This is my DREAM college. what are my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Barnard College
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>First of all, I am absolutely, completely, entirely obsessed and enamored with Barnard. I visited the campus this summer and the second I stepped out of the cab onto the curb I nearly burst into tears. I LOVE this school.</p>

<p>As such, I have come accross these message boards and would love if y’all could give me some analysis of what my transcript looks like thus far. I am an incoming senior looking to definitely apply Early Decision to Barnard with an intended major of History with an emphasis in European Studies (it exists, I’ve checked already).</p>

<p>SCHOOL:
I go to an extremely small (200 total), all-girls, private, religiously-affiliated high school in a major California metropolitan area.</p>

<hr>

<p>GRADES:
Contextually, I have taken the maximum I could have taken given the courses available. Sure there have been some AP classes I did not take simply because I was not interested in the subjects (science, mostly) but most people take 6 or 7 classes whereas I take 8 or 9.</p>

<p>FRESHMAN: Took honors math, biology and english (all the honors that were available). Started Mandarin (but stopped after this year, too much work & a terrible teacher). Standard all-class theology required.</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE: GPA 3.5 Unweighted
– AP European History (only me and 3 other girls out of 50, only AP offered to sophomores), 5 on exam.
– Honors English II
– Honors Chemistry
– Math III
– French I
– Theology II
– Pre-AP Latin Vergil (took as elective with 1 other girl, didn’t count for language requirement)
– Sem 1: Mandatory & Std. Art History // Sem 2: Mand. & Std. Computer Programming and Applications</p>

<p>JUNIOR: GPA 3.4 Unweighted
– Moral Philosophy & Theology
– AP English Language & Composition, 5 on exam.
– Honors Physics (Math intensive & I am TERRIBLE at Math, took it for the fun of it. Ended up getting a C second semester but it didn’t lower my GPA. RAWR!)
– AP U.S. History, 3 on exam.
– Calculus (AP was offered, didn’t take it because I would have DIED)
– AP Art History, 4 on exam.
– French II
– Latin IV Vergil (Exactly like AP but I just didn’t take the exam because our teacher was terrible. Not like the admissions committee will know that though :frowning: )</p>

<p>SENIOR: GPA –
– Moral Philosophy and Mysticism
– AP English Literature
– AP Comparative Government & Politics
– AP Statistics (Hopefully shows that I’m stretching myself in math)
– French III Honors
– AP Latin Vergil
– Women’s Studies (I am taking this before the school day starts with 3 other girls because I want to take it so badly)
– Sem 1: Economics // Sem 2: Vision of America</p>

<p>TOTAL GPA: 3.4 Unweighted, we don’t weight at all.</p>

<hr>

<p>EXTRA CURRICULARS (Partially contd. in next section as well):</p>

<p>NEWSPAPER: I have been on the staff of my school’s national award-winning newspaper every year of high school and next year I am Editor in Chief. This is not just some dinky slapdash newspaper. It takes MANY MANY MANY hours of my time and it has become the most important thing I have done in all my time in school. I love the opportunities it has given me and cannot even begin to explain how grateful I am that I have had the opportunity to be on staff. We are among the top 10 eight to twelve page high school papers in the entire country. I have risen from Reporter → Asst. News Editor → Copy Editor → Editor in Chief. I will have been in a leadership position in both my junior and senior years.</p>

<p>BASKETBALL: JV Freshman year, Varsity Sophomore year. Quit because it was too much of a time commitment to balance with our newspaper and all my classes.</p>

<hr>

<p>ACADEMIC HONORS:</p>

<p>FRESHMAN ―
Academic:
Honor Roll Semester One
Honor Roll Semester Two
First Place in “Daily Life” Latin Language Exam @ Junior Classical League Convention for the state of California
Recipient, Johns Hopkins awards based on SSAT ― acknowledgement in verbal skills and mathematics
Activities:
Reporter, newspaper
Member, Junior Varsity Basketball
Manager, Varsity Volleyball Team
Member, Social Club
Member, Teenage Republicans Club
Panel Speaker at School Information Nights</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
Student, Academic Talent Development Program @ U.C. Berkeley, Class in Psychology
Reading Tutor</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE ―
Academic:
Essay published in Polyphony H.S. National Literary Magazine, one of 23 from across the country
Member, National Honors Society
Honor Roll Semester Two
Member, California Scholarship Federation: Semester One
Member, California Scholarship Federation: Semester Two
Service Recognition Award
Distinction in Latin III, Semester II
Distinction in World Religions, Semester II
Distinction/Prize in History II, Semester I</p>

<p>Activities:
Assistant News Editor, newspaper
Member, Varsity Basketball
Panel Speaker at CSH Information Nights
Member, Pen Pals for Troops Club
Member, Teenage Republicans Club</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
Invited to be a “Counselor in Training” at U.C. Berkeley’s Academic Talent Development Program based on academic performance in Psychology class taken the previous summer
Nominee, People to People international exchange program
School Admissions Pamphlet Representative</p>

<p>JUNIOR ―
Academic:
Multiple Class-Specific Commendations
National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s College Plans Reporting Service: One of 50,000 highest scoring students on the 2005 PSAT/NMSQT
Member, National Honor Society
Member, California Scholarship Federation: Semester One
Member, California Scholarship Federation: Semester Two
Service Recognition Award</p>

<p>Activities:
Copy Editor, newspaper
Member, Students Take Action Now Darfur
Co-head, Teenage Republicans Club</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
Speaker at the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association’s Spring National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco, CA
First presentation: co-presenter, How to Make your Features Graphics POP! About photo manipulation
Second presentation: panel speaker in a teen summit on covering health and nutrition in the high school press
Awarded “Excellent” in Copy Editing at Spring 2006 JEA/NSPA Convention</p>

<p>SENIOR:
Academic:</p>

<p>Activities:
Student Council member, Senior Class Secretary</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
To present at Fall 2006 JEA/NSPA Conference</p>

<hr>

<p>TEST SCORES:</p>

<p>I knowwww my SAT math is really low but I have been preparing like a madwoman to take it again in Oct. AND Nov. Retaking the ACT, as well, to try to improve my math and science scores. Not retaking SAT IIs, they can go pull a lemming and throw themselves off a cliff.</p>

<p>06/2006 SAT Subject Test<br>
Literature 730<br>
U.S. History 670<br>
World History 570 </p>

<p>05/2006 SAT Reasoning Test
Critical Reading 720<br>
Math 560<br>
Writing 700<br>
Multiple Choice 67
Essay 11 </p>

<p>04/2006 SAT Reasoning Test<br>
Critical Reading 700<br>
Math 540<br>
Writing 740<br>
Multiple Choice 69
Essay 12 </p>

<p>ACT Composite 30</p>

<p>English 34<br>
Usage/Mechanics 17
Rhetorical Skills 17
Mathematics 23<br>
Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra 13
Int. Algebra/Coord.Geometry 10
Plane Geometry/Trigonometry 12
Reading 34<br>
Social Studies/Science 18
Arts/Literature 16
Science 28 </p>

<p>SUMMARY:
SAT Combined – CR: 720, M: 560, W: 740 // CR+M = 1280 // CR+M+W= 2020
ACT – 30</p>

<hr>

<p>Special Characteristics:</p>

<p>-- Dad died when I was little, have always grown up in single-parent household (but income is not, as far as the admiss comm will understand, a factor). Essay will likely be about this.
– I am Caucasian.
– My interview at Barnard went very well and I was sure to communicate that Barnard was my VERRRRY first choice, no contest.
– I have not started any community service organizations (I am really at a loss as to how people manage mini-non profits AND go through high school…) but next year I am planning a large, multi-high school benefit dance basically all myself with the help of only one of my friends. This is part of my involvement in the STANDarfur club.</p>

<hr>

<p>RECS:</p>

<p>I have a great relationship with my teachers and I am very sure I will recieve a glowing reccomendation from all three – Art History (soph. and jr. years) teacher, AP English Lang (jr. and sr. years) teacher, ADDITIONAL from our newspaper advisor. The last said she would write me a special rec for Barnard to further communicate how much I want to go to the school.</p>

<hr>

<p>AAAAAND we’re done. Thank you sosososo much it is extremely appreciated.</p>

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<p>Consumedbyapps: First, you make me smile! Your enthusiasm for Barnard literally jumps out at me and I am sure you conveyd that as well during your interview. Second (and probably this should be first, but I could not help myself), you do know, right, that I am just a parent and that I truly cannot accurately assess your "prospects" at Barnard?</p>

<p>But if I were a bettin' woman (as we might say here in Georgia!), I would bet that Barnard, with it's well-deserved reputation for attracting and producing writers of remarkable talent, will be quite a good "fit" for you. I think you will do just fine! I would be sure all of that enthusiasm is apparent on your application and that you attempt to "focus" your interests.I do not, for example, think it bad that you have not started some great charity....your work on the newspaper is very impressive in and of itself. I believe Barnard will be more impressed with that than a scattershot attempt at producing experiences that might "sound" like you have "done" more. Does that make any sense at all.</p>

<p>All that is to say: I think you have a very, very good chance!!!</p>

<p>Keep us informed.</p>

3

<p>:) thanks!</p>

4

<p>Did you take the ACT with writing? I'm asking because you didn't report a writing score --you seem unhappy with your SAT II's. My daughter submitted ACT only to Barnard in part because she didn't want them to see her SAT II's; her best ACT composite was 28, and all of your subscores on the ACT are either the same or above what hers were. But I think you need ACT+Writing to if you don't wan to submit SAT I's & II's. (I'm not expressing an opinion on whether you should submit the SAT's or not... just trying to clarify the score situation). </p>

<p>In any case, I think that Barnard did see the SAT II's any way, though I'm not sure when... her SAT scores showed up on eBear after she was admitted, so they must have been included on her high school transcripts (even though she asked the gc to take them off) -- probably it was on the midyear transcript. Whether they would consider a score not officially reported for admissions or not, I don't know. </p>

<p>I agree with Churchmusicmom on one thing: neither one of us is qualified to assess chances. But I thought that Barnard was a long shot for my daughter -- as much as I thought it was the perfect school for her, I simply didn't think she had a chance with her test scores and various issues with her academic record. Her GPA was great, but between limited offerings at her public high school and disruptions caused by her semester abroad, she had some big holes in terms of course work.</p>

<p>So the point is: you won't know until the envelope comes. My advice is simply to be yourself and emphasize your interests or the things that make you unique. A lot of the stuff you listed here, such as California Scholarship Federation - are things that my daughter left OFF her college apps. There just wasn't room to list all that stuff, and it's no big deal for a good student to get in. There is more than one school of thought on this -- some parents on this board favor listing all honors/awards/ec's..... but I personally like to see something that is narrowed down to the most important. </p>

<p>Your comment, "I have not started any community service organizations (I am really at a loss as to how people manage mini-non profits AND go through high school...) but...." suggests that you think you need to bolster your resume with community service stuff. Please... stop thinking that way.....</p>

<p>My daughter didn't have any community service stuff at at all on her college apps. Sure, she's volunteered at homeless shelters, etc., but nothing special -- community service just wasn't her thing and the number of hours she had wasn't going to impress anyone. The common app asks for activities to be listed in order of importance and only includes 4 or 5 lines.... so the community service stuff got left off.</p>

<p>You don't have to have everything -- what you need to do is be yourself, focus on your strengths, and tell the college what you are about and what you've done... NOT try to do everything or second-guess what they want. What they WANT is an interesting and diverse class, made up of a variety of different individuals. In other words, they want you to be different in some way, and they are going to focus on the things that distinguish you -- so it is wasted effort to try to add in another activity or accomplishment because you think (or someone tells you) that you are weak in some area.</p>

5

<p>okay here goes. first of all, i'm very impressed with your resume. you've done a great job and I think you have a really good chance. that being said, as an incoming freshman at barnard, i learned last year that unfortunately, getting into college is all about chance. i'm going to admit that i felt the exact feeling you feel about barnard for yale. the moment i got there i fell in love. unfortunately i didn't get into yale or any of my other top top choices. however, i did get into barnard and though at first i was a little bummed ... i quickly bit my tongue and realized just HOW much more perfect barnard is for me than any of the other schools i applied to. that being said, i understand that you love it and i totally wish you all the best in getting in, like i said, i think you have a good shot, but whatever happens, happens for a reason. that sentence was a completely run-on but ignore that. everyone used to say to me that i'll get into the school i belong at, and i didn't believe them one bit. i knew what i wanted and THATS what i had to get, otherwise i would not be happy. but i was wrong, barnard is in fact perfect for me and i'm SOOOO excited to start school in 2 weeks. like i said, you sound like a great applicant and i think you have a REALLY REALLY good shot, nothing is guaranteed though. </p>

<p>i would suggest you try and raise your math sat score a little, to at least a 600. ur other sections are great, and honestly my sat scores weren't that high. they're not the most important thing at all though, so don't worry. your ACTs are great though! </p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!!!! i hope you get in!</p>