suggest that you follow the rule of not telling people what they don't need to know. You have so many strong points you can talk about that I think you really should highlight those things. You want the ad com thinking, "oh wow, she's amazing, look at all she's accomplished!"</p>

3

<p>I was just admitted to Barnard 2010 and I will be going in the fall. I had similar grades as yours, just a higher average and better math SAT scores. I would say you have a good shot because Barnard looks more at your other activities than your numbers. Retake the SAT's and pull up the math. Also try and take the ACT's.
And about your essay.. I would say go for it. I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder when I was 13 and was too sick to attend school for 3 years. I managed to keep up my grades so I didn't have anything to explain, but it defined who I am and I learned so much from it. I wrote my essay on it and got in. While a lot of people think that it is risky to divulge something like that about yourself, I feel that it is risky not to. Anything that has tought you anything is as valuable an experience as volunteer work or travel. I would say go for it, and good luck.</p>

4

<p>my gpa was about the same as you, but my SAT scores were lower (630 Verbal, 650 Math). I took the ACT and got a 31 (i think it's just a better well rounded test, which was better for me. I got in RD, and will be attending next eyar :)</p>

<p>don't stress too much about SATs...just work hard in school, and make sure your class schedule is hard as it can be.</p>