Hello! I’m a rising senior from India, and am planning on applying to Barnard College under Early Decision, as it’s my first choice. However, I’m not entirely sure about my stats and ECs, so could you please let me know what I should improve/add to get into Barnard?
ACADEMICS:
Under Indian board-
9th grade- 78%
10th grade- 90% (3 sciences, 2 languages, 2 social sciences and math)
Under International A-levels
AAAA (predicted) (Literature, Psychology, Mathematics, Economics)
TEST SCORES:
SAT - 1580 (given twice)
APs -
Psychology (5), Statistics (5), Microeconomics (5), Macroeconomics (4), Calculus AB (5), Literature (5)
(APs were self-taught as they are not offered in our high school)
SAT Subject Tests-
English (780), Maths Level 2 (800), Korean with Listening (740)
EXTRACURRICULARS:
United Under Arts (Chapter President)
a Chapter under the registered 501c3 nonprofit aimed to spread arts among the underprivileged and the elderly.
Global Youth for Children (Chapter Co-Founder)
a nonprofit aimed to spread the mission of UNICEF among the society and locality we live in, to access the problem from the community level.
Youth Eradicating Stigma (YES) (Founder)
an organization aimed to spread awareness about mental health and destigmatise it by making therapies compulsory in schools.
Classical Dancer
8 years
Lumos Magazine (Founder, Head Editor)
Guitarist
SUMMER PROGRAM:
Creative Writing at The School of The New York Times (fully funded)
Intern at Fortis School of Mental Health
HONOURS:
YLAC Counter Speech Fellowship Fellow '20
aimed to advocate about issues which are either overlooked or not spoken about by bringing them to light. This is a highly competitive fellowship in India, with a collaboration with Instagram.
Book deal with Harper Collins India (to be published - Winter 2022) (fiction, YA, mental health and relationships)
Published research paper on the still prevailing stigma around mental health with the help of field experiments and a questionnaire.
Watty Awards Winner (Wattpad)
Mental Health Advocate at Fortis Hospital
I don’t have unique hooks in my application, but I’m passionate about mental health and understanding how human minds work. That’s why my declared major is Psychology, with a minor in Creative Writing/Economics.
Given the fact that my application has a downside as I’ll be applying for aid, I’d love it if I could know how to enhance my application to pose as a highly competitive student.
First of all, you look like an amazing competitive candidate and colleges will be happy to have you as a student. As you mention, needing financial aid as an international applicant is tough.
While Barnard does let in a very small number of international students and provide aid - it will really depend on if your stats and interests make you “the one”. I don’t think anyone can tell you that - except that you are qualified to be in the pool, just unsure if you will be the last one in the pool. There is another Barnard thread on CC and if I remember correctly, many of the posters were also international students looking for aid.
Have you researched any schools that are need blind for internationals? I am unsure how many even exist, but it would be good to have a back up plan.
You may want to speak with the financial aid office at Barnard to just get a clearer picture and also unsure if ED is really an advantage if you need aid verses finding a meets need for international students school.
You appear to be a competitive candidate but Barnard must be considered a reach especially since you are an international applicant from an over-represented country who needs significant financial aid. Cast a wide net both in the US and in your home country.
Also please do not post the same question on multiple pages on CC. This is the correct page for your question – the duplicate post has been merged into this one.
@coffeeat3 thank you! I did look through need-blind colleges for international students, but the colleges (Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Amherst) are all reach schools, and I’m not planning on applying to Ivies (as they’re definitely out of my league).
I mailed the financial aid office, and they replied that “Barnard meets 100% of demonstrated need for all [its] admitted students, regardless of citizenship status. Barnard is able to award a small number of need-based packages for international students in each first-year entering class.”
Yes, Barnard does guarantee to fulfill 100% of need AS THEY DEFINE IT for accepted students, including international students. However, as an international student, your application will not be decided on a need blind basis. So right there, is where you have a major issue. You are also an over represented minority. Barnard has more than enough Indian students willing and able to pay full freight. Unlike with US candidates, there are quotas of sorts as to how many students are accepted from each country. You would have to be the top of the top of the application pool to be accepted, not just the general pool, not just the international student pool, but also the India pool.
So how to up your chances? Well, is there a reason for the 78% Freshman year?
Do you have a story as to how you went from 78% to 90% at your school? What is your background d? What is your home life? How are you different t from the typical Indian student applying to college in the US? What challenges did. and do you have?
Your school counselor’s LOR should go into this if there is a story to be told. The LOR will be very important in showcasing you as an integral part of your school community and how you are catapulting upwards und achievement given the opportunities the school has offered you, and what magnificent contributions you can be expected to make to the college you attend.
If you really want to study in the US, look for less selective schools than Barnard. Schools like Simmons in Boston , Chatham in Pittsburgh, other women’s colleges. Or some lesser known Catholic schools, any lesser known school. Though most schools not requiring tests scores this year, that yours are that high could make a difference.
To get money from Barnard as an international student, especially a lot of money, one has to be a Top school contender which you acknowledge you are not.
@cptofthehouse Yes, aid is an important factor which will decide if I’m going to attend college in the States or not. I’ll definitely be considering the colleges you mentioned.
Could you kindly elaborate what you mean by “Top school contender”?
For the first two years of my high school, I studied with roughly 170 students and we weren’t ranked.
The school I’m currently attending has about 18 students for the batch of 2022 (as it’s an “international” board and highly selective), and although I rank first/second consistently, will it actually be taken into consideration (given that the school population is merely 18)?