Last-Minute Testing Help? Also, Letters of Rec. Issues?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Barnard College
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<p>Hey folks,</p>

<p>Barnard’s my top choice, but I’m not sure what to do regarding testing and my scores. Should I send in the SAT or ACT, or send both? At the same time, should I bother taking two SAT Subject Tests to increase my chances? I’m already doing an interview and putting in a lot of effort for my essays.</p>

<p>My May SAT score was not that great, at a whopping 1910.
Reading: 610
Math: 610
Writing: 690</p>

<p>I’ve taken the ACT w/ Writing two times, once in April (C:32, E:34, M:28, R:33, S:32) and the second in September (C:33, E:34, M:30, R:35, S:34). The essay was an 8 the first time; my latest Writing score isn’t out yet, but I feel like it was significantly better than the last attempt.</p>

<p>My ACT scores are definitely stronger and show improvement, and I already know I don’t plan on re-taking the SAT as I hate its format. I know Barnard prefers to see your full testing history so I don’t mind sending all my ACT scores, but I’m worried that if I send both the ACT and SAT, I’ll also be expected to send in Subject Tests.</p>

<p>To start off my second problem, I know that Barnard wants you to send in two letters of recommendation from teachers that have taught you during junior or senior year in a core subject (math, English, foreign language, social studies, science).</p>

<p>The problem is that 5 out of the 7 teachers that taught me during junior year have left or retired. One wasn’t from a core subject, but that still leaves me with 2 options to ask for a letter of recommendation. I’ve already asked one, and the other teacher is from my theatre elective, so I can’t ask him. There’s no way to get in touch with the teachers that have left my school either.</p>

<p>For my senior year core subjects, I’m not particularly close with any teachers yet as this is the first time I’ve had any of them. I don’t want to brown-nose them in hopes of getting a letter of recommendation either since that feels sleazy, but I don’t know who else to ask.</p>

<p>I talked to my counselor, and she suggested asking my theatre teacher/director for a recommendation and explaining why I chose to do that in the “Additional Comments” box of the Common App.</p>

<p>What should I do regarding my test scores? How am I going to be able to get a recommendation letter from anybody?</p>

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<p>Just submit the ACT. Your ACT scores are great. My daughter submitted ACT only (and her scores on the ACT were a lot lower than yours) – but her SAT’s were also comparable to yours and she did not want to submit ACT II’s.</p>

<p>DD also submitted a LOR from her sophomore English teacher. D. had gone abroad her junior year so she had a much stronger relationship with the sophomore teacher, who had also taught d’s freshman history class, and I think had an ongoing relationship with d. via some EC or club that he teacher was involved with. </p>

<p>DD had explained the situation and asked the Barnard admissions rep whether it would be o.k. to submit the LOR from the sophomore English teacher. Barnard rep said no way, the LOR absolutely had to be from a junior/senior teacher.</p>

<p>Guess what? DD sent in the letter from the sophomore English teacher anyway. It was an amazing LOR, the best one my daughter had. It was not the first time nor the last time that my DD simply disregarded a rule that didn’t work for her. I mean… what do you think that “major in unafraid” means? (I think my DD might answer that it means a willingness to take some risks along the way. </p>

<p>In other words: I’m telling you my DD disregarded a “rule” that seemed to be unique to Barnard at the time and didn’t make a lot of sense in her situation and it came out o.k. That was a risk she was willing to take, because she thought that a strong LOR from a teacher who knew her well was better than a weak LOR from a teacher who didn’t. </p>

<p>I can’t tell you to do the same – because sooner or later “not following instructions” can get you in trouble. I’m just relating our experience. </p>

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<p>My D is facing a similar situation. She’s taking ACT and hopes to get a decent score so she doesn’t have to submit SAT IIs. </p>

<p>Kelmeier, is there any way to track down those teachers she had? One of my D’s recommendations is coming from a surgeon who taught her Anatomy/Physiology course but is no longer teaching at the school. D has jumped through hoops to get in touch with him and he’s agreed to do it. She realizes that this is an important reference to have since she’d like to study neuroscience. </p>

<p>We also have come to a hurdle with LORs. D goes to a VERY small school and the headmaster has taught her in math for four years. He knows her well and would her give an excellent reference but he is also considered the guidance counselor since the school doesn’t have one. The Barnard rep said that she couldn’t use him. Does the guidance counselor just cite stats for your school in the form or can he/she write personally about the student who is apply?</p>

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<p>@aussiemom On the Common App, there’s the School Report that the counselor submits and also a space for them to attach a letter :slight_smile: </p>

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<p>Ok good! Thanks for pointing that out @sourvinegar‌ </p>