Several students in Barlow’s class of 2026 are high achievers who have worked very hard since their freshman year, and one of these incredible individuals is Maddy Green. Green has been known for always striving to do her best in school by her teachers and has maintained a 4.0 GPA thus far in her time at high school, and has recently made some incredible achievements. These include her acceptance to Columbia University in New York, which has a 4% acceptance rate, and becoming a Rose Court Princess.
Maddy Green is extremely excited and is looking forward to attending Columbia University next fall. Regarding what she plans to study, Green says, “I will be on a pre-med track. I haven’t set my major in stone yet, but it will be something researching life and human health.”
With the acceptance rate of Columbia University being very low, it makes it extremely difficult to attend this school, and that means that it is very rare to learn there. Green had perfected her application and had some takeaways that could help any seniors and juniors who are looking to apply to a college. Green explained that she was very direct and precise with each and every part of her application. She also emphasized that taking your time and including as many relevant details as possible helped her application. Green told us, “I highlighted a mix of commitments on my application from water polo, work, volunteering, debate, and career exploration. My job shadowing and career workshops definitely helped me stand out.”
She also included how Barlow helped her specifically get her application to the impressive state it was in, and she encourages people to talk to the staff in the College and Career Center. Getting admitted to Columbia University is an impressive and difficult achievement, and it’s so amazing that Maddy Green is taking this opportunity and making the most of it so far!
The Rose Festival takes place in Portland and first started in 1908 with the Rose Queen. In the 1930s, the focus shifted to selecting Oregon high school students to be Rose Court Princesses. Sam Barlow High School has never had one of our students be selected to be a princess in the Rose Court, that was, until this year. Green was crowned the Metro East Rose Festival Princess after an intense application process and preparations. Green was crowned at the KATU2 news station in Portland a few weeks ago, and when asked what her next steps are, she told us, “Now I am sitting in for various interviews and going to princess training days with a focus on media and public presence and speaking.”
Getting to be a princess of the Rose Court is very difficult, but it is a title that comes with lots of respect and honor. Green explained that you have to meet GPA requirements, volunteer hour requirements, and that the court is looking for strong female leaders who love and have passion for their community. Leading up to the finals of Rose Court, Green had to go through an extensive process. When asked what the process looked like, she explained that it all started with a written application, and those who were brought forward in the process then attended a “Community Judging Day”. This is when you give a one-minute memorized speech about yourself and then a two-minute memorized speech on a prompt given to you. This year, Green’s prompt was, “What do you imagine for your community?” Afterwards, they chose the finalist from the speeches and had more meetings with the other finalists from your area, ultimately deciding who to crown as princess. Green told us, “There are fifteen sports total, one for Metro East, one for Metro West, and one for each of the thirteen Portland schools.” Overall, being crowned a Rose Festival Princess is a tremendous accomplishment, and Barlow is very honored to have Maddy Green representing our community.
On behalf of Sam Barlow High School, we would like to congratulate Maddy Green on her major accomplishments this year, and we are cheering her on as she goes off to college soon!
