u/Fun_Illustrator1843

Applying ED to Barnard this fall. Would love honest feedback on my chances and what I should work on before apps are due.
Stats:
• GPA: 4.14W / 3.97UW, High Honor Roll all three years
• SAT: 1200 (first sit, no prep) — retaking fall 2026, targeting 1470+
• ACT: 28 first sit, targeting 32+
• School: Small independent school in Colorado, no class rank, limited AP offerings
Courses (junior year): AP Lang, AP US History, Precalculus, Physics, Statistics, Spanish III
Senior year (planned): AP Calc AB, AP Environmental Science, AP CS A, Honors History 12, English 12, Spanish 4
ECs:
• Founded a sticker business in 9th grade — now in 6 retail locations across the Roaring Fork Valley, $7,300 revenue / $4,600 profit in 2025
• 3 summers at Interlochen Arts Academy (Creative Writing) — published in the anthology all three years
• Barnard Athena Summer Institute scholar (summer 2025)
• Editor, school literary & arts magazine
• Weekly volunteer at a women’s shelter (ongoing since 10th grade)
• Adult ESL tutor through school-community partnership (3 years)
• Finance bootcamp this summer with a real trading account
Awards: Holden Citizen Award, Barnard Athena Scholar, Interlochen publications
Why I think I’m a fit: I went to Barnard’s Athena program and genuinely loved it — the intellectual community, NYC access, and women’s college environment are exactly what I’m looking for. Not just saying this for the app.
What I know is weak: Test scores are my biggest vulnerability. I have a real prep plan and am retaking in August/September. Math is my gap — my precalc grades (95/94) show it’s not an ability issue, just test familiarity.
What would help me most:
• Honest assessment of my chances as-is vs. with improved scores
• Does the sticker business read as genuinely impressive or just quirky?
• Any red flags I’m not seeing?