<p>Hi, thank you for chancing me. I will be applying to Cornell regular decision despite it being my first choice. I will also being using the alternative choice plan offered by Cornell, because of my diverse interests in both schools.</p>
<p>First Choice: Cornell AEM<br>
Second Choice: Cornell ILR</p>
<p>NY Resident
ORM Male, No legacy, no hooks.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.8 Weighted, basically translates to an A average at my school.
SAT I: 1980, but I'm retaking twice (Oct. & Dec.) to get a 2300+
SAT II: 790 U.S, 690 Math IC retaking Math IC for 750+</p>
<p>ECs: Main Ones w/ Leadership
Red Cross Club: Founder & President, Elaborated greatly on my club in my essays
Model UN: Senior Delegate, Secretary of Finance, Best Delegate & Honorable Mention Awards
Young Democrats: Secretary/Treasurer
Anti-Defamation League: Executive Board</p>
<p>Awards:
AP Scholar
Cornell Book Award
National Latin Exam
National Myth Exam
Other School Awards (Departamental Awards, High Honors, etc.)</p>
<p>Looks pretty good. It's gonna be hard to get your score from a 1980 to a 2300+, so don't think its easily doable. Try taking the ACT's, too. I did ~150 points better on my ACT over my SAT. </p>
<p>EC's look decent, but nothing really stands out. The Chamber of Commerce will look very nice for ILR especially. AEM will be very difficult, especially not ED, but you have a good shot in ILR, IMO. Is there a specific reason you don't want to apply ED? It will significantly improve your chances.</p>
<p>First, I'd like to make clear that I've been preping like hell for my SATs. I memorized all of Barrons 3500 words and read the NY Times religiously. I'd like to be a better candidate so that's why I'm applying Regular Decision, and maybe get better financial aid if possible. I'm curious if anyone can answer these two questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>How much will being a NY resident help me?</li>
<li>What are considered good ECs, I mean I thought that my leadership would help me but if they're considered decent its a bit frightening, actually a friend of mine who attends Cornell had limited ECs (minimal leadership like 1 tops), a higher GPA (4.0ish), and about the same SAT?</li>
</ol>
<p>Before we answer any questions, AEM is a PROGRAM, not a school. </p>
<p>1) It will neither help nor hurt you in admissions (though it'll obviously help with tuition costs). The contract colleges have to take a certain number of NYS residents each year, but this is balanced out by the fact that many, many NYS residents apply.
2) You have to remember that you're applying during the most competitive college admissions season in American history. What might have worked for your friend a couple of years ago might not cut the mustard this year. That being said...
Absolutely stellar ECs: Curing cancer. TASP or RSI. Having a scientific paper published. Winning one of the incredibly competitive national essay contests. Winning a medal in a national or international science/math olympiad. Being an ITS/ISEF semi-finalist or finalist or having been one last year.</p>
<p>Your ECs and leadership make you competitive for Cornell; however, they are not of the "stellar" category that would make you a shoo-in (and there's nothing you can do about it now). This is the Ivy League, baby. Don't worry about it too much; lots of people with your type of EC-level or lower were admitted last year (then again, many were also rejected), and your chances are good AS LONG AS you raise those SAT scores significantly. SAT scores can be what kill an applicant's chances, and yours are definetely what could cause your application to be tossed in the Reject/Wait-listed pile.</p>
<p>Overall, I'd advise that you apply to ILR as your primary choice instead of CALS (where the AEM major is). AEM is the most competitive program in CALS (which is the SCHOOL that the program is in), and if you have no ECs that correlate to it (CALS is very major-fit oriented with its applications process) and you don't get that 2300+ you're hoping for (which is very, very possible) to overshadow your lack of "fit", your chances of getting in are slim. Your ECs seem to fit better to ILR as a whole, and again, Cornell looks for applicants who seem to "fit" the college that they're applying to. Should I say the word "fit" a couple hundred more times or do you get it?</p>
<p>agree completely with karajanhra... I hope you obtain your goal of raising your SAT more than 300 points but in all likelihood the most you can increase it is usually more like 200. If you do increase it into the 2200 range i believe you have a very good shot but not in AEM. ILR seems to be the better fit for you especially with the chamber of commerce gig.</p>
<p>Thank you for responding to my thread, I put 2300 as a goal but am expecting a 2200 would this suffice for Cornell? Also, I know that AEM is a program and Cornell is all about "fit" but the reason I'm applying to AEM first rather than ILR first is because I feel that it is more associated with my probable occupation which will be Wall Street post-graduation. The reason I don't have any business ECs is because my school doesn't offer any can I mention this in a recomendation. However, I took all the business courses offered by my school in addition to working at a Hotel & Chamber of Commerce so I don't know if it in anyway mitigates the situation but I thought I'd clarify that. Oh, and my friend was an applicant last year not like ten years ago so I thought I'd also clarify that as well. Thank you for all your responses.</p>
<p>^A 2200 will suffice (that was around the average score of most of the kids who got in on this year's results thread). </p>
<p>Well, if you're determined to apply to AEM primarily, then you better make a darn good case for yourself using the supplemental essay and possibly the "Other Information" part of the application. Like I said, CALS is very conscious of fit, and there's plenty of people who'll apply to AEM who DO have business related ECs. Rock that essay - with words of APPLIED ECONOMICS and MANAGEMENT. :)</p>
<p>Yeah, just to reiterate my school does NOT offer any business ECs whatsoever which I can have explained in a guidance recomendation. However, this has not detered in any means and I've taken my own initative to illustrate my desires to major in business:</p>
<p>-Significant Leadership, particularly my club which I have thoroughly developed in my essays of the initative and leadership I showed to found it.
-Working in two business establishments Hotel (Front Desk) & Chamber of Commerce (Receptionist) where I gained a feel in a business oriented environment.
-Taking every business class offered by school (Finance, Accounting, CLEP etc.) and excelling e.g recieving A+ in those classes.
-Obtaining a recomendation letter from my business teacher/track coach who illustrates me as a leader & initiator through my various business ventures and inside the classroom e.g leading every discussion.</p>
<p>I think, and again just thinking, that because my school doesn't offer any business ECs it should at least be considered when assesing my profile. It is unfair, at least in my opinion, for an adcom to say "Well he had no business ECs so he should be rejected" without considering my situation and seeing how much I've achieved outside of school despite my limited resources. Can anyone shed light on this? </p>
<p>^^See? That's EXACTLY what I meant; in your original post, you only said that you founded a club and worked in a hotel and in the Chamber of Commerce. In your second-to-latest post, you offered an explanation as to how that stimulated your passion for the world of business and elaborated on how those ECs demonstrated initiative and drive. THAT's how you have to sell yourself in your application, and that's how you'll get into AEM. </p>