<p>I’m a white jewish female from nyc. am an immigrant but have lived here for… 16 years? something like that. bilingual and studying spanish, hopefully french too by the end of h.s. plan on double majoring in a language and poly sci.</p>
<p>my question is: my avg. is a 92 right now, hopefully 94-ish by the time i apply. have taken challenging courses and am taking 4 APs next year, and a similar amount senior year. I go to an elite public hs, and am in the top 10% or so of the graduating class but school doesn’t rank. my sat is 2130, but will probably retake it [writing screwed me over somehow… and can easily bring math up 50 pts]. expecting SAT 2’s to be in the mid to upper 700 range. My ECs are pretty impressive, a couple of leadership positions in activities i’m very dedicated to, volunteer work, work for several non-profits, etc. Spending this summer working for social justice in nyc in an org. with… lets just say “impressive” connections [pulitzer prize winners, etc.]. I’ll probably write about this experience for an essay. My essays and teacher recs will probably be spectacular. Oh, i’ve also been taking various dance classes since age 4.</p>
<p>What are my chances at barnard? is my gpa/sats a bit low? any suggestions in general?</p>
<p>I think you have a good shot! Just make sure you convey in your application that you really, really want it. I think they're more about that than grades, SATs, etc.</p>
<p>Agree with Marta in general. Just suggest that you be sure your application is "focused". That is, try to highlight what you think most accurately reflects your deepest commitment and why Barnard would meet/further that endeavor. Is it dance? Your work with non-profit organizations? Languages? The fact that you can pursue all of the above and get a great education? </p>
<p>Just chose a pont of view and make sure you can illustrate very clearly why Barnard is THE place for you...</p>
<p>I think you've got a great shot! My daughter's test scores were very low for Barnard, so that really isn't the most important thing -- unless your writing score is particularly low I don't think that there is a particular need to retake. </p>
<p>Here are what I see as plus factors for your application (things that the Barnard ad com appreciates):</p>
<ul>
<li>your ethnic, immigrant background (good for diversity)</li>
<li>your interest in languages</li>
<li>work for social justice </li>
<li>leadership positions in organizations reflecting your social commitment </li>
<li>dance background </li>
</ul>
<p>So you have done a great job of telling us why you are a good fit for Barnard -- just make sure that you bring these things to life in your Barnard application and you should have an excellent chance of being admitted. </p>
<p>You might want to take a look at the Barnard supplement now -- one nice thing is that with the array of different questions, there are lots of ways to weave in different information about yourself in different parts of the application.</p>
<p>your stats are fine. i got in with 2070 SAT, SAT IIs (750MathII, 680Lit, 610USHist) and a 3.8UW/4.16W GPA (don't know how that converts to 100 scale). Barnard def. looks beyond the numbers, so keep up the great work and you'll be fine.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! For my essays, I'll probably try to explain how my struggle with my identity has influenced my desire to work for justice for other people and how i've finally found a community where i can do that and be myself, and also how working in different grassroots organizations for different causes has led me to discover what actually makes a difference.</p>