<p>Lets just start off with - I really want to attend Barnard but I’m scared I don’t have the grades for it. </p>
<p>I’m currently a high school junior an my gpa is 3.9 unweighted. I’ve taken 2 AP classes this year and they were AP Language and Composition and AP US History. I’m positive I passed both of the test with a 3. Next year I’m taking three AP Classes. AP Calculus AB, AP Lit, and AP Spanish. I got my SAT scores back today and they were not steller…I got a 1550. </p>
<p>I’ve been a 4.0 students up to this year after getting a B in my AP US History class. I would really like to attend Barnard but I’m scared that my academics won’t meet up to their standard. </p>
<p>As of now my extra curricular activities are pretty solid I’m just worried about my grades. Do you still think I have a chance to get admitted into the school? Thank you everyone!</p>
<p>Your grades are fine for Barnard, but I think the scores could be a problem. No harm in applying though --you never know. </p>
<p>But I’d suggest that you include some test-optional colleges on your list as well. If you are interested in Barnard, you should definitely look at Smith & Mt. Holyoke as well.</p>
<p>Have you considered the ACT? I wan’t too happy with my SAT scores either and my counselor told me to just try out the ACT in September and study over the summer. If I got a good score: awesome! If I didn’t, I’ve already been going over everything only in ACT format. I’d just have to work on practice questions for the SAT again.</p>
<p>Your GPA is awesome! Mine probably isn’t even that weighted (school doesn’t gives those out. We have that really awkward QPA thing.)</p>
<p>Is there anyway I could show Barnard that I am academically capable and just not good a standardized testing? I go to a very rigorous and challenging school. The teachers are tough on students and classes are hard in general.</p>
<p>They will see that you are “academically capable” in your application, and if you have a long-standing problem with standardized tests, you can address that in your application. But you also should look into taking the ACT or even re-taking and super-scoring your SAT. You have time.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that Barnard wants two SAT subject tests as well, so you don’t have that many test dates to play with. As calmom advised, look into schools without the test requirements and get ready to write some great essays.</p>
<p>You can look at the common data set for Barnard to get a picture of test scores of admitted students. Barnard takes hardly any students with SAT below 500 on any section of the test. Hardly any means well under 2%. On the ACT, it looks like the bottom line is a composite around 24. </p>
<p>Are your scores relatively balanced – or are there some areas that are particularly weak? What about the math score – Barnard is pretty lenient with that in general, but I think for a student interested in sciences they would want to see a reasonably strong math score? If your weakness is with CR or writing, is English your first language? Do your parents speak English in the home? I personally feel that CR/writing would be very difficult for someone who learned English later in life, because the test is so strongly influenced by slight nuances in grammar, syntax & vocabulary.</p>
<p>I’d add that if you take the ACT with writing, you don’t need the two subject tests- so in terms of scheduling a second test, the ACT might be a more efficient way to go.</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply so far it’s been very helpful!</p>
<p>English is my second language. I came to America at the age of 7. As for the breakdown of my SAT score I got a 440 on math, 570 on reading, and 540 on writing. </p>
<p>When I saw that Barnard required two subject test I knew that I didn’t have much of a chance. I’m going to focus on my ACT this up coming fall.</p>
<p>OK, that definitely explains your test scores. Be absolutely sure to make those facts clear on any college application, or have your counselor include the information. Even if you are now very fluent in English, you probably just can’t read, process and understand the questions as quickly as a native speaker, and may be more prone to being confused by subtle differences in wording. I think your reading & writing scores are pretty good in your situation. </p>
<p>Very often there are subtle differences without exact translations for the function words of language, from one language to another – prepositions, pronouns, articles, etc. - as well as differences in areas such as verb conjugation. This is the hard part for anyone who studies a foreign language - but seems to be acquired naturally for native speakers. These are differences that you won’t even notice 99% of the time in your life, but are the kind of things that can trip you up on a timed test. </p>
<p>I do think think that the ACT is a more straightforward test, so you may find that you do significantly better. That is, I think that the ACT questions are more direct and rely on knowledge to answer, while the SAT seems to have more ‘trick’ questions – questions that are worded in a way that is likely to mislead. However, some people feel that ACT math is harder – so you may need to spend some time working on your math over the summer. If you are going into AP Calculus, you ought to be able to do the math – you may need to do some practice tests to figure out what areas are your biggest problem, and then work on those. I think math is actually easier to improve, at least if you can figure out which types of problems are barriers for you and work on those areas.</p>
<p>Do you have any recommendation for schools like Barnard that may be in my reach a little more?</p>
<p>I really like their student atmosphere and the liveliness of the city (I could live with a quieter setting). I have looked into many different liberal arts colleges but none are like Barnard when it comes to their students. The women there seem to be more knowledgeable and not just about academics but about life. There’s a certain openness to everyone and I like how diverse the school is.</p>
<p>What state do you live in? Are your parents financially able to pay for your college? Do you know whether you will qualify for need-based financial aid? </p>
<p>*There’s no point in us recommending a college that you could never afford to attend, so these questions are important. </p>
<p>What are you interested in studying? </p>
<p>Barnard does have a holistic approach to admissions, and with your background you might have an interesting story to tell. If you are also an ethnic minority, colleges may respect the diversity that you add to their student body.</p>
<p>It definitely makes sense to include test-optional schools on your list as well – if they don’t require test scores, they’ll never know what your score were.</p>
<p>I live in Washington state and my ethnicity is Cambodian. my family is more towards the lower class. My brother was able to attend the local university through financial aid and scholarships. Barnard is my dream school and I plan on paying for it through ROTC if scholarships and financial aid won’t cover the cost. </p>
<p>Currently I am undecided on my major however I would really like to do humanitarian work. I was thinking about maybe being and engineer and help build houses for poor? I would really like to work with people and help improve lives. </p>
<p>Do you know if Barnard offers anything for the LGBT students? </p>
<p>Wow, I think you are going to have a lot of options for college, as you have a very interesting background and goals. I also think that many colleges, including Barnard, may be very forgiving of your SAT scores if you can demonstrate your intellectual strengths in other ways – though I definitely do think you should try the ACT, particularly to bring up the math score. </p>
<p>By “forgiving” I do NOT mean that you can count on any college giving you a break; I’m just saying, don’t assume that you don’t have any chance either. On paper, your scores seem too low for Barnard – but I am very sure that they are going to consider that your background and goals will add to campus diversity. That is why it is SO important in your case to have strong letters of recommendation and an essay (or supplemental essay) that gives a good picture of your life experience. </p>
<p>Because you need financial aid, it is also going to be important for you to apply to many colleges. Barnard will probably give you good aid if you are admitted – but you can’t count on that, and even with good aid, you may find that the costs of living in NYC along with travel from the west coast are hard for your family. </p>
<p>You can’t major in engineering at Barnard, though you can major in architecture. But that’s a tough major where math skills will be important. </p>
<p>Please don’t ignore your in-state options – perhaps the school your brother attends should be added to your list, because at least you know that he has been given adequate financial aid. </p>
<p>Barnard would definitely be a friendly place for LGBT, but certainly not the only one. You should be safe choosing any urban campus or college with a reputation for having students & faculty with liberal/progressive view points.</p>
<p>Have you tried looking at Bryn Mawr? The people that I’ve heard seem to like it a lot! Its a little quietter than Barnard but its an all-girls school (I don’t know if that’s something you were looking for). If you do well on the ACT I think you’ll be able to get in!</p>