Chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Barnard College
1

<p>GPA: 3.8 </p>

<p>SAT II Hebrew: 800
SAT II Literature: 750
SAT II History: 760</p>

<p>SAT I: 1860 </p>

<p>My SAT I scores are rather low, but i am taking the test again. I am not a very good test taker.</p>

<p>I speak Hebrew, Russian, English and Spanish.
I moved from Israel 4 years ago. </p>

<p>I go to a private Jewish High School, that doesn’t offer any ap or honors classes.</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: I am the founder of a project called Faith to Faith. Adolescents of different faiths are matched up with a family of a different faith who has a special needs child. Before the adolescent starts working with the child, the family of the adolescent and the family of the special needs get together and I will facilitate a dialogue on community service and acceptance through the lens of the two religions represented. Once the adolescents have started seeing their families once a week, there will be several mandatory programs during the year, this includes but not limited to speaker forums, film talks, and social justice film talks. I believe that the different religious communities in Seattle are highly segregated, and it is important for me to bring different religious communities together and strengthen their ties to one another, so that young teens will no longer be afraid to talk about their religious beliefs. </p>

<p>Cello Lessons: 2003-present
Cascade Youth Symphony: 2005-present
Violin: 1995-2002
Chamber music: 1998-2002, 2005- present.
Proclub varsity tennis team: 2001-2006
Interfaith Youth Core Conference: Spring 2006
Israel Advocacy Conference: Winter 2006
Rally for Darfur in Washington D. C: Spring 2006</p>

<p>COMMUNITY SERVICE AND JOBS: I enjoy serving my community through volunteering and spearheading different community project. My goal is to provide adults and students with the knowledge about current humanitarian issues that affect people which will lead the students and adults to volunteer and give back to their community. I accomplish this by promoting awareness about humanitarian issues that tie to people, such as Modern-Day Slavery, Global Warming, and the genocide that’s taking place in Darfur. I also enjoy, volunteering for a Teen Street Outreach Program which provide support to homeless teens. I enjoy volunteering for the Friendship Circle, and I am currently volunteer for two families who have severely disabled children. I recently spearheaded a project, “Eat for Darfur” and raised money to support Doctors without Boarders. I am organizing a concert to benefit Darfur, and I am part of the University of Washington Coalition for Darfur and The Washington State coalition for Darfur. I believe that the only way to end the atrocities in the world is by educating my fellow students and adults and encouraging them to volunteer and give back to their community. </p>

<p>Tutoring and preparing kids for their Bar Mitzvahs: 2003-present
Lifelong Aids Alliance Volunteer: 2003- present
Friendship Circle Volunteer: 2005-present
Hopelink Child development Center- 2004-2006
Babysitter and Nanny: 1999-present
Internship for the Anti Defamation League: Summer of 2006
Dining Out for Life Volunteer: Spring 2005 and 2006
Anti Defamation League volunteer and trained speaker: 2006 school year
J-Vibe teen advisory board: 2005- present
Volunteer for the Aids Walk: September 2005, September 2006.
Washington State Coalition for Darfur: 2005-present
University of Washington Coalition for Darfur: 2005-present
Organized a school program on Darfur: fall 2006
Organized two food drives at school: fall 2006
Organized a Holiday party for the Jewish Family Service: Winter 2006.
Organized the assembly for Israel’s Independence Day: Spring 2006
Sold shirts to benefit Darfur: 2006 school year
In charge of the Eat for Israel project which helped raise money for victims of terrorism: 2006 school year
Organized an after school teen tutoring club
Formed a partnership with a local foodbank to send students to volunteer once a month.
Organized 10 monthly community service projects for school </p>

<p>• ACHIEVEMENTS AND HONORS: The biggest honor I have enjoyed is being elected as Student Council representative and head of the Community Service at my school. My vision for next year is to implement a new outlook on community service. As president of the Community Service Committee, and Student Council representative, I believe that I could make community service as part of the student’s daily life and get our school involved in community service projects, such as taking part in the monthly food bank program, and participating in the peer tutoring program which I will be forming. Also, I will student, students with an opportunity to conduct community service projects during school. This includes but is not limited to, food drives, book drives, blanket making, and sandwich making, which will all be donated to the Jewish Family Service and Peace on the Streets. </p>

<p>Bellevue High School honor roll: 2001
President and Student council representatives for Community service: 2006
Friendship Circle volunteers of the month: spring 2006
President of Friendship Circle: 2006-present</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: I am the founder of a project called Faith to Faith. Adolescents of different faiths are matched up with a family of a different faith who has a special needs child. Before the adolescent starts working with the child, the family of the adolescent and the family of the special needs get together and I will facilitate a dialogue on community service and acceptance through the lens of the two religions represented. Once the adolescents have started seeing their families once a week, there will be several mandatory programs during the year, this includes but not limited to speaker forums, film talks, and social justice film talks. I believe that the different religious communities in Seattle are highly segregated, and it is important for me to bring different religious communities together and strengthen their ties to one another, so that young teens will no longer be afraid to talk about their religious beliefs. </p>

<p>Cello Lessons: 2003-present
Cascade Youth Symphony: 2005-present
Violin: 1995-2002
Chamber music: 1998-2002, 2005- present.
Proclub varsity tennis team: 2001-2006
Interfaith Youth Core Conference: Spring 2006
Israel Advocacy Conference: Winter 2006
Rally for Darfur in Washington D. C: Spring 2006</p>

<p>COMMUNITY SERVICE AND JOBS: I enjoy serving my community through volunteering and spearheading different community project. My goal is to provide adults and students with the knowledge about current humanitarian issues that affect people which will lead the students and adults to volunteer and give back to their community. I accomplish this by promoting awareness about humanitarian issues that tie to people, such as Modern-Day Slavery, Global Warming, and the genocide that’s taking place in Darfur. I also enjoy, volunteering for a Teen Street Outreach Program which provide support to homeless teens. I enjoy volunteering for the Friendship Circle, and I am currently volunteer for two families who have severely disabled children. I recently spearheaded a project, “Eat for Darfur” and raised money to support Doctors without Boarders. I am organizing a concert to benefit Darfur, and I am part of the University of Washington Coalition for Darfur and The Washington State coalition for Darfur. I believe that the only way to end the atrocities in the world is by educating my fellow students and adults and encouraging them to volunteer and give back to their community. </p>

<p>Tutoring and preparing kids for their Bar Mitzvahs: 2003-present
Lifelong Aids Alliance Volunteer: 2003- present
Friendship Circle Volunteer: 2005-present
Hopelink Child development Center- 2004-2006
Babysitter and Nanny: 1999-present
Internship for the Anti Defamation League: Summer of 2006
Dining Out for Life Volunteer: Spring 2005 and 2006
Anti Defamation League volunteer and trained speaker: 2006 school year
J-Vibe teen advisory board: 2005- present
Volunteer for the Aids Walk: September 2005, September 2006.
Washington State Coalition for Darfur: 2005-present
University of Washington Coalition for Darfur: 2005-present
Organized a school program on Darfur: fall 2006
Organized two food drives at school: fall 2006
Organized a Holiday party for the Jewish Family Service: Winter 2006.
Organized the assembly for Israel’s Independence Day: Spring 2006
Sold shirts to benefit Darfur: 2006 school year
In charge of the Eat for Israel project which helped raise money for victims of terrorism: 2006 school year
Organized an after school teen tutoring club
Formed a partnership with a local foodbank to send students to volunteer once a month.
Organized 10 monthly community service projects for school </p>

<p>• ACHIEVEMENTS AND HONORS: The biggest honor I have enjoyed is being elected as Student Council representative and head of the Community Service at my school. My vision for next year is to implement a new outlook on community service. As president of the Community Service Committee, and Student Council representative, I believe that I could make community service as part of the student’s daily life and get our school involved in community service projects, such as taking part in the monthly food bank program, and participating in the peer tutoring program which I will be forming. Also, I will student, students with an opportunity to conduct community service projects during school. This includes but is not limited to, food drives, book drives, blanket making, and sandwich making, which will all be donated to the Jewish Family Service and Peace on the Streets.</p>

<p>Bellevue High School honor roll: 2001
President and Student council representatives for Community service: 2006
Friendship Circle volunteers of the month: spring 2006
President of Friendship Circle: 2006-present</p>

2

<p>I really hate commenting on anyone's chances as I am a parent of a current Barnard student and really do not feel qualified to do so; however, I am very impressed by your "Faith to Faith" project. Barnard is "known" for evaluating students beyond numbers/scores (and I am NOT saying yours are not good...), so if you present to them the passion you have for these endeavors, I believe your chances would be excellent. I would love to see you go to school with my D!</p>

3

<p>As the parent of another Barnard admittee, I also think you have a profile that would be intriguing to Barnard - Barnard seems to like students with international living experience, facility or interest in languages, talent or ability in music or dance -- and leadership in community service oriented activities is a big plus. </p>

<p>I do want to warn you of something, though -- since you have adopted the tag "columbiagirl007", it's not clear whether you really want Barnard, or are thinking of it as a second way into Columbia. My daughter had the strong sense when she visited and interviewed that the Barnard ad com tries to avoid admitting students who were cross-applicants to both Columbia and Barnard -- she went to great pains to try to telegraph the message that she was NOT applying to Columbia in her own application. (And of course she was successful in getting in). </p>

<p>I think with your profile your chances are probably better at Barnard than Columbia -- its not just a matter of test scores, it's also that your interests seem to be more in line with areas that Barnard values. But I would advise you to seriously look at both schools and decide which one is the best fit, and apply to that one -- including info in your application that sheds light on why the college is a good fit for you, for reasons other than the fact that it is in New York. If finances are not an issue, then you mght consider applying ED.</p>

4

<p>I agree with Calmom. Look at "the core" Vs. "nine ways of learning" not just in terms of the material presented but in terms of the approach the selection reveals. The prejudice I have developed, admittedly on just a few visits to the campus so my sample is small, is that Columbia students are a little more specifically goal oriented and that Barnard students are a little more exploratory. Take Calmom's advice and think it over as to which is your favorite before applying ED. There are students who could fit in on either campus.</p>

5

<p>This nickname is actually rather old, I have had this account for two years now ( i will be a senior next year). I visited both Barnard and Columbia, however I enjoyed the atmosphere at Barnard a lot more. I am a militant feminist and i think that the environment at Barnard would suite me better.</p>

6

<p>OK, that makes sense -- your interests really do seem more 'Barnard' than 'Columbia' too me.</p>

<p>I'll tell you a story: years ago, when my son was applying to colleges, I read the guidebooks and learned about Barnard. The more I learned, the more I believed that Barnard would be the absolute perfect college for my then-middle-school-aged daughter. Barnard just seemed to be so right for her. </p>

<p>Columbia, on the other hand seemed terrible: not a place where I would want to send her at all. Classes too large, core too rigid, etc. </p>

<p>As fate would have it, Barnard got more selective over the years, and my d tested poorly. So Barnard was not high on the initial list of match/safety schools my daughter drew up -- but when she went to visit and interview at what she thought were her top choice schools, most of them were dropped from the list. Then she had a wonderful, amazing interview at Barnard and the college became a top choice. However, she could not apply ED for financial reasons.</p>

<p>My d's SAT I & SAT II scores were so bad that she decided to submit the slightly-better ACT scores instead, and asked her g.c. to remove reference to the SAT scores from her transcript. When my d. was admitted this spring, I assumed that Barnard, like the other reach colleges which admitted her, simply was not aware of those bad scores. But when my d. went online this week to select classes and review the information the college had about her, it turns out that Barnard did have the SAT scores -- the g.c. must have included them on the midyear grade report, if in fact he ever honored the request to remove them from the original transcript sent to the college. So basically... it never was about test scores. </p>

<p>It was always about my daughter having the qualities that made her the kind of student that would make the Barnard ad com sit up and take notice, and think "she is exactly the sort of student we want here." I see those types of qualities shining through in your post, and I'm pretty sure that no one on the ad com is going to be spending much time discussing your test scores. </p>

<p>Also, if Engish is not your first language, you should be sure to mention that on your application. (I noticed you listed Hebrew & Russian first). I am thinking that the language issue alone would account for sub-par SAT scores -- so much is dependent on subtle issues of phrasing and vocabulary, especially for the CR section. Those sentence-completion questions can be pretty tough when you don't have the "ear" for the nuances of English phrasing that native speakers have. I do think that ad coms look at test scores in context -- and an 1860 is very respectable for someone who has only lived in the US for 4 years.</p>

7

<p>I totally agree with calmom in everything she said!! Do be sure they know you want Barnard and not Columbia. My daughter's top choice was Barnard and she did not get in. </p>

<p>(It is all ok because she did end up with a full ride and a very prestigious scholarship to another school and I am not sure how we would have afforded Barnard if she had gotten in; she too fell totally in love during the interview and second visit to the campus and wanted to apply early admission but by that time, it was too late to apply early admission.)</p>

<p>As with calmom's story, my daughter did not test very well at first and this was my biggest worry. But, when we went to the visit, the guide told us that they consider every single applicant. "If someone has 1500 on their sat (all three parts)she does not get automatically rejected; we wonder why someone with these scores wants barnard. What else might be going on that they did not score well but have self selected Barnard? We may be intrigued by this applicant." </p>

<p>When my daughter's scores went up a lot, I thought she was definitely in the running. However, she did not even get waitlisted despited very good stats by the end of the process.</p>

<p>Instead of worrying about her test scores, our time would have been better spent with respect to Barnard, with having her do more things that showed a great passion for something. . .as YOUR c.v. shows. Barnard is interested in people outside of the mainstream and in people with great passions who have taken actions to live out their passions. My daughter did have lots of leadership and social action on her c.v. but she could not boast the number of incredible projects you have created. You should be proud.</p>

<p>As Calmom said, be sure they understand that English is not your first language, be sure your essays are well written and vividly reflect your passions, and keep doing the activist work you are doing. Get good teacher references if you can.</p>

<p>Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.</p>