Ahhh... Is it possible??!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>I am currently a junior at one of the best schools in the nation (top 40 according to US NEWS and like top 50 according to Newsweek). Trust me its nothing to brag about, we're all getting our rear ends kicked hard (well at least me). But I just wanted to mention this so that you guys would get an idea for why my GPA is so low.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.4 UW (yea heckka low) (Probably in the top 25% UW and top 10% W but school only sends in UW GPA)
SAT I: 2360 (M: 800 CR:800 W:760) Superscore: 2400 (took it like twice)
ACT: 34 (M: 36 S: 35 R: 33 W:33)
SAT II: Math 2: 800; Lit: 770; Bio:800; Chem:780
AP: Comp Sci (5) {Last year}
Bio; Chem; Stats; Micro Econ{Scores come in July}
Class Schedule Junior Year:</p>

<p>AP Stats
AP Bio
AP Chem
Honors English
Honors Pre-Calc
AP US - not takin the test its useless for what I want to do; just did it for weighted GPA</p>

<p>My schedule may seem easy to you guys but I'm taking this at one of the best math and science high schools in the country. (Again not trying to brag but to explain the relation between low GPA and classes)</p>

<p>ECs:
Sports:
2 years of basketball
1 year of track </p>

<p>Clubs:
President of Bio Medical Research Club
DECA
Alternative Energy Secretary</p>

<p>I was a Bio Olympiad Semi Finalist last year</p>

<p>Did a Projects Abroad Program to Tanzania last summer where I had the opportunity to work as an intern in a hospital in rural Tanzania. I pretty much shadowed a doctor for about 2 weeks along with learning about how hospitals are in a foreign country. Along with this we went on a 5 day trip through villages and provided clinical care and helped the people there set up a local clinic available to them 24/7. Really fun!!!!!!</p>

<p>Founder of a non-profit organization where we would first learn about stocks from finance professors and instructors from local colleges and then invest in a stock market simulation game for 3-4 months. Then we would pick out the top 5 investors raise funds for 1-2 months so that we could use that money to invest in stocks. Then after about 5-7 months we would pull out as much as we could and donate about 90% to a local charity/non-profit. Last year we were able to donate nearly $2700.</p>

<p>Re-emerged this non-profit organization which deals with marketing/advertising/accounting. In a really short time my friends and I made got it to be well known by many companies in Northern California. I think this is by far my best extra cause it deals with real world experience.</p>

<p>340 Hours of Volunteer Hours- (I think I qualify for some Volunteer Award now…I don’t know I don’t think its anything big.)</p>

<p>Also this summer I'm traveling to rural India to plan + build an electrical wiring system that will supply electricity to 5-10 villages. I'm doing this with a non-profit international company.</p>

<p>I’m currently doing an internship underneath a corporate controller at a medium sized semiconductor company. (This is a paid internship for 4 weeks) </p>

<p>Doing research with a professor at Washington University in St. Louis this summer. I felt that it would be better for me to do something with my summer then just cry over LBW. So I planning to do research which I want to use to compete in Siemens Competition and Intel ISEF. I mean I know how ridiculous these things are in terms of toughness. I probably won’t stand much of a chance to all those science and math wizs out there. But hey its worth a shot and maybe things will work out!!!</p>

<p>DECA: I got 2nd place in my event for States, but didn’t do that well in ICDC.</p>

<p>Also as far as I know here are my schools stats: Sends around 30 to Ivies+Stanford+MIT+UChicago. Around 30 to WUSTL+JHU+DUKE. 35 to USC+NYU+BU(4 BS/MD). And around 90 Students to UCB+UCLA.</p>

<p>Please chance for AEM or A&S Econ</p>

<p>I know a lot of really smart people with much better GPA apply for Cornell AEM, but how would you guys I would fare. Also should I apply ED to Cornell even though my first semester senior year GPA would count towards it?? And how would you guys recommend transferring into AEM from another Cornell college.</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>At first glance you really don’t have a chance due to your class rank, but since your school is that competitive, then you probably have a pretty solid shot getting in. You should apply ED to cornell as it is generally easier to get in (apply ED only if you can afford cornell or are expecting enough financial aid). </p>

<p>You can transfer AEM, however it is not guaranteed and is pretty difficult, as may be the most competitive program in cornell.</p>

3

<p>“I know a lot of really smart people with much better GPA apply for Cornell AEM,”
This might hurt you.</p>

<p>Your stats aside from your grades are amazing. I say you have a solid shot at ED if your school is actually that great, riskier for RD.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the chance guys!!! But quick question are u guys basing competitiveness of my school off of the US news rankings or the college distribution. Because I just learned that my school dropped like 15 places in the new and updated rankings which now includes like 10,000 more schools.</p>

5

<p>Is your school Harvard-Westlake, by any chance?</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA looked weak at first, but if your school is that strong, then it may not hurt you much.</p>

6

<p>Saugus- No, I go to a public school on the west coast.</p>

<p>My school sends out only the unweighted GPA and then sends a school profile that has all the distributions for what GPA people got (exp. 3.0-3.3 141 students). So would that mean that Cornell will base my grades off of the distribution or would they just look at my individual GPA??</p>

7

<p>They will consider that distribution for sure.</p>

8

<p>With rigorous schools, the best way to know if your rank/GPA eliminates you is if you can compare yourself to other people who were accepted to Cornell/similar school with similar stats. At first glance, your chances are quite low.</p>

9

<p>Hey guys thank you all for the replies!!! I was just wondering if I there is something other then the GPA that I could change that would bump up my chances. I mean, I’m for sure going to work on bringing it up, but like if there is something else that would make Cornell think that I’m not like a weak student!!!</p>

10

<p>sterny</p>

<p>Generally, I agree with mikeyc765.</p>

<p>Yours is one of the cases that is impossible for us here on CC to rate.</p>

<p>As others have stated, your GPA appears quite low. However, for many nationally ranked schools, different rules apply. In other words, a 3.4 at your HS may be viewed differently than a 3.4 at other schools. </p>

<p>What I think you need to do is talk to your GC and find out whether with your stats from your HS, Cornell is reasonable. That advice is more valuable than any you will get here.</p>